{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "is_view": false, "human_description_en": "where chamber = \"House\", state = \"VT\" and year = 2026 sorted by date descending", "rows": [["https://balint.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=819", "Vermont Congressional Delegation Announces Over $33.2 Million in Long-Awaited FEMA Funding to Support Flood Buyouts, Hazard Mitigation Across Vermont", "2026-09-14", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Becca Balint", "B001318", "balint.house.gov", "balint", "https://balint.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27", "scraper", "BURLINGTON, VT \u2013 The Vermont Congressional Delegation, U.S. Representative Becca Balint (VT-AL), U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), and U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.), today announced the delivery of over $33.2 million in new federal funding, administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), to support flood recovery and resiliency in Vermont.\n\nThis funding includes more than $27.6 million to support the buyout of at least 90 homes across Vermont that are located within a floodplain, at risk of landslide, or sustained irreparable damage from flooding in 2023 and 2024. Families who applied for buyouts will receive compensation for their property from the state of Vermont. The state will then demolish the structure and maintain the land as open green space in perpetuity. The additional $5.6 million in funding will support costs associated with the administration of Vermont\u2019s Emergency Management and future hazard mitigation plans.\n\n\u201cOver the last several years, our office has worked with Vermonters who were uprooted from their homes and left to navigate the complicated FEMA grant-making process while waiting far too long for a path forward,\u201d said Rep. Balint. \u201cFor many families, this funding will bring welcome\u2014though bittersweet\u2014closure after years of uncertainty. It will also provide real economic relief and give communities much needed resources to become more resilient to future flooding. I\u2019m grateful to everyone who kept pushing to get these dollars out the door, and I\u2019ll keep fighting to make sure Vermont gets the federal support it needs to recover and rebuild.\u201d\n\n\u201cFor too many Vermonters, our state\u2019s recent floods are painful memories of homes washed away, livelihoods destroyed, roads and bridges decimated, and sadly, lives lost. There is no good reason that Vermonters should have to wait years to receive the help they need to recover and rebuild when disasters strike. Volunteers, town work crews, rescue teams, state and local employees and fellow Vermonters have done extraordinary work over the past three years to keep our communities safe, and this long-overdue federal funding will help make Vermont more resilient against the future floods and other climate impacts we unfortunately know are coming,\u201d said Senator Sanders.\n\n\u201cTo say that these buyouts are long-overdue is a massive understatement. We have Vermonters whose lives and livelihoods were in limbo for over three years as they waited for FEMA to act. These buyouts are a major step in the right direction, but our work helping folks recover from these floods isn\u2019t over\u2014not by a long shot,\u201d said Senator Welch. \u201cI\u2019ll continue working with federal, state, and local partners to ensure flood-impacted Vermonters gets the support they need and deserve to rebuild their homes and lives.\u201d", 1, "2026-09-16T09:43:13Z", "2026-09-16T09:44:22Z"], ["https://balint.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=817", "Rep. Balint Introduces Bill to Strengthen Coordination Between 988 and 911 Call Centers", "2026-09-03", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Becca Balint", "B001318", "balint.house.gov", "balint", "https://balint.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2014 U.S. Representatives Becca Balint (VT-AL), a member of Congress\u2019s bipartisan Mental Health Caucus, and Doris Matsui (CA-7), a member of the House Energy & Commerce Committee, today introduced the 988 and 911 Integration Act. This bill, which is part of the larger, bipartisan 988 Implementation Act being introduced today by Reps. Doris Matsui (CA-7) and Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-1) would establish a panel, jointly convened by the Department of Health and Human Services and Department of Justice, to make recommendations on integrating 988 and 911 services. The panel would include representatives from each segment of the crisis care response network including behavioral health professionals, law enforcement officers, and crisis response professionals, and would update its recommendations every five years.\n\nIn addition to Reps. Balint and Matsui, the 988 and 911 Integration Act is cosponsored by Reps. Lori Trahan (MA-3), Adam Smith (WA-9), Jennifer McClellan (VA-4), Nanette Barrag\u00e1n (CA-44), and Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-AL).\n\nThe panel established by the 988 and 911 Integration Act would:\n\nProvide recommendations on technical and operational integration of the 988 and 911 call lines and appropriate response;\n\nEstablish training, staffing, and protocol requirements to ensure that 988 and 911 dispatch personnel respond appropriately to callers in crisis;\n\nEnsure appropriate care is provided to members of particularly vulnerable communities, including Native Americans, veterans and service members; and,\n\nDevelop data collection and reporting standards to monitor outcomes for individuals who contact 911 and 988 in mental health crisis.\n\n\"Especially during Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, I\u2019m incredibly proud to be introducing the 988 and 911 Integration Act,\u201d said Rep. Balint, a member of the bipartisan Mental Health Caucus. \u201cOne of my top priorities in Congress is reducing stigma and taking real action to improve access to mental healthcare. We know that mental health affects not just individuals, but also their families and communities, too. This bill, alongside the broader 988 Implementation Act, would help local communities strengthen and better utilize 988 resources\u2013a lifeline for those experiencing a behavioral health crisis\u2013and bridge gaps in care in communities all over the country.\u201d\n\nAddressing the mental health and loneliness crises in American communities is one of Rep. Balint\u2019s biggest priorities in Congress. She is focused on finding ways to address the systemic drivers of rising costs in the health care system. Rep. Balint has previously introduced health legislation that would increase the mental and behavioral health workforce pipeline to address shortages and provide increased payment for critical health services like EMS personnel providing care on scene.\n\nThe 988 and 911 Integration Act has been endorsed by: Active Minds, American Association for Psychoanalysis in Clinical Social Work, American Association of Psychiatric Pharmacists (AAPP), American Association on Health and Disability, American Group Psychotherapy Association, Anxiety and Depression Association of America, Association for Ambulatory Behavioral Healthcare (AABH), Children and Adults with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (CHADD), Connections Health Solutions, Crisis Text Line, Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA), Easterseals, Inc., Global Alliance for Behavioral Health and Social Justice, Huntington's Disease Society of America, International Society for Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurses, Lakeshore Foundation, Legal Action Center, NAMI, National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners, National Association of Social Workers, National Association of State Directors of Developmental Disabilities Services, National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors, National League for Nursing, Psychotherapy Action Network (PsiAN), SMART Recovery, Steinberg Institute, Sycamores, The American Counseling Association, The Miles Hall Foundation, The National Alliance to Advance Adolescent Health, The National Federation of Families, The Paramedic Foundation/American College of Paramedics/American Paramedic Association, The Trevor Project, Tourette Association of America, and Treatment Advocacy Center (TAC).\n\nThe full text of the 988 and 911 Integration Act can be found here. A one pager can be found here.\n\nA section-by-section summary of the 988 Implementation Act can be found here. A summary of the individual bills within the package, including the 988 and 911 Integration Act can be found here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-04T09:19:37Z", "2026-09-04T09:20:58Z"], ["https://balint.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=807", "Vermont Congressional Delegation Calls on USPS to Address Persistent Shortfalls in Serving Vermonters", "2026-08-21", "2026", "2026-08", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Becca Balint", "B001318", "balint.house.gov", "balint", "https://balint.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27", "scraper", "Read and download the Delegation\u2019s full letter to USPS Postmaster General Steiner.\n\nBURLINGTON, VT \u2013 The Vermont Congressional Delegation, U.S. Representative Becca Balint (VT-AL), U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), and U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.), urged the Postmaster General of the United States Postal Service (USPS) to address massive shortfalls in serving Vermonters, who have for years experienced postal delivery delays and egregious service issues. In their letter to USPS Postmaster General David Steiner, who was appointed in 2025, the Delegation outlined how many Vermonters have dealt with reduced deliveries and deteriorating service for several years, following adoption of the Trump Administration\u2019s flawed Delivering for America Plan.\n\nThe Delegation emphasized that the significant Postal Service issues facing Vermonters stem from decisions made by USPS leadership: \u201cAs you know, the Postal Service\u2019s Delivering for America ten-year plan was launched in 2021, supposedly to modernize and support the financial self-sustainability of the postal network. Five years into this plan, mail delivery service in Vermont is at an all-time low, staffing shortages in the state are pervasive, and USPS has not improved its financial outlook.\u201d\n\n\u201cIn the first half of 2026 alone, our offices have received over 2,000 constituent complaints about the USPS mail service. Many of our constituents currently receive just one or two mail deliveries per week. Some residential areas have received zero mail deliveries over consecutive weeks. Vermonters living in South Burlington and the greater Chittenden County region have experienced particularly egregious service issues,\u201d the Delegation continued. \u201cThese service failures have a significant impact on Vermonters: tax documents and bills are received after they are due, holiday cards come after the holiday season, and most critically, residents are forced to go without medical care when their prescriptions are not received on time.\n\nThe Delegation also underscored that inconsistent mail delivery is impeding state government services in Vermont: \u201cThe Vermont Agency of Administration has reported two separate instances over the last year when entire batches of vehicle titles were mailed out from the state Postal Center, received by USPS, and subsequently lost in transit. These incidents not only create unnecessary administrative burdens for the state, they also present real security threats to customers\u2019 most sensitive personal information. Given these repeated detrimental impacts on government services, we are greatly concerned about USPS\u2019 ability to deliver election ballots timely, which are automatically mailed by the state to all registered voters in Vermont, before they are mailed back to town and city clerks\u2019 offices in time to be counted for elections.\u201d\n\n\u201cInsufficient staff and monthslong delays in hiring and onboarding staff, mean that Vermont postal workers are working 12 hour days, seven days a week to ensure Vermonters receive their mail. USPS\u2019 centralization of hiring processes and decision-making, has taken away hiring authority from Vermont postmasters, contributing to the problem,\u201d the Delegation continued. \u201cWe deeply appreciate the hard work of Vermont\u2019s postal employees, who, despite limited resources, continue to serve with dedication. We appreciate that USPS\u2019 Northern New England (NNE) District is focused on improving recruitment and retention, including by increasing the number of career fairs and hiring events across the state, but these measures alone cannot remedy the chronic operational deficiencies at USPS.\u201d\n\nUSPS\u2019 stated mission is \u201cto provide the nation with reliable, affordable, universal mail service\u201d six days per week. What percentage of households in Vermont are currently receiving six days of mail delivery per week?\n\nHow many open mail carrier roles across Vermont remain vacant and what is the average length of vacancy?\n\nWill USPS meet its hiring goals in Vermont this year?\n\nWhat is the average length of time for hired personnel to complete onboarding and begin work? Please provide data for Vermont and nationally.\n\nWhat steps has USPS taken to shorten and streamline the hiring and onboarding processes? Are additional authorities or direction from Congress required to further improve efficient staff onboarding?\n\nWhat is the average length of tenure for postal employees across Vermont?\n\nIn January 2026, USPS\u2019 NNE District Office confirmed to the Vermont Congressional Delegation that Vermont lags behind its regional neighbors in new employee recruitment numbers. What resources or strategies have you committed directly to the NNE District to boost statewide hiring efforts?\n\nDue to insufficient staffing and delivery route coverage, Vermont requires the expeditious approval of Contract Delivery Service (CDS) to ensure that mail arrives timely. What steps are you taking to ensure that, while long-term hiring efforts are underway, routes are approved for contract service to ensure adequate coverage?\n\nWhat are the average on-time delivery rates for last-mile delivery for 2024 and 2025?\n\nWhat are the average on-time delivery rates for standard mail delivery services for 2024 and 2025?\n\nWhat steps has the Postal Service taken to ensure that all ballots are timely delivered to eligible voters?\n\nWhat specific elements of the ten-year plan have you identified that need to be altered or abandoned to ensure USPS can fulfill its mission?\n\nAs part of your fleet modernization plan, how many new delivery vehicles will Vermont receive to facilitate mail delivery?", 1, "2026-08-22T05:24:59Z", "2026-08-22T05:26:16Z"], ["https://balint.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=780", "Balint, Warren, Banks, and Cline File Bipartisan, Bicameral Resolution Directing the FTC to Investigate Corporate Roll-ups of Firetruck Manufacturers", "2026-07-21", "2026", "2026-07", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Becca Balint", "B001318", "balint.house.gov", "balint", "https://balint.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27", "scraper", "Resolution (PDF) | One Pager (PDF)\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Today, U.S. Representatives Becca Balint (D-Vt.) and Ben Cline (R-Va.), along with Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Jim Banks (R-Ind.), filed a bipartisan, bicameral resolution directing the FTC to investigate serial acquisitions of firetruck manufacturers.\n\nFollowing two decades of consolidation by private equity firms and larger manufacturers, a vast majority of the fire truck manufacturing industry is now controlled by just three companies. Since then:\n\nPrices have skyrocketed. Fire truck prices have doubled over the last decade, far outpacing inflation for heavy-duty truck manufacturing over that time period. Manufacturers have also exploited their market power to implement \u201cfloating\u201d prices, increasing the final price of a fire truck after it goes into production.\n\nManufacturing plants have shuttered. Dominant fire truck manufacturers have restricted supply by closing their own manufacturing facilities, even though demand for fire trucks has increased in recent years.\n\nDelivery backlogs are growing. Since 2019, the lead times for fire truck delivery have nearly tripled, and fire departments are now facing delivery delays of up to five years.\n\nWorking conditions are unsafe. Higher prices and longer delivery times for fire trucks have prevented fire departments from replacing aging trucks, depriving fire fighters of the essential equipment required to work safely and effectively.\n\nRampant consolidation in the fire truck manufacturing industry is undermining public safety, squeezing fire departments\u2019 budgets, and forcing taxpayers to bear the consequences.\n\nTheFederal Trade Commission Act authorizes Congress, through a joint resolution passed by the Senate and House of Representatives, to direct the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to investigate and report the facts relating to any alleged violations of antitrust law. However, Congress has not used this authority to order an FTC investigation since the Great Depression era.\n\nThis bipartisan joint resolution would revive that authority and direct the FTC to report to Congress within one year on:\n\nThe extent of anticompetitive practices and violations of antitrust law in the fire truck manufacturing industry, including price fixing, price gouging, serial acquisitions, and monopolization;\n\nThe monetary and other harms of anticompetitive practices and violations of antitrust law in the fire truck manufacturing industry on fire fighters, fire departments, states, municipalities, and small businesses; and\n\nRecommendations for legislation or other remedial actions.\n\n\u201cEvery community deserves to have the fire trucks it needs to keep people safe. But corporate consolidation has driven up prices considerably and left communities waiting years for this essential, lifesaving equipment,\u201d said Representative Balint. \u201cThis is yet another example of why we need strong antitrust enforcement: a handful of powerful companies shouldn't be able to use their power to get richer by making it harder for communities to protect themselves.\u201d\n\n\u201cWhen giant corporations and Wall Street investors buy up all the fire truck manufacturers, it\u2019s a threat to public safety,\u201d said Senator Warren. \u201cThere\u2019s a growing, bipartisan consensus that Congress must stop a handful of corporations from dominating fire truck manufacturing and making it harder and tremendously more expensive to get fire trucks.\u201d\n\n\u201cAnticompetitive practices are strong-arming our cities, wasting taxpayer dollars, and leaving firefighters without life-saving equipment. I\u2019m proud to join this bipartisan investigation as we fight to put hardworking Indiana taxpayers first,\u201d said Senator Banks.\n\n\u201cToo often, growing delivery backlogs in the fire truck manufacturing industry are leaving fire departments across the Commonwealth and our Nation without the necessary equipment first responders need to do their jobs safely and effectively. This bipartisan resolution takes an important first step to restore competition, strengthen domestic manufacturing, and ensure taxpayers and local fire departments receive fair value,\u201d said Representative Cline.\n\nThis follows a bipartisan investigation led by Senators Warren and Banks into the harms of private equity roll-ups of fire truck manufacturers that they launched in April 2025.\n\nSenator Warren also sounded the alarm on private equity\u2019s consolidation of the fire truck manufacturing industry at a September 2025 hearing of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Subcommittee on Disaster Management, District of Columbia, and Census.\n\nThe International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) and the American Economic Liberties Project (AELP) have endorsed the resolution.", 1, "2026-07-22T07:34:13Z", "2026-07-22T07:35:16Z"], ["https://balint.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=781", "Reps. Balint, Vel\u00e1zquez Introduce Online Sellers Bill of Rights to Protect Small Businesses from Corporate Gatekeepers", "2026-07-21", "2026", "2026-07", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Becca Balint", "B001318", "balint.house.gov", "balint", "https://balint.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2014 U.S. Representatives Becca Balint (VT-AL), Chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus Ending Corporate Greed Task Force, and Nydia Vel\u00e1zquez (NY-7), Ranking Member of the House Committee on Small Business, today introduced the Online Sellers Bill of Rights, legislation to protect independent online sellers from arbitrary and opaque actions by dominant online marketplaces, like Amazon and Walmart.\n\nMillions of Americans rely on platforms like Amazon and Walmart to reach customers, but those same platforms can suspend sellers, freeze inventory, withhold earnings, or bury products in search results with little warning, explanation, or opportunity to appeal. The Online Sellers Bill of Rights establishes basic due process and transparency requirements to help level the playing field between independent businesses and the dominant corporations that control online commerce.\n\n\"No corporation should have the power to destroy someone's livelihood with the click of a button,\" said Rep. Balint. \"Right now, a handful of massive online retailers can suspend sellers, freeze their inventory, and cut off their income with little explanation and virtually no accountability. I'm proud to partner with Ranking Member Vel\u00e1zquez to introduce the Online Sellers Bill of Rights to give small businesses in Vermont and across the country the transparency, due process, and fair chance to compete that they deserve.\"\n\n\u201cFor too long, small businesses have suffered as large e-commerce platforms block or limit their products with little to no explanation,\u201d said Rep. Vel\u00e1zquez. \u201cYears of work to establish a small business should not be lost because of arbitrary algorithm changes or unfounded product investigations while online platforms like Amazon face no consequences.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe Online Sellers Bill of Rights works to stop these injustices by demanding greater transparency and giving merchants a meaningful opportunity to address potential issues, rather than leaving them blindsided,\u201d Rep. Vel\u00e1zquez continued. \u201cAs Ranking Member of the Small Business Committee, I have consistently fought for small businesses across the nation to have a fair and equal footing. This piece of legislation is the latest step in that ongoing effort, ensuring that even the smallest vendors have a real chance of making their businesses succeed.\u201d\n\nAbout 255 million Americans shop on Amazon annually, and roughly 40 percent of all online transactions occur through its marketplace. Meanwhile, more than 50 percent of the e-commerce market is dominated by just four companies, giving dominant platforms enormous power over the small businesses that depend on them to reach customers.\n\nFor many sellers operating on razor-thin margins, an erroneous suspension can be financially devastating. Businesses have been removed from online marketplaces after platforms like Amazon incorrectly determined they violated its constantly changing seller policies. Instead of receiving timely explanations or meaningful reviews, many sellers are met with automated, generic and vague responses while losing sales, paying storage fees on inaccessible inventory, and struggling to keep their businesses afloat.\n\nTo address these issues, the Online Sellers Bill of Rights would:\n\nGive sellers adequate notice of any policy changes that affect a seller\u2019s business.\n\nRequire that platforms demonstrate proof of a violation of a rule or law before suspending or deactivating a third-party seller.\n\nProvide prompt notice to sellers about inventory or funds due to suspicion of unlawful conduct and release that inventory or those funds after 30 days if no proof of illegal conduct is found.\n\nRequire platforms return seller's inventory within a reasonable timeframe if there is no proof of violation.\n\nProvide sellers with actionable information and transparency regarding any investigation that risks account deactivation or listing suspension.\n\nThe Online Sellers Bill of Rights is cosponsored by Reps. Andr\u00e9 Carson (IN-7), Valerie Foushee (NC-4), Jes\u00fas \u201cChuy\u201d Garc\u00eda (IL-4), Pramila Jayapal (WA-7), Hank Johnson (GA-4), Summer Lee (PA-12), and Lateefah Simon (CA-12).\n\nThe Online Sellers Bill of Rights is endorsed by the Responsible Online Commerce Coalition (ROCC), Open Markets Institute, Tech Oversight Project, Main Street Alliance, Public Citizen, American Economic Liberties Project (AELP), Strategic Organizing Center (SOC), Institute for Local Self Reliance (ILSR), and Small Business Majority.\n\n\u201cIndependent, third-party sellers are the backbone of a vibrant and competitive online marketplace,\u201d said Joe Van Wye, Policy Director for the Responsible Online Commerce Coalition. \"However, just a handful of dominant platforms abuse their market power to set up and then manipulate a system of vague, unpredictable, and ever-changing rules in ways that undermine these hardworking businesses\u2019 ability to survive and grow, stifling innovation and entrepreneurship in this critical sector. We commend Reps. Balint and Vel\u00e1zquez for their leadership on this issue, and hope this commonsense legislation is quickly enacted.\u201d\n\n\"For too long, Amazon has acted as judge, jury, and executioner for the hundreds of thousands of independent businesses that rely on its marketplace to survive,\u201d Barry Lynn, Executive Director of the Open Markets Institute. \u201cA single unexplained algorithm change or frozen payment can wipe out years of hard work. The Online Sellers Bill of Rights establishes a simple and fair proposition: if Amazon and other dominant online marketplaces have become essential infrastructure for commerce, they cannot operate by arbitrary decree. This legislation is about restoring the rule of law to online commerce and ensuring that America's entrepreneurs answer to customers\u2014not unchecked gatekeepers.\"\n\n\u201cFor too long, dominant online marketplaces have abused and exploited the small, independent businesses that depend on them,\u201d said Morgan Harper, Director of Policy and Advocacy at the American Economic Liberties Project. \u201cWhen a platform can suspend a seller, freeze their inventory, or cut off their income overnight without explanation or meaningful recourse, that\u2019s not a free market; that\u2019s unchecked gatekeeper power. This bill restores basic fairness and ensures independent businesses get a real chance to compete.\u201d\n\n\u201cConsumers and independent sellers both understand that platforms must police counterfeit products and other kinds of misconduct,\u201d said John Bergmayer, Legal Director at Public Knowledge. \u201cHowever, these platforms should not be able to deprive sellers of their livelihoods and access to their funds through unexplained, opaque decisions. By requiring greater transparency, a fair process, and meaningful opportunities to challenge platform decisions, the Online Sellers\u2019 Bill of Rights Act promotes confidence in online commerce for buyers and sellers alike.\u201d\n\n\u201cRight now, Amazon can destroy a small business overnight \u2013 no warning, no explanation, no straight answers,\u201d said Sacha Haworth, executive director of The Tech Oversight Project. \u201cThat's what monopoly power looks like. Sellers are locked in, and Amazon knows it \u2013 so it suspends businesses without proof, freezes their money, and even collects fees on inventory they can't touch. Rep. Balint\u2019s Online Sellers Bill of Rights levels the playing field with common sense rules: prove violations, release funds, and give sellers straight answers about their own business. When small businesses can compete, our economy is stronger and consumers win.\u201d\n\n\"Small businesses increasingly rely on large online platforms to sell their products, making small firms especially vulnerable when those platforms engage in harmful practices that disrupt small business sales,\u201d said Alexis D'Amato Falvey, Senior Director of Federal Government Affairs at Small Business Majority. \u201cLegislation that would require large online platforms to be more transparent about their policies and ensure they are equipping sellers with timely information regarding changes to a platform's policies would go a long way toward minimizing disruption for small businesses that depend on certain online retailers for the bulk of their sales.\"\n\n\"The Online Sellers Bill of Rights is a critical step toward ensuring that small businesses can compete fairly in today's digital economy,\u201d Lauren Bealore, National Director of Policy & Programs at Main Street Alliance. \u201cToo often, entrepreneurs who rely on online marketplaces face sudden freezes of their funds or inventory with little transparency or recourse, putting their livelihoods at risk. This legislation would provide much-needed protections and accountability, helping Main Street businesses grow, create jobs, and serve their communities with greater confidence.\"\n\nA one pager on the bill can be found here. A section-by-section summary can be found here. The full bill text can be found here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-07-22T07:34:13Z", "2026-07-22T07:35:16Z"], ["https://balint.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=779", "Rep. Balint Cosponsors Legislation to Break Up Meatpacking Monopolies, Drive Down Grocery Costs", "2026-07-20", "2026", "2026-07", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Becca Balint", "B001318", "balint.house.gov", "balint", "https://balint.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2014 U.S. Representative Becca Balint (VT-AL), founding member of the Monopoly Busters Caucus and member of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Antitrust, cosponsored legislation introduced by Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Chris Deluzio (PA-17), and Pat Ryan (NY-18), co-chairs of the Monopoly Busters Caucus, to break up dominant meatpacking monopolies, rein in foreign-controlled corporate giants, and end unfair pricing practices that raise costs for American families and box out local farmers and ranchers. The legislation, the Family Grocery and Farmer Relief Act, is bicameral, introduced in the Senate by Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY).\n\n\u201cFamilies are paying more at the grocery store while giant corporations rake in record profits and squeeze the farmers and ranchers who feed our country,\u201d said Rep. Balint. \"A handful of meatpacking giants shouldn\u2019t be able to control our food supply and drive up costs for working people. We need to break up these monopolies, restore competition, and build a food system that works for our families and our independent farmers.\u201d\n\n\u201cMassive corporations are driving up prices, making it unaffordable for working people to put food on the table,\u201d said Rep. Jayapal. \u201cIt is a failure of our government to have allowed these corporate interests to swallow up the market, raising costs and putting hundreds of thousands of family farms out of business in the process. This bill is a critical step to level the playing field \u2014 to give independent ranchers and farmers a fair shot while ultimately lowering grocery bills for American families.\u201d\n\n\u201cMeatpacking monopolies are crushing hard-working small farmers, ranchers, and business owners\u2014and are jacking up food prices for all of us,\u201d said Congressman Deluzio. \u201cIn the richest country in the history of the world that likes our meat, we can\u2019t let it become a luxury good. Let\u2019s pass this bill to break up these monopolies and bring some relief to everyone they\u2019re squeezing at the grocery store right now.\u201d\n\n\u201cEvery time we walk into the grocery store, Hudson Valley families are getting squeezed by high prices because a few greedy corporations are raking in record-breaking profits. That\u2019s unacceptable. Instead of taking on the monopolies driving up costs, like the four meatpacking companies that dominate the market, our fundamentally broken system rewards their greed while punishing our family-run grocers, farms, and restaurants,\u201d said Congressman Pat Ryan. \u201cAs the President\u2019s wars and tariffs hurt our small businesses, we should be focused on lowering costs, strengthening our supply chains, and putting working families ahead of corporate special interests. This bill would break up the monopolies jacking up costs and give our local grocers and farms some extra support. I'll keep fighting to crack down on price gouging, take on greedy monopolies, and make sure every family can afford to put food on the table.\u201d\n\n\u201cTrump keeps driving prices higher and higher. The American people are rightfully fed up,\u201d said Leader Schumer. \u201cEvery visit to the grocery store has turned into relentless sticker shock for working families. It\u2019s a consequence of Trump\u2019s failed economic policies and the stranglehold the meatpacking monopoly holds over supply chains and grocery stores. Democrats in the Senate and House are united in bringing down costs for consumers, and I\u2019m proud to champion the Family Grocery and Farmer Relief Act to tackle the skyrocketing food costs and deliver the relief working families demand and deserve.\n\nConsolidation in the meatpacking industry is rampant. For instance, 85 percent of the U.S. beef market is controlled by just four companies: Cargill, JBS, Tyson, and the National Beef Packing Company. This corporate consolidation allows these giants to unfairly extract value and take home maximum profits at the expense of farmers and consumers.\n\nThe Family Grocery and Farmer Relief Act imposes structural reforms to restore competition to the industry. Specifically, it:\n\nMakes it unlawful for a major meatpacking conglomerate to control more than one major type of meat, i.e., pork, chicken, beef;\n\nImposes hard caps on the concentration of beef markets at both the regional and national levels and authorizes the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to order divestiture from the market if those caps are exceeded;\n\nProhibits foreign leverage over the domestic meat market, empowering FTC to protect competition and national security;\n\nDirects the FTC to enforce against discriminatory pricing practices in retail and wholesale meat markets that hit independent and neighborhood grocers the hardest;\n\nAuthorizes the Small Business Administration (SBA) to provide financial assistance, loan guarantees, and technical assistance to farmers\u2019 cooperatives and small business concerns to acquire meatpacking facilities divested under the Act; and\n\nCreates enforceable penalties for corporations that fail to properly divest, enforceable under the FTC Act.\n\nThis legislation builds upon a field hearing hosted by the Monopoly Busters Caucus earlier this year in which an independent rancher testified to the harmful effects of consolidation in the meatpacking industry.\n\n\"North Dakota has some of the highest quality beef in the nation, and my fellow ranchers deserve a larger share of the profit for their hard work,\" said Travis Anderson, North Dakota cattle rancher and member of Dakota Resource Council and the National Family Farm Coalition. \"Breaking up the dominant meat processing companies while addressing horizontal integration would make the overall industry more fair and competitive, while also providing consumers with more affordable and abundant choices at the grocery store.\"\n\n\u201cThe Family Grocery and Farmer Relief Act takes on a root cause of the factory farm system that has devastated rural communities, workers, public health, and family farmers \u2013 the market power of a handful of giant meatpackers,\u201d said Patty Lovera, policy advisor for the Campaign for Family Farms and the Environment. \u201cIt\u2019s time to break up the massive companies that have consolidated livestock production and rigged the market against independent producers.\u201d\n\n\"Today, we will lose 63 farmers, and at the same time, Americans struggle to feed their families, and that's no accident,\u201d said Joe Maxwell, president of Farm Action Fund. \u201cIt's the predictable result of decades of unchecked consolidation that has allowed a handful of corporations to control our food system. As a fourth-generation family farmer, I have witnessed this takeover firsthand. The Family Grocery and Farmer Relief Act begins restoring the freedom to farm, the freedom to compete, and the freedom for families to afford the food they need. We applaud Representatives Jayapal, Deluzio, Ryan, and the other sponsors for confronting concentrated corporate power and standing with America's farmers, workers, and consumers.\"\n\n\u201cFor decades, four meatpacking giants have used their monopoly power to drive up grocery bills and squeeze out the farmers and ranchers who feed America,\u201d said Morgan Harper, Director of Policy and Advocacy at the American Economic Liberties Project. \u201cRep. Jayapal\u2019s bill takes direct aim at the root of the problem by breaking up the big four meatpackers and restoring real competition. Americans deserve food markets that reward hard work, not corporate gatekeepers. Congress should seize this opportunity to stand with families, farmers, and independent businesses instead of monopoly power.\u201d\n\nThe Family Grocery and Farmer Relief Act is also sponsored by Representatives Yassamin Ansari (AZ-03), Valerie Foushee (NC-04), Maxwell Frost (FL-10), Jesus G. \"Chuy\" Garcia (IL-04), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-AL), Henry C. (\"Hank\") Johnson, Jr. (GA-04), Summer Lee (PA-12), Emily Randall (WA-06), Shri Thanedar (MI-13), and Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12).\n\nIt is endorsed by American Economic Liberties Project (AELP), Campaign for Family Farms and the Environment (CFFE), Consumer Federation of America, Demand Progress, Farm Action Fund, Food & Water Watch, Groundwork Action, Montana Cattlemen's Association (MCA), National Family Farm Coalition (NFCC), Open Markets Institute (OMI), and Small Business Majority.\n\n###", 1, "2026-07-21T07:32:02Z", "2026-07-21T07:33:33Z"], ["https://balint.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=776", "Balint, Nearly 200 House Democrats Demand Independent Investigations into Killings of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, Johan Sebastian Guerrero", "2026-07-17", "2026", "2026-07", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Becca Balint", "B001318", "balint.house.gov", "balint", "https://balint.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2014 U.S. Representative Becca Balint (VT-AL) joined Representatives Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Immigration, Integrity, Security, and Enforcement, Sylvia Garcia (TX-29), Chellie Pingree (ME-01), Jamie Raskin (MD-08), Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Committee, and Bennie G. Thompson (MS-02), Ranking Member of the Committee on Homeland Security, and nearly 200 colleagues in calling for independent investigations into Lorenzo Salgado Araujo and Johan Sebastian Guerrero\u2019s deaths and demanding that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) halt removal proceedings against the witnesses.\n\n\u201cBoth of these incidents have created enormous fear and outrage in the community, and raise serious questions about the safety of community members, regardless of immigration status,\u201d wrote the Members. \u201cFar too many people, Americans and noncitizens alike, are dead as a result of DHS\u2019s reckless actions. There must be accountability and independent investigations.\u201d\n\nOn July 7th, ICE agents shot and killed Mr. Salgado Araujo, a father of three U.S. citizens who had resided in the country for 35 years. He was reportedly not ICE\u2019s target in their operation, and despite ICE\u2019s claims that Mr. Salgado Araujo \u201cweaponized his vehicle,\u201d no evidence to substantiate that claim has been presented, and it is disputed by witnesses in the vehicle.\n\nOn July 13th, ICE agents shot and killed Mr. Guerrero, a father who also was reportedly not the target of enforcement actions. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) claims to have shot him in concern for \u201cpublic safety\u201d after he \u201cattempted to flee.\u201d The agency does not allege that at any point officers feared for their safety. Video of this killing shows ICE officers handcuffing Mr. Guerrero even after he had been shot in the head.\n\nDHS agents, including ICE agents, have shot at least 21 people just since the start of President Donald Trump\u2019s second term. Six of these shootings have been fatal, resulting in the death of U.S. citizens and individuals who posed no public safety threat. In two previous shootings, ICE has claimed that victims were also \u201cweaponizing\u201d their vehicles, claims that have turned out to be false statements as evidence emerged.\n\nIn addition to the demands for an independent investigation and the commitment that witnesses to the killing of Mr. Salgado Araujo not be deported, the Members are asking for a detailed breakdown of all training materials and guidelines around vehicle stops.\n\nThe full text of the letter to DHS Secretary Mullin and ICE Acting Director Venturella can be read here.\n\nThe letter was also signed by Alma S. Adams (NC-12), Pete Aguilar (CA-33), Gabe Amo (RI-01), Yassamin Ansari (AZ-03), Jake Auchincloss (MA-04), Nanette Barrag\u00e1n (CA-44), Joyce Beatty (OH-03), Wesley Bell (MO-01), Ami Bera (CA-06), Donald Beyer (VA-08), Sanford Bishop (GA-02), Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01), Brendan Boyle (PA-02), Shontel Brown (OH-11), Julia Brownley (CA-26), Nikki Budzinski (IL-13), Janelle Bynum (OR-05), Salud Carbajal (CA-24), Andr\u00e9 Carson (IN-07), Troy Carter (LA-02), Greg Casar (TX-35), Sean Casten (IL-06), Kathy Castor (FL-14), Joaquin Castro (TX-20), Judy Chu (CA-28), Gilbert Cisneros (CA-31), Katherine Clark (MA-05), Yvette D. Clarke (NY-09), Emanuel Cleaver (MO-05), James E. Clyburn (SC-06), Steve Cohen (TN-09), Herbert Conaway (NJ-03), J. Luis Correa (CA-46), Jim Costa (CA-21), Joe Courtney (CT-02), Angie Craig (MN-02), Jasmine Crockett (TX-30), Jason Crow (CO-06), Sharice Davids (KS-03), Danny K. Davis (IL-07), Madeleine Dean (PA-04), Diana DeGette (CO-01), Rosa DeLauro (CT-03), Suzan DelBene (WA-01), Chris Deluzio (PA-17), Mark DeSaulnier (CA-10), Maxine Dexter (OR-03), Debbie Dingell (MI-06), Lloyd Doggett (TX-37), Sarah Elfreth (MD-03), Veronica Escobar (TX-16), Adriano Espaillat (NY-13), Cleo Fields (LA-06), Shomari Figures (AL-02), Lizzie Fletcher (TX-07), Bill Foster (IL-11), Valerie Foushee (NC-04), Lois Frankel (FL-22), Laura Friedman (CA-30), Maxwell Frost (FL-10), John Garamendi (CA-08), Robert Garcia (CA-42), Jes\u00fas \u201cChuy\u201d Garc\u00eda (IL-04), Dan Goldman (NY-10), Jimmy Gomez (CA-34), Maggie Goodlander (NH-02), Al Green (TX-09), Adelita Grijalva (AZ-07), Jahana Hayes (CT-05), Pablo Jose Hern\u00e1ndez (PR-At Large), Jim Himes (CT-04), Steven Horsford (NV-04), Chrissy Houlahan (PA-06), Steny Hoyer (MD-05), Val Hoyle (OR-04), Jared Huffman (CA-02), Glenn Ivey (MD-04), Jonathan Jackson (IL-01), Sara Jacobs (CA-51), Hakeem Jeffries (NY-08), Henry C. \u201cHank\u201d Johnson, Jr. (GA-04), Julie Johnson (TX-32), Sydney Kamlager-Dove (CA-37), Marcy Kaptur (OH-09), William R. Keating (MA-09), Robin Kelly (IL-02), Timothy M. Kennedy (NY-26), Ro Khanna (CA-17), Raja Krishnamoorthi (IL-08), Greg Landsman (OH-01), Rick Larsen (WA-02), John Larson (CT-01), George Latimer (NY-16), Susie Lee (NV-03), Summer Lee (PA-12), Teresa Leger Fernandez (NM-03), Mike Levin (CA-49), Sam Liccardo (CA-16), Ted Lieu (CA-36), Zoe Lofgren (CA-18), Stephen Lynch (MA-08), Seth Magaziner (RI-02), John Mannion (NY-22), Doris Matsui (CA-07), Lucy McBath (GA-06), Sarah McBride (DE-At Large), April McClain Delaney (MD-06), Jennifer McClellan (VA-04), Betty McCollum (MN-04), Kristin McDonald Rivet (MI-08), Morgan McGarvey (KY-03), James P. McGovern (MA-02), LaMonica McIver (NJ-10), Gregory Meeks (NY-05), Analilia Mejia (NJ-11), Christian Menefee (TX-18), Robert Menendez (NJ-08), Grace Meng (NY-06), Dave Min (CA-47), Gwen S. Moore (WI-04), Joseph D. Morelle (NY-25), Kelly Morrison (MN-03), Jared Moskowitz (FL-23), Seth Moulton (MA-06), Kevin Mullin (CA-15), Jerrold Nadler (NY-12), Richard Neal (MA-01), Joe Neguse (CO-02), Donald Norcross (NJ-01), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), Johnny Olszewski (MD-02), Ilhan Omar (MN-05), Frank Pallone (NJ-06), Jimmy Panetta (CA-19), Chris Pappas (NH-01), Nancy Pelosi (CA-11), Scott Peters (CA-50), Brittany Pettersen (CO-07), Mark Pocan (WI-02), Nellie Pou (NJ-09), Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), Mike Quigley (IL-05), Delia C. Ramirez (IL-03), Emily Randall (WA-06), Josh Riley (NY-19), Luz Rivas (CA-29), Deborah Ross (NC-02), Raul Ruiz (CA-25), Pat Ryan (NY-18), Andrea Salinas (OR-06), Linda T. S\u00e1nchez (CA-38), Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-05), Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), Hillary Scholten (MI-03), Kim Schrier (WA-08), Robert C. \u201cBobby\u201d Scott (VA-03), Terri Sewell (AL-07), Brad Sherman (CA-32), Lateefah Simon (CA-12), Adam Smith (WA-09), Eric Sorensen (IL-17), Melanie Stansbury (NM-01), Greg Stanton (AZ-04), Haley Stevens (MI-11), Marilyn Strickland (WA-10), Suhas Subramanyam (VA-10), Thomas R. Suozzi (NY-03), Emilia Sykes (OH-13), Mark Takano (CA-39), Shri Thanedar (MI-13), Mike Thompson (CA-04), Dina Titus (NV-01), Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), Jill Tokuda (HI-02), Paul D. Tonko (NY-20), Norma Torres (CA-35), Ritchie Torres (NY-15), Lori Trahan (MA-03), Derek Tran (CA-45), Lauren Underwood (IL-14), Juan Vargas (CA-52), Gabe Vasquez (NM-02), Nydia M. Vel\u00e1zquez (NY-07), Eugene Vindman (VA-07), James Walkinshaw (VA-11), Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-25), Maxine Waters (CA-43), Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12), George Whitesides (CA-27), Nikema Williams (GA-05), and Frederica S. Wilson (FL-24).\n\n###", 1, "2026-07-18T06:58:50Z", "2026-07-18T07:31:57Z"], ["https://balint.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=777", "Balint, Warren Lead Lawmakers in Calling for Antitrust Regulators to Closely Scrutinize Fox Takeover of Roku, Ensure Review is Free from Political Favoritism", "2026-07-17", "2026", "2026-07", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Becca Balint", "B001318", "balint.house.gov", "balint", "https://balint.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27", "scraper", "Text of Letter (PDF)\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2014 U.S. Representative Becca Balint (VT-AL), a member of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Administrative State, Regulatory Reform, and Antitrust, and U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, wrote to Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward, who oversees the Department of Justice\u2019s Antitrust Division, urging the agency to \u201cclosely scrutinize\u201d Fox Corporation\u2019s (Fox) proposed $22 billion takeover of Roku, Inc. (Roku) and commit to reviewing the merger \u201cfree from political interference and in an impartial fashion.\u201d\n\n\u201cWe are concerned that, given the Department of Justice\u2019s recent rubber-stamping of deals that may violate antitrust law \u2013 and in particular, your apparent role interfering in nonpartisan antitrust enforcement \u2014 the (DOJ) may not give this transaction the close review it deserves,\u201d wrote the lawmakers.\n\nRepresentatives Jerold Nadler (D-N.Y.), Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Administrative State, Regulatory Reform, and Antitrust; Maxwell Frost (D-Fla.); Chuy Garcia (D-Ill.); Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.); Summer Lee (D-Pa.); and Pat Ryan (D-N.Y.) also joined in signing the letter.\n\nIn recent months, senior DOJ leadership, including Associate Attorney General Woodward, and politically connected lobbyists reportedly intervening in antitrust enforcement actions such as the Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE)-Juniper Networks merger settlement, which led to the firing of then-Antitrust Division senior official Roger Alford and another deputy after they objected to the interference.\n\nIf approved, the Fox-Roku merger would combine the country\u2019s two largest free, ad-supported streaming television services. The result would be greater control by Fox-Roku over how viewers watch TV, the device they use to watch, and what programs they watch, meaning fewer choices for viewers and likely highercosts. The entertainment and streaming industries have seen rapid consolidation in the previous year, including with the Disney-Fubo and Paramount-Skydance deals.\n\n\u201cEliminating a significant competitor would reduce consumer choice for free streaming services and could give the combined entity market power to start charging for a previously free service,\u201d warned the lawmakers.\n\nAssociate Attorney General Stanley Woodward, who currently leads the DOJ\u2019s Antitrust Division, has reportedlydirected Antitrust Division attorneys to settle antitrust law enforcement cases instead of taking them to trial. Additionally, just three days after his recent designation, Antitrust Division attorneys were reportedly told that the review of the potential Paramount-Warner Bros. merger would be closed.\n\n\u201cWe are concerned that settlements invite opportunities for more backroom deals like the ones we have seen during this administration, and will weaken enforcers\u2019 ability to go after antitrust violations in order to lower prices for American families,\u201d wrote the lawmakers.\n\nAntitrust law prohibits mergers whose effect \u201cmay be substantially to lessen competition, or to tend to create a monopoly,\u201d and the DOJ and Federal Trade Commission\u2019s Merger Guidelines require agencies to \u201cexamine whether a trend toward consolidation in an industry would heighten \u2026 competition concerns\u201d when investigating whether a merger violates the antitrust laws.\n\n\u201cIn order to uphold the Antitrust Division\u2019s responsibility to protect competition and consumers, we urge DOJ to closely scrutinize the proposed Fox-Roku deal under antitrust law and seek your commitment that the review will be conducted free from political interference and in an impartial fashion,\u201d the lawmakers concluded.\n\nSenator Warren has led the way in fighting back against the Trump administration\u2019s apparent use of federal agencies for political favoritism:\n\nIn July 2026, U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) celebrated the news that a coalition of 12 attorneys general filed a lawsuit challenging the proposed Paramount-Warner Bros. merger, saying the \u201cmegamerger would mean higher costs and fewer choices for Americans.\u201d\n\nIn April 2026, Senator Warren (D-Mass.) joined Senator Booker (D-NJ) in introducing the Correcting Lapsed Enforcement in Antitrust Norms for Mergers Act (CLEAN Mergers Act) to restore integrity and independence to federal antitrust enforcement.\n\nIn April 2026, Senators Warren (D-Mass.) and Klobuchar (D-Minn.) led Senator Van Hollen (D-Md.) and Representatives Jayapal (D-Wash.), Deluzio (D-Pa.), Balint (D-Vt.), Craig (D-Minn.), Nadler (D-N.Y.), and Raskin (D-Md.) in requesting that the Department of Justice (DOJ) Acting Inspector General (IG) William M. Blier open a new, independent investigationinto potential corruption involving the DOJ\u2019s antitrust-related activity.\n\nIn February 2026, Senator Warren (D-Mass.) and Representative Balint (D-Vt.) led colleagues in pressing Attorney General Pam Bondi on whether there was corruption and political favoritism at the Department of Justice (DOJ) involving the agency\u2019s questionable review of the massive merger between real estate giants Compass and Anywhere Real Estate. The lawmakers\u2019 push followed the ouster of top DOJ antitrust official Gail Slater.\n\nIn December 2025, Senators Warren (D-Mass.) and Blumenthal (D-Conn.) called for Attorney General Pam Bondi to recuse herself from the Department of Justice (DOJ)\u2019s review of any Warner Bros. merger due to potential conflicts of interest related to her former employer, lobbying firm Ballard Partners. A DOJ spokesperson had indicated that Bondi would lead the Trump administration\u2019s review of the merger, alongside DOJ Antitrust head Gail Slater.\n\nIn September 2025, Senators Warren (D-Mass.), Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Booker (D-N.J.), and Blumenthal (D-Conn.) sounded the alarm on Stanley Woodward\u2019s nomination for Associate Attorney General at the Department of Justice (DOJ), ahead of his Senate confirmation vote expected as early as next week as part of a batch of 100 nominees. Since April 2025, Woodward had served as Counselor to Attorney General Pam Bondi.\n\nIn June 2025, Senators Warren (D-Mass.), Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Booker (D-N.J.), and Blumenthal (D-Conn.) wrote to Judge P. Casey Pitts of the United States District Court for the Northern District of California, urging the court to use its power under the Tunney Act to determine whether the Department of Justice (DOJ) approved Hewlett Packard Enterprise Co.\u2019s (HPE) $14 billion acquisition of Juniper Networks (Juniper) based on political favors.", 1, "2026-07-18T06:58:50Z", "2026-07-18T07:31:57Z"], ["https://balint.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=775", "Rep. Balint Introduces Amendment to Republican Budget Resolution to Stop Funding for Unauthorized War in Iran", "2026-07-16", "2026", "2026-07", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Becca Balint", "B001318", "balint.house.gov", "balint", "https://balint.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2014 Today, U.S. Representative Becca Balint (VT-AL) introduced an amendment during the House Budget Committee's markup of the Republican budget resolution to strike $73 billion in funding for President Trump's unauthorized war in Iran.\n\nBalint's amendment would have prohibited funding for military action that has not been explicitly authorized by Congress, reaffirming Congress's constitutional authority to declare war and rejecting what she called another Republican \"blank check\" for President Trump's military escalation.\n\n\"A colleague on the other side earlier in this hearing said this was all a game...It's not a game at all. It's deadly serious,\" said Rep. Balint during the committee markup. \"Americans are disgusted when we think of the work that we do here as a game. And it's truly astounding that we're here, again, considering a highly partisan budget resolution for a third Republican reconciliation bill that increases costs and does nothing to help the people back home. So, let's level set. What are we doing here? Why are we here today? This is about waging war, a war that we were told for the last five months isn't really a war.\"\n\nBalint criticized Republicans for rushing the budget resolution through committee with little transparency while proposing tens of billions of dollars in additional military spending without identifying how it would be paid for.\n\n\"My [Republican] colleagues constantly howl that the deficit is one of the nation's greatest challenges, yet this resolution contains no substantive ideas for how to pay for this massive increase in spending,\u201d Balint said. \u201cMeanwhile, we hear constantly that we can't possibly afford healthcare or food for Americans...and yet, when it comes to approving tens of billions of dollars in additional Pentagon spending, they\u2019re a rubber stamp...there's always time for more war.\"\n\nBalint noted that Congress had already passed a bipartisan War Powers Resolution directing the President to end U.S. military involvement in Iran absent explicit congressional authorization.\n\n\"Republicans are in charge of Congress, and they have repeatedly written a blank check for however much Donald Trump wants to pay for any of his pet projects and priorities. They have given up the people's power spelled out in Article I of the Constitution,\u201d she remarked. \u201cOur power as members of Congress is the people's power. That's why I'm introducing an amendment that would prohibit any spending on unauthorized wars, striking the $73 billion in spending [dedicated for the Department of Defense.]\"\n\nLater, Balint pushed back against Republican claims that opposing the funding package would weaken national security.\n\n\"With all due respect, Mr. Chair, I am sick and tired of hearing from my colleagues on the other side that Democrats want to put national security at risk. Tired of it. When I've got family members of people who are in harm's way right now in the Middle East, who are put in harm's way in Venezuela, who don't have confidence that we are making smart decisions about how we spend our military money. So please, spare me,\u201d said Balint. \u201cThe bottom line is that this budget resolution is a poorly planned, poorly drafted backdoor deal to pay for President Trump's decision to start a war with Iran. It's irresponsible. He didn't know how he was going to get out of it. And we see it played out every single day on the news. We deserve so much better than that.\u201d\n\nBalint urged her colleagues to support her amendment and reject the Republican budget resolution, arguing it prioritizes funding an unauthorized war over lowering costs and investing in the needs of American families. Ultimately, the amendment failed on a party-line vote, with every Republican on the committee voting against it.\n\n###", 1, "2026-07-17T07:15:58Z", "2026-07-17T07:17:05Z"], ["https://balint.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=774", "25 Members of Congress Release Joint Statement on Massie Amendment to Republican Foreign Aid Budget Bill", "2026-07-15", "2026", "2026-07", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Becca Balint", "B001318", "balint.house.gov", "balint", "https://balint.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27", "scraper", "WASHINGTON\u2014Today, 25 Members of Congress, including Representative Becca Balint (VT-AL) and led by Congressman Jim McGovern, Co-Chair of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission and Ranking Member of the House Rules Committee, released the following statement in advance of voting yes on Amendment #8, which would halt certain U.S. funding to Israel, to the National Security, Department of State and Related Programs Appropriations Act:\n\n\u201cAs Members of Congress, it is our duty to ensure that our constituents\u2019 hard-earned money is used in a way that advances America\u2019s interests and values. For this reason, we do not support providing an additional $3.3 billion of American taxpayer dollars to be used for Israeli military operations in Gaza and Lebanon\u2014operations which have killed tens of thousands of civilians, led to the indiscriminate destruction of civilian infrastructure, and caused severe and ongoing humanitarian catastrophes. These are just the latest in a long string of human rights violations inflicted on Palestinian civilians. For nearly six decades, Israeli security forces and military authorities have enforced the occupation of the Palestinian territories, including through restrictions on freedom of movement, arbitrary detention, torture, and extrajudicial killings. It is clear that existing human rights conditions on the use of American security assistance have not been meaningfully enforced. Enough is enough.\n\n\u201cPalestinians and Israelis alike deserve peace, freedom, security, stability, and self-determination. Those aims will only be achieved when their inherent dignity and inalienable rights are at the center of U.S. policy in the region. Diplomacy is the answer, and as long as America provides constant funding for more war, peace will always remain out of reach.\n\n\u201cOur vote should not be interpreted as opposition to initiatives such as the Nita M. Lowey Middle East Partnership for Peace Act programs or others that foster people-to-people engagement, strengthen civil society, and advance the long-term prospects for a just and lasting peace. We remain committed to supporting these and similar programs while ensuring that U.S. taxpayer dollars advance peace, security, and American interests and values.\u201d\n\nThe statement was released by Representatives: Becca Balint (D-VT), Don Beyer (D-VA), Greg Casar (D-TX), Judy Chu (D-CA), Mark DeSaulnier (D-CA), Maxine Dexter (D-OR), John Garamendi (D-CA), Jes\u00fas G. \u201cChuy\u201d Garc\u00eda (D-IL), Adelita S. Grijalva (D-AZ), Val Hoyle (D-OR), Jonathan Jackson (D-IL), Sara Jacobs (D-CA), Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), Hank Johnson (D-GA), Stephen F. Lynch (D-MA), Jim McGovern (D-MA), Chellie Pingree (D-ME), Mark Pocan (D-WI), Ayanna Pressley (D-MA), Delia C. Ramirez (D-IL), Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), Lateefah Simon (D-CA), Melanie Stansbury (D-NM), Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ), and Nydia M. Vel\u00e1zquez (D-NY).\n\n###", 1, "2026-07-16T07:21:44Z", "2026-07-16T07:23:13Z"], ["https://balint.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=770", "Balint, Welch, Sanders Lead Reintroduction of Bill to Help Protect Vermont Farmland from Flooding", "2026-07-10", "2026", "2026-07", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Becca Balint", "B001318", "balint.house.gov", "balint", "https://balint.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Representative Becca Balint (D-VT-AL), U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Ranking Member of the Senate Agriculture Subcommittee on Rural Development, Energy, and Credit, and U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), reintroduced the Building Up Farmland Frontiers for Ecological Resilience (BUFFER) Act. This bicameral legislation would ensure all states can access the U.S. Department of Agriculture\u2019s (USDA) Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) funding to implement buffer zones, agricultural tools used by farmers to protect farmland from flooding, erosion, and water pollution.\n\n\u201cAs climate change brings more frequent and severe extreme weather events, it\u2019s critical that farmers in Vermont and across the country have the tools they need to protect their land and livelihoods,\u201d said Rep. Balint. \u201cAhead of the anniversary of the catastrophic 2023 and 2024 floods, I\u2019m proud to be reintroducing the BUFFER Act alongside our Senators. Our delegation stands united in support of Vermonters as folks continue to rebuild.\u201d\n\n\u201cOur farmers deserve access to the tools and resources they need to fight climate change and make farmland more flood resilient. An essential part of that has to be cutting through red tape that forces Vermont farmers to jump through more hoops to receive compensation for their work than farmers in other states,\u201d said Senator Welch. \u201cI\u2019m proud to partner with Senator Sanders and Rep. Balint on this legislation to help Vermont farmers better mitigate flooding risk and protect our state\u2019s farmland from natural disasters.\u201d\n\n\u201cVermont farmers are still recovering from multiple years of flooding. They want to ensure their fields are better protected from future storms, especially in the face of climate change. This important legislation will cut through bureaucracy and ensure our farmers are compensated for their work to improve our state\u2019s water quality and protect their land from the kind of damage we saw over the past few years,\u201d said Senator Sanders.\n\nThe delegation first introduced the legislation in direct response to Vermont\u2019s catastrophic July 2023 floods.\n\nBuffer zones are agricultural tools used by farmers to protect farmland from flooding, erosion, and water pollution, and provide a habitat for pollinators. Like many states, Vermont requires farmers to implement buffer systems. As such, farmers in Vermont have sought to use the U.S. Department of Agriculture\u2019s (USDA) Conservation Reserve Program (CREP) to implement buffers in their fields. However, because the State of Vermont has a buffer mandate, USDA\u2019s Farm Service Agency (FSA) has required Vermont to follow an arduous process to access CREP buffer funding. These bureaucratic barriers have hampered Vermonters\u2019 ability to use this vital conservation tool and receive compensation for their preventative work.\n\nThe bicameral BUFFER Act aims to ensure that Vermont farmers are compensated for their efforts to improve water quality and protect their fields from flooding. The bill would ensure that all states can access USDA\u2019s Conservation CREP funding to implement buffer zones, even if state law already requires farmers to maintain buffer zones.\n\nLearn more about the BUFFER Act.\n\nRead and download the full text of the legislation.\n\n###", 1, "2026-07-12T07:28:31Z", "2026-07-12T07:30:18Z"], ["https://balint.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=757", "Rep. Balint Reintroduces Sweeping Legislation to Take on the Affordable Housing Crisis Nationwide", "2026-07-01", "2026", "2026-07", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Becca Balint", "B001318", "balint.house.gov", "balint", "https://balint.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27", "scraper", "More photos from the announcement event in Burlington can be found here.\n\nRep. Balint\u2019s remarks at the event can be viewed here.\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2014 Rep. Becca Balint (VT-AL) has re-introduced the Community Housing Act, her sweeping legislation to address our nation\u2019s housing crisis. The legislation would invest $500 billion in federal programs, fund the construction of affordable housing, provide new financing to build affordable units, center inclusive zoning and land use, and provide more pathways to homeownership. The ambitious package embraces perpetually affordable housing through community land trusts and would empower nonprofits across the country to help get people into homes that are affordable and stay affordable.\n\nOn June 15, Rep. Balint announced the reintroduction of the Community Housing Act at an event in Burlington. She was joined by local Vermont housing advocates at the event. Rep. Balint also introduced and led this legislation in the 118th Congress.\n\n\u201cToday, I\u2019m proud to have reintroduced my Community Housing Act,\u201d said Rep. Balint. \u201cConfronting our affordable housing crisis is one of my top priorities in Congress because it\u2019s a top priority for Vermonters. This sweeping legislation is about creative solutions, major investments, and concrete actions that we can take to address this crisis and make a real difference in people\u2019s lives. I\u2019m grateful for all the partners who\u2019ve played a role in making this legislation a reality and I look forward to working with my colleagues to get shovels in the ground, increase the supply of housing, and lower costs for folks across the country. Let\u2019s get this bill done.\u201d\n\nAccording to the Vermont Housing Needs Assessment, half of all Vermont renters are cost-burdened, and one in four pay more than 50% of their income on housing costs. Vermont also has a rental vacancy rate of 3%, which is one of the lowest in the country. In Chittenden County, it\u2019sbeen estimated to be just 1%. Additionally, Vermont has the second-highest homelessness rate per capita in the country: 51 per 10,000 people. In 2021, 32% of Vermont renters had the income needed to buy a median-priced home, but by 2023, that rate had fallen to 6%. Lastly, per 2022 data, about 20,000 homes across Vermont have signs of housing quality concerns.\n\nTo address these issues, the Community Housing Act would:\n\nIncrease the supply of affordable and deeply affordable housing.\n\nEnsure that affordable housing stays affordable for the long run.\n\nEncourage revamping zoning codes to eliminate barriers to affordable housing construction.\n\nOpen more low-cost financing to affordable housing developers.\n\nSupport affordable homes and apartments for rural residents.\n\nThe Community Housing Act is endorsed by the National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC), the National NeighborWorks Association, and Grounded Solutions Network.\n\n\"Across the nation, households with the lowest incomes continue to face rising cost burdens and housing instability,\u201d said Renee M. Willis, President and CEO, National Low Income Housing Coalition. \u201cTo address this crisis, we need sustained investments in programs that provide deep affordability and stability for these families. Representative Balint's legislation would increase rental supply where it is needed most by making historic investments in the National Housing Trust Fund, provide funding for legal assistance for renters at risk of eviction through the Eviction Protection Grant program, and fund and reform programs to preserve affordable rental housing in rural areas. I thank Representative Balint for focusing on the needs of low-income renters in this bold legislation.\u201d\n\nA one pager on the bill can be found here. A section-by-section summary can be found here. The full bill text can be found here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-07-02T06:20:02Z", "2026-07-02T06:21:32Z"], ["https://balint.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=755", "Rep. Balint Leads 75 Colleagues in Condemning Israeli Military Engagement in Lebanon, Destruction of Civilian Homes and Infrastructure", "2026-06-29", "2026", "2026-06", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Becca Balint", "B001318", "balint.house.gov", "balint", "https://balint.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2014 U.S. Representative Becca Balint (VT-AL) today led 75 of her colleagues in sending a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressing concern about the Israeli military\u2019s operations in southern Lebanon. Since the temporary cessation of hostilities in Lebanon was announced on April 16, 2026, both Israeli forces and Hezbollah have continued military operations in violation of the ceasefire. As the Trump administration implements the memorandum of understanding with Iran, the letter urges the State Department to take all possible steps in bringing a swift end to the wars in Iran and Lebanon.\n\nThe Members called attention to reports of the Israeli military\u2019s use of U.S.-origin weapons and equipment in the destruction of civilian homes and infrastructure. Hundreds of civilians have died from these attacks and more than one million people, approximately 20 percent of Lebanon\u2019s population, have been forced from their homes.\n\n\u201cEvery government has a right and a responsibility to protect its citizens, and Israel has a right to defend itself,\u201d the Members wrote. \u201cHowever, this does not justify unrestrained Israeli military operations, especially those that violate the current ceasefire, destroy civilian infrastructure, and lead to the death of hundreds of civilians. All sides must fully abide by the ceasefire agreement.\u201d\n\n\u201cWe are troubled by the Israeli military\u2019s practice of mass demolitions of civilian infrastructure in southern Lebanon and targeting practices that kill Lebanese civilians,\u201d the Members continued. \u201cAfter the Israeli military invaded southern Lebanon and began an occupation of the territory, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz announced plans to raze all homes in southern border villages, \u2018following the Rafah and Beit Hanounmodel in Gaza,\u2019 a reference to the Israeli military\u2019s systematic destruction of homes and civilian infrastructure in Gaza. Since then, reporting and satellite imagery have confirmed widespread demolitions of civilian homes, buildings, and religious sites in southern Lebanon, including the use of bulldozers and controlled demolitions. The Israeli military has also demolished bridges, roads, water pipelines, and fuel stations in southern Lebanon.\u201d\n\nThe letter highlights Trump administration\u2019s responsibility to investigate whether U.S.-origin weapons are being used in activities inconsistent with U.S. law and arms transfer agreements, while supporting the Lebanese government and Lebanese Armed Forces in efforts to disarm Hezbollah and strengthen state authority.\n\n\u201cThe use of U.S. origin weapons in the systematic destruction of civilian infrastructure is a violation of U.S. military assistance transfer agreements with the Israeli government,\u201d the Members wrote. \u201cThe targeted, mass destruction of civilian homes and infrastructure does not constitute Israeli self-defense. If U.S.-origin arms are confirmed to be used in these unauthorized activities, we ask the Trump administration to enforce existing law and stop arms transfers being used in these operations until these violations cease.\n\n\u201cThe Trump administration should take all possible steps to bring a swift end to the war and continue good-faith negotiations between the Lebanese and Israeli governments,\u201d the Members concluded. \u201cWe urge the administration to work to empower the Lebanese government and to fund the Lebanese Armed Forces to pursue Hezbollah\u2019s full demilitarization and disarmament.\u201d\n\nJ Street has endorsed the letter, with J Street President Jeremy Ben-Ami releasing the following statement: \"We are deeply grateful for Congresswoman Balint and Congressman Castro's leading this important Congressional letter, expressing concern over the situation in southern Lebanon. While Hezbollah must be disarmed and the Lebanese government supported, Congress must ensure that this does not evolve into another long-term Israeli occupation of southern Lebanon. We share the Members\u2019 concerns about the Israeli military's conduct in southern Lebanon, especially the widespread destruction of civilian infrastructure. The Members are right to seek to ensure that U.S. law is being enforced and that American weapons are not being misused.\"\n\nIn addition to Rep. Balint, the letter was signed by Reps. Amo, Ansari, Barragan, Bonamici, Carbajal, Carson, Casten, Castro, Chu, Cisneros, Cleaver, Cohen, Davids, Davis, Dean, DeLauro, Deluzio, DeSaulnier, Dingell, Doggett, Escobar, Evans, Foster, Garamendi, Garcia (Chuy), Garcia (Robert), Garcia (Sylvia), Grijalva, Hayes, Hoyle, Huffman, Jackson, Jacobs, Jayapal, Johnson (Hank), Kamlager-Dove, Kaptur, Kelly, Khanna, Leger Fernandez, Lofgren, Lynch, Magaziner, Matsui, McCollum, McDonald Rivet, McGarvey, McGovern, McIver, Min, Moulton, Pallone, Pelosi, Pingree, Pocan, Quigley, Randall, Ross, Ryan, Salinas, Schakowsky, Scott, Simon, Stansbury, Takano, Thompson (Bennie), Thompson (Mike), Tokuda, Tonko, Tran, Vasquez, Vel\u00e1zquez, Waters, Watson Coleman, Williams.\n\nEarlier in June, Rep. Balint voted in favor of a War Powers Resolution to cease U.S. involvement in the war in Lebanon.\n\nThe full text of the letter can be found here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-06-30T06:29:10Z", "2026-06-30T06:30:42Z"], ["https://balint.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=756", "Rep. Balint Says Congress Must Do More to Protect Kids Online, Hold Big Tech Accountable", "2026-06-29", "2026", "2026-06", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Becca Balint", "B001318", "balint.house.gov", "balint", "https://balint.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2014 U.S. Representative Becca Balint (VT-AL) today released the following statement after voting against the Kids Internet and Digital Safety Act, saying the bill falls short of meaningfully addressing the mental health harms fueled by Big Tech:\n\n\u201cAs a parent and former teacher, I know firsthand how deeply families worry about the impact social media is having on their kids. The evidence is overwhelming: Big Tech has built products designed to keep children scrolling, clicking, and coming back \u2013 turning record profits while fueling a youth mental health crisis marked by rising rates of anxiety, depression, eating disorders, suicide, and other mental health challenges.\n\n\u201cThis bill doesn't do nearly enough to hold Big Tech accountable. If Congress is serious about protecting kids online, we need legislation with real, enforceable consequences for companies that exploit children's attention and put their health at risk. I've introduced bipartisan legislation focused on the mental health impacts of social media, and I'll continue fighting for comprehensive legislation that puts children's well-being ahead of corporate profits.\u201d\n\nRep. Balint has long advocated for stronger protections for children online. She is the Democratic lead of the bipartisan Protecting Young Minds Online Act, which would establish a national strategy to study and address the effects of social media and emerging technologies on youth mental health.\n\n###", 1, "2026-06-30T06:29:10Z", "2026-06-30T06:30:42Z"], ["https://balint.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=749", "Rep. Balint Statement on Trump Administration Efforts to Violate Mohsen Mahdawi\u2019s Constitutional Rights", "2026-06-22", "2026", "2026-06", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Becca Balint", "B001318", "balint.house.gov", "balint", "https://balint.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2014 U.S. Representative Becca Balint (VT-AL), vice ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee, today released the following statement on the Trump administration\u2019s continued efforts to deport Mohsen Mahdawi in direct violation of his First Amendment rights. Mohsen Mahdawi is a Vermonter, a student activist at Columbia University, and a legal permanent resident.\n\n\u201cWhat the Trump administration is trying to do here is yet another step in their campaign to silence dissent in our country. Mohsen Mahdawi is a lawful permanent resident who was exercising his Constitutional rights. It\u2019s deeply distressing that the administration is going to such lengths to try to silence him and force him out of the country.\n\n\u201cI want to be crystal clear to the American people: if Trump and his enablers get away with infringing on anyone\u2019s First Amendment rights, they can come for any of our First Amendment rights. That\u2019s why I was so eager to introduce the bicameral Land of the Free Act, which would guarantee all people within our borders the right to due process and freedom of speech.\n\n\u201cI will continue to stand with Mohsen throughout this absurd legal saga.\u201d\n\nRep. Balint has consistently defended Mohsen Mahdawi since his initial April 2025 arrest in Colchester during a scheduled citizenship interview. Shortly after, Rep. Balint led a rally at the State Department to demand Mohsen\u2019s release and highlight the unjust abductions across the country. Later in the month, in response to his arrest, Rep. Balint and 67 other House Democrats demanded the legal basis for his arrest from Secretaries Rubio and Noem and received no response. In August 2025, Rep. Balint introduced the Land of the Free Act alongside Rep Deborah Ross (NC-02). The bill would repeal Section 237(a)(4)(C) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, which grants the U.S. Secretary of State the power to deport visa-holders and legal permanent residents whose presence in the United States would have \u201cpotentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences for the United States.\u201d Later, in February 2026, Rep. Balint was joined by Mahdawi at the People's State of the Union in protest of President Trump\u2019s State of the Union Address.\n\n###", 1, "2026-06-23T06:27:52Z", "2026-06-23T06:29:20Z"], ["https://balint.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=750", "Rep. Balint Joins SEEC Institute Roundtable on Rural Development in Burlington", "2026-06-17", "2026", "2026-06", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Becca Balint", "B001318", "balint.house.gov", "balint", "https://balint.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27", "scraper", "BURLINGTON, VT \u2014 U.S. Representative Becca Balint (VT-AL) yesterday joined the Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition (SEEC) Institute for a roundtable on rural development. This comes as part of SEEC\u2019s \u201cThriving Economy Project\u201d and focused specifically on rural economies in Vermont and across the nation. Rep. Balint was joined on the panel by issue experts from across the Green Mountain State and nation and the panel was facilitated by MacKenzie Bills, the Founder and CEO of MacKenzie Bills Strategies, LLC, SEEC Policy Consultant, and Reimagining Rural Assistance Network (RRAN) Policy Consultant.\n\nThe panelists\u2019 discussion was centered on four topic areas:\n\nFederal and State rural development programs and policies;\n\nCapacity building and technical assistance;\n\nOutdoor recreation and tourism; and\n\nBlue Sky: The Future of Rural and Tribal Development.\n\n\u201cVermont has long understood that protecting our natural resources and growing our economy go hand in hand,\u201d said Rep. Balint. \u201cOur forests, farms, trails, and waterways support jobs, attract visitors, and sustain communities across the state. As we think about the future of rural America, we should be investing in the people, places, and natural resources that make rural communities strong. I\u2019m grateful to SEEC Institute for bringing together leaders from across Vermont to share ideas and help chart a path forward.\u201d\n\n\"The Growing Rural and Tribal Economies chapter of the Thriving Economy Project reflects something we hear from rural and Tribal leaders across the country: the solutions are already out there; they just need the policy support to scale,\u201d said Max Frankel, Executive Director of the SEEC Institute. \u201cConvenings like this and our project are focused on identifying those policies and getting them in front of policymakers like Representatives Balint and Stansbury who can act on them.\u201d\n\n\u201cConvening leaders from around Vermont to better understand our communities is the essential first step to our work,\u201d said Tricia Coates, Director of the University of Vermont Leahy Institute for Rural Partnerships. \u201cWe were pleased to work with the SEEC Institute and the office of Congresswoman Balint to bring these voices to the table.\u201d\n\n\"Rural and Tribal communities are dealing with compounding challenges, from disaster recovery to broadband gaps to the rising cost of living,\u201d said MacKenzie Bills, Rural and Tribal Economies Chapter Lead (SEEC Institute). \u201cThe federal government has much opportunity if it coordinates and supports these communities effectively. The Growing Rural and Tribal Economies work in the Thriving Economy Project is about connecting the communities and leaders already doing the great work with the policy levers that can help it grow.\u201d\n\nSEEC\u2019s Thriving Economy Project is comprised of a coalition of members of Congress, former senior congressional aides, officials from multiple presidential administrations, and leading energy and environmental policy experts who are collaborating on a new policy blueprint aimed at strengthening economic competitiveness, creating jobs, and delivering affordable and reliable energy for American families and businesses. The project will culminate in a landmark report to be released in September 2026 outlining a roadmap to build the economy Americans want - one that creates opportunity and long-term growth while recognizing that a truly thriving economy depends on protecting the natural resources and environment that communities across the country rely on.\n\n###", 1, "2026-06-23T06:27:52Z", "2026-06-23T06:29:20Z"], ["https://balint.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=738", "Rep. Balint Statement on Voting YES on Lebanon War Powers Resolution", "2026-06-04", "2026", "2026-06", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Becca Balint", "B001318", "balint.house.gov", "balint", "https://balint.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2014 U.S. Representative Becca Balint (VT-AL) today released the following statement after voting in favor of a War Powers Resolution to cease U.S. involvement in Netanyahu\u2019s deadly war in Lebanon.\n\n\u201cAmericans don\u2019t want their taxpayer dollars to fuel Netanyahu\u2019s attacks in Lebanon that have killed hundreds of civilians and displaced over a million people, just as they do not want to fund Trump\u2019s war of choice in Iran. Both Netanyahu and Trump have continued to double down on chaos and conflict, leaving the American people to foot the bill at a time when they can\u2019t even afford the basics\u2014rent, groceries, prescriptions, or gas. Congress must draw the line.\u201d\n\nRep. Balint has consistently warned that continued spending on overseas conflicts comes at the expense of investments Americans need here at home, including lowering costs, expanding affordable housing, strengthening health care, and supporting working families.\n\n###", 1, "2026-06-05T06:35:23Z", "2026-06-05T06:36:42Z"], ["https://balint.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=737", "Rep. Balint Statement on House Passage of War Powers Resolution to End War in Iran", "2026-06-03", "2026", "2026-06", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Becca Balint", "B001318", "balint.house.gov", "balint", "https://balint.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2014 U.S. Representative Becca Balint (VT-AL) today released the following statement after the House of Representatives voted 215\u2013208 to pass a War Powers Resolution directing the President to end U.S. military involvement in Iran without explicit authorization from Congress. Four Republicans joined Democrats in the vote, marking a rare bipartisan rebuke of the administration.\n\n\u201cWhen I introduced a War Powers Resolution in April, it was because Congress cannot continue to sit on the sidelines while our country is dragged into an unauthorized war. Today\u2019s vote is a long-overdue step toward reasserting our constitutional authority and ending a conflict that has already cost American taxpayers tens of billions of dollars.\n\n\u201cThe President has never explained the war and never received authorization from Congress, yet our service members are being put in danger and families across the country are bearing the cost of higher gas prices, rising costs of living, and the diversion of critical resources away from urgent domestic needs. That is unacceptable. While this resolution does not immediately end military operations, it makes clear that Congress will not be sidelined. The Senate must now act to bring our troops home and stop this madness.\u201d\n\nRep. Balint originally introduced her War Powers Resolution on April 30, 2026, as part of a coordinated effort with members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus to force Congress to vote on ending U.S. military involvement in Iran and reassert its constitutional war powers authority. Rep. Balint has been vocal in her opposition to the war since its beginning, including when she slammed Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought in a Budget Committee hearing for the President\u2019s request of $350 billion of additional funding for the war \u2013 the same cost of extending the Affordable Care Act tax credits for another ten years.\n\n###", 1, "2026-06-05T06:35:23Z", "2026-06-05T06:36:42Z"], ["https://balint.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=733", "Rep. Becca Balint Votes to Advance Bipartisan Housing Package to Address Affordability Crisis", "2026-05-21", "2026", "2026-05", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Becca Balint", "B001318", "balint.house.gov", "balint", "https://balint.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Yesterday, U.S. Representative Becca Balint (VT-AL), a consistent and outspoken advocate for building affordable housing, voted in favor of H. Res. 1299, amended legislation to strengthen and advance the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act (H.R. 6644), a comprehensive package to expand housing supply, improve affordability, and strengthen protections for renters and homeowners.\n\n\u201cFor so many Vermonters, renting or owning a home is simply unaffordable right now. That\u2019s why expanding access to affordable housing for Vermonters is one of my top priorities in Congress and I\u2019m committed to leading on solutions that meet the scale of this crisis,\u201d said Rep. Balint. \u201cThis bill strengthens housing supply and affordability, but our work cannot stop here\u2014I will keep pushing for bold change for working families in our state and across the country.\u201d\n\nThe United States is currently facing a severe housing shortage, with an estimated 4.7 million home gap nationwide. Rising housing costs have placed increasing pressure on families, with millions of renters and homeowners spending a significant portion of their income on housing and a growing number at risk of foreclosure or displacement.\n\nH. Res. 1299 takes a comprehensive approach to addressing these challenges by:\n\nExpanding financing and support for new housing development, including multifamily, manufactured, and rural housing;\n\nRemoving barriers that slow down housing construction and limit supply;\n\nStrengthening protections for renters, including the creation of a renter resource center and dispute hotline;\n\nSupporting community financial institutions that play a key role in financing housing and local development;\n\nEncouraging innovative housing solutions, including modular construction; and,\n\nImproving federal programs aimed at reducing homelessness.\n\nThe legislation also includes provisions to limit excessive corporate ownership of single-family homes while ensuring continued housing construction and avoiding policies that could lead to widespread evictions.\n\nRep. Balint has consistently emphasized the need for bold, practical solutions to bring down housing costs and ensure that more Americans have access to safe, stable, and affordable homes. As a part of that work, Rep. Balint introduced the Community Housing Act, a comprehensive plan to invest in housing supply, support renters, and ensure that affordable homes remain accessible for generations to come. In addition to supporting investments in housing supply, she also introduced the End Rent Fixing Act to stop corporations from using price-fixing algorithms to raise rents on working families.\n\n###", 1, "2026-05-22T06:27:39Z", "2026-05-22T06:29:18Z"], ["https://balint.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=741", "Balint, Dean, Salazar, Blackburn, Coons, Colleagues Reintroduce Bill to Protect Americans from AI Deepfakes", "2026-05-20", "2026", "2026-05", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Becca Balint", "B001318", "balint.house.gov", "balint", "https://balint.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Representatives Becca Balint (VT-AL), Madeleine Dean (D-PA-04), and Mar\u00eda Elvira Salazar (R-FL-27) reintroduced a bipartisan, bicameral bill to federally protect individuals from AI-generated deepfakes. The Support the Nurture Originals, Foster Art, and Keep Entertainment Safe (NO FAKES) Act clearly defines a person\u2019s right to control their voice and likeness. The NO FAKES Act would address the rampant spread of unauthorized AI-generated deepfakes without stymieing innovation or censoring free speech.\n\n\"Artists, creators, and anyone who uses the internet must have the basic right to control digital replicas of their own voice and image. AI is moving fast, and we need to make sure these guardrails are in place now, not later,\u201d said Rep. Balint. \"The NO FAKES Act is a commonsense, bipartisan, and essential bill. I am proud to join Representatives Dean and Salazar in introducing this legislation to protect Americans' right to control their own identity online.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe use of AI is only growing, and Congress must catch up with common sense, common ground regulations,\u201d Rep. Dean said. \u201cBy granting every person a clear, federal right to control digital replicas of their own voice and likeness, the NO FAKES Act will empower victims of deep fakes; defend against sexually explicit deepfakes; and safeguard human creativity and artistic expression. We must support technological innovation while preserving the privacy, safety, and dignity of all Americans.\u201d\n\n\u201cIn this new era of AI, bad actors are quickly and easily profiting from the creativity of others. Our laws must catch up,\u201d said Rep. Salazar. \u201cThe NO FAKES Act is simple and sacred: you own your identity\u2014not Big Tech, not scammers, not algorithms. Deepfakes are digital lies that ruin real lives, and it\u2019s time to fight back.\u201d\n\n\u201cNo one should have to worry about their likeness being stolen and used in a fake video without their consent,\u201d said Rep. Morelle. \u201cA.I. is moving fast, and the harm is already real, from explicit deepfakes to scams, fraud, and the theft of artists\u2019 work. I\u2019m proud to co-lead the bipartisan NO FAKES Act to make sure honest Americans, not scammers or algorithms, stay in control of their own identity.\u201d\n\n\"The NO FAKES Act protects every American's fundamental right to their own voice and likeness while preserving the innovation and creative expression that makes AI a powerful tool. It holds platforms accountable while preserving First Amendment freedoms for creators\u2014shining a light for industries and individuals that have operated in regulatory darkness\" Rep. Moran said.\n\nU.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-DE) and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) introduced companion legislation in the Senate.\n\n\u201cWhether they\u2019re Tom Hanks or an 8th grader in Wilmington, no one should worry about someone stealing their voice or likeness,\u201d Sen. Coons said. \u201cWe\u2019re reintroducing a stronger NO FAKES Act after working with stakeholders from across the country to make the protections in our bill more robust without compromising Americans\u2019 free speech rights. I am proud that NO FAKES is the most advanced piece of AI legislation before Congress right now with the broadest network of supporters. Americans can\u2019t afford to wait any longer for Congress to pass this bill and send it to the president\u2019s desk.\u201d\n\n\u201cAI should empower innovation \u2013 not give scammers and online predators a free pass to exploit someone\u2019s voice and visual likeness without permission,\u201d Sen. Blackburn said. \u201cFrom artists and songwriters to students and everyday Americans, people deserve meaningful protections against deceptive deepfakes and digital impersonation. The NO FAKES Act would establish clear guardrails that protect the creative community in Tennessee and nationwide, and we are grateful to have more support than ever before for this bipartisan and bicameral legislation.\u201d\n\nThe NO FAKES Act would:\n\nRecognize that every individual has a federal intellectual property right to their own voice and likeness\u2014including an extension of that right for the families of individuals after they pass away;\n\nEmpower individuals to take action against bad actors who knowingly create, post, or profit from unauthorized digital copies of them;\n\nProtect responsible media platforms from liability if they take down offending materials when they discover them; and\n\nEnsure innovation and free speech are protected.\n\n\u201cRIAA proudly endorses the NO FAKES Act of 2026, a widely supported consensus bill developed through a bipartisan, bicameral process and championed by American AI developers, the creative community, child safety groups, conservative groups, labor unions, and free speech advocates. Polling confirms that 92% of Americans are concerned about the impact of AI deepfakes on our neighbors and culture and reveals near total support for a Federal law that protects voice and likeness. NO FAKES provides those important protections while securing freedom of expression, reducing litigation and achieving the full promise of American AI technology. We applaud the efforts of Senators Coons and Blackburn alongside Representatives Salazar and Dean, along with their bipartisan colleagues, on crafting this legislation that has also been recommended by the White House\u2019s National AI Framework. This is an example of communities coming together to solve an important issue, and we are closer than ever to NO FAKES becoming the law of the land this year,\u201d Mitch Glazier, RIAA Chairman & CEO said.", 1, "2026-06-11T06:38:38Z", "2026-06-27T22:21:02Z"], ["https://balint.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=730", "Reps. Balint, Salinas Lead Lawmakers Demanding Answers from HHS on Reported Plan to \u201cDeprescribe\u201d Psychiatric Medications", "2026-05-19", "2026", "2026-05", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Becca Balint", "B001318", "balint.house.gov", "balint", "https://balint.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2014 U.S. Representatives Becca Balint (VT-AL) and Andrea Salinas (OR-06), led a group of 14 lawmakers in sending a letter to Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), expressing opposition to the agency\u2019s reported plans to promote the \u201cdeprescribing\u201d of psychiatric medications.\n\nThe lawmakers warn that Secretary Kennedy\u2019s campaign to \u201cdeprescribe\u201d psychiatric medications undermines access to evidence-based mental health care for patients who rely on psychiatric medications. They urge the administration to ensure that any guidance remains grounded in science and centered on patient safety.\n\n\u201cSecretary Kennedy\u2019s attacks on psychiatric medications are dangerous and wrong,\" said Rep. Balint. \"Mental health care is health care. People deserve access to treatment that\u2019s grounded in science and guided by their doctors - not by the Secretary\u2019s personal opinions, politics, stigma, or misinformation.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe decision for a patient to stop taking an SSRI should be between the patient and their doctor. End of story,\u201d said Rep. Salinas, Co-Chair of the Congressional Mental Health Caucus. \u201cSSRIs and other psychiatric medications are life-sustaining care for millions of Americans, and any federal guidance on mental health treatment must be rooted in science, not stigma, ideology, or one man\u2019s personal experience. Secretary Kennedy\u2019s approach risks confusing patients, undermining trust in public health, and disrupting care for people who need support. HHS must clarify its plans, protect access to evidence-based treatment, and ensure these deeply personal decisions remain between patients and their doctors.\u201d\n\n\u201cWe write with serious concern and vehement opposition to your stated intent to promote \u2018deprescribing\u2019 of psychiatric medications to reduce what you have mischaracterized as an overuse of antidepressants,\u201d the letter states.\n\nThey emphasized that psychiatric medications, like selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), including Prozac, Zoloft, and Lexapro, are some of the leading treatments for depression and anxiety and are approved for psychological treatment by leading medical organizations.\n\n\u201cPsychiatric medications like antidepressants and other evidence-based treatments are, for many Americans, not \u2018optional interventions.\u2019 These treatments are essential, life-sustaining care,\u201d the lawmakers wrote.\n\nThe letter challenges recent public statements Sec. Kennedy has made that encourage medication tapering, which undermines trust in public health guidance and can harm patients\u2019 health and safety. Efforts to \u201cdeprescribe\" psychiatric medicines creates confusion among patients, increases stigma around mental health, and disrupts treatment that is critical for those with mental and behavioral health issues.\n\n\u201cThese are unequivocally false and destructive claims, and they undermine trust in our nation\u2019s public health institutions,\u201d the letter states.\n\n\u201cEncouraging Americans to \u2018deprescribe\u2019 risks patients abruptly stopping their medication, which can cause relapse, withdrawal complications, or increased suicide risk,\u201d they wrote.\n\nThe members urged HHS to focus on reforming structural challenges in mental health care to improve treatment access, instead of oversimplifying our nation\u2019s mental health crisis by solely emphasizing medication reduction.\n\n\u201cThe Health and Human Services Department should focus on the systemic drivers of our nation\u2019s mental health crisis, which are persistent barriers to care, workforce shortages, and unaffordable access to comprehensive treatment,\u201d the letter reads.\n\nLawmakers asked HHS to detail safeguards for patients, including protections against inappropriate pressure to discontinue treatment and assurances that clinical decisions remain between patients and providers.\n\nThey concluded by calling for transparency and collaboration with clinicians, patients, and Congress to ensure continued access to mental health care.\n\n\u201cI urge the administration to clarify its approach and work with clinicians, patients, and Congress to ensure that all Americans have access to the mental health care that they need,\u201d the lawmakers wrote.\n\nRepresentatives Balint and Salinas were joined by signers Representatives Beyer (VA-08), Cleaver (MO-05), Elfreth (MD-03), Garcia (CA-42), Goldman (NY-10), Kelly (IL-02), Moulton (MA-06), Ramirez (IL-03), Thanedar (MI-13), Tlaib (MI-12), Tonko(NY-20), Underwood (IL-14), Velazquez (NY-07), Watson Coleman (NY-12).\n\nThe full text of the letter can be viewed here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-05-20T06:27:31Z", "2026-05-20T06:28:54Z"], ["https://balint.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=728", "Vermont Congressional Delegation Announces Over $20 Million in FEMA Funding to Help Vermont Rebuild and Recover from 2023 Floods", "2026-05-13", "2026", "2026-05", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Becca Balint", "B001318", "balint.house.gov", "balint", "https://balint.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 The Vermont Congressional Delegation, U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.), and U.S. Representative Becca Balint (VT-AL), today announced the delivery of $20.83 million in federal funding, administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), to support the Vermont Agency for Transportation (VTrans) and the City of Montpelier to repair damage caused by severe storms, flooding, and washouts in July 2023.\n\nThe federal funding will deliver nearly $12 million in long-overdue funding to support permanent repairs to Montpelier\u2019s City Hall, Fire Department, Police Department Buildings, and Fire Department Sidewalk and Ramp. VTrans will receive an additional $9 million to help rebuild portions of the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail and the Washington County railroad.\n\n\u201cThe 2023 floods were brutal, causing long-lasting damage for Vermonters and Vermont communities. This newly released federal funding, totaling more than $20 million, will help repair Montpelier\u2019s hard-hit municipal buildings and state rail and trail infrastructure. Much of this funding was delayed by FEMA for years\u2014it never should have taken so long to get to Montpelier, and is a glaring example of how this agency needs reform. We will continue to fight for the FEMA funding our state needs, and will work with new leadership at the agency to deliver the assistance Vermonters need to fully rebuild and recover,\u201d said the Vermont Delegation.\n\nThe federal funding grants announced include:\n\n$11,782,017 to the City of Montpelier to repair severe damage the capital\u2019s City Hall, Fire Department and fire station concrete ramp/sidewalk, and Police Department buildings as a result of severe flooding in July 2023. This funding will help restore these facilities back to their pre-disaster design, capacity, and function utilizing current codes and standards, including repairing damage to windows, interior and exterior doors, drywall, insulation, flooring, electrical, HVAC, plumbing, carpentry, stairs, and more. The project includes a hazard mitigation proposal (HMP) to reduce the risk of future damage by adopting multiple wet and dry floodproofing measures.\n\n$6,168,905.58 to the Vermont Agency for Transportation (VTrans) to repair a culvert on the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail that was washed away by floodwater in July 2023.\n\n$2,880,995.41 to the Vermont Agency for Transportation (VTrans) to rebuild railroad ballast and associated embankments along the railroad in Washington County, which was damaged by flooding in July 2023.\n\n###", 1, "2026-05-14T06:11:37Z", "2026-05-14T06:12:56Z"], ["https://balint.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=726", "Balint, Welch Host Roundtable on Election Integrity with Vermont Secretary of State Copeland Hanzas and Vermont Town Clerks", "2026-05-07", "2026", "2026-05", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Becca Balint", "B001318", "balint.house.gov", "balint", "https://balint.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27", "scraper", "SHELBURNE, VT \u2013 U.S. Representative Becca Balint (D-VT-AL), Vice Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Committee, alongside U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.), a member of the Senate Judiciary and Rules Committees, today hosted a roundtable discussion at the Shelburne Town Offices with Vermont Secretary of State Sarah Copeland Hanzas and Town Clerks to defend the integrity of free and fair elections in Vermont.\n\n\u201cOur town clerks are the backbone of our democracy,\u201d said Rep. Balint. \u201cAt a time when there\u2019s widespread misinformation about elections, it\u2019s especially important for Vermonters to hear directly from the people who administer our elections. They are dedicated public servants who do their work with care, transparency, and integrity. I appreciated the opportunity to hear from our state and local officials today about the safeguards already in place and the challenges they\u2019re addressing. I know Vermonters want us all to keep working together to keep our elections free, fair, and secure.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe SAVE America Act is a scam\u2014it\u2019s a bill in search of a problem. Representative Balint and I know it, and so do Vermont\u2019s leaders, town clerks, and voters. In Vermont, our town clerks are on the front lines of protecting our democracy, and their hard work is essential to continuing our state\u2019s proud history of high voter participation and secure elections. This bill would jeopardize that legacy by endangering the rights of thousands of eligible Vermonters to exercise their right to vote,\u201d said Senator Welch. \u201cPresident Trump and Republicans\u2019 push for this bill\u2014which would disenfranchise millions of voters right before the 2026 midterm elections\u2014is no accident. We\u2019re doing everything in our power to kill this bill, keep the integrity of Vermont\u2019s elections strong, and ensure that every eligible voter can exercise their fundamental right to have a say in our democracy.\u201d\n\nTown Clerks from Burlington, St. Johnsbury, Winooski, Brattleboro, Morrisville, and Shelburne attended to discuss the voting process and share the many steps taken to ensure fair, secure elections in Vermont. Diana Vachon, Shelburne Town Clerk, is the President of the Vermont Municipal Clerks\u2019 and Treasurers\u2019 Association (VMCTA).\n\nView photos from the event here.\n\nThe Vermont Congressional Delegation opposes to President Trump\u2019s executive orders on voting and Republicans\u2019 Save America Act, which threaten to block millions of U.S. citizens from voting\u2014disproportionately impacting women, people of color, seniors, and rural voters\u2014and make it harder to register and vote by disrupting online registration and eliminating universal mail-in voting.\n\n###", 1, "2026-05-08T05:46:43Z", "2026-05-08T05:48:09Z"], ["https://balint.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=708", "Rep. Becca Balint Votes No on House Farm Bill, Citing Cuts to Nutrition Assistance and Missed Opportunities for Rural Housing and Working Families", "2026-05-05", "2026", "2026-05", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Becca Balint", "B001318", "balint.house.gov", "balint", "https://balint.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2014 Last week, U.S. Representative Becca Balint (VT-AL) voted against a partisan Farm Bill that fails to meet the needs of rural communities and working families. Rep. Balint offered two amendments related to affordable housing and both were rejected by House Republicans.\n\nEvery five years, Congress reauthorizes the Farm Bill, which impacts both farmers and families across the country. But the bill passed by House Republicans last week locks in cuts to SNAP that take food assistance away from millions, while failing to deliver meaningful relief for small and midsize farmers facing rising costs. It also cuts conservation funding and undermines investments in rural communities.\n\n\u201cAs written, this bill did not meet the moment,\u201d said Rep. Balint. \u201cIt weakens food assistance at a time when too many families are already struggling with the cost of groceries, and it falls short in addressing the long-term challenges facing rural communities. We should be lowering costs, strengthening local agriculture, and expanding opportunity\u2014not moving in the opposite direction.\u201d\n\nRep. Balint offered two amendments to the bill that would have advanced investments in rural housing stability and homeownership opportunities that are urgently needed in Vermont and across the country. Republicans rejected the amendments.\n\nHer proposals included:\n\nBalint Amendment 199 - which would have strengthened pathways to homeownership by investing in the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) homeownership program and the USDA Section 502 Direct Loan Program, helping renters and rural residents build long-term housing stability and equity.\n\nBalint Amendment 203 - which would have permanently authorized the USDA Multifamily Preservation and Revitalization (MPR) program to protect and preserve affordable rural rental housing, while also addressing the growing crisis of expiring USDA rental assistance contracts that put low-income residents at risk of displacement.\n\nRep. Balint is commitment to advancing legislation that better supports farmers of all sizes, protects nutrition assistance, strengthens conservation programs, and invests in the long-term stability of rural communities.\n\n###", 1, "2026-05-06T06:05:57Z", "2026-05-06T06:07:49Z"], ["https://balint.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=699", "Rep. Balint Introduces War Powers Resolution to End War of Choice in Iran", "2026-04-30", "2026", "2026-04", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Becca Balint", "B001318", "balint.house.gov", "balint", "https://balint.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2014 U.S. Representative Becca Balint (VT-AL) today introduced a War Powers Resolution to bring an end to Trump\u2019s illegal war of choice in Iran that has cost American taxpayers an estimated $25 billion since its start.\n\n\u201cAmericans don\u2019t even know why we are in this war, and neither does Congress,\u201d said Rep. Balint. \"This unauthorized war is yet another example of the Trump administration\u2019s brazen and illegal attempts to consolidate power. At a time when Americans have told us everything is too expensive, it is shameful that we are wasting upwards of a billion dollars a day on this. We need it to end, to bring our servicemembers back to safety, and to get Congress and this administration to focus on lowering the cost of living here at home. Today, I introduced a War Powers Resolution which would direct the President to stop the use of U.S. Armed Forces in Iran unless explicitly authorized by a declaration of war from Congress. It is essential to hold every member of Congress accountable for allowing this war to continue and put them on record for the American people to see.\u201d\n\nRep. Balint joins the efforts of Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC) members, including Representatives Ro Khanna (CA-17), Jared Huffman (CA-02), Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Maxine Dexter (OR-03), John Garamendi (CA-08), and Chuy Garcia (IL-04), who are working in coordination to force votes in Congress on bringing the war in Iran to an end. War Powers Resolutions are privileged in the House of Representatives, meaning that this resolution will get a vote on the House floor in the coming weeks.\n\nCongresswoman Balint has been vocal in her opposition to the war since its beginning. Most recently, she slammed Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought in a Budget Committee hearing for the President\u2019s request of $350 billion to continue funding the Iran war \u2013 the same cost of extending the Affordable Care Act tax credits for another ten years. In the two months since the beginning of the war, gas prices in Vermont have increased by 34%, and have reached their highest peak nationally in four years.\n\nThe text of the War Powers Resolution can be viewed here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-05-01T06:06:26Z", "2026-05-01T06:08:22Z"], ["https://balint.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=697", "Balint Leads CPC Task Force Hearing on Taxing Corporate Greed, Calls for Fairer Tax Code", "2026-04-24", "2026", "2026-04", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Becca Balint", "B001318", "balint.house.gov", "balint", "https://balint.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2014 Congresswoman Becca Balint (VT-AL), Chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC) Ending Corporate Greed Task Force, convened a shadow hearing this week on \u201cVisions of an Affordable Life: Taxing Corporate Greed,\u201d bringing together lawmakers and policy experts to examine how the current tax code fuels corporate profiteering and deepening inequality, and to outline potential solutions to ensure the ultra-wealthy pay their fair share.\n\nAt the hearing, Members and witnesses underscored how rising costs for working families are being driven by a tax system that rewards corporations and billionaires while leaving everyday Americans behind.\n\n\u201cAs a former history teacher, I often mention that we are in a second Gilded Age. And we have a responsibility to do things differently because it doesn't end well. The tax code is at the center of this problem,\u201d said Rep. Balint. \u201cIf we're serious about making life more affordable and more manageable, which I am and which everyone here today is, then we have to make sure that taxes are a way to even the playing field for Americans.\u201d\n\n\u201cI think it is on us as Democrats, on our side of the aisle, to say no we understand this has been a long time in coming. This is a problem that we have not tended to enough and that's how we got here,\u201d Balint continued. \u201cIt doesn't make any sense for us to get the gavels back if we don't use that power to make this a more fair and equitable economy...you shouldn\u2019t have to be super wealthy and well-connected to have a good life in this country.\"\n\nRep. Jim McGovern (MA-02), Co-Chair of the Task Force, emphasized the role of corporate influence in shaping tax policy.\n\n\u201cMy Republican colleagues hear what we hear when we do town halls, yet we see these policies move forward that totally ignore what [the witnesses] just talked about today,\u201d said Rep. McGovern. \u201cMy view is that is it not that they are ignorant about what the realities are, it is that they\u2019re bought and they\u2019re owned by corporate special interests. It\u2019s the money in politics.\u201d\n\nRep. Maxine Dexter (OR-03), Co-Chair, highlighted how the current tax code reflects misplaced priorities.\n\n\u201cA tax code is a statement of our values, and our values are completely upside down right now,\u201d said Rep. Dexter. \u201cIt needs to create a stable foundation for families and communities to have what they need. Instead, our current system has rewarded the wealthiest Americans and corporations, short-changes workers, as we've heard, and concentrated wealth and power at the top.\u201d\n\nWitnesses provided data and firsthand perspectives on the consequences of an inequitable tax system.\n\n\u201cAmericans are deeply frustrated with the tax code, not because taxes exist, but because the system feels rigged. They see corporations posting record profits while paying effective rates well below what a teacher or a nurse pays. They see billionaires treating the tax code like a game that they always win while their own costs for housing, healthcare, and childcare keep climbing,\u201d said Elizabeth Wilkins, President and CEO of the Roosevelt Institute. \u201cThat sense of unfairness is corrosive. It doesn't just make people angry about taxes, it erodes their belief in their government and that their government works for them at all.\u201d\n\nKristen Crowell, Executive Director of Families Over Billionaires, spoke to the lived experiences of working families.\n\n\u201cThe decisions that are made here in Washington, D.C. don\u2019t stay here in Washington. They land on our kitchen tables, in community health clinics, and in the lives of ordinary people all across the country,\u201d said Crowell. \u201cThis is not Democrats and Republicans from a voter perspective. That is over. It is class warfare. And that's what it feels like to families. They feel under attack.\u201d\n\nZorka Milin, Policy Director at the FACT Coalition, outlined how corporations exploit loopholes.\n\n\u201cWe analyzed this treasure trove of fresh tax data and found that 40 major American corporations reduced their tax bills by more than $11 billion through tax havens last year alone,\u201d said Milin. \u201cThese findings confirm that our tax code fails to stop big corporations from moving their profits offshore at enormous costs to our federal revenues and domestic jobs. This isn't America first. It's corporations first, Americans last.\u201d\n\nCorey Husak, Director of Tax Policy at the Center for American Progress, pointed to structural inequities in the tax system.\n\n\u201cVoters say the rich aren't paying their fair share, and they're right,\u201d said Husak. \u201cWall Street investors already have access to low capital gains rates. Why do they need exemptions from even paying that? Many pass-through business owners, like the president, are billionaires. Why do they need a pass-through deduction giving them lower marginal tax rates than their own workers?\u201d\n\nElizabeth Watson, Director of Federal Government Affairs at AFSCME, emphasized the broader impact of inequality.\n\n\u201cWealth inequality in America just reached a 30-year high. Today, one-third of wealth in the US is held by 1% of Americans,\u201d said Watson. \u201cThese rich Americans have a powerful lobby in Congress fighting to rig the tax code in their favor. They're fighting to make it nearly impossible for working people to collectively bargain for their fair share.\u201d\n\nTogether, members and witnesses made clear that fixing the tax code is central to lowering costs, restoring fairness, and rebuilding trust in government.\n\nBackground\n\nThe CPC Ending Corporate Greed Task Force is focused on developing and advancing policies to hold corporations and billionaires accountable, including efforts on tax fairness, antitrust enforcement, price gouging, money in politics, and financial regulation.\n\nThe full livestream of the hearing can be viewed here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-04-25T05:38:36Z", "2026-04-25T05:40:21Z"], ["https://balint.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=674", "Rep. Balint Statement on Trump Firing Pam Bondi as Attorney General", "2026-04-02", "2026", "2026-04", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Becca Balint", "B001318", "balint.house.gov", "balint", "https://balint.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2014 Representative Becca Balint (VT-AL), Vice Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Committee, today released the following statement after reporting that President Trump has removed Pam Bondi from her position as Attorney General:\n\n\u201cPam Bondi drove the Justice Department into the ground and should have been removed long ago. Under her leadership, corruption and incompetence reigned. Bondi did not pursue justice on behalf of all Americans, she worked to cover up the misdeeds of the President and his ultra wealthy friends. She led political purges of career prosecutors, let white collar criminals off the hook, forced out those who would not agree to go along with pay-to-play schemes, and failed the Epstein survivors. Being fired, however, is not a \u2018fix all.\u2019 Congress still has a responsibility to hold her accountable for her wrongdoing, and I will continue pushing for that oversight.\n\n\u201cI also have serious concerns about the path forward for the Department and have doubts about whether Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche or rumored successor Lee Zeldin will change the course of the Department. I will be watching closely.\n\n\u201cThe public made their voices heard on both Kristi Noem and Pam Bondi and it made a real difference. We need to keep showing up, keep demanding better, and keep holding those in power accountable, including other cabinet officials.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-04-03T05:34:17Z", "2026-04-06T21:06:43Z"], ["https://balint.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=673", "Balint and Wyden Introduce Bill to Strengthen Protections for Journalists Against Unreasonable Government Searches", "2026-03-29", "2026", "2026-03", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Becca Balint", "B001318", "balint.house.gov", "balint", "https://balint.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2014 Rep. Becca Balint (VT-AL) and U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., introduced a bill on Friday to strengthen privacy protections against unreasonable government searches and seizures that could chill reporting critical of the government. The bill follows Donald Trump\u2019s Department of Justice (DOJ) raiding the home of a Washington Post reporter.\n\n\u201cThis is the most corrupt administration in history, and we only know that because journalists have been doing the tireless work of delivering truth and transparency to the American people,\u201d Balint said. \u201cA free press serves an essential role in our democracy, which is why it is protected by our Constitution. We need to close the loopholes that have allowed administrations to strong-arm and intimidate journalists, and I am proud to work with Senator Wyden to do just that.\u201d\n\n\u201cMy father was a journalist who escaped Nazi Germany. He taught me you can\u2019t have a functioning democracy without a free press,\u201d Wyden said. \u201cOur bill sends a clear message that government agents have no business seizing the notes and electronic devices of reporters who are just doing their jobs. Congress must once again step up to protect journalists against attempts to intimidate reporters and chill sources who could blow the whistle on government wrongdoing.\u201d\n\nUnder the Privacy Protection Act of 1980, the government cannot search or seize journalists\u2019 documentary or work-product materials, except in certain narrow circumstances. Congress passed that law out of concern about the chilling effect of government raids on the press, and required the government to use less intrusive methods. Unfortunately, the law contains numerous loopholes that have been exploited across presidential administrations. The government never needs to prove an exception to the law before obtaining a search warrant, or even mention that the law exists. Even if a judge finds that a search or seizure is illegal under the Privacy Protection Act, the government can still use those illegally obtained materials in court.\n\nBalint and Wyden\u2019s bill would strengthen protections for journalists and close these loopholes. The Privacy Protection Updates Act would:\n\nRequire the government to disclose the existence of the Privacy Protection Act and prove that an exception applies, if the government wants to search or seize a journalist\u2019s materials with a warrant.\n\nMaintain the existing exception for exigent circumstances, but establish a new process for mandatory judicial review within 48 hours of the emergency seizures of a journalist\u2019s materials to determine whether the search or seizure was justified.\n\nCreate a process for suppression of journalist records that are illegally searched or seized.\n\nClarify that the Privacy Protection Act applies to journalist records stored on the cloud.\n\nThe Privacy Protection Updates Act is endorsed by the Committee to Protect Journalists, Demand Progress, Freedom of the Press Foundation, and Protect the 1st Foundation.\n\n\u201cFree people rely on a free press, and the press is only free if it is unrestricted by government spying and intimidation. Sen. Wyden and Rep. Balint\u2019s update to the Privacy Protection Act is a much-needed safeguard that removes incentives to ransack the notes and sources of reporters. This bill corrects the law to ensure that the government cannot suppress free journalism and speech,\u201d said Bob Goodlatte, former Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee and Senior Policy Advisor for Protect the 1st.\n\n\u201cIgnorance of the law is no defense, unless you're a prosecutor looking for a warrant to ransack a journalist's files. At least six times in recent years -- most recently, the raid of Washington Post reporter Hannah Natanson -- prosecutors seeking such warrants have failed to disclose to judges that, subject to a few narrow exceptions, they're illegal under the Privacy Protection Act of 1980. By the time the judge figures it out, it's too late -- the journalist's sources are compromised, and they can't publish any stories or investigations stored on seized devices. We commend Sen. Wyden and Rep. Balint for recognizing this intolerable status quo and taking action to give the PPA some teeth and protect journalists' ability to inform the public. Lawmakers from across the political spectrum have opposed journalist surveillance in the past and we hope this bill receives the enthusiastic bipartisan support it deserves,\u201d wrote Seth Stern, Chief of Advocacy at Freedom of the Press Foundation.\n\n\u201cThe Privacy Protection Updates Act is what it looks like to take press freedom seriously. This necessary bill transforms a well-intentioned but outdated law into a modernized framework for a free and independent press with real consequences\u2014establishing a powerful exclusionary rule, requiring greater transparency from the government in warrant applications, and ending the weak damages-only civil remedy that left journalists unprotected. Press freedoms are too vital to be left to the government's honor system, especially when the White House keeps eroding our core civil liberties. We thank Sen. Wyden and Rep. Balint for their leadership and urge all members of Congress to get behind this needed bill,\u201d said Kate Oh, Special Advisor at Demand Progress.\n\n\u201cThe government needs guardrails to prevent overreach. Reforms to the Privacy Protection Act will strengthen protections, enabling journalists to do their job and keep the public informed,\u201d said Katherine Jacobsen, U.S., Canada, and Caribbean Program Coordinator of the Committee to Protect Journalists.\n\nThe one-pager of the bill is here.\n\nThe full bill text is here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-04-04T05:28:40Z", "2026-04-06T21:05:58Z"], ["https://balint.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=669", "Sanders, Welch, Balint Statement on Recent ICE Raids in South Burlington", "2026-03-12", "2026", "2026-03", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Becca Balint", "B001318", "balint.house.gov", "balint", "https://balint.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27", "scraper", "BURLINGTON, VT \u2013 The Vermont Congressional Delegation, U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.), and U.S. Representative Becca Balint (VT-AL), today released the following statement regarding the recent ICE raids in South Burlington:\n\n\u201cPresident Trump\u2019s domestic army, ICE, came into Vermont yesterday from out of state and, as is virtually always the case, acted in an irresponsible, reckless and unprofessional manner.\n\n\u201cWhat happened yesterday in South Burlington was outrageous and avoidable. Rather than notifying local and state law enforcement of a planned arrest, ICE created a crisis that resulted in them using flashbang grenades and tear gas against protestors. To make matters worse, they failed to arrest the person they were initially pursuing and instead arrested at least three individuals who were not named on the warrant.\n\n\u201cAs a result of the reckless actions of ICE, local and state police were put in an impossibly difficult situation.\n\n\u201cAt a time when our country is deeply divided, this is not the way a federal agency should be conducting itself. It is long past time for Congress to take action to rein in ICE\u2019s lawlessness.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-04-04T05:28:40Z", "2026-04-06T21:05:58Z"], ["https://balint.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=666", "Reps. Balint, Takano, Pocan Join Sens. Schiff, Smith to Reintroduce Bill to Expand Access to Lifesaving HIV Prevention Medications", "2026-03-05", "2026", "2026-03", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Becca Balint", "B001318", "balint.house.gov", "balint", "https://balint.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27", "scraper", "Washington, D.C. \u2013 Today, U.S. Representative Becca Balint (VT-AL) joined Senators Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), and Representatives Mark Takano (CA-39) and Mark Pocan (WI-02) to reintroduce the PrEP Access and Coverage Act, legislation to expand the availability of lifesaving HIV prevention medications and care. The bill would ensure HIV prevention drugs, as well as screenings, diagnostic procedures, administrative fees, and clinical follow-ups are covered by health insurance without out-of-pocket costs for patients. It would also establish community public health campaigns and improve access to medications for uninsured Americans.\n\nThe introduction of this bill comes as the Trump administration has initiated sweeping cuts to CDC grants that support HIV prevention programs and several states have limited funding for those receiving federally funded HIV treatment.\n\n\u201cEvery Vermonter deserves affordable, stigma-free access to lifesaving HIV prevention and treatment,\u201d said Rep. Balint, Co-Chair of the Congressional Equality Caucus. \u201cAs the Trump administration drives up health care costs and slashes funding for PrEP and HIV prevention, I\u2019m proud to join my colleagues in introducing legislation to protect access to HIV medication and recommit to ending the HIV epidemic once and for all.\u201d\n\n\u201cHIV prevention drugs and care should be accessible and affordable to every American to keep our communities safe and help people live healthy lives. Under Donald Trump, health care is becoming increasingly expensive and unattainable as this administration makes devastating and politically motivated funding cuts to programs intended to mitigate the spread of HIV. This bill is essential to filling the gap with necessary HIV treatments to ensure people don\u2019t go without life-saving medication, and I\u2019m proud to join my Senate and House colleagues in introducing it,\u201d said Senator Schiff.\n\n\u201cEveryone deserves access to affordable and effective accessible health care,\u201d said Senator Smith. \u201cMinnesotans and folks across the country are unduly burdened by the costs associated with of preventative, life-saving HIV medication. It\u2019s especially important to introduce this bill now as the Trump Administration has made huge funding cuts limiting access to HIV medication. My bill makes sure patients can access HIV prevention drugs and all of the ancillary services that add up when they\u2019re trying to access this care.\u201d\n\n\"HIV can impact any of us, and it is critical that treatment and prevention are readily available to everyone,\" said Congressman Takano, Chair of the Congressional Equality Caucus. \"This Administration has ushered in historic cuts to health care for millions of Americans, including access to PrEP and HIV prevention programs. I am proud to co-lead this legislation to ensure that access and availability are not barriers to putting an end to this public health crisis.\"\n\n\u201cMaking it easier to access lifesaving medicines like PrEP just makes sense,\u201d Chair of the Congressional HIV/AIDS Caucus Mark Pocan (WI-02) said. \u201cWe\u2019ve made great strides in fighting this disease, but there is still more we can do. Removing barriers to these preventive medicines, rather than making folks go through hoops will save lives. Thank you, Senators Schiff, Smith and Congressman Takano, for introducing this vital legislation.\u201d\n\nThe PrEP Access and Coverage Act would eliminate barriers and ensure access to HIV prevention medication by:\n\nEnsuring comprehensive health insurance coverage of HIV prevention drugs by eliminating out-of-pocket costs for the medications and associated costs for individuals who are enrolled in federally regulated private and public health insurance.\n\nProhibiting prior authorization requirements for HIV prevention drugs under private and public health insurance plans.\n\nProhibiting denying coverage or increasing premiums for disability insurance, long-term care insurance, or life insurance policies based on a person taking medication for HIV prevention.\n\nDirecting the Department of Health and Human Services to establish public health education campaigns to increase utilization of PrEP and PEP among individuals at risk of contracting HIV.\n\nEstablishing a grant program for States, Territories, Tribes, and health care facilities, such as Federally Qualified Health Centers and family planning centers, to expand access to PrEP and PEP for uninsured individuals and underserved communities.\n\nDirecting the Departments of Health and Human Services, Labor, and Treasury to monitor compliance with PrEP and PEP coverage requirements among private insurers and take appropriate enforcement actions.\n\nThis legislation is endorsed by the Congressional Equality Caucus, HIV+Hepatitis Policy Institute, PrEP4All, Equality California, The AIDS Institute, Whitman-Walker Health, Aliveness Project, National Alliance of State & Territorial AIDS Directors (NASTAD), Human Rights Campaign, and NMAC.\n\n\u201cThe \u2018PrEP Access and Coverage Act of 2026\u2019 would create a comprehensive national PrEP program that guarantees PrEP for everyone who needs it, both the insured and uninsured. It would fill a critical gap in our nation\u2019s response to ending HIV; while we have a comprehensive HIV treatment program, we need a corresponding program for prevention. We urge Congress to swiftly pass it,\u201d said HIV+Hepatitis Policy Institute Executive Director Carl Schmid. \u201cWe praise Sens. Smith and Schiff and Reps. Takano, Balint, and Pocan for championing this bill that would ensure people with insurance have access to PrEP, including newer long-acting options, without cost-sharing or prior authorization. To increase PrEP uptake, especially in communities where it has been lacking, it would provide grants to states, community-based organizations, community health centers, and others to establish and support PrEP programs. These programs would not only provide PrEP for the uninsured, but also much needed community and provider outreach.\u201d\n\n\u201cWe\u2019re grateful to Senator Smith and Senator Schiff for their leadership on the PrEP Access and Coverage Act. Communities most impacted by HIV continue to face unnecessary complexity in accessing PrEP medications, required lab work, and other essential services. With only one in four of the 2.2 million Americans who could benefit from PrEP currently able to access it, the need for clear, consistent, no-nonsense PrEP coverage across all public and private insurers is urgent. At a moment when protections for preventive care are being actively undermined, this legislation would safeguard and strengthen a national vision for PrEP access that aligns with our shared goal of ending HIV as an epidemic.\u201d Jeremiah Johnson, Executive Director, PrEP4All\n\nThe full text of the bill is available here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-04-04T05:28:40Z", "2026-04-06T21:05:58Z"], ["https://balint.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=667", "Rep. Balint Votes for War Powers Resolution to Rein in Trump\u2019s Military Actions in Iran", "2026-03-05", "2026", "2026-03", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Becca Balint", "B001318", "balint.house.gov", "balint", "https://balint.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2014 Representative Becca Balint (VT-AL) today released the following statement after voting for the War Powers Resolution that would rein in the President\u2019s use of military force in Iran (H. Con. Res. 38) and to re-affirm Iran remains the largest state sponsor of terrorism (H. Res. 1099):\n\n\u201cThe Iranian people have suffered under a brutal and oppressive authoritarian regime for decades. Iran is the primary state sponsor of several terrorist organizations, including Hamas and Hezbollah. Condemning Iran as a state sponsor of terrorism does not authorize the President to start an illegal war.\n\n\u201cTwo things can be true at once: the regime in Iran should be condemned, and there continues to be no good case being made to Congress that there was an imminent threat to us or our interests that warranted troops being put in harm's way. Congress makes the decision on if we should go to war, not the President. That is why I also voted for today's War Powers Resolution, which would require the Trump administration to get congressional approval to continue their military actions in Iran.\n\n\u201cIt seems Republicans are desperate to abdicate their authority and grasp at straws that excuse the administration\u2019s dangerous, illegal attack that has already resulted in the tragic loss of six service members. They have failed to learn from history and are continuing to repeat their deeply unpopular playbook of cutting taxes for the rich and starting wars in the Middle East. Americans do not want to be dragged into another endless war in the Middle East, and I will continue to do everything in my power to hold this administration accountable to the People and to the Constitution.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-04-04T05:28:40Z", "2026-04-06T21:05:58Z"], ["https://balint.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=665", "Rep. Balint Statement on Trump's Unauthorized Attack on Iran", "2026-02-28", "2026", "2026-02", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Becca Balint", "B001318", "balint.house.gov", "balint", "https://balint.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27", "scraper", "BRATTLEBORO, VT \u2013 Representative Becca Balint (VT-AL) today released the following statement after it was announced that President Trump had launched an unauthorized attack against Iran overnight:\n\n\u201cPresident Trump has launched another dangerous, illegal attack on Iran without authorization from Congress. We have no reason to believe America was at any imminent risk - especially after President Trump claimed to have \u2018obliterated\u2019 Iran\u2019s nuclear program in June. It\u2019s true that Iran\u2019s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei leads a brutal and oppressive regime, and I support the Iranian people bravely protesting to bring change. But this attack is not a plan for peace. It has put our troops in harm's way, thrown the entire region into conflict, and violates our Constitution and Congressional authority.\n\n\u201cSpeaker Johnson must immediately reconvene the House so we can pass a War Powers Resolution to rein in this unauthorized use of our military and taxpayer dollars.\n\n\u201cWe have no kings in America. We are a democracy in which the people get to decide the course of our nation. We must stand with the American people who have told us they do not want any costly wars or regime change. They want us focused here at home on providing healthcare, bringing down the cost of groceries, and building more homes. We as members of Congress must listen to what Americans have told us and vote accordingly.\u201d\n\n###\n\nRelated News\n\nRep. Balint Statement on Trump Firing Pam Bondi as Attorney General\n\nApril 2, 2026 | Posted in Press Releases\n\nBalint and Wyden Introduce Bill to Strengthen Protections for Journalists Against Unreasonable Government Searches\n\nMarch 29, 2026 | Posted in Press Releases\n\nRep. Balint Issues Statement After Viewing Unredacted Epstein Files\n\nFebruary 10, 2026 | Posted in Press Releases\n\nRep. Becca Balint's Statement on ICE Detention of Vermont Pastor and Nursing Assistant\n\nFebruary 4, 2026 | Posted in Press Releases", 1, "2026-04-04T05:28:40Z", "2026-04-06T21:03:58Z"], ["https://balint.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=663", "Rep. Balint to Speak at the \u201cPeople\u2019s State of the Union\u201d and stand with Americans Impacted by Trump Instead of President\u2019s Address", "2026-02-24", "2026", "2026-02", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Becca Balint", "B001318", "balint.house.gov", "balint", "https://balint.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Representative Becca Balint (VT-AL) today announced that she will join Democratic colleagues, community leaders, and Americans directly impacted by the Trump Administration\u2019s policies at the People\u2019s State of the Union on the National Mall, rather than attend President Trump\u2019s State of the Union address.\n\nHosted by MoveOn, the People\u2019s State of the Union will feature members of Congress alongside constituents and storytellers speaking about the real-world impacts of the Trump administration\u2019s decisions \u2014 including health care cuts, rising costs, attacks on Constitutional rights and ICE\u2019s violent immigration enforcement actions.\n\n\u201cThe State of the Union is meant to be a serious reflection of our nation\u2019s progress, our shortfalls, and the path forward,\u201d said Rep. Balint. \u201cInstead of sitting through what has become President Trump\u2019s annual self-congratulation, misinformation, and division speech, I look forward to a night of standing with colleagues, organizers, advocates, and everyday Americans who are committed to doing the real and honest work of protecting our rights, strengthening our communities, and holding those in power accountable.\u201d\n\nRep. Balint will be joined by Mohsen Mahdawi, a Vermont constituent, student leader, and advocate for Palestinian human rights whose life has been directly affected by Trump\u2019s attack on Americans\u2019 First Amendment rights.\n\n\u201cVermont and the United States have become home to me not only by residence, but through the love, safety and solidarity I have experienced in this community,\u201d said Mr. Mahdawi. \u201cThat is why being imprisoned on the very day I sought citizenship was not only devastating but also a profound betrayal of the principles on which this country was founded. I remain steadfast in my commitment to this country\u2019s ideals, my recognition of the power of our voices, and my belief in the principles of democracy. Palestinians and Americans are fighting the same fight, a fight for dignity and rights without conditions. When we stand together across movements, across borders, across every line they use to divide us, we make it impossible to ignore that love is stronger than fear, hope is more powerful than despair, and freedom will always outlast oppression.\u201d\n\nThe event begins at 8:00 PM ET on the National Mall and will be livestreamed. Press interested in covering this event in person should register their interest here.\n\nAbout Mohsen Mahdawi\n\nBorn and raised in Al-Far\u2019a refugee camp in the West Bank of Palestine, Mohsen Mahdawi's early years were defined by Israeli military occupation. At twenty-four, he moved to the United States and experienced freedom and safety for the first time in his life, finding in Vermont a true home rooted in belonging and the strength of a supportive community. At Columbia University, he became a leading voice for Palestinian rights through dialogue and coalition-building, including with Jewish and Israeli communities.\n\nIn April 2025 when Mohsen walked into an immigration office for his citizenship interview and was handcuffed and detained by ICE in retaliation for his pro-Palestinian activism. Mohsen continues his graduate studies in Diplomacy while defending his rights in courts and building an organization dedicated to human rights and nonviolent conflict resolution.", 1, "2026-04-04T05:28:40Z", "2026-04-06T21:03:58Z"], ["https://balint.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=660", "Following DOJ Antitrust Shakeup, Balint, Warren, Lawmakers Raise Questions About Corruption Surrounding DOJ Approval of Massive Housing Merger", "2026-02-20", "2026", "2026-02", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Becca Balint", "B001318", "balint.house.gov", "balint", "https://balint.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Representative Becca Balint (VT-AL) and Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) led colleagues in pressing Attorney General Pam Bondi on whether there was corruption and political favoritism at the Department of Justice (DOJ) involving the agency\u2019s questionable review of the massive merger between real estate giants Compass and Anywhere Real Estate. The lawmakers\u2019 push follows the ouster of top DOJ antitrust official Gail Slater last week, raising questions about whether political interference is causing DOJ to stymie critical antitrust reviews of massive mergers that threaten to raise costs for consumers.\n\n\u201cThis decision raises questions about corruption under your watch and its impact on housing affordability for American families. Allowing this merger will make it easier for these firms to exert greater control over the real estate market, limit consumer access and choice, and ultimately exacerbate the housing crisis that has put homeownership out of reach for millions of Americans,\u201d wrote the lawmakers.\n\nThe letter was also signed by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), and Representatives Yassamin Ansari (D-Ariz.), Greg Casar (D-Texas), Madeleine Dean (D-Pa.), Maxine Dexter (D-Ore.), Jes\u00fas \u201cChuy\u201d Garc\u00eda (D-Ill.), Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), Hank Johnson (D-Ga.), Robin Kelly (D-Ill.), Seth Moulton (D-Mass.), Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.), and Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-N.J.).\n\nReal estate brokerage behemoths Compass and Anywhere announced a $1.6 billion merger in September of last year, subject to DOJ review. In a surprise move last month, Compass announced that it had completed its acquisition of Anywhere far ahead of schedule. The merger combines two of the nation\u2019s largest residential real-estate brokerages, creating the largest agent network in the country \u2014 and raising antitrust and competition concerns.\n\nWith a housing crisis already flattening American families under Donald Trump, further consolidation in the market threatens to make it even harder for consumers to afford homeownership. Mergers like Compass-Anywhere can push homeownership even further out of reach \u2014 making a thorough and serious DOJ review of the merger all the more critical.\n\nBut DOJ leadership \u2014 namely the office of Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche \u2014 reportedly hindered the agency\u2019s antitrust review of the Compass-Anywhere merger, failing to protect Americans. Recent reporting revealed that DOJ Antitrust Division leadership, including recently-ousted Assistant Attorney General Gail Slater, sought an extended investigation of the transaction given concerns it might violate federal antitrust law, but senior DOJ leaders overrode Slater and cleared the transaction without additional review. This decision by DOJ leadership apparently came after Compass hired Mike Davis \u2014 a Trump-allied lawyer who has been involved in other merger review controversies. Reporting suggests that Davis was responsible for pushing the Compass-Anywhere review forward \u2014 and after Slater was forced out of DOJ, Davis bragged that he recommended her firing.\n\n\u201cThe fact pattern reported in the Compass-Anywhere deal is deeply disturbing, indicating that it may be another example of well-connected industries and lobbyists obtaining inside access to high-level Trump Administration DOJ officials, and using this access to pervert the antitrust process to obtain approval of anticompetitive mergers that will reduce competition and harm the public,\u201d wrote the lawmakers.\n\nThis isn\u2019t the first instance of apparent corruption under AG Bondi\u2019s watch at DOJ. In July, lawmakers sounded the alarm regarding DOJ\u2019s settlement of the Hewlett Packard-Juniper networks merger, after reports indicated that defendants retained lobbyists and consultants with ties to the Trump White House and DOJ leadership \u2014 resulting in the ouster of multiple of Slater\u2019s deputies. In December, lawmakers pressed Bondi to recuse herself from DOJ\u2019s review of any merger involving Warner Bros., given Bondi\u2019s own apparent conflicts of interest and the cloud of corruption at the DOJ. Earlier this week, Senator Warren joined colleagues in pressing Bondi on Slater\u2019s ouster, citing reports about Mike Davis\u2019s involvement and sounding the alarm about the Trump administration\u2019s commitment to enforcing antitrust laws.\n\n\u201cCorruption in this process could exacerbate the current housing crisis, under which foreclosures are up 26 percent and mortgage delinquencies are at a four-year-high, while also setting a dangerous precedent that invites political interference in merger review across industries and undermines the antitrust laws that Congress put in place to safeguard competition and protect Americans,\u201d wrote the lawmakers.\n\nTo ensure that the DOJ enforces antitrust law independently and fairly, the lawmakers pressed for more information about the agency\u2019s unusual approval of the Compass-Anywhere merger and requested answers by March 5, 2026.\n\nText of Letter (PDF)\n\n###", 1, "2026-04-04T05:28:40Z", "2026-04-06T21:03:58Z"], ["https://balint.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=662", "Rep. Becca Balint Statement on Supreme Court Ruling Blocking Trump Tariff Regime", "2026-02-20", "2026", "2026-02", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Becca Balint", "B001318", "balint.house.gov", "balint", "https://balint.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Representative Becca Balint (VT-AL) released the following statement after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that President Trump does not have the authority to impose broad tariffs under the emergency act he has cited:\n\n\u201cToday's ruling was a major victory in defending Congress's power of the purse and reining in a President who has abused his power. As Vermonters, our tourism industry, small businesses, and border communities are deeply connected with our Canadian neighbors, and the impact of these tariffs has been severe. The chaos and instability - and the administration's harmful rhetoric - have hurt our small businesses, raised costs for working people, and caused our nation reputational harm.\"\n\n\u201cTargeted, strategic tariffs can strengthen American industries or bring good jobs home, but President Trump\u2019s tariff regime was neither strategic nor predictable. Our families and businesses deserve smart, steady economic leadership, not economic whiplash.\"\n\n###", 1, "2026-04-04T05:28:40Z", "2026-04-06T21:03:58Z"], ["https://balint.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=658", "Rep. Balint Issues Statement After Viewing Unredacted Epstein Files", "2026-02-10", "2026", "2026-02", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Becca Balint", "B001318", "balint.house.gov", "balint", "https://balint.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2014 Representative Becca Balint (VT-AL), Vice Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Committee, today released the following statement after reviewing unredacted Epstein files at the Department of Justice:\n\n\u201cWhat I saw in the Epstein files over the last two days was sickening and enraging. It is absolutely clear that we have a two-tiered system of justice in this country. One for the rich and powerful where the law is optional, and one for the rest of us. The sheer number of people involved \u2014 and the layers of cover-up that allowed this international criminal conspiracy to rape girls \u2014 is staggering. But more than anything, I am heartsick for the survivors, who have endlessly asked for compassion and justice, and instead been met with a political circus. They will continue to be front and center in my heart and mind as I question Attorney General Bondi tomorrow during her testimony before the House Judiciary Committee.\u201d\n\nAttorney General Bondi will testify before the House Judiciary Committee tomorrow at 10:00 AM. The livestream can be viewed here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-04-04T05:28:40Z", "2026-04-06T21:03:58Z"], ["https://balint.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=657", "Balint, Padilla and Watson Coleman Aim to Bolster Mental Health Care Workforce Through New School Programs", "2026-02-05", "2026", "2026-02", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Becca Balint", "B001318", "balint.house.gov", "balint", "https://balint.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2014 Today, Representatives Becca Balint (VT-AL) and Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12) joined U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), co-founder of the bipartisan Senate Mental Health Caucus, to introduce the Mental Health Career Promotion Act to bolster the behavioral and mental health care workforce pipeline by providing students with educational opportunities to learn about and pursue careers in the field. The bill would create the Behavioral and Mental Health Career Promotion Grant Program, administered by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), to provide funding to schools to establish mental health career promotion programs for high school and community college students.\n\nMillions of students across the country struggle with their mental health, with two in five reporting persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness in the last 30 days, andone in five reporting that they have seriously considered attempting suicide in 2023. Despite the severity of these challenges, many students go untreated because they do not know where to seek help and there are not enough trained mental health professionals available to meet the growing demand.\n\n\u201cRight now, we are in the middle of a mental health crisis without enough professional support to meet the need,\u201d said Representative Balint. \u201cThat shortage shows up every day in our schools, our families, and our communities. This bill aims to address that by creating clear pathways into mental health careers for high school and community college students, connecting them early with mentorship, training, and hands-on experience with local providers. The goal is a stronger, more sustainable mental health workforce that can meet people where they are and deliver care when it\u2019s needed most.\u201d\n\n\u201cFar too many people struggling with their mental health are left to suffer in silence because of our nation\u2019s severe shortage of qualified providers,\u201d said Senator Padilla. \u201cAs this crisis grows \u2014 especially among teens \u2014 we must meet students where they are at by expanding resources for students to learn about careers in mental health care. Our bill does exactly that by investing in the next generation of the nation\u2019s mental health workforce.\u201d\n\n\u201cMental healthcare, like so many other professional fields, is facing a shortage of skilled professionals,\u201d said Representative Watson Coleman. \u201cAs millions of Americans struggle with their mental health, the number of therapists and counselors can\u2019t meet the needs of those looking for assistance. I\u2019m proud to co-lead the Mental Health Career Promotion Act with Rep. Balint. This important piece of legislation will create a pipeline for students in high school and community colleges to explore a career in mental health services. We will be investing in the future of not only these students but to all the communities they will serve with their expertise in mental and behavioral health.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe American Psychological Association applauds Senator Padilla and Congresswoman Balint for introducing the Mental Health Career Promotion Act, which would help encourage our nation\u2019s students to pursue careers in mental health,\u201d said American Psychological Association CEO Arthur C. Evans Jr., PhD. \u201cIntroducing young people early to the benefits of working in mental health fields, including psychology, can help ensure the future of this critically needed workforce.\u201d\n\n\u201cIn 2023, suicide was the second leading cause of death for teens and young adults age 15-24, underscoring the urgent need to strengthen prevention efforts and build a robust and responsive mental health workforce,\u201d said Laurel Stine, J.D., M.A., Executive Vice President and Chief Policy and Advocacy Officer of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP). \u201cAFSP strongly supports the Mental Health Career Promotion Act. Expanding exposure to mental health careers and mentorship opportunities for high school students is an important investment in the future of the mental health workforce. We thank Senator Padilla for his leadership and commitment to advancing the mental health and well-being of our nation\u2019s youth.\u201d\n\nAccording to the most recent data from the Department of Health and Human Services, more than half of all Americans live in a Mental Health Professional Shortage Area. This challenge is only expected to get worse: between 2021 and 2026 the total number of mental health professionals in the United States is projected to decline by 13 percent while demand for these professionals is expected to increase by over 50 percent.\n\nTo help address these challenges, the Behavioral and Mental Health Career Promotion Grant Program\u2019s funding would create partnerships between high schools and community colleges with a community-based mental or behavioral health authority to educate and promote careers in mental health. Specifically, this grant program would:\n\nProvide educational presentations to students that increase exposure to and knowledge of the mental health field;\n\nCoordinate internship and externship opportunities for students who are interested in mental health;\n\nArrange opportunities for students to interact with and shadow mental health care professionals; and\n\nEstablish student mentorship opportunities in mental health.\n\nSenators Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) are cosponsoring the bill in the Senate.\n\nThe Mental Health Career Promotion Act is endorsed by organizations including American Psychological Association, American Psychiatric Association, National Council for Mental Wellbeing, Jed Foundation, National Association of Mental Illness (NAMI), and American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.\n\nA one-pager on the bill is available here.", 1, "2026-04-02T05:33:17Z", "2026-04-06T21:03:58Z"], ["https://balint.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=655", "Rep. Becca Balint's Statement on ICE Detention of Vermont Pastor and Nursing Assistant", "2026-02-04", "2026", "2026-02", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Becca Balint", "B001318", "balint.house.gov", "balint", "https://balint.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C.\u2014The Vermont Congressional Delegation, U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.), and U.S. Representative Becca Balint (VT-At-Large), today released the following statement:\n\n\u201cWe are horrified to learn of the detention of Vermont pastor and nursing assistant Steven Tendo by ICE outside of his workplace today \u2014 just days ahead of a regular check-in with immigration authorities. Pastor Tendo fled persecution and torture in Uganda and has lived peacefully in Vermont for many years as a valued member of our community. People like Pastor Tendo are exactly who our asylum system is meant to protect. We join together with many Vermonters in calling on the Trump administration to ensure Pastor Tendo is allowed to return to Vermont and that he is immediately afforded full due process, including the right to contact his attorney while his appeal is considered.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T21:03:58Z"], ["https://balint.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=654", "Rep. Balint Votes Against Funding for DHS Amid Rising ICE Violence Across the Country", "2026-02-03", "2026", "2026-02", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Becca Balint", "B001318", "balint.house.gov", "balint", "https://balint.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2014 Representative Becca Balint (VT-AL), Vice Ranking Member on the House Judiciary Committee, today released the following statement after voting against the Continuing Resolution that would fund the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for another two weeks:\n\n\"DHS needs to be reined in now. I refuse to give them another dime while Secretary Noem allows masked federal agents to terrorize our streets without accountability. They are killing Americans, using preschoolers as bait, and trampling on all of our constitutional rights. Accountability and change must come first, not money.\"\n\nRep. Balint remains committed to conducting oversight and holding ICE accountable. She has traveled to do on the ground oversight in Chicago during \u2018Operation Midway Blitz\u2019 in October and in Minnesota this month after the killing of Renee Good. She has also signed onto articles of impeachment against Kristi Noem.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T21:03:58Z"], ["https://balint.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=653", "Rep. Balint Reintroduces Bicameral \u2018EMS ROCS\u2019 Act to Support EMS Providers in Rural Communities Bill Aligns Medicare Payments for EMS Providers with Community Needs, Ensures EMS Can Provide Essential Medical Care to Rural Communities", "2026-01-29", "2026", "2026-01", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Becca Balint", "B001318", "balint.house.gov", "balint", "https://balint.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27", "scraper", "BURLINGTON, VT \u2013 U.S. Representative Becca Balint (VT-AL), and U.S. Senators Peter Welch (D-Vt.) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) today reintroduced the Emergency Medical Services Reimbursement for On-scene Care and Support (EMS ROCS) Act, bicameral legislation that would require the government to pay for vital EMS services provided to individuals on Medicare.\n\nCurrently, Medicare does not reimburse EMS providers unless the patient is transported to a hospital. However, EMS providers regularly deliver vital services on-scene when responding to 911 calls. In rural communities, the demand for EMS services for medical emergencies continues to increase\u2014especially for Medicare beneficiaries, who make up about 40% of patients treated by EMS.\n\n\u201cFor rural Americans, our EMS providers are often heroes that deliver lifesaving care on scene when hospitals are far away and minutes matter,\u201d said Rep. Balint. \u201cThey should be paid for that work regardless of whether it\u2019s provided at home or in the ambulance. The EMS ROCS Act is a crucial step towards fixing the 'no payment' loophole and preserving access to care for rural Vermonters.\u201d\n\n\u201cVermont\u2019s EMS providers deliver essential medical services in rural communities, and they deserve to be reimbursed for that work. That\u2019s why it only makes sense that our government should pay for vital EMS services, regardless of whether someone needs an ambulance ride to the hospital,\u201d said Senator Welch. \u201cWe need commonsense solutions modernize Medicare to ensure that EMS are paid for their lifesaving work\u2014our bill does just that.\u201d\n\n\u201cSimply put, EMS are the first responders to some of people\u2019s most difficult moments, and often are the difference between life and death,\u201d said Senator Sanders. \u201cWe must do everything we can to ensure they receive the support and resources they need and deserve, and that includes reimbursement for all the care they provide. Rural communities in Vermont and across the country depend on their essential services and this bill is a right step forward in helping EMS agencies get fairly compensated for these services \u2013 even when transportation to the hospital is not needed.\u201d\n\nIn addition to Rep. Balint, the legislation is cosponsored in the House by Reps. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D.C.-AL), Lloyd Doggett (TX-37), Andr\u00e9 Carson (IN-07), Terri Sewell (AL-07), and Summer Lee (PA-12).\n\nInflationary pressures, coupled with the increasing volume of services that are ineligible for reimbursement, pose a serious threat to EMS providers, particularly those serving rural and older communities. These challenges are forcing EMS providers to curtail service and, in some areas, shut down services entirely. In recent years, several EMS providers in rural Vermont have closed their doors due to mounting expenses, leaving local residents with fewer options for emergency services.\n\nThe EMS ROCS Act is endorsed by the American Ambulance Association, National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians (NAEMT), National Rural Health Association, and the Vermont Ambulance Association.\n\n\u201cThe National Rural Health Association applauds Congresswoman Balint and Senator Welch for introducing the EMS ROCS Act. Rural EMS providers face unique challenges due to higher fixed costs over a lower volume of services, greater distances for responding to calls, and workforce shortages. Additionally, Medicare under-reimburses for rural transports by 89%. NRHA is proud to have bicameral support for legislation that improves challenges in Medicare reimbursement for rural EMS, which will expand access to emergency services and improve healthcare in rural areas,\u201d said Alan Morgan, CEO, National Rural Health Association.\n\n\u201cWith his reintroduction of the EMS ROCs Act, Senator Welch demonstrates yet again his profound support for the quality medical care our paramedics and EMTs deliver every day to Vermonters. By ensuring that ambulance service organizations are reimbursed for on-scene medical treatment, regardless of patient transport, this legislation aligns policy with the advancements in pre-hospital medical care,\u201d said Drew Hazelton, President, Vermont Ambulance Association.\n\nLearn more about the EMS ROCS Act of 2026 here.\n\nRead and download the full text of the bill.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T21:01:44Z"], ["https://balint.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=651", "Rep. Balint Welcomes Decision to Stop Vermont USCIS Reassignments to Minnesota", "2026-01-26", "2026", "2026-01", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Becca Balint", "B001318", "balint.house.gov", "balint", "https://balint.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27", "scraper", "BRATTLEBORO, VT \u2014 Representative Becca Balint (VT-AL) today welcomed the news that Vermont-based USCIS employees will no longer be sent to Minnesota to conduct immigration enforcement, after raising concerns about the change in mission:\n\n\u201cGiven the aggressive ICE operations underway in Minnesota which have already led to deadly force and widespread fear, I raised serious concerns about sending Vermont USCIS employees into roles far outside their mission and training. I\u2019m relieved those reassignments are no longer moving forward, and that these public servants can remain focused on helping people navigate the immigration system safely and lawfully.\u201d\n\nRep. Balint\u2019s statement regarding the original reports of Vermont USCIC employees being deployed to Minnesota can be viewed here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T21:01:44Z"], ["https://balint.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=647", "Reps. Balint and Jayapal Push Meta and Google to End ICE Ad Partnerships Using White Nationalist Propaganda", "2026-01-22", "2026", "2026-01", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Becca Balint", "B001318", "balint.house.gov", "balint", "https://balint.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2014 U.S. Representatives Becca Balint (VT-AL), Vice Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Committee and Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement, have sent letters demanding answers from Meta and Google after reports that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is using their platforms to run immigration enforcement recruitment for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) using \u201cself-deportation\u201d and other advertisements that rely on white nationalist imagery and rhetoric.\n\nIn letters sent yesterday, the lawmakers warn that these advertising campaigns are part of an effort to massively expand ICE recruitment, including to surge ICE officers to cities like Minneapolis, Chicago, Portland, and New Orleans. To meet these recruitment targets, ICE has lowered hiring standards and turned to paid digital ads across major platforms.\n\nThe letter to Meta cites reporting that DHS has spent millions of dollars on paid ads with their platforms, including ads clearly connected to white nationalist themes, using images and slogans historically used by neo-Nazi groups. In one recent example, \u201cDHS posted a recruitment ad on Instagram proclaiming \u2018we\u2019ll have our home again\u2019, which is a song popularized in neo-Nazi spaces and used in white nationalist calls for a race war.\u201d The letter to Google also calls out a reported $3 million in ICE advertisements on Google and YouTube that promoted \u2018self-deportation,\u2019 a strategy being used by the Trump administration to intimidate immigrants into leaving the country. In total, ICE placed $5.8 million in ads with Meta and Google last year.\n\nReps. Balint and Jayapal underscored the real-world consequences of expanded and insufficiently vetted immigration enforcement, citing deaths, warrantless arrests, mass raids, and a record number of deaths in ICE custody. \u201cThe impact of an unqualified army of ICE agents being unleashed across the country has been severe,\u201d the lawmakers said.\n\nThe lawmakers are demanding transparency about the scope of the companies\u2019 agreements with DHS and are calling on Meta and Google to commit to ending their digital advertising partnerships with the agency. They also raised concerns that the advertisements may conflict with the companies\u2019 own content and advertising standards, questioning how this material was permitted to run on their platforms in the first place.\n\nThe lawmakers\u2019 letter to Meta can be viewed here.\n\nThe lawmakers\u2019 letter to Google can be viewed here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T21:01:44Z"], ["https://balint.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=648", "Rep. Becca Balint\u2019s Statement Following Former Special Counsel Jack Smith\u2019s Public Testimony Before the Judiciary Committee", "2026-01-22", "2026", "2026-01", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Becca Balint", "B001318", "balint.house.gov", "balint", "https://balint.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Today, U.S. Representative Becca Balint (VT-AL), Vice Ranking Member of the Judiciary Committee, issued the following statement after former Special Counsel Jack Smith testified publicly before the Committee, detailing his investigations into President Donald Trump\u2019s criminal attempt to overturn the results of the 2020 election:\n\n\u201cToday\u2019s testimony confirmed that President Trump was the principal architect of the January 6th insurrection. Mr. Smith laid bare the pattern of threats, intimidation, and retaliation he and his team have faced from Trump and his loyalists for simply following the facts and the law. The President has repeatedly attacked him by name, fired career prosecutors and FBI agents who worked on the investigation, and made clear that retribution\u2014not justice\u2014is the goal.\n\n\u201cThis is the same dangerous playbook that led to January 6: undermine the truth, target those who enforce the law, and incite others while avoiding giving direct orders. No President is above the law, and the American people should be outraged that the independence of our justice system is being dismantled in plain sight.\u201d\n\nWhile Special Counsel Smith was able to provide information about most of his work, there is information about the classified records investigation subject to a gag order from Trump appointed Judge Aileen Cannon. House Judiciary Democrats have requested a follow-up hearing to hear more from Special Counsel Smith when the gag order is lifted on his full work into the classified documents aspects of the case.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T21:01:44Z"], ["https://balint.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=649", "Rep. Becca Balint\u2019s Statement Following Former Special Counsel Jack Smith\u2019s Public Testimony Before the Judiciary Committee", "2026-01-22", "2026", "2026-01", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Becca Balint", "B001318", "balint.house.gov", "balint", "https://balint.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27", "scraper", "\u201cToday\u2019s testimony confirmed that President Trump was the principal architect of the January 6th insurrection. Mr. Smith laid bare the pattern of threats, intimidation, and retaliation he and his team have faced from Trump and his loyalists for simply following the facts and the law. The President has repeatedly attacked him by name, fired career prosecutors and FBI agents who worked on the investigation, and made clear that retribution\u2014not justice\u2014is the goal.\n\n\u201cThis is the same dangerous playbook that led to January 6: undermine the truth, target those who enforce the law, and incite others while avoiding giving direct orders. No President is above the law, and the American people should be outraged that the independence of our justice system is being dismantled in plain sight.\u201d\n\nWhile Special Counsel Smith was able to provide information about most of his work, there is information about the classified records investigation subject to a gag order from Trump appointed Judge Aileen Cannon. House Judiciary Democrats have requested a follow-up hearing to hear more from Special Counsel Smith when the gag order is lifted on his full work into the classified documents aspects of the case.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T21:01:44Z"], ["https://balint.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=642", "Rep. Balint Raises Alarm Over Reports of Vermont USCIS Employees Sent to Minnesota Amid ICE Enforcement Operations", "2026-01-17", "2026", "2026-01", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Becca Balint", "B001318", "balint.house.gov", "balint", "https://balint.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27", "scraper", "\u201cAt a time when aggressive ICE operations in Minnesota have already led to deadly force and widespread fear in our communities, I am outraged to hear that Vermont USCIS employees are being sent to Minneapolis to play ICE enforcement roles that fall far outside of their mission or their training. These are highly skilled public servants who came to this work to help people navigate the immigration system fairly and lawfully, not to do dangerous door-to-door enforcement. DHS must explain why this is happening and ensure Vermont public servants are not being put in harm\u2019s way or being compelled to carry out work they did not sign up for.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T21:01:44Z"], ["https://balint.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=650", "Rep. Becca Balint Says \"Hell No\" on ICE Funding", "2026-01-15", "2026", "2026-01", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Becca Balint", "B001318", "balint.house.gov", "balint", "https://balint.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27", "scraper", "MINNEAPOLIS, MN \u2014 Today, Rep. Becca Balint released the following statement after arriving in Minnesota to conduct oversight regarding ICE's killing of Renee Nicole Good:\n\n\u201cI am a hell no on any more funding for ICE. Right now, I am in Minnesota demanding answers and accountability for the deadly force used by ICE agents, including the brutal killing of Renee Nicole Good last week and the ongoing influx of ICE agents that has shaken their community. Americans deserve true justice and accountability, and we must reject these terrorizing tactics that have no place in our communities.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T21:01:44Z"], ["https://balint.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=641", "Rep. Becca Balint Backs Impeachment of DHS Secretary Kristi Noem", "2026-01-14", "2026", "2026-01", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Becca Balint", "B001318", "balint.house.gov", "balint", "https://balint.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27", "scraper", "\u201cKristi Noem has proven to be an unqualified leader in charge of what has become a rogue army of ICE agents. Americans have been stunned by the cruelty and callousness of agents under her leadership, and she has been unaccountable to members of Congress who have rightly demanded answers on behalf of our constituents. Over the past year, Secretary Noem has endangered our communities, disregarded due process, and undermined the legal immigration system. Now, with her botched handling of the Renee Nicole Good shooting investigation, she has further eroded public trust by lying to Americans and telling us that we can\u2019t believe our own eyes.\n\n\u201cGood was a 37-year-old U.S. citizen and mother of three, and it\u2019s clear she was not a domestic terrorist. Renee, her family, and her community deserve full accountability, and justice must be served. That includes holding Secretary Noem accountable for her role in creating and condoning an environment in which unchecked force and disregard for our constitutional rights have become routine. Secretary Noem should be impeached and held responsible for her actions.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T21:01:44Z"], ["https://balint.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=640", "Rep. Becca Balint\u2019s Statement on Passage of ACA Premium Tax Credits Extension", "2026-01-13", "2026", "2026-01", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Becca Balint", "B001318", "balint.house.gov", "balint", "https://balint.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Today, U.S. Representative Becca Balint (VT-AL) released the following statement following passage of Democrats\u2019 three-year extension of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) premium tax credits:\n\n\u201cDuring what has been a really hard week for Americans, I am grateful to share the good news that we were able to secure House passage of a three-year extension of the ACA premium tax credits \u2013 a crucial step forward in our work to address soaring health care costs. In the end, several Republican members joined us, Speaker Johnson\u2019s work to keep this from getting to the floor failed, and the collective voice of the American people prevailed.\n\n\u201cNow, we need the Senate to do its part to get this across the finish line so we can focus on finding long-term solutions for our expensive, broken health care system. I encourage all Vermonters to keep the pressure on, share your stories, and make your voices heard.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T21:01:44Z"], ["https://balint.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=637", "Rep. Becca Balint\u2019s Statement on Trump\u2019s Unilateral Military Action in Venezuela", "2026-01-03", "2026", "2026-01", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Becca Balint", "B001318", "balint.house.gov", "balint", "https://balint.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27", "scraper", "\u201cNicol\u00e1s Maduro is a brutal, illegitimate dictator, and Venezuelans have suffered greatly under his regime. That does not diminish the fact that President Trump has zero authority to use military force to remove the leader of another sovereign country. This unilateral military action was reckless, illegal and taken without any congressional briefing, approval or oversight. It brings us further down the dangerous path of abandoning our democratic principles, consolidating power, and destroying our Constitution.\n\n\u201cAmericans do not want another war, another regime change, or another occupation of a foreign nation. We have made these horrible mistakes before, and American soldiers and their families have paid the price. Democrats in Congress need Republicans to stand with us to protect and defend the Constitution and congressional power. We are the elected officials closest to the people. We have a sacred duty to represent our people, to protect their rights, and to speak out and push back against any administration that violates the law.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T21:01:44Z"]], "truncated": false, "filtered_table_rows_count": 49, "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": "VT", "p2": "2026"}}, "facet_results": {"party": {"name": "party", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/press/releases.json?chamber=House&state=VT&year=2026", "results": [{"value": "Democrat", "label": "Democrat", "count": 49, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?chamber=House&state=VT&year=2026&party=Democrat", "selected": false}], "truncated": false}, "chamber": {"name": "chamber", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/press/releases.json?chamber=House&state=VT&year=2026", "results": [{"value": "House", "label": "House", "count": 49, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?state=VT&year=2026", "selected": true}], "truncated": false}, "state": {"name": "state", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/press/releases.json?chamber=House&state=VT&year=2026", "results": [{"value": "VT", "label": "VT", "count": 49, "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=VT&year=2026", "results": [{"value": "2026", "label": "2026", "count": 49, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?chamber=House&state=VT", "selected": true}], "truncated": false}}, "suggested_facets": [], "next": null, "next_url": null, "private": false, "allow_execute_sql": true, "query_ms": 115.27007911354303, "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"}