{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "is_view": false, "human_description_en": "where party = \"Democrat\", state = \"FL\" and year = 2023 sorted by date descending", "rows": [["https://castor.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=404428", "U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor Highlights \"Meaningful and Record-Setting 2023\u201d for Tampa Bay area as Her Congressional Office Delivers $13.3M to Veterans and Neighbors and Secures $1B in Federal Grant Dollars to Lift Communities", "2023-12-27", "2023", "2023-12", "Democrat", "House", "FL", "Kathy Castor", "C001066", "castor.house.gov", "castor", "https://castor.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx", "scraper", "TAMPA, FL \u2013 U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor (FL14) announced today that her team worked to deliver over $13.3 million in aid, benefits and refunds to veterans, seniors, small businesses and families in 2023, including over $1.7 million to veterans and service members. Over $1 billion in federal grants were secured for the community to invest in our schools and infrastructure, create good-paying jobs, lower costs, and foster safer, healthier neighborhoods. Local partners and nonprofits deserve kudos for playing a critical and collaborative role this year.\n\n\u201cThe Tampa and St. Petersburg constituent services team works tirelessly to cut through red tape on behalf of families, veterans and businesses. In a year with an unprecedented number of passport cases and the implementation of the historic Honoring Our PACT Act, my office has delivered favorable results to our neighbors and veterans across the Tampa Bay area. I am grateful for all that Steven Angotti, Tania Fernandez, Damaris Gonzalez and Sean Saintil \u2013 as well as the entire Castor Team \u2013 did this year. I couldn\u2019t be prouder of my dedicated casework team that went above and beyond working weekends to save many Tampa Bay families thousands of dollars as they faced disruptions in their overseas travel due to this year\u2019s unprecedented surge of passport issues. Their expertise and compassion are critical to ensuring that veterans receive the benefits they have earned, and that Social Security and Medicare benefits are delivered on time.\n\n\u201cAmazingly, 207 federal grants bolstered neighborhoods from West Tampa to South St. Petersburg and more - for a total of $1,030,242,000 including important investments in righting the wrongs of the past with inclusive highway connections, safer streets, and fighting the Black maternal health crisis. I love my hometown and am committed to lifting every neighbor by revitalizing neighborhoods through meaningful environmental justice, supporting our youth, combatting extreme heat, and improving health outcomes for Black mothers and babies. There is so much to look forward to in the new year, as I champion investments that improve our lives through the Infrastructure Investments and Jobs Act and the Inflation Reduction Act to the Tampa Bay area and into your pockets.\n\n\u201cThis year I was also proud to introduce legislation to protect our children online, create lasting solutions to the changing climate, and create more high-quality, affordable health care options. With over 30 pieces of legislation introduced, I kept your needs and best interests at the forefront of my work so I could continue to deliver for you and your families.\n\n\u201cLooking ahead, in 2024 we will bring home more investments to Tampa Bay families and communities by addressing our neighbors\u2019 most critical needs through the Infrastructure Decade, combatting extreme weather, and strengthening the health and safety of our neighborhoods. The Tampa Bay area is a special community, and I will stand up for my neighbors to deliver solutions and advocate to bring every federal dollar home. I am grateful for the work of my team and the partnership of local leaders, businesses and nonprofits that allow our community to secure grants that will keep Tampa Bay an outstanding place to live.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T01:14:16Z"], ["https://frankel.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=3661", "Florida Democratic Delegation Urges Governor to Enroll in Summer Food Assistance Program", "2023-12-22", "2023", "2023-12", "Democrat", "House", "FL", "Lois Frankel", "F000462", "frankel.house.gov", "frankel", "https://frankel.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27", "scraper", "Today, Representatives Lois Frankel (FL-22), Debbie Wasserman-Schultz (FL-25), Kathy Castor (FL-14), Frederica Wilson (FL-24), Darren Soto (FL-09), Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (FL-20), Maxwell Frost (FL-10), and Jared Moskowitz (FL-23) sent a letter urging Gov. DeSantis to enroll Florida in the Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) Program, which would provide food assistance to two million children across the state. Florida would be set to receive $248 million for this program, however the state has yet to take any action to apply for these funds ahead of the January 1st deadline.\n\n\u201cFor many working and low-income families, the only nutritious meal a child receives is at school. Unfortunately, during the summer when school is out, children are missing out on the opportunity of a healthy meal,\u201d the Members wrote. \u201cWe urge you to apply for these funds before the deadline to ensure the children of our state don\u2019t go hungry next summer.\u201d\n\nThe full letter may be viewed here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T01:14:16Z"], ["https://castor.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=404426", "U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor Leads FL Democrats in Urging Gov. DeSantis End His Grinch-Like Blockade of Transportation $$", "2023-12-21", "2023", "2023-12", "Democrat", "House", "FL", "Kathy Castor", "C001066", "castor.house.gov", "castor", "https://castor.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx", "scraper", "TAMPA, FL \u2013 U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor (FL-14) and members of the Florida Democratic Congressional Delegation are urging Gov. DeSantis to reverse his Grinch-like decision to reject $320 million to reduce carbon pollution and improve Florida\u2019s transportation network under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law\u2019s (BIL) Carbon Reduction Program (CRP). The lawmakers\u2019 letter follows reporting that the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) fully intended to implement a plan to improve the state\u2019s infrastructure through public transit, safe rest stop areas and reduced congestion until DeSantis pulled the plug. The DeSantis turnabout landed like a lump of coal in a Christmas stocking, as Florida is the only state in the country to reject the funds.\n\n\u201cThis decision constitutes a stark policy reversal, following months of FDOT planning and the development of the state\u2019s Carbon Reduction Strategy, a prerequisite step for Florida to receive the program\u2019s $320 million in funding. FDOT\u2019s own documents outline the importance of the Carbon Reduction Program \u2014 and the investments it would have provided \u2014 to the state\u2019s transportation goals. Such goals include: providing safe and convenient transportation options, improving traffic flow and reducing congestion and idling, improving energy efficiency, and reducing climate impacts.\u201d\n\nThe lawmakers continued, \u201cPlainly, your repeated rejection of federal investment opportunities will lead our state to a future with more traffic fatalities, higher energy and transportation costs, and worse air pollution. The people of Florida deserve answers, and they deserve a Governor who will not sacrifice the best interests of our state to further an extreme agenda.\u201d\n\nRead the full letter here.\n\nGov. DeSantis\u2019 rejection of $320 million in carbon reduction infrastructure investments makes Florida the only state in the nation to reject federal CRP funding. The Governor\u2019s decision followed FDOT\u2019s months-long planning and coordination with stakeholders on how to best utilize the funding for Florida\u2019s needs, including a public meeting and presentation on the critical need for this funding and a comprehensive plan to meet the needs of Florida communities \u2013 all of which have been deleted from FDOT\u2019s website following FDOT Secretary Perdue\u2019s letter rejecting the funding.\n\nSigners of the letter to Gov. DeSantis include: Reps. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-25), Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (FL-20), Darren Soto (FL-09), Maxwell Frost (FL-10) and Lois Frankel (FL-22).", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T01:14:16Z"], ["https://castor.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=404424", "Reps. Castor, Frankel, Manning Lead 50 House Democrats in Urging Rejection of Dangerous GOP Attacks on Medical Education, Training That Harms Women", "2023-12-20", "2023", "2023-12", "Democrat", "House", "FL", "Kathy Castor", "C001066", "castor.house.gov", "castor", "https://castor.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Reps. Kathy Castor (FL-14), Lois Frankel (FL-22) and Kathy Manning (NC-06) led 50 House Democrats in urging U.S. House and Senate Appropriators to reject House Republicans\u2019 dangerous medical training policy rider in the final Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies Appropriations bill that will worsen maternal health outcomes in our communities.\n\nSince the Supreme Court\u2019s Dobbs v. Jackson Women\u2019s Health Organization (Dobbs) decision in 2022, physician faculty and trainees across the country have shared the devastating impacts of this ruling \u2013 and subsequent abortion restrictions \u2013 on medical education. In listening to physicians who are training, teaching, and/or practicing in states that have banned or restricted abortion, the lawmakers found that these laws are interfering in the physician-patient relationship, restricting physicians\u2019 ability to offer evidence-based care, limiting educational opportunities for trainees, and putting physicians in legal peril.\n\nDespite the clear dangers of these harmful policies, House Republicans last month tried to use the FY 2024 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies Appropriations bill to advance extreme policies that further attack women\u2019s access to comprehensive reproductive health care services. Thankfully, Republican leadership was unable to get the votes to even bring this extreme bill to the House Floor. Nevertheless, the GOP seems intent on continuing to push their harmful interference in medical education.\n\n\u201cThe Dobbs decision and subsequent abortion bans and restrictions are already harming graduate medical education and impacting the care that physicians can provide,\u201d the lawmakers wrote. \u201cIf Congress pursues an appropriations bill that further restricts medical training, going against the evidence-based standard of care, we will see even fewer residents who are trained to handle the full range of reproductive health care.\u201d\n\nThe lawmakers continued, \u201cAs you move forward with negotiations on the final Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2024, we urge you to reject Section 541 of H.R. 5894 and any other similar restrictions on graduate medical education to ensure that our communities can train and retain the caliber of physicians that patients and their families deserve.\u201d\n\nEndorsing Organizations include Physicians for Reproductive Health, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Power to Decide, National Council of Jewish Women Inc., National Family Planning & Reproductive Health Association, National Partnership for Women and Families and The Century Foundation's Health Equity and Reform Team.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T01:14:16Z"], ["https://frankel.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=3658", "Reps. Frankel, Castor, Manning Lead 50 House Democrats in Urging Rejection of  Dangerous GOP Attacks on Medical Education, Training That Harms Women", "2023-12-20", "2023", "2023-12", "Democrat", "House", "FL", "Lois Frankel", "F000462", "frankel.house.gov", "frankel", "https://frankel.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27", "scraper", "U.S. Reps. Lois Frankel (FL-22), Kathy Castor (FL-14), and Kathy Manning (NC-06) led 50 House Democrats in urging U.S. House and Senate Appropriators to reject House Republicans\u2019 dangerous medical training policy rider in the final Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies Appropriations bill that will worsen maternal health outcomes in our communities.\n\nSince the Supreme Court\u2019s Dobbs v. Jackson Women\u2019s Health Organization (Dobbs) decision in 2022, physician faculty and trainees across the country have shared the devastating impacts of this ruling \u2013 and subsequent abortion restrictions \u2013 on medical education. In listening to physicians who are training, teaching, and/or practicing in states that have banned or restricted abortion, the lawmakers found that these laws are interfering in the physician-patient relationship, restricting physicians\u2019 ability to offer evidence-based care, limiting educational opportunities for trainees, and putting physicians in legal peril.\n\nDespite the clear dangers of these harmful policies, House Republicans last month tried to use the FY 2024 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies Appropriations bill to advance extreme policies that further attack women\u2019s access to comprehensive reproductive health care services. Thankfully, Republican leadership was unable to get the votes to even bring this extreme bill to the House Floor. Nevertheless, the GOP seems intent on continuing to push their harmful interference in medical education.\n\n\u201cThe Dobbs decision and subsequent abortion bans and restrictions are already harming graduate medical education and impacting the care that physicians can provide,\u201d the lawmakers wrote. \u201cIf Congress pursues an appropriations bill that further restricts medical training, going against the evidence-based standard of care, we will see even fewer residents who are trained to handle the full range of reproductive health care.\u201d\n\nThe lawmakers continued, \u201cAs you move forward with negotiations on the final Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2024, we urge you to reject Section 541 of H.R. 5894 and any other similar restrictions on graduate medical education to ensure that our communities can train and retain the caliber of physicians that patients and their families deserve.\u201d\n\nThe full letter may be viewed here.\n\nEndorsing Organizations include Physicians for Reproductive Health, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Power to Decide, National Council of Jewish Women Inc., National Family Planning & Reproductive Health Association, National Partnership for Women and Families and The Century Foundation's Health Equity and Reform Team.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T01:14:16Z"], ["https://castor.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=404414", "U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor: Democrats Lead Passage of Bipartisan Defense Bill, Now On Its Way to President Biden\u2019s Desk", "2023-12-14", "2023", "2023-12", "Democrat", "House", "FL", "Kathy Castor", "C001066", "castor.house.gov", "castor", "https://castor.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor (FL-14) released the following statement upon passage of the bipartisan, bicameral FY2024 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) conference report.\n\n\u201cOur military service members and their families deserve our support and I am pleased that the FY2024 NDAA will provide a pay raise for our service members, strengthen America\u2019s national security and protect our strategic alliances.\n\n\u201cExtreme MAGA Republicans delayed adoption of the bill for months and used America\u2019s national security as leverage to try to force their radical agenda on America. In the end, more Democrats than Republicans voted to support our country and our military through the NDAA as Congress limped out of town with little to show for the year marked by turmoil among the GOP.\n\n\u201cI am proud to have championed important provisions in the defense bill that will directly support MacDill Air Force Base service members and their families, including a pay raise and improvements to on-base housing, health care and child care. As Co-Chair of the Special Forces Caucus, I strongly pressed for support for our Special Operations Forces global missions through combat development activities, cyberspace operations, and INDOPACOM MISO.\n\n\u201cWe owe it to our service members to continue working to lower the cost of living. That\u2019s why I fought to deliver on President Biden\u2019s request for a 5.2 percent pay raise for our troops, which will give service members and their families a needed boost as inflation slows. The NDAA will help more military families balance their budgets by expanding eligibility for the Basic Needs Allowance, which helps lower grocery and housing costs.\n\n\u201cImportantly, the NDAA will take significant steps in improving child care for military families, including by investing $301 million in military construction for new child development centers and $60 million in additional funds for planning and design to accelerate child development center replacements.\n\n\u201cU.S. service members and their families at MacDill and around the world deserve housing that is safe and clean and free of mold and shoddy construction. The NDAA includes significant investments to continue improving military housing and strengthens oversight of the conditions of housing units.\n\n\u201cAs overheating, rising sea levels and stronger storms impact operations at MacDill, the NDAA takes steps to tackle the effects of climate change and safeguard our national security and military readiness. This bipartisan bill not only rejects extreme Republican provisions that would have prevented action on climate resilience, but this year\u2019s NDAA will also promote energy efficiency and counter harmful impacts on the environment while protecting the health of our service members, including a record $650 million investment in energy resilience and energy conservation.\n\n\u201cWhile Republicans spent months fighting amongst themselves \u2013 fixating on attempts to restrict health care for women service members and limit the Department of Defense\u2019s ability to recruit and retain a diverse workforce \u2013 Democrats stood ready to work in a bipartisan way to better support our service members and their families while addressing pressing national security issues. Once again, Democrats proved we are committed to putting People Over Politics for the good of our country.\u201d\n\nSupporting Military Service Members and their Families:\n\n5.2% pay raise\n\nExpanded eligibility for the Basic Needs Allowance (BNA)\n\nIncreases investments in child development centers\n\nImproves Family and Medical Leave (FMLA) eligibility\n\nMilitary Housing:\n\nIncreases housing allowances\n\nEstablishes the Military Family Readiness Working Group for Military Housing\n\nImproves privatized military housing units\n\nIncreases oversight of military housing conditions\n\nHealth Care:\n\nIncreases access to mental and physical health care services\n\nReduces out-of-pocket costs and expands delivery of health care benefits\n\nVeterans:\n\nImproves the Transition Assistance Program (TAP) to help service members transition to civilian life through the Skillbridge and Troops to Teachers initiatives\n\nImproves the processing of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) disability claims\n\nIncreases the participation of Veteran-owned small businesses in federal contracts\n\nThe FY2024 NDAA Conference Report passed by a margin of 310-118 in the House, with 163 Democrats and 147 Republicans voting \u201cYea\u201d. The bill now heads to President Biden for signing.\n\nU.S. Rep. Castor is a member of the powerful U.S. House Energy & Commerce Committee and previously served on the U.S. House Armed Services Committee and as Chair of the former U.S. House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis. Her district includes MacDill Air Force Base and is home to U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) and U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), two of the Armed Forces\u2019 most important military commands. MacDill Air Force Base\u2019s 6th Air Refueling Wing is the centerpiece of the U.S. Air Force\u2019s Global Vigilance, Global Reach, Global Power mission with its essential functions of aerial refueling. The base\u2019s mission is vital to keeping America safe and ready for any contingencies we may face as a nation.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T01:14:16Z"], ["https://cherfilus-mccormick.house.gov/media/press-releases/reps-cherfilus-mccormick-kiggans-introduce-department-veterans-affairs", "Reps. Cherfilus-McCormick, Kiggans Introduce the Department of Veterans Affairs Therapeutic Medical Physicist Pay Cap Relief Act", "2023-12-14", "2023", "2023-12", "Democrat", "House", "FL", "Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick", "C001127", "cherfilus-mccormick.house.gov", "cherfilus-mccormick", "https://cherfilus-mccormick.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Today, Reps. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL) and Jen Kiggans (R-VA) introduced the Department of Veterans Affairs Therapeutic Medical Physicist Pay Cap Relief Act.\n\nTherapeutic medical physicists (TMPs) at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) work with radiation oncologists during radiation treatment planning and delivery. The Department of Veterans Affairs Therapeutic Medical Physicist Pay Cap Relief Act would eliminate the pay cap for TMPs, delivering higher quality care to veterans, improving TMP recruitment and retention, and lowering total costs for the VA.\n\nOver the past fifteen years, TMP salaries have increased nationwide as radiation therapy has become more sophisticated and more common. However, VA TMPs earn approximately $40,000 less than their private sector counterparts \u2015 forcing the VA to overspend on contracted TMP services, which could be done more reliably in-house and at a much lower cost.\n\n\u201cTherapeutic medical physicists play an instrumental role in supporting veterans receiving cancer care at VA facilities,\u201d said Congresswoman Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL). \u201cIf action is not taken to reverse the VA TMP workforce shortfall, veterans will not receive the world-class radiation therapy that they earned serving our country. Everyone stands to benefit from this bipartisan legislation \u2015 our veterans, health providers, and the VA.\u201d\n\n\"Our veterans deserve access to the best care possible when they visit VA medical centers,\" said Congresswoman Jen Kiggans (R-VA). \"Unfortunately, many of our veterans were exposed to harmful substances and toxins during their service and developed diseases and conditions that require radiation testing and treatment. By attracting qualified Therapeutic Medical Physicists to work in our veteran care networks, we can both ensure our former servicemembers are treated by the best and most qualified healthcare professionals while saving taxpayer dollars in the process. As a veteran and a geriatric nurse practitioner, I'm proud to join Congresswoman Cherfilus-McCormick on this bipartisan bill!\u201d\n\n\u201cThe American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) strongly endorses this legislation, which will help VA hospitals hire and retain therapeutic medical physicists. VA hospitals across the country have faced challenges in recruiting and retaining therapeutic medical physicists due to statutory limitations on how much they can pay. Therapeutic medical physicists are an integral part of a patient\u2019s cancer care team, ensuring the precision and safety of radiation therapy. If signed into law, this bill will ensure our veterans have access to the highest quality cancer care. We commend Representatives Cherfilus-McCormick and Kiggans for their leadership on this important issue,\u201d said Dr. Ehsan Samei, President of the American Association of Physicists in Medicine.\n\n\u201cThe American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) supports eliminating the pay cap for Department of Veterans Affairs Therapeutic Medical Physicists (TMPs). Radiation oncologists work closely with TMPs to ensure that complex cancer treatments using radiation are properly tailored for each patient. Our nation\u2019s Veterans deserve the safest, most effective cancer care possible, and high-quality TMP support is critical to achieving that goal. ASTRO believes that this legislation will allow the VA to compete for and retain these important members of the radiation oncology treatment team,\u201d said Jeff Michalski, MD, MBA, FASTRO, Chair, ASTRO Board of Directors.\n\nThe legislation is endorsed by the American Society for Radiation Oncology and the American Association of Physicists in Medicine.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T01:14:16Z"], ["https://cherfilus-mccormick.house.gov/media/press-releases/reps-cherfilus-mccormick-ruiz-sewell-introduce-rpm-cost-sharing-elimination", "Reps. Cherfilus-McCormick, Ruiz, Sewell Introduce RPM Cost Sharing Elimination Study Act of 2023", "2023-12-14", "2023", "2023-12", "Democrat", "House", "FL", "Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick", "C001127", "cherfilus-mccormick.house.gov", "cherfilus-mccormick", "https://cherfilus-mccormick.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Today, Reps. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL), Raul Ruiz (D-CA), and Terri Sewell (D-AL) introduced the RPM Cost Sharing Elimination Study Act of 2023.\n\nThe RPM Cost Sharing Elimination Study Act of 2023 would eliminate the 20% copay for remote patient monitoring (RPM) for two years under Traditional Medicare and study the effects of the elimination on patient outcomes in home health, as well as potential cost savings to Medicare. The RPM program, which provides reimbursement for using technology to monitor patients between visits, was introduced by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) in 2019.\n\nThe RPM program mandates the use of a biosensor, often in conjunction with a smartphone app, to monitor patients between appointments. It has been used to monitor and treat diabetes, heart failure, cardiac disorders, and high blood pressure.\n\n\u201cAs a former home care executive, I know how valuable remote monitoring can be in equalizing care and giving seniors the tools they need to manage their health from home,\u201d said Congresswoman Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL). \u201cMy colleagues and I hope to identify what steps are needed to improve remote monitoring services and ensure better health outcomes for Medicare enrollees.\u201d\n\n\u201cAs an emergency physician, my main priority has always been to protect and strengthen Medicare, especially for our seniors in rural and underserved communities where travel to medical facilities is a challenge,\u201d said Dr. Ruiz (D-CA). \u201cThis bill would improve remote patient monitoring and allow us to save more lives by catching emergencies early on.\u201d\n\n\u201cWith an increasing number of Americans relying on telehealth, we must ensure that these services are affordable and accessible to those who need them,\u201d said Congresswoman Sewell (D-AL). \u201cThis legislation would eliminate cost sharing for remote patient monitoring under the Medicare program, allowing older Americans, especially those in rural areas, the ability to utilize RPM services without the concern for costs.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC) applauds Representatives Cherfilus-McCormick, Ruiz, and Sewell for introducing the RPM Cost Sharing Elimination Study Act of 2023,\u201d said NAHC President William Dombi. \u201cRemote physiological monitoring (RPM) is an important innovation that can help optimize care in the home of all kinds while improving patient and family outcomes and satisfaction. Home health agencies have been using RPM for years to support their patients, despite not being reimbursed for it. Unfortunately, RPM is underutilized across the entire Medicare program, partly as a result of outdated payment policies governing its use. By temporarily removing the co-pay for Medicare RPM services, an option open to providers during the COVID PHE, this legislation will remove a key financial barrier to RPM\u2019s wider adoption. NAHC believes the broader implementation of RPM will enable more people to receive care where they want it \u2013 their own homes and communities. We look forward to working with these congressional champions on this and other efforts to bolster the care-in-the-home community.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe National Rural Health Association applauds Representatives Cherfilus-McCormick, Ruiz, and Sewell for introducing The RPM Cost Sharing Elimination Study Act. Rural Americans must choose between enduring long travel times or paying unnecessary fees for simple and routine monitoring of their health conditions,\u201d said Alan Morgan, CEO of the National Rural Health Association. \u201cThis legislation may serve as a substantial step toward improving rural health outcomes by encouraging wider use of Remote Patient Monitoring, which could eliminate travel times for rural patients and reduce the burden on healthcare providers.\u201d\n\nThe legislation is endorsed by the National Rural Health Association, the National Association for Home Care & Hospice, and the Partnership for Quality Home Healthcare.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T01:14:16Z"], ["https://frost.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-maxwell-frost-statement-national-defense-authorization-act-0", "Congressman Maxwell Frost Statement on National Defense Authorization Act", "2023-12-14", "2023", "2023-12", "Democrat", "House", "FL", "Maxwell Frost", "F000476", "frost.house.gov", "frost", "https://frost.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON D.C \u2014 Today, Congressman Maxwell Alejandro Frost (FL-10) released a statement following the House conference vote on H.R. 2670, the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) of 2024.\n\nIn a statement, Rep. Frost says:\n\n\u201cPassage of this NDAA once again signals the American people losing at the hands of the defense lobby.\n\n\u201cWhile Democrats held the line and fought hard to strip out harmful attacks on minority communities and people of color, key fiscal accountability measures have been purposefully left out, leaving taxpayers holding the bag.\n\n\u201cLet's be clear that adequate funding to ensure our national defense is entirely different from writing a blank check at the cost of Florida's taxpayers when, for the sixth year in a row, the Pentagon has failed their annual audit.\n\n\u201cIt is shameful that bipartisan amendments like mine \u2013 which would have helped usher true transparency and accountability as we fight to end wasteful spending of taxpayer dollars by defense contractors looking to line their own pockets at our expense \u2013 were rejected in this conference report.\n\n\u201cI am, however, encouraged to see that the final version of the NDAA is moving forward without Republican led attacks on abortion care and reproductive freedom, and without hateful attacks on our LGBTQ+ community which would have included provisions to ban gender-affirming care, drag shows, and books featuring trans representation.\n\n\u201cAnd I am encouraged to see bipartisan support for the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative to strengthen our ally\u2019s defense against Russian aggression.\n\n\u201cFor our military servicemembers and their families, I am also grateful to see a 5.2% pay raise go to our folks in uniform and to support the loved ones who make their service possible.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T01:14:16Z"], ["https://frankel.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=3656", "Rep. Frankel Votes to Condemn Antisemitism on College Campuses in Wake of Presidents\u2019 Testimonies", "2023-12-13", "2023", "2023-12", "Democrat", "House", "FL", "Lois Frankel", "F000462", "frankel.house.gov", "frankel", "https://frankel.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27", "scraper", "Washington, DC \u2013 Today, Representative Lois Frankel (FL-22), released the following statement after voting in favor of a resolution to condemn rising antisemitism on college campuses and the December 5th testimonies from university presidents who failed to clearly state that calls for the genocide of Jews constitute harassment and violate their institutions\u2019 codes of conduct.\n\n\u201cThe rapid rise of antisemitism on college campuses across the country is unacceptable\u2014students can\u2019t learn if they don\u2019t feel safe,\u201d said Rep. Frankel. \u201cThe work of fighting back against this hate requires a full throttle effort from every level of society.\u201d\n\nEarlier today, Rep. Frankel joined senior White House officials to discuss the implementation of the U.S. National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism, a first of its kind, whole-of-society approach to tackle this hate. The strategy contains 100 specific actions to be taken by two dozen agencies, including the Department of Education\u2019s Office of Civil Rights (OCR). In response to the scourge of antisemitism on college campuses, OCR will offer technical assistance to universities to better respond to antisemitic discrimination, and officials will conduct site visits to hear from students, faculty, and administrators.\n\nFor the full text of the resolution, click here. To watch the testimonies of the presidents from Harvard, MIT, and UPenn before the House Education and Workforce Committee in full, click here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T01:14:16Z"], ["https://frost.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-maxwell-frost-announces-500k-federal-grant-connect-tampa-orlando", "Congressman Maxwell Frost Announces $500K Federal Grant to Connect Tampa, Orlando, and Miami", "2023-12-13", "2023", "2023-12", "Democrat", "House", "FL", "Maxwell Frost", "F000476", "frost.house.gov", "frost", "https://frost.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "ORLANDO, FL \u2013 Today, U.S. Representative Maxwell Alejandro Frost (FL-10) announced a $500,000 grant to the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) to help support the proposed Miami-Orlando-Tampa Sunshine Corridor, which would connect critical parts of South and Central Florida.\n\nThe proposed Sunshine Corridor would include tracks for Brightline and SunRail along I-4 to connect Orlando International Airport to the I-Drive area, with Brightline expanding west with a station in Tampa. This funding would allow FDOT to develop a scope, schedule, and cost estimate for preparing, completing, or documenting its service development plan.\n\n\u201cThe I-4 corridor is one of Florida's most congested roadways, and federal funding to help expand rail service to this area would be a game-changer for our residents and visitors who want to enjoy all that Central and South Florida have to offer,\u201d said Rep. Maxwell Frost. \u201cAlleviating daily traffic, connecting our coasts to Central Florida, and investing in the future of transportation for our state is a win-win for Florida. This investment is the catalyst for future investments to make this corridor a reality and change the landscape of our car-centric region.\u201d\n\nThe funding comes to Florida as part of the Federal Railroad Administration\u2019s Corridor ID program to drive future passenger rail expansion.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T01:14:16Z"], ["https://frost.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-maxwell-frost-statement-hres-927", "Congressman Maxwell Frost Statement on H.Res. 927", "2023-12-13", "2023", "2023-12", "Democrat", "House", "FL", "Maxwell Frost", "F000476", "frost.house.gov", "frost", "https://frost.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, DC \u2014 Today, Congressman Maxwell Alejandro Frost (FL-10) released a statement on H.Res. 927.\n\nIn a statement, Rep. Frost says:\n\n\u201cI continue to condemn any and all acts of hate and antisemitism on college campuses and in communities across our country and our world. Anti-semitic rhetoric and attacks are rising on college campuses, creating a hostile and unsafe environment for Jewish students. Each and every institution must be dedicated to ensuring the safety and protection of their Jewish students, period. Death threats against members of our Jewish community, and calls for the genocide of Jewish people are abhorrent, and I forcefully denounce them.\n\n\u201cI am also disappointed by the way the three college presidents cited in this resolution handled the important hearing held by the Education Committee on antisemitism in college campuses.\n\n\u201cBut let\u2019s be clear, as much as I wish this were not the case, this resolution does nothing to make our Jewish students safer on college campuses.\n\n\u201cWeek after week, I have called for our Republican-led Congress to do more than pass toothless resolutions that point fingers and do nothing to address the rising problem of antisemitism head on. Week after week, I have called for serious bipartisan legislation that will produce real results, instead of non-binding resolutions that only offer politically motivated messaging.\n\n\u201cI voted against this resolution because we cannot allow House Republicans to weaponize the power of this institution to continue to bully and destroy places of higher learning under false claims of fighting antisemitism.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T01:14:16Z"], ["https://castor.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=404412", "U.S. Rep. Castor Statement on House Passage of Bipartisan Health Bills to Lower Costs and Provide Transparency", "2023-12-12", "2023", "2023-12", "Democrat", "House", "FL", "Kathy Castor", "C001066", "castor.house.gov", "castor", "https://castor.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor (FL-14) applauded House passage of bipartisan legislation to lower health care costs, improve transparency and expand access to care.\n\n\u201cAmerican families deserve better information on the actual cost of health services and prescription drugs so they can make informed decisions and keep more money in their wallets,\u201d said Castor. \u201cHigh costs often cause our neighbors to delay or forgo medical care, and nearly all of us have experienced the great uncertainty of waiting for a medical bill to see what we actually owe. Our bipartisan package out of my Energy & Commerce Committee requires hospitals to make public and display all standard charges for services and requires insurers to make public their negotiated in-network and out-of-network provider rates while improving the quality of care for all our neighbors.\u201d\n\nIn addition to greater transparency for the hospital services, the Lower Costs, More Transparency Act requires greater price transparency from pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) so that employers and health plans can negotiate lower prices for employees. The bill also ensures that our Community Health Centers, National Health Service Corps, and Teaching Health Centers that serve families across the Tampa Bay area can continue their important missions to provide high quality, affordable health care. Local providers like Tampa Family Health Centers and Evara Health can use these resources to help address doctor shortages and deliver care to ensure no one falls through the cracks.\n\nAs our nation continues to battle the opioid epidemic, it is imperative that Congress continues to tackle the ongoing opioid overdose crisis. Nearly 110,000 people died in the U.S. from drug overdoses in 2022, with almost 1 in 6 Americans aged 12 and older reporting having a substance use disorder. The Support for Patients and Communities Reauthorization Act will reauthorize key parts of a landmark 2018 law, continuing existing initiatives (many of which expired in September) and creating new policies to help combat the opioid epidemic. This includes public health initiatives focused on prevention, treatment, and recovery for patients with substance use disorder and the expansion of Medicaid coverage for our neighbors battling with substance use disorder and other mental health conditions", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T01:14:16Z"], ["https://castor.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=404413", "U.S. Rep. Castor Statement President Zelenskyy Visit", "2023-12-12", "2023", "2023-12", "Democrat", "House", "FL", "Kathy Castor", "C001066", "castor.house.gov", "castor", "https://castor.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor (FL-14) released the following statement on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy\u2019s meeting with Congressional leaders on Capitol Hill:\n\n\u201cVladimir Putin\u2019s barbaric war in Ukraine has had profound implications for peace and stability across the globe and here at home.\n\n\u201cCritical support from the United States for our Ukrainian allies is pivotal in enabling Ukraine to resist external threats, safeguard its people and defend the principles that underpin democracies around the world.\n\n\u201cAbandoning our allies at this pivotal moment is a win for ruthless dictators and a significant loss for our national security. Republicans are emboldening Xi Jinping of China as well. I urge my Republican colleagues to support freedom-loving people across the globe and unite with Democrats and President Biden in supporting America\u2019s national security, democracy and freedom for all people.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T01:14:16Z"], ["https://castor.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=404411", "U.S. Rep. Castor Statement After Attending COP28", "2023-12-11", "2023", "2023-12", "Democrat", "House", "FL", "Kathy Castor", "C001066", "castor.house.gov", "castor", "https://castor.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Rep. Kathy Castor (FL-14), former Chair of the Select Committee on the Climate Crisis, released the following statement as the 28th Conference of the Parties (COP28) to the United Nations (UN) Climate Change Conference in Dubai, UAE comes to a close:\n\n\u201cIt is crucial that the world move quickly to cleaner, cheaper energy to reduce pollution and help people avoid the worst impacts of the climate crisis. As I return from the COP28 climate conference, I am buoyed by pledges to triple renewable energy, double energy efficiency and boost the ability of communities to deal with extreme heat and weather events. I witnessed America\u2019s leadership in action as Biden Administration representatives rallied countries across the globe to go farther and faster on clean energy. Personally, I conveyed a sense of urgency to act following the hottest summer on record in Florida and as neighbors grapple with the escalating costs of air conditioning and property insurance.\n\n\u201cOur bipartisan House of Representatives delegation met with representatives of other countries and participated in public forums to share our views and collaborate. The trip provided an opportunity to demonstrate to our allies and adversaries that the U.S. is committed to President Biden\u2019s target of slashing climate pollution by 50-52 percent by 2030. This goal aligns with serious risks in the recently released Fifth National Climate Assessment, which states that \u2018the effects of human-caused climate change are already far-reaching and worsening across every region of the United States.\u2019\n\n\u201cIt was clear at COP28 that the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) \u2014 America\u2019s historic climate and clean energy law \u2014 has bolstered U.S. climate leadership on the global stage and is now raising the ambition of other nations. Since it was signed by the President in August 2022, the IRA has spurred a wave of new clean energy and manufacturing projects and jobs around the country. In Florida alone, the historic climate law is projected to create more than 85,000 high-quality, good-paying jobs by the end of the decade. Representatives from Australia, Germany and other nations relayed their efforts to pursue similar policies aimed at driving clean energy innovation and economy-wide sustainability.\n\n\u201cWhile I left feeling hopeful, I also saw fossil fuel lobbyists and OPEC nations flex their muscles to slow progress. We cannot allow oil and gas corporations to divert the world from a safer and healthier future. Leaders across government, the private sector, and the activist community \u2014 especially young people \u2014 are energized and doing amazing work to help us secure a livable planet. The work is far from over, especially in Congress. I look forward to advancing policies that expand lower-cost clean energy, cut pollution, protect our communities and improve our health.\u201d\n\nWatch Castor's remarks ahead of COP28 here.\n\nWatch Castor\u2019s remarks at the Atlantic Council\u2019s Event on \u201cRewarding Environmental Performance in Trade\u201d at COP28 here.\n\nPhotos from COP28 can be viewed here.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T01:14:16Z"], ["https://wilson.house.gov/media/press-releases/wilson-warren-pressley-schumer-sanders-urge-dept-of-education-to-use-full-authority-expand-student-debt-cancellation-by-strengthening-proposed-rules-for-relief", "Wilson, Warren, Pressley, Schumer, Sanders Urge Dept. of Education to Use Full Authority, Expand Student Debt Cancellation by Strengthening Proposed Rules for Relief", "2023-12-11", "2023", "2023-12", "Democrat", "House", "FL", "Frederica S. Wilson", "W000808", "wilson.house.gov", "wilson", "https://wilson.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C. \u2014 Today, Congresswoman Frederica S. Wilson (D-FL), U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Alex Padilla (D-CA), and Representatives Ayanna Pressley (D-MA.), Ilhan Omar (D-MN.) sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona, urging him to leverage his existing and full authority under the Higher Education Act to provide expanded student debt relief to working and middle-class borrowers.\n\nThe letter comes in response to an initial draft of the proposed rule \u2013 and ahead of the final session of the negotiated rulemaking (\"neg-reg\") process \u2013 that would limit student debt relief to four specific subsets of borrowers: (1) borrowers with outstanding federal student loan balances that exceed their original principal balance (2) borrowers who have paid their loans for over 20 or 25 years; (3) borrowers who are eligible for forgiveness but have not enrolled; and (4) borrowers who took on loans to attend unaccredited or predatory programs.\n\nFollowing the Supreme Court's June 2023 ruling that struck down President Biden's initial student debt relief plan, President Biden swiftly implemented two measures to expedite debt relief for a wide range of borrowers while simultaneously supporting them during the repayment process. The first was the Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) Plan, an income-driven repayment (IDR) plan that prevents balances from growing because of unpaid interest and lowers borrower monthly payments. The second was the initiation of a negotiated rulemaking procedure to establish an alternative debt forgiveness pathway for a number of working and middle-class borrowers, leveraging the authority granted under the Higher Education Act.\n\n\"This rulemaking process presents a significant opportunity to address pervasive problems within the student loan system by fortifying the authority to waive debt in order to ensure that postsecondary education becomes accessible to all students,\" wrote the lawmakers. \"We urge you to leverage this authority to its fullest extent, maximizing relief for the greatest number of borrowers facing financial hardship.\"\n\nThe Department of Education (the Department or ED) is currently in the midst of three sessions of this student debt neg-reg process. In advance of the second session, the Department issued an initial draft of the rule that would make four subsets of borrowers eligible for student debt relief: (1) borrowers with outstanding federal student loan balances that exceed their original principal balance due to interest; (2) borrowers with loans that have been in repayment for 25 years or more; (3) borrowers who are eligible for forgiveness under an enumerated repayment plan or loan program but have not enrolled; and (4) certain borrowers who took on loans to attend programs that provide insufficient financial value (including career-training programs with unreasonably high debt or low earnings for graduates, and programs at institutions with high loan default rates).\n\n\"While we commend the Biden Administration for taking key steps forward to fix the broken student loan system through the regulatory process, we believe that the regulatory text could be improved to better take advantage of the Department's full authority under the HEA to protect vulnerable borrowers. As we lend our support to your diligent efforts to provide debt relief through regulatory procedures, we urge you to consider several recommendations to strengthen the Department's debt relief rule,\" continued the lawmakers.\n\nThe lawmakers proposed the following actions to strengthen the proposed student debt relief rule and provide more relief to vulnerable borrowers:\n\nEliminate all debt that exceeds the original principal balance of the loan. Under the current rule, the \"Secretary may waive all or a portion of the amount by which a borrower's total outstanding balance exceeds the original principal balance of the loan.\" The proposed rule should eliminate all debt that exceeds the initial principal due to runaway interest.\n\nProvide full cancellation, not just a waiver of excess interest, for borrowers who have repaid enough to cover their original principal. The current draft rule does not extend relief to borrowers who have diligently repaid enough to cover their original principal. The Department should provide full cancellation, not just a waiver of excess interest, for borrowers who have repaid enough to cover their original principal.\n\nEliminate the sudden cliff that would give full relief to borrowers whose loans first entered repayment at least 25 years ago and no relief to similarly situated borrowers. As written, the proposed rule would only extend relief to borrowers who entered repayment 25 years ago or more by July 1, 2025, would qualify for relief. However, a borrower who hits the 25-year mark on July 2, 2025 would be ineligible for relief. ED should remove the cutoff date for relief for borrowers who have been in repayment for decades, and instead permit borrowers to become eligible for this relief on a rolling basis.\n\nExtend relief to additional categories of borrowers with financial hardship and create a catch-all category for unforeseen forms of hardship. In addition to the categories of hardship listed in ED's issue paper, ED should consider other income-based indicators of financial hardship, such as receipt of Earned Income Tax Credits, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or Supplemental Security Income \u2014 as well as other non-income-based indicators such as incarceration status or eviction history. The rule should also include a catch-all provision to capture other forms of hardship in the interest of justice and historically restrictive criteria for relief eligibility.\n\nExtend relief to borrowers who have been victims of student loan servicer misconduct or error. The Department should extend relief to borrowers who have been victims of student loan servicer misconduct or error, but the current draft text does not include protections for borrowers who have faced predatory loan servicer practices, such as forbearance steering, overcharging, or failing to enroll borrowers in IDR plans for which they were eligible, upon their request.\n\nEliminate the need for borrowers to submit burdensome applications by basing eligibility for relief on information that ED already has or that it can acquire from other agencies. The rule should extend relief to borrowers automatically, without requiring them to submit applications. ED can largely base relief on information already in its possession through payment history databases, Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) applications, and on information from other federal agencies.\n\n\"We are encouraged by the Department's critical efforts to provide student debt relief through negotiated rulemaking. However, we believe more must be done to improve the draft regulatory text to meet President Biden's objective of 'provide student debt relief to as many borrowers as possible as quickly as possible.' The Biden Administration should take every opportunity to use the authority Congress has already given it to deliver on the promises made to student loan borrowers,\" concluded the lawmakers.\n\nCongresswoman Wilson has led the push for student debt relief in the House of Representatives:\n\nIn March 2023, Ranking Members Wilson and Scott reintroduced the LOAN Act which would provide urgent relief for Americans holding student loans.\n\nSince the start of the Biden administration, she has chaired multiple committee hearings on federal student aid policies and student debt relief.\n\nCongresswoman Wilson has raised the issue of student loan debt with the administration and signed numerous letters calling on the President to cancel student debt.\n\nIn April 2022, Congresswoman Wilson introduced the Student Loan Borrower Relief Act, which seeks to cap interest rates, stop unfair lending practices, expand public service loan forgiveness programs, and protect disabled borrowers.\n\nIn previous years, she introduced the Student Loan Borrowers' Bill of Rights Act a bill that helps to extend more protections for borrowers and fight back against predatory lending practices.\n\nIn 2014, Congresswoman Wilson and Congressman Mark Pocan (WI-02) co-introduced the Relief for Underwater Student Borrowers Act.\n\nIn addition to these efforts, Congresswoman Wilson introduced the Student Loan Borrowers' Bill of Rights.\n\nShe has also coauthored the Student Loan Fairness Act and co-sponsored the Student Loan Relief Act.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T01:14:16Z"], ["https://castor.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=404400", "Castor, Trahan Lead House Members Demanding Answers on Meta Profiting from Sexualized Content", "2023-12-08", "2023", "2023-12", "Democrat", "House", "FL", "Kathy Castor", "C001066", "castor.house.gov", "castor", "https://castor.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, DC \u2013 Today, Reps. Kathy Castor (FL-14) and Lori Trahan (MA-03), members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee\u2019s Innovation, Data, and Commerce Subcommittee, led a request to Meta demanding answers on investigative reports showing the company profiting from Instagram serving sexual and exploitative content to users with interests in content featuring children, including risqu\u00e9 photos and videos.\n\n\u201cWe are deeply concerned by reports indicating that Meta and Instagram steer users toward sexualized videos through associations with children and that the platform runs ads alongside such content without advertisers\u2019 knowledge and in violation of their policies,\u201d the lawmakers wrote. \u201cThis is highly disturbing and suggests that Meta\u2019s algorithms serve the prurient interests of pedophiles, and that Meta is aware of the practice and chooses to maximize their profits while turning a blind eye to the harm caused by sexualizing children.\u201d\n\nA recent investigation found that Instagram\u2019s Reels feature will show videos promoting adult sexual content and subsequently branded advertisements to adult users that follow youth gymnasts, cheerleaders and influencers. The investigation follows a Wall Street Journal report from June that found Meta algorithms help form large communities of users with interests in pedophilic content, which the company struggles to remove from its services.\n\n\u201cMeta\u2019s inefficiency and selectivity in responding to these concerns has again been demonstrated by the Journal, which found that Meta\u2019s content moderation contractors are not being adequately trained, that enforcement actions against objectionable groups and accounts are often not effective, and that Meta\u2019s own decisions about taking down groups and accounts related to child sexual abuse are \u201croutinely inexplicable,\u201d the lawmakers continued.\n\nTrahan and Castor have consistently pushed for stronger protections for users, particularly children and younger users, on social media platforms. In 2021, they spearheaded the congressional effort to stop Meta\u2019s plans to create an Instagram for Kids and pressed Facebook on research suggesting the company was targeting advertisements to teens based on young users\u2019 browsing history and preferences. In 2022, the lawmakers demanded answers from Meta on reports that the company\u2019s algorithm was pushing eating disorder content to children and teens. The lawmakers have also introduced multiple bills to update the Children\u2019s Online Privacy Protection Act and implement comprehensive transparency requirements from social media companies.\n\nThe letter sent today was signed by Representatives Debbie Dingell (MI-06), Lisa Blunt Rochester (DE-AL), Adam B. Schiff (CA-30), Sean Casten (IL-06), Jake Auchincloss (MA-04), Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), and Pramila Jayapal (WA-07). The lawmakers requested answers from Meta to the following by December 22nd:\n\n1. What safety assessments were performed on the Reels feature of Instagram before it was released?\n\na. Did any of those assessments focus on risks related to CSAM, sexualized content, child safety or brand safety?\n\nb. Were any of those assessments performed by independent third parties?\n\nc. What recommendations were made to increase the safety of the Reels feature, and were those recommendations adopted or accepted by Meta\u2019s leadership? If not, for what reason were those recommendations not accepted?\n\n2. Of the actions detailed in the recent blog post entitled \u201cOur Work to Fight Online Predators,\u201d10:\n\na. Which of them were explored or proposed before the introduction of Reels or before the recent press stories highlighting Instagram\u2019s child safety failures?\n\nb. Why was Reels launched without these child safety measures in place?\n\n3. By Meta\u2019s own estimates in the post, the new enforcement measures have resulted in over 4 million more reels actioned per month, and 16,000 additional groups and 250,000 additional devices actioned against since the summer. In addition, Meta claims that 500,000 additional accounts were disabled in August 2023 for violating child sexual exploitation policies.\n\na. How long were the newly disabled accounts, groups, and devices operating on Instagram until the enforcement actions were taken?\n\nb. By Meta\u2019s own estimates, how many reels should or would have been taken down under the new automated enforcement policies since the introduction of the Reels feature?\n\n4. In the blog post, Meta mentioned that it \u201cfixed technical issues, including an issue that unexpectedly closed user reports.\u201d The Journal\u2019s reporting also mentioned that the issue prevented \u201ca substantial portion of user reports from being processed.\u201d\n\na. How long was the bug in place?\n\nb. When did Meta first detect this bug? How long did Meta take to fix the issue after it was detected?\n\nc. How many reports were closed by this bug? What percentage of total reports were closed by the bug?\n\nd. How many of them related to adult content or child sexual abuse?\n\ne. Has Meta reopened those users' reports, and resumed acting on them?\n\n5. Why do Instagram\u2019s algorithms promote sexualized content to accounts that have not demonstrated an interest in such content, as the Journal\u2019s reporting showed?\n\na. What topics do Instagram\u2019s algorithms associate with sexualized content?\n\nb. Do Instagram\u2019s algorithms associate content related to children with sexualized content or promote sexualized content alongside content related to children, and if so, why did Meta not prevent that from happening?\n\nc. Has Meta considered any technical measures to address the promotion of sexualized content on Instagram, and, if so, which of those measures have been adopted?\n\n6. Does Meta enforce its policy banning adult content in ads on Instagram?\n\na. If so, how many ads on Instagram were rejected or not shown by Meta because of adult content?\n\nb. How many ads were reported on Instagram because they contained adult content?\n\n7. Does Meta respect the restrictions advertisers impose on the placement of their advertising?\n\na. Does Meta track violations of such restrictions?\n\nb. How many times was an ad shown next to, preceding, or following, adult content on Instagram in violation of the advertiser\u2019s restriction?\n\nc. What transparency do advertisers on Meta have regarding the content that their ads are shown alongside? Do advertisers have access to a random sample of content that their ads were used to monetize?", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T01:14:16Z"], ["https://cherfilus-mccormick.house.gov/media/press-releases/reps-cherfilus-mccormick-wasserman-schultz-lead-call-desantis-end-florida-book", "Reps. Cherfilus-McCormick, Wasserman Schultz Lead Call for DeSantis to End Florida Book Bans", "2023-12-07", "2023", "2023-12", "Democrat", "House", "FL", "Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick", "C001127", "cherfilus-mccormick.house.gov", "cherfilus-mccormick", "https://cherfilus-mccormick.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, DC \u2013 Today, U.S. Reps. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (FL-20) and Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-25) led fellow Florida Democrats in calling on Florida Governor Ron DeSantis to end his administration\u2019s campaign of censorship in Florida\u2019s schools, citing evidence that book bans negatively impact LGBTQI+ and Black students. Additionally, this letter requests that Governor DeSantis substantively engage with educators, librarians, and parents to protect students\u2019 rights to an inclusive, and comprehensive education.\n\nThe lead authors were joined by a majority of the Florida Democratic Delegation, including Reps. Kathy Castor (FL-14), Lois Frankel (FL-22), Maxwell Frost (FL-10), and Darren Soto (FL-09). This letter has been endorsed by the Human Rights Campaign, PEN America, the National Center for Transgender Equality, the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network (GLSEN), the Interfaith Alliance, and the American Civil Liberties Union.\n\nAccording to PENAmerica, Florida became the national leader in banned books in the 2022-2023 school year, with a 40% increase in banned or challenged titles compared to the 2021-2022 school year. This concerning statistic is accompanied by the fact that many of these stories feature LGBTQ+ or Black characters. Unfortunately, this censorship represents a direct attack on these communities that ultimately impacts the well-being of Florida\u2019s underrepresented students.\n\n\u201cThe dangerous practice of banning books and silencing educators is not new and has always been used by those who want to roll back progress, sow fear and division, hide important truths, and foment moral panic. And banning books because they contain LGBTQ+ content or censoring educators and students in the classroom is a shameful attempt to silence LGBTQ+ stories and further isolate LGBTQ+ kids. There is no freedom in banned books, and all students \u2012 no matter their background, sexual orientation, or gender identity \u2012 deserve the freedom to feel safe and welcomed in schools and libraries,\u201d said David Stacy, Human Rights Campaign Vice President for Government Affairs.\n\n\u201cChildren deserve to see themselves in books, and to have access to a diversity of views and expressions. By making knowledge and ideas available via a wide range of books, school libraries serve the educational process. PEN America applauds Congresswoman Cherfilus-McCormick and Wasserman Schultz\u2019s leadership in standing up for the freedom to read in Florida,\" said Katie Blankenship, Director of PEN America Florida.\n\n\"The increasing prevalence of book bans, and the commensurate surge in legislative attempts to limit the teaching of race, gender, American history, and LGBTQI+ identities, is eroding the fundamental freedom for students to read, learn, and think critically,\u201d said Rodrigo Heng-Lehtinen, Executive Director of the National Center for Transgender Equality. \u201cThese bans are often implemented without considering the harm they will cause to students, families, and educators. Such actions will only further alienate transgender youth from their peers and send the harmful message that transgender students and students of color don\u2019t exist and don\u2019t belong. In sending this message, we\u2019re continuing to damage the mental health of an already vulnerable group such as transgender youth, who are more likely to experience suicidality, especially because of legislative attacks such as these. Everyone should have the freedom to see their identities and experiences reflected in the stories they read and in the lessons they\u2019re taught in schools, including transgender children. Sweeping censorship will only continue to foster misunderstanding about transgender people among the public. By removing LGBTQI+ content from school curriculum and banning books containing LGBTQI+ identities & experiences, we are depriving future generations of a robust education informed by diverse perspectives and experiences.\"\n\n\u201cAccording to GLSEN\u2019s National School Climate Survey, 82% of LGBTQ+ youth reported feeling unsafe in school, and book bans are only causing more harm,\u201d said Melanie Willingham-Jaggers, Executive Director of GLSEN. \u201cInclusive school curriculum \u2013 including access to books about LGBTQ+ people \u2013 can act as a window for young people into the diverse world around them, as well as a mirror to reflect their own experiences and identities. As adults, it is our job to model the future for the next generation, and our youth deserve to grow up in a society that celebrates \u2013 not limits \u2013 diversity.\u201d\n\n\u201cBook bans are being used by religious extremists in Florida to erase those who look, believe, or love differently than they do,\u201d said Rev. Dr. Sharon Harris-Ewing, steering committee member of the Interfaith Alliance of Southwest Florida. \u201cSchools and libraries are supposed to be spaces where young people are introduced to democratic ideals and the diverse points of view that shape our country. Censoring the stories of people from minority faiths, races, ethnicities, sexual orientations, and gender identities is antithetical to fulfilling America\u2019s promise of religious freedom and civil rights for all. It is time to end this campaign of fear that violates our First Amendment freedoms and weaponizes faith to erase history and diverse viewpoints.\u201d\n\n\u201cGov. DeSantis has unleashed an army of book banners who claim they are protecting freedom and the rights of parents. The reality is that they bully school and library boards to deny the rights of parents who want an honest education for their children, free of ideologically inspired censorship,\u201d said Howard Simon, Interim Director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T01:14:16Z"], ["https://wassermanschultz.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=3119", "Wasserman Schultz, Cherfilus-McCormick Lead Call for DeSantis to End Florida Book Bans", "2023-12-07", "2023", "2023-12", "Democrat", "House", "FL", "Debbie Wasserman Schultz", "W000797", "wassermanschultz.house.gov", "wassermanschultz", "https://wassermanschultz.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx", "scraper", "Washington, DC \u2013 Today, U.S. Reps. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-25) and Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (FL-20) led fellow Florida Democrats in calling on Florida Governor Ron DeSantis to end his administration\u2019s campaign of censorship in Florida\u2019s schools, citing evidence that book bans negatively impact LGBTQI+ and Black students. Additionally, this letter requests that Governor DeSantis substantively engage with educators, librarians, and parents to protect students\u2019 rights to an inclusive, and comprehensive education.\n\nAccording to PENAmerica, Florida became the national leader in banned books in the 2022-2023 school year, with a 40% increase in banned or challenged titles compared to the 2021-2022 school year. This concerning statistic is accompanied by the fact that many of these stories feature LGBTQ+ or Black characters. Unfortunately, this censorship represents a direct attack on these communities that ultimately impacts the wellbeing of Florida\u2019s underrepresented students.\n\n\u201cThe dangerous practice of banning books and silencing educators is not new and has always been used by those who want to roll back progress, sow fear and division, hide important truths, and foment moral panic. And banning books because they contain LGBTQ+ content or censoring educators and students in the classroom is a shameful attempt to silence LGBTQ+ stories and further isolate LGBTQ+ kids. There is no freedom in banned books, and all students -- no matter their background, sexual orientation, or gender identity -- deserve the freedom to feel safe and welcomed in schools and libraries,\u201d said David Stacy, Human Rights Campaign Vice President for Government Affairs.\n\nThe lead authors were joined by a majority of the Florida Democratic Delegation, including Reps. Kathy Castor (FL-14), Lois Frankel (FL-22), Maxwell Frost (FL-10), and Darren Soto (FL-09).\n\nThis letter has been endorsed by the Human Rights Campaign, PEN America, the National Center for Transgender Equality, the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network (GLSEN), the Interfaith Alliance, and the American Civil Liberties Union.\n\n\u201cChildren deserve to see themselves in books, and to have access to a diversity of views and expressions. By making knowledge and ideas available via a wide range of books, school libraries serve the educational process. PEN America applauds Congresswoman Wasserman Schultz and Cherfilus-McCormick\u2019s leadership in standing up for the freedom to read in Florida,\" said Katie Blankenship, Director of PEN America Florida.\n\n\"The increasing prevalence of book bans, and thecommensurate surge in legislative attempts to limit the teaching of race, gender, American history, and LGBTQI+ identities, is eroding the fundamental freedom for students to read, learn, and think critically,\u201d said Rodrigo Heng-Lehtinen, Executive Director of the National Center for Transgender Equality. \u201cThese bans are often implemented without considering the harm they will cause to students, families, and educators. Such actions will only further alienate transgender youth from their peers and send the harmful message that transgender students and students of color don\u2019t exist and don\u2019t belong. In sending this message,we\u2019re continuing to damage the mental health of an already vulnerable group such as transgender youth, who are more likely to experience suicidality, especiallybecause of legislative attacks such as these. Everyone should have the freedom to see their identities and experiences reflected in the stories they read and in the lessons they\u2019re taught in schools, including transgender children. Sweeping censorship will only continue to foster misunderstanding about transgender people among the public. By removing LGBTQI+ content from school curriculum and banning books containing LGBTQI+ identities & experiences, we are depriving future generations of a robust education informed by diverse perspectives and experiences.\"\n\n\u201cAccording to GLSEN\u2019s National School Climate Survey, 82% of LGBTQ+ youth reported feeling unsafe in school, and book bans are only causing more harm,\u201d said Melanie Willingham-Jaggers, Executive Director of GLSEN. \u201cInclusive school curriculum \u2013 including access to books about LGBTQ+ people \u2013 can act as a window for young people into the diverse world around them, as well as a mirror to reflect their own experiences and identities. As adults, it is our job to model the future for the next generation, and our youth deserve to grow up in a society that celebrates \u2013 not limits \u2013 diversity.\u201d\n\n\u201cBook bans are being used by religious extremists in Florida to erase those who look, believe, or love differently than they do,\u201d said Rev. Dr. Sharon Harris-Ewing, steering committee member of the Interfaith Alliance of Southwest Florida. \u201cSchools and libraries are supposed to be spaces where young people are introduced to democratic ideals and the diverse points of view that shape our country. Censoring the stories of people from minority faiths, races, ethnicities, sexual orientations, and gender identities is antithetical to fulfilling America\u2019s promise of religious freedom and civil rights for all. It is time to end this campaign of fear that violates our First Amendment freedoms and weaponizes faith to erase history and diverse viewpoints.\u201d\n\n\u201cGov. DeSantis has unleashed an army of book banners who claim they are protecting freedom and the rights of parents. The reality is that they bully school and library boards to deny the rights of parents who want an honest education for their children, free of ideologically inspired censorship,\u201d said Howard Simon, Interim Director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida.\n\nThe full text of the letter can be found below.\n\nDear Governor DeSantis:\n\nWe write to share our grave concern regarding the sharp uptick of banned and challenged books across the state of Florida, and the alarming hostility of your administration toward schools, libraries and the professionals who operate them for our constituents. These combined actions, if left unchecked, will foment a noxious climate of repression and marginalization that degrades learning, understanding and undermines all Floridians\u2019 basic freedoms.\n\nThe American Library Association recently reported that 2,571 unique titles were banned or challenged last year in the United States, marking a 40 percent increase from 2021.[1] Even more worrisome is the targeted attack on stories written by and about people of color and LGBTQI+ individuals, with 30 percent of book bans last school year featuring stories about race and 26 percent of stories featuring LGBTQI+ themes.[2] As a result of your signing House Bills 1467 and 1069 into law, Florida is now the national leader in banned books.[3] Given that reality, and combined with your administration\u2019s recent decision to cut ties with the American Library Association[4], we strongly urge you to end this campaign of censorship in schools and substantively engage with educators, librarians, and parents to protect our students\u2019 rights to an inclusive, comprehensive education.\n\nThe censorship of books not only poses a threat to our children\u2019s well-rounded quality education, but it also infringes on their First Amendment rights. In Board of Education v. Pico, a case in which New York school board members attempted to strip books such as Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut Jr. from the Island Trees Union Free School District, the Supreme Court reaffirmed that \u201cFirst Amendment rights, applied in the light of the special characteristics of the school environment, are available to\u2026 students.\u201d[5] The Court also opined that the First Amendment may \u201cimpose\u2026 limitations upon a local school board\u2019s exercise of its discretion to remove books from high school and junior high school libraries,\u201d[6] and suggested that books may not be removed from school libraries simply because a school board disagrees with its content. Despite these considerations, you have signed legislation and enabled local efforts to censor an unprecedented number of books, leaving schools with fewer resources that are less reflective of our communities.\n\nAs you are likely aware, the banning of books that feature LGBTQI+ characters, themes, and stories deprives students of essential learning opportunities, denies them access to diverse perspectives, and fosters a culture of discrimination and exclusion. Indeed, legislative attacks against this community have proven to be devastating to the educational success and mental health of our LGBTQI+ youth. As part of their 2023 survey, The Trevor Project reported that nearly two in three LGBTQI+ young people said that hearing about potential laws banning discussions of LGBTQI+ individuals at school made their mental health \u201ca lot worse.\u201d[7] In the 2021 GLSEN National School Climate Survey, nearly 70 percent of LGBTQI+ youth felt unsafe in their school environment, with almost one in three LGBTQI+ students missing at least one day of school in the past month because they felt unsafe or uncomfortable.[8] Just last year, The Trevor Project also found that 45 percent of LGBTQI+ youth in Florida seriously considered suicide in 2022, with 16 percent of individuals actually attempting to take their life.[9] Instead of addressing these concerns, your administration has continued to demonize the LGBTQ+ community by falsely equating stories that uplift LGBTQI+ youth with child predation.\n\nSimilarly harmful impacts can be expected with the erasure of stories that discuss and tackle racism or explore the experiences of various communities of color or under-represented voices. For instance, the alarming dearth of Black voices and images in children\u2019s literature has long been a publishing and academic blemish,[10] and your actions will only compound the educational adversity that these students of color already confront.\n\nIt is our firm belief that the banning of books because they contain LGBTQI+ content, or involve issues of race or ethnicity, is an explicit attempt to silence the stories of communities that already face an onslaught of legislative attacks, especially in Florida. As Governor, it is your responsibility to ensure Florida\u2019s classrooms remain bastions of growth and inclusivity, rather than sanctuaries of division and hatred. Ultimately, it is crucial that you and your administration acknowledge the value of diverse stories in helping forge students who are welcoming and accepting of individuals regardless of their race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, or other characteristics.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T01:14:16Z"], ["https://castor.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=404399", "Reps. Castor, DelBene Introduce Bill to Boost Domestic Manufacturers, Tackle Climate Change", "2023-12-06", "2023", "2023-12", "Democrat", "House", "FL", "Kathy Castor", "C001066", "castor.house.gov", "castor", "https://castor.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, DC \u2013 Representatives Kathy Castor (FL-14), Suzan DelBene (WA-01), Don Beyer (VA-08), and Ami Bera (CA-06), and Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (RI), Brian Schatz (HI) and Martin Heinrich (NM) introduced legislation to make American companies more competitive in the global marketplace and address major sources of planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions by creating a carbon border adjustment.\n\nAmerican manufacturers are less carbon-intensive than most foreign competitors. The U.S. economy is almost 50 percent less carbon-intensive than the global average. The Chinese economy is over three times as carbon-intensive as the U.S., and India is nearly four times as carbon-intensive.\n\nThe Clean Competition Act would impose a carbon border adjustment on energy-intensive imports while incentivizing decarbonization of domestic manufacturing. Starting in 2025, the adjustment would apply to energy-intensive industries, including fossil fuels, refined petroleum products, petrochemicals, fertilizer, hydrogen, adipic acid, cement, iron and steel, aluminum, glass, pulp and paper, and ethanol. In 2027, it would be expanded to include imported finished goods that meet certain weight or value thresholds, such as cars.\n\nThe fee would be based on the weight of a particular good, beginning at $55 per ton, and increasing over time. 75 percent of revenues raised would fund grants to help domestic industries invest in the new technologies necessary to reduce their carbon footprints. The remaining 25 percent would be used by the State Department to help developing countries decarbonize.\n\n\u201cAs we work to reduce climate pollution and boost American jobs, we need a renewed focus on leveling the playing field for American goods and products that compete against products from countries that pollute and use unfair advantages. The Clean Competition Act is an important complement to the new wave of American manufacturing jobs boosted by the historic Inflation Reduction Act. American industries are leveraging a wide range of technologies to drive down industrial air pollution and achieve greater sustainability,\u201d said Castor. \u201cOur Clean Competition Act will help reward these innovations, strengthen America\u2019s industrial base, and protect us from unfair competition in the global marketplace while ensuring that China and other nations are doing their part to reduce pollution and environmental impacts.\u201d\n\n\u201cFor too long, American industries producing goods in a less carbon-intensive way have been undercut by foreign competitors with dirtier production processes. Washington saw this firsthand with the closure of the Intalco aluminum smelter due to Chinese overproduction, which resulted in the loss of over 700 good-paying union jobs. To address the climate crisis while defending American industries, the Clean Competition Act would level the playing field by imposing a fee on imports from high-carbon producers,\u201d said DelBene. \u201cA carbon fee would incentivize industries from around the world to prioritize decarbonization and create a level playing field for American workers in these sectors.\u201d\n\n\u201cAmerican manufacturers doing the right thing on climate are often at a disadvantage compared to high-polluting foreign competitors,\u201d said Whitehouse. \u201cOur Clean Competition Act would give domestic companies a step up in the global marketplace while lowering carbon emissions at home and abroad, and ultimately steering the planet toward climate safety. There is bipartisan momentum for a carbon border adjustment in the Senate \u2013 this a solution endorsed by industry and experts across the political spectrum.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe Clean Competition Act is a smart use of trade policy that would advance both our climate and economic agenda by incentivizing domestic energy-intensive industries to become more efficient and pushing for manufacturers overseas to do the same,\u201d said Beyer. \u201cI greatly appreciate the work of Rep. DelBene and Sen. Whitehouse on this important bill and look forward to advancing it through the legislative process.\u201d\n\n\u201cAmerican manufacturers often find themselves at a disadvantage when it comes to prioritizing environmentally responsible practices in comparison to competitors in other countries with less environmentally friendly approaches,\u201d said Bera. \u201cThe Clean Competition Act will help level the playing field for American companies with our trading partners while addressing the urgent threat of climate change. By introducing a carbon border adjustment that targets imports from the world\u2019s dirtiest polluters, we are incentivizing the transition of heavy industry towards the adoption of cleaner and more energy efficient practices and helping re-invest in American clean manufacturing here at home.\u201d\n\n\u201cManufacturing accounts for nearly one-quarter of U.S. climate pollution and is a rapidly growing sector globally. Reducing climate pollution is vital for a stable climate and healthy, thriving communities. The Clean Competition Act can create a race to the top among global competitors as part of a larger effort to move toward a low-carbon economy, while opening a dialogue about additional efforts needed to address local pollution impacts on frontline communities,\u201d said Elizabeth Gore, Senior Vice President for Political Affairs, Environmental Defense Fund.\n\nThe full text of the legislation can be found here.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T01:14:16Z"], ["https://cherfilus-mccormick.house.gov/media/press-releases/reps-cherfilus-mccormick-castro-torres-goldman-lead-introduction-americas", "Reps. Cherfilus-McCormick, Castro, Torres, Goldman Lead Introduction of Americas Regional Monitoring of Arms Sales (ARMAS) Act to Curb U.S. Firearms Trafficking to Latin America and Caribbean", "2023-12-06", "2023", "2023-12", "Democrat", "House", "FL", "Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick", "C001127", "cherfilus-mccormick.house.gov", "cherfilus-mccormick", "https://cherfilus-mccormick.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, DC \u2013 Today, Congresswoman Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (FL-20), Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20), ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere, Congresswoman Norma Torres (CA-35), and Congressman Dan Goldman (NY-10) led more than a dozen of their colleagues to introduce the Americas Regional Monitoring of Arms Sales (ARMAS) Act, legislation that would mobilize resources across the federal government to disrupt firearms trafficking from the United States to Latin America and the Caribbean and implement stronger transparency, accountability, and oversight for U.S. arms exports.\n\n\u201cWeapons trafficking by way of the United States is a major contributor to Haiti\u2019s growing gang crisis and the current instability that plagues the country,\u201d said Congresswoman Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, Co-Chair of the Haiti Caucus. \u201cThe implementation of stronger transparency, accountability, and oversight mechanisms for U.S. arms exports would address this regional issue and stop guns from getting into the hands of dangerous criminals.\u201d\n\n\u201cNearly four years ago, the Trump administration worked with the National Rifle Association to loosen gun export regulations and unleash a flood of American-made guns on the Western Hemisphere. As we work with our allies and partners to address shared regional challenges, including forced migration and drug trafficking, Congress needs to address the role of U.S. gun exports in driving violence and instability abroad. The ARMAS Act will reestablish strong oversight of American gun exports, bring federal agencies together to disrupt arms trafficking, and build safer communities for families in the United States and in the Western Hemisphere,\u201d said Ranking Member Joaquin Castro.\n\n\u201cThe American people deserve transparency when it comes to American-made guns being sent abroad. There must be greater Congressional oversight over dangerous firearms exports. I have long pushed for policies to address firearms trafficking and its deadly and often destabilizing impacts on regions like the Northern Triangle. The ARMAS Act \u2013 which includes my legislation to crack down on deadly firearms exports \u2013 provides much-needed transparency and accountability mechanisms. This legislation will disrupt firearms trafficking across the Western Hemisphere and bolster both America's national security and the security of our neighbors.\u201d said Congresswoman Norma Torres.\n\n\"Transnational criminal organizations, especially drug cartels, rely on American-made guns to control their human trafficking and drug smuggling operations by force,\" said Congressman Dan Goldman. \"We must take every avenue possible to ensure that American weapons do not get into the hands of the cartels, who use them to threaten the safety and prosperity of the entire Western Hemisphere. It's incumbent upon American leadership and a strong federal response to keep weapons of war out of the hands of the cartels. The ARMAS Act is a key component of that much-needed response.\"\n\nIn 2020, the Trump administration transferred authority over small arms exports from the State Department to the Commerce Department, weakening export oversight in a move lauded by the National Rifle Association as allowing gun manufacturers to \u201crun more competitively among the global markets.\u201d The transfer has led to skyrocketing arms sales, with a 30 percent annual increase in U.S. arms exports globally and an 82 percent increase in U.S. handgun exports to Latin America and the Caribbean. Across the Western Hemisphere, public reporting has shown that firearms from the United States contribute substantially to political suppression, gang violence, and human rights violations. According to data from the Government Accountability Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, U.S.-sourced firearms accounted for 75 percent of firearms recovered from the Dominican Republic and 70 percent from Mexico. Most recently, U.S. guns were connected to the murder and kidnapping of four American citizens in the border town of Matamoros, Mexico.\n\nThe ARMAS Act will address these challenges by:\n\nTransferring small arms authority from the Commerce Department and back to the State Department to ensure greater accountability and transparency.\n\nRequiring the development of a comprehensive interagency strategy and program, led by the State Department, to disrupt arms trafficking and diversion of exported firearms and create a certification requirement for arm sales end-users.\n\nProviding for congressional notification, review, and oversight of certain small arms exports regulated by the State Department.\n\nRequiring the submission of an annual report by the State Department and relevant agencies that will allow Congress to understand the challenges and successes of current efforts to address illegal arms trafficking and inform future strategies.\n\nProhibiting the Commerce Department from promoting small arm sales globally throughout the transfer of authority period.\n\n\u201cGuns from the U.S. are being used by violent groups in Latin America and the Caribbean to commit atrocities and destabilize the region. The ARMAS Act would increase accountability and transparency in arms exports. It includes several crucial provisions that gun violence advocates and survivors have identified as key to being crucial to reducing the illegal flow of US guns to other countries. I commend Rep. Castro\u2019s leadership on this issue. If passed, the ARMAS Act would undoubtedly save lives.\u201d said Nick Wilson, senior director for Gun Violence Prevention at the Center for American Progress.\n\n\u201cA gun purchased in the United States is as likely to be used to murder someone in Mexico and other nations of Latin America as in the United States itself. The ARMAS Act will finally move the federal government to concretely address the overwhelming impacts of the U.S. gun market south of the border,\" said John Lindsay-Poland, who coordinates Stop US Arms to Mexico, a project of Global Exchange.\n\n\u201cMarch For Our Lives is pleased to support the ARMAS Act, and we\u2019re encouraged by this effort to put safety and human life over gun manufacturers profits,\u201d said Elena Perez, Senior Policy Associate of March For Our Lives. \u201cNearly three-quarters of weapons recovered from Mexico and the Dominican Republic originated from the United States and it\u2019s time we take accountability for our actions and demand higher standards from the gun industry. The trafficking of firearms from the United States is a pervasive problem, and one that demands our attention. We have a responsibility to save lives, not only within our borders but also by addressing how American gun culture and the American gun industry\u2019s loose business practices bleed across our borders. It's time to hold the gun lobby accountable and tighten our laws.\u201d\n\nThe ARMAS Act is co-sponsored by Reps. Ra\u00fal M. Grijalva (AZ-07), Nydia Vel\u00e1zquez (NY-07), James P. McGovern (MA-02), Gerry Connolly (VA-11), Debbie Wasserman-Schultz (FL-25), Dina Titus (NV-01), Juan Vargas (CA-52), Adriano Espaillat (NY-13), Jes\u00fas G. \u201cChuy\u201d Garcia (IL-04), Ilhan Omar (MN-05), Sara Jacobs (CA-51), Sydney Kamlager-Dove (CA-37), and Seth Magaziner (RI-02), and endorsed by the Center for American Progress, Newtown Action Alliance, March for Our Lives, Stop U.S. Arms to Mexico (a project of Global Exchange), Center for Civilians in Conflict (CIVIC), and Global Action on Gun Violence.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T01:14:16Z"], ["https://cherfilus-mccormick.house.gov/media/press-releases/congresswoman-cherfilus-mccormick-applauds-us-house-passage-home-act", "Congresswoman Cherfilus-McCormick Applauds U.S. House Passage of the HOME Act", "2023-12-05", "2023", "2023-12", "Democrat", "House", "FL", "Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick", "C001127", "cherfilus-mccormick.house.gov", "cherfilus-mccormick", "https://cherfilus-mccormick.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, DC \u2013Today, Congresswoman Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL) applauded the U.S. House of Representatives\u2019 passage of the HOME Act, which includes her bill, the Healthy Foundations for Homeless Veterans Act.\n\nThe Healthy Foundations for Homeless Veterans Act, introduced by Congresswoman Cherfilus-McCormick in January 2023, would support veterans experiencing homelessness by providing the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) permanent flexibility to provide housing, transportation, and communication devices to those in need. These flexibilities \u2014 which allowed VA to permanently house over 40,000 veterans \u2014 ended due to the expiration of the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency.\n\n\u201cToday\u2019s passage puts us one step closer to ensuring that the phrase 'homeless veteran' is one of the past. My bipartisan legislation will get veterans off the street and help put a roof over their heads,\u201d said Congresswoman Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL). \u201cWe cannot leave these brave men and women behind on the very soil they volunteered to protect and defend. I urge my colleagues in the Senate to pass this bill and get it to President Biden as soon as possible. Veterans experiencing homelessness cannot wait any longer.\u201d\n\n\u201cI am proud to be an original cosponsor of Congresswoman Cherfilus-McCormick's Healthy Foundations for Homeless Veterans Act and am very glad to see it pass the House with strong bipartisan support,\u201d said Committee on Veterans\u2019 Affairs Ranking Member Mark Takano. \u201cVA recently announced that it housed over 40,000 veterans experiencing homelessness in 2022, surpassing its goal of housing 38,000 veterans. That tremendous accomplishment can be directly attributed to the authorities Congress put in place during the pandemic. Re-instituting these efforts will continue the work to transition veterans out of homelessness successfully with access to basic resources like food, clothing, and transportation.\u201d\n\nThe Healthy Foundations for Homeless Veterans Act has been endorsed by the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans (NCHV), the National Alliance to End Homelessness (NAEH), the Jewish War Veterans of the United States of America (JWV), and Minority Veterans of America (MVA).", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T01:14:16Z"], ["https://frost.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-maxwell-frost-statement-hres-894", "Congressman Maxwell Frost Statement on H.Res. 894", "2023-12-05", "2023", "2023-12", "Democrat", "House", "FL", "Maxwell Frost", "F000476", "frost.house.gov", "frost", "https://frost.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, DC \u2014 Today, Congressman Maxwell Alejandro Frost (FL-10) released a statement after House passage of H.Res. 894, a Republican-led resolution condemning and denouncing the drastic rise in antisemitism in the United States and around the world, that falsely equated anti-Zionism with antisemitism.\n\nIn a statement, Rep. Frost says:\n\n\u201cI have and always will continue to strongly condemn antisemitism in all shapes and forms in Florida, across our nation, and across the world, which is why I voted \u201cyes\u201d to support our Jewish brothers, sisters, and siblings who are fearfully watching antisemitism rise in our country.\n\n\u201cBut I disagree with the statement in this resolution that \u201canti-Zionism is antisemitism\u201d and I do not believe that being critical of Israel\u2019s actions is inherently anti-semitic. The intent of moving this resolution forward by the Republican majority was to undermine Democrats, not support the Jewish community, by including an unnecessary and divisive line equating anti-Zionism to antisemitism.\n\n\u201cWhile I voted yes in order to send a clear message to my community that I stand against antisemitism, the intent of the author of the resolution was to attack and silence any criticism of the Israeli government under the guise of condemning antisemitism while taking advantage of the pain and suffering of the Jewish community.\n\n\u201cVoicing criticisms of Zionism, and critiquing the actions of the Israeli government is not inherently antisemitic. By including this unnecessary line in the resolution, the Republican majority is using the pain and suffering of the ongoing war to score points. It's a despicable tactic that only endangers Jewish communities across the country, takes advantage of Palestinian suffering, and only seeks to divide us at a time where we need to be united to achieve peace and end hate.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T01:14:16Z"], ["https://frost.house.gov/media/press-releases/florida-leads-nation-book-bans-congressman-maxwell-frost-introduces-bill-fight", "As Florida Leads Nation in Book Bans, Congressman Maxwell Frost Introduces Bill to Fight Bans and Support Educators", "2023-12-05", "2023", "2023-12", "Democrat", "House", "FL", "Maxwell Frost", "F000476", "frost.house.gov", "frost", "https://frost.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Watch the Press Conference Here\n\nWASHINGTON, DC \u2014 Today, Congressman Maxwell Alejandro Frost (FL-10), joined by Congresswoman Frederica Wilson (FL-24) and Congressman Jamie Raskin (MD-08), introduced the Fight Book Bans Act, legislation aimed at taking a stand against censorship by giving school districts the funding they need to oppose challenges to educational and library materials that has kept over 3,000 books off school bookshelves in the last year.\n\nFrost, who stood alongside Members of Congress from Texas who are fighting off similar attacks on education, as well as leaders from PEN America, the Interfaith Alliance, and Color of Change, underscored that intimidating state laws have forced school districts across the nation to pull thousands of important books from classrooms and libraries, whether districts want to or not, and without regard for the wishes of most parents and students.\n\nThe Fight Book Bans Act, which already has the support of 50 members of Congress, would enable the Department of Education to provide grants to school districts to cover expenses they might have incurred while they are fighting off a bad book ban, including the cost of retaining legal representation, the cost of traveling to hearings on the bans, and the logistics for those hearings, as well as the cost of obtaining expert research and advice while trying to fight off a book ban. The legislation would address the problem facing thousands of school districts that cannot fight book bans because the costs incurred are beyond their budgets. The Department of Ed would be able to provide up to $100,000 for a school district with the total appropriations capped at $15 million over five years.\n\n\u201cBook bans in Florida and in states across the nation are a direct attack on our freedoms and liberties everywhere. As my home state shamefully leads the country in book bans, we cannot let this censorship and dismantling of our education system go unchecked,\u201d said Congressman Maxwell Frost. \u201cWhat we are seeing in Florida and states like Texas, Utah, and Missouri are loud and clear attempts by far-right conservative leaders to silence and erase our Black, brown, Hispanic, and LGBTQ+ communities. The Fight Book Bans Act takes a stand against censorship to firmly stand on the side of history, education, our students, teachers, and schools who don\u2019t deserve to suffer the consequences of radical politics in the classroom. This is about protecting our libraries and protecting truth and history.\u201d\n\n\u201cAmerica is in the middle of an escalating book ban crisis that requires our full attention and a strong response,\u201d said Congressman Jamie Raskin. \u201cSinister campaigns to remove books from our schools and libraries are a hallmark of authoritarian and fascist regimes. Many books are being targeted for censorship these days simply because they address the historical realities of racism and white supremacy or address LGBTQ+ issues. I\u2019m proud to join Rep. Frost to introduce this critical legislation, which will provide much-needed resources to the freedom-loving teachers, school librarians and school administrators working to keep books on our shelves.\u201d\n\n\u201cBook bans stain the integrity of our educational institutions, contradicting the very principles of freedom our nation upholds. In Florida alone, over 1,000 books have been banned, disproportionately targeting works by Black or LGBTQI+ authors. As a former teacher and principal, I can only imagine the struggle current school teachers and librarians must be facing when trying to educate our children in light of attempts by our state to shove right-wing propaganda down our children\u2019s throats,\u201d said Congresswoman Frederica Wilson. \u201cIf true freedom is to prevail in Florida and beyond, we must eradicate the censorship imposed by book bans. That\u2019s why I\u2019m proud to join Congressman Maxwell Frost to fight back against authoritarian tactics to ban books by empowering our schools to challenge autocratic book bans. This fight transcends politics; it\u2019s about the future of our nation and whether we stand with censorship or champion freedom. I for one, will always champion freedom.\u201d\n\n\u201cBanning books in schools is not only unpopular; it\u2019s expensive. As school districts around the country divert resources to address widespread efforts to curtail students\u2019 freedom to read, it is once again students who ultimately suffer the most. PEN America thanks Congressman Frost, Congressman Raskin, and Congresswoman Wilson for their leadership in introducing the Fight Book Bans Act, which will help school districts as they work to get school library books back on the shelves,\u201d said Laura Schroeder, Congressional Affairs Lead at PEN America.\n\n\u201cBanning books in public schools is a dangerous infringement on students\u2019 First Amendment right to access information,\u201d said Jenna Leventoff, Senior Policy Counsel, American Civil Liberties Union. \u201cRobust and diverse school libraries are critical to ensuring that all students, regardless of their family\u2019s income, education, race, or geographic location, have free and open access to the vast world of information each book contains. We thank Rep. Frost for working to ensure that schools have the resources they need to fight censorship and preserve the freedom to read.\u201d\n\n\u201cAccess to diverse books and critical ideas are vital to the nation\u2019s history as a multicultural democracy,\u201d said Marc H. Morial, President and CEO of the National Urban League. \u201cThe Fight Book Bans Act would help school districts fight back against book ban attempts and defend diversity in literature for students. We thank Congressman Frost for his leadership on this issue.\u201d\n\n\u201cChristian nationalists have launched a coordinated campaign to censor our classrooms, demonize teachers, and erase diverse perspectives \u2013 all in the name of their extreme religious views,\u201d said Rev. Paul Brandeis Raushenbush, president and CEO of Interfaith Alliance. \u201cPeople of faith across the country hold the freedoms of religion and expression to be sacred and will not tolerate the abuse of faith to justify discrimination and censorship. With the Fight Book Bans Act, Representatives Frost, Raskin, and Wilson are taking a strong stand to protect American schools from censorship and create healthy learning environments for our teachers and children. We are grateful for their leadership.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe Fight Book Bans Act is a step towards protecting our nation\u2019s history. Our elected officials owe the children of their state the best education possible. A great education is an inclusive, truthful and well-rounded one that does not exclude Black, hispanic, religious or LGTBQ+ books and courses due to bigotry. LGBTQ communities and young students benefit greatly from the freedom to explore their identities and others through literature,\u201d says Brandon Tucker, Senior Policy Director of Federal Policy, Color Of Change. \u201cBy supporting the Fight Book Bans Act, we can ensure that everyone has the opportunity to access materials that promote acceptance, understanding, and personal growth.\u201d\n\n\u201cBook bans are an affront to students\u2019 rights. We deserve to make decisions regarding our education, not politicians who seek to undermine our liberty to learn,\u201d said Cameron Samuels, Executive Director of Students Engaged in Advancing Texas (SEAT). \u201cCensorship dictates our understanding of history and what is acceptable, reinforcing an unjust status quo and impacting our futures. Our nation's youngest generation must maintain the freedom to explore our curiosities, follow our passions, and discover ourselves through the lens of literature. Book bans won\u2019t help students succeed, but empowering students and facilitating constructive collaboration between families and educators will cultivate the future our youth deserve.\u201d\n\nThe Fight Books Bans Act has been endorsed by PEN America, ACLU National, American Library Association, Interfaith Alliance, The Trevor Project, Catholics for Choice, Color of Change, National Urban League, UnidosUS, Equality Florida, Florida Freedom to Read Project, Students Engaged in Advancing Texas (SEAT), and NAACP DC.\n\nThe legislation has been cosponsored by Reps. Adams (NC-12), Aguilar (CA-33), Bera (CA-06), Blumenauer (OR-03), Bowman (NY-16), Brown (OH-11), Carson (IN-07), Casar (TX-35), Casten (IL-06), Castor (FL-14), Castro (TX-20), Cherfilus-McCormick (FL-20), Clarke (NY-09), Crockett (TX-30), Frankel (FL-22), Garcia (CA-42), Goldman (NY-10), Horsford (NV-04), Ivey (MD-04), Jackson Lee (TX-18), Jacobs (CA-51), Johnson (GA-04), Khanna (CA-17), Lee (CA-12), Lee (PA-12), Moskowitz (FL-23), Norton (DC), Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), Payne, Jr. (NJ-10), Peters (CA-50), Pettersen (CO-7), Pocan (WI-02), Porter (CA-47), Pressley (MA-07), Ramirez (IL-03), Schakowsky (IL-9), Sewell (AL-07), Soto (FL-9), Stansbury (NM-01), Takano (CA-39), Thanedar (MI-13), Titus (NV-01), Tlaib (MI-12), Tokuda (HI-02), Vel\u00e1zquez (NY-07), Wasserman Schultz (FL-25), Watson Coleman (NJ-12), Williams (GA-05).", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T01:14:16Z"], ["https://wassermanschultz.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=3117", "Wasserman Schultz, Carter, Schrier, Miller-Meeks Introduce Social Media Child Safety Bill", "2023-12-05", "2023", "2023-12", "Democrat", "House", "FL", "Debbie Wasserman Schultz", "W000797", "wassermanschultz.house.gov", "wassermanschultz", "https://wassermanschultz.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx", "scraper", "Washington, DC \u2013 Today, U.S. Representatives Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-25), Earl \u201cBuddy\u201d Carter (GA-01),Kim Schrier (WA-08), andMariannette Miller-Meeks(IA-01) announced the introduction of Sammy\u2019s Law, critical child safety legislation which would help parents be better informed about a child\u2019s dangerous interactions on social media, and fills in critical access and awareness gaps when children face problems on popular platforms. Watch the entire press conference here.\n\nThe bill is named afterSammy Chapman, who family and friends described as a sweet, funny, curious A-Student. His parents worked hard to keep him away from danger but had no idea drug dealers stalked children via social media. On February 7, 2021, a seller reached out to Sammy on social media and delivered drugs to him at home, which tragically, were poisoned with a lethal dose of the opioid fentanyl. Sammy, aged 16, lost his life that day.\n\n\u201cAll parents worry about what their child is seeing or receiving on social media. As the mother of three children who grew up with the world at their fingertips, I constantly worried about what my children were exposed to online, on social media, and through apps that profit from sharing messages which are intentionally designed to disappear without a trace,\u201d said CongresswomanWasserman Schultz. \u201cI am proud to introduce bipartisan legislation to give parents a more balanced level of access to supervise and manage their kid's social media and online presence during the most vulnerable stages of a child\u2019s life.\u201d\n\n\u201cParents have the right to know when their child is engaging in dangerous online activity,\u201d said CongressmanCarter. \u201cThere are sick, evil people who will prey on our youth to make a quick buck by selling illicit, sometimes fentanyl-laced, drugs. Sammy\u2019s life was worth living and this bill will help parents get the information they need to keep their children safe.\u201d\n\n\u201cParents should have every tool at their disposal to keep their children safe. With children spending more and more time online, it's become imperative for parents to know if and when their kids are exposed to dangerous activity online,\" said CongresswomanSchrier. \"Social media platforms are filled with harmful content for children, and this bill directly addresses this issue by empowering families. As a mother and a pediatrician, the health and well-being of our children is always top of mind, which is why I'm incredibly proud to support this legislation.\u201d\n\nMillions of children and teenagers are susceptible to the adverse effects of social media every day,\u201d said CongresswomanMiller-Meeks, M.D. \u201cI am proud to join my colleagues on Sammy\u2019s Law, a commonsense solution that would give parents the freedom to safeguard their children\u2019s online presence, especially in this ever-changing social media landscape. This legislation gives parents options for third-party safety apps that can alert them when dangerous content is shared with their children and provide mental health resources for children if needed.\u201d\n\nSammy was one of the millions of young victims of social media-related dangers this past year. According to numerous studies, about 46 percent of students experienceCyberbullying, with victims 2.6 times more likely to attemptsuicide. In addition to suicide,self-harm increases the more time that children spend on social media. It also leads to an increase inpsychological distress and suicidal ideation in depressed adolescents. About 43% of young adults recently reported seeing self-harm content on Instagram, and about 32 indicated they performed the same or similar behavior as a consequence. On top of these dangers,traffickingoccurs on platforms, as many child sex crimes now originate on social media sites where predator learn about victims\u2019 likes and habits.\n\nThis legislation would create a parental right to know about dangerous or concerning interactions children under the age of 17 may have online. Social media companies would be required to provide access to data pertaining to a parent\u2019s child through registered third-party safety apps. These apps can provide alerts to parents when dangerous content is shared through children\u2019s social media accounts, enabling life-saving interventions at critical moments. For example, if a child is expressing thoughts of suicide via social media, then a parent, who has received an alert through a third-party safety app, can immediately provide mental health support. We know from the data that these alerts have already protected millions of children.\n\n\u201cWe extend our deepest gratitude for the bold, bipartisan leadership shown today by Reps. Wasserman Schultz, Carter, Schrier, and Miller-Meeks in introducing Sammy's Law.\u201d saidMarc Berkman, CEO of the Organization for Social Media Safety. \u201cIt is unconscionable that some social media platforms block third-party safety software, a proven effective intervention, while so many children continue to be severely harmed, even killed, yearly in using those social media platforms. We call on Congress to expeditiously pass Sammy's Law, bipartisan common-sense legislation that will finally give parents the choice to use third-party safety software to protect their children.\u201d\n\n\u201cIf social media platforms gave our family the choice to use third-party safety software, Sammy might still be alive.\u201d said Dr.Lauran Berman andSam Chapman, parents of Sammy Chapman. \u201cWe urge Congress to pass this vital legislation without delay to protect the millions of children at risk on social media every day.\n\nThe original bill text can be foundhere and the one-pager here.\n\n####", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T01:14:16Z"], ["https://cherfilus-mccormick.house.gov/media/press-releases/reps-cherfilus-mccormick-kim-respond-un-women-finally-condemning-hamas-october", "Reps. Cherfilus-McCormick, Kim Respond to UN Women Finally Condemning Hamas\u2019 October 7 Attacks and Sexual Violence", "2023-12-02", "2023", "2023-12", "Democrat", "House", "FL", "Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick", "C001127", "cherfilus-mccormick.house.gov", "cherfilus-mccormick", "https://cherfilus-mccormick.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, DC \u2013 Today, U.S. Representatives Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL-20) and Young Kim (R-CA-40) released a joint statement after United Nations (UN) Women finally publicly condemned Hamas\u2019 attacks on October 7.\n\nUN Women\u2019s response comes after Reps. Cherfilus-McCormick and Kim led 87 bipartisan colleagues in urging them to publicly condemn Hamas\u2019 barbaric attacks, including sexual violence against women.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T01:14:16Z"], ["https://castor.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=404397", "Castor, Soto, Frankel, Frost, Gonz\u00e1lez Col\u00f3n Introduce Bipartisan REBATE Act", "2023-12-01", "2023", "2023-12", "Democrat", "House", "FL", "Kathy Castor", "C001066", "castor.house.gov", "castor", "https://castor.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2014 Today, Reps. Kathy Castor (D-FL-14), Darren Soto (D-FL-09), Lois Frankel (D-FL-22), Maxwell Alejandro Frost (D-FL-10), and Jenniffer Gonz\u00e1lez Col\u00f3n (R-PR-At Large) introduced H.R.6536, the Reforming Energy-Efficient Buildings and Appliances Tax Exemptions (REBATE) Act to amend the Inflation Reduction Act and allow local governments to receive federal grants to carry out high-efficiency electric home rebate programs.\n\n\u201cFloridians are being gouged by electric utilities in Florida, and Governor DeSantis\u2019s veto of energy rebates has made it even more expensive for Florida families. Floridians could enjoy lower energy bills if we can unlock the resources to weatherize homes and purchase energy-efficient appliances as the residents of other states are enjoying right now,\u201d said Rep. Castor. \u201cTo put money back into the pockets of our neighbors, the REBATE Act enables local governments to receive and implement energy rebates and discounts in their communities. Democrats in Congress passed the Inflation Reduction Act to provide energy cost savings to our neighbors. The REBATE Act would deliver those savings and avoid the higher costs imposed by Gov. DeSantis. Lower electric bills, new energy-efficient appliances and less pollution in the Sunshine State \u2013 a win, win, win.\u201d\n\n\u201cI\u2019m proud to introduce the bipartisan REBATE Act to allow Florida families access to programs that provide tax incentives if they transition to clean energy,\u201d said Rep. Soto. \u201cWe passed the Inflation Reduction Act and Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act \u2014 both bipartisan measures \u2013 to benefit working families and improve our nation for future generations. In Florida, we refuse to let politically-motivated vetoes get in the way of access to these programs.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe Inflation Reduction Act has provided millions of Americans with the opportunity to save money on energy-efficient appliances and home upgrades,\" said Rep. Frankel. \"This bill would allow Florida communities to access the nearly $346 million in savings available to our state, helping families lower their energy costs and their carbon footprints.\"\n\nEarlier this year, due to a budget veto by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, Florida\u2019s Office of Energy was forced to withdraw their application for these rebate programs and leave $346 million in eligible federal funds made available through the Inflation Reduction Act and Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act on the table. With the REBATE Act, families in the state will have the opportunity to receive tax incentives if they upgrade their homes with energy-efficient appliances and transition to clean energy.\n\nFor the full text of the bill, please click .", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T01:14:16Z"], ["https://castor.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=404398", "Castor Leads No Hidden FEES Act to Improve Hotel Cost Transparency", "2023-12-01", "2023", "2023-12", "Democrat", "House", "FL", "Kathy Castor", "C001066", "castor.house.gov", "castor", "https://castor.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Today, U.S. Representatives Kathy Castor (FL-14) and Young Kim (CA-40) introduced the No Hidden Fees on Extra Expenses for Stays (No Hidden FEES) Act of 2023 (H.R 6543) to improve cost transparency for stays in short-term lodging, such as hotels, motels, and inns.\n\nThis bill prohibits unfair or misleading price advertising for places of short-term lodging and requires accurate price listings that include all mandatory and resort fees.\n\n\u201cHidden \u2018junk fees\u2019 added to hotel room bookings often confuse or deceive consumers and take a bite out of the family vacation budget. As a top vacation destination, Florida families and visitors need relief from these hidden junk fees,\u201d said Rep. Castor. \u201cExcessive junk fees have driven up costs and left millions of Americans on the hook for tens of billions of dollars each year while stifling competition, hurting consumers, workers, small businesses and entrepreneurs. Our No Hidden FEES Act will improve transparency to ensure travelers can make fully informed decisions without being deceived by hidden junk fees.\u201d\n\n\u201cAs Americans pay more for everything due to persistent high inflation, the last thing families need after budgeting for trips is to be hit with costly last-minute fees,\u201d said Rep. Kim. \u201cThe No Hidden FEES Act would right this wrong and help provide cost transparency for consumers, so they know how much they are paying for lodging upfront. I will keep fighting to make life more affordable for families in Southern California and throughout our nation.\u201d\n\n\u201cFrom holiday travel to visiting family and friends, Americans are often shocked by the true price of lodging. Deceptive advertising hides fees from travelers, often resulting in them paying much more than they initially expected. I applaud Rep. Young Kim\u2019s work to deliver price transparency and honesty to this industry so people can save money and make informed decisions that best suit them and their families,\u201d said Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA-05).\n\n\u201cThe No Hidden FEES Act creates a single standard for mandatory fee display across the lodging industry \u2013 from short-term rental platforms to online travel agencies, search engines, metasearch sites, and hotels. This legislation would ensure that wherever consumers shop for lodging, mandatory fees are included in the price they see. AHLA is grateful for the leadership of Reps. Kim and Castor in fighting to level the playing field for all types of lodging providers and distributors. We look forward to helping get this important legislation to the president\u2019s desk,\u201d said Chip Rogers, President and CEO, American Hotel Lodging Association (AHLA).\n\nThe bill is also supported by Consumer Reports and the National Consumers League.\n\nRead the full bill text .", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T01:14:16Z"], ["https://cherfilus-mccormick.house.gov/media/press-releases/congresswoman-cherfilus-mccormick-senator-blumenthal-urge-department-veterans", "Congresswoman Cherfilus-McCormick, Senator Blumenthal Urge the Department of Veterans Affairs to Issue ACA Antidiscrimination Rules for VA Health Programs and Activities", "2023-11-30", "2023", "2023-11", "Democrat", "House", "FL", "Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick", "C001127", "cherfilus-mccormick.house.gov", "cherfilus-mccormick", "https://cherfilus-mccormick.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, DC \u2013 Today, Congresswoman Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL) led a letter with Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) to U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough that urges the creation of antidiscrimination rules for VA health programs and activities under Section 1557 of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA).\n\n\u201cIt is unconscionable that any American who answered the call to service would face discriminatory hurdles to quality and comprehensive care. They deserve nothing but the best service possible,\u201d said Congresswoman Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL). \u201cAlongside Senator Blumenthal, I urge Veterans Affairs to send a clear, resounding, and enforceable message that no form of discrimination is ever to be tolerated.\u201d\n\n\u201cMinority veterans are all too often victims of discrimination and harassment at the VA,\u201d said Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT). \u201cI am proud to lead my colleagues in calling on the VA to combat barriers to equal health care by issuing critical rulemaking \u2013 our veterans deserve nothing less.\"\n\n\u201cIt is incumbent that the VA take proactive steps to enforce the Affordable Care Act\u2019s antidiscrimination regulations within the veteran healthcare system. These rules should be diligently communicated, leaving no room for ambiguity, and enforced across all levels of the organization,\u201d said Rachel Branaman, Interim Executive Director of the Modern Military Association. \u201cBy addressing and rectifying the observed disparities of care by VA medical providers across the country, we not only uphold the principles of fairness and justice but also fulfill our duty to those who have served our nation with honor and valor. Veterans, regardless of their background, deserve healthcare experiences that are uniformly positive, accessible, and responsive to their unique needs.\u201d\n\n\u201cVeterans have rightfully earned access to VA health care through their dedicated service to this country,\u201d said Lindsay Church, Executive Director of Minority Veterans of America. \u201cMany veterans encounter discrimination and harassment while seeking their deserved benefits with fewer protections than their civilian counterparts utilizing government-funded health care. The Department of Veterans Affairs has not yet provided guidance in alignment with Section 1557 of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, which bars discrimination against veterans based on race, color, national origin, age, disability, or sex, a mandate that's been the law since 2010. It is imperative for the VA to fulfill its legal obligation by promptly implementing comprehensive anti-discrimination policies to safeguard all those who have selflessly served and worn the uniform.\u201d\n\n\u201cThis harassment has occurred at VA facilities across the country, from California to Florida to Connecticut to right here in D.C.,\u201d said K.N. McCleary, a law student at the Yale Veterans Legal Services Clinic. \u201cThese veterans have been left with few options to address the harassment they have experienced. Although VA is working to make its facilities more welcoming, the reality is that minority veterans constantly face obstacles to accessing the care they have earned.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) previously issued regulations implementing the antidiscrimination protections of Section 1557 for other federal health programs it funds or operates. However, VA's failure to do the same places veterans at risk of discrimination every day. We appreciate the critically important health care that the VA provides, but unfortunately, minority veterans frequently experience discrimination when seeking care at VA facilities,\u201d the lawmakers wrote.\n\nThe lawmakers continued, \u201cDiscrimination based on a veteran's sex, including sexual orientation and gender identity, remains particularly widespread within the VA health care system. Recent studies show that one in four women veterans experienced harassment when seeking care at VA facilities. Women and LGBTQI+ veterans report the highest rates of harassment, disrespect, and substandard care. Adopting regulations under Section 1557 is a clear and necessary means to preventing mistreatment.\u201d\n\nThe full text of the letter can be found here.\n\nThe letter has been endorsed by the Disabled American Veterans, the Minority Veterans of America, the Veterans Legal Services Clinic at Yale Law School, and the Modern Military Association of America.\n\nAdditional House signatories of the letter include Reps. Adriano Espaillat (D-NY), Julia Brownley (D-CA), Nikki Budzinski (D-IL), Jasmine Crockett (D-TX), Dwight Evans (D-PA), Andr\u00e9 Carson (D-IN), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), Kathy Castor (D-FL), Daniel Goldman (D-NY), Steve Cohen (D-TN), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Morgan McGarvey (D-KY), Valerie Foushee (D-NC), James McGovern (D-MA), Frank Mrvan (D-IN), Nanette Diaz Barrag\u00e1n (D-CA), Mark Takano (D-CA), Mark Pocan (D-WI), Kevin Mullin (D-CA), Mike Levin (D-CA), Chris Pappas (D-NH), Chris Deluzio (D-PA), Bennie Thompson (D-MS), Shri Thanedar (D-MI), Frederica Wilson (D-FL), Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), Troy Carter (D-LA), Andrea Salinas (D-OR), Alma Adams (D-NC), Jason Crow (D-CO), Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL), Jonathan Jackson (D-IL), Dina Titus (D-NV), Delia Ramirez (D-IL), Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), Colin Allred (D-TX), Greg Landsman (D-OH), Sara Jacobs (D-CA), Mike Thompson (D-CA), and Lloyd Doggett (D-TX).", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T01:01:09Z"], ["https://cherfilus-mccormick.house.gov/media/press-releases/reps-cherfilus-mccormick-kim-urge-un-women-condemn-hamas-attacks-against-women", "Reps. Cherfilus-McCormick, Kim Urge UN Women to Condemn Hamas\u2019 Attacks Against Women in Israel and Gaza", "2023-11-30", "2023", "2023-11", "Democrat", "House", "FL", "Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick", "C001127", "cherfilus-mccormick.house.gov", "cherfilus-mccormick", "https://cherfilus-mccormick.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, DC \u2013 Today, U.S. Representatives Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL-20) and Young Kim (R-CA-40) led 87 colleagues in a bipartisan letter urging the United Nations (UN) to publicly condemn Hamas for its brutal October 7th attack on innocent Israelis that included the murder, torture, rape and sexual violence against Israeli women and women of other nationalities.\n\n\u201cAs Israeli women deal with the traumatic fall out of sexual violence, UN Women\u2019s mission to protect women remains critically important. As the world just observed the UN\u2019s International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women on November 25th, UN Women cannot expect to be viewed as an honest advocate for women\u2019s rights if it continues to ignore Israeli women and women of other nationalities brutalized by Hamas terrorists on October 7th in an attack that claimed the lives of 1200+ Israelis and injured thousands more,\u201d the members wrote.\n\nThe members also highlighted how UN Women has taken action to support Palestinian women in Gaza, while not doing the same for Israeli women, adding that, \u201cOn October 20th, UN Women released a report titled 'UN Women rapid assessment and humanitarian response in the Occupied Palestinian Territory' addressing the effect of Israel\u2019s ground invasion in Gaza on Palestinian women. The report does not address any gender-based violence, sexual abuse or mutilation directed at Israeli women or women of other nationalities targeted by terrorists on October 7th. It also does not mention any assessment about the wellbeing of the many women \u2013 Israeli, American and other nationalities \u2013 being held hostage by Hamas in Gaza, including a pregnant foreign worker who is presumed to have given birth in captivity by now.\u201d\n\nReps. Cherfilus-McCormick and Kim were joined in sending the letter by Reps. Colin Allred (TX-32), Mark Amodei (NV-02), Kelly Armstrong (ND-At Large), Jake Auchincloss (MA-04), Don Bacon (NE-02), Joyce Beatty (OH-03), Gus Bilirakis (FL-12), Shontel Brown (OH-09), Julia Brownley (CA-26), Larry Bucshon (IN-08), Nikki Budzinski (IL-13), Matt Cartwright (PA-08), Kathy Castor (FL-14), Ben Cline (VA-06), Steve Cohen (TN-09), Angie Craig (MN-02), Jasmine Crockett (TX-30), Christopher Deluzio (PA-17), Pat Fallon (TX-04), Randy Feenstra (IA-04), Brad Finstad (MN-01), Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-01), Lizzie Fletcher (TX-07), Lois Frankel (FL-22), Robert Garcia (CA-42), Jared Golden (ME-02), Daniel Goldman (NY-10), Vicente Gonzalez (TX-34), Jenniffer Gonz\u00e1lez-Col\u00f3n (PR-At Large), Josh Gottheimer (NJ-05), Michael Guest (MS-03), Ashley Hinson (IA-02), Erin Houchin (IN-09), Darrell Issa (CA-48), David Joyce (OH-14), David Kustoff (TN-08), Greg Landsman (OH-01), Susie Lee (NV-03), Mike Levin (CA-49), Blaine Luetkemeyer (MO-03), Kathy Manning (NC-06), Lucy McBath (GA-07), Carol Miller (WV-03), Max Miller (OH-07), Blake Moore (UT-01), Nathaniel Moran (TX-01), Jared Moskowitz (FL-23), Dan Newhouse (WA-04), Wiley Nickel (NC-13), Donald Norcross (NJ-01), Chris Pappas (NH-01), Mike Rogers (AL-03), John Rose (TN-06), C. Dutch Ruppersberger (MD-02), Patrick Ryan (NY-18), Andrea Salinas (OR-06), Adam Schiff (CA-30), Brad Schneider (IL-10), David Scott (GA-13), Brad Sherman (CA-32), Mike Simpson (ID-02), Eric Sorenson (IL-17), Darren Soto (FL-09), Greg Stanton (AZ-04), Michelle Steel (CA-45), Bryan Steil (WI-01), Haley Stevens (MI-11), Eric Swalwell (CA-14), Claudia Tenney (NY-24), William Timmons (SC-04), Dina Titus (NV-05), Norma Torres (CA-35), Ritchie Torres (NY-15), Lori Trahan (MA-03), David Trone (MD-06), Jeff Van Drew (NJ-02), Mike Waltz (FL-06), Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-25), Tim Walberg (MI-05), Susan Wild (PA-07), Brandon Williams (NY-22), Frederica Wilson (FL-24), Joe Wilson (SC-02), and Rudy Yakym (IN-02).", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T01:01:09Z"], ["https://soto.house.gov/media/press-releases/soto-castor-frankel-frost-gonzalez-colon-introduce-bipartisan-rebate-act", "Soto, Castor, Frankel, Frost, Gonz\u00e1lez Col\u00f3n Introduce Bipartisan REBATE Act", "2023-11-30", "2023", "2023-11", "Democrat", "House", "FL", "Darren Soto", "S001200", "soto.house.gov", "soto", "https://soto.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2014 Today, Reps. Darren Soto (D-FL-09), Kathy Castor (D-FL-14), Lois Frankel (D-FL-22), Maxwell Alejandro Frost (D-FL-10) and Jenniffer Gonz\u00e1lez Col\u00f3n (R-PR-At Large) introduced H.R.6536, the Reforming Energy-Efficient Buildings and Appliances Tax Exemptions (REBATE) Act to amend the Inflation Reduction Act and allow local governments to receive federal grants to carry out high-efficiency electric home rebate programs.\n\n\u201cI\u2019m proud to introduce the bipartisan REBATE Act to allow Florida families access to programs that provide tax incentives if they transition to clean energy,\u201d said Rep. Soto. \u201cWe passed the Inflation Reduction Act and Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act \u2014 both bipartisan measures \u2013 to benefit working families and improve our nation for future generations. In Florida, we refuse to let politically-motivated vetoes get in the way of access to these programs.\u201d\n\n\u201cFloridians are being gouged by electric utilities in Florida, and Governor DeSantis\u2019s veto of energy rebates has made it even more expensive for Florida families. Floridians could enjoy lower energy bills if we can unlock the resources to weatherize homes and purchase energy efficient appliances as the residents of other states are enjoying right now,\u201d said Rep. Castor. \u201cTo put money back into the pockets of our neighbors, the REBATE Act enables local governments to receive and implement energy rebates and discounts in their communities. Democrats in Congress passed the Inflation Reduction Act to provide energy cost-savings to our neighbors. The REBATE Act would deliver those savings and avoid the higher costs imposed by Gov. DeSantis. Lower electric bills, new energy-efficient appliances and less pollution in the Sunshine State \u2013 a win, win, win.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe Inflation Reduction Act has provided millions of Americans with the opportunity to save money on energy-efficient appliances and home upgrades,\" said Rep. Frankel. \"This bill would allow Florida communities to access the nearly $346 million in savings available to our state, helping families lower their energy costs and their carbon footprints.\"\n\n\u201cThe Inflation Reduction Act is a down payment on the clean energy future we deserve, empowering working people to be able to afford to make the transition to clean energy,\u201d said Rep. Frost. \u201cGovernor DeSantis\u2019s harmful decision to block hundreds of millions of federal dollars to help Florida families adopt clean energy makes it clear we cannot count on our state leadership to help us fight the climate crisis but we won\u2019t take no for an answer. The REBATE Act is a critical step in ensuring that Floridians aren\u2019t forced to pay the price of Ron DeSantis\u2019s inaction to protect our planet.\u201d\n\nEarlier this year, due to a budget veto by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, Florida\u2019s Office of Energy was forced to withdraw their application for these rebate programs and leave $346 million in eligible federal funds made available through the Inflation Reduction Act and Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act on the table. With the REBATE Act, families in the state will have the opportunity to receive tax incentives if they upgrade their homes with energy-efficient appliances and transition to clean energy.\n\nFor the full text of the bill, please click here.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T01:01:09Z"], ["https://wassermanschultz.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=3116", "Wasserman Schultz, Salazar Introduce Bill to Bolster Miccosukee Tribal Housing", "2023-11-30", "2023", "2023-11", "Democrat", "House", "FL", "Debbie Wasserman Schultz", "W000797", "wassermanschultz.house.gov", "wassermanschultz", "https://wassermanschultz.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Today, U.S. Representatives Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-25) and Mar\u00eda Elvira Salazar (FL-27) introduced the Tigertail Historical Tree Island Repatriation Act of 2023, a bipartisan bill that would improve housing options for the Miccosukee Tribe, the historic stewards of the Everglades, an environmental treasure and critical water resource.\n\n\u201cOur friends in the Miccosukee Tribe are good stewards and protectors of America\u2019s Everglades, an American jewel that helps supply drinking water to millions of Floridians.\u201d said Wasserman Schultz. \u201cI\u2019m proud to partner with the Tribe and my Florida colleague on this bill so they can continue to flourish in South Florida.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe Miccosukee Tribe are an integral part of the south Florida Community,\u201d said Congresswoman Mar\u00eda Elvira Salazar. \u201cThis bill will ensure the Miccosukee can use their resources as they need to while protecting our environment and preserving the health the Everglades.\u201d\n\nSince the 1800s the Miccosukee Tribe has lived in the Florida Everglades, first seeking refuge from colonizing forces, and over time, forming a deep connection with the land and water there. Today, the Tribe\u2019s cultural traditions remain connected to the health of the Everglades ecosystem, which is intrinsically intertwined with a vast network of canals and levels built by the Army Corps of Engineers to manage Central Florida water flow on throughout the Everglades.\n\nThe Tigertail Historical Tree Island Repatriation Act would authorize the Army Corps of Engineers to realign a portion of the levee located within the Tigertail Camp to give Miccosukee Tribe members options to provide more housing for members of the Tigertail Camp family.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T01:01:09Z"], ["https://wilson.house.gov/media/press-releases/wilson-gimenez-introduce-jump-act-to-waive-repayment-requirements-for-americans-evacuated-from-israel", "Wilson, Gimenez Introduce JUMP Act to Waive Repayment Requirements for Americans Evacuated from Israel", "2023-11-29", "2023", "2023-11", "Democrat", "House", "FL", "Frederica S. Wilson", "W000808", "wilson.house.gov", "wilson", "https://wilson.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C. \u2013 Today, Congresswoman Frederica S. Wilson (FL-24) and Congressman Carlos Gimenez (FL-28) jointly filed the Justifiable Use of Money for Peace (JUMP) Act, a bill that waives the current U.S. State Department's repayment requirement for Americans evacuated from Israel. This legislation allows Americans who were victims of the Hamas attack and those wishing to evacuate to return home to the United States without the need for repayment to be evacuated.\n\n\"In times of crisis, the last thing we should burden our fellow Americans franticly trying to evacuate Israel with is bureaucratic red tape and financial strain as they flee the horrors inflicted by Hamas terrorists,\" said Congresswoman Wilson. \"The JUMP Act is a beacon of compassion, recognizing the unimaginable pain and trauma victims face. By waiving the U.S. State Department's repayment requirement, we're offering solace to those grieving, allowing them to begin the healing process without the added weight of repayments. This bill is a call for empathy, and I urge my colleagues to stand with us in prioritizing the well-being of Americans escaping Hamas terror.\"\n\nThe JUMP Act addresses the urgent needs of Americans who have found themselves caught in the crossfire of the recent conflict, particularly those affected by the reprehensible actions of Hamas terrorists. This legislation offers a compassionate response to the harrowing experiences faced by victims of the Hamas attack, allowing them to return home to the United States without the financial burden of repaying evacuation services. Congresswoman Wilson introduced the bill with Congressman Gimenez as an original cosponsor.\n\n\"On October 7, Hamas terrorists invaded Israel's sovereign borders, indiscriminately killing, kidnapping, and torturing thousands of civilians while leaving countless others in desperate need of evacuation back to the United States,\" said Congressman Carlos Gimenez. \"As the law is written, US citizens and permanent residents that take U.S. government transport are required to repay the cost of their transportation. A victim of Hamas terrorism in the midst of an evacuation should not be burdened by cumbersome paperwork or be forced to repay their transportation. I am proud to work with my fellow South Florida colleague Rep. Frederica Wilson (FL-24) to introduce a bill that waives this onerous requirement and allows victims to mourn without a costly repayment looming.\"\n\nOne of the key provisions of the JUMP Act is the elimination of the U.S. State Department's repayment requirement, recognizing the exceptional circumstances that necessitate swift and uncomplicated repatriation. The bill is designed to ease the burdens faced by Americans, both in terms of financial obligations and the complex legal documentation typically associated with reentry. The JUMP Act reflects a bipartisan effort to streamline the repatriation process and demonstrates a commitment to standing with Americans in times of crisis.\n\nFor the full bill text of the JUMP Act, click here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T01:01:09Z"], ["https://castor.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=404396", "Castor Announces her 2023 Nominations to U.S. Military Academies", "2023-11-28", "2023", "2023-11", "Democrat", "House", "FL", "Kathy Castor", "C001066", "castor.house.gov", "castor", "https://castor.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx", "scraper", "Today, U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor (FL14) announced the 21 Tampa Bay area students who received a nomination for admission into our nation\u2019s prestigious military academies: Air Force Academy (USAFA), Naval Academy (USNA), West Point (USMA) and the Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA). These outstanding student leaders hail from more than ten local high schools in Hillsborough and Pinellas Counties.\n\n\u201cThese talented student leaders are crucial to the future of America. Their interest in serving our country brings great pride to our patriotic Tampa Bay community,\u201d said Castor. \u201cI\u2019m grateful for the service of my diligent Nomination Committee, which thoroughly reviews every application and interviews interested students. I am confident that this year's nominees will represent Tampa Bay and our nation well in all their future endeavors.\u201d\n\nPhotos of the nominees can be found here.\n\nReceiving a nomination to one of our nation\u2019s military academies is an essential step towards receiving an appointment to the academies. Nominations are earned based upon each student\u2019s interview with Castor\u2019s Nomination Committee, their academic record, participation in extracurricular activities and demonstrated leadership qualities. Because of the stringent application requirements, many students begin working on what it takes to apply as early as their first year of high school.\n\nBased upon the process established by federal law, all U.S. military academies, except the Coast Guard Academy, require either a service-connected or Congressional nomination (from their Member of Congress, U.S. Senator or the Vice President of the United States). Parents and students interested in the nomination process can work with their school guidance counselors and find more information at Service Academy Nominations | U.S. Representative Kathy Castor (house.gov).\n\nCastor will announce official appointments at a later date after being notified of appointments by the academies. Today\u2019s announcement is the conclusion of Castor\u2019s 2023 competitive nomination process. The nominees who receive an appointment from a U.S. military academy will attend their respective academies in the 2024-2025 school year.\n\nU.S. Rep. Castor granted her nomination to the following students for one or more of the U.S. military academies:\n\nFelix Fudge Jr., Shorecrest Preparatory School \u2013 USMA\n\nTayten Moore, Canterbury School of Florida \u2013 USMA\n\nAiden Smith, Northeast High School \u2013 USNA\n\nElyna Brackin, St. Petersburg High School \u2013 USMA\n\nGabe Long, Hillsborough High School \u2013 USMA\n\nKatherine Merrill, Academy of the Holy Names \u2013 USNA and USAFA\n\nLogan Virgil, Robinson High School \u2013 USMA and USAFA\n\nJack Wittmer, Robinson High School \u2013 USAFA\n\nJake Prabhakaran, Jesuit High School \u2013 USNA and USMA\n\nIsabel Salas, Academy of the Holy Names \u2013 USMA and USAFA\n\nJace Jreisat, Bayshore Christian Academy \u2013 USMA and USAFA\n\nRogan Kane, Plant High School \u2013 USAFA (not pictured)\n\nTerry Weaver Jr., Jesuit High School \u2013 USMA and USAFA\n\nGavin Paglieri, Jesuit High School \u2013 USNA\n\nAdrian Salazar, Steinbrenner High School - USNA\n\nCayleigh Reid, Berkeley Preparatory School \u2013 USNA and USAFA\n\nLogan Kijanski, Plant High School \u2013 USAFA\n\nGrayson Stone, St. Petersburg High School \u2013 USNA\n\nDanielle Donis, Plant High School \u2013 USNA\n\nSean Murphy, Plant High School \u2013 USAFA\n\nElla Kirk, Stuggart High School \u2013 USMA (not pictured)", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T01:01:09Z"], ["https://cherfilus-mccormick.house.gov/media/press-releases/congresswoman-cherfilus-mccormick-statement-regarding-deal-between-israel", "Congresswoman Cherfilus-McCormick Statement Regarding Deal Between Israel-Hamas Brokered by the United States", "2023-11-22", "2023", "2023-11", "Democrat", "House", "FL", "Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick", "C001127", "cherfilus-mccormick.house.gov", "cherfilus-mccormick", "https://cherfilus-mccormick.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "TAMARAC, FL - Today, Congresswoman Cherfilus-McCormick (FL-20), a permanent member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, issued the following statement on the United States-brokered deal between Israel and Hamas to free Israeli hostages in Gaza in an exchange for a temporary humanitarian pause.\n\n\u201cSince the devastating October 7th terrorist attack, the Biden Administration has worked tirelessly with our partners in the region in order to free the hostages taken by Hamas,\u201d said Rep. Cherfilus-McCormick. \u201cI am pleased that this deal allows for the release of at least 50 hostages, including Americans, while also providing the civilians in Gaza with needed humanitarian assistance. This deal is a testament to the tireless diplomacy and determination of the Biden Administration to free all of the hostages being held by Hamas, while surging humanitarian aid into Gaza.\u201d\n\n\u201cWhile this deal is an encouraging step forward, it will not serve as a permanent solution to the conflict until all the hostages are released and Hamas is no longer a threat to the state of Israel. I urge the Israeli government to ensure that any future military action is part of a long-term strategy to ensure lasting stability and peace in the region.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T01:01:09Z"], ["https://soto.house.gov/media/press-releases/soto-applauds-us-department-defense-cornerstone-award-289-million-osceola", "Soto Applauds US Department of Defense Cornerstone Award of up to $289 Million to Osceola County", "2023-11-21", "2023", "2023-11", "Democrat", "House", "FL", "Darren Soto", "S001200", "soto.house.gov", "soto", "https://soto.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "KISSIMMEE, FL \u2013 Today, Congressman Darren Soto (FL-09) applauded the decision by the U.S. Department of Defense to award Osceola County a five-year Cornerstone award with an initial funding allocation of $3.65 million and a spending ceiling of $120 million. This positions Osceola County at the forefront of the nation's efforts to produce next-generation microchips for the U.S. military, simultaneously transforming the lives and fortunes of the community. Notably, the contract offers options for an additional $169 million, potentially resulting in a total award of $289 million.\n\n\u201cIn FL-09, we are leading the way to develop next generation aerospace microchips, create new high-paying jobs, and defend our nation. We are proud to see Osceola County receive a Cornerstone award by U.S. Department of Defense contract to help our nation continue moving towards a strong, secure domestic semiconductor industry. Through their public-private partnership with SkyWater and BRIDG, the county will have the opportunity to expand their state-of-the-art semiconductor packaging capabilities at NeoCity and establish Central Florida as a hub for this technology,\u201d said Rep. Soto. \u201cAs work begins on projects funded through this contract, numerous high-quality jobs in research, development, manufacturing, and more will become available to Central Floridians and help keep our local economy strong.\u201d\n\nNeoCity serves as the conduit for changing lives in Osceola County and the region as whole, which is why there has been united support from the business community, academia, and everyday citizens. NeoCity acts as the engine for cultivating a highly skilled workforce, capable of claiming high-paying careers that are being created. This, in turn, augments the tax base and empowers the county to enact essential infrastructure enhancements while improving the overall quality of life.\n\nNearly a decade ago, Osceola County embarked on a mission to redefine its economic destiny. This mission entailed forging partnerships spanning the local and global landscape, involving leaders in the high-tech industry, academia, and influential figures in federal and state government, as well as numerous community partners. This collective endeavor gave rise to NeoCity, a master-planned 500-acre technology campus.\n\nBRIDG and SkyWater Technology are important partners in the journey, including the recent DoD award. The organizations\u2019 leadership is key in the development of NeoCity as a center attracting investment, researchers, and manufacturers from around the world.\n\nWith this award, the county\u2019s campus will spearhead the nation\u2019s semiconductor advanced packaging manufacturing \u2013 a key component of the United States\u2019 efforts to base next generation microchip manufacturing on the U.S mainland. This award includes components to develop the needed workforce for production and will ultimately lead to more jobs for Osceola County and Central Florida.\n\nThe substantial, and strategic, investment of hundreds of millions at NeoCity is yielding tangible results. Just last year, Osceola County and its partners were recipients of a substantial $50.8 million Build Back Better Regional Challenge Grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration. Furthermore, the County-led coalition has emerged as finalists for a prestigious and lucrative National Science Foundation Regional Innovation Engines grant.\n\nThe DoD's Cornerstone award carries the potential to infuse Osceola County job creation efforts, heralding a profound community transformation. This shift marks a departure from a historical reliance on agriculture and tourism, charting a path toward a more diversified and prosperous future.\n\nThe county and its partners continue to expand capabilities. The coalition behind last year\u2019s Build Back Better Regional Challenge Grant known as Building Central Florida\u2019s Semiconductor Cluster for Broad-Based Prosperity continues plans for workforce development, job creation and improvements to the fabrication facility. County Manager Don Fisher is chairman of the coalition.\n\nThe federal government has called for a stronger, more secure domestic semiconductor industry. In response to such a critical national need, Osceola County, in collaboration with BRIDG and SkyWater Technology, put forth a groundbreaking and comprehensive set of proposals aimed at establishing cutting-edge capabilities in wafer preparation and advanced packaging in its application for the Cornerstone award.\n\nOsceola County will contract with BRIDG and SkyWater to implement the award. The BRIDG-led activities focus on chip design and processes while the Osceola County and SkyWater-led activities will focus on offering domestic advanced packaging services. Both of these capabilities are required for the advanced packaging of microchips. Additional details about SkyWater\u2019s program and the technology being developed at the Center for Neovation will be released upon the fully executed contract with the county.\n\nThese proposals continue to establish the infrastructure for Osceola County and the Center for Neovation to grow its leadership position in semiconductor microchip packaging and integration \u2014 providing for enhanced functionality and improved operating characteristics.\n\nNearly a decade into its vision for NeoCity, Osceola County and its partners will continue to reap the rewards of its vision and investment.\n\nIn its announcement, the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) DoD note that the award is part of Re-shore Ecosystem for Secure Heterogeneous Advanced Packaged Electronics (RESHAPE) efforts, and directly supports the Biden-Harris Administration\u2019s initiatives to strengthen America\u2019s supply chains as outlined in Executive Order 14017, America\u2019s Supply Chains.\n\nCommunity partners continue to collaborate at NeoCity and share their support:\n\nSkyWater CEO Thomas Sonderman\n\n\u201cThe DoD\u2019s collaboration with Osceola County, SkyWater Florida and BRIDG signifies a unique public-private partnership that supports domestic advanced packaging and helps to secure the U.S. semiconductor supply chain. The county and SkyWater will enter into an agreement for SkyWater to execute all aspects of the initial award of up to $120 million and stand up our fan-out wafer level packaging capabilities. We are pleased this partnership continues to fortify the efforts of the County to build a thriving community in Central Florida designed for advancing the next generation of technologies here in the U.S.\u201d\n\nBRIDG Chief Technical Officer, Dr. John Allgair\n\n\u201cRecognizing the strategic importance of growing and maintaining U.S. owned microelectronics advanced packaging capabilities, BRIDG has been working with Osceola County, SkyWater, the Industrial Base Analysis and Sustainment team and additional partners to establish an exemplary regional manufacturing capability key to multiple industries, along with the supporting workforce development, This investment will complete the equipment buildout for the Center for Neovation, positioning the center and its current and future partners to drive sustainable, exemplary and inclusive regional economic development in these critical manufacturing fields.\u201d\n\nBRIDG President Jim Vandevere\n\n\"BRIDG joins our partners in celebrating this momentous award that leverages an established and growing semiconductor ecosystem at NeoCity. With little to none of the critical advance packaging activities currently taking place in the U.S., BRIDG is proud to help fill a role in this vital sector to address economic and national security vulnerabilities.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T01:01:09Z"], ["https://wassermanschultz.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=3115", "Wasserman Schultz, Fitzpatrick Lead Bipartisan Push for Appropriators to Fund Fight Against Antisemitism", "2023-11-21", "2023", "2023-11", "Democrat", "House", "FL", "Debbie Wasserman Schultz", "W000797", "wassermanschultz.house.gov", "wassermanschultz", "https://wassermanschultz.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx", "scraper", "Washington, D.C. \u2013Today, U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-25), founder and co-chair of the Interparliamentary Task Force to Combat Online Antisemitism, and Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-01), co-chair of the House Bipartisan Task Force for Combating Antisemitism, authored a letter to top House and Senate appropriators requesting funding to implement the first-ever U.S. National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism, in response to an unprecedented increase in hostility toward the Jewish community amid Israel\u2019s war against Hamas.\n\n\u201cWe hope that the strong bipartisan and stakeholder support for the President's plan to reverse the spread of hatred will be reflected in our nation\u2019s budget.\u2026Congress must step up and deliver funding to support the American Jewish community.\u201d\n\nThe letter was signed by a total of 51 bipartisan members, including Wasserman Schultz and Fitzpatrick as well as Reps. Gabe Amo, Jake Auchincloss, Don Bacon, Suzanne Bonamici, Shontel Brown, Vern Buchanan, Kathy Castor, Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, Yvette Clarke, Gerald Connolly, Angie Craig, Donald Davis, Lloyd Doggett, Lois Frankel, Maxwell Frost, Daniel Goldman, Jenniffer Gonz\u00e1lez-Col\u00f3n, Josh Gottheimer, Sydney Kamlager-Dove, Derek Kilmer, Raja Krishnamoorthi, Greg Landsman, Barbara Lee, Susie Lee, Ted Lieu, Nicole Malliotakis, Kathy Manning, Lucy McBath, Grace Meng, Marcus Molinaro, Jared Moskowitz, Jerrold Nadler, Jimmy Panetta, Dean Phillips, Jamie Raskin, Patrick Ryan, Maria Salazar, Janice Schakowsky, Bradley Schneider, Terri Sewell, Darren Soto, Haley Stevens, Eric Swalwell, Ritchie Torres, David Trone, Juan Vargas, Marc Veasey, Susan Wild, and Nikema Williams.\n\nThe letter, addressed to Senate Appropriations Chair Patty Murray (D-WA) and Vice Chair Susan Collins (R-ME), as well as House Appropriations Chair Kay Granger (R-TX) and Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), is supported by the ADL, the American Jewish Committee, Jewish on Campus, and Hadassah, the Women\u2019s Zionist Organization of America.\n\nThe letter highlights a range of activities mentioned in the National Strategy, including the Education Department\u2019s enforcement of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, which protects Jewish students and faculty from campus discrimination, Nonprofit Security Grants to safeguard synagogues and Jewish organizations, and prevention and prosecution of hate crimes by the Department of Justice.\n\n\u201cPresident Biden and Vice President Harris have demonstrated their unwavering commitment to protecting American Jews from harm,\u201d said Rep. Wasserman Schultz. \u201cThe National Strategy provides a roadmap for how government, interfaith leaders, and community members can respond to antisemitism flourishing in our schools, our streets, and our social media feeds. If we fail to provide resources to these objectives, the result will be more pain and devastation for the Jewish community.\u201d\n\n\u201cAntisemitism has no place in America, period. The rise of antisemitism on college campuses and in public spaces after Hamas\u2019 brutal, unprovoked attack on Israel is disturbing,\u201d said Congressman Fitzpatrick, Co-Chair of the House Bipartisan Task Force for Combatting Antisemitism. \u201cI\u2019m proud to lead this bipartisan letter to House and Senate appropriators urging them to prioritize funding for the national strategy to combat antisemitism. Congress must stand with the Jewish community in the face of the vile antisemitism that is plaguing our nation.\u201d\n\nIn addition to her membership in the House Bipartisan Task Force for Combating Antisemitism, Rep. Wasserman Schultz is a co-chair of the Congressional Latino-Jewish Caucus and the Caucus on Black-Jewish Relations. The full text of the letter is below:\n\n________________________________________\n\nDear Chair Murray, Vice Chair Collins, Chair Granger, and Ranking Member DeLauro,\n\nAs you enter into negotiations to reconcile House and Senate Fiscal Year 2024 spending measures, we write to urge robust funding to implement the National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism. We hope that the strong bipartisan and stakeholder support for the President's plan to reverse the spread of hatred will be reflected in our nation\u2019s budget.\n\nAntisemitism is on the rise. Last year, the Anti-Defamation League tracked 3,697 antisemitic incidents, from propaganda to bomb threats to armed assault, the highest number on record \u2014 a mark that has been eclipsed three times in the past five years. The FBI documented a 37% increase in antisemitic hate crimes in 2022. Antisemitism has become commonplace on college campuses, with many Jewish students fearing that they will be targeted for discrimination.\n\nThe rise of antisemitism has been accelerated by digital platforms that profit from hateful content, with 85% of Jewish young adults reporting firsthand experience with online antisemitism, according to the American Jewish Committee. All of this took place prior to Hamas terrorists\u2019 horrific assault on Israelis, which has led to even more prevalent antisemitic conspiracy theories, disinformation, and incitement of violence in our country and around the world. ADL preliminary data indicates that following the October 7 massacre by Hamas, incidents of harassment, vandalism and assault increased by 388 percent.\n\nIn response to these alarming statistics, President Biden presented a comprehensive blueprint for how our government and society can eradicate antisemitism, and subsequently ordered all relevant federal agencies and departments to apply Title VI of the Civil Rights Act to curb discrimination against Jews. Congress must step up and deliver funding to support the American Jewish community.\n\nWe urge you to provide funding in excess of the President\u2019s request for the Department of Education\u2019s Office of Civil Rights, which is on the front lines of the fight against antisemitism and plays a central role in enforcing Title VI protections for students and faculty. Education is a powerful tool for preventing hate from taking root, but these efforts cannot succeed in an environment where antisemitism is tolerated. We also strongly support funding for programs that provide America\u2019s public schools with resources to teach K-12 students about historic and modern antisemitism, the Holocaust, and the positive contributions of Jewish Americans.\n\nWe strongly recommend including funding in excess of the President\u2019s request for the Nonprofit Security Grant Program, which offsets the cost of physical security enhancements for religious, educational, and nonprofit community institutions, including Jewish organizations. Synagogues and schools have been targeted with vandalism, destruction, and violent attacks by extremists who hold Jews collectively accountable for Israel\u2019s actions, striking fear into congregations and civil society leaders. We are grateful that both chambers of Congress have supported this program and we share the President\u2019s desire for updates to improve access.\n\nIn addition to defending Jewish spaces, we must work together to provide state and local law enforcement with the capacity to bring an end to surging hate crimes against Jews. An important part of this work is fully funding Department of Justice grants dedicated to monitoring, preventing, and prosecuting hate crimes so we can protect our communities from being victimized by offenders who might otherwise avoid consequences.\n\nAs digital platforms allow hate to spread without regard for borders, we also emphasize our support for efforts to advance the global fight against antisemitism in the State Department, led by the Offices of the Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism and the Special Envoy for Holocaust Issues.\n\nWe ask that you fund these critical programs at the appropriate levels to demonstrate to the American people that Congress is united and unequivocal in its dedication to the fight against antisemitism.\n\n####", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T01:01:09Z"], ["https://wilson.house.gov/media/press-releases/congresswoman-wilson-s-statement-regarding-the-agreement-between-israel-and-hamas-to-release-multiple-hostages", "Congresswoman Wilson's Statement Regarding the Agreement between Israel and Hamas to release multiple hostages.", "2023-11-21", "2023", "2023-11", "Democrat", "House", "FL", "Frederica S. Wilson", "W000808", "wilson.house.gov", "wilson", "https://wilson.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Today, Congresswoman Frederica S. Wilson (FL-24) released the following statement regarding the agreement between Israel and Hamas to release multiple hostages held in Gaza in exchange for a humanitarian pause and the release of Palestinian prisoners.\n\n\"After hearing the cries and anguish of American and Israeli families for over a month, I'm grateful for the release of many of the hostages in Gaza as part of a humanitarian pause deal brokered under President Biden's leadership between Israel and Hamas.\n\n\"I'm also glad that much-needed aid will be allowed to flow into Gaza to address the humanitarian needs of the Palestinian people. While this deal does not mark the end of this conflict, we have taken a monumental step toward our shared goal of securing the release of the hostages held by Hamas. I thank the President for his instrumental role in brokering this agreement. As we acknowledge this progress, my unwavering support remains with Israel's ongoing efforts to secure the release of all hostages still held by Hamas.\"\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T01:01:09Z"], ["https://wassermanschultz.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=3114", "Interparliamentary Task Force To Combat Online Antisemitism, ADL Convene Tech and Jewish Community Leaders to Tackle AI Challenges", "2023-11-17", "2023", "2023-11", "Democrat", "House", "FL", "Debbie Wasserman Schultz", "W000797", "wassermanschultz.house.gov", "wassermanschultz", "https://wassermanschultz.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx", "scraper", "Washington D.C. \u2014 This week, the Interparliamentary Task Force to Combat Online Antisemitism partnered with ADL to convene experts and global leaders on the impacts of artificial intelligence (AI) and generative artificial intelligence (GAI) on the spread of online misinformation and antisemitism. The meeting was first announced in the Biden Administration\u2019s first-ever U.S. National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism and brought together Parliamentarians, leaders in the field of artificial intelligence, global Special Envoys on combating antisemitism, civil society leaders, and White House officials.\n\nThe meeting was attended by Task Force co-chairs U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz and Canadian Member of Parliament Anthony Housefather, European Parliament Member David Lega from Sweden, U.S. Representatives Brad Schneider and Kathy Manning, and Costa Rican Deputy of the Legislative Assembly Eli Feinzaig. Director of Domestic Policy Council Neera Tanden represented the White House and was joined by U.S. Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism Ambassador Deborah Lipstadt. The Special Envoy for Combatting Antisemitism for Israel, Michal Cotler-Wunsh, and National Coordinator for Combating Anti-Semitism for The Netherlands, Eddo Verdoner, also attended. They were joined by industry representatives from Microsoft, OpenAI, Modulate, Google, and Meta. The conversation focused on the threats posed by antisemitic actors and entities who have GAI tools at their disposal, shortfalls in existing efforts by some social media platforms to moderate AI-generated and manipulated content, and how large language models (LLMs) can be employed to identify, flag, and remove hateful posts.\n\nThis global meeting was announced before Hamas\u2019 brutal attack on Israel on October 7th. However, the session allowed for a fuller discussion on the opportunities and challenges posed by the use of AI and GAI in combating the overall spike in online antisemitism, often in the guise of anti-Zionism, as well as the explosive proliferation of disinformation about the war.\n\n\u201cThe spread of hate on social media platforms was disturbingly on the rise before the Oct. 7th Hamas attack on Israel, and in its aftermath, it has exploded. Alarmingly, AI technology is only proving to be a super-spreader of animus and intolerance. I am grateful to the ADL for partnering with the Task Force on such a critical component of our collective effort to combat online antisemitism,\u201d said Wasserman Schultz. \u201cThis closed-door meeting allowed government officials and lawmakers from around the world to engage with industry leaders to have frank but necessary conversations on how we can work together to ensure bad actors are not allowed to exploit technology to expel hate onto all corners of the internet.\u201d\n\n\u201cSince Oct. 7, antisemitic incidents have risen to astounding levels across the world,\u201d said Jonathan Greenblatt, ADL CEO. \u201cMuch of this hate is being fomented online \u2013 in chat rooms, on social media, and through AI and generative artificial intelligence. For that reason, this gathering of the Interparliamentary Task Force could not be more timely. Our research shows that promoters of conspiracy theories and hate use AI and GAI to create misleading content about the Israel-Hamas war. This amplifies confusion and hate and causes misinformation to proliferate online. We know, too, that GAI's sophisticated technology is fueling extremist ideologies, antisemitism and hate. Congress and governments around the world must take action to curb the proliferation of this dangerous content and build in guardrails for these systems.\u201d\n\n\u201cI deeply appreciate the exchanges our Interparliamentary Task Force had with the Biden Administration and the platforms,\u201d said Housefather. \u201cWe have had conversations and interchange with the platforms over the last three years but this week was the first time that I truly believe we made significant progress in our goals of transparent reporting of antisemitism and agreements on what constitutes antisemitism and the obligation of the platforms not to amplify it. The use of AI can be both helpful and incredibly harmful and these meetings were a chance to get out in front of the issue. I left feeling very encouraged that social media companies will start collaborating in partnership with us to tackle the explosion of antisemitism we are facing.\u201d\n\nCo-chaired by Wasserman Schultz and Housefather, the Interparliamentary Task Force consists of a multi-partisan group of parliamentarians from around the world, including the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, the European Union, Costa Rica, and Israel.\n\n####", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T01:01:09Z"], ["https://frost.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-maxwell-frost-announces-over-1-million-returned-central-floridians", "Congressman Maxwell Frost Announces Over $1 Million Returned to Central Floridians through Office\u2019s Constituent Services", "2023-11-16", "2023", "2023-11", "Democrat", "House", "FL", "Maxwell Frost", "F000476", "frost.house.gov", "frost", "https://frost.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "ORLANDO, FL \u2014 Today, Congressman Maxwell Alejandro Frost (D-FL) announced that his office has helped return over $1 million in money owed to constituents of Florida\u2019s 10th Congressional District from various federal agencies.\n\nSince assuming office in January of this year, Congressman Frost\u2019s constituent services team has successfully resolved over 1,500 cases, ranging from Social Security issues to immigration assistance, exemplifying their commitment to serving the Orlando-area.\n\n\u201cDespite the dysfunction we see happening in Washington, our Central Florida office is hard at work each and every day, making a positive impact on the lives of local Floridians through our commitment to always fighting for our communities,\u201d said Congressman Maxwell Frost. \u201cThis $1 million returned back to our constituents is only the beginning, our office is always here to serve!\u201d\n\n\u201cI recently went to the Bithlo Neighborhood Center for Families and ran into Congressman Frost's team, who helped my wife and I with a Social Security issue. Thanks to Congressman Frost's team, we found out through an audit that we were rightfully owed hundreds of dollars and received a refund. I'm very grateful for the hard work that was put into helping us with this issue. After working our entire lives, we are now finally able to retire because of the additional Social Security support.\" said FL-10 Constituent, Henry Z.\n\nConstituents needing help with a federal agency can submit a request online at frost.house.gov or call the Congressman's Orlando office at 321-388-9808.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T01:01:09Z"], ["https://cherfilus-mccormick.house.gov/media/press-releases/florida-democrats-celebrate-two-years-passage-historic-bipartisan", "Florida Democrats Celebrate Two Years Since Passage of Historic Bipartisan Infrastructure Law", "2023-11-15", "2023", "2023-11", "Democrat", "House", "FL", "Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick", "C001127", "cherfilus-mccormick.house.gov", "cherfilus-mccormick", "https://cherfilus-mccormick.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Washington, DC \u2013 Today, Representatives Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (FL-20), Debbie Wasserman-Schultz (FL-25), Kathy Castor (FL-14), Frederica Wilson (FL-24), Lois Frankel (FL-22), Darren Soto (FL-09), Maxwell Frost (FL-10), and Jared Moskowitz (FL-23) celebrated two years of President Biden\u2019s landmark Bipartisan Infrastructure Law delivering for Floridians.\n\n\u201cTwo years in, President Biden\u2019s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is producing billions of dollars in historic and lasting investments in Florida's infrastructure. From modernizing transit and making internet more affordable, to delivering cleaner water systems and restoring the Everglades\u2014all while generating hundreds of thousands of good-paying jobs statewide,\u201d said the Members. \u201cPresident Biden and Congress delivered on the promise to upgrade our infrastructure, and these projects are improving quality of life for Floridians, creating new jobs, and growing the economy across our state for years to come.\u201d\n\nSince the law\u2019s passage, more than $14 billion in investments have been announced for over 389 specific projects across the state, including:\n\n$15.4 million to increase safety at railroad crossings and reduce deadly collisions in Broward County;\n\n$8.7 million to modernize and upgrade Palm Beach International Airport;\n\n$1.1 billion to accelerate critical Everglades restoration projects;\n\n$1.274 billion for Miami-Dade public transit and to upgrade and modernize Miami International and Opa-Locka Executive Airports;\n\nOver $2 billion across federal and state funds for the I-4 \u201cBeyond the Ultimate\u201d expansion, from Osceola Parkway to U.S. 27, to help fix traffic in Central Florida;\n\nOver $16.1 million to buy battery electric buses, electric cutaways, and charging equipment in Central Florida to replace diesel and gas vehicles that have reached their useful life;\n\n$12.6 million to expand and diversify Port Tampa Bay.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T01:01:09Z"], ["https://frankel.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=3654", "Florida Democrats Celebrate Two Years Since Passage of Historic Bipartisan Infrastructure Law", "2023-11-15", "2023", "2023-11", "Democrat", "House", "FL", "Lois Frankel", "F000462", "frankel.house.gov", "frankel", "https://frankel.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27", "scraper", "Washington, DC \u2013 Today, Representatives Debbie Wasserman-Schultz (FL-25), Kathy Castor (FL-14), Frederica Wilson (FL-24), Lois Frankel (FL-22), Darren Soto (FL-09), Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (FL-20), Maxwell Frost (FL-10), and Jared Moskowitz (FL-23) celebrated two years of President Biden\u2019s landmark Bipartisan Infrastructure Law delivering for Floridians.\n\n\u201cTwo years in, President Biden\u2019s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is producing billions of dollars in historic and lasting investments in Florida's infrastructure. From modernizing transit and making internet more affordable, to delivering cleaner water systems and restoring the Everglades\u2014all while generating hundreds of thousands of good-paying jobs statewide,\u201d said the Members. \u201cPresident Biden and Congress delivered on the promise to upgrade our infrastructure, and these projects are improving quality of life for Floridians, creating new jobs, and growing the economy across our state for years to come.\u201d\n\nSince the law\u2019s passage, more than $14 billion in investments have been announced for over 389 specific projects across the state, including:\n\n$1.1 billion to accelerate critical Everglades restoration projects;\n\n$1.274 billion for Miami-Dade public transit and to upgrade and modernize Miami International and Opa-Locka Executive Airports;\n\nOver $2 billion across federal and state funds for the I-4 \u201cBeyond the Ultimate\u201d expansion, from Osceola Parkway to U.S. 27, to help fix traffic in Central Florida;\n\nOver $16.1 million to buy battery electric buses, electric cutaways, and charging equipment in Central Florida to replace diesel and gas vehicles that have reached their useful life;\n\n$15.4 million to increase safety at railroad crossings and reduce deadly collisions in Broward County;\n\n$12.6 million to expand and diversify Port Tampa Bay;\n\n$8.7 million to modernize and upgrade Palm Beach International Airport.\n\nFor more information on how the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is delivering in Florida, click here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T01:01:09Z"], ["https://castor.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=404376", "Castor Statement on Fifth National Climate Assessment", "2023-11-14", "2023", "2023-11", "Democrat", "House", "FL", "Kathy Castor", "C001066", "castor.house.gov", "castor", "https://castor.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor (FL-14), former Chair of the House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis, released the following statement on the Biden-Harris Administration\u2019s Fifth National Climate Assessment (NCA5):\n\n\u201cCarbon pollution from burning fossil fuels is inflicting significant harm and raising costs on American families. The Fifth National Climate Assessment and the hundreds of scientists who collaborated on it help us understand the impacts and solutions to a heating world. Dangerous heatwaves, catastrophic hurricanes, severe droughts and floods are costing us more than $165 billion per year and risking lives. In Florida, where we now regularly break heat records, property insurance is sky-high, coastlines are shrinking and stronger storms are upending communities.\n\n\u201cThe science is clear: if we fail to take decisive action to slash toxic carbon pollution from dirty fossil fuels, the devastating and deadly impacts of climate change will worsen and heat the planet to unlivable levels.\n\n\u201cThe good news is the U.S. is making progress in fighting climate change through critical investments in clean energy, mitigation, adaptation and resilience policies recommended by my Select Committee on the Climate Crisis and authorized by the Inflation Reduction Act. These smart policies are working. Regions across the country are experiencing a manufacturing revival as solar, wind, and battery companies build new plants and uplift communities. We\u2019re harnessing American ingenuity to innovate and expand the production of clean energy technologies while creating good-paying jobs and rapidly reducing energy costs.\n\n\u201cThe NCA5 underscores the importance of our historic investments in fighting climate change and protecting our communities. For the first time, the report extends beyond climate science and dives into the real-world actions communities are taking to respond to the changing climate. The American people, our country and the world cannot afford to take our foot off the pedal now. I will continue working with my colleagues and the Biden Administration to protect these critical investments and build on their incredible success.\u201d\n\nThe National Climate Assessment \u2013 mandated by Congress \u2013 provides the scientific foundation to support informed, evidence-based policies across the United States. The NCA5 was thoroughly reviewed by government experts, external experts and the public throughout the report\u2019s development, including the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicines.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T01:01:09Z"], ["https://castor.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=404377", "Castor and Democrats Vote to Avoid a MAGA Republican Government Shutdown - Again", "2023-11-14", "2023", "2023-11", "Democrat", "House", "FL", "Kathy Castor", "C001066", "castor.house.gov", "castor", "https://castor.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor (FL-14) released the following statement after voting to avoid a government shutdown:\n\n\u201cHouse Democrats voted to save military paychecks, critical services like Meals on Wheels, small business loans, and critical functions of the U.S. government today as MAGA Republicans took the country to the brink of another government shutdown right before Thanksgiving. Instead of working across the aisle, House Republicans for months have used defaults and shutdowns to force extreme MAGA Republican policies \u2013 like a national abortion ban - on the American people.\n\n\u201cThe best pathway to avoid a government shutdown is a bipartisan path, and today, House Democrats once again stood by our word. The Continuing Resolution (CR) we passed today will avoid significant harm to families, our military, our economy and our national security while preserving historic investments and blocking extreme MAGA Republican policy riders.\n\n\u201cHouse Democrats continue to stand ready to work with House Republicans to pass all government funding bills that reflect the framework that was signed into law in June with the passage of the Bipartisan Fiscal Responsibility Act. I encourage my Republican colleagues to work in good faith with Democrats and end their partisan and costly shenanigans.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T01:01:09Z"], ["https://frost.house.gov/media/press-releases/after-calling-emergency-property-insurance-roundtable-hear-constituents", "After Calling Emergency Property Insurance Roundtable to Hear From Constituents, Congressman Maxwell Frost Demands Meeting with Gov. DeSantis", "2023-11-14", "2023", "2023-11", "Democrat", "House", "FL", "Maxwell Frost", "F000476", "frost.house.gov", "frost", "https://frost.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON D.C. \u2014 Today, Congressman Maxwell Alejandro Frost (D-FL) sent a letter to Florida Governor Ron DeSantis calling on the Governor to meet with him to discuss Central Floridian\u2019s concerns and deliver better outcomes as Florida\u2019s property insurance market continues to collapse, leaving hundreds of homeowners uninsured in the face of unaffordable, skyrocketing costs.\n\nFrost\u2019s letter to Gov. DeSantis comes just days after the Congressman hosted an emergency roundtable where local home and business owners, as well as aspiring homeowners shared their struggles to make ends meet while covering the rising costs of insurance and calls out the Governor\u2019s failure to address this crisis during last week\u2019s emergency special session of the Florida Legislature as the Governor rakes in millions from the industry he is supposed to help regulate.\n\n\u201cThese testimonies are just a small sample of the stories from residents of Florida\u2019s 10th Congressional district,\u201d wrote Congressman Frost. \u201cWhat I heard emphasized the harm directly caused to Floridians by your lack of leadership to properly regulate the insurance industry, mitigate the destruction of extreme weather events, and make informed legislative decisions to solve the problem. I request an urgent meeting to discuss my constituent\u2019s concerns and hear your plans for a solution to this crisis.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T01:01:09Z"], ["https://wilson.house.gov/media/press-releases/congresswoman-wilson-s-statement-on-the-continued-resolution", "Congresswoman Wilson's Statement on the Continued Resolution", "2023-11-14", "2023", "2023-11", "Democrat", "House", "FL", "Frederica S. Wilson", "W000808", "wilson.house.gov", "wilson", "https://wilson.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Today, Congresswoman Frederica S. Wilson (FL-24) released the following statement in response to the Continued Resolution, to which she voted yes:\n\n\"Once again, at the eleventh hour, Democrats are bailing Republicans out because, after all the political games and stunts Republicans pulled, they realized you need both parties to govern. I voted yes on this continued resolution because we need to keep the government open. Today marks a victory for the American people, avoiding a catastrophic shutdown and sidestepping some of the harsh consequences of Republican proposals aimed at criminalizing abortion, cutting social security and Medicare, and dismantling public education.\n\n\"Governing is no simple task, but shirking that responsibility by prioritizing politics over people is not the solution. Republicans have wasted weeks on political theatrics, from failing to choose a Speaker to pushing forward heartless appropriations bills. But today, Democrats led the effort to put people over politics, and the American people won.\"", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T01:01:09Z"], ["https://wassermanschultz.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=3113", "Wasserman Schultz on the Flawed GOP 'Laddered CR'", "2023-11-13", "2023", "2023-11", "Democrat", "House", "FL", "Debbie Wasserman Schultz", "W000797", "wassermanschultz.house.gov", "wassermanschultz", "https://wassermanschultz.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx", "scraper", "Washington D.C. \u2013 U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-25) issued the following statement on the flawed House Republican Continuing Resolution proposal that puts our families and economy in jeopardy:\n\n\u201cThis \u2018laddered CR\u2019 proposal is yet another spending bill driven by the extremist, irresponsible House Freedom Caucus, and one that recklessly opens the door to a double whammy shutdown and is intended to hold vital funding hostage to fulfill extreme Republican funding goals.\n\nThis cavalier stopgap bill kicks the serious domestic and international challenges facing our nation into next year. This approach lacks urgency and demonstrates the absence of both understanding and caring about the importance of expediting the completion of our work to avoid leaving our military and American families twisting in the wind. It has no emergency assistance for our allies confronting vicious attacks by terrorists and despots.\n\nIt also lacks emergency funds for women and infant nutritional needs, and basically tells Americans that Republicans are fine if road work and repairs are halted, critical Everglades restoration efforts stall, and we turn our backs on commitments we made to servicemembers, veterans, and their families by doubling the likelihood of a government shutdown. This gives Republicans more opportunities to hold critical priorities hostage in exchange for keeping the government open. Worse, as global democracies face violent assaults, this \u2018laddered CR\u2019 leaves the departments of State and Defense inadequately resourced until February and potentially longer.\n\nI urge Republicans to work with us to pass a singular, clean Continuing Resolution and work with Democrats on a full-year funding agreement that abides by the budget that they already agreed to in the Fiscal Responsibility Act. We must provide vital emergency assistance immediately, before the MAGA Party further jeopardizes American families, democracies and careens our economy over a cliff.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T01:01:09Z"], ["https://wassermanschultz.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=3112", "Wasserman Schultz, D\u00edaz-Balart Lead Florida Delegation in Push for GSP Renewal to Boost Local Economy, Lower Consumer Prices", "2023-11-10", "2023", "2023-11", "Democrat", "House", "FL", "Debbie Wasserman Schultz", "W000797", "wassermanschultz.house.gov", "wassermanschultz", "https://wassermanschultz.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx", "scraper", "Washington, D.C. \u2013Today, U.S. Reps. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-25) and Mario D\u00edaz-Balart (FL-26) led the majority of Florida\u2019s congressional delegation in authoring a letter to Members of the House Ways and Means Committee requesting that Chairman Jason Smith (MO-08) and Ranking Member Richard Neal (MA-01) to boost the economy and cut consumer costs by advancing legislation to reauthorize the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) program, which has been expired for nearly three years.\n\nThey were joined by bipartisan Florida Members including Reps. Aaron Bean, Gus Bilirakis, Vern Buchana, Kathy Castor, Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, Neal Dunn, Lois Frankel, Scott Franklin, Maxwell Frost, Carlos Gimenez, Laurel Lee, Brian Mast, Jared Moskowitz, John Rutherford, Maria Salazar, Darren Soto, Daniel Webster, and Frederica Wilson.\n\n\u201cRenewing GSP is a win-win proposition for consumers, workers, and local businesses, especially in Florida,\u201d said Wasserman Schultz. \u201cIn addition to lowering operating costs and prices, preferential trade policies promise to continue lifting millions out of poverty and reducing China\u2019s influence on U.S. supply chains. I\u2019m proud to help lead the bipartisan consensus in support of these objectives.\u201d\n\n\u201cI am proud to co-lead this bipartisan effort supporting the retroactive renewal of the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) program. The GSP program, a cornerstone of U.S. trade policy for over 45 years, reduces our nation\u2019s growing reliance on China by encouraging a much-needed shifting of supply chains out of China through nearshoring and reestablishing competitive trade relationships. The GSP renewal benefits American families and businesses all over the country, including Florida, by lowering tariffs on global imports and thereby helping U.S. manufacturers and importers stay competitive in international markets. Historically, South Florida has benefited greatly from the international trade industry, bringing jobs to our port cities and well into the heart of our state. By reauthorizing GSP, we would revitalize our communities, bolster our economy, and counter China\u2019s influence in our hemisphere\u201d said Congressman Mario D\u00edaz-Balart.\n\n\u201cWe are grateful to the Florida Congressional Delegation for leading the charge to urge the Ways and Means Committee to reauthorize the Generalized System of Preferences,\u201d said Rodrigo Leiva, President of the Florida Association of Floral Importers. \u201cThe floral industry is a vital economic engine in Florida, and the absence of GSP has resulted in a significant financial strain to our industry, stunting growth, and impeding job creation. The renewal of GSP isn't just about tariffs; it's about fortifying global relations and securing the industry's role in bolstering the U.S economy.\u201d\n\nThe extended lapse in authorization for GSP has led to higher tariffs on imports from developing countries, increasing procurement costs for businesses in Florida\u2019s trade-intensive economy. Over $3 billion in extra tariffs have been paid in total, with Florida businesses accounting for roughly $300 million. While businesses have done everything possible to prevent price hikes, many have warned that the tariff hikes are unsustainable. The full text of the letter is below.\n\nDear Chairman Smith, Ranking Member Neal, and Members of the Ways and Means Committee:\n\nOn behalf of our constituents and Florida businesses, we urge the Ways and Means Committee to take up and advance legislation to reauthorize the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP). We appreciate Trade Subcommittee Chairman Adrian Smith\u2019s leadership on this issue, as demonstrated by the recent hearing on the topic, which has generated significant interest in resuming this essential program.\n\nThe GSP program, a cornerstone of U.S. trade policy for over 45 years, has played a pivotal role in fostering economic growth and development in low- and middle-income countries while benefiting American consumers, businesses, and workers. Strategically waiving U.S. tariffs on approximately 3,400 products from 120 countries incentivized increased trade, promoted global development, and strengthened the U.S. economy. This program is a testament to the power of trade to enhance foreign relations and bolster our nation's economic prosperity.\n\nRegrettably, the GSP authorization lapsed on December 31, 2020, resulting in significant financial strain on American companies nationwide. This expiration has imposed over $3 billion in extra tariffs, with Florida-based businesses bearing the weight of approximately $300 million of this burden. The impact on the floral industry, a vital component of Florida's economy and job market, has been particularly severe. Importing flowers supports over 6,000 jobs in South Florida and more than 200,000 jobs throughout the United States, spanning various sectors and industries. Furthermore, nearly 90% of flowers consumed in the United States pass through Miami International Airport, Port Miami, and Port Everglades in South Florida.\n\nTo date, the Florida floral industry has paid over $66 million in tariffs, crippling U.S. companies that have borne these costs. The absence of GSP renewal has halted business expansion, hindered job creation, and prevented crucial investments in operations and infrastructure. The extended period of expiration\u2014nearly three years\u2014has left this financial burden unresolved.\n\nAnd while Florida continues to bear the brunt of this disruption, the ripple effects of inaction is bound to harm consumers across our country and hurt employment prospects in Latin America and the Caribbean, which is a key driver for migration.\n\nMoreover, the expiration of GSP benefits has unintended consequences, particularly regarding China. The imposition of Section 301 tariffs on Chinese products has compelled many U.S. companies to explore alternative suppliers. However, the expiration of GSP benefits now subjects most of these products to higher tariffs for GSP countries. In Florida, an astounding 99% of GSP imports would face Section 301 tariffs if sourced from China, further exacerbating the tariff burden on our industry.\n\nThe reauthorization of the GSP program will have a significant positive impact on various other sectors of the U.S. economy, including:\n\n\u00b7 Travel Goods, Handbags, Etc. ($133 million): Lowering tariffs through GSP benefits will help businesses in this sector remain competitive in the global market.\n\n\u00b7 Plywood, Veneered Panels, Etc. ($20 million): Reauthorizing GSP will reduce costs and promote economic growth in the import and distribution of these products.\n\n\u00b7 Aluminum Bars, Rods & Profiles ($6.3 million): GSP renewal will encourage investment, expansion, and job creation in this industry.\n\n\u00b7 Precious Metal Jewelry & Parts ($4.0 million): Lowering tariffs through GSP benefits will support manufacturers and retailers in the precious metal jewelry sector.\n\nGiven these compelling reasons, we respectfully urge the House Ways and Means Committee to pass long-term, retroactive GSP legislation as expeditiously as possible. The uncertainty surrounding the GSP program's renewal inhibits strategic planning for companies hesitant to reconfigure their supply chains, especially in light of the program's history of extended expiration. A full retroactive reauthorization would refund the $300 million (and growing) in tariffs paid on imports into Florida.\n\nFurthermore, we support modernization of outdated GSP rules, such as \"competitive need limitations\" (CNLs), which can re-impose tariffs if imports from a GSP country rise, discouraging diversification of sourcing away from China. These rules also reduce countries' incentives to meet eligibility criteria and impose real costs. While GSP has been expired, imports into Florida faced up to $88 million in non-refundable tariffs due to current CNL rules.\n\nWe hope that you share our belief that the GSP program's reauthorization is paramount to various industries in Florida and the broader U.S. economy. It will provide critical relief to businesses, support job creation, and foster economic growth. We look forward to working with you to lower costs and strengthen American businesses while reducing global poverty and deepening our relationships with key trading partners.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T01:01:09Z"], ["https://frost.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-maxwell-frost-senator-elizabeth-warren-big-investors-gun", "Congressman Maxwell Frost, Senator Elizabeth Warren to Big Investors in Gun Manufacturing: \u201cThe American People Deserve to Know If You Are Profiting Off of Gun Violence\u201d", "2023-11-09", "2023", "2023-11", "Democrat", "House", "FL", "Maxwell Frost", "F000476", "frost.house.gov", "frost", "https://frost.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON D.C \u2014 Today, weeks after the deadliest shooting of the year claimed the lives of 18 innocent people in Lewiston, Maine, Congressman Maxwell Alejandro Frost (D-FL) and Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) sent letters to six major financial institutions calling on them to provide critical information on their efforts, or lack thereof, to end their financial investments in the gun industry.\n\nIn 2018, following the tragic mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School that saw a 19-year-old gunman open fire on students and staff, claiming the lives of 17 people and injuring 17 others, some financial institutions began investigating how their business practices inadvertently contributed to the gun violence epidemic. Yet by the end of September of that same year, Wells Fargo had issued a $40 million line of credit to firearm manufacturer Sturm, Ruger & Company, in addition to the $431 million it lent to gunmakers since the 2012 Sandy Hook Shooting \u2013 begging the question of how deeply entrenched big banks are with the gun industry.\n\nThe letters, sent to BlackRock, JPMorgan Chase, Vanguard, Bank of America, Blackstone, and Wells Fargo, call out these powerful financial institutions for their individual roles in bankrolling the manufacturing and sale of dangerous weapons used to carry out some of the most horrific instances of gun violence. These six institutions are among the largest investors in the gun industry in America. Some of them have made prior commitments to change their involvement with gun manufacturers, while others have made no commitments.\n\nIn a joint statement, Rep. Frost and Senator Warren said:\n\n\u201cThe American people deserve to know if some of the most powerful financial institutions in our country are in bed with gun manufacturers and, in turn, profiting off of the gun violence epidemic that has claimed countless innocent lives,\u201d said the Members. \u201cWith the tragedy we witnessed in Maine just last month, 2023 is on track to be one of the deadliest years in recent history when it comes to gun violence. These prominent financial institutions have a moral responsibility to play a leading role in helping to end this crisis.\u201d\n\nThe letters to CEOs of BlackRock, JPMorgan Chase, Vanguard, Bank of America, Blackstone, and Wells Fargo can be found here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T01:01:09Z"], ["https://cherfilus-mccormick.house.gov/media/press-releases/congresswoman-sheila-cherfilus-mccormick-and-democratic-womens-caucus-leaders", "Congresswoman Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick and Democratic Women\u2019s Caucus Leaders Push Back Against Proposal to Eliminate DOL\u2019s Women\u2019s Bureau", "2023-11-08", "2023", "2023-11", "Democrat", "House", "FL", "Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick", "C001127", "cherfilus-mccormick.house.gov", "cherfilus-mccormick", "https://cherfilus-mccormick.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, DC \u2013 Today, Congresswoman Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL), Democratic Women\u2019s Caucus (DWC) Chair for Diversity & Inclusion, along with DWC Chair Lois Frankel (D-FL) and Vice Chairs Teresa Leger Fern\u00e1ndez (D-NM) and Nikema Williams (D-GA), urged the House Appropriations Committee to reconsider House Republicans\u2019 proposal to eliminate the U.S. Department of Labor\u2019s Women\u2019s Bureau \u2014 the only federal agency mandated to represent the needs of working women.\n\n\u201cThe elimination of the Women\u2019s Bureau would be a tremendous setback for the more than 77 million working women across the country,\u201d said Congresswoman Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick. \u201cSince its inception, this agency has been at the forefront of ensuring that women have a real shot at the American Dream. These proposed funding cuts would deal a devastating blow to a growing sector of the U.S. workforce.\u201d\n\n\u201cRepublicans are on a quest to diminish women\u2019s economic independence,\u201d said DWC Chair Lois Frankel. \u201cTheir mission includes cruel restrictions on reproductive freedom, cutting child care assistance, and defunding the Department of Labor Women\u2019s Bureau whose goal is to advance employment opportunities for women.\u201d\n\n\u201cWe write today to urge you to restore funding for the Department of Labor\u2019s Women\u2019s Bureau in the House Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24) Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (LHHS) Appropriations Bill. The Women\u2019s Bureau has been creating access to better and safer jobs for women for the past century. However, the proposed House budget would eliminate the Women\u2019s Bureau completely, which would have a devastating impact on women and families across the country,\u201d wrote the Members.\n\n\u201cThere is no justification to eliminate the Women\u2019s Bureau. The termination of the Women\u2019s Bureau would strip the federal government of the only agency mandated by Congress to represent the needs and interests of working women. We urge you to reconsider this cut and restore funding for the Women\u2019s Bureau as the FY24 LHHS bill moves forward,\u201d added the Members.\n\n\u201cIf Congress defunds the Women\u2019s Bureau at the Department of Labor, it\u2019s another step backward toward equality,\u201d said National Organization for Women (NOW) National President Christian F. Nunes. \u201cSince 1920, this bureau has been the government\u2019s only resource that understands the true challenges working women face. The bureau\u2019s data around equal pay and childcare costs and its grant programs, not only educates but empowers working women. There is absolutely no reason for eliminating the Women\u2019s Bureau. NOW thanks Representatives Cherfilus-McCormick and Frankel for their leadership and implores the House Appropriations leadership not to deny support to more than 50 percent of the American workforce as they contribute their share to the U.S. economy.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe U.S. Department of Labor\u2019s Women\u2019s Bureau has played an essential role in improving the status of working women and moms throughout our history, and that work is especially important right now as women \u2013 and especially women of color and moms \u2013 face a devastating wage gap, a child care crisis, and harms caused by our failure to provide paid family and medical leave,\u201d said Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner, Executive Director and CEO, MomsRising. \u201cDefunding the Women\u2019s Bureau would send a chilling message to everyone who cares about women and our economy and would rob the country of a powerful advocate for workforce fairness and opportunity. We urge you to reconsider this cut and restore its funding.\u201d\n\n\u201cSlashing all funding for the Department of Labor\u2019s Women\u2019s Bureau would be devastating for all women, particularly women of color, and their families. As the only federal bureau with the sole mission of focusing on the interests of women in the workforce, its elimination could hurt women\u2019s labor force participation, and make it harder for women to have access to workplaces that are safe and free from discrimination,\u201d said Jocelyn Frye, President of the National Partnership for Women & Families. \u201cThe National Partnership for Women & Families is proud to stand with lawmakers urging House Appropriations leadership to demonstrate their commitment to women in the workplace and restore funding for the Women\u2019s Bureau immediately.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T01:01:09Z"], ["https://frost.house.gov/media/press-releases/frost-webster-hurricane-preparedness-legislation-crosses-major-hurdle-science", "Frost, Webster Hurricane Preparedness Legislation Crosses Major Hurdle As Science, Space, and Tech Committee Includes it in Weather Act, Passes Committee", "2023-11-08", "2023", "2023-11", "Democrat", "House", "FL", "Maxwell Frost", "F000476", "frost.house.gov", "frost", "https://frost.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON D.C \u2014 Today, Congressman Maxwell Alejandro Frost (D-FL-10) announced that his bipartisan bill with Congressman Daniel Webster (R-FL-11), the Fixing Gaps in Hurricane Preparedness Act (H.R. 6080), was successfully included as an amendment to the Weather Act Reauthorization Act, focused on strengthening the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) work to advance the U.S. weather system.\n\nThe Frost, Webster bill, which passed the Committee unanimously as an amendment, would ensure that hurricane preparedness tools, alerts, and planning systems would address the needs of seniors, people with disabilities, non-English speakers, and rural and urban populations by requiring NOAA to review how these populations receive and react to emergency notifications and evaluate how these folks are able to prepare themselves in the event of a hurricane.\n\n\u201cThe Weather Act Reauthorization is lifesaving legislation which will allow our communities to be better prepared for all kinds of weather,\u201d said Rep. Maxwell Frost. \u201cI\u2019m proud that my bipartisan bill with Rep. Webster, the Fixing Gaps in Hurricane Preparedness Act, was successfully included in this large legislative package to ensure that vulnerable folks like seniors, those with disabilities, and non-English speakers have the knowledge and tools they need to safely make it through a hurricane or any other kind of severe storm. This legislation will save Floridian lives and I look forward to it being passed by the full House and signed into law.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T01:01:09Z"], ["https://frost.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-maxwell-frost-statement-hres-798", "Congressman Maxwell Frost Statement on H.Res. 798", "2023-11-07", "2023", "2023-11", "Democrat", "House", "FL", "Maxwell Frost", "F000476", "frost.house.gov", "frost", "https://frost.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "ORLANDO, FL \u2014 Today, Congressman Maxwell Alejandro Frost (D-FL) released a statement regarding his vote on H.Res. 798.\n\nIn a statement, Rep. Frost says:\n\n\u201cAfter days of reflection, multiple conversations with my constituents and local leaders, and a difficult, but important listening session with students at UCF Hillel\u2019s chapter \u2014 I have come to realize that I should have voted differently on H.Res. 798, to send a clear message that I stand against antisemitism.\n\n\u201cAs an organizer and someone who has spent countless hours on college campuses fighting for gun violence prevention efforts and for the right to protest, I took issue with a few of the falsehoods included in H.Res. 798 and was hoping I\u2019d have the opportunity to vote on the Senate resolution condemning antisemitism, that passed unanimously, but didn\u2019t include those falsehoods.\n\n\u201cI truly worried that this would open the door for Republicans to infringe on the free speech of students and young people. Which is why I chose to support and co-sponsor the House version of that same Senate resolution.\n\n\u201cI now realize that I did not properly prioritize the message this resolution was intended to send \u2014 that antisemitism has absolutely no place on college campuses or anywhere in our communities. A sentiment I have and always will firmly believe in.\n\n\u201cAs someone who has taken every opportunity to condemn the vile acts of antisemitism we\u2019ve seen in Central Florida and across the state, I stand firmly with my Jewish brothers, sisters, and siblings who are fearfully seeing antisemitism rise across our country.\n\n\u201cI realize that ending antisemitism will take more than my condemnation. And I know that if allowed to grow and spread in even the smallest corners of our world, history has proven how vile and horrific the pain and suffering of the Jewish people has been as a result of this hate.\n\n\u201cI am and always will be committed to fighting bigotry, and for peace and safety for all. And remain committed to hearing, listening, and learning more from all of my constituents.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T01:01:09Z"], ["https://wassermanschultz.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=3110", "Wasserman Schultz Launches Campaign to Secure Release of Cuban Artists Jailed Since July 11 Protests", "2023-11-07", "2023", "2023-11", "Democrat", "House", "FL", "Debbie Wasserman Schultz", "W000797", "wassermanschultz.house.gov", "wassermanschultz", "https://wassermanschultz.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx", "scraper", "Washington, D.C. \u2013Today, U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-25), co-chair of the Congressional Cuba Democracy Caucus and a member of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, announced in a House floor speech that she will partner with Freedom House and Amnesty International to advocate for the immediate and unconditional release of two artists and human rights advocates who have been wrongfully imprisoned by the Cuban communist regime.\n\nWith the support of the Defending Freedoms Project, Wasserman Schultz will highlight the injustice faced by Latin Grammy-winning rapper Maykel \u201cOsorbo\u201d Castillo P\u00e9rez, a co-author of protest anthem \u201cPatria Y Vida\u201d and visual and performance artist Luis Manuel Otero Alc\u00e1ntara, a fierce advocate for free expression and human rights. The Congresswoman will also engage with the Biden Administration to ensure that an end to Maykel and Luis Manuel\u2019s political imprisonment is a top priority in any present future engagement with Cuba.\n\n\u201cI\u2019m grateful the Biden Administration granted humanitarian parole to both Luis Manuel and Maykel, but for the Cuban regime, exiling these patriots isn\u2019t enough. Their very existence is a threat,\u201d said Wasserman Schultz. \u201cIf we truly intend to live up to our nation\u2019s values, we must work tirelessly to liberate those who continually sacrifice their freedom for others.\u201d\n\nAfter announcing her campaign in both English and Spanish, Rep. Wasserman Schultz entered a letter from Luis Manuel published by the Miami Herald and a profile of Maykel from Rolling Stone into the Congressional Record to raise awareness among her colleagues and constituents. Listen to her full floor remarks here.\n\n\u201cWe welcome Rep. Wasserman Schultz\u2019s critical and timely advocacy on behalf of Luis Manuel and Maykel. Their work to spotlight human rights abuses in Cuba through their art deserves our attention now more than ever as they continue to languish in prison in deplorable conditions,\u201d Margaux Ewen, Director of Freedom House\u2019s Political Prisoners Initiative. \u201cWe join Rep. Wasserman Schultz and Amnesty International in calling for the immediate and unconditional release of Luis Manuel and Maykel, in addition to the 780+ political prisoners that remain unjustly incarcerated in Cuba.\u201d\n\nThe Congresswoman\u2019s complete remarks are below, along with background information on both Maykel and Luis Manuel.\n\nMr. Speaker, I rise to demand the immediate release of two Cuban prisoners of conscience.\n\nTwo years ago, thousands of Cubans peacefully demonstrated for their basic rights, and their corrupt rulers responded with a brutal, indiscriminate crackdown. Maykel Castillo P\u00e9rez and Luis Manuel Otero Alc\u00e1ntara both helped forge the historic and resurgent pro-democracy movement on July 11th.\n\nThey\u2019ve been imprisoned ever since.\n\nMaykel, a Latin Grammy-winning rapper, co-authored the song \u201cPatria Y Vida,\u201d an anthem for the mass demonstrations. Luis Manuel, an Afro-Cuban visual artist, has fought passionately for free expression and against censorship.\n\nMaykel disappeared from public view after being detained without a warrant on May 18, 2021, and a kangaroo court sentenced him to nine years in prison. The U.N. reports Maykel remains imprisoned \u201csolely for his pro-democracy activism\u201d, enduring inmate threats, solitary confinement, and denied family visits and medical attention.\n\nYet he still rebels however he can. On the anniversary of the July 11 protests, he sewed his mouth shut and tattooed \u201cPatria Y Vida\u201d on his arm. Maykel told friends: \u201cI have enough strength to keep bleeding\u2026I prefer with great pride to descend in a coffin than to bow.\u201d\n\nLuis Manuel\u2019s despicable treatment is compounded by the jarring legacy of anti-Black racism in Cuba. On July 11th he too was arrested after posting a video on his plans to join Cuba\u2019s mass democracy demonstrations.\n\nLike Maykel, he was tried behind closed doors, thrown in a maximum-security prison. Due to abuse, bad medical care, and denial of food and water, Luis Manuel is suffering from extreme weight loss and severe medical issues.\n\nI\u2019m grateful the Biden Administration granted humanitarian parole to both Luis Manuel and Maykel, but for the Cuban regime, exiling these patriots isn\u2019t enough. Their very existence is a threat.\n\nWhile these cases are egregious, thousands of peaceful pro-democracy protesters have been jailed, tortured, or killed. If we truly intend to live up to our nation\u2019s values, we must work tirelessly to liberate those who continually sacrifice their freedom for others.\n\nAs co-chair of the Cuba Democracy Caucus, I proudly join forces with Freedom House and Amnesty International to demand justice for Maykel and Luis Manuel through the Defending Freedoms Project.\n\nI intend to use my platform to ensure their unconditional release is a top priority in any discussion of Cuba policy. I hope my colleagues on both sides of the aisle will join me.\n\nMaykel \u201cOsorbo\u201d Castillo P\u00e9rez is a Cuban rapper and artist who has received two Latin Grammy awards. Along with several other Cuban artists, he co-authored and released the song \u201cPatria Y Vida\u201d which became the anthem for the mass demonstrations in Cuba on July 11, 2021.\n\nMaykel was arbitrarily detained at his home by state security officials without a warrant on May 18, 2021, according to the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention. Following his detention, he forcibly disappeared and subsequently was transferred to the high security 5 y Medio prison in Pinar del R\u00edo on May 31, 2021 where he currently remains. Following a closed-door trial with significant police presence, Maykel was sentenced in June 2022 to nine years in prison.\n\nIn response to a complaint by seven international NGOs to the Working Group on Arbitrary Detentions, the United Nations found that Maykel \u201chas been imprisoned solely for his pro-democracy activism\u201d and demanded his release. The Cuban regime has not given any indication that he will be released. Cuban authorities haven\u2019t responded to the request of Castillo P\u00e9rez to leave the country with his family. He and his family were approved to travel to the United States under humanitarian parole at the beginning of 2023.\n\nMaykel has been subject to punishment cells, suspension of family visits, solitary confinement, delays in providing him necessary medical attention, threats from other inmates, and constant interrogations from state security. Since the beginning of April 2023, the organization started receiving reports that Maykel has been harassed and threatened by other prisoners to harm him after authorities installed a camera in the area where he is detained.\n\nOn July 12th of 2023, Maykel sewed his mouth shut and tattooed \"Patria y Vida\" (on his arm to protest threats to his life from fellow inmates and state security agents that he has been receiving for months. The next day, the authorities removed the stitches from Maykel's mouth and informed him that he would be denied visits from his family. He was placed in solitary confinement on 14 July. In his latest call to his friends on 18 July, he said: \"It's not enough because I have enough strength to keep bleeding\u2026 It's not enough that they lock me up in a prison, lying to my people, extorting my career. I prefer with great pride to descend in a coffin than to bow (\u2026)\"\n\nLuis Manuel Otero Alc\u00e1ntara is a self-taught Black Cuban visual and performance artist and member of the anti-censorship San Isidro Movement who was arrested while attempting to participate in the peaceful protests of July 11, 2021.\n\nOn July 11th of 2021, Luis Manuel posted a video online, saying he would be joining one of the largest demonstrations Cuba had seen in decades. Luis Manuel was arrested and taken to Guanajay maximum security prison, where he remains to this day. His trial, like Maykel\u2019s, was conducted behind closed doors and in violation of the essential guarantees of judicial impartiality, transparency, and independence.\n\nLuis Manuel is in a declining state of health. He has suffered a dislocated knee, is having problems with one of his eyes and has had circulatory problems. Like Maykel, he has lost a great deal of weight in recent months, according to information provided to Amnesty International. The United Nations Committee against Torture has already expressed its concern at the overcrowding, lack of ventilation, poor medical care, malnutrition, and insufficient provision of water in Cuban prisons.\n\nLike Maykel, Luis Manuel has been approved to enter the United States under humanitarian parole, but Cuba has not allowed him to leave the country. Along with hundreds of others, he is being arbitrarily detained simply for exercising his right to free expression. In a letter published by the Miami Herald, he stated: \u201cToday every young Cuban is a political prisoner. A censored artist. An exile inside and outside Cuba\u2026 as I approach the age of 35 behind bars, I reflect on the loss of youth under a dictatorial system.\u201d\n\n####", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T01:01:09Z"], ["https://frost.house.gov/media/press-releases/one-year-out-2024-elections-congressman-frost-announce-new-votes-act-ensure", "Congressman Frost Announces New VOTES Act to Ensure All Servicemembers Can Participate in Elections", "2023-11-06", "2023", "2023-11", "Democrat", "House", "FL", "Maxwell Frost", "F000476", "frost.house.gov", "frost", "https://frost.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "ORLANDO, FL \u2014 Today, Congressman Maxwell Alejandro Frost (FL-10) was joined by local Central Florida leaders as he unveiled the Voting Overseas Treated Equally for Servicemembers (VOTES) Act, legislation to support and protect the right to vote of servicemembers serving overseas.\n\nSpecifically, Congressman Frost\u2019s bill would fix a gap in federal law that only allows \u201cactive duty\u201d servicemembers stationed overseas to request an absentee ballot, excluding potentially thousands of overseas servicemembers who might have a different duty status such as \u201cactive service\u201d or \u201cinactive duty-training.\u201d\n\nThese servicemembers may be members of the Reserve or National Guard who are deployed as part of military drills or critical training exercises but who never receive \u201cactive duty\u201d status. In 2021 alone there were over 760,000 Reserve and National Guard servicemembers and it\u2019s unclear how many of those folks were stationed overseas and unable to participate in our democracy.\n\nFrost stood alongside Pernell Bush, a local U.S. Marine veteran, and Michael Adams from the City of Orlando\u2019s Veterans Advisory Council in calling the VOTES Act an important opportunity to reaffirm our support for the brave people currently protecting our very democracy.\n\n\u201cAs it stands right now, thousands of service members, many of whom have put their lives on the line and sacrificed being close to their families and friends in order to serve this country, are unable to participate in elections,\u201d said Congressman Maxwell Frost. \u201cIt is a huge oversight of our government that these servicemembers doing their honorable duty to defend and protect our democracy are currently being excluded from our democratic process. The bipartisan VOTES Act is our opportunity to extend the guarantee of being able to participate in democracy to all servicemembers, not just some.\u201d\n\nThe VOTES Act has been endorsed by American Legion, Enlisted Association of the National Guard of the United States, National Guard Association of the United States, and VoteVets.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T01:01:09Z"], ["https://frost.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressmen-maxwell-frost-and-cory-mills-partner-new-bill-crackdown-untracked", "Congressmen Maxwell Frost and Cory Mills Partner on New Bill to Crackdown on Untracked Defense Spending", "2023-11-03", "2023", "2023-11", "Democrat", "House", "FL", "Maxwell Frost", "F000476", "frost.house.gov", "frost", "https://frost.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON D.C \u2014 Today, Congressman Maxwell Alejandro Frost (D-FL-10) and Congressman Cory Mills (R-FL-07) announced the introduction of bipartisan legislation called the Defense Spending Oversight Act (H.R. 6187), a bill that would play a critical step in securing accountability and avoiding waste, fraud, and abuse in defense spending.\n\nSpecifically, the Frost, Mills legislation would require Inspectors General to create reports evaluating the net financial benefit of budget oversight investigations to crack down on the billions of unaccounted for taxpayer dollars being given to the DoD and military contractors with insufficient accountability.\n\nIn 2022, the Federal Times reported that the Pentagon officials recovered $13.2 million in just six months from a hotline that helped uncover wrongdoing from private contractors. A figure which underscores the need for Frost and Mills\u2019 bill to further support the critical work of Inspectors General who aid in auditing government agencies and recuperating these funds.\n\n\u201cWaste, fraud, and abuse in defense spending is too common,\u201d said Rep. Frost. \u201cCongressman Mills and I both know that adequate funding to ensure our national defense is entirely different from writing a blank check at the cost of Florida's taxpayers. Our bipartisan bill is an important part of cracking down on wasteful spending and recouping our tax dollars to hold bad actors accountable in the long run.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe American people have a right to know their hard-earned taxpayer dollars are being used effectively,\u201d said Rep. Mills. \u201cI\u2019m pleased to join my colleague, Rep. Frost, in this bipartisan effort to ensure there is proper transparency and spending oversight of the DOD. We must strive towards eliminating waste, fraud, and abuse from our federal agencies.\u201d\n\nEarlier this year, Congressman Frost was successful in including similar language as an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act of 2024. The introduction of this bill with Rep. Mills further underscores the bipartisan commitment Congress must have to cracking down on wasteful spending without accountability.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T01:01:09Z"], ["https://wilson.house.gov/media/press-releases/wilson-and-lalota-introduce-bill-to-increase-transparency-at-fema", "Wilson and LaLota Introduce Bill to Increase Transparency at FEMA", "2023-11-03", "2023", "2023-11", "Democrat", "House", "FL", "Frederica S. Wilson", "W000808", "wilson.house.gov", "wilson", "https://wilson.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Today, House of Representative members Frederica Wilson (FL-24) andNick LaLota (NY-01) introduced the FEMA Caseworker Accountability Act. This bill would hold the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) accountable for the case management staff turnover rate and require FEMA to provide information on what they are doing to improve retention rates.\n\n\"As a proud South Florida native, our resilient community has weathered decades of natural disasters, forging a close partnership with FEMA as they help support Floridians recovering from hurricanes, floods, tornadoes, and much more. During times of uncertainty, it is essential that FEMA provides disaster assistance to families who have endured unimaginable losses, offering them the relief they need to recover without the fear of their cases getting lost in the bureaucratic shuffle, particularly in the face of high staff turnover,\" said Congresswoman Wilson. \"I'm proud to join Representative LaLota in co-introducing the FEMA Caseworker Accountability Act, which marks a significant stride in ensuring FEMA's commitment to accountability concerning the turnover rate among its case management staff. We must guarantee that this vital agency not only responds promptly to disaster survivors but also works to improve staff retention and provide the critical support families need to rebuild their lives in the aftermath of these devastating events.\"\n\n\"My constituents are incredibly familiar with FEMA given our history of natural disasters and storms, especially the devastation left by Hurricane Sandy in 2012. FEMA has one of the higher turnover rates of any federal agency, which is troubling given the important work they do with victims of natural disasters to help get lives back on track,\" said LaLota, a member of the Homeland Security Committee. \"My FEMA Caseworker Accountability Act would ensure cases, disaster relief, and recovery funding do not fall through the cracks when a new caseworker comes on. We must ensure we have a transparent government which works for the people, not against them.\"\n\nTo read the full text of the resolution, click HERE.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T01:01:09Z"], ["https://castor.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=404363", "U.S. Rep. Castor Statement in Support of Humanitarian Aid and Security Assistance", "2023-11-02", "2023", "2023-11", "Democrat", "House", "FL", "Kathy Castor", "C001066", "castor.house.gov", "castor", "https://castor.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor (FL-14) released the following statement on passage of House Republicans\u2019 fiscally irresponsible and partisan bill that delays aid to Israel and Ukraine and omits humanitarian assistance:\n\n\u201cIn a maneuver that harms America\u2019s national security, House Republicans are stalling swift passage of security assistance to Israel and deserting our allies in Europe and the Indo-Pacific at a time that they need us most. The House GOP\u2019s bill immorally excludes humanitarian aid for innocent Palestinians who are used as human shields by Hamas terrorists. The GOP bill also appallingly attempts to shield rich tax cheats and increases the federal deficit.\n\n\u201cRepublican chaos in the House, default and shutdown threats, and wasteful, partisan bills are all a result of the far right MAGA extremists who careen from crisis to crisis. It\u2019s irresponsible, and it\u2019s dangerous.\n\n\u201cMeanwhile, House Democrats and the U.S. Senate are ready to move forward on bipartisan legislation to help our allies defend themselves and prevent a humanitarian crisis in partnership with President Biden. Defense aid to Israel has always been bipartisan, and the GOP shouldn\u2019t let MAGA extremists break that bond.\u201d\n\n\u201cDenying humanitarian assistance to millions of innocent civilians in Gaza and across the region would undermine Israel\u2019s security and stability in the region. It is in America\u2019s national security interest to ensure that the conflict does not widen as Israel defends itself after the barbaric terrorist attack. America can and should help our democratic allies defend themselves and rally other nations to support the humanitarian response.\"", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T01:01:09Z"], ["https://cherfilus-mccormick.house.gov/media/press-releases/congresswoman-cherfilus-mccormicks-statement-israel-security-supplemental", "Congresswoman Cherfilus-McCormick\u2019s Statement on the Israel Security Supplemental Appropriations Act", "2023-11-02", "2023", "2023-11", "Democrat", "House", "FL", "Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick", "C001127", "cherfilus-mccormick.house.gov", "cherfilus-mccormick", "https://cherfilus-mccormick.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, DC \u2013 Today, Congresswoman Cherfilus-McCormick (FL-20) issued the following statement on the Israel Security Supplemental Appropriations Act.\n\n\u201cWhile I unequivocally support security assistance for Israel, House Republicans led by Speaker Johnson put forward an extremist and reckless supplemental package. Their proposal would increase the deficit by $12.5 billion over the next decade, slash IRS funding, and allow millionaires to cheat on their taxes. Not only is it a disaster for working families, but it also establishes an alarming precedent by conditioning national security needs on partisan poison pill provisions.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T01:01:09Z"], ["https://frankel.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=3655", "Rep. Frankel Statement on Supporting Israel Funding Package", "2023-11-02", "2023", "2023-11", "Democrat", "House", "FL", "Lois Frankel", "F000462", "frankel.house.gov", "frankel", "https://frankel.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27", "scraper", "Washington, DC -- Today, Representative Lois Frankel (FL-22) released the following statement after voting in favor of a package to send over $14.3 billion in aid to Israel.\n\n\"The United States has a moral duty and national security urgency to aid Israel in defending herself,\" said Rep. Frankel. \"Make no mistake, Hamas terrorists and others in the region are out to destroy Israel and kill all Jews. We must send an unequivocal message to the world that we stand with Israel.\"\n\nThe bill passed the House by a vote of 226-196.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T01:01:09Z"], ["https://wassermanschultz.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=3108", "Congressional Latino-Jewish Caucus Leaders Denounce Chile, Colombia, and Bolivia for Severing Diplomatic Ties to Israel", "2023-11-02", "2023", "2023-11", "Democrat", "House", "FL", "Debbie Wasserman Schultz", "W000797", "wassermanschultz.house.gov", "wassermanschultz", "https://wassermanschultz.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx", "scraper", "Washington, D.C. \u2013 Today, Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL), was joined by fellow co-chairs of the Congressional Latino-Jewish Caucus, Reps. Mario D\u00edaz-Balart (R-FL), Adriano Espaillat (D-NY), and Tony Gonzales (R-TX), and the co-chair of the Congressional Colombia Caucus Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-TX), in issuing the following statement in response to recent diplomatic actions taken by Chile, Colombia, and Bolivia:\n\n\"We are appalled by the decision of the Governments of Chile and Colombia to recall their Ambassadors from Israel and Bolivia's unilateral suspension of diplomatic relations with Israel. We concur with the Israeli governments assessment that these decisions mark \"a surrender to terrorism and to the Ayatollah's regime in Iran.\"\n\n\"The United States Congress and the American people strongly support Israel's right to defend itself, as do the overwhelming majority of Latin American Jews, who have condemned the use of antisemitic rhetoric and incitement of violence by Colombian President Petro, Chilean President Boric, and Bolivian President Arce. We stand in solidarity with these communities who have been ignored by their leaders.\n\n\"After meeting with Colombia's Ambassador to the U.S. last week and expressing our disdain for President Petro's unceasing stream of antisemitic, defamatory statements, such as accusing Israel of genocide and comparing Colombian Jews to Nazis, we warned that this destructive behavior was unacceptable from a Major non-NATO ally of the United States.\n\n\"As leaders of the Congressional Latino-Jewish Caucus and the Congressional Colombia Caucus who have prioritized improving trilateral relations between the U.S., Latin America, and Israel, this evident contempt for Israel and the Jewish people is a deeply disappointing setback that we will endeavor to reverse.\"\n\n####\n\nL\u00edderes del Caucus Latino-Jud\u00edo del Congreso denuncian a Chile, Colombia, y Bolivia por romper lazos diplom\u00e1ticos con Israel\n\nWashington, D.C. \u2013 Hoy, la Representante Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL), se uni\u00f3 a los co-presidentes del Caucus Latino-Jud\u00edo de la C\u00e1mara de Representantes, los Representantes Mario D\u00edaz-Balart (R-FL), Adriano Espaillat (D-NY), y Tony Gonzales (R-TX), y el co-presidente del Caucus a favor de Colombia de la C\u00e1mara de Representantes, el Representante Henry Cuellar (D-TX), para emitir la siguiente declaraci\u00f3n en respuesta a las recientes acciones diplom\u00e1ticas tomadas por Chile, Colombia, y Bolivia:\n\n\"Estamos consternados por la decisi\u00f3n de los Gobiernos de Chile y Colombia de retirar a sus embajadores de Israel y la suspensi\u00f3n unilateral de las relaciones diplom\u00e1ticas de Bolivia con Israel. Estamos de acuerdo con la evaluaci\u00f3n del Gobierno israel\u00ed de que estas decisiones representan \u201cuna rendici\u00f3n al terrorismo y al r\u00e9gimen de los Ayatol\u00e1s en Ir\u00e1n\u201d, declararon los miembros.\n\n\"El Congreso de Estados Unidos y el pueblo americano apoyan firmemente el derecho de Israel a defenderse, al igual que la abrumadora mayor\u00eda de los jud\u00edos latinoamericanos, quienes han condenado el uso de ret\u00f3rica antisemita e incitaci\u00f3n a la violencia por parte del Presidente colombiano Petro, el Presidente chileno Boric y el Presidente boliviano Arce. Nos solidarizamos con estas comunidades que han sido ignoradas por sus l\u00edderes\u201d, continuaron los miembros.\n\n\"Despu\u00e9s de reunirnos con el Embajador de Colombia en Estados Unidos la semana pasada y expresar nuestro desprecio por la continua corriente de declaraciones antisemitas y difamatorias del Presidente Petro, como acusar a Israel de genocidio y comparar a los jud\u00edos colombianos con los nazis, advertimos que este comportamiento destructivo era inaceptable por parte de un aliado estrat\u00e9gico no miembro de la OTAN de Estados Unidos\u201d, continuaron los miembros.\n\n\"Como l\u00edderes del Caucus Latino-Jud\u00edo de la C\u00e1mara de Representantes y del Caucus a favor de Colombia de la C\u00e1mara de Representantes, quienes han priorizado mejorar las relaciones trilaterales entre Estados Unidos, Am\u00e9rica Latina e Israel, este evidente desprecio por Israel y el pueblo jud\u00edo es un retroceso profundamente decepcionante que nos esforzaremos por revertir\", concluyeron los miembros.\n\n####", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T01:01:09Z"], ["https://wassermanschultz.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=3109", "Wasserman Schultz On Israel Security Aid Vote", "2023-11-02", "2023", "2023-11", "Democrat", "House", "FL", "Debbie Wasserman Schultz", "W000797", "wassermanschultz.house.gov", "wassermanschultz", "https://wassermanschultz.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx", "scraper", "Washington D.C. \u2013 U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-25) issued the following statement on Republicans\u2019 partisan Israel supplemental funding bill:\n\n\u201cThe safety and security of Israel is paramount, especially in her time of crisis. I was appalled at the gross politicization of this critical funding and an unprecedented conditioning of emergency aid to Israel by Speaker Johnson. All week, I worked to rid this bill of the poison it contained, including offering an amendment that would have ensured a clean bill, but they were rejected by Republicans. I urged many of my colleagues to vote against this bill because of the horrendous precedent it set and the urgent need to pass the full emergency supplemental proposed by President Biden. For me, as a Jew, as a Zionist and as the representative of a large Jewish community, I personally needed to cast my vote to stand by Israel, the homeland of the Jewish people, in this moment of crisis. I will continue to work closely with the White House, the Senate, and bipartisan colleagues in the House to ensure America provides vital humanitarian aid and security assistance for our allies in Israel, Ukraine, and Taiwan.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T01:01:09Z"], ["https://castor.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=404359", "U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor Statement on Nomination of Judge Julie Sneed to U.S. Court for Middle of District of Florida", "2023-11-01", "2023", "2023-11", "Democrat", "House", "FL", "Kathy Castor", "C001066", "castor.house.gov", "castor", "https://castor.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx", "scraper", "TAMPA, FL \u2013 U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor (FL-14) released the following statement on President Joe Biden\u2019s nomination of Tampa-based U.S. Magistrate Judge Julie S. Sneed for the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida:\n\n\u201cI am thrilled that President Biden has nominated the well-respected Tampa Bay area federal Magistrate Judge Julie Sneed for the U.S. Court for the Middle District of Florida. Judge Sneed is widely respected for her proven commitment to fairness and the rule of law. Throughout her career, Judge Sneed has worked to ensure justice is served in a fair and impartial manner.\n\n\u201cThe Middle District Court is one of the busiest judicial districts in the country, and it is in the midst of a judicial emergency. It\u2019s critical we fill vacancies quickly to ensure that the wheels of justice turn efficiently.\n\n\u201cThe nomination of a new federal judge is a momentous occasion that underscores the importance of the judicial system in upholding the rule of law and the values we cherish as Americans. This moment signifies the culmination of a meticulous evaluation of Judge Sneed's unimpeachable qualifications, experience and legal expertise.\n\n\u201cPresident Biden\u2019s nomination of Judge Sneed builds on the President\u2019s commitment to fulfilling his promise to ensure the nation\u2019s courts reflect the diversity that is one of our greatest assets as a country \u2013 in terms of personal and professional backgrounds.\n\n\u201cI look forward to the U.S. Senate\u2019s swift confirmation of Judge Julie S. Sneed for the U.S. Court for the Middle District of Florida.\u201d\n\nJudge Julie S. Sneed has served as a United States Magistrate Judge for the Middle District of Florida since June 2015. She previously worked as a partner at Akerman LLP from 2012 to 2015; an associate and later a partner at Fowler White Boggs Banker, P.A. from 2004 to 2012; and a litigation associate at Trenam, Kemker, Scharf, Barkin, Frye, O\u2019Neill & Mullis, P.A. from 1997 to 2000. Judge Sneed served as a law clerk for Judge James D. Whittemore on the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida from 2000 to 2004 and Judge Chris W. Altenbernd on the Florida Second District Court of Appeal from 1995 to 1997. She received her J.D. from Florida State University College of Law in 1994 and her B.S. from the University of Florida in 1991. Judge Sneed is married to Dr. Kevin Sneed, Dean of the University of South Florida\u2019s College of Pharmacy.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T01:01:09Z"], ["https://wassermanschultz.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=3103", "Wasserman Schultz, Salazar Condemn Recent Assault on Venezuelan Democracy", "2023-11-01", "2023", "2023-11", "Democrat", "House", "FL", "Debbie Wasserman Schultz", "W000797", "wassermanschultz.house.gov", "wassermanschultz", "https://wassermanschultz.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx", "scraper", "Washington DC \u2013 Today, U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL), co-chair of the Congressional Venezuela Democracy Caucus, was joined by Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar (R-FL), Chair of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere, in the releasing the following joint statement in response to recent developments in Venezuela:\n\n\"We strongly condemn the decision by Venezuela's regime-controlled court to suspend the democratic opposition's primary election process, which mobilized 2.4 million Venezuelan voters who nominated Mar\u00eda Corina Machado as the opposition candidate for the 2024 presidential election. This assault on democracy is a severe breach of democratic principles and a clear violation of the Maduro regime's recent agreement with the opposition Unitary Platform and the Biden Administration.\u201d\n\n\"The criminalization of this legitimate political process, which was overseen by independent election observers and coordinated in compliance with international norms, reflects a well-established pattern of disdain for genuine electoral independence and repression of political opponents, as illustrated by the regime\u2019s ban on opposition candidates and parties.\n\n\"The court's requirement that the independent National Primary Commission turn over documents identifying Venezuelan voters is especially grave, considering the regime's history of retaliating against dissent through arbitrary imprisonment, extrajudicial killings, torture, marginalization, and denial of social services. We are horrified by the prospect that Venezuelan Americans who participated in the primary vote, including many of our constituents, could become targets of the regime.\n\n\"The Biden Administration should use all available tools to enforce the terms of the October 17 agreement, which promised the reimposition of sanctions in the event of a violation, and ensure that Ms. Machado has the opportunity to run in a free, fair election. Every effort must be undertaken to protect Venezuelan voters, including Venezuelan Americans, from retaliation for exercising their right to vote.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T01:01:09Z"], ["https://castor.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=404355", "Castor, Florida Democratic Congressional Delegation Urge CMS to Protect Access to Health Coverage for Floridians", "2023-10-30", "2023", "2023-10", "Democrat", "House", "FL", "Kathy Castor", "C001066", "castor.house.gov", "castor", "https://castor.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx", "scraper", "TAMPA, FL \u2013 U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor (FL-14) and the entire Florida Democratic Congressional delegation urged the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to use every tool at its disposal to aid Florida families who are being cut off from their health coverage by the State. The delegation urges CMS to examine the substantial numbers being disenrolled from health coverage and assess whether or not the State of Florida properly follows federal rules and regulations related to Medicaid redeterminations. If they are not, CMS should take action to prevent any unnecessary and improper loss of coverage.\n\n\u201cFlorida\u2019s Department of Children and Families (DCF) has redetermined eligibility for over 2.2 million individuals since the end of the Medicaid continuous coverage requirement. Of the nearly 675,000 individuals who have been terminated from the program, 72% of them were for procedural reasons, not because the individual was no longer eligible for the program,\u201d the lawmakers write. \u201cWe are particularly concerned that through October 2023, Florida has disenrolled 201,078 children from the Medicaid program, while the net enrollment in KidCare \u2013 Florida\u2019s Children\u2019s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) \u2013 has only been 25,281.\u201d\n\n\u201cWe strongly encourage CMS to investigate whether the state is complying with all federal rules and regulations regarding Medicaid redetermination,\u201d the lawmakers concluded. \u201cIf necessary, we urge you to use every tool at your disposal, including potentially exercising statutory authorities to issue corrective action plans or pause procedural terminations, to ensure the state remedies serious flaws in its redetermination process.\u201d\n\nThe full letter is available .", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T00:49:26Z"], ["https://cherfilus-mccormick.house.gov/media/press-releases/cherfilus-mccormick-florida-democratic-congressional-delegation-urge-cms", "Cherfilus-McCormick, Florida Democratic Congressional Delegation Urge CMS to Protect Access to Health Coverage for Floridians", "2023-10-30", "2023", "2023-10", "Democrat", "House", "FL", "Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick", "C001127", "cherfilus-mccormick.house.gov", "cherfilus-mccormick", "https://cherfilus-mccormick.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, DC \u2013 U.S. Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL-20) and the entire Florida Democratic Congressional delegation urged the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to use every tool at its disposal to aid Florida families who are being cut off from their health coverage by the State. The delegation urges CMS to examine the substantial numbers being disenrolled from health coverage and assess whether or not the State of Florida properly follows federal rules and regulations related to Medicaid redeterminations. If they are not, CMS should take action to prevent any unnecessary and improper loss of coverage.\n\n\u201cFlorida\u2019s Department of Children and Families (DCF) has redetermined eligibility for over 2.2 million individuals since the end of the Medicaid continuous coverage requirement. Of the nearly 675,000 individuals who have been terminated from the program, 72% of them were for procedural reasons, not because the individual was no longer eligible for the program,\u201d the lawmakers write. \u201cWe are particularly concerned that through October 2023, Florida has disenrolled 201,078 children from the Medicaid program, while the net enrollment in KidCare \u2013 Florida\u2019s Children\u2019s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) \u2013 has only been 25,281.\u201d\n\n\u201cWe strongly encourage CMS to investigate whether the state is complying with all federal rules and regulations regarding Medicaid redetermination,\u201d the lawmakers concluded. \u201cIf necessary, we urge you to use every tool at your disposal, including potentially exercising statutory authorities to issue corrective action plans or pause procedural terminations, to ensure the state remedies serious flaws in its redetermination process.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T00:49:26Z"], ["https://cherfilus-mccormick.house.gov/media/press-releases/congresswoman-cherfilus-mccormick-launches-district-20-advisory-board", "Congresswoman Cherfilus-McCormick Launches District 20 Advisory Board", "2023-10-30", "2023", "2023-10", "Democrat", "House", "FL", "Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick", "C001127", "cherfilus-mccormick.house.gov", "cherfilus-mccormick", "https://cherfilus-mccormick.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "TAMARAC, FL \u2013 Today, Congresswoman Cherfilus-McCormick launched the Congressional District 20 Advisory Board, which will collectively leverage the expertise and lived experiences of constituents across a wide range of industries and sectors.\n\n\u201cDirect input and firsthand accounts from community leaders across Florida\u2019s 20th Congressional District are integral to my work in Washington,\u201d said Congresswoman Cherfilus-McCormick. \u201cThe District 20 Advisory Board will harness constituents\u2019 lived experiences to support district-wide initiatives and legislative solutions that best meet the needs of FL-20. I thank all of the Advisory Board members for their service and look forward to working with them hand in hand.\u201d\n\nA full roster of board committee members can be found below:\n\nBusiness & Labor Advisory Board\n\nSandra Christie-Brown\n\nRodney Davis\n\nDymond Franklin\n\nMakeba Gassant\n\nTaniel Koushakjian\n\nSergio Piedra\n\nSylvia Sharps\n\nPeter Mason\n\nAmy Moore\n\nHousing, Transportation & Urban Development Board\n\nPaul Calvaresi\n\nLuciene Gomes\n\nGregory Gryczan\n\nKarina Ramirez\n\nDmitri Kryjanovski\n\nDonald Campbell\n\nNatasha Britton\n\nHealthcare Advisory Board\n\nLi Kruszka\n\nBarbara Martin\n\nAnnalynn Schooley\n\nTargol Tarahomi\n\nNatalie DeLeon\n\nMartine Senatus\n\nVeterans Advisory Board\n\nChristopher Jhon\n\nMakissa Lewis\n\nEdna Frazier\n\nS. \u201cRay\u201d Martin\n\nFaith Leader Advisory Board\n\nSheila Harvey\n\nMadline Noel\n\nTyrielle Jarmon\n\nGarry Paxinos\n\nSeniors Advisory Board\n\nStewart Webster\n\nNashika Jackson-Ogilvie\n\nPaola Pouponneau-Nisbett", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T00:49:26Z"], ["https://wassermanschultz.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=3102", "Wasserman Schultz on Speaker Johnson's Jeopardizing Israel Security Aid", "2023-10-30", "2023", "2023-10", "Democrat", "House", "FL", "Debbie Wasserman Schultz", "W000797", "wassermanschultz.house.gov", "wassermanschultz", "https://wassermanschultz.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx", "scraper", "Washington DC \u2013 U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-25) released the following statement regarding Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson\u2019s insistence on unprecedented offsets for approval of any Israel security aid:\n\n\u201cSupport for defending Israel should not come with conditions, be it cutting foreign military financing by 30% or offsetting aid in a time of crucial need. I am deeply disturbed by Speaker Johnson playing political games with Israeli emergency funding, something our nation has never done in a time of crisis.\n\nThis extreme tactic undercuts our credibility and feeds the absurd notion that America must choose between providing for our neighbors and pushing back against genocidal terrorists who kill and kidnap Israelis and Americans.\n\nWe cannot afford to politicize the battle against Hamas and Iran, giving ammunition to anti-Israel extremists around the world.\n\nWhen your neighbor\u2019s house is on fire, you don\u2019t haggle over the price of the garden hose. Speaker Johnson's political games are offensive to all pro-Israel Americans, and I hope he reverses course immediately.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T00:49:26Z"], ["https://frost.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressmen-maxwell-frost-daniel-webster-partner-bipartisan-bill-fix-gaps", "Congressmen Maxwell Frost, Daniel Webster Partner on Bipartisan Bill to Fix Gaps in Hurricane Preparedness for Floridians", "2023-10-27", "2023", "2023-10", "Democrat", "House", "FL", "Maxwell Frost", "F000476", "frost.house.gov", "frost", "https://frost.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, DC \u2014 Today, Congressman Maxwell Alejandro Frost (D-FL-10) and Congressman Daniel Webster (R-FL-11) announced the introduction of their bipartisan bill, the Fixing Gaps in Hurricane Preparedness Act (H.R. 6080) to save lives in the event of a hurricane or tropical storm.\n\nThe legislation, which marks Frost\u2019s first bipartisan bill, would ensure that hurricane preparedness tools, alerts, and planning systems would address the needs of seniors, people with disabilities, non-English speakers, and rural and urban populations.\n\nSpecifically, the Fixing Gaps in Hurricane Preparedness Act would require the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to review how these populations receive and react to emergency notifications and evaluate how these folks are able to prepare themselves in the event of a hurricane. Closing these gaps have proven to be critical as two-thirds or more of the fatalities from Hurricane Katrina in 2005, Hurricane Florence in 2018, and Hurricane Ian in 2022 were people over 60 years old. And all of Hurricane Dorian\u2019s Central Florida fatalities were people aged 56 to 86.\n\n\u201cWith Florida and our people on the frontlines of worsening hurricanes and storms, the Fixing Gaps in Hurricane Preparedness Act will help pave the way for new steps that will help protect the most at-risk folks from the worst of a natural disaster,\u201d said Rep. Maxwell Frost. \u201cOur emergency communications and preparations systems need to meet Floridians where they are at \u2013 whether you\u2019re a senior, someone living with a disability, or a non-English speaker \u2013 you deserve to have the knowledge and tools necessary to protect yourself from a hurricane, and this bill does just that.\u201d\n\n\u201cAs Floridians, we are not strangers to the terrible power and ravages of hurricanes and tropical storms, and we recognize the need for emergency relief when such tragedies occur,\u201d said Rep. Daniel Webster. \u201cIn the wake of natural disasters, seniors, people with disabilities and those in rural areas are often most vulnerable. The Fixing Gaps in Hurricane Preparedness Act will help federal agencies evaluate how these harder to reach populations receive emergency notifications and identify shortcomings to improve preparedness and assure that assistance will swiftly reach those at the time of need.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T00:49:26Z"], ["https://cherfilus-mccormick.house.gov/media/press-releases/reps-cherfilus-mccormick-ciscomani-sponsor-new-bipartisan-effort-support", "Reps. Cherfilus-McCormick, Ciscomani, Sponsor New Bipartisan Effort to Support Community College Nursing Programs", "2023-10-26", "2023", "2023-10", "Democrat", "House", "FL", "Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick", "C001127", "cherfilus-mccormick.house.gov", "cherfilus-mccormick", "https://cherfilus-mccormick.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, DC \u2013 U.S. Representatives Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL-20) and Juan Ciscomani (R-AZ-06) introduced new bipartisan legislation this week to support additional funding for nursing programs at community colleges. Full text of the legislation is available here.\n\nThe Grants for Resources in Occupational Workforce Training for Healthcare (GROWTH) Act expands eligibility to the Nurse Education, Practice, Quality, and Retention (NEPQR)\u2014Pathway to Registered Nurse Program (PRNP) grants under the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to include community colleges. The bill would also prioritize allocating up to 50 percent of total funds to community colleges or partnerships with community colleges. Currently, a large majority of these grants go to 4-year institutions.\n\n\u201cThe national nursing shortage has hit health facilities hard and compromised access to quality care,\u201d said Rep. Cherfilus-McCormick. \u201cThat is precisely why we must make it easier for community college students to pursue a successful career in nursing, without worrying about financial hurdles. I am proud to introduce the bipartisan GROWTH Act, which will bolster our healthcare system and address this critical workforce shortage.\u201d\n\n\u201cAs a proud graduate of Pima Community College, I know how crucial these institutions are to students, the workforce, and our communities,\u201d said Rep. Ciscomani. \u201cThese students should have the same opportunities and funding as their counterparts at a 4-year university. This bill strengthens our nursing workforce while improving the programs offered by our community colleges.\u201d\n\nReps. Cherfilus-McCormick and Ciscomani are joined on the bill by Reps. John James (R-MI-10), David Trone (D-MD-06), Jen Kiggans (R-VA-02), and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-WA-03). This legislation is also supported by American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) and Families USA.\n\n\u201cCommunity colleges make an essential contribution to the country\u2019s nursing workforce, conferring 75% of all associate nursing degrees in 2019-20,\u201d said Dr. Walter G. Bumphus, the President and CEO of the AACC. \u201cThe community colleges\u2019 highly qualified graduates work across the nation contributing greatly to local and regional workforce pipelines while earning family sustaining wages. These community college nursing programs play a critical role in the nation\u2019s workforce but receive virtually no funding through the basic federal nursing program. This important legislation would help these colleges secure badly needed resources to support and expand these costly educational programs while helping to broaden the nation\u2019s nursing workforce and enhance patient care.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T00:49:26Z"], ["https://frost.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-maxwell-frost-announces-over-100-million-federal-dollars-help", "Congressman Maxwell Frost Announces Over $100 Million in Federal Dollars to Help Lower Air Conditioning Costs for Millions of Floridians", "2023-10-26", "2023", "2023-10", "Democrat", "House", "FL", "Maxwell Frost", "F000476", "frost.house.gov", "frost", "https://frost.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON D.C. \u2014 Today, Congressman Maxwell Alejandro Frost (D-FL) announced that Florida has been awarded $106,028,700 in funding for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP).\n\nAdministered through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, this funding will help working Floridians and low-income families pay their home cooling bills in the summer and heating costs this winter. The money can also help folks, especially seniors, weatherproof their homes to make them more energy efficient, and mitigate energy emergencies during disasters and extreme weather like hurricanes and heat waves.\n\nThe funding comes after Congressman Frost sent a letter earlier this year calling for increased funding for LIHEAP toprovide states in the South with the resources they need to help families pay their electricity bills and stay cool during the record-breaking heat waves.\n\n\u201cFlorida families should never have to choose between living in extreme heat or putting food on the table, but that\u2019s exactly the choice too many working people are facing in our state,\u201d said Congressman Maxwell Frost. \u201cOver $100 million coming to Florida means warmer winters, cooler summers, and safer homes for low-income households, particularly those with seniors, individuals with disabilities, and young children. Thanks to President Biden and our Democratic colleagues in Congress, Florida families are going to see their energy costs go down and their quality of living go up.\u201d\n\nIndividuals interested in applying for LIHEAP can visit energyhelp.us or?call the National Energy Assistance Referral (NEAR) hotline toll-free at:?1-866-674-6327.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T00:49:26Z"], ["https://wilson.house.gov/media/press-releases/congresswoman-wilson-votes-in-favor-of-resolution-to-support-israel", "Congresswoman Wilson Votes in Favor of Resolution to Support Israel", "2023-10-26", "2023", "2023-10", "Democrat", "House", "FL", "Frederica S. Wilson", "W000808", "wilson.house.gov", "wilson", "https://wilson.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Congresswoman Frederica S. Wilson (FL-24), member of the Congressional Israel Allies Caucus and Congressional Democratic Israel Working Group Caucus, released the following statement reacting to the Resolution to stand with Israel.\n\n\"Today, Congress set aside partisanship and stood in solidarity with Israel during a time of significant hardship for the nation. Hundreds of Israelis have lost their lives at the hands of Hamas. To this day, Hamas still holds Israeli and American hostages, perpetuating fear among the people. I am proud to vote for the bipartisan resolution to let the world know the United States stands with Israel. Democrats and Republicans understand the dire situation in Israel, and we must stand with one of our closest allies. This resolution states loudly that when Israel is strong, America is strong. Our national security and commitment to democracy and freedom depend on our support for Israel. I am pleased to see the House of Representatives united in standing with Israel. I look forward to allocating the necessary funds to ensure Israel's self-defense against all attacks.\"\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T00:49:26Z"], ["https://castor.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=404348", "Castor Statement on Election of New Speaker of the House from Extreme Right Wing", "2023-10-25", "2023", "2023-10", "Democrat", "House", "FL", "Kathy Castor", "C001066", "castor.house.gov", "castor", "https://castor.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor (FL-14) today released the following statement after Republican Rep. Michael Johnson (LA-04) was elected as Speaker of the House of Representatives after weeks of GOP chaos:\n\n\u201cFrom the moment Republicans gained a majority in the House, Americans have endured unnecessary and costly chaos at the hands of extreme MAGA Republicans. Republicans have used default and shutdown threats to force a radical agenda on American families. Now, the MAGA wing has elevated one of its most extreme members to Speaker.\n\n\u201cSpeaker Johnson\u2019s record is very concerning for my Tampa Bay neighbors as he has voted to gut Social Security and Medicare, criminalize abortion, repeal marriage equality, and abandon our allies. Johnson was intimately involved in the effort to throw out fairly-cast votes in 2020 Election, which should be disqualifying to serve as Speaker.\n\n\u201cTime is of the essence to address the many challenges facing Americans. I will continue to urge a bipartisan path forward in the coming days to end the chaos caused by MAGA extremists, and do the work we were sent here to do.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T00:49:26Z"], ["https://castor.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=404349", "Rep. Castor Statement on Passage of House Resolution in Support of Israel\u2019s Right to Defend Itself Against Barbaric Hamas Terrorist Attacks", "2023-10-25", "2023", "2023-10", "Democrat", "House", "FL", "Kathy Castor", "C001066", "castor.house.gov", "castor", "https://castor.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor (FL-14) released the following statement upon passage of a resolution in support of Israel\u2019s right to defend itself and condemning Hamas and other terrorist organizations.\n\n\"I stand with Israel and the Jewish people in the wake of the barbaric attack by Hamas terrorists. I am deeply saddened by the brutal murders, rapes and hostage-taking of innocent people. I pray for all of those who've been injured and for all the innocent people in harm's way.\n\n\u201cIn the coming days, the Congress will consider approving additional security assistance to Israel, humanitarian aid for the innocent people in Gaza and other critical needs. It is in the national security interests of the United States to work to prevent escalation of a wider war as President Biden works to free hostages and provide safe passage for critical supplies.\u201d\n\nH.Res. 771 passed the House of Representatives with overwhelming bipartisan support, including every member of Florida\u2019s Congressional Delegation.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T00:49:26Z"], ["https://frankel.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=3652", "Rep. Frankel Statement on House Republicans Handing the Gavel to MAGA Extremism", "2023-10-25", "2023", "2023-10", "Democrat", "House", "FL", "Lois Frankel", "F000462", "frankel.house.gov", "frankel", "https://frankel.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27", "scraper", "Washington, DC \u2013 Today, Rep. Lois Frankel (FL-22) released the following statement after House Republicans elected Rep. Mike Johnson to become the next Speaker of the House.\n\n\u201cWith their vote today, Republicans have once again turned the House over to MAGA extremism,\u201d said Rep. Frankel. \u201cMike Johnson was a central architect of the former President\u2019s dangerous, shameful effort to overturn the 2020 election, has supported numerous bills to ban abortion nationwide, and proposed a budget to cut Social Security benefits. With my House Democrats, I remain committed to putting People Over Politics\u2014working to lower everyday costs, defend reproductive freedom, and protect our national security.\u201d\n\nBy a vote of 220-209, Rep. Johnson was voted Speaker of the House.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T00:49:26Z"], ["https://frost.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-maxwell-frost-statement-election-rep-mike-johnson-speaker-house", "Congressman Maxwell Frost Statement on Election of Rep. Mike Johnson as Speaker of the House", "2023-10-25", "2023", "2023-10", "Democrat", "House", "FL", "Maxwell Frost", "F000476", "frost.house.gov", "frost", "https://frost.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, DC \u2014 Today, Congressman Maxwell Alejandro Frost (FL-10) released a statement following the election of Congressman Mike Johnson as Speaker of the House of Representatives.\n\nIn a statement, Rep. Frost says:\n\n\u201cFor the last 22 days, the American people have had a front row seat to the embarrassment that is the House Republican Conference as they\u2019ve fought one another to select a new leader more extreme than the last.\n\n\u201cWell today they have succeeded in doing just that. Mike Johnson is an election denying, LGBTQ+ hating, extremist conservative who wants to slash your Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid, and supports banning abortion so that women are forced to give birth to provide more \u201cable-bodied workers\u201d for our workforce.\n\n\u201cHe was the chief architect to overturn the 2020 election, voting to appease a seditious movement that aimed to destroy our democracy for personal gain.\n\n\u201cMike Johnson isn\u2019t here to govern on behalf of the American people \u2013 he\u2019s here to impose his ultra conservative will onto our nation, to drive our economy to the brink of a shutdown if we don\u2019t agree to slash and burn critical federal programs, and to bow down to his self-proclaimed leader \u2013 the indicted former president.\n\n\u201cThe clown show continues, and it\u2019s working folks across Florida and our country who suffer.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T00:49:26Z"], ["https://wilson.house.gov/media/press-releases/congresswoman-wilson-announces-106-million-for-florida-to-help-households-with-home-energy-costs", "Congresswoman Wilson Announces $106 Million for Florida to Help Households with Home Energy Costs", "2023-10-25", "2023", "2023-10", "Democrat", "House", "FL", "Frederica S. Wilson", "W000808", "wilson.house.gov", "wilson", "https://wilson.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Today, Congresswoman Frederica Wilson (FL-24) announced that Florida was awarded $106 million in funding for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). Administered through the Administration for Children and Families Office of Community Services at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, this funding will help individuals and families with low incomes pay their home heating costs this winter and with cooling bills in the summer. LIHEAP can also be used to weatherize homes to make them more energy efficient and during disasters and extreme weather to mitigate energy emergencies.\n\nToday's funding release includes funds appropriated by Congress from the Continuing Appropriations Act 2024 and $100 million appropriated for FY 2024 from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.\n\n\"LIHEAP funding has been a lifeline for South Florida families, ensuring all our residents feel safe and can escape scorching temperature, especially during scorching heatwaves that seem to get hotter and last longer every year,\" Congresswoman Wilson said. \"I'm thankful to the Biden Administration and the Department of Health and Human Services for helping Florida families have the support they need to stay cool, safe, and secure. With these critical funds, we're not just providing financial relief; we're offering peace of mind to Floridians when they most need it.\"\n\nMaintaining safe indoor air temperatures is critical, particularly for households that include older adults, individuals with disabilities, and young children. By helping to reduce the costs of home heating and cooling bills, reconnecting energy services that have been disconnected, preventing energy shutoffs, and providing minor energy-related home repairs, LIHEAP helps make sure that our neighbors can meet their home energy needs and stay safe in their homes.\n\nIndividuals interested in applying for LIHEAP can visit energyhelp.us or call the National Energy Assistance Referral (NEAR) hotline toll-free at 1-866-674-6327.\n\nNot sure whether you qualify? Households can easily identify if they may be eligible for assistance by using the LIHEAP Eligibility Tool on energyhelp.us.\n\nIn addition to releasing the funding, ACF's Office of Community Services (OCS) has updated its LIHEAP heating season toolkit to help grant recipients and stakeholders effectively reach households in need of assistance. To access the toolkit's outreach materials including flyers, social media templates, and animated videos, visit the OCS Website.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T00:49:26Z"], ["https://wilson.house.gov/media/press-releases/congresswoman-wilson-s-reaction-to-the-election-of-mike-johnson-as-speaker-of-the-us-house-of-representatives", "Congresswoman Wilson's Reaction to the Election of Mike Johnson as Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives", "2023-10-25", "2023", "2023-10", "Democrat", "House", "FL", "Frederica S. Wilson", "W000808", "wilson.house.gov", "wilson", "https://wilson.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Today, Congresswoman Frederica S. Wilson (FL-24), a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus and Congressional Black Caucus, released the following statement on the election of Mike Johnson as Speaker of the House of Representatives.\n\n\"I want to congratulate our new Speaker of the House, Mike Johnson. As we emerge from the turbulence that has gripped the House for the past 22 days, I hope we can put the partisanship aside and work together, as Democrats and Republicans, to deliver for the American people. Speaker Mike Johnson has the opportunity to bring fresh leadership to this House of Representatives and, by extension, the nation. The office of Speaker transcends any individual or political party. In the United States of America, it is our duty to champion America and maintain our values of democracy and freedom. I look forward to working with Speaker Mike Johnson, as it is our shared responsibility to serve the American people and uphold our position of leadership on the global stage.\"\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T00:49:26Z"], ["https://wassermanschultz.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=3101", "Blumenthal, Wasserman Schultz Lead Reintroduction of Youth E-cigarette & Tobacco Prevention Legislation", "2023-10-24", "2023", "2023-10", "Democrat", "House", "FL", "Debbie Wasserman Schultz", "W000797", "wassermanschultz.house.gov", "wassermanschultz", "https://wassermanschultz.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx", "scraper", "Millions of young people are using harmful e-cigarettes & other flavored tobacco products\n\n[WASHINGTON, D.C.] \u2013 Today, U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and U.S. Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) reintroduced their bicameral Preventing Opportunities for Teen E-Cigarette and Tobacco Addiction (PROTECT) Act to address tobacco use by millions of American teens. E-cigarettes and other tobacco products with nicotine have been found to be harmful to long-term health and adolescent brain development.\n\n\u201cThis bill will help prevent yet another generation from getting hooked on tobacco,\u201d said Blumenthal. \u201cThe scourge of e-cigarette and tobacco use among teens and young adults poses a real, dangerous threat to their long-term health and development. JUUL, Puff Bar, and other e-cigarette manufacturers have taken a page right out of Big Tobacco\u2019s playbook, using deceptive marketing tactics and preying on impressionable youth by promoting extravagant flavors and products. By improving research, education, and outreach, the PROTECT Act would equip the CDC as well as states and localities with the funds and tools necessary to protect young people from the e-cigarette industry\u2019s manipulative practices.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe profit-driven, predatory drive to hook America\u2019s young people on e-cigarettes and tobacco products demands an aggressive counterattack, and this bill would arm parents, healthcare providers, schools, and policymakers with the vital tools we need to defeat the perils children face with this ongoing epidemic,\u201d said Wasserman Schultz. \u201cThrough research, guidance, and messaging, this legislation would develop targeted strategies to aggressively address the dangers caused by e-cigarettes. At all costs, we need to ensure our young people do not become addicted to these harmful products. I am proud to help lead this important legislation that takes a bold step toward addressing this urgent public health issue.\u201d\n\nThe PROTECT Act would establish a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) initiative that authorizes $500 million over five years for enhanced research and education about the harmful effects of tobacco products. The bill would also identify effective messaging aimed at teens and young adults, and allocate funds via grants, cooperative agreements, or contracts to state, local, tribal, and national organizations for preventing and reducing youth e-cigarette use.\n\nThe bill is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Edward J. Markey (D-MA), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Jack Reed (D-RI), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Bob Casey (D-PA), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), as well as U.S. Representatives Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) and Mark DeSaulnier (D-CA).\n\nThe PROTECT Act is endorsed by a number of organizations, including American Lung Association, American Heart Association, Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids, Parents Against Vaping e-cigarettes, LUNGevity Foundation, QuitDoc Foundation, and Tobacco Free Partnership of Broward County.\n\n\u201cYouth vaping continues to be a serious public health concern with more than 2.5 million middle and high school students reporting that they have used e-cigarettes in the last 30 days, according to the 2022 National Youth Tobacco Survey. Steps must be taken by parents, educators and especially policymakers to end the youth e-cigarette epidemic,\u201d said Harold Wimmer, President and CEO of the American Lung Association. \u201cThe introduction of the PROTECT Act will give us the tools we need to help kids quit and prevent another generation of young people from becoming addicted to tobacco.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe PROTECT Act would fund what the tobacco industry has spent years working to prevent: independent, rigorous scientific research on e-cigarette use and effective interventions that health care providers and schools can use with youth and young adults addicted to e-cigarettes,\u201d said Mark Schoeberl, Executive Vice President of Advocacy at the American Heart Association. \u201cThe American Heart Association thanks Sen. Blumenthal and Rep. Wasserman Schultz for their leadership in confronting the e-cigarette epidemic and working to protect our nation\u2019s children from a lifetime of tobacco use and nicotine addiction.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids strongly supports the Preventing Opportunities for Teen E-Cigarette and Tobacco Addiction (PROTECT) Act. This legislation recognizes that youth e-cigarette use remains a serious public health problem in the United States and that CDC requires additional resources to help bring this crisis to an end,\u201d said Yolonda C. Richardson, President and CEO of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. \u201cWe applaud the sponsors of the legislation, Reps. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL), Mark DeSaulnier (D-CA), and Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) and Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), for their leadership in working to stop tobacco companies from addicting kids with e-cigarettes and other emerging tobacco products.\u201d\n\n\u201cOn behalf of the millions of families whose lives have been upended by the youth vaping epidemic, we are grateful to Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-25) and Senator Richard Blumenthal (CT) for their continued support in addressing this vital issue,\u201d said Dorian Fuhrman and Meredith Berkman, co-Founders of Parents Against Vaping e-cigarettes. \u201cBig Tobacco has proven to be nimble in introducing new products and skirting regulations. The Preventing Opportunities for Teen E\u2013Cigarette and Tobacco Addiction Act (PROTECT Act) would give the CDC tools to reduce teen e-cigarette use and address much-needed cessation strategies for young people addicted to nicotine.\u201d\n\n\u201cOur organization has been waiting for a long time for federal legislation designed to reverse the youth vaping epidemic created by the tobacco industry,\u201d said Dr. Barry Hummel, a Pediatrician and Co-Founder of the QuitDoc Foundation. \u201cThe PROTECT Act will provide the resources necessary to fight this battle on two fronts. The bill not only focuses on the prevention services designed to prevent the initiation of vaping by underage minors, but recognizes the need to create adequate intervention and cessation services for children and teens to help the overcome nicotine addiction.\u201d\n\nThe text of the Senate version of the bill is available here. The House introduced an identical version of the legislation.\n\n-xxxx-", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T00:49:26Z"], ["https://cherfilus-mccormick.house.gov/media/press-releases/congresswoman-sheila-cherfilus-mccormick-hosts-stakeholder-roundtable", "Congresswoman Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick Hosts Stakeholder Roundtable on Multinational Security Mission", "2023-10-20", "2023", "2023-10", "Democrat", "House", "FL", "Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick", "C001127", "cherfilus-mccormick.house.gov", "cherfilus-mccormick", "https://cherfilus-mccormick.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "FORT LAUDERDALE, FL \u2013 On October 16, Congresswoman Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL) hosted a roundtable discussion with Deputy Assistant Secretary for Caribbean Affairs and Haiti Barbara Feinstein on the recent United Nations Security Council resolution authorizing a multinational security mission in Haiti.\n\n\u201cThis roundtable served as an opportunity for the Haitian Diaspora to discuss a path forward for Haiti and define the multinational security mission\u2019s rules of engagement and safeguards. I am grateful that Deputy Assistant Secretary Barbara Feinstein was able to join this important and much-needed dialogue, and I applaud the Biden-Harris Administration for their firm commitment to respecting Haitians\u2019 self-determination,\u201d said Congresswoman Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL). \u201cThe distinctive backgrounds, expertise, and cultural competency of the Diaspora are essential to engagement and will ensure that we do not make the same mistakes of the past during this defining moment in Haiti\u2019s future. As Deputy Assistant Secretary Feinstein highlighted during the roundtable, I share the view that this mission is an important first step for Haiti but will be insufficient without political consensus on the ground.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe Haitian Diaspora is a vital partner in supporting Haiti on a path towards improved security, prosperity, and a return to democratic order. I applaud Rep. Cherfilus-McCormick\u2019s vision in convening Haitian American leaders to discuss the multidimensional crisis in Haiti. Their valuable and frank insights, expertise and know-how will continue to inform our approach at this critical time,\u201d said Deputy Assistant Secretary for Caribbean Affairs and Haiti Barbara Feinstein.\n\nThe roundtable served as an open discussion with Haitian Diaspora community leaders in South Florida on the multinational security mission and the role that civil society can play in this effort, as well as on other relevant topics including justice, governance, and arms trafficking. This roundtable is an ongoing conversation and part of a larger series of discussions around what it will take to move Haiti forward.\n\nAttendees included representatives from the Sant La Haitian Neighborhood Center, the City of Miami Gardens, the National Haitian American Elected Officials Network (NHAEON), the Haitian American Chamber of Commerce, Community Alliance Relief & Empowerment Services (CARES), Pathways to Wellness Foundation, the Family Action Network Movement in Action, and other key representatives from the Haitian Diaspora.\n\nCongresswoman Cherfilus-McCormick \u2015 the only Haitian American Member in Congress \u2015 proudly serves as a permanent member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, a co-chair of the Haiti Caucus and is a member of the Congressional Black Caucus\u2019 Haiti Working Group.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T00:49:26Z"], ["https://wassermanschultz.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=3100", "Wasserman Schultz on Biden Administration Push for Venezuela Democracy Reforms", "2023-10-19", "2023", "2023-10", "Democrat", "House", "FL", "Debbie Wasserman Schultz", "W000797", "wassermanschultz.house.gov", "wassermanschultz", "https://wassermanschultz.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx", "scraper", "Washington DC \u2013 Today, Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-25), co-chair of the Congressional Venezuela Democracy Caucus, released the following statement on an agreement between the Maduro regime, Venezuela\u2019s democratic opposition, and the United States:\n\n\u201cPresident Biden\u2019s Venezuela policy is based on the fact that negotiations are the best path to end the political crisis. This has informed his application of tough sanctions to secure must-have concessions on free elections, political prisoners, and humanitarian access.\n\n\u201cI\u2019m confident that the President will swiftly reimpose sanctions if Maduro falls short of his commitments. After reviewing the terms of the deal, I believe that the U.S. maintains more than enough leverage to enforce compliance. It\u2019s imperative that the U.S. responds immediately and forcefully with snapback sanctions to any violation of this accord, bearing in mind the regime\u2019s repeated failures to live up to its promises.\n\n\u201cSanctions are a means to an end, not an end in themselves. Most of the penalties are staying in place until the regime follows through. This is a \u201cprove it\u201d deal: one last shot for Maduro to deliver the reforms his people deserve.\n\n\u201cThis agreement is a clear demonstration of President Biden\u2019s dedication to the restoration of democracy and prosperity for the Venezuelan people through free elections and a framework for a transition away from the era of dictatorship.\n\n\u201cThe work is not yet done. But this progress would not have been possible without the tireless efforts of opposition leaders and candidates in the Unitary Platform, the National Assembly, and the presidential primary field. I hope that this framework will give them the opening they need to lead their country back to freedom. I look forward to following developments in the country closely to ensure that we see substantial progress for Venezuelans.\u201d\n\nEn Espa\u00f1ol\n\n\u201cLa pol\u00edtica del presidente Biden en Venezuela reconoce que las negociaciones son el mejor camino para poner fin a la crisis pol\u00edtica. Esto incluye la aplicaci\u00f3n de duras sanciones para garantizar concesiones imprescindibles en materia de elecciones, prisioneros y acceso humanitario.\n\n\u201cConf\u00edo en que el presidente volver\u00e1 r\u00e1pidamente a imponer sanciones si Maduro no cumple con sus compromisos. Despu\u00e9s de revisar los t\u00e9rminos del acuerdo, creo que Estados Unidos mantiene una influencia m\u00e1s que suficiente para hacer cumplir el acuerdo. Es imperativo que respondemos inmediatamente y en\u00e9rgicamente con sanciones \"snapback\" a cualquier violaci\u00f3n de este acuerdo, teniendo en cuenta los repetidos fracasos del r\u00e9gimen a la hora de cumplir sus promesas.\n\n\u201cLas sanciones son un medio para lograr un fin, no un fin en s\u00ed mismas. La mayor\u00eda seguir\u00e1n vigentes hasta que el r\u00e9gimen cumpla con sus obligaciones. Este es un acuerdo para \u201cdemostrarlo\u201d: una \u00faltima oportunidad para que Maduro implemente reformas.\n\n\u201cEste acuerdo es una clara demostraci\u00f3n de la dedicaci\u00f3n del presidente Biden a la restauraci\u00f3n de la democracia y la prosperidad para el pueblo venezolano a trav\u00e9s de elecciones libres y un marco para una transici\u00f3n que salga de la era de la dictadura.\n\n\u201cEl trabajo a\u00fan no est\u00e1 terminado. Pero este progreso no habr\u00eda sido posible sin los esfuerzos incansables de los l\u00edderes y candidatos de la oposici\u00f3n en la Plataforma Unitaria, la Asamblea Nacional y las primarias presidenciales. Espero que este marco brinda la oportunidad que necesitan para llevar a su pa\u00eds de regreso a la libertad. Espero seguir de cerca los acontecimientos en el pa\u00eds para asegurar que veamos un progreso sustancial para los venezolanos.\u201d\n\n####", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T00:49:26Z"], ["https://frost.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-maxwell-frost-statement-gop-dysfunction-house-remains-speakerless", "Congressman Maxwell Frost Statement on GOP Dysfunction as House Remains Speakerless", "2023-10-17", "2023", "2023-10", "Democrat", "House", "FL", "Maxwell Frost", "F000476", "frost.house.gov", "frost", "https://frost.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON D.C \u2014 Today, Congressman Maxwell Alejandro Frost (FL-10) released a statement following the continued failure of House Republicans as the GOP conference was yet again unable to elect a new Speaker of the House.\n\nIn a statement, Rep. Frost says:\n\n\u201cFor weeks, our country has watched the Republican conference flounder and fight internally just to get to this very point, where once again we see the GOP be unable to unite behind a Republican Speaker, while democrats are united behind Leader Hakeem Jeffries \u2013 who continues to have the most votes for speaker.\n\n\u201cRepublicans have proven since day one that they are and remain unserious about our country\u2019s challenges and the work we need to get done.\n\n\u201cThe people of Central Florida are watching $11.3 million in community funding projects slip out of our grasp because House Republicans can\u2019t get their act together. Every minute we waste on Republican dysfunction is a minute gone by without offering real solutions to the problems we\u2019re facing in Florida.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T00:49:26Z"], ["https://frost.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-maxwell-frost-statement-violence-gaza", "Congressman Maxwell Frost Statement on Violence in Gaza", "2023-10-17", "2023", "2023-10", "Democrat", "House", "FL", "Maxwell Frost", "F000476", "frost.house.gov", "frost", "https://frost.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON D.C. \u2014 Today, Congressman Maxwell Alejandro Frost (FL-10) released a statement following the continued violence in Gaza.\n\nIn a statement, Rep. Frost says:\n\n\u201cOur goal is for lasting peace, security, and self-determination, and with that in mind we must push for an urgent end to the bloodshed of innocent civilians in Gaza and Israel.\n\n\u201cI support Israel\u2019s need to end the campaign of terror by Hamas, but the current tactics have led to the death of thousands of innocent people in Gaza. At this time, I am calling for Israel to suspend their bombing campaign in order for more innocent civilians to evacuate, to establish a humanitarian safe zone, and for humanitarian aid, which has been championed by the Biden Administration, to be able to enter Gaza.\n\n\u201cI acknowledge that it is unrealistic to expect that Hamas will heed this call to stand down due to their intent for violence and chaos.\n\n\u201cBut Hamas is not fighting on behalf of the Palestinian people\u2019s rights to dignity and self-determination, but rather for the complete destruction of Israel and the death of the Jewish people, and innocent Palestinian civilians cannot be the target for Israel\u2019s defense.\n\n\u201cEnding senseless violence on our communities and children has been the fight of my life. I believe all people, Palestinian or Israeli, women and children, deserve that safety.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T00:49:26Z"], ["https://wassermanschultz.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=3098", "Wasserman Schultz on Biden Administration Push for Venezuela Democracy Reforms", "2023-10-17", "2023", "2023-10", "Democrat", "House", "FL", "Debbie Wasserman Schultz", "W000797", "wassermanschultz.house.gov", "wassermanschultz", "https://wassermanschultz.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx", "scraper", "Washington DC \u2013 Today, Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-25), co-chair of the Congressional Venezuela Democracy Caucus, released the following statement in response to reports of a tentative agreement between the Maduro regime, Venezuela\u2019s democratic opposition, and the United States:\n\n\u201cAs the Representative for one of the largest concentrations of Venezuelans in the U.S., I have been forthright in my stance that sanctions against the Maduro dictatorship must be upheld until there are clear, rock-solid commitments from the regime.\n\n\u201cThese conditions \u00ac\u2013 free and fair elections, release of political prisoners, an end to state corruption and violence, and restoration of judicial independence \u2013 have remained elusive, driving the displacement of over eight million Venezuelans in the last decade.\n\n\u201cI am grateful for President Biden\u2019s steadfast position that sanctions relief is contingent on these objectives and his recognition that negotiation is the best path to achieve them. I also appreciate the leadership exemplified by the Unitary Platform and Venezuela\u2019s opposition presidential candidates under arduous conditions.\n\n\u201cWhile I hope that this deal will result in tangible improvements, I remain concerned about the Maduro regime\u2019s record of dodging its obligations and I look forward to engaging with all parties to ensure that any agreement includes mechanisms to ensure the regime\u2019s compliance and punish its contravention.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T00:49:26Z"], ["https://cherfilus-mccormick.house.gov/media/press-releases/congresswoman-sheila-cherfilus-mccormick-statement-hamas-terrorist-attack", "Congresswoman Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick Statement on Hamas Terrorist Attack Against Israel", "2023-10-12", "2023", "2023-10", "Democrat", "House", "FL", "Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick", "C001127", "cherfilus-mccormick.house.gov", "cherfilus-mccormick", "https://cherfilus-mccormick.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, DC \u2013 Today, Congresswoman Cherfilus-McCormick issued the following statement on the attack from Hamas against Israel.\n\n\u201cI am holding in my heart the people of Israel, who have endured a barbaric and unconscionable cascade of violence. Our strongest ally in the Middle East has been forced to confront a heartbreaking and senseless act of terror \u2014 one which has taken over a thousand innocent lives across the country. Dozens of Israelis, including women and children, have been kidnapped at the hands of a vile terrorist organization. The images and videos that continue to come out of Israel are gut-wrenching and painful for all Americans.\n\nLet me be clear, I condemn this immoral, inhumane, despicable, and unprovoked violence. Hamas continues to impose its reign of terror over not just Israelis, but also the Palestinian people in Gaza. For too long, Palestinians have been forced to endure a tyrannical and violent regime. My heart is with the innocent civilians who have found themselves in the middle of this conflict. I trust that Israel will do everything possible to prevent the loss of civilian life as it has done in the past. My hope is that both Israelis and Palestinians can one day live a life, free of fear, without Hamas terrorizing them.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T00:49:26Z"], ["https://cherfilus-mccormick.house.gov/media/press-releases/reps-cherfilus-mccormick-ciscomani-introduce-bipartisan-effort-expand-cross", "Reps. Cherfilus-McCormick, Ciscomani Introduce Bipartisan Effort to Expand Cross-State Disability Exam Providers for Veterans", "2023-10-12", "2023", "2023-10", "Democrat", "House", "FL", "Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick", "C001127", "cherfilus-mccormick.house.gov", "cherfilus-mccormick", "https://cherfilus-mccormick.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, DC \u2013 Congresswoman Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL-20) and Congressman Juan Ciscomani (R-AZ-06) introduced legislation today to expand the pool of providers eligible to cross state lines when conducting disability exams for veterans. Both representatives are members of the House Veterans\u2019 Affairs Committee.\n\nVeterans Benefits Administration (VBA) contracted physicians have had ability to practice across state lines since 2016. In 2020, the Johnny Isakson and David P. Roe, M.D. Veterans Health Care and Benefits Improvement Act gave temporary authority to VBA-contracted nurse practitioners, physician assistants, audiologists, and psychologist. This legislation, titled the Veterans Exam Expansion Act, would expand that authority to include dentists, podiatrists, and optometrists. Full text of the bill is available here.\n\n\u201cBy allowing VA-contracted medical providers to perform disability exams across state lines, more veterans will be able to quickly get the benefits they deserve and have earned \u2014 reducing barriers to benefits nationwide,\u201d said Rep. Cherfilus-McCormick, Ranking Member of the Veterans\u2019 Affairs Subcommittee on Technology Modernization. \u201cI am introducing this bipartisan legislation with my House Veterans\u2019 Affairs Committee colleague so that the VA can better serve veterans, including those in rural and underserved communities which face limited access to medical care and examinations.\u201d\n\n\u201cTime and time again, I hear of the burdens our veterans face when it comes to receiving their benefits, from bureaucratic red tape to lengthy wait times,\u201d said Rep. Ciscomani, whose district is home to over 70,000 veterans. \u201cBy expanding who and where our veterans can go for disability exams, it will be easier and faster for our veterans to get the disability benefits they rightfully deserve.\u201d\n\nThe legislation is supported by the Disabled American Veterans (DAV) and Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW).\n\n\u201cWith more veterans seeking the benefits they\u2019ve earned, it\u2019s imperative that VA-contracted examiners are allowed to see veterans regardless of state licensing requirements,\u201d said Jim Marszalek, DAV National Service Director. \u201cExtending this expiring authority and adding more medical professionals to the list for license portability will ensure the VA can serve more veterans, particularly those in rural areas, by allowing examiners to work wherever needed. With more examiners seeing more veterans, the Veterans Exam Expansion Act will also help reduce the VA claims backlog. DAV is proud to support this crucial legislation, and we thank Rep. Ciscomani and Rep. Cherfilus-McCormick for their leadership in introducing the bill.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T00:49:26Z"], ["https://wilson.house.gov/media/press-releases/congresswoman-wilson-files-transportation-assistance-for-individuals-with-disabilities-act", "Congresswoman Wilson Files Transportation Assistance for Individuals with Disabilities Act", "2023-10-12", "2023", "2023-10", "Democrat", "House", "FL", "Frederica S. Wilson", "W000808", "wilson.house.gov", "wilson", "https://wilson.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Today, Congresswoman Frederica S. Wilson (FL-24), a senior Transportation and Infrastructure Committee member, introduced the Transportation Assistance for Individuals with Disabilities Act (TAID Act). This bill directs the U.S. Secretary of Transportation to implement a program that provides funding for protection and advocacy programs to advocate for individuals with disabilities to have access to transportation and other purposes.\n\n\"Every individual, regardless of their abilities, deserves the right to explore our great nation and travel through our communities,\" said Congresswoman Wilson. \"The disability community, like any other, should have unfettered access to these enriching experiences, whether embarking on a bus, train, or plane. The TAID Act will empower and provide the necessary financial resources for our communities to improve the accessibility of their transportation systems. It signifies a substantial step towards forging a world that is truly inclusive and accessible for everyone.\"\n\nCongresswoman Wilson was also one of five original cosponsors of the Bipartisan Infrastructure bill that included many provisions to make the United States' infrastructure more accessible to all Americans.\n\n\"Every day our network receives complaints from people who were forced to miss work because paratransit could not accommodate their schedule, from patients who had to cancel doctor's appointments because no wheelchair-accessible rideshares were available, or from family members who missed loved one's celebrations because the lift on their bus did not work\" said Executive Director of the National Disability Rights Network, Marlene Sallo. \"This bill will enable the Protection and Advocacy Network to advocate for the rights of people with disabilities to have greater access to their communities. We thank Congresswoman Wilson and Congressman Molinaro for leading the charge to address the transportation barriers people with disabilities face.\"\n\nThe TAID Act will:\n\nEstablish a grant program for advocacy systems to support accessible transportation for individuals with disabilities.\n\nProvide grants of $110,000 annually for five years, with the Secretary of Transportation selecting 10 recipients.\n\nRecipients have authority under the Developmental Disabilities Assistance Act, and selection considers demographics.\n\nProvide a $100,000 training grant and authorizes $1,200,000 in appropriations annually from 2023 to 2028.\n\nThis bill is also cosponsored by Congressman Earl Blumenauer (OR-03), Congressman Jamaal Bowman (NY-16), Congresswoman Julia Brownley (CA-26), Congressman Andr\u00e9 Carson (IN-07), Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09), Congressman Mark DeSaulnier (CA-10), Congressman Lloyd Doggett (TX-35), Congressman Hank Johnson (GA-04), Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren (CA-19), Congressman Marc Molinaro (NY-19), Congressman Seth Moulton (MA-06), Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-01), Congresswoman Deborah Ross (NC-02), Congressman Adam Schiff (CA-30), Congressman Greg Stanton (AZ-04), Congresswoman Dina Titus (NV-01), and Congresswoman Jill Tokuda (HI-02).\n\nTo read the bill text for the TAID Act, click here.\n\nTo read a one-page summary of the bill, click here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T00:49:26Z"], ["https://wilson.house.gov/media/press-releases/congresswoman-wilson-s-statement-on-the-bipartisan-resolution-standing-with-israel", "Congresswoman Wilson's Statement on the Bipartisan Resolution Standing with Israel", "2023-10-12", "2023", "2023-10", "Democrat", "House", "FL", "Frederica S. Wilson", "W000808", "wilson.house.gov", "wilson", "https://wilson.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Congresswoman Frederica S. Wilson (FL-24), a member of the Congressional Israel Allies Caucus and Congressional Democratic Israel Working Group Caucus, released the following statement in response to the bipartisan Meeks-McCaul Resolution standing with Israel and condemning Hamas' brutal war against Israel.\n\n\"In the face of extreme Hamas terrorism, Democrats and Republicans stand with Israel because unity is our strength. The world should have no doubt about where the United States stands with Israel, and Congress must act decisively to protect Israel's right to defend itself. That's why I'm proud to be an original cosponsor of the bipartisan Meeks-McCaul resolution because Israel cannot wait as Hamas continues its reign of terror. No matter how divided Congress may seem, my colleagues understand the need for unity, compassion, and unwavering support for our Israeli allies. This is not about political parties; this is about the security of the world and the future of democracy. While the House of Representatives may have many disagreements, our unwavering support and unity towards Israel symbolizes the unbreakable bond between Israel and the United States. When Israel is strong, America is strong.\"\n\nCongresswoman Wilson represents one of the largest Jewish communities in Florida. The resolution includes 390 cosponsors in the House of Representatives. The full text of the resolution can be found here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T00:49:26Z"], ["https://wilson.house.gov/media/press-releases/congresswoman-wilson-s-statement-on-the-continued-resolution-to-fund-our-government", "Congresswoman Wilson's Statement on the Continued Resolution to Fund Our Government", "2023-10-12", "2023", "2023-10", "Democrat", "House", "FL", "Frederica S. Wilson", "W000808", "wilson.house.gov", "wilson", "https://wilson.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Today, Congresswoman Frederica S. Wilson (FL-24) released the following statement regarding her vote on the Continuing Resolution passed out of the House of Representatives:\n\n\"Today, I cast my vote in favor of the continuing resolution, for a very simple reason: we must keep our government open. This resolution offers us an additional 45 days, a brief window of opportunity for Speaker McCarthy and his Republican colleagues to fulfill the promises they made to the American people.\n\n\"A government shutdown is not an abstract concept. It has real and dire consequences for our fellow citizens. It jeopardizes vital programs like SNAP and WIC, programs that countless families rely on to put food on the table. It forces our brave servicemembers to work without the compensation they rightfully deserve. Such a shutdown would inflict severe harm upon our economy and our nation, and we simply cannot allow that to come to pass.\n\n\"Let me be clear though: I will not vote to criminalize abortion, I will not vote to bully the LGBTQ+ community, I will not vote to cut public education funding, I will not vote to slash social security, and I will not vote to cut public safety. These are the proposals extreme MAGA Republicans want, and Democrats will not stand for that.\n\n\"As we enter this extended 45-day period to deliberate and negotiate a final budget, it is essential to recognize that House Republicans find themselves isolated on an island by themselves. What we are witnessing is a civil war within the Republican party, a divisive struggle that must be resolved so that we can return to the urgent task of serving the needs and aspirations of the American people.\"\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T00:49:26Z"], ["https://wilson.house.gov/media/press-releases/congresswoman-wilson-s-statement-on-the-unprovoked-attacks-against-israel-by-hamas-terrorists", "Congresswoman Wilson's Statement on the Unprovoked Attacks against Israel by Hamas Terrorists", "2023-10-12", "2023", "2023-10", "Democrat", "House", "FL", "Frederica S. Wilson", "W000808", "wilson.house.gov", "wilson", "https://wilson.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Today, Congresswoman Frederica S. Wilson (FL-24), member of the Congressional Israel Allies Caucus and Congressional Democratic Israel Working Group Caucus, released the following on the unprovoked attacks against Israel by Hamas Terrorists.\n\n\"The Democratic State of Israel is under attack, facing unprovoked and despicable assaults by Hamas terrorists. These brazen acts of violence demand the strongest condemnation, as there is no justification for launching over 2,200 missiles in a brutal assault raining down upon innocent citizens. Democratic nations worldwide must unite to support Israel, as unity is our strength in the face of united terrorism.\n\n\"Israel stands as the United States' closest friend and ally, and our nation's strength is intertwined with theirs. My prayers are with the people of Israel today, and as Israel prepares for war in these dark hours, the United States stands ready to support Israel's right to defend itself. Our commitment to Israel is unwavering. \"\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T00:49:26Z"], ["https://cherfilus-mccormick.house.gov/media/press-releases/reps-cherfilus-mccormick-castro-salazar-and-frost-lead-letter-asking-president", "Reps. Cherfilus-McCormick, Castro, Salazar, and Frost Lead Letter Asking President Biden, Secretary Mayorkas, and Director Jaddou to Redesignate TPS Status for Nicaraguans", "2023-10-11", "2023", "2023-10", "Democrat", "House", "FL", "Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick", "C001127", "cherfilus-mccormick.house.gov", "cherfilus-mccormick", "https://cherfilus-mccormick.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, DC \u2013 Today, Congresswoman Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL) led a letter with Reps. Joaquin Castro (D-TX), Mar\u00eda Elvira Salazar (R-FL), and Maxwell Frost (D-FL) to President Biden, U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, and Director of Citizenship and Immigration Services Ur Jaddou asking the Biden Administration to redesignate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Nicaragua.\n\n\"Nicaragua is enmeshed in a dire socio-political and humanitarian crisis that has grown considerably worse,\u201d said Congresswoman Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL). \u201cNicaraguans residing in the United States cannot safely return to their country, and it would be both irresponsible and cruel to send them back into harm\u2019s way. I strongly urge the Biden Administration to redesignate TPS for Nicaragua and uphold our nation\u2019s values of democracy, human rights, and compassion.\u201d\n\n\u201cAs the Ortega-Murillo regime becomes increasingly authoritarian and brutal, there is no safe way for hundreds of thousands of Nicaraguans to return home,\u201d said Congressman Joaquin Castro (D-TX). \u201cRedesignating TPS for Nicaragua will save lives and protect the families who have fled from oppression and violence to find refuge in the United States.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe blood-stained Ortega-Murillo regime and the Sandinistas are responsible for some of the worst human rights abuses and acts of religious persecutions in history,\u201d said Congresswoman Mar\u00eda Elvira Salazar (R-FL). \u201cHundreds of thousands of Nicaraguans have fled this tyranny and are seeking refuge in the United States. I call on the Department of Homeland Security to redesignate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Nicaraguans who are continuing to flee from the Ortegas, the Sandinistas, and the horrors of Socialism of the 21st Century.\u201d\n\n\u201cNicaragua is facing a devastating political and humanitarian crisis that is forcing hundreds of thousands of innocent people to make the difficult decision to leave their homes in search of true freedom,\u201d said Congressman Maxwell Frost (D-FL). \u201cAs a beacon of democracy, the U.S. has a responsibility to acknowledge this crisis and offer a more permanent solution to the thousands of Nicaraguans living in Florida and across our country. An extension of TPS falls short of what this moment calls for \u2014 I urge the Administration to redesignate TPS for Nicaragua as soon as possible.\u201d\n\n\u201cWe commend the Biden Administration\u2019s decision to re-designate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Venezuelans in the United States. However, an 18-month extension of TPS for Nicaragua instead of TPS redesignation falls short of the response needed to address the multiple ongoing and emergent crises. We are hopeful that the Biden Administration will continue to evaluate the situation and ultimately make the correct decision in light of the impact it would have on approximately 450,000 Nicaraguans in the United States. On September 11, 2023, Secretary Mayorkas stated that the Department of Homeland Security does not \u201chave any intention right now to re-designate Nicaragua for Temporary Protected Status,\u201d but added that they \u201ccontinuously review the country conditions.\u201d We expect that a closer examination of the dire humanitarian situation in Nicaragua and the uncertainty of thousands who reside in the United States \u2013 including more than 200 who have been rendered stateless \u2013 will lead to a finding that TPS redesignation is necessary for Nicaragua. Given this and the deteriorating rule of law situation, we urgently request your administration to re-designate TPS for Nicaragua,\u201d the Members stated.\n\nAccording to the Pew Research Center, Florida has the highest concentration of Nicaraguans nationwide, with an estimated 37% of the U.S.-based Nicaraguan population residing in the state. Redesignation would provide security and opportunity to the over 400,000 Nicaraguans living in the United States and waiting in legal limbo.\n\nThe text of the letter can be found here.\n\nAdditional signatories of the letter include Reps. Nanette Barrag\u00e1n (D-CA), Jamaal Bowman (D-NY), Cori Bush (D-MO), Tony C\u00e1rdenas (D-CA), Kathy Castor (D-FL), Yvette Clarke (D-NY), Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO), Lou Correa (D-CA), Veronica Escobar (D-TX), Adriano Espaillat (D-NY), Dwight Evans (D-PA), Jes\u00fas \u201cChuy\u201d Garc\u00eda (D-IL), Robert Garcia (D-CA), Sylvia Garcia (D-TX), Jimmy Gomez (D-CA), Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX), Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-CA), Marcy Kaptur (D-OH), Barbara Lee (D-CA), Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), James McGovern (D-MA), Grace Meng (D-NY), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), Frank Pallone (D-NJ), Mark Pocan (D-WI), Ayanna Pressley (D-MA), Mike Quigley (D-IL), Delia Ramirez (D-IL), Jamie Raskin (D-MD), Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), Darren Soto (D-FL), Abigail Spanberger (D-NJ), Shri Thanedar (D-MI), Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), David Trone (D-MD), Juan Vargas (D-CA), Nydia Vel\u00e1zquez (D-NY), Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL), Nikema Williams (D-GA), and Frederica Wilson (D-FL).", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T00:49:26Z"], ["https://frost.house.gov/media/press-releases/reps-frost-castro-cherfilus-mccormick-and-salazar-lead-letter-asking-president", "Reps. Frost, Castro, Cherfilus-McCormick, and Salazar Lead Letter Asking President Biden, Secretary Mayorkas, and Director Jaddou to Redesignate TPS Status for Nicaraguans", "2023-10-11", "2023", "2023-10", "Democrat", "House", "FL", "Maxwell Frost", "F000476", "frost.house.gov", "frost", "https://frost.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, DC \u2013 Today, Congressman Maxwell Alejandro Frost (D-FL), led a letter with Reps. Joaquin Castro (D-TX), Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL), and Mar\u00eda Elvira Salazar (R-FL) to President Biden, U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, and Director of Citizenship and Immigration Services Ur Jaddou asking the Biden Administration to redesignate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Nicaragua.\n\n\u201cNicaragua is facing a devastating political and humanitarian crisis that is forcing hundreds of thousands of innocent people to make the difficult decision to leave their homes in search of true freedom,\u201d said Congressman Maxwell Frost. \u201cAs a beacon of democracy, the U.S. has a responsibility to acknowledge this crisis and offer a more permanent solution to the thousands of Nicaraguans living in Florida and across our country. An extension of TPS falls short of what this moment calls for \u2014 I urge the Administration to redesignate TPS for Nicaragua as soon as possible.\u201d\n\n\u201cAs the Ortega-Murillo regime becomes increasingly authoritarian and brutal, there is no safe way for hundreds of thousands of Nicaraguans to return home,\u201d said Congressman Joaquin Castro. \u201cRedesignating TPS for Nicaragua will save lives and protect the families who have fled from oppression and violence to find refuge in the United States.\u201d\n\n\"Nicaragua is enmeshed in a dire socio-political and humanitarian crisis that has grown considerably worse,\u201d said Congresswoman Cherfilus-McCormick. \u201cNicaraguans residing in the United States cannot safely return to their country, and it would be both irresponsible and cruel to send them back into harm\u2019s way. I strongly urge the Biden Administration to redesignate TPS for Nicaragua and uphold our nation\u2019s values of democracy, human rights, and compassion.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe blood-stained Ortega-Murillo regime and the Sandinistas are responsible for some of the worst human rights abuses and acts of religious persecutions in history,\u201d said Congresswoman Mar\u00eda Elvira Salazar. \u201cHundreds of thousands of Nicaraguans have fled this tyranny and are seeking refuge in the United States. I call on the Department of Homeland Security to redesignate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Nicaraguans who are continuing to flee from the Ortegas, the Sandinistas, and the horrors of Socialism of the 21st Century.\u201d\n\n\u201cWe commend the Biden Administration\u2019s decision to re-designate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Venezuelans in the United States. However, an 18-month extension of TPS for Nicaragua instead of TPS redesignation falls short of the response needed to address the multiple ongoing and emergent crises. We are hopeful that the Biden Administration will continue to evaluate the situation and ultimately make the correct decision in light of the impact it would have on approximately 450,000 Nicaraguans in the United States. On September 11, 2023, Secretary Mayorkas stated that the Department of Homeland Security does not \u201chave any intention right now to re-designate Nicaragua for Temporary Protected Status,\u201d but added that they \u201ccontinuously review the country conditions.\u201d We expect that a closer examination of the dire humanitarian situation in Nicaragua and the uncertainty of thousands who reside in the United States \u2013 including more than 200 who have been rendered stateless \u2013 will lead to a finding that TPS redesignation is necessary for Nicaragua. Given this and the deteriorating rule of law situation, we urgently request your administration to re-designate TPS for Nicaragua,\u201d the Members stated.\n\nAccording to the Pew Research Center, Florida has the highest concentration of Nicaraguans nationwide, with an estimated 37% of the U.S.-based Nicaraguan population residing in the state. Redesignation would provide security and opportunity to millions of Nicaraguans living in the United States and waiting in legal limbo.\n\nThe text of the letter can be found here.\n\nAdditional signatories of the letter include Reps. Nanette Barrag\u00e1n (D-CA), Jamaal Bowman (D-NY), Cori Bush (D-MO), Tony C\u00e1rdenas (D-CA), Kathy Castor (D-FL), Yvette Clarke (D-NY), Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO), Lou Correa (D-CA), Veronica Escobar (D-TX), Adriano Espaillat (D-NY), Dwight Evans (D-PA), Jes\u00fas \u201cChuy\u201d Garc\u00eda (D-IL), Robert Garcia (D-CA), Sylvia Garcia (D-TX), Jimmy Gomez (D-CA), Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX), Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-CA), Marcy Kaptur (D-OH), Barbara Lee (D-CA), Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), James McGovern (D-MA), Grace Meng (D-NY), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), Frank Pallone (D-NJ), Mark Pocan (D-WI), Ayanna Pressley (D-MA), Mike Quigley (D-IL), Delia Ramirez (D-IL), Jamie Raskin (D-MD), Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), Darren Soto (D-FL), Abigail Spanberger (D-NJ), Shri Thanedar (D-MI), Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), David Trone (D-MD), Juan Vargas (D-CA), Nydia Vel\u00e1zquez (D-NY), Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL), Nikema Williams (D-GA), and Frederica Wilson (D-FL).", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T00:49:26Z"], ["https://frost.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-maxwell-frost-presents-city-orlando-15-million-community-violence", "Congressman Maxwell Frost Presents City of Orlando with $1.5 Million Community Violence Intervention Grant from Department of Justice", "2023-10-09", "2023", "2023-10", "Democrat", "House", "FL", "Maxwell Frost", "F000476", "frost.house.gov", "frost", "https://frost.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "ORLANDO, FL \u2014 Today, Congressman Maxwell Alejandro Frost (FL-10), joined Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer, to present the City of Orlando with a $1.5 million grant from the Department of Justice as part of their Office of Justice Programs Community Violence Intervention Initiative. This funding will help expand the City of Orlando's Community Violence Intervention (CVI) Program into historically underserved communities in Orlando to reduce violent crime and promote public safety.\n\nThis funding comes just weeks after President Biden's announcement to create the first-ever federal office of Gun Violence Prevention. The CVI program will collaborate with various community-based organizations, law enforcement agencies, and academic institutions to identify and engage targeted beneficiaries, especially those who are marginalized and adversely affected by inequality.\n\n\u201cIt's time to put an end to the loss of lives due to senseless violence before we lose another precious member of our Orlando community,\" said Congressman Maxwell Frost.\n\n\"We're immensely proud to witness the proactive stance taken by local leaders in the City of Orlando. Their action in launching the Community Violence Intervention Program \u2013 and expanding it via this important grant - marks a significant step towards addressing the root causes of this pervasive issue. These interventions are taking place not in an office but in our most vulnerable communities, working with the folks who are most likely to commit or fall victim to it. The CVI program provides residents with a renewed sense of safety and will save lives. We look forward to its transformative impact on creating a future characterized by safety and a profound sense of community.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T00:49:26Z"], ["https://frankel.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=3651", "Rep. Frankel Statement on Hamas\u2019s Attack on Israel", "2023-10-07", "2023", "2023-10", "Democrat", "House", "FL", "Lois Frankel", "F000462", "frankel.house.gov", "frankel", "https://frankel.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27", "scraper", "West Palm Beach, FL \u2013 Today, Rep. Lois Frankel (FL-22) released the following statement on Hamas\u2019 attack on Israel.\n\n\u201cI am horrified and outraged at the news of Hamas\u2019s hateful and deadly attack on the Israeli people, including the murder and kidnapping of children,\u201d said Rep. Frankel. \u201cNo question, I stand firmly with Israel. Terrorism is unacceptable.\u201d\n\nAccording to Israel\u2019s national rescue service, at least 70 people have been killed and hundreds more are wounded.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T00:49:26Z"], ["https://wassermanschultz.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=3094", "Wasserman Schultz on Hamas Terror Attacks on Israel", "2023-10-07", "2023", "2023-10", "Democrat", "House", "FL", "Debbie Wasserman Schultz", "W000797", "wassermanschultz.house.gov", "wassermanschultz", "https://wassermanschultz.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx", "scraper", "The vicious terrorist organization, Hamas launched premeditated terror attacks this morning that sent thousands of rockets from Gaza, with terrorists invading Southern Israel, killing, maiming, and kidnapping innocent civilians. Reports of Israeli hostages being held in Gaza are unconscionable. Israel is at war, not by choice, and has every right to defend itself and its people against this barbarous onslaught. The United States stands in solidarity with Israel not only during this tragic day but every day.\n\n\u201cThe vicious terrorist organization, Hamas launched premeditated terror attacks this morning that sent thousands of rockets from Gaza, with terrorists invading Southern Israel, killing, maiming, and kidnapping innocent civilians. Reports of Israeli hostages being held in Gaza are unconscionable. Israel is at war, not by choice, and has every right to defend itself and its people against this barbarous onslaught. The United States stands in solidarity with Israel not only during this tragic day but every day. This outrageous, heinous attack is devastating, and my heart and my resolve is with all Israelis today and going forward. I will work with my colleagues in Congress and the Biden Administration to ensure Israel has the resources needed to repel these cowardly terrorists and protect its people. Am Yisrael Chai!\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T00:49:26Z"], ["https://frost.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-maxwell-frost-criticizes-biden-administration-decision-build", "Congressman Maxwell Frost Criticizes Biden Administration Decision to Build Additional Border Wall", "2023-10-05", "2023", "2023-10", "Democrat", "House", "FL", "Maxwell Frost", "F000476", "frost.house.gov", "frost", "https://frost.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON D.C. \u2014 Today, Congressman Maxwell Alejandro Frost (FL-10) released a statement criticizing the Biden Administration's decision to bypass 26 federal laws to build an additional stretch of border wall in Rio Grande Valley.\n\nIn a statement, Rep. Frost says:\n\n\u201cAs our nation witnesses humanitarian and authoritarian crises across Central and South America, building a border wall is equivalent to sticking our heads in the sand.\n\n\u201cA wall does not stop these innocent migrants from making the difficult personal decision to flee their home countries, it just makes their treacherous journey in search of freedom even more painful and dangerous.\n\n\u201cTo expand the border wall would be to continue the harmful, despicable immigration practices of the previous administration. The answer to the crisis at the southern border cannot be to renege on our promise of pursuing a compassionate, comprehensive immigration system. I am deeply disappointed in the Biden Administration for this hazardous move as the climate crisis looms and the humanitarian crisis deepens.\n\n\u201cThere has to be another way. Congress must act.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T00:49:26Z"], ["https://wassermanschultz.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=3093", "Wasserman Schultz Statement on Reports of Resumption of Venezuelan Repatriation", "2023-10-05", "2023", "2023-10", "Democrat", "House", "FL", "Debbie Wasserman Schultz", "W000797", "wassermanschultz.house.gov", "wassermanschultz", "https://wassermanschultz.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx", "scraper", "Washington DC -- U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-25) released the following statement in response to reports that the Biden Administration will resume direct repatriation flights for Venezuelans who unlawfully enter the country:\n\n\u201cI applauded the Administration\u2019s recent decision to extend TPS and provide humanitarian parole for Venezuelan migrants, each vital steps that recognize the scale of fear and despair inflicted by Maduro\u2019s regime, and the reality that many no longer have a home to return to.\n\nFor similar reasons, I oppose resuming costly repatriation flights to Venezuela, as well as any step towards resuming commercial travel, without ironclad commitments from Maduro\u2019s regime to address the causes of this displacement crisis: corruption, state violence, and assaults on democracy.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T00:49:26Z"], ["https://castor.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=404343", "Rep. Castor Statement on Motion to Vacate Speaker of the House", "2023-10-03", "2023", "2023-10", "Democrat", "House", "FL", "Kathy Castor", "C001066", "castor.house.gov", "castor", "https://castor.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx", "scraper", "Ever since Republicans gained a majority in the House of Representatives nine months ago, Americans have been subjected to unnecessary chaos and economic uncertainty. We deserve better.\n\nExtreme MAGA Republicans use default, shutdowns, and abortion bans in an effort to gain political advantage, while the wishes of the vast majority of Americans for bipartisanship and stability are ignored.\n\nDemocrats will stay focused on what is important to our neighbors, like lowering costs, growing the middle class, and ensuring our communities are safe. People come before politics, and hopefully, new leadership in the House will join us in that commitment.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T00:49:26Z"], ["https://frost.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-maxwell-frost-statement-removal-kevin-mccarthy-speaker-house", "Congressman Maxwell Frost Statement on Removal of Kevin McCarthy as Speaker of the House", "2023-10-03", "2023", "2023-10", "Democrat", "House", "FL", "Maxwell Frost", "F000476", "frost.house.gov", "frost", "https://frost.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON D.C \u2014 Today, Congressman Maxwell Alejandro Frost (FL-10) released a statement following the successful House vote to remove Kevin McCarthy as Speaker of the House.\n\nIn a statement, Rep. Frost says:\n\n\u201cYou reap what you sow, and Kevin McCarthy only has himself to blame.\n\n\u201cMcCarthy will go down as one of the weakest speakers in the history of our nation, all because he sold his soul to hold the gavel and, in that process, abandoned his own values and the ability to govern.\n\n\u201cI will never vote to save a Speaker that refuses to act while innocent children are murdered at the hands of gun violence, while LGBTQ+ are under attack for who they love, and while working folks struggle to make ends meet under rising housing costs.\n\n\u201cHouse Democrats are united in the call for Leader Hakeem Jeffries to be our next Speaker. And while we are ready to get to work on behalf of our communities and the American people, House Republicans are in disarray.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T00:49:26Z"], ["https://cherfilus-mccormick.house.gov/media/press-releases/congresswoman-sheila-cherfilus-mccormick-applauds-adoption-unsc-resolution", "Congresswoman Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick Applauds Adoption of UNSC Resolution on Haiti", "2023-10-02", "2023", "2023-10", "Democrat", "House", "FL", "Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick", "C001127", "cherfilus-mccormick.house.gov", "cherfilus-mccormick", "https://cherfilus-mccormick.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Today, Congresswoman Cherfilus-McCormick applauded the adoption of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolution authorizing a multinational security mission in Haiti.\n\n\u201cThe adoption of this UNSC resolution is a welcome step forward to addressing widespread gang violence and promoting long-term stability in Haiti. I am grateful for the steadfast leadership of President Biden, Secretary of State Blinken, and Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield, who have been unwavering in their commitment to this international effort.\n\nI have consistently advocated for a multinational security mission for over a year, as this remains the most immediate solution to restore order. It is also firmly in line with Haitian self-determination, as the vast majority of Haitians support a multinational force to assist the Haitian National Police.\n\nIn addition, this mission must lay the groundwork for a competent transitional government \u2014 one that does not include Prime Minister Ariel Henry \u2014 to ensure that Haiti can return to a sense of normalcy. The security mission marks an important first step, but as the Biden Administration has made clear, it is not a substitute for progress to address the ongoing political crisis in Haiti.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T00:49:26Z"], ["https://castor.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=404342", "U.S. Rep. Castor Statement on House Passage of Continuing Resolution", "2023-09-30", "2023", "2023-09", "Democrat", "House", "FL", "Kathy Castor", "C001066", "castor.house.gov", "castor", "https://castor.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor (FL-14) released the following statement after voting to pass a bipartisan Continuing Resolution to keep the government open with uninterrupted disaster relief:\n\n\u201cThe best pathway to avoid a government shutdown is always a bipartisan path, and today a large bipartisan majority prevailed over the extreme MAGA Republicans who try to force their radical agenda on America at every turn.\n\n\u201cThe Continuing Resolution (CR) passed today will avoid furloughs and harm to military families, Coast Guard and other public servants. Critically, the CR will ensure families and small businesses impacted by Hurricanes Idalia and Ian can access disaster assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and extend the National Flood Insurance Program so Floridians can purchase or renew their coverage.\n\n\u201cI\u2019m disappointed that 10 of my Republican colleagues from Florida were among the 90 Republicans who voted against the disaster aid for our neighbors. CRs are no way to govern, but today\u2019s vote was necessary to avoid economic pain and harm to Florida families. I stand ready to work with my colleagues to make meaningful investments that create jobs, lower costs, strengthen our schools, and protect our air and water without extreme abortion bans or cuts to social security.\"\n\nThe full Florida Delegation's vote tally can be found here.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T00:37:48Z"]], "truncated": false, "filtered_table_rows_count": 439, "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 \"party\" = :p0 and \"state\" = :p1 and \"year\" = :p2 order by date desc limit 101", "params": {"p0": "Democrat", "p1": "FL", "p2": "2023"}}, "facet_results": {"party": {"name": "party", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/press/releases.json?party=Democrat&state=FL&year=2023", "results": [{"value": "Democrat", "label": "Democrat", "count": 439, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?state=FL&year=2023", "selected": true}], "truncated": false}, "chamber": {"name": "chamber", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/press/releases.json?party=Democrat&state=FL&year=2023", "results": [{"value": "House", "label": "House", "count": 439, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?party=Democrat&state=FL&year=2023&chamber=House", "selected": false}], "truncated": false}, "state": {"name": "state", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/press/releases.json?party=Democrat&state=FL&year=2023", "results": [{"value": "FL", "label": "FL", "count": 439, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?party=Democrat&year=2023", "selected": true}], "truncated": false}, "year": {"name": "year", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/press/releases.json?party=Democrat&state=FL&year=2023", "results": [{"value": "2023", "label": "2023", "count": 439, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?party=Democrat&state=FL", "selected": true}], "truncated": false}}, "suggested_facets": [], "next": "2023-09-30,https~3A~2F~2Fcastor~2Ehouse~2Egov~2Fnews~2Fdocumentsingle~2Easpx~3FDocumentID~3D404342", "next_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?party=Democrat&state=FL&year=2023&_next=2023-09-30%2Chttps~3A~2F~2Fcastor~2Ehouse~2Egov~2Fnews~2Fdocumentsingle~2Easpx~3FDocumentID~3D404342&_sort_desc=date", "private": false, "allow_execute_sql": true, "query_ms": 837.799227796495, "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"}