{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "is_view": false, "human_description_en": "where party = \"Democrat\", state = \"MA\" and year = 2019 sorted by date descending", "rows": [["http://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases/senator-markey-applauds-his-bipartisan-anti-robocall-bill-signed-into-law", "Senator Markey Applauds His Bipartisan Anti-Robocall Bill Signed into Law", "2019-12-31", "2019", "2019-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Edward Markey", "M000133", "www.markey.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Senator Markey Applauds His Bipartisan Anti-Robocall Bill Signed into Law \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTuesday, December 31, 2019\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\r\nNew law will boost call authentication, call blocking, and penalties for robocall scammers\r\n\r\nBoston (December 31, 2019)  Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), co-author ofthe Telephone Robocall Abuse Criminal Enforcement and Deterrence (TRACED) Act(S.151) with Senator John Thune (R-S.D.), today praised the signing into law of his bipartisan legislation. On December 19, the Senate approved amodified versionof their bill by a simple voice vote. The Senatefirst passedS.151 by a vote of 97 to 1 on May 23, 2019, and the House of Representativespasseda modified version of the bill by a vote of 417 to 3 on December 4, 2019.\r\n\r\nIn 1991 Congress passed the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), the law that ensures that consumers should not be subject to intrusive and unsolicited calls from telemarketers. Senator Markey is the House author of the TCPA.\r\n\r\nAs Americans ring in the New Year, we now know that our phones will soon ring a lot less with annoying robocalls,said Senator Markey, a member of the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee.I'm pleased that the TRACED Act has been signed into law, and I appreciate Senator Thune's partnership on this important effort. It's time to close the book on the era of illegal robocall madness.\r\n\r\nTheTRACED Act, which the Washington Post editorial board recentlysaidis what good, old-fashioned legislating looks like, gives regulators more time to find scammers and levy fines for those who are caught, promotes call authentication and blocking adoption,and brings relevant federal agencies and state attorneys general together to address impediments to criminal prosecution of robocallers who intentionally flout laws.\r\n\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://neal.house.gov/press-releases/year-accomplishments-ways-and-means-committee", "A Year of Accomplishments from the Ways and Means Committee", "2019-12-31", "2019", "2019-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Richard Neal", "N000015", "neal.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, DC  After assuming the majority in the House of Representatives in January, Chairman of the Ways and Means Committee Richard E. Neal worked tirelessly with his colleagues to advance measures that support Americans' financial security, health, and wellbeing. A few of the Committee's notable achievements in 2019 include: LEGISLATION:\n  Lowering Drug Prices and Leveling the Playing Field  \n\t After years of congressional inaction on the skyrocketing cost of prescription drugs, the Ways and Means Committee passed H.R. 3, the Elijah E. Cummings Lower Drug Costs Now Act, which allows the HHS Secretary to negotiate lower prescription prices and caps Medicare beneficiaries' out-of-pocket spending on prescription drugs at $2,000. The legislation also fills a significant gap in Medicare, adding hearing, dental, and vision coverage to the program. The House of Representatives passed the legislation on December 12.\n  Supporting U.S. Workers, Patients, and Families through a Transformative Trade Agreement  \n\t On December 19, the House of Representatives passed legislation to implement the United States Mexico Canada Agreement, a bill that was the culmination of months of House Democrats' work to transform the new NAFTA into a deal that respects the dignity of workers, contains meaningful enforcement provisions, and prioritizes environmental protection and remediation.  \n\t\nStrengthening Retirement Security  \n\t As part of the end-of-year spending package, the House and Senate passed the SECURE Act, bipartisan Ways and Means legislation that expands opportunities for Americans to increase their retirement savings.  \n\t\nProtecting Workers and Retirees  \n\t The Ways and Means Committee and the full House of Representatives passed the Rehabilitation for Multiemployer Pensions Act, legislation commonly referred to as the Butch Lewis Act. More than a million Americans participate in multiemployer pension plans that are quickly running out of money. This bipartisan legislation addresses the worsening crisis that threatens the retirement savings of workers and retirees who  year after year  gave up wage increases in order to fund their pension plans.  \n\t\nInvesting in the U.S. Workforce, Families, and Economy  \n\t Ways and Means Democrats passed the most significant pro-work, poverty-reducing tax bill in at least a decade for residents of all 50 states, Puerto Rico, and other U.S. territories. The Economic Mobility Act provides an important economic boost for middle-class families who continue to struggle in this economy.  \n\t\nReforming the IRS for Taxpayers  \n\t President Trump signed into law bipartisan Ways and Means legislation to redesign the Internal Revenue Service for the first time in over two decades. The Taxpayer First Act included new protections for low-income taxpayers, practical enforcement reforms, and upgraded assistance for taxpayers and small businesses.  \n\t\nIncreasing Drug Pricing Transparency  \n\t In an effort to address the high cost of prescription drugs, the Ways and Means Committee passed the bipartisan Prescription Drug STAR Act, legislation that brings sunlight across the health care supply chain, from pharmaceutical manufacturers to pharmacy benefit managers, to help reduce costs for families.  \n\t\nPreparing Workers for Good Health Care Job Opportunities  \n\t The Ways and Means Committee passed H.R. 3398, the Pathways to Health Careers Act of 2019, which funds the Health Profession Opportunity Grant (HPOG) program. HPOGs are a proven approach to train workers for in-demand health jobs while providing key work supports like child care and transportation.  \n\t\nCombatting the Opioid Crisis  \n\t In an effort to address the opioid epidemic devastating communities across the country, the Committee passed H.R. 3414, a bill that increases the number of graduate medical education residency slots available to train addiction specialists  adding 1,000 new slots between now and 2026.  \n\t\nBringing Respect, Dignity, and Fairness to the Tax Code  \n\t Fifty years after the Stonewall riots, the House of Representatives passed Ways and Means legislation called the PRIDE Act which updates the tax code to clarify that all federal tax provisions respecting marriage will apply to legally married same-sex couples in the same manner as other married couples.  \n\t\nReducing Youth Vaping  \n\t The Ways and Means Committee passed bipartisan legislation to impose a nicotine excise tax, which would increase e-cigarette pricing in an effort to discourage youth and young adults from purchasing items like Juul pods.  \n\t\nKeeping More Families Together  \n\t As part of the end-of-year spending package, the House and Senate both passed the Family First Transition Act, legislation introduced in the House by a bipartisan group of Ways and Means Committee members that helps states transform their child welfare systems to keep more children safely at home, instead of placing them in foster care.  \n\t\nTackling Climate Change through the Tax Code  \n\t Ways and Means Democrats put forward draft legislation  the GREEN Act  that is a comprehensive approach to tackling climate change using the tax code to extend and expand renewable energy use and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. HEARINGS:  \n\tWays and Means Committee Democrats led hearings on a variety of pressing issues that affect Americans' lives. Topics addressed included:\n  \n\t Protecting Patients from Surprise Medical Bills  \n\t The Economic and Health Consequences of Climate Change  \n\t The Public Health Consequences and Costs of Gun Violence  \n\t Protecting and Improving Social Security  \n\t Paid Family and Medical Leave: Helping Workers and Employers Succeed   \n\t U.S.-China Trade  \n\t Our Nation's Crumbling Infrastructure and the Need for Immediate Action  \n\t Protecting Americans with Pre-existing Conditions  \n\t Overcoming Racial Disparities and Social Determinants in the Maternal Mortality Crisis  \n\t Caring for Aging Americans\n  \n\tTo learn more about Ways and Means Committee Democrats' work, visit WaysandMeans.House.gov.\n##", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases/senator-markey-calls-on-massachusetts-offshore-wind-developers-to-ensure-offshore-wind-jobs-are-union-jobs", "Senator Markey Calls on Massachusetts Offshore Wind Developers to Ensure Offshore Wind Jobs Are Union Jobs", "2019-12-30", "2019", "2019-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Edward Markey", "M000133", "www.markey.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Senator Markey Calls on Massachusetts Offshore Wind Developers to Ensure Offshore Wind Jobs Are Union Jobs \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tMonday, December 30, 2019\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\r\nIn letters to two major offshore wind developers, Markey calls for all Massachusetts offshore wind projects to enter into Project Labor Agreements\r\n\r\nBoston (December 30, 2019)  Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), a member of the Environment and Public Works Committee and co-author of the Green New Deal resolution, sent letters today to offshore wind developers Vineyard Wind and rsted calling on them to enter into Project Labor Agreements (PLA) for all projects off the Massachusetts and the larger East Coast. A PLA would ensure that newly created jobs in the offshore wind industry are good-paying and safe, and that jobs would be filled with a highly skilled local union workforce. Massachusetts has set a goal of procuring 1600 MW of offshore wind under a 2016 renewable energy law, and the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources recently laid out a plan to solicit an additional 1,600 MW of offshore wind by 2024. The U.S. Energy Department found that the United States could install a total of 22,000 megawatts of offshore wind projects by 2030 and 86,000 MW by 2050, creating tens of thousands of jobs in coastal communities along the Atlantic Coast.\r\n\r\nThe introduction of offshore wind facilities off the coast of Massachusetts is poised to create tens of thousands of new jobs across the region,writes Senator Markey in his letters.All offshore wind projects off the coast of Massachusetts should enter into Project Labor Agreements to make sure that local, highly skilled workers can have good-paying and safe jobs in this important new industry. Massachusetts labor unions stand ready to tackle the opportunities and challenges of projects like Vineyard Wind, and can train and develop the local workforce to meet the demands of the offshore wind industry.\r\n\r\nA copy of Senator Markey's letter to rsted can be foundHERE. A copy of his letter to Vineyard Wind can be foundHERE.\r\n\r\nIn June, Senators Markey, Tom Carper (D-Del.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) introducedlegislationto expand offshore wind educational and career training. The legislation would direct the Energy Department to work with stakeholders to identify the offshore wind industry's educational and career training needs before setting up a grant program to address those needs, including current worker training, training in conjunction with an apprenticeship, individual tuition assistance for a postsecondary credential, or other activities to address the workforce needs of the offshore wind industry. Labor unions and institutions of higher education would be eligible for these grants.\r\n\r\nIn June, Senators Markey and Whitehouse, and Congressman Jim Langevin (RI-02) reintroduced legislation that would spur the growth of offshore wind energy in the United States by extending tax credits for the renewable energy industry. TheOffshore Wind Incentives for New Development (WIND) Actwould extend the 30 percent Investment Tax Credit (ITC) for offshore wind through 2025.\r\n\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://neal.house.gov/press-releases/neal-statement-latest-anti-semitic-attacks", "Neal Statement on the Latest Anti-Semitic Attacks", "2019-12-30", "2019", "2019-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Richard Neal", "N000015", "neal.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Neal Statement on the Latest Anti-Semitic Attacks \n      \n    \n  \n      \n          \n        \n        \n  \n    \n                 Neal Statement on the Latest Anti-Semitic Attacks \n                        \n  \n                \n    \n      \n  \n    \n  \n      \n  \n  \n      \n  \n  \n\n  \n      \n  \n  \n    \nSpringfield, MA  Congressman Richard E. Neal released the following statement condemning the recent anti-Semitic attacks across our country.\nThe violent attack of innocent worshipers at a Hanukkah celebration in New York on Saturday was deeply disturbing and should be condemned. Every American should be outraged about the steady rise of anti-Semitism and hate crimes against Jews not only in New York, but across the country. These senseless acts of violence, fueled by intolerance and bigotry, are contrary to our nation's core values. During this holiday season, I urge people of all faiths to stand in solidarity and agree that prejudice and anti-Semitism in our society will not be tolerated, said Congressman Richard E. Neal. \n\n##", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://neal.house.gov/press-releases/neal-statement-regarding-congressman-john-lewis", "Neal Statement Regarding Congressman John Lewis", "2019-12-29", "2019", "2019-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Richard Neal", "N000015", "neal.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Neal Statement Regarding Congressman John Lewis \n      \n    \n  \n      \n          \n        \n        \n  \n    \n                 Neal Statement Regarding Congressman John Lewis \n                        \n  \n                \n    \n      \n  \n    \n  \n      \n  \n  \n      \n  \n  \n\n  \n      \n  \n  \n    SPRINGFIELD, MA Today, Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard E. Neal (D-MA) released the following statement on news regarding the health of Oversight Subcommittee Chairman John Lewis (D-GA):\nMy heart breaks at the diagnosis my dear friend and colleague John Lewis shared today. His moral leadership has been a guiding light for the Ways and Means Committee, the Congress, and our nation for much of the modern era. With an unfaltering love for others and resolute commitment to do what is right, he has changed our world for the better using humility and grace. I have no doubt that John will fight this terrible disease with the tenacity that's characterized his lifelong service and pursuit of justice. My prayers are with him, his family, and all his loved ones at this difficult time.\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://neal.house.gov/in-the-news/neals-actions-saves-jobs-rail-car-plant", "Neals actions saves jobs at rail car plant", "2019-12-27", "2019", "2019-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Richard Neal", "N000015", "neal.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "SPRINGFIELD  The chair of the House's Ways & Means Committee brought back to his district quite the holiday present for the workers at CRRC-MA: continued employment.\nMayor Domenic Sarno called the results from Richard Neal's advocacy a Herculean effort that involved two key words: respect and clout.\nSarno made the comments at a press conference on the floor of the factory.\nRichard Neal negotiated a revision to the FY2020 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that reversed a provision that would have prohibited local transit agencies from contracting with CRRC-MA.\nRight now the nearly 200 union employees at the Page Boulevard facility are working on fulfilling orders for rolling stock from the MBTA (Boston), SEPTA (Philadelphia) and LACMTA (Los Angeles).\nAccording to information supplied by Neal's office, the negotiations yielded a grandfather provision that permits parties who have previously contracted to contract again. This means that CRRC is free to compete for future contracts with Boston, Philadelphia and Los Angeles at any time in the future.\nThe change creates a two year grace period during which CRRC can bid for any transit contract other than with WAMATA (Washington DC transist system). Contracts awarded between new parties during the grace period can be renewed or extended, however no new contracts can be awarded after the two year grace period  unless covered by the grandfather provision.\nNeal said, This is a victory for good policy and common sense.\nNeal said he learned weeks ago from John Scavotto, business manager of Sheet Metal Workers Local 63 that a provision in the legislation could have effectively closed the plant.\nWhat the congressman was able to accomplish was amazing, Scavotto said.\nNeal said the facility is not only important to the region but to the entire country. Sixty percent of the components used in the manufacture of the rail cars are made in this country, he noted.\nNeal said there is no domestic competitor for what CRRC does.\nThe congressman added that for taxpayers of Western and central Massachusetts tax money has been used to keep the MBTA afloat.\nHe said, The Boston capitol region needs a first rate transportation system. Much of the quality work that is taking place in these cars will help to ensure that.\nNeal said he made it clear to his legislative colleagues that the act was not going to pass unless the revisions were made. He called the negotiations pretty assertive.\nThis story was caught up into international trade tension, he added.\nNeal believes the grace period may be eliminated or extended through future legislation.\nPresident of CRRC-MA Jia Bo said of Neal, You are our champion.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.warren.senate.gov/oversight/letters/massachusetts-lawmakers-question-amazon-about-high-rate-of-serious-injuries-at-the-companys-fall-river-facility", "Massachusetts Lawmakers Question Amazon About High Rate of Serious Injuries at the Company's Fall River Facility", "2019-12-23", "2019", "2019-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Elizabeth Warren", "W000817", "www.warren.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "December 23, 2019\n\t\t\t Massachusetts Lawmakers Question Amazon About High Rate of Serious Injuries at the Company's Fall River Facility \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n        \n\t\t\t\t New report finds problem is most pronounced during peak holiday shopping season\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t Text\r\nof Letter (PDF) Washington, DC - United States Senators Elizabeth Warren\r\n(D-MA), Edward J. Markey (D-MA), and Representative Joseph P. Kennedy III\r\n(D-MA-04), on Friday wrote to Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos asking about newly-reported\r\ndata showing that the rate of serious injuries at a fulfillment facility in\r\nFall River, MA is nearly three times higher than industry average, and\r\nrequesting information about how the company is ensuring worker safety. A new report\r\nfrom Reveal News and The Center for Investigative Reporting (CIR)\r\nanalyzed newly-available\r\ndata from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (OSHA) Form\r\n300 Log of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses at dozens of Amazon fulfillment\r\nfacilities across the country, including the fulfillment center in Fall River,\r\nMA. Based on the available data, Reveal and CIR found the serious\r\ninjury rate at Amazon facilities was more than double the industry average; and\r\nthe rate at the Fall River facility is nearly three\r\ntimes the industry average. Amazon employs approximately 4,000\r\nMassachusetts residents, nearly a quarter\r\nof which work at the Fall River facility. \"As we near the end of the peak season, we are seeking answers about\r\nwhy so many Massachusetts workers are getting seriously injured at Amazon\r\nfulfillment centers, and your plans to prioritize the safety of workers at all\r\nof your Massachusetts facilities during your busiest period of the year, and at\r\nall other times,\" wrote the lawmakers. Their letter also cites Amazon's plans to open distribution centers in\r\nHolyoke, North Andover, and reportedly, in Quincy. In order to better\r\nunderstand Amazon's plans to address the high rate of serious injuries at the\r\nFall River facility and prioritize the safety of Amazon workers as the company\r\nexpands its footprint in the Commonwealth, the lawmakers have requested answers\r\nto their questions no later than January 6, 2020. ###\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://lynch.house.gov/2019/12/rep-lynch-joins-massachusetts-colleagues-unveil-bill-help-communities-massachusetts", "Rep. Lynch Joins Massachusetts Colleagues To Unveil Bill To Help Communities In Massachusetts And Around The Country Struggling With Water Infrastructure Costs", "2019-12-23", "2019", "2019-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Stephen F. Lynch", "L000562", "lynch.house.gov", "lynch", "https://lynch.house.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "tts and across the country are able to provide safe drinking water-free of lead, PFAS, and other harmful pollutants-to our families,\" said Senator Warren. \"I'm glad to partner with my delegation colleagues on a bill that helps our communities update their water infrastructure and mitigate the costs.\"\n\n\"Everyone, everywhere, should have access to clean and safe drinking water,\" said Senator Markey. \"As we continue to learn more about the threats posed by PFAS and the prevalence of lead throughout our drinking system, we must make sure that Massachusetts communities and municipalities across the country have the resources they need to respond to this crisis.\"\n\n\"Since my time as mayor of Springfield in the 1980s, I have been passionate that all individuals have access to safe drinking water,\" said Congressman Richard E. Neal. \"With this bicameral bill, residents here in western and central Massachusetts will be able to update their water systems and alleviate the costs involved, while promoting healthy standards for the future.\"\n\n\"Our citizens deserve clean water and our local communities deserve the support of our federal government to provide it,\" said Representative Kennedy. \"By extending loan repayments on clean water projects, this legislation will allow local municipalities to invest in critical infrastructure projects and remove dangerous chemicals from their neighbors' water.\"\n\n\"We have water infrastructure in Massachusetts that's been around for longer than some states. Yet the reality is that cities and towns just don't have the money to bring things up-to-date. I've sat across the table from countless local leaders who are pinching pennies trying to bring safe, clean drinking water to their residents, and quite frankly, it shouldn't be that way,\" said Congressman McGovern. \"I'm proud to join our delegation to ensure that municipalities across the country have the tools they need to provide safe water that's free of lead, PFAS, and other dangerous chemicals.\"\n\n\"Over the past few years, lead, PFAS, and other contaminants, have presented significant challenges to communities in my district,\" said Congressman Bill Keating. \"We must face these challenges head on by ensuring that all communities have the tools they need to provide clean drinking water to our citizens. This legislation, which has the backing of our entire delegation, will provide much needed assistance to our local water managers nationwide.\"\n\n\"If the tragedies like the one that occurred in Flint, Michigan have taught us anything, it is that we cannot take access to clean, safe drinking water for granted,\" said Congresswoman Clark. \"This bill is an important step towards ensuring Massachusetts communities and all Americans have access to water free of lead and PFAS chemicals.\"\n\n\"Americans are afraid of poisoning their kids by brushing their teeth--this is ridiculous! Having safe drinking water should be an absolute minimum standard for every community in America. We need to invest now in getting PFAS and other \"forever chemicals\" out of our lives and better understanding the impact they've already had,\" Representative Moulton said.\n\n\"Every American deserves access to safe, clean drinking water. The reality is that too many cities and towns lack the resources necessary to support infrastructure that guarantees that right. I've especially seen this in my fight to help cities like Lowell and Haverhill update their outdated sewer systems to prevent CSO contamination\" said Congresswoman Trahan. \"I'm proud to join the Massachusetts delegation to ensure that municipalities across the country and in the district I represent have the tools they need to safeguard water and keep it free of lead, PFAS, and other dangerous materials.\"\n\nMany communities in Massachusetts and around the country have struggled with their water infrastructure costs for several generations. In response, Congress created the State Revolving Funds (SRF) program to improve the nation's water quality by providing critical support to reduce the cost of constructing wastewater treatment facilities and other eligible activities. While the SRF has been successful in dramatically improving the nation's water quality, the cost burden for major infrastructure projects continues to increase, and many communities still struggle to repay SRF loans.\n\nSRF loans give states funding to provide several types of financial assistance to communities, including project construction loans made at or below market interest rates, refinancing of local debt obligations, loan guarantees, and the purchase of insurance. Currently, communities must repay loans to the SRFs within 30 years-beginning within one year after project completion-and local governments must dedicate a revenue stream to repay the loan to the state. Though the 30-year amortization of the loan is helpful, project timelines may exceed 30 years, and costs not addressed or offset by the loan can still strain a community's budget and require making hard cuts in other critical areas of community investment, such as education and public safety.\n\nThe Affordable Safe Drinking Water Act would provide some relief to struggling communities by amending the SRF program and giving states the discretion to:\n\nOffer local communities the option to repay loans over a longer period of time. The legislation would strike the 30-year SRF loan term limit and allow states to make loans up to the useful life of the project. Many of these water infrastructure projects have a useful life of 50 years or more, and allowing communities to amortize beyond 30 years will relieve some of the financial pressure associated with finding other funding sources for these projects.\n\nUse SRF funding to install lead and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) filtering systems and other lead and PFAS remediation measures across municipal and state facilities. The legislation would amend the Safe Drinking Water Act to allow SRFs to provide funding to remediate lead- or PFAS-contaminated water at public schools, parks, fire stations, police stations, senior centers, community centers, and any other municipal buildings.\n\nThe Affordable Safe Drinking Water Act would not require an increase of federal funding since it leverages an existing funding source, nor would it alter existing law governing SRF interest rates. Instead, it builds on an existing program to provide states more tools to mitigate water infrastructure costs.\n\n\"I am pleased to be working with my colleagues at the local, state, and federal level to elevate the clean drinking water issues that Massachusetts communities face,\" said Massachusetts State Treasurer Deborah Goldberg, Chair of the Clean Water Trust. \"This legislation ensures that the Trust can provide direct funding for infrastructure improvements, that will greatly improve access to safe and clean drinking water for all of our children across Massachusetts.\"", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-06-27T23:45:33Z"], ["https://lynch.house.gov/press-release/rep-lynch-joins-massachusetts-colleagues-unveil-bill-help-communities-massachusetts", "Rep. Lynch Joins Massachusetts Colleagues To Unveil Bill To Help Communities In Massachusetts And Around The Country Struggling With Water Infrastructure Costs", "2019-12-23", "2019", "2019-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Stephen Lynch", "L000562", "lynch.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DC Last week Representative Stephen F. Lynch (MA-08) joined United States Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Edward J. Markey (D-MA), and Representatives Joseph P. Kennedy III (MA-04), Richard E. Neal (MA-01), James P. McGovern (MA-02), William Keating (MA-09), Katherine Clark (MA-05), Seth Moulton (MA-06), Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), and Lori Trahan (MA-03) to announce the introduction of the Affordable Safe DrinkingWaterAct, a bicameral bill to provide Massachusetts and other states with more tools to mitigatewaterinfrastructure costs.The bill has been endorsed by the American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees (AFSCME).\n\"I am proud to work alongside colleagues that continue to prioritize the health of Americans,\" said Representative Lynch. \"As a member of theWaterResources and Environment Subcommittee, we recently held a hearing on our nation'swaterresources infrastructure and identified how we can address criticalwaterneeds and fund projects to help the development and restoration of ourwatersystems. Many of us take our drinkingwaterfor granted and this bill will help states access resources to assist them with updating theirwaterinfrastructure to ensure everyone has access to clean, safewater.\"\n\"We must ensure our cities and towns in Massachusetts and across the country are able to provide safe drinkingwater-free of lead, PFAS, and other harmful pollutants-to our families,\"said Senator Warren. \"I'm glad to partner with my delegation colleagues on a bill that helps our communities update theirwaterinfrastructure and mitigate the costs.\"\n\"Everyone, everywhere, should have access to clean and safe drinkingwater,\"said Senator Markey. \"As we continue to learn more about the threats posed by PFAS and the prevalence of lead throughout our drinking system, we must make sure that Massachusetts communities and municipalities across the country have the resources they need to respond to this crisis.\"\n\"Since my time as mayor of Springfield in the 1980s, I have been passionate that all individuals have access to safe drinking water,\" said Congressman Richard E. Neal. \"With this bicameral bill, residents here in western and central Massachusetts will be able to update their water systems and alleviate the costs involved, while promoting healthy standards for the future.\"\n\"Our citizens deserve clean water and our local communities deserve the support of our federal government to provide it,\" said Representative Kennedy. \"By extending loan repayments on clean water projects, this legislation will allow local municipalities to invest in critical infrastructure projects and remove dangerous chemicals from their neighbors' water.\"\n\"We havewaterinfrastructure in Massachusetts that's been around for longer than some states. Yet the reality is that cities and towns just don't have the money to bring things up-to-date. I've sat across the table from countless local leaders who are pinching pennies trying to bring safe, clean drinkingwaterto their residents, and quite frankly, it shouldn't be that way,\"said Congressman McGovern.\"I'm proud to join our delegation to ensure that municipalities across the country have the tools they need to provide safewaterthat's free of lead, PFAS, and other dangerous chemicals.\"\n\"Over the past few years, lead, PFAS, and other contaminants, have presented significant challenges to communities in my district,\" said Congressman Bill Keating. \"We must face these challenges head on by ensuring that all communities have the tools they need to provide clean drinking water to our citizens. This legislation, which has the backing of our entire delegation, will provide much needed assistance to our local water managers nationwide.\"\n\"If the tragedies like the one that occurred in Flint, Michigan have taught us anything, it is that we cannot take access to clean, safe drinking water for granted,\" said Congresswoman Clark. \"This bill is an important step towards ensuring Massachusetts communities and all Americans have access to water free of lead and PFAS chemicals.\"\n\"Americans are afraid of poisoning their kids by brushing their teeth--this is ridiculous! Having safe drinkingwatershould be an absolute minimum standard for every community in America. We need to invest now in getting PFAS and other \"forever chemicals\" out of our lives and better understanding the impact they've already had,\" Representative Moulton said.\n\"Every American deserves access to safe, clean drinking water. The reality is that too many cities and towns lack the resources necessary to support infrastructure that guarantees that right. I've especially seen this in my fight to help cities like Lowell and Haverhill update their outdated sewer systems to prevent CSO contamination\" said Congresswoman Trahan. \"I'm proud to join the Massachusetts delegation to ensure that municipalities across the country and in the district I represent have the tools they need to safeguard water and keep it free of lead, PFAS, and other dangerous materials.\"\nMany communities in Massachusetts and around the country have struggled with theirwaterinfrastructure costs for several generations. In response, Congress created the State Revolving Funds (SRF) program to improve the nation'swaterquality by providing critical support to reduce the cost of constructing wastewatertreatment facilities and other eligible activities. While the SRF has been successful in dramatically improving the nation'swaterquality, the cost burden for major infrastructure projects continues to increase, and many communities still struggle to repay SRF loans.\nSRF loans give states funding to provide several types of financial assistance to communities, including project construction loans made at or below market interest rates, refinancing of local debt obligations, loan guarantees, and the purchase of insurance. Currently, communities must repay loans to the SRFs within 30 years-beginning within one year after project completion-and local governments must dedicate a revenue stream to repay the loan to the state. Though the 30-year amortization of the loan is helpful, project timelines may exceed 30 years, and costs not addressed or offset by the loan can still strain a community's budget and require making hard cuts in other critical areas of community investment, such as education and public safety.\nTheAffordable Safe DrinkingWaterActwould provide some relief to struggling communities by amending the SRF program and giving states the discretion to:\n Offer local communities the option to repay loans over a longer period of time.The legislation would strike the 30-year SRF loan term limit and allow states to make loans up to the useful life of the project. Many of thesewaterinfrastructure projects have a useful life of 50 years or more, and allowing communities to amortize beyond 30 years will relieve some of the financial pressure associated with finding other funding sources for these projects.\n\tUse SRF funding to install lead and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) filtering systems and other lead and PFAS remediation measures across municipal and state facilities.The legislation would amend the Safe DrinkingWaterAct to allow SRFs to provide funding to remediate lead- or PFAS-contaminatedwaterat public schools, parks, fire stations, police stations, senior centers, community centers, and any other municipal buildings.\n The Affordable Safe DrinkingWaterAct would not require an increase of federal funding since it leverages an existing funding source, nor would it alter existing law governing SRF interest rates. Instead, it builds on an existing program to provide states more tools to mitigatewaterinfrastructure costs.\n\"I am pleased to be working with my colleagues at the local, state, and federal level to elevate the clean drinking water issues that Massachusetts communities face,\" said Massachusetts State Treasurer Deborah Goldberg, Chair of the Clean Water Trust. \"This legislation ensures that the Trust can provide direct funding for infrastructure improvements, that will greatly improve access to safe and clean drinking water for all of our children across Massachusetts.\"\nYou can read the bill here.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://mcgovern.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=398431", "McGovern Calls for Senate Action on Key House-Passed Bills", "2019-12-23", "2019", "2019-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Jim McGovern", "M000312", "mcgovern.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "McGovern Calls for Senate Action on Key House-Passed Bills\r\n  \r\n    \r\n      \r\n      \r\n  \r\n    \r\n      f \r\n      t \r\n      #\r\n      e\r\n      \r\n      \r\n    \r\n    \r\n      \r\n        Washington,\r\n        December 23, 2019\r\n      \r\n       \r\n    \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n      \r\n    \r\n  \r\n  \r\n    \r\n      \r\n      \r\n      WASHINGTON  House Rules Committee Chairman James P. McGovern (MA-02) is calling for action on the 400+ bills, including more than 275 bipartisan bills, passed by the Democratic House Majority over the past year that are still awaiting action in the GOP-controlled Senate.Last year, the American people elected a Democratic House Majority committed to making a difference in the lives of Massachusetts families, said Congressman McGovern. Democrats have delivered, passing key bills to lower prescription drug prices, prevent gun violence, and get money out of politics. We know we won't get our way on every issue in divided government, but Leader McConnell refuses to even bring up any bills for debate! While Republicans continue their outrageous obstruction, Democrats will continue to demand that Leader McConnell schedule these important bills for a vote.Many important house-passed initiatives have been sitting on McConnell's desk for months, including: \r\n\r\n    H.R. 1, For The People Act, to restore confidence in our democracy, including by cracking down on dark money in campaigns;\r\n    H.R. 3, Lower Drug Costs Now Act, sweeping legislation to dramatically reduce drug prices by giving Medicare the power to negotiate directly with the drug companies; making lower drug prices negotiated by Medicare available to Americans with private insurance, not just Medicare beneficiaries; and stopping drug companies from ripping off Americans while charging other countries less for the same drugs;\r\n    H.R. 4, Voting Rights Advancement Act, to finally restore the full strength of the Voting Rights Act after the disastrous 2013 Shelby v. Holder Supreme Court decision;\r\n    H.R. 5, Equality Act, to finally and fully end discrimination against LGBTQ Americans;\r\n    H.R. 6, The American Dream and Promise Act, to provide a pathway to lawful permanent residence (and eventual citizenship) to those who have lived most of their lives in this country, including Dreamers and TPS and DED holders; \r\n    H.R. 7, Paycheck Fairness Act, to ensure that women receive equal pay for equal work; \r\n    H.R. 8, Bipartisan Background Checks Act, a commonsense measure to require background checks for all gun sales, closing the gun show and online loopholes;\r\n    H.R. 9, Climate Action Now Act, to ensure that the U.S. honors our commitments on climate action detailed in the Paris Agreement;\r\n    H.R. 987, Protecting People With Pre-Existing Conditions/Lowering Drug Costs, an omnibus bill that includes several provisions to strengthen protections for pre-existing conditions, end ACA sabotage, and bring down drug costs;\r\n    H.R. 582, Raise The Wage Act, to gradually raise the minimum wage to $15 per hour by 2025, raising the wages ofup to 33 million hard-working Americans;\r\n    H.R. 1585, Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act, a strong improvement and long-term reauthorization of VAWA;\r\n    H.R. 1644, Save The Internet Act, to protect the free and open internet for all;\r\n    H.R. 2722, Securing America's Federal Elections (SAFE) Act, to strengthen our election defenses against foreign attack;\r\n    H.R. 1112, Enhanced Background Checks; to close the Charleston loophole;\r\n\r\nThese key bills have the support of strong majorities of the American people.  For example:\r\n93 percent of Americans support universal background checks.\r\n88 percent of Americans support giving Medicare the power to negotiate lower drug prices with drug companies.\r\n75 percent of Americans support bills strengthening the protections for people with pre-existing conditions.\r\n67 percent of Americans support raising the minimum wage to $15.\r\n66 percent of Americans support legislation to combat climate change.\r\n87 percent of Americans support protecting Dreamers from deportation.\r\nVoters sent us to Congress to work for them  not to sit on our hands and run out the clock. Mitch McConnell ought to stop playing games with the health and safety of the American people and bring these bills up for debate, said McGovern.\r\n    \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n    \r\n      f \r\n      t \r\n      #\r\n      e", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://neal.house.gov/in-the-news/bill-provision-helps-save-crrc-contracts", "Bill provision helps save CRRC contracts", "2019-12-23", "2019", "2019-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Richard Neal", "N000015", "neal.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "SPRINGFIELD, MA (WGGB/WSHM) -- Employees at the Chinese-owned rail car manufacturer CRRC in Springfield are calling it a Christmas miracle.\nA Hail Mary attempt to keep the plant open despite a federal ban against Chinese-owned companies has been passed by the House of Representatives.\nThe deal, announced officially to employees at CRRC, came down to the wire, but a new Pentagon spending bill will help keep the doors open at CRRC.\nAt the CRRC manufacturing plant in East Springfield, there was applause for the passage of the National Defense Authorization Act - or NDAA. Translated, that means these employees now have job security.\nIt's great news to know that I can go home tonight and not have to look for another job, said Joshua Hunt, who works at CRRC.\nThanks to U.S. trade restrictions with China, a provision in the bill would have prohibited the Chinese-owned company from maintaining current contracts to produce rail cars for the MBTA, as well as Philadelphia and Los Angeles transit.\nHouse Ways and Means Committee chair Richard Neal said passage of the bill is a major victory for CRRC and it's Springfield-based employees.\nI think it's terrific news for not only the employees here, but the economy of western Mass. and indeed Massachusetts It's important to remind all that there is no domestic competitor for what CRRC does, Neal explained.\nNeal told Western Mass News that last minute negotiations - including a grandfather provision allowing CRRC to also compete for future contracts with Boston, Philly, and L.A. - came down to the wire.\nLead mechanical assembler Anthony Scavotto grew up just down the street from what is now CRRC. He's worked there for two years and credits Neal, the union, and Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno for saving his and the other nearly 200 jobs here.\nThere's a lot of good people here who depend on these jobs and need these jobs to support their families so to have him come through is a Christmas miracle, Scavotto noted.\nNeal added, This story was caught up in international trade tension and I thought this should not be caught up in collateral damage when men and women of good sense could find a path forward.\nThe bill passed the House on December 11 and the Senate six days later. It is currently awaiting President Trump's signature.\nChanges to the bill also include a two-year grace period during which time CRRC can bid for any transit contract other than Washington, D.C.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://neal.house.gov/in-the-news/crrc-ma-rep-richard-neal-celebrate-victory-washington-compromise-allows-rail-car-company", "CRRC MA, Rep. Richard Neal celebrate victory in Washington; compromise allows rail car company to keep seeking new work", "2019-12-23", "2019", "2019-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Richard Neal", "N000015", "neal.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "SPRINGFIELD  The 122 production employees at CRRC MA's mammoth rail car factory on Page Boulevard celebrated Monday with U.S. Rep. Richard E. Neal to mark a Washington compromise that allows the company to seek new contracts despite opposition to the Chinese-owned manufacturer.\nThis was a victory for good policy and common sense, said Neal, a Springfield Democrat and chairman of the House Ways & Means Committee. This facility got caught up in international trade tensions.\nThose trade tensions, coupled with fears the Chinese government is seeking to create a monopoly in the worldwide transit car industry  or that the government might use the cars to spy on Americans or threaten national security  led some lawmakers to call for a ban on the use of federal money to pay for rail and subway cars built by Chinese manufacturers.\n\"The thing to remember here is that there is no domestic competitor,\" Neal said.\nCRRC still faces new 25% tariffs on some Chinese components. The new import taxes were imposed as part of President Donald J. Trump's trade war with China.\nNeal on Monday said he's working with the U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer.\n\"With the two largest economies in the world, it is natural there would be some trade tensions,\" Neal said.\nBut he pointed to his role in successfully negotiating the new United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, which took buy-in from the Trump administration and from organized labor as well as the Canada and Mexico.\nCRRC will be able to compete moving forward, Neal said, under a under a compromise announced two weeks ago. As part of the $738 billion compromise defense bill, CRRC is free to seek new business under limited conditions:\nA grandfather clause allows CRRC MA to contract again to sell more cars to its current customers including Boston's MBTA, Philadelphia's SEPTA and the Los Angeles-area subway system  \n\tA two-year grace period allows CRRC to bid for any transit contract other than the Washington, DC Metro. CRRC's opponents fear that the Chinese-built cars could be used to spy on workers commuting to and from the Pentagon.  \n\tNeal said at Monday's event that he has encouraged CRRC Ma to seek more U.S. investment during that two-year grace period in hopes that he can persuade lawmakers to extend it indefinitely.\nFor CRRC, this means it can keep getting more orders to keep the factory running. And do what we do best, bring more good manufacturing jobs to Western Massachusetts, said Jia Bao, President of CRRC MA.\nWithout the agreement, work would have dried up after CRRC MA completed its current contracts.\nWe would have had to shut off the lights, said State Rep. Bud Williams, D-Springfield.\nWilliams attended the ceremony with City Councilor Orlando Ramos and Mayor Domenic J. Sarno, and with John Scavotto of Sheet Metal Workers Local 63.\nThe prospect of not being about to bid for more work frightened Scavotto, who described meeting with Sarno and then with Neal.\n\"My brothers and sisters are going to lose their jobs and there isn't anything we can do about it,\" Scavotto said.\nSarno said the outcome is a testament to Neal's clout and the respect he has earned in Washington.\nNeal faces a primary challenge from Holyoke Mayor Alex B. Morse.\nIn 2014, CRRC received a $566 million contract from the MBTA to build 152 Orange Line cars and 252 Red Line cars in Springfield. In 2016, the state upped the order with another 120 Red Line cars, with production on those set to begin in June 2022 at a cost of $277 million.\nMassachusetts went without federal money on the Red Line and Orange Line projects so it could mandate that assembly work be done in the state. The idea was to create a local rail car industry. CRRC won the bid.\nIn 2017, CRRC got a contract to build 64 subway cars for the Los Angeles metro in an order that could be worth as much as $647 million.\nThe same year, the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority ordered 45 double-decker commuter rail cars from CRRC at a cost of $137.5 million. Today, the cost is up slightly to $138 million. SEPTA has an option to purchase 10 more cars.\nAll that's enough work to keep the plant busy until 2025, said Vince Conti, director of business administration at CRRC MA.\nThat's the thing with this industry. If you get a contract, it takes at least two years before you see the cars on the factory floor, he said. It takes that long to ramp up.\nAnd it's taken CRRC longer to ramp up to fill the T's orders, Conti said. Problems with component suppliers, worker training and technical changes to the car's specifications all played into those delays. At this point, CRRC has shipped 10 Orange line cars in five married pairs and has only just begun work on the Red line cars. That's 60 to 70 cars behind where the company expected to be and the timeline it promised the T.\n\"They are not happy,\" Conti said. \"But we've had several good meetings with them and they understand the difficulties we've had ramping up,\"\nA new production system goes into effect in 2020 and workers have gone through new training programs, he said.\nCRRC has 122 production workers now and recently hired another 41, with 15 due to start jobs in January and another 65 in the rest of 2020.\nProduction will ramp up on MBTA Red line cars this year. Work begins on the SEPTA order for Philadelphia in the spring of 2020.\nCars come to Springfield as unfinished metal shells built in China. They shipped by sea to the port of Albany in New York, and then brought by truck to Springfield.\nThere, workers install all the electronics, interiors, motors and other equipment. More than 60 percent of the components are U.S. made, in accordance with the CRRC contract.\nNeal said Gov. Charlie Baker, under fire for the state of the T, has told him Springfield will get more work as it orders more equipment. It's only fair, Neal said, because Western Massachusetts taxpayers support the T. This is how they can get the benefit.\nCRRC built its $95 million factory, with an assembly floor big enough to hold three-and-a-half football fields, at the old Westinghouse Electric site at 655 Page Blvd.\nThe site was cleared for possible casino development before CRRC took over, although CRRC did rehab an old Westinghouse building as its headquarters.\nCRRC is also building a new warehouse at the factory site.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://neal.house.gov/in-the-news/rep-neal-says-restrictions-chinese-rail-car-plant-can-be-cleared", "Rep. Neal Says Restrictions On Chinese Rail Car Plant Can Be Cleared", "2019-12-23", "2019", "2019-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Richard Neal", "N000015", "neal.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Massachusetts U.S. Rep. Richard Neal said he believes restrictions placed upon the CRRC rail car facility in Springfield can be overcome.\nNeal helped negotiate the deal that, at least for now, keeps the Chinese-owned factory up and running.\nSome in Congress wanted to keep any public dollars from going to Chinese transit manufacturers. But the deal allows for some wiggle room. After two years, CRRC would only be able to renew or extend contracts with transit systems it had previous contracts with, and wouldn't be able to bring in new clients.\nTo perhaps have the restrictions eventually dropped, Neal said he's suggested to factory ownership to seek more domestic investment. He said more action from Washington can help, too.\n\"I think that once we reach a broader agreement with the Chinese over trade practices, that it will avail itself to additional opportunities,\" Neal said.\nThe plant employs about 200 people. Neal said those jobs were \"days\" from going away, had a deal not been struck in Washington.\nNeal reminded reporters visiting the factory that there's no domestic competitor for what CRRC does.\n\"When you just look here, where else does this happen?\" Neal said. \"And we've got it right here on Page Boulevard in Springfield.\"\nNeal, who chairs the House Ways and Means Committee, shook hands with CRRC employees who gathered in the factory for a press event. He later posed for a group photo with workers, other local digitaries and company leadership.\nThere was even a banner hung high on the wall of the factory thanking Neal for his efforts.\nCRRC's Springfield factory has contracts with transit systems in Boston, Philadelphia and Los Angeles.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://neal.house.gov/press-releases/neal-celebrates-job-retention-crrc", "Neal Celebrates Job Retention at CRRC", "2019-12-23", "2019", "2019-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Richard Neal", "N000015", "neal.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Springfield, MA  On Monday, Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee Richard E. Neal joined Springfield Mayor Domenic J. Sarno, CRRC MA President Jia Bo, Local 63 Business Manager John Scavotto, Jr., Local 7 Business Manager and Financial Secretary Dan D'Alma and workers at the CRRC-MA facility on Page Boulevard in Springfield to celebrate CRRC's victory in the recent passage of FY2020's National Defense Authorization Act.\nThis bill includes a major victory for Springfield-based company CRRC MA, as well. CRRC's Springfield plant has secured contracts to assemble the rail rolling stock mass transit cars for the MBTA (Boston), SEPTA (Philadelphia) and LACMTA (Los Angeles). However, a provision included in the original NDAA would have prohibited these local transit agencies from contracting with CRRC, effectively eliminating any future growth opportunities. Chairman Neal was able to negotiate a compromise that allows CRRC to maintain and protect the nearly 200 employees based out of the Springfield facility.\nI am happy that I was able to work with my colleagues in the Senate to amend the NDAA language to allow CRRC MA to continue to work on secured bids, said Congressman Richard E. Neal. This compromise means that CRRC will be able to maintain and protect the nearly 200 employees based out of the Springfield facility. Employees will continue their work without disruption to existing contracts with public entities like the MBTA; which has currently placed orders for Red & Orange Line railcars at a value of $800 million. These railcars are being built for Massachusetts residents by Massachusetts residents at a competitive wage with negotiated health and retirement benefits. This employer is important to Springfield and the region.\nSpringfield Mayor Domenic J. Sarno states, Once again our well respected and seasoned Congressman, Chairman Neal delivers for Springfield and his district. This not only saves good paying manufacturing jobs at our CRRC plant, just as important, it allows for expansion to create more new jobs. Richie' has continued to show how to work in a bipartisan fashion to get positive initiatives done for Springfield, his district and our nation.\nWe are extremely grateful for the stern approach taken by Congressman Neal to protect CRRC's presence in Springfield and our unionized workforce, said CRRC MA President Jia Bo. Chairman Neal's advocacy in Washington supporting CRRC MA to remain a competitor in the passenger rail market was heard and we thank him for believing in what we have worked so hard to accomplish in Western Massachusetts. He has preserved our ability to compete for all vehicle procurement bids at transit agencies across the U.S.  which means local unionized jobs.\nOn behalf of Smart Local 63 in Springfield, Massachusetts I am writing to thank Chairman Neal for putting the jobs and livelihood of hundreds of our union members employed at CRRC MA's manufacturing facility first, said John Scavotto, Jr., Business Manager of Sheet Metal Workers Local 63. His tenacity on Capitol Hill saved jobs for hundreds of workers right here in his own backyard -- Western Massachusetts. This was no easy feat yet he was able to negotiate CRRC MA's ability to continue to execute and identify rail contracts which is remarkable. We can't express how grateful we are for his unwavering support and hard work to ensure our City experiences economic growth and job creation. As we approach the holidays we thank Chairman Neal for the early Christmas present. We are proud to have him representing Western Massachusetts.\nLocal 7 just wants to thank the Chairman for looking out for the local men and women who are embarking on new careers in this growing industry, said Local 7 Business Manager and Financial Secretary Dan D'Alma. It's great to see someone fighting to keep good Union jobs with great benefits.\nThe changes that were made to the NDAA to protect CRRC MA include:\n1. A grandfather provision that permits parties who have previously contracted to contract again. This means that CRRC is free to compete for future contracts with Boston, Philadelphia and Los Angeles at any time in the future.\n2. A two -year grace period during which time CRRC can bid for any transit contract other than with WAMATA (Washington DC transit system). Contracts awarded between new parties during the grace period can be renewed or extended. However, no new contracts can be awarded after the 2-year grace period  unless otherwise covered by the grandfather provision.\n##", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases/senators-markey-collins-capito-and-van-hollen-applaud-continued-sales-of-alzheimers-stamp", "Senators Markey, Collins, Capito, and Van Hollen Applaud Continued Sales of Alzheimer\u2019s Stamp", "2019-12-20", "2019", "2019-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Edward Markey", "M000133", "www.markey.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Senators Markey, Collins, Capito, and Van Hollen Applaud Continued Sales of Alzheimer's Stamp \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tFriday, December 20, 2019\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\r\nUSPS has sold 7.7 million stamps, raising more than $1 million for Alzheimer's research\r\n\r\nWashington (December 20, 2019)  Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), along with Senators Susan Collins (R-Maine), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.V.), and Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) applauded the inclusion of language in final the Fiscal Year 2020 spending package that directs the United States Postal Service (USPS) to continue selling the Alzheimer's semipostal fundraising stamp. In November, Senator Markeyled13 of his Senate colleagues and 30 members of the House calling on the Postmaster General to continue selling these stamps instead of destroying them. Approximately 5.8 million Americans live with Alzheimer's disease, and Alzheimer's and other dementias are anticipated to cost $290 billion in 2019 alone.\r\n\r\nThe Alzheimer's semipostal research stamp has played an important role in raising awareness and funding for Alzheimer's research,said Senator Markey.Sending a letter with the Alzheimer's stamp it sending hope to all the families praying for a cure. I'm pleased that the USPS will continue to offer the Alzheimer's semipostal research stamp and raise funds to help commit this devastating disease to the history books.\r\n\r\nEvery 65 seconds, someone in the U.S. develops Alzheimer's disease. By 2050, this rate will double to every 33 seconds unless we take action,said Senator Collins.As a founder of the Alzheimer's Task Force in the Senate and a senior member of the Appropriations Committee, I recently helped secure a $350 million increase for Alzheimer's research, bringing the total to $2.8 billion. By allowing Americans to continue to purchase Alzheimer's research stamps, our legislation will build on this funding to support the NIH's efforts to combat this devastating disease.\r\n\r\nAs a member of the Appropriations Committee, I was happy to work with my colleagues to ensure this important language was included in the recently passed F2020 spending package,Senator Capito said. Not only will this stamp continue a source of funding for critically important Alzheimer's research, but it will also help honor the memory and courage of those who have battled this heartbreaking disease.\r\n\r\nAlzheimer's has impacted countless families in Maryland and across our country. That's why I've fought to increase investment in critical research on this disease,said Senator Van Hollen.Thanks to the work of Marylander Kathy Siggins and many other advocates, the Alzheimer's semi-postal stamp has already raised significant funds towards these efforts, and I'm pleased that we were able to protect the stamp in the year-end funding agreement. Whether it's sending holiday packages or mailing a letter to a friend, every dollar we put towards research can help make a difference. I will keep fighting to maintain the stamp's availability for years to come.\r\n\r\nIn June, Senators Markey, Collins, Capito, and Van Hollen (D-Md.) reintroducedlegislationto authorize the current USPS Alzheimer's research stamp for an additional six years, providing more time to raise additional Alzheimer's research funds for the National Institutes of Health.\r\n\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.warren.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/massachusetts-delegation-unveil-bill-to-help-communities-in-massachusetts-and-around-the-country-struggling-with-water-infrastructure-costs", "Massachusetts Delegation Unveil Bill to Help Communities in Massachusetts and Around the Country Struggling with Water Infrastructure Costs", "2019-12-20", "2019", "2019-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Elizabeth Warren", "W000817", "www.warren.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "December 20, 2019\n\t\t\t Massachusetts Delegation Unveil Bill to Help Communities in Massachusetts and Around the Country Struggling with Water Infrastructure Costs \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n        \n\t\t\t\t Legislation Eases Cost Burden on Cities and Towns, Supports Communities in Removing Lead and PFAS from Drinking Water\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t Bill\r\nText (PDF) Washington, DC- United States Senator Elizabeth\r\nWarren (D-MA) and Representative Joseph P. Kennedy III (D-MA-04), along with\r\nSenator Edward J. Markey (D-MA) and Representatives Richard E. Neal (D-MA-01),\r\nJames P. McGovern (D-MA-02), Stephen F. Lynch (D-MA-08), William Keating\r\n(D-MA-09), Katherine Clark (D-MA-05), Seth Moulton (D-MA-06), Ayanna Pressley\r\n(D-MA-07), and Lori Trahan (D-MA-03), today announced the introduction of the\r\nAffordable Safe DrinkingWaterAct, a bicameral bill to provide\r\nMassachusetts and other states with more tools to\r\nmitigatewaterinfrastructure costs.The bill has been endorsed\r\nby the American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees (AFSCME). \"We must ensure our cities and towns in Massachusetts and across the\r\ncountry are able to provide safe drinkingwater-free of lead, PFAS, and\r\nother harmful pollutants-to our families,\"said Senator\r\nWarren. \"I'm glad to partner with my delegation colleagues on a\r\nbill that helps our communities update theirwaterinfrastructure and\r\nmitigate the costs.\" \"Our citizens deserve clean water and our local communities deserve the\r\nsupport of our federal government to provide it,\" said\r\nRepresentative Kennedy. \"By extending loan repayments on clean\r\nwater projects, this legislation will allow local municipalities to invest in\r\ncritical infrastructure projects and remove dangerous chemicals from their\r\nneighbors' water.\" \"Everyone, everywhere, should have access to clean and safe\r\ndrinkingwater,\"said Senator Markey. \"As\r\nwe continue to learn more about the threats posed by PFAS and the prevalence of\r\nlead throughout our drinking system, we must make sure that Massachusetts\r\ncommunities and municipalities across the country have the resources they need\r\nto respond to this crisis.\" \"Since my time as mayor of Springfield in the 1980s, I have been\r\npassionate that all individuals have access to safe drinking water,\" said\r\nCongressman Richard E. Neal. \"With this bicameral bill, residents\r\nhere in western and central Massachusetts will be able to update their water\r\nsystems and alleviate the costs involved, while promoting healthy standards for\r\nthe future.\" \"We havewaterinfrastructure in Massachusetts that's been\r\naround for longer than some states. Yet the reality is that cities and towns\r\njust don't have the money to bring things up-to-date. I've sat across the table\r\nfrom countless local leaders who are pinching pennies trying to bring safe,\r\nclean drinkingwaterto their residents, and quite frankly, it\r\nshouldn't be that way,\"said Congressman McGovern.\"I'm\r\nproud to join our delegation to ensure that municipalities across the country\r\nhave the tools they need to provide safewaterthat's free of lead,\r\nPFAS, and other dangerous chemicals.\" \"I am proud to work alongside colleagues that continue to prioritize\r\nthe health of Americans,\" said Representative Lynch.\r\n\"As a member of theWaterResources and Environment\r\nSubcommittee, we recently held a hearing on our\r\nnation'swaterresources infrastructure and identified how we can\r\naddress criticalwaterneeds and fund projects to help the development\r\nand restoration of ourwatersystems. Many of us take our\r\ndrinkingwaterfor granted and this bill will help states access\r\nresources to assist them with updating theirwaterinfrastructure to\r\nensure everyone has access to clean, safewater.\" \"Over the past few years, lead, PFAS, and other contaminants, have\r\npresented significant challenges to communities in my district,\" said\r\nCongressman Bill Keating. \"We must face these challenges head on\r\nby ensuring that all communities have the tools they need to provide clean\r\ndrinking water to our citizens. This legislation, which has the backing of our\r\nentire delegation, will provide much needed assistance to our local water\r\nmanagers nationwide.\" \"If the tragedies like the one that occurred in Flint, Michigan have\r\ntaught us anything, it is that we cannot take access to clean, safe drinking\r\nwater for granted,\" said Congresswoman Clark. \"This\r\nbill is an important step towards ensuring Massachusetts communities and all\r\nAmericans have access to water free of lead and PFAS chemicals.\" \"Americans are afraid of poisoning their kids by brushing their\r\nteeth--this is ridiculous! Having safe drinkingwatershould be an\r\nabsolute minimum standard for every community in America. We need to invest now\r\nin getting PFAS and other \"forever chemicals\" out of our lives and\r\nbetter understanding the impact they've already had,\" Representative\r\nMoulton said. \"Every American deserves access to safe, clean drinking water. The\r\nreality is that too many cities and towns lack the resources necessary to\r\nsupport infrastructure that guarantees that right. I've especially seen this in\r\nmy fight to help cities like Lowell and Haverhill update their outdated sewer\r\nsystems to prevent CSO contamination\" said Congresswoman Trahan.\r\n\"I'm proud to join the Massachusetts delegation to ensure that\r\nmunicipalities across the country and in the district I represent have the\r\ntools they need to safeguard water and keep it free of lead, PFAS, and other\r\ndangerous materials.\" Many communities in Massachusetts and around the country have struggled with\r\ntheirwaterinfrastructure costs for several generations. In\r\nresponse, Congress created the State Revolving Funds (SRF) program to improve\r\nthe nation'swaterquality by providing critical support to reduce\r\nthe cost of constructing wastewatertreatment facilities and other\r\neligible activities. While the SRF has been successful in dramatically\r\nimproving the nation'swaterquality, the cost burden for major\r\ninfrastructure projects continues to increase, and many communities still\r\nstruggle to repay SRF loans. SRF loans give states funding to provide several types of financial\r\nassistance to communities, including project construction loans made at or\r\nbelow market interest rates, refinancing of local debt obligations, loan\r\nguarantees, and the purchase of insurance. Currently, communities must repay\r\nloans to the SRFs within 30 years-beginning within one year after project\r\ncompletion-and local governments must dedicate a revenue stream to repay the\r\nloan to the state. Though the 30-year amortization of the loan is helpful,\r\nproject timelines may exceed 30 years, and costs not addressed or offset by the\r\nloan can still strain a community's budget and require making hard cuts in\r\nother critical areas of community investment, such as education and public\r\nsafety. TheAffordable Safe DrinkingWaterActwould\r\nprovide some relief to struggling communities by amending the SRF program and\r\ngiving states the discretion to: \r\n Offer local communities\r\n     the option to repay loans over a longer period of time.The legislation\r\n     would strike the 30-year SRF loan term limit and allow states to make\r\n     loans up to the useful life of the project. Many of\r\n     thesewaterinfrastructure projects have a useful life of 50\r\n     years or more, and allowing communities to amortize beyond 30 years will\r\n     relieve some of the financial pressure associated with finding other\r\n     funding sources for these projects.\r\n Use SRF funding to\r\n     install lead and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) filtering\r\n     systems and other lead and PFAS remediation measures across municipal and\r\n     state facilities.The legislation would amend the Safe\r\n     DrinkingWaterAct to allow SRFs to provide funding to remediate\r\n     lead- or PFAS-contaminatedwaterat public schools, parks, fire\r\n     stations, police stations, senior centers, community centers, and any\r\n     other municipal buildings.\r\n The Affordable Safe DrinkingWaterAct would not require an\r\nincrease of federal funding since it leverages an existing funding source, nor\r\nwould it alter existing law governing SRF interest rates. Instead, it builds on\r\nan existing program to provide states more tools to\r\nmitigatewaterinfrastructure costs. \"I am pleased to be working with my colleagues at the local, state, and\r\nfederal level to elevate the clean drinking water issues that Massachusetts\r\ncommunities face,\" said Massachusetts State Treasurer Deborah\r\nGoldberg, Chair of the Clean Water Trust. \"This legislation\r\nensures that the Trust can provide direct funding for infrastructure improvements,\r\nthat will greatly improve access to safe and clean drinking water for all of\r\nour children across Massachusetts.\" ###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.warren.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/schakowsky-warren-reintroduce-affordable-drug-manufacturing-act-legislation-to-radically-reduce-drug-prices-through-public-manufacturing-of-prescription-drugs", "Schakowsky, Warren Reintroduce Affordable Drug Manufacturing Act, Legislation to Radically Reduce Drug Prices through Public Manufacturing of Prescription Drugs", "2019-12-20", "2019", "2019-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Elizabeth Warren", "W000817", "www.warren.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "December 20, 2019\n\t\t\t Schakowsky, Warren Reintroduce Affordable Drug Manufacturing Act, Legislation to Radically Reduce Drug Prices through Public Manufacturing of Prescription Drugs \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n        \n\t\t\t\t Bicameral Bill Would Address Market Failures and Increase Competition in the Generic Drug Market by Establishing New HHS Office of Drug Manufacturing\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t Lawmakers Also Release New\r\nReport Identifying Hundreds of Drugs Facing Limited Market Competition,\r\nHighlighting Need for Affordable Drug Manufacturing Act Bill\r\nText (PDF)| One-Pager\r\n(PDF) | Section-by-Section\r\nSummary (PDF) |Report\r\n(PDF) Washington, D.C. -United States Senator Elizabeth\r\nWarren (D-Mass.), amember of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and\r\nPensions Committee,andCongresswomanJan Schakowsky (D-Ill.), a\r\nmember of the HouseCommittee on Energy and Commerce,today announced\r\nthe reintroduction of theAffordable Drug Manufacturing Act, an\r\nambitious proposal to address the skyrocketing price of prescription drugs. The\r\nbill would lower prices and increase competition in the generic pharmaceutical\r\nmarket by establishing an Office of Drug Manufacturing within the Department of\r\nHealth and Human Services (HHS) tasked with manufacturing select generic drugs\r\nand offering them to consumers at a fair price that guarantees affordable\r\npatient access. The lawmakers also released a new staff report,Costly Cures:\r\nThe Broken Generic Drug Market and the Urgent Need for the Affordable Drug\r\nManufacturing Act, which identifies market failures in the\r\ngeneric drug industry and outlines how the Affordable Drug Manufacturing Act\r\nwould address these failures. It also identifies hundreds of examples of drugs\r\nthat are potential candidates for public manufacturing under the bill. \"There is not enough competition in the market for generic drugs, and\r\nthat allows giant pharmaceutical companies to line their pockets while millions\r\nof families are crushed by the rising cost of prescription drugs,\"said\r\nSenator Warren.\"Our bill would fix the broken generic drug\r\nmarket-making it more competitive and dramatically lowering prices.\" \"Our prescription drug market is broken. Drug manufacturers are price\r\ngouging consumers without enough competition from more affordable, generic\r\ndrugs\" said Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky. \"That's\r\nwhy I'm proud to reintroduce theAffordable Drug Manufacturing Actwith\r\nmy friend Senator Elizabeth Warren. It's time for our federal government to\r\nstep up and ensure Big Pharma to faces real, honest competition that will lower\r\ndrug prices for people across the United States.\" Prescription drug manufacturers have relentlessly raised prices on U.S.\r\nconsumers. In the first six months of 2019, pharmaceutical corporations\r\nincreased prices byover\r\n10%, while in the past 10 years, spending on retail prescription drugs in\r\nthe U.S. increased bynearly\r\n$100 billion. When patents on brand-name drugs expire, patients and providers have\r\ntraditionally relied on generic drug companies to enter the market and create competition,\r\ndriving down costs and ensuring a reliable supply of affordable drugs. But the\r\nnewreportreveals\r\nhow the generic drug market is plagued by market failures that keep the costs\r\nof drugs high. Senator Warren's and Representative's Schakowsky'sreportalso\r\nidentifies key drugs that could be publicly-manufactured under the bill,\r\nfinding that: \r\n Generic drug markets often\r\n     lack competition, resulting in higher prices.\r\n Uncompetitive generic drug\r\n     markets allow for market manipulation, causing rapid increases in generic\r\n     drug prices.\r\n Pharmaceutical companies have\r\n     been accused of engaging in illegal activity to keep generic drug prices\r\n     high.\r\n Uncompetitive generic drug\r\n     markets increase the risk of drug shortages, leaving patients without\r\n     critical treatments in times of need.\r\n The Affordable Drug Manufacturing Act would address these market\r\nfailures by giving the HHS Secretary the authority to manufacture generic drugs\r\nin cases where the market has failed and strengthen the generic market for the\r\nlong term by jump-starting competition. The Act: \r\n Establishes an Office of Drug\r\n     Manufacturing within HHS charged with lowering prices, increasing\r\n     competition, and addressing shortages in the market for prescription\r\n     drugs;\r\n Authorizes the Office to\r\n     manufacture generic drugs under one of the following key conditions: \r\n \r\n  No company is\r\n      marketing the drug,\r\n  Only one or two\r\n      companies are marketing the drug, and the price has spiked;\r\n  Only one or two\r\n      companies are marketing the drug, and the drug is in shortage; or\r\n  Only one or two\r\n      companies are marketing the drug, the price is a barrier to patient\r\n      access, and the drug is listed as an \"essential medicine\" by\r\n      the World Health Organization.\r\n \r\n Authorizes the Office to\r\n     manufacture any drug that the federal government has licensed, including\r\n     under existing compulsory licensing authorities;\r\n Allows the government to sell\r\n     publicly-manufactured drugs at a fair price that covers manufacturing\r\n     costs while ensuring patients have access to these drugs;\r\n Requires the Office to begin\r\n     public production of insulin, naloxone, and antibiotics within one year;\r\n Improves the ability of new\r\n     companies to enter the generic drug market by authorizing the public\r\n     manufacturing of active pharmaceutical ingredients;\r\n Requires the Office to offer\r\n     to sell the rights to publicly-manufactured drugs to manufacturers who\r\n     commit to keep the drug on the market at a fair price, but authorizes the\r\n     Office to resume production if a manufacturer violates these commitments.\r\n Under the bill, the federal government-at the discretion of the HHS\r\nSecretary-could manufacture hundreds of drugs and would be required to\r\nmanufacture insulin, naloxone, and antibiotics. The lawmakers'reportcontains\r\nkey detailed examples and a list of over 400 drugs that could qualify for\r\npublic manufacturing under the Affordable Drug Manufacturing Act. The Affordable Drug Manufacturing Act, which wasfirst\r\nintroducedby the lawmakers in December 2018, is endorsed by Public\r\nCitizen, Social Security Works, Indivisible, CREDO, Center for Medicare\r\nAdvocacy, American Federation of Teachers, Knowledge Ecology International,\r\nAction Center on Race and the Economy, Business for Medicare for All,\r\nPhysicians for a National Health Program, MomsRising, Families USA, Alliance\r\nfor Retired Americans, AFSCME,AIDS Healthcare Foundation, and People's\r\nAction. Read Senator Warren's 2018Washington Postop-ed on the\r\nlegislationhere. A member of the Senate HELP Committee, Senator Warren has been a leading\r\nvoice in Washington calling for lower prescription drug prices since joining\r\nthe Senate in 2013.Congresswoman Schakowsky, Chair of the Consumer and\r\nProtection and Commerce Subcommittee on the House Energy and Commerce\r\nCommittee, has been a leading voice in Washington calling for lower\r\nprescription drug prices since joining the House in 1999. Senator Warrenand Congresswoman Schakowsky are cosponsorsof the\r\nMedicare for All Act of 2019, a bill that would ensure that no family goes\r\nbroke paying for health care. Senator WarrenandCongresswoman\r\nSchakowskyhave also co-sponsored the Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Act(S.99/H.R.\r\n448), a bill that would permit the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services\r\nto negotiate the prices of prescription drugs offered through the Medicare\r\nprogram; the Affordable and Safe Prescription Drug Importation Act(S.\r\n97/H.R. 447), a bill that would allow for the safe importation of drugs from\r\ncountries like Canada. ###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://kennedy.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases/kennedy-statement-on-usmca", "KENNEDY STATEMENT ON USMCA", "2019-12-20", "2019", "2019-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Joseph Kennedy", "K000379", "kennedy.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "December 20, 2019\n\t\t\t KENNEDY STATEMENT ON USMCA \n\t\t\tWashington, D.C.  Congressman Joe Kennedy III today released the following statement after voting against the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). \"Like countless American communities, the cities and towns in my district bear the economic scars of trade deals that, however well-intentioned, made our workers, industries and environment collateral damage in a rapidly globalizing world.  \"The renegotiation of NAFTA gives this generation a chance to do things differently. Although Speaker Pelosi and House Democrats successfully strengthened USMCA far beyond the President's initial proposal, we remain limited by an Administration that orients its economic policies exclusively around corporate interests and denies the very existence of climate change.  \"By failing to fully remedy the difficult challenge of labor law enforcement, we risk doubling-down on the kind of trickle-down capitalism that has gutted the wages, rights and protections of American workers. And by failing to set binding environmental standards and codify the goals of the Paris Agreement, USMCA sidesteps an opportunity to address climate change that we simply cannot afford to leave on the table.  \"The rising generation faces two deeply intertwined crises: an economy that increasingly prices them out of basic economic security and a planet on the brink. Given the stakes of those fights today, our country can no longer indulge in international agreements that do not aggressively seek to combat both.\"  ###\r\nFor Immediate Release:December 19, 2019\r\nContact:  Dan Black (202) 225-5931 \n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n \n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://kennedy.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases/massachusetts-delegation-unveil-bill-to-help-communities-in-massachusetts-and-around-the-country-struggling-with-water-infrastructure-costs", "Massachusetts Delegation Unveil Bill to Help Communities in Massachusetts and Around the Country Struggling with Water Infrastructure Costs", "2019-12-20", "2019", "2019-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Joseph Kennedy", "K000379", "kennedy.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "December 20, 2019\n\t\t\t Massachusetts Delegation Unveil Bill to Help Communities in Massachusetts and Around the Country Struggling with Water Infrastructure Costs \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t Legislation Eases Cost Burden on Cities and Towns, Supports Communities in Removing Lead and PFAS from Drinking Water\n\t\t\t Washington, DC - United States Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Representative Joseph P. Kennedy III (D-MA-04), along with Senator Edward J. Markey (D-MA) and Representatives Richard E. Neal (D-MA-01), James P. McGovern (D-MA-02), Stephen F. Lynch (D-MA-08), William Keating (D-MA-09), Katherine Clark (D-MA-05), Seth Moulton (D-MA-06), Ayanna Pressley (D-MA-07), and Lori Trahan (D-MA-03), today announced the introduction of the Affordable Safe Drinking Water Act, a bicameral bill to provide Massachusetts and other states with more tools to mitigate water infrastructure costs. The bill has been endorsed by the American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees (AFSCME).\r\n\"We must ensure our cities and towns in Massachusetts and across the country are able to provide safe drinking water-free of lead, PFAS, and other harmful pollutants-to our families,\" said Senator Warren. \"I'm glad to partner with my delegation colleagues on a bill that helps our communities update their water infrastructure and mitigate the costs.\"\r\n\"Our citizens deserve clean water and our local communities deserve the support of our federal government to provide it,\" said Representative Kennedy. \"By extending loan repayments on clean water projects, this legislation will allow local municipalities to invest in critical infrastructure projects and remove dangerous chemicals from their neighbors' water.\" \"Everyone, everywhere, should have access to clean and safe drinking water,\" said Senator Markey. \"As we continue to learn more about the threats posed by PFAS and the prevalence of lead throughout our drinking system, we must make sure that Massachusetts communities and municipalities across the country have the resources they need to respond to this crisis.\" \"Since my time as mayor of Springfield in the 1980s, I have been passionate that all individuals have access to safe drinking water,\" said Congressman Richard E. Neal. \"With this bicameral bill, residents here in western and central Massachusetts will be able to update their water systems and alleviate the costs involved, while promoting healthy standards for the future.\" \"We have water infrastructure in Massachusetts that's been around for longer than some states. Yet the reality is that cities and towns just don't have the money to bring things up-to-date. I've sat across the table from countless local leaders who are pinching pennies trying to bring safe, clean drinking water to their residents, and quite frankly, it shouldn't be that way,\" said Congressman McGovern. \"I'm proud to join our delegation to ensure that municipalities across the country have the tools they need to provide safe water that's free of lead, PFAS, and other dangerous chemicals.\" \"I am proud to work alongside colleagues that continue to prioritize the health of Americans,\" said Representative Lynch. \"As a member of the Water Resources and Environment Subcommittee, we recently held a hearing on our nation's water resources infrastructure and identified how we can address critical water needs and fund projects to help the development and restoration of our water systems. Many of us take our drinking water for granted and this bill will help states access resources to assist them with updating their water infrastructure to ensure everyone has access to clean, safe water.\" \"Over the past few years, lead, PFAS, and other contaminants, have presented significant challenges to communities in my district,\" said Congressman Bill Keating. \"We must face these challenges head on by ensuring that all communities have the tools they need to provide clean drinking water to our citizens. This legislation, which has the backing of our entire delegation, will provide much needed assistance to our local water managers nationwide.\" \"If the tragedies like the one that occurred in Flint, Michigan have taught us anything, it is that we cannot take access to clean, safe drinking water for granted,\" said Congresswoman Clark. \"This bill is an important step towards ensuring Massachusetts communities and all Americans have access to water free of lead and PFAS chemicals.\" \"Americans are afraid of poisoning their kids by brushing their teeth--this is ridiculous! Having safe drinking water should be an absolute minimum standard for every community in America. We need to invest now in getting PFAS and other \"forever chemicals\" out of our lives and better understanding the impact they've already had,\" Representative Moulton said. \"Every American deserves access to safe, clean drinking water. The reality is that too many cities and towns lack the resources necessary to support infrastructure that guarantees that right. I've especially seen this in my fight to help cities like Lowell and Haverhill update their outdated sewer systems to prevent CSO contamination\" said Congresswoman Trahan. \"I'm proud to join the Massachusetts delegation to ensure that municipalities across the country and in the district I represent have the tools they need to safeguard water and keep it free of lead, PFAS, and other dangerous materials.\" Many communities in Massachusetts and around the country have struggled with their water infrastructure costs for several generations. In response, Congress created the State Revolving Funds (SRF) program to improve the nation's water quality by providing critical support to reduce the cost of constructing wastewater treatment facilities and other eligible activities. While the SRF has been successful in dramatically improving the nation's water quality, the cost burden for major infrastructure projects continues to increase, and many communities still struggle to repay SRF loans. SRF loans give states funding to provide several types of financial assistance to communities, including project construction loans made at or below market interest rates, refinancing of local debt obligations, loan guarantees, and the purchase of insurance. Currently, communities must repay loans to the SRFs within 30 years-beginning within one year after project completion-and local governments must dedicate a revenue stream to repay the loan to the state. Though the 30-year amortization of the loan is helpful, project timelines may exceed 30 years, and costs not addressed or offset by the loan can still strain a community's budget and require making hard cuts in other critical areas of community investment, such as education and public safety. The Affordable Safe Drinking Water Act would provide some relief to struggling communities by amending the SRF program and giving states the discretion to:\r\n \r\nOffer local communities the option to repay loans over a longer period of time. The legislation would strike the 30-year SRF loan term limit and allow states to make loans up to the useful life of the project. Many of these water infrastructure projects have a useful life of 50 years or more, and allowing communities to amortize beyond 30 years will relieve some of the financial pressure associated with finding other funding sources for these projects.\r\nUse SRF funding to install lead and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) filtering systems and other lead and PFAS remediation measures across municipal and state facilities. The legislation would amend the Safe Drinking Water Act to allow SRFs to provide funding to remediate lead- or PFAS-contaminated water at public schools, parks, fire stations, police stations, senior centers, community centers, and any other municipal buildings.\r\n \r\n  The Affordable Safe Drinking Water Act would not require an increase of federal funding since it leverages an existing funding source, nor would it alter existing law governing SRF interest rates. Instead, it builds on an existing program to provide states more tools to mitigate water infrastructure costs.  \"I am pleased to be working with my colleagues at the local, state, and federal level to elevate the clean drinking water issues that Massachusetts communities face,\" said Massachusetts State Treasurer Deborah Goldberg, Chair of the Clean Water Trust. \"This legislation ensures that the Trust can provide direct funding for infrastructure improvements, that will greatly improve access to safe and clean drinking water for all of our children across Massachusetts.\" ###\r\nFor Immediate Release:December 20, 2019\r\nContact:  Dan Black (202) 225-5931", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases/gardner-markey-applaud-25b-in-government-funding-bill-to-implement-indo-pacific-policy", "Gardner, Markey Applaud $2.5B in Government Funding Bill to Implement Indo-Pacific Policy", "2019-12-19", "2019", "2019-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Edward Markey", "M000133", "www.markey.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Gardner, Markey Applaud $2.5B in Government Funding Bill to Implement Indo-Pacific Policy \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tThursday, December 19, 2019\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\r\nFunding Represents Historic Step to Implement the Gardner-Markey Asia Reassurance Initiative Act (ARIA)\r\n\r\nWashington, D.C. U.S. Senators Cory Gardner (R-CO) and Ed Markey (D-MA), Chairman and Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on East Asia, the Pacific, and International Cybersecurity Policy, today applauded the passage of the State and Foreign Operations, and Related Programs appropriations bill as a part of the end-of-year spending package, which contained $2.5 billion to implement the Gardner-Markey Asia Reassurance Initiative Act (ARIA), the comprehensive Asia policy framework signed into law in December 2018, and the Administration's Indo-Pacific Strategy (IPS).\r\n\r\nToday's passage of the funding bill and expected signature into law by the President represents the final step in the process to implement the ARIA initiative, which began in 2017 and involved: Eight legislative hearings at the Senate Foreign Relations committee in the 115thCongress and the 116thCongress; unanimous passage by the Senate and the House of Representatives; the President's signature into law; unanimous endorsement by the Senate Appropriations Committee in September; and today's endorsement by the full Congress. $2.5 billion for ARIA/IPS represents nearly 5 percent of the entire Fiscal Year 2020 State and Foreign Operations bill, which funds the State Department, U.S. Agency for International Development, and the U.S. foreign aid budget.\r\n\r\nToday is a historic day for U.S. foreign policy and a bad day to be a dictator in Pyongyang, a communist in Beijing, or a human rights abuser in Phnom Penh. What began as an idea at our subcommittee with Senator Markey over two years ago today blossomed into a fully-funded generational U.S. policy framework for the Indo-Pacific region that will ensure the United States remains the pre-eminent Pacific power for generations to come,said Senator Gardner.ARIA will allow the U.S. government to speak with one voice to advance our nation's national security, economic interests, and values in the Indo-Pacific, a region critical to the success of our nation as the pre-eminent global superpower that respects human rights and the rule of law.\r\n\r\nWith this funding, Congress amplifies the message that Senator Gardner and I have been sending since we developed ARIA: the United States is invested in Asia's success. Our government is now further empowered to advance America's interests as we witness the spread of authoritarian governance, human rights violations, and aggressive Chinese military modernization in the region. The United States cannot afford to cede leadership as the country that best empowers people across the Indo-Pacific to seek freedom and economic opportunity,said Senator Markey.\r\n\r\nBackground:\r\n\r\nIn the 116thand 115thCongress, Gardner and Markey held eight hearings on ARIA in their Subcommittee. The hearing topics included security challenges, economic opportunities, promoting human rights and the rule of law, U.S.-China relations, and Administration views.\r\n\r\n115thCongress:\r\nAmerican Leadership in the Asia-Pacific, Part 1: Security Issues\r\nAmerican Leadership in the Asia-Pacific, Part 2: Economic Issues\r\nAmerican Leadership in the Asia Pacific, Part 3: Promoting Democracy, Human Rights, and the Rule of Law\r\nAmerican Leadership in the Asia-Pacific, Part 4: View from Beijing\r\nAmerican Leadership In The Asia Pacific, Part 5: The Asia Reassurance Initiative Act\r\n\r\n116thCongress:\r\nARIA in Action, Part 1: Human Rights, Democracy, and the Rule of Law\r\nARIA in Action, Part 2: The Benefits of Economic Diplomacy\r\nARIA in Action, Part 3: Implementation and Indo-Pacific Strategy\r\n\r\nFormer U.S Secretary of Defense James Mattis and U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo thanked Senator Gardner for his leadership on ARIA in alettersent June 2018.\r\n\r\nThe Department of Defense endorsed ARIA in the Administration'sIndo Pacific Strategy Report,stating: This legislation enshrines a generational whole-of-government policy framework that demonstrates U.S. commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific region and includes initiatives that promote sovereignty, rule of law, democracy, economic engagement, and regional security.\r\n\r\nThe Department of State endorsedARIAin its A Free and Open Indo-Pacific report, stating: The United States Congress demonstrated its support for the priorities of the Indo-Pacific strategy through the passage of the BUILD Act in October 2018 and the Asia Reassurance Initiative Act in December 2018.\r\n\r\nRead the Congressional Research Service Report onARIAhere.\r\nThe text of the bill can be foundhere.\r\nA background paperonARIAcan be foundhere.\r\n\r\nARIATimeline:\r\n\r\nSenator Gardner ImplementedARIAin the 116thCongress:\r\n \r\nOctober 16th, 2019:Gardner's Asia Reassurance Initiative Act Earns Praise at Senate Foreign Relations Hearing\r\nSeptember 18th, 2019:Gardner Urges Colleagues to Support Appropriations Process, Fund Critical National Security\r\nJuly 22nd, 2019:Gardner Hosts President of Taiwan in Colorado\r\nJune 27th,2019:Gardner Statement on Senate Passage of NDAA\r\nJune 18th, 2019:Gardner Delivers the Keynote Address at the 2019 Asia Policy Assembly\r\nJune 13th, 2019:Gardner Applauds Senate Approval of Stilwell as Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs\r\nMay 2nd, 2019:Senators Gardner, Menendez, Risch, and Markey, Introduce Bipartisan Resolution Calling for a Stronger U.S.-Japan Alliance\r\nMay 2nd, 2019:Gardner, Markey Legislation Commemorating the 40th Anniversary of the Taiwan Relations Act Passes Senate\r\nApril 17th, 2019:Gardner Statement on Reports of North Korea Test-Firing Tactical Guided Weapon\r\nApril 10th, 2019:Senators Gardner, Lankford, Menendez, Markey Honor US-Korean Alliance\r\nApril 8th, 2019:Gardner, Coons Reintroduce CLIPS Act to Address Cybercrime\r\nApril 4th, 2019:Gardner, Markey, Risch, Menendez, and Inhofe Introduce Legislation Commemorating the 40th Anniversary of the Taiwan Relations Act\r\nApril 2nd, 2019:Gardner Meets with South Korea's Defense Minister\r\nMarch 18th, 2019:Gardner, Markey Send Letter Urging Robust Enforcement of Current Sanctions on North Korea\r\nMarch 14th, 2019:Gardner Delivers the Keynote Address at the Global Taiwan Institute\r\nMarch 8th, 2019:Gardner, Menendez Seek Answers from Trump Administration on North Korean Cyberattacks\r\nFebruary 28th, 2019:Gardner Statement on Second North Korean Summit\r\nFebruary 12th, 2019:Gardner Meets with Chinese Leaders\r\nFebruary 7th, 2019:Gardner, Rubio, Cotton, Cornyn, and Cruz Send Letter Requesting Speaker Pelosi Invite the President of Taiwan to Address a Joint Session of Congress\r\n \r\n\r\nARIABecame Law in the 115thCongress:\r\n\r\n\r\nARIA's Origins in the 114thand 115thCongress:\r\n \r\nDecember 21st, 2018:Gardner, Markey Tout Successful Partnership as Leaders on Asia Policy in the 115th Congress\r\nDecember 5th, 2018:Gardner, Markey Comprehensive Asia Policy Measure Passes Senate\r\nSeptember 26th, 2018:Framework for New United States Policy Toward Asia Advances out of Senate Foreign Relations Committee\r\nAugust 14th, 2018:Gardner Reaffirms Importance of US-Taiwan Friendship in Meeting with President Tsai\r\nJune 4th, 2018:Senators Gardner, Markey to Hold Hearing on North Korea Before Trump-Kim Summit\r\nMay 15th, 2018:Senators Gardner and Markey Highlight their Asia Strategy\r\nApril 24th, 2018:Gardner, Markey, Rubio, Cardin Announce Framework for New United States Policy in Asia\r\nNovember 8th, 2017:Heritage Foundation Address by Senator Cory Gardner (\r\nJuly 18th, 2017:Gardner Gives Keynote Address At Seventh Annual CSIS South China Sea Conference\r\nApril 17th, 2017:Getting the U.S.-China Relationship Right\r\n \r\n\r\nARIAin theNews:\r\n\r\nWSJ: Op-ed: Trump's Successful Pivot to Asia\r\nThe Asia Reassurance Initiative Act is the most comprehensive statement in a generation of America's regional interests. It authorizes expenditures of $1.5 billion annually through 2023 to enhance U.S. military, diplomatic and economic engagement with East and Southeast Asian allies such as Japan, India, South Korea and Taiwan.\r\n\r\nWSJ: Op-ed: China's Military Escalation\r\nBelieve it or not, Congress is also trying to help with the bipartisan Asia Reassurance Initiative Act (ARIA). The Senate bill affirms core American alliances with Australia, Japan and South Korea, while calling for deeper military and economic ties with India and Taiwan. It notably encourages regular weapons sales to Taipei.\r\n\r\nSTRAITS TIMES: Asia Reassurance Initiative Act passed by US Senate will beef up engagement across Indo-Pacific\r\nThe legislation in effect lays down a policy framework to support the United States' commitment to a \"free and open Indo-Pacific region and the rules-based international order\", according to Republican Senator Cory Gardner of Colorado, who sponsored the Bill.\r\n\r\nRoll Call: Senate Eyes Passage of Bill to Check China in Asia-Pacific\r\nThe Senate Foreign Relations committee last week unanimously advanced a bipartisan bill from Sens. Cory Gardner, R-Colo., and Edward J. Markey, D-Mass., who lead the Asia-Pacific Subcommittee. The measure would authorize more than $1.5 billion in new funds over the next five years for the State Department, U.S. Agency for International Development and the Pentagon to maintain regional political support for the rules-based international order that the United States has championed over the last 70 years.\r\n\r\nFOX NEWS: Sen. Cory Gardner: North Korea is still a threat  Verifiable, irreversible denuclearization must be our goal\r\nMore recently, my Asia Reassurance Initiative Act (ARIA), signed into law by President Trump on Dec. 31, 2018, unequivocally reaffirms that it is the policy of the United States that the objective of negotiations with respect to the nuclear and ballistic missile programs of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea be the complete, verifiable, and irreversible dismantlement of such programs.\r\n\r\nDAILY SIGNAL: Taiwan Remains a Strong US Partner 40 Years After Key Legislation\r\nThe April 30 resolution, which urges the president to explore opportunities to expand and deepen bilateral economic and trade relations with Taiwan, was submitted by Sen. Cory Gardner, R-Colo., chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations subcommittee on East Asia, the Pacific, and international cybersecurity policy.\r\n\r\nTHE DIPLOMAT:ARIA: Congress Makes Its Mark on US Asia Policy\r\nThe genesis of the United States' Asia Reassurance Initiative Act (ARIA) was a series of hearings in 2017-18 held by Senator Cory Gardner (R-CO), the chairman of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee's Subcommittee on East Asia, the Pacific, and International Cyber Security.\r\n\r\nDURANGO HERALD: Colorado senator goes from farming to foreign policy adviser\r\nAnd Gardner wants to helm the formulation of a long-term policy in a region that by 2050 will make up over 50 percent of the global population and gross domestic product, according to an Asian Development Bank report. Three weeks ago, he introduced the Asia Reassurance Initiative Act with three other senators to facilitate the creation of a U.S. plan in a region with gaping policy holes.\r\n\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases/on-sino-british-joint-declaration-anniversary-markey-joins-hawley-on-bipartisan-letter-urging-un-to-raise-issue-of-chinas-human-rights-violations", "On Sino-British Joint Declaration Anniversary, Markey Joins Hawley on Bipartisan Letter Urging U.N. to Raise Issue of China\u2019s Human Rights Violations", "2019-12-19", "2019", "2019-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Edward Markey", "M000133", "www.markey.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "On Sino-British Joint Declaration Anniversary, Markey Joins Hawley on Bipartisan Letter Urging U.N. to Raise Issue of China's Human Rights Violations \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tThursday, December 19, 2019\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\r\nWASHINGTON -- On the 35th anniversary of the signing of the Sino-British Joint Declaration, Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) joined Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) today to send a letter to United Nations Secretary-General Antnio Guterres, urging him to raise the issue of China's violations of human rights and its destruction of its documentary record in both his discussions with member states and at the U.N. Human Rights Council and the U.N. Security Council.Senators John Cornyn (R-Texas), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), and Todd Young (R-Ind.) also signed onto the letter. The letter comes on the anniversary of the Dec. 19, 1984 signing of the Sino-British Joint Declaration -- a bilateral agreement that was registered at the U.N. which defined the terms of the one country, two systems principle that would protect Hong Kong's autonomy as it transferred from British to Chinese authority. The Senators' letter today states\"China's actions in Hong Kong are consistent with its actions in other parts of the region and its treatment of those within its borders who may hold different beliefs from those of the Communist Party of China. Its detention camps in Xinjiang holding nearly a million Uyghur Muslims reflect China's true ambitions. They continue,We the undersigned urge you to work with both member states and with the U.N. Human Rights Council and the U.N. Security Council to take meaningful steps to condemn China's operation of its detention camps in Xinjiang and to protect the documentary record of what is taking place in Xinjiang. Your actions on this matter will be a testament to the United Nations' important mandate of protecting human rights wherever they are threatened. Last month violence at PolyU Hong Kong drew international attention, leading Senator Hawley tosuggest China was in violationof the Sino-British Joint Declaration. Shortly after, Senator Hawleycalled on U.N. Ambassador Kelly Craftto consider options at the U.N to hold Beijing accountable for treaty and human rights violations in Hong Kong. The letter sent today is availablehere.\r\n\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases/president-expected-to-sign-thune-markey-bill-to-crack-down-on-illegal-robocalls", "President Expected to Sign Thune-Markey Bill to Crack Down on Illegal Robocalls", "2019-12-19", "2019", "2019-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Edward Markey", "M000133", "www.markey.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "President Expected to Sign Thune-Markey Bill to Crack Down on Illegal Robocalls \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tThursday, December 19, 2019\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\r\nCongress Overwhelmingly Approves Bill to Give FCC the Tools It Needs to Confront Robocall Scammers\r\n\r\nWashington (December 19, 2019)  U.S. Senators Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), a member of the Commerce Committee and author of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, and John Thune (R-S.D.), a member of the Senate Commerce Committee and current chairman of the Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, Innovation, and the Internet, issued the following statements after the Senate today approved amodified versionof their bipartisanTelephone Robocall Abuse Criminal Enforcement and Deterrence (TRACED) Act(S. 151) by a simple voice vote. The Senatefirst passedS. 151 by a vote of 97 to 1 on May 23, 2019, and the House of Representativespasseda modified version of the bill by a vote of 417 to 3 on December 4, 2019. It now heads to the president, who is expected to sign it into law.\r\n\r\nAmidst ever-increasing numbers of robocall scams, theTRACED Act, which the Washington Post editorial board recentlysaidis what good, old-fashioned legislating looks like, gives regulators more time to find scammers and levy fines for those who are caught, promotes call authentication and blocking adoption,and brings relevant federal agencies and state attorneys general together to address impediments to criminal prosecution of robocallers who intentionally flout laws.\r\n\r\nThe U.S. Senate today sent Americans a holiday gift on everyone's list: stopping the plague of robocalls,said Markey. The annoying and harassing robocalls we receive every day are neither a Democrat nor Republican menace; they are a universal menace. The TRACED Act cracks down on scammers by requiring phone carriers to authenticate whether calls are legitimate, and then blocking unverified robocalls at no charge to consumers. I thank Senator Thune for his unwavering partnership on this important consumer protection issue. I hope the President quickly signs this bill into law so that families can enjoy a new year of family calls instead of robocalls.\r\n\r\nI have yet to meet someone who says they enjoy receiving those unwanted and illegal robocalls that plague our phones, whether we're at home, at work, or in the car, which is why the TRACED Act takes several important steps in the fight to curb this scourge,said Thune. This bill represents a unique legislative effort that is not only bipartisan at its core, but it's nearly unanimously supported in Congress. Most importantly, this is a significant win for consumers in every corner of the country, and it finally and officially puts illegal robocallers on notice. While no process is perfect, I'm glad we were able to work together with Republicans and Democrats, senators and members of the House to reach this important compromise, which, once signed into law, will begin to make an important down payment on the fight against illegal robocalls.\r\n  In November 2019, House and Senate negotiators, including Markey and Thune and U.S. Reps. Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-N.J.), Greg Walden (R-Ore.), Mike Doyle (D-Pa.), and Bob Latta (R-Ohio),announcedan agreement on this bipartisan, bicameral compromise.\r\n  Summary of the TRACED Act:\r\n\r\n \r\nBroadens the authority of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to levy civil penalties of up to $10,000 per call on people who intentionally flout telemarketing restrictions.\r\nExtends the window for the FCC to catch and take civil enforcement action against intentional violations to fouryears after a robocall is placed. Under current law, the FCC has only one year to do so, and theFCC has told the committeethat even a one-year longer statute of limitations for enforcement would improve enforcement against violators.\r\nBrings together the Department of Justice, FCC, Federal Trade Commission, Department of Commerce, Department of State, Department of Homeland Security, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and other relevant federal agencies, as well as state attorneys general and other non-federal entities to identify and report to Congress on improving deterrence and criminal prosecution at the federal and state level of robocall scams.\r\nRequires voice service providers to adopt call authentication technologies, enabling a telephone carrier to verify that incoming calls are legitimate before they reach consumers' phones.\r\nDirects the FCC to initiate a rulemaking to help protect subscribers from receiving unwanted calls or texts from callers.\r\nDirects the FCC to initiate a rulemaking process to protect consumers from one-ring scams.\r\nRequires the FCC to establish a working group to issue best practices to prevent hospitals from receiving illegal robocalls.\r\n \r\n\r\nMarkey and Thuneintroducedthe TRACED Act on January 17, 2019, and its cosponsor list quickly grew to more than three-quarters of the Senate. The bill is supported byattorneys generalin all 50 states, by allcurrent commissionersat the Federal Trade Commission and Federal Communications Commission, and byindustry and consumer groups,including AARP. It was also the subject of ahearingentitled, Illegal Robocalls: Calling All to Stop the Scourge.\r\n\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases/senator-markey-and-rep-eshoo-praise-passage-of-legislation-to-eliminate-out-of-control-hidden-cable-and-satellite-tv-fees", "Senator Markey and Rep. Eshoo Praise Passage of Legislation to Eliminate Out-of-Control Hidden Cable and Satellite TV Fees", "2019-12-19", "2019", "2019-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Edward Markey", "M000133", "www.markey.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Senator Markey and Rep. Eshoo Praise Passage of Legislation to Eliminate Out-of-Control Hidden Cable and Satellite TV Fees \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tThursday, December 19, 2019\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\r\nLanguage included in year-end budget deal would require cable and satellite TV providers to disclose all fees before consumers sign up for service, provide option to cancel within 24 hours without penalty\r\n\r\nWashington (December 19, 2019)  Today, Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Congresswoman Anna G. Eshoo (CA-18), co-authors of theTruth-In-Billing, Remedies, and User Empowerment over (TRUE) Fees Act(S.510/H.R.1220), today applauded passage of the year-end budget package that included provisions of their legislation that would requirecable and satellite TV providers to disclose an all-in price to consumers, including fees and taxes, before consumers sign up for a service. It also mandates that consumers receive a formal notice of fees and all-in prices within 24 hours of signing up for a service, as well as grant consumers 24 hours to cancel after receiving formal notice of fees, without penalty.\r\n\r\nWe welcome surprises hidden under the Christmas tree, but not in our monthly cable bills,said Senators Markey.It's time for cable and satellite companies to tell the truth and give consumers the option to say no to these sneaky fees. The language based on our TRUE Fees Act would require video providers to tell consumers what will be the total monthly charge and then give consumers 24 hours to cancel without penalty. This bill also ensures transparency by requiring an itemized breakdown of all fees and charges on every monthly bill. I thank Congresswoman Eshoo for her partnership to make these important consumer rights the law of the land.\r\n\r\nCable companies habitually blindside customers by selling a service for one price and then tacking on hidden fees and extra charges at the end of the month. These below-the-line' fees add up to $28 billion a year at the expense of the American people,said Rep. Eshoo.I'm proud that Congress passed key provisions of the TRUE Fees Act which require cable companies to be transparent about their prices. The President must sign the legislation and cut the cord once and for all on hidden fees.\r\n\r\nIntroduced in February, theTRUE Fees Act, was endorsed by the National Consumer Law Center, on behalf of its low-income clients; Consumer Reports; Consumer Federation of America; and Public Knowledge.\r\n\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases/senator-markey-praises-repeal-of-medical-device-tax-in-year-end-budget-package", "Senator Markey Praises Repeal of Medical Device Tax in Year-End Budget Package", "2019-12-19", "2019", "2019-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Edward Markey", "M000133", "www.markey.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Senator Markey Praises Repeal of Medical Device Tax in Year-End Budget Package \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tThursday, December 19, 2019\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\r\nMassachusetts has 2nd largest concentration of medical device development in the country\r\n\r\nWashington (December 19, 2019)  Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) released the following statement after the U.S. Senate repealed the medical device excise tax as part of its passage today of end-of-the-year spending legislation. In 2018, Senators Markey and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) introducedlegislationto eliminate the 2.3 percent excise tax on medical devices, which applied to everything from surgical tools to defibrillators.\r\n\r\nThe repeal of the medical device tax is good news for Massachusetts's robust medical device industry and innovation economy,said Senator Markey.I was never in favor of the medical device tax and worked in the House of Representatives with the rest of the state's Congressional delegation to remove that provision from the Affordable Care Act. Bay State companies pay a disproportionate share of this tax since we are a national leader in this live-saving industry. Our medical device companies can now focus on inventing the next generation of treatments and cures, and creating jobs that support economic growth and continued innovation.\r\n\r\nThere are more than 6,500 medical device companies in the United States supporting more than two million jobs across the country  including 24,815 jobs in Massachusetts alone. The medical device industry adds $5.7 billion to the Commonwealth's economy.\r\n\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases/senator-markey-secures-200-million-in-year-end-spending-bill-for-universal-flu-vaccine-research", "Senator Markey Secures $200 Million in Year-End Spending Bill for Universal Flu Vaccine Research", "2019-12-19", "2019", "2019-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Edward Markey", "M000133", "www.markey.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Senator Markey Secures $200 Million in Year-End Spending Bill for Universal Flu Vaccine Research \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tThursday, December 19, 2019\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\r\nAccording to CDC, at least 1,300 people have died and 23,000 have been hospitalized due to the flu so far this season, and Massachusetts outpatient visits for flu symptoms are outpacing previous years\r\n\r\nWashington (December 20, 2019)  With experts warning that flu is hitting the United States early this year, Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) today announced $200 million in funding in the year-end spending package for research for the creation of a universal influenza vaccine that could protect against multiple strains of the flu virus and offer longer lasting protection. The flu costs the nation $10.4 billion in direct medical costs annually and $87 billion in total economic burden. In the United States there were 810,000 hospitalizations and 61,000 flu-related deaths during the 2017-2018 flu season. In April, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) began its first clinical trial of an innovative universal influenza vaccine candidate.\r\n\r\nThe flu is an equal opportunity menace, but America's scientists and clinicians can help the United States lead the world in improving and enhancing the response to this global scourge,said Senator Markey.We must enhance our ability to predict the right strain for the next season, produce a more optimal vaccine, and protect all Americans against all strains of this virus. With increased research funding, hard-working health care providers, and brilliant scientific investigators like the ones we have in Massachusetts, we are the closest we have ever been to ensuring a flu-free future.\r\n\r\nSenator Markey and Rep. Rosa DeLauro (CT-03) previously introduced theFlu Vaccine Act, legislation to conduct or support comprehensive research for the creation of a universal influenza vaccine that could protect against multiple strains of the flu virus and offer longer lasting protection. The legislation is calling for a total investment of $1 billion  $200,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2020 through 2024 for NIH. Senator Markey and his colleagues were able to secure a dedicated $100 million and $140 million for fiscal years 2018 and 2019, respectively, for universal flu vaccine research at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases within NIH.\r\n\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.markey.senate.gov/view/senate-passes-sen-markeys-anti-robocall-traced-act", "Senate Passes Sen. Markey\u2019s Anti-Robocall TRACED Act", "2019-12-19", "2019", "2019-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Edward Markey", "M000133", "www.markey.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Fall River, MA \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t222 Milliken Boulevard, Suite 312  \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tFall River, MA 02721  \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tPhone: 508-677-0523", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.warren.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/warren-gardner-announce-bipartisan-bill-to-address-immigration-status-in-the-state-legal-cannabis-industry", "Warren, Gardner Announce Bipartisan Bill to Address Immigration Status in the State-Legal Cannabis Industry", "2019-12-19", "2019", "2019-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Elizabeth Warren", "W000817", "www.warren.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "December 19, 2019\n\t\t\t Warren, Gardner Announce Bipartisan Bill to Address Immigration Status in the State-Legal Cannabis Industry \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n        \n\t\t\t\t Legislation would prohibit the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services from considering cannabis employment in applications for naturalization\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t Text of Bill (PDF)\r\n\r\nWashington, D.C. United\r\nStates Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Cory Gardner (R-Colo.) today\r\nannounced the introduction of bipartisan legislation that would remove\r\nparticipation in the state-legal cannabis industry from the list of activities\r\nthat automatically bar naturalization.\r\n\r\nIn April, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued guidance in\r\nits policy manual stating that, because cannabis is a Schedule 1 substance\r\nunder the Controlled Substances Act, an applicant that is employed in the\r\nstate-legal cannabis industry cannot establish good moral character  even if\r\nthe applicant has not been convicted of an offense and has always acted in\r\ncompliance with state law.This legislation would amend immigration law to\r\nremove this barrier by allowing applicants who comply with state cannabis laws\r\nto demonstrate good moral character and become U.S. citizens.\r\n\r\nNo one should have to worry about being denied naturalization for\r\nworking in their state's legal cannabis industry, said Senator Warren. Our bipartisan bill would ensure that\r\noutdated federal cannabis laws don't block the pathway to citizenship for those\r\nseeking it through naturalization.\r\n\r\nUnder current law, individuals are deemed to lack good moral\r\ncharacter' and denied American citizenship due to their work in the legal\r\ncannabis industry in states like Colorado and Massachusetts. This has to stop.said Senator Gardner.Currently 95 percent of Americans are living in states with laws allowing some\r\nform of cannabis. The dramatically expanded cannabis industry presents real\r\nchallenges for our nation, andI'm proud to be working with Senator Warren\r\ntoaddress these\r\nissues.\r\n\r\nIn addition to today's announcement, Senators Warren and Gardner\r\nannounced another bipartisanbillthat would prohibit the U.S. Department of\r\nVeterans Affairs (VA) from denying veterans VA-backed home loans based on their\r\nemployment in their state's legal cannabis industry. Currently, cannabis is\r\nconsidered illegal under federal law, and as a result, the VA can deny home\r\nloans to veterans whose verified income is earned from working in their state's\r\nlegal cannabis industry.\r\n\r\nSenator Warren alsoreintroducedthe\r\nStrengthening the Tenth Amendment Through Entrusting States Act (STATES Act)\r\nwith Senator Gardner in April 2019. Both senators originallyintroducedthe\r\nSTATES Act in 2018. Senator Warren, a proponent of federal legalization of\r\nmarijuana, is a cosponsor of theMarijuana Justice\r\nAct,theMarijuana Freedom\r\nand Opportunity Act, and theMarijuana\r\nOpportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act. She also led a series\r\nof letters inJuly 2015,December 2015,\r\nandJune 2016to\r\nfederal agencies requesting they reduce barriers to marijuana research,\r\nincluding byreschedulingmarijuana.\r\n\r\n###\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://katherineclark.house.gov/press-releases?ID=ECECF678-C2DC-48BA-9D3C-EE75B52A7BEF", "Clark Statement on Vote in Support of USMCA Trade Agreement", "2019-12-19", "2019", "2019-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Katherine Clark", "C001101", "katherineclark.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "When the United States enters into foreign trade agreements, it must be with the goal of helping American families, protecting and creating jobs, and improving labor and environmental standards. After months of tough negotiations, House Democrats secured landmark changes to the new United States-Mexico-Canada trade agreement, USMCA. This trade deal is now measurably stronger than the original agreement put forward by the Trump administration in 2018 and the original NAFTA deal that it will replace.\r\nSome of the advancements we were able to secure include stronger rules to protect workers from violence and exploitation and tough new tools to ensure compliance with labor reforms. The agreement also codifies compliance with several international environmental protection treaties and establishes environment-focused monitoring that will regularly review Mexico's environmental laws, regulations, and practices. Furthermore, it eliminates unfair hand-outs to big corporations, and secures provisions to lower drug costs and improve access to lifesaving medicines. Most importantly, the agreement includes first-of-their-kind enforcement mechanisms to ensure that the protections agreed to on paper will be enforced.\r\nBecause the renegotiated agreement represents a significant improvement on NAFTA, I voted in support of the USMCA. However, we must also acknowledge that USMCA could, and should go further when it comes to fighting the urgent threat of climate change and improving the quality of life for workers. We must keep fighting to improve policies in these areas, both in the United States and with our global partners.\r\n\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://lynch.house.gov/2019/12/rep-lynch-joins-massachusetts-lawmakers-announce-over-3-million-federal-grants", "Rep. Lynch Joins Massachusetts Lawmakers To Announce Over $3 Million In Federal Grants to YouthBuild Organizations", "2019-12-19", "2019", "2019-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Stephen F. Lynch", "L000562", "lynch.house.gov", "lynch", "https://lynch.house.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "Boston, MA \u2013 U.S. Representative Stephen F. Lynch (MA-08) joined United States Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Edward J. Markey (D-MA), along with Representatives William Keating (MA-09), Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) and Lori Trahan (MA-03) to announce that YouthBuild Programs in Boston, Lowell and New Bedford will receive a total of $3,355,895 in grants from the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL).\n\nThe grants will support programs that help young people learn occupational skills in construction, health care, information technology, and hospitality. YouthBuild participants assist with building or rehabilitating affordable housing in their communities while receiving educational support and training as they complete their high school degrees or equivalent.\n\nThe DOL's grants include:\n\n$813,600 to YouthBuild Boston (Boston, MA)\n\n$1,440,000 to Community Teamwork Inc. (Lowell, MA)\n\n$1,102,295 to People Acting in Community Endeavors Inc. (New Bedford, MA)\n\n\"I am pleased to see the non-profit organization YouthBuild receive this substantial grant from the Department of Labor,\" said Representative Lynch. \"The YouthBuild program helps transform lives by providing at-risk youth the proper education, counseling and training to help them gain employment in the building trades industry. After working as an iron worker for almost 20 years, I know firsthand the importance of learning the proper skills and safety precautions in order to be successful in these laborious jobs. I am proud to help support this organization that continues to help young adults build their careers to improve their quality of life and strengthen their community.\"\n\n\"All our kids deserve a chance to succeed, and that includes getting a high-quality education and receiving needed job training,\" said Senator Warren. \"It is great to see YouthBuild programs in Massachusetts receive this funding, and I am going to keep fighting in Congress for more federal resources to give all of our kids access to programs that help them get ahead.\"\n\n\"Kids are 20% of our population, but 100% of our future, and we owe it to provide them the best education, the most relevant job skills, and the brightest of outlooks to build their futures,\" said Senator Markey. \"These YouthBuild grants will do just that -- help build bright futures for youth in the Lowell, New Bedford, and Boston areas. I congratulate these programs for securing this vital funding, and I look forward to all of the positive impacts these young people will have on their families, their schools, and their communities.\"\n\n\"This million dollar grant to PACE will provide a strong foundation to many young people in the Greater New Bedford area,\" said Congressman Keating. \"YouthBuild programs provide positive influences, educational opportunities, and job training to prepare for the future. But their most profound influence may come from their important message to young people that we, as a community value them and their work, and that we all have a stake in their future success.\"\n\n\"The Massachusetts 7th Congressional District is home to the largest concentrations of young people and we must support their path to a successful and prosperous future,\" said Congresswoman Pressley. \"The activist leadership of organizations such as YouthBuild will provide an on-ramp to our nation's up and coming leaders and opportunities to invest in themselves and their communities. I am proud of the powerful work happening in community and further bolstered by YouthBuild Boston's skills training.\"\n\n\"Since 1999, Community Teamwork has been helping at-risk youth train for careers that will provide them with a lifetime of success. Through their volunteer work in the community, these students receive quality apprenticeships and learn entrepreneurship skills that will empower them to support themselves and their families,\" said Congresswoman Trahan. \"This funding represents a solid investment in our youth and their families, our workforce, and our regional economy. As a Member of Congress I will continue to fight for important investments like this.\"", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-06-27T23:45:33Z"], ["https://lynch.house.gov/2019/12/rep-lynch-votes-impeach-president-donald-j-trump", "Rep. Lynch Votes To Impeach President Donald J. Trump", "2019-12-19", "2019", "2019-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Stephen F. Lynch", "L000562", "lynch.house.gov", "lynch", "https://lynch.house.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C. - On Wednesday, December 18th, Congressman Stephen F. Lynch released the following statement before his historic vote to impeach President Donald J. Trump:\n\n\"As a member of Congress who previously considered the earliest calls for impeachment to be premature, I think it is now a proper time to state my views based upon a complete review of the entire record, as the inquiry process has concluded and Articles of Impeachment are now being debated.\n\nApart from the attendant rancor and vitriol throughout this process and after quiet and studied consideration of the charges against the President, I believe the essential facts have not been seriously disputed. The President\u2019s own assertions as recounted in the White House transcript of his phone call with President Zelensky of Ukraine as well as widely-corroborated first-hand testimony and direct evidence, frequently provided by Republican appointees, reveal that the President solicited and materially induced a foreign power to interfere in our upcoming democratic election for his personal political advantage.\n\nIt is also beyond argument that the President has used the power of his office to conceal the evidence of his wrongdoing and further demanded that Executive branch personnel refuse to cooperate in subsequent Congressional investigations in order to obstruct justice.\n\nThe President\u2019s actions are of a character and nature that present a direct threat to American democracy while his actions throughout this process make clear that this pattern of behavior in our Chief Executive is likely to continue.\n\nI believe it is and should remain a rare and terrible measure for Congress to take action so disruptive and drastic as to remove a duly-elected President from office. Indeed, it is only to be undertaken when the evidence demonstrates that to allow the President to remain in office presents a greater danger to our democratic republic. Sadly, the President\u2019s conduct has surely satisfied that standard.\n\nI am aware that it is unlikely that sufficient numbers in the U.S. Senate will support the President\u2019s removal. Nevertheless, it is sufficient that the House of Representatives goes on record to inform future Presidents by firmly declaring that President Trump\u2019s above-describes conduct to be unacceptable and impeachable.\n\nTherefore, for these reasons and consistent with my oath of office, \u201cto support and defend the Constitution\u201d, when called upon I shall vote to support the Articles of Impeachment, thereby referring them to the Senate for trial and possible removal.\u201d - Representative Stephen F. Lynch", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-06-27T23:45:33Z"], ["https://lynch.house.gov/press-release/rep-lynch-joins-massachusetts-lawmakers-announce-over-3-million-federal-grants", "Rep. Lynch Joins Massachusetts Lawmakers To Announce Over $3 Million In Federal Grants to YouthBuild Organizations", "2019-12-19", "2019", "2019-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Stephen Lynch", "L000562", "lynch.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Boston, MA  Representative Stephen F. Lynch (MA-08) joined United States Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Edward J. Markey (D-MA), along with Representatives William Keating (MA-09), Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) and Lori Trahan (MA-03) to announce that YouthBuild Programs in Boston, Lowell and New Bedford will receive a total of $3,355,895 in grants from the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL).\nThe grants will support programs that help young people learn occupational skills in construction, health care, information technology, and hospitality. YouthBuild participants assist with building or rehabilitating affordable housing in their communities while receiving educational support and training as they complete their high school degrees or equivalent.\nThe DOL's grants include:\n $813,600 to YouthBuild Boston (Boston, MA)\n\t$1,440,000 to Community Teamwork Inc. (Lowell, MA)\n\t$1,102,295 to People Acting in Community Endeavors Inc. (New Bedford, MA)\n \"I am pleased to see the non-profit organization YouthBuild receive this substantial grant from the Department of Labor,\" said Representative Lynch. \"The YouthBuild program helps transform lives by providing at-risk youth the proper education, counseling and training to help them gain employment in the building trades industry. After working as an iron worker for almost 20 years, I know firsthand the importance of learning the proper skills and safety precautions in order to be successful in these laborious jobs. I am proud to help support this organization that continues to help young adults build their careers to improve their quality of life and strengthen their community.\"\n\"All our kids deserve a chance to succeed, and that includes getting a high-quality education and receiving needed job training,\" said Senator Warren. \"It is great to see YouthBuild programs in Massachusetts receive this funding, and I am going to keep fighting in Congress for more federal resources to give all of our kids access to programs that help them get ahead.\"\n\"Kids are 20% of our population, but 100% of our future, and we owe it to provide them the best education, the most relevant job skills, and the brightest of outlooks to build their futures,\" said Senator Markey. \"These YouthBuild grants will do just that -- help build bright futures for youth in the Lowell, New Bedford, and Boston areas. I congratulate these programs for securing this vital funding, and I look forward to all of the positive impacts these young people will have on their families, their schools, and their communities.\"\n\"This million dollar grant to PACE will provide a strong foundation to many young people in the Greater New Bedford area,\" said Congressman Keating. \"YouthBuild programs provide positive influences, educational opportunities, and job training to prepare for the future. But their most profound influence may come from their important message to young people that we, as a community value them and their work, and that we all have a stake in their future success.\"\n\"The Massachusetts 7th Congressional District is home to the largest concentrations of young people and we must support their path to a successful and prosperous future,\" said Congresswoman Pressley. \"The activist leadership of organizations such as YouthBuild will provide an on-ramp to our nation's up and coming leaders and opportunities to invest in themselves and their communities. I am proud of the powerful work happening in community and further bolstered by YouthBuild Boston's skills training.\"\n\"Since 1999, Community Teamwork has been helping at-risk youth train for careers that will provide them with a lifetime of success. Through their volunteer work in the community, these students receive quality apprenticeships and learn entrepreneurship skills that will empower them to support themselves and their families,\" said Congresswoman Trahan. \"This funding represents a solid investment in our youth and their families, our workforce, and our regional economy. As a Member of Congress I will continue to fight for important investments like this.\"\nMore information about the federal YouthBuild program is available at DOL's websitehere.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://lynch.house.gov/press-release/rep-lynch-votes-impeach-president-donald-j-trump", "Rep. Lynch Votes To Impeach President Donald J. Trump", "2019-12-19", "2019", "2019-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Stephen Lynch", "L000562", "lynch.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, D.C. - On Wednesday, December 18th, Congressman Stephen F. Lynch released the following statement before his historic vote to impeach President Donald J. Trump:\n  \"As a member of Congress who previously considered the earliest calls for impeachment to be premature, I think it is now a proper time to state my views based upon a complete review of the entire record, as the inquiry process has concluded and Articles of Impeachment are now being debated.\n  Apart from the attendant rancor and vitriol throughout this process and after quiet and studied consideration of the charges against the President, I believe the essential facts havenot been seriously disputed. The President's own assertions as recounted in the White House transcript of his phone call with President Zelensky of Ukraine as well as widely-corroborated first-hand testimony and direct evidence, frequently provided by Republican appointees, reveal that the President solicited and materially induced a foreign power to interfere in our upcoming democratic election for his personal political advantage.\n  It is also beyond argument that the President has used the power of his office to conceal the evidence of his wrongdoing and further demanded that Executive branch personnel refuse to cooperate in subsequent Congressional investigations in order to obstruct justice.\n  The President's actions are of a character and nature that present a direct threat to American democracy while his actions throughout this process make clear that this pattern of behavior in our Chief Executive is likely to continue.\n  I believe it is and should remain a rare and terrible measure for Congress to take action so disruptive and drastic as to remove a duly-elected President from office. Indeed, it is only to be undertaken when the evidence demonstrates that to allow the President to remain in office presents a greater danger to our democratic republic. Sadly, the President's conduct has surely satisfied that standard.\n  I am aware that it is unlikely that sufficient numbers in the U.S. Senate will support the President's removal. Nevertheless, it is sufficient that the House of Representatives goes on record to inform future Presidents by firmly declaring that President Trump's above-describes conduct to be unacceptable and impeachable.\n  Therefore, for these reasons and consistent with my oath of office, to support and defend the Constitution, when called upon I shall vote to support the Articles of Impeachment, thereby referring them to the Senate for trial and possible removal. - Representative Stephen F. Lynch", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://moulton.house.gov/legislative-center/foreign-policy/impeachment-statement/", "Moulton Statement on the Impeachment of President Donald J. Trump", "2019-12-19", "2019", "2019-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Seth Moulton", "M001196", "moulton.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Moulton Statement on the Impeachment of President Donald J. Trump \r\n                        \r\n                                                    December 18th, 2019\r\n                        WASHINGTON  Today, Representative Seth Moulton (D-MA) and a majority of the House of Representatives voted to impeach the President of the United States of America, Donald J. Trump.\n\nMoulton made the following statement:\nNo president in history has done so much damage to our institutions, to our Constitution, or to our values. When our Founders expressed their fears of foreign interference in our elections, even they must never have imagined that a U.S. president would solicit and sanction it. And all our past presidents, even those under impeachment inquiries themselves, ultimately respected the Constitutional responsibilities of Congress; by obstructing testimony from members of his Administration, President Trump has flagrantly violated them.\nI swore an oath, as a United States Marine and as a Member of Congress, to protect and defend the Constitution unconditionally. Today, that oath compelled me to vote to impeach President Donald Trump. The standards to which we hold the president today set the precedent for future presidents and future generations. History will judge whether, in this time of great division, our leaders put our country first and upheld the American principles of our government: that all are created equal, that no one is above the law, and that we are all responsible for building a freer and more perfect Union.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://moulton.house.gov/legislative-center/foreign-policy/moultons-fentanyl-sanctions-act-mental-health-care-plan-signed-into-law/", "Moultons Fentanyl Sanctions Act, Mental Health Care Plan for Troops To Be Signed Into Law", "2019-12-19", "2019", "2019-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Seth Moulton", "M001196", "moulton.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Moulton's Fentanyl Sanctions Act, Mental Health Care Plan for Troops To Be Signed Into Law \r\n                        \r\n                                                    December 19th, 2019\r\n                         Bill that targets producers of synthetic opioids, and plan to provide mental health check ups to active duty service members included in the National Defense Authorization Act \nWASHINGTON  Tomorrow, at approximately 7:20 pm, President Trump will sign the National Defense Authorization Act into law at a ceremony at Andrews Air Force Base. The defense bill includesthe text ofRep. Seth Moulton's Fentanyl Sanctions Act, a bill he co-led with Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-FL), and a plan Moulton wrote to provide every active duty service member returning from an overseas deployment with a mental health check-up.\nFentanyl is killing us, and China's producing it. We need to stop it yesterday, Moulton said. I worked hard to include this in the defense bill, and I'm glad that it's now law.\nMoulton and Buchanan introduced the The Fentanyl Sanctions Act in April.\nSpecifically, The Fentanyl Sanctions Act would:\n \nImpose sanctions on foreign manufacturers of synthetic opioids that knowingly send those drugs to drug traffickers and other criminal operations.\nAuthorize $600 million in funding for law enforcement to combat the trafficking of opioids across the globe.\nCreate a new federal commission to combat synthetic opioid trafficking that will include the Administrator of the Drug Enforcement Agency, Secretary of Homeland Security, Secretary of Defense, Secretary of the Treasury and the Secretary of State.\n \nEarlier this year, Moulton and Buchanan wrote an op-ed in The Hill calling for the bill's passage before the president negotiates an end to the trade war with China. China is the source of 80 percent of the world's fentanyl, and China's leaders have chosen not to crack down on domestic fentanyl production to use future enforcement as a negotiating tool in the trade war. As Moulton noted in the op-ed, China has an especially poor record of taking on fentanyl producers. Between 2015 and 2016, American authorities intercepted 1,072 shipments of Chinese fentanyl before they could reach our streets. In the same time period, China stopped just four.\nFentanyl is 50 times more potent than heroin and 100 times more potent than morphine, andChina's failure to combat opioid production kills Americans. In Massachusetts, the opioid-related overdose death rate has tripled in four years from 691 to 1,990, and fentanyl has overtaken prescription drugs and heroin as the leading cause of opioid-overdose deaths.\nAccording to The New York Times, since 2013, U.S. overdose deaths related to fentanyl and similar substances have skyrocketed from 3,000 to 28,000. WBUR reported earlier this year that overdose deaths fell 11 percent in the first six months of 2019, but the rate is still near its highest point ever, and fentanyl is present in 92 percent of the overdose deaths in Massachusetts.\nThe bill's passage is one piece of a larger effort to prevent overdose deaths in the Commonwealth. This year Moulton worked with the state's congressional delegation to secure a $35.8 million grant that will help the state track overdose data and respond to overdose deaths like a public health emergency such as the EEE outbreak that killed four people in the state over the summer and fall. The grant also funded local health and law enforcement intervention efforts.\nOpioid overdoses have killed more Americans than the wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Vietnam, combined. Veterans are twice as likely as nonveterans to die from an accidental overdose. Moulton has introduced a package of three bills that would allow the VA to study and discuss cannabis use as an alternative to opioid treatments. The bills would also prevent veterans who use cannabis in the states where it is legal from losing their VA benefits when they test positive for cannabis use.\nIn May, Moulton became one of the first federal-level leaders to make a call for the state to create supervised injection facilities in Massachusetts. Earlier this month Moulton followed up on that call with an issue-by-issue rebuttal of myths about supervised injection facilities in CommonWealth Magazine and called on Governor Baker and other state leaders to take decisive action by legalizing the sites.\nHe wrote, If a stadium the size of the Garden were under attack, if one of our small towns disappeared, or if a foreign nation or infectious disease like Ebola wiped out an entire American city, we wouldn't hesitate to respond decisively. But addiction is also a disease  it's killing our friends and neighbors  and we need decisive leadership to stop itI urge the governor and all of our state lawmakers to lead decisively and authorize supervised injection facilities in Massachusetts. It's an opportunity for our Commonwealth to lead on health care again. And, most importantly, it will save lives.\nMILITARY MENTAL HEALTH CARE PLAN ALSO BECOMING LAW\nIn addition to addressing the opioid epidemic, Moulton has taken a leading role in Congress on mental health care policy since disclosing earlier this year that he was managing Post Traumatic Stress from his service in Iraq.\nHe introduced legislation this year to designate 988 as the national mental health emergency line. Last week, the FCC voted unanimously to authorize the number. The Senate also marked-up companion legislation to Moulton's bill, two major steps forward for Moulton's bill.\nThe congressman also amended the defense bill to include mandatory mental health check ups for active-duty service members returning from an overseas deployment. This plan will also be signed into law Friday as part of The National Defense Authorization Act. Starting in Fiscal Year 2020, every service member who is deployed overseas will be required to receive a mental health check up within 21 days of returning home.\nMoulton inserted this plan and several others that will benefit the region into the defense bill using his seat on the House Armed Services Committee, which writes the bill. He also helped secure the bill's passage after Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi appointed him to the committee of lawmakers that negotiate a final draft of The National Defense Authorization Act.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://moulton.house.gov/press-releases/moultons-fentanyl-sanctions-act-mental-health-care-plan-for-troops-to-be-signed-into-law", "Moultons Fentanyl Sanctions Act, Mental Health Care Plan for Troops To Be Signed Into Law", "2019-12-19", "2019", "2019-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Seth Moulton", "M001196", "moulton.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "December 19, 2019\n\t\t\t Moulton's Fentanyl Sanctions Act, Mental Health Care Plan for Troops To Be Signed Into Law \n\t\t\t Bill that targets producers of synthetic opioids, and plan to provide mental health check ups to active duty service members included in the National Defense Authorization Act \r\nWASHINGTON  Tomorrow, at approximately 7:20 pm, President Trump will sign the National Defense Authorization Act into law at a ceremony at Andrews Air Force Base. The defense bill includesthe text ofRep. Seth Moulton's Fentanyl Sanctions Act, a bill he co-led with Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-FL), and a plan Moulton wrote to provide every active duty service member returning from an overseas deployment with a mental health check-up.\r\nFentanyl is killing us, and China's producing it. We need to stop it yesterday, Moulton said. I worked hard to include this in the defense bill, and I'm glad that it's now law.\r\nMoulton and Buchanan introduced the The Fentanyl Sanctions Act in April.\r\nSpecifically, The Fentanyl Sanctions Act would:\r\n \r\nImpose sanctions on foreign manufacturers of synthetic opioids that knowingly send those drugs to drug traffickers and other criminal operations.\r\nAuthorize $600 million in funding for law enforcement to combat the trafficking of opioids across the globe.\r\nCreate a new federal commission to combat synthetic opioid trafficking that will include the Administrator of the Drug Enforcement Agency, Secretary of Homeland Security, Secretary of Defense, Secretary of the Treasury and the Secretary of State.\r\n \r\nEarlier this year, Moulton and Buchanan wrote an op-ed in The Hill calling for the bill's passage before the president negotiates an end to the trade war with China. China is the source of 80 percent of the world's fentanyl, and China's leaders have chosen not to crack down on domestic fentanyl production to use future enforcement as a negotiating tool in the trade war. As Moulton noted in the op-ed, China has an especially poor record of taking on fentanyl producers. Between 2015 and 2016, American authorities intercepted 1,072 shipments of Chinese fentanyl before they could reach our streets. In the same time period, China stopped just four.\r\nFentanyl is 50 times more potent than heroin and 100 times more potent than morphine, andChina's failure to combat opioid production kills Americans. In Massachusetts, the opioid-related overdose death rate has tripled in four years from 691 to 1,990, and fentanyl has overtaken prescription drugs and heroin as the leading cause of opioid-overdose deaths.\r\nAccording to The New York Times, since 2013, U.S. overdose deaths related to fentanyl and similar substances have skyrocketed from 3,000 to 28,000. WBUR reported earlier this year that overdose deaths fell 11 percent in the first six months of 2019, but the rate is still near its highest point ever, and fentanyl is present in 92 percent of the overdose deaths in Massachusetts.\r\nThe bill's passage is one piece of a larger effort to prevent overdose deaths in the Commonwealth. This year Moulton worked with the state's congressional delegation to secure a $35.8 million grant that will help the state track overdose data and respond to overdose deaths like a public health emergency such as the EEE outbreak that killed four people in the state over the summer and fall. The grant also funded local health and law enforcement intervention efforts.\r\nOpioid overdoses have killed more Americans than the wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Vietnam, combined. Veterans are twice as likely as nonveterans to die from an accidental overdose. Moulton has introduced a package of three bills that would allow the VA to study and discuss cannabis use as an alternative to opioid treatments. The bills would also prevent veterans who use cannabis in the states where it is legal from losing their VA benefits when they test positive for cannabis use.\r\nIn May, Moulton became one of the first federal-level leaders to make a call for the state to create supervised injection facilities in Massachusetts. Earlier this month Moulton followed up on that call with an issue-by-issue rebuttal of myths about supervised injection facilities in CommonWealth Magazine and called on Governor Baker and other state leaders to take decisive action by legalizing the sites.\r\nHe wrote, If a stadium the size of the Garden were under attack, if one of our small towns disappeared, or if a foreign nation or infectious disease like Ebola wiped out an entire American city, we wouldn't hesitate to respond decisively. But addiction is also a disease  it's killing our friends and neighbors  and we need decisive leadership to stop it...I urge the governor and all of our state lawmakers to lead decisively and authorize supervised injection facilities in Massachusetts. It's an opportunity for our Commonwealth to lead on health care again. And, most importantly, it will save lives.\r\nMILITARY MENTAL HEALTH CARE PLAN ALSO BECOMING LAW\r\nIn addition to addressing the opioid epidemic, Moulton has taken a leading role in Congress on mental health care policy since disclosing earlier this year that he was managing Post Traumatic Stress from his service in Iraq.\r\nHe introduced legislation this year to designate 988 as the national mental health emergency line. Last week, the FCC voted unanimously to authorize the number. The Senate also marked-up companion legislation to Moulton's bill, two major steps forward for Moulton's bill.\r\nThe congressman also amended the defense bill to include mandatory mental health check ups for active-duty service members returning from an overseas deployment. This plan will also be signed into law Friday as part of The National Defense Authorization Act. Starting in Fiscal Year 2020, every service member who is deployed overseas will be required to receive a mental health check up within 21 days of returning home.\r\nMoulton inserted this plan and several others that will benefit the region into the defense bill using his seat on the House Armed Services Committee, which writes the bill. He also helped secure the bill's passage after Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi appointed him to the committee of lawmakers that negotiate a final draft of The National Defense Authorization Act.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://neal.house.gov/press-releases/neal-and-blumenauer-request-investigation-economic-effects-illegal-seafood-imports", "Neal and Blumenauer Request Investigation into the Economic Effects of Illegal Seafood Imports", "2019-12-19", "2019", "2019-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Richard Neal", "N000015", "neal.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Neal and Blumenauer Request Investigation into the Economic Effects of Illegal Seafood Imports \n      \n    \n  \n      \n          \n        \n        \n  \n    \n                 Neal and Blumenauer Request Investigation into the Economic Effects of Illegal Seafood Imports \n                        \n  \n                \n    \n      \n  \n    \n  \n      \n  \n  \n      \n  \n  \n\n  \n      \n  \n  \n    WASHINGTON, DC Today, Ways & Means Committee Chairman Richard E. Neal (D-MA) and Trade Subcommittee Chairman Earl Blumenauer (D-OR)senta letterto U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) Chairman David Johanson requesting the USITC conduct an investigation on the potential economic effects on U.S. fishermen of competition with illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) seafood imports.\n\nUp to 31 percent of the global catch of fish reportedly comes from IUU fishing, at an estimated value of more than $23 billion per year, wrote Neal and Blumenauer. IUU fishing contributes to the overexploitation of fish stocks, threatens the livelihoods of coastal communities, jeopardizes food security, and harms marine ecosystems. IUU fishing also creates unfair competition for U.S. fishermen as imports account for 90 percent of U.S. seafood consumption.\n\nThe members also pointed out that China, which plays an enormous role in the global production and trade of seafood and is the largest seafood trade partner of the United States, is ranked as worst among 152 coastal countries based on the prevalence of IUU fishing and the country's response to it.\n\nNeal and Blumenauer urged the USITC conduct its report to better understand the size, scope, supply chains, pricing pressures, and potential economic effects of this problem. Specifically, the members requested the report include information regarding the prevalence of IUU products in the U.S. import market; international mechanisms for monitoring and enforcement to address IUU fishing; the size and structure of the U.S. commercial fishing industry; major global producers of IUU products, including but not limited to China, and country practices related to IUU production and exports; the extent to which IUU product is imported into the United States; and the economic impact of IUU imports on U.S. commercial fishermen and U.S. commercial fishing production, trade, and prices.\n\nFull text of the letter is availableHERE.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://neal.house.gov/press-releases/neal-applauds-house-passage-usmca-implementing-legislation", "Neal Applauds House Passage of USMCA Implementing Legislation", "2019-12-19", "2019", "2019-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Richard Neal", "N000015", "neal.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Neal Applauds House Passage of USMCA Implementing Legislation \n      \n    \n  \n      \n          \n        \n        \n  \n    \n                 Neal Applauds House Passage of USMCA Implementing Legislation \n                        \n  \n                \n    \n      \n  \n    \n  \n      \n  \n  \n      \n  \n  \n\n  \n      \n  \n  \n    WASHINGTON, DC Today, Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard E. Neal (D-MA) released the following statement after the U.S. House of Representatives passedH.R. 5430, Legislation to implement the Agreement between the United States of America, the United Mexican States, and Canada attached as an Annex to the Protocol Replacing the North American Free Trade Agreement:\nToday is a momentous day for America's economy, workers, environment, and families. With the House's passage of implementing legislation for the vastly improved, enforceable version of the USMCA, we replace a deeply flawed trade deal and set enhanced standards for all future U.S. trade agreements to build upon. Now, the Senate must do its job and pass this landmark bill in short order.\n##", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://neal.house.gov/press-releases/neal-urges-investigation-potential-economic-and-environmental-benefits-massachusetts", "Neal Urges Investigation into Potential Economic and Environmental Benefits of Massachusetts Importing Canadian Hydroelectricity", "2019-12-19", "2019", "2019-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Richard Neal", "N000015", "neal.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Neal Urges Investigation into Potential Economic and Environmental Benefits of Massachusetts Importing Canadian Hydroelectricity \n      \n    \n  \n      \n          \n        \n        \n  \n    \n                 Neal Urges Investigation into Potential Economic and Environmental Benefits of Massachusetts Importing Canadian Hydroelectricity \n                        \n  \n                \n    \n      \n  \n    \n  \n      \n  \n  \n      \n  \n  \n\n  \n      \n  \n  \n    WASHINGTON, DC  Today, Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard E. Neal (D-MA) sent a letter to U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) Chairman David Johanson regarding Massachusetts's importation of hydro-generated electricity from Canada. To determine the potential economic and renewable energy usage effects of such imports, Chairman requested the USITC conduct an investigation and prepare a report on the matter under section 332(g) of the Tariff Act of 1930.\n\nOver the past three decades, Massachusetts has seen the retirement of both nuclear and coal-generated power plants across the Commonwealth, wrote Chairman Neal. With these facilities offline, there has been a growing strain on the ability of New England's bulk power generation and transmission system to meet the demands of consumers. High electricity rates undermine the competitiveness of Massachusetts businesses and make it difficult for residents, particularly low-income households, to afford their utility bills.\n\nChairman Neal also pointed out that many New England states have set ambitious goals for seeking alternative renewable means of providing energy while also reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and that it's possible hydroelectric imports from Canada could help the region meet those targets.\n\nAmong other relevant information, the Chairman requested the USITC report examine New England's renewable energy goals and commitments, and progress towards meeting these goals; the essential elements of Massachusetts's long-term contract for the procurement of clean energy from Hydro-Quebec; and the potential economic and environmental effects on the Commonwealth of the import of hydroelectricity from Canada.\n\nFull text of the letter is available HERE.\n ###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://trahan.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=1332", "Congresswoman Lori Trahan Announces $1.4 Million Federal Grant for Lowell Community Teamwork Inc.s YouthBuild program", "2019-12-19", "2019", "2019-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Lori Trahan", "T000482", "trahan.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "LOWELL, MAToday, Congresswoman Lori Trahan (D-MA-03) announced a $1,440,000 federal grant for Lowell Community Teamwork Inc.'s YouthBuild program.\r\nThe grant will support programs that help young people learn occupational skills in construction, health care, information technology, and hospitality. YouthBuild participants assist with building or rehabilitating affordable housing in their communities while receiving educational support and training as they complete their high school degrees or equivalent.\r\n\"Since 1999, Community Teamwork has been helping at-risk youth train for careers that will provide them with a lifetime of success. Through their volunteer work in the community, these students receive quality apprenticeships and learn entrepreneurship skills that will empower them to support themselves and their families,\"said Congresswoman Trahan. \"This funding represents a solid investment in our youth and their families, our workforce, and our regional economy. As a Member of Congress, I will continue to fight for important investments like this.\"\r\n\r\n\"We are thrilled to have again received the Department of Labor's YouthBuild Grant and are thankful to Congresswoman Trahan's continued support of this important program,\"Community Teamwork's CEO Karen Frederick said.\"This funding will allow us to continue YouthBuild's mission, which provides vital tools and skills to help our young people become successful in our community, by helping them reach their education and career goals. We have seen firsthand how YouthBuild helps to transform and advance young people's lives and are grateful to be able to continue this work.\"\r\nCommunity Teamwork Inc. currently provides training in construction and culinary arts to 34 young people but will be able to expand thanks to this funding. The program has a waitlist of about 40 youth.\r\nMore information about the federal YouthBuild program is available at DOL's websitehere.\r\n\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://trahan.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=1333", "Congresswoman Lori Trahan Statement on Passage of Legislation to Restore the SALT Deduction to Provide Relief to Massachusetts Families", "2019-12-19", "2019", "2019-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Lori Trahan", "T000482", "trahan.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Congresswoman Lori Trahan Statement on Passage of Legislation to Restore the SALT Deduction to Provide Relief to Massachusetts Families \r\n    \r\n     \r\n\r\n  \r\n  \r\n    \r\n      Washington,\r\n      December 19, 2019\r\n    \r\n    \r\n    \r\n    \r\n  \r\n  \r\n\r\n  \r\n\r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n\r\n  \r\n    \r\n      WASHINGTON, DC -- Today, Representative Lori Trahan (D-MA-03) voted in favor of H.R. 5377, the Restoring Tax Fairness for States and Localities Act. This bill would eliminate the marriage penalty this year and eliminate the SALT deduction cap for 2020 and 2021. The SALT deduction cap disproportionality impacts Massachusetts families. Additionally, the bill increases from $250 to $500 the tax deduction that teachers may take for out-of-pocket classroom expenses.\r\nPresident Trump's 2017 tax cuts for millionaires and billionaires included this unfair tax hike on states like Massachusetts which invest heavily in our public resources. The SALT deduction cap erodes incentives for home ownership and charitable contributions and punishes state and local governments that pursue progressive policies. The impact of this tax hike has been placed squarely on districts where voters have chosen to fund better schools, health care, transit, parks, and social services with their hard-earned tax dollars. Undoing this harmful cap is another promise kept, and I am proud to have supported this legislation,said Congresswoman Trahan.\r\nEarlier this month, Congresswoman Trahan joined with Representative Tom Malinowski (D-NJ) and 80 of their colleagues urging House Leadership to bring this legislation to the floor. You can find the full text of the letterHERE.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases/massachusetts-lawmakers-announce-over-3-million-in-federal-grants-to-youthbuild-organizations", "Massachusetts Lawmakers Announce Over $3 Million in Federal Grants to YouthBuild Organizations", "2019-12-18", "2019", "2019-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Edward Markey", "M000133", "www.markey.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Massachusetts Lawmakers Announce Over $3 Million in Federal Grants to YouthBuild Organizations \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tWednesday, December 18, 2019\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tGrants Will Support Programs in Lowell, New Bedford and Boston\r\nBoston, MA -United States Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Edward J. Markey (D-MA), along with Representatives Stephen F. Lynch (D-MA-08), William Keating (D-MA-09), Ayanna Pressley (D-MA-07) and Lori Trahan (D-MA-03), today announced that YouthBuild Programs in Lowell, New Bedford and Boston will receive a total of $3,355,895 in grants from the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL).\r\nThe grants will support programs that help young people learn occupational skills in construction, health care, information technology, and hospitality. YouthBuild participants assist with building or rehabilitating affordable housing in their communities while receiving educational support and training as they complete their high school degrees or equivalent.\r\nThe DOL's grants include:\r\n \r\n$1,440,000 to Community Teamwork Inc. (Lowell, MA)\r\n$1,102,295 to People Acting in Community Endeavors Inc. (New Bedford, MA)\r\n$813,600 to YouthBuild Boston (Boston, MA)\r\n \r\n\"All our kids deserve a chance to succeed, and that includes getting a high-quality education and receiving needed job training,\"said Senator Warren.\"It is great to see YouthBuild programs in Massachusetts receive this funding, and I am going to keep fighting in Congress for more federal resources to give all of our kids access to programs that help them get ahead.\"\r\n\"Kids are 20% of our population, but 100% of our future, and we owe it to provide them the best education, the most relevant job skills, and the brightest of outlooks to build their futures,\"said Senator Markey. \"These YouthBuild grants will do just that -- help build bright futures for youth in the Lowell, New Bedford, and Boston areas. I congratulate these programs for securing this vital funding, and I look forward to all of the positive impacts these young people will have on their families, their schools, and their communities.\"\r\n\"I am pleased to see the non-profit organization YouthBuild receive this substantial grant from the Department of Labor,\"said Representative Lynch. \"The YouthBuild program helps transform lives by providing at-risk youth the proper education, counseling and training to help them gain employment in the building trades industry. After working as an iron worker for almost 20 years, I know firsthand the importance of learning the proper skills and safety precautions in order to be successful in these laborious jobs. I am proud to help support this organization that continues to help young adults build their careers to improve their quality of life and strengthen their community.\"\r\n\"This million dollar grant to PACE will provide a strong foundation to many young people in the Greater New Bedford area,\"said Congressman Keating. \"YouthBuild programs provide positive influences, educational opportunities, and job training to prepare for the future. But their most profound influence may come from their important message to young people that we, as a community value them and their work, and that we all have a stake in their future success.\"\r\n\"The Massachusetts 7th Congressional District is home to the largest concentrations of young people and we must support their path to a successful and prosperous future,\"said Congresswoman Pressley. \"The activist leadership of organizations such as YouthBuild will provide an on-ramp to our nation's up and coming leaders and opportunities to invest in themselves and their communities. I am proud of the powerful work happening in community and further bolstered by YouthBuild Boston's skills training.\"\r\n\"Since 1999, Community Teamwork has been helping at-risk youth train for careers that will provide them with a lifetime of success. Through their volunteer work in the community, these students receive quality apprenticeships and learn entrepreneurship skills that will empower them to support themselves and their families,\"said Congresswoman Trahan. \"This funding represents a solid investment in our youth and their families, our workforce, and our regional economy. As a Member of Congress I will continue to fight for important investments like this.\"\r\nMore information about the federal YouthBuild program is available at DOL's websitehere.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases/senator-markey-commends-new-advertising-policies-to-protect-children-on-youtube", "Senator Markey Commends New Advertising Policies to Protect Children on YouTube", "2019-12-18", "2019", "2019-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Edward Markey", "M000133", "www.markey.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Senator Markey Commends New Advertising Policies to Protect Children on YouTube \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tWednesday, December 18, 2019\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\r\nWashington (December 18, 2019)  Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) released the following statement today after YouTube announced that it will update its policies governing advertisements in kids' videos on the website's main video platform. Senator Markey previously sent a letter to Google highlighting that many of the advertising policies that protect children on theYouTubeKids platform did not appear to apply to content that is directed to children onYouTube's main platform. These rules prohibit videos from including product placement, influencer unboxing videos, and other types of commercial content that are inappropriate or harmful to children. In response to Senator Markey's letter, YouTube announced that it will apply its content category restrictions from the YouTube Kids platform to all kids content on the main site. As such, advertisements that are violent, sexually explicit, related to food and beverages, or age-inappropriate in other ways will be prohibited in children's videos on YouTube. YouTube also confirmed that it will prohibit targeted advertising in children's content on YouTube. \r\n\r\nI am pleased that YouTube has heeded my calls to update its advertising policies and enhance protections for the children who flock to this website. YouTube's announcement that it will prohibit targeted, violent, unhealthy,and inappropriate advertising to kids on its main platform is a big win for the millions of families whose kids visit YouTube every day,said Senator Markey, a member of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee. Unfortunately, YouTube stopped short of instituting other important policy changes that would serve the interests of kids. I'm calling on YouTube to prohibit inherently manipulative marketing from online influencers who peddle products to kids instealth advertisementsthat rack up millions of views from children.\r\n\r\nA copy of Senator Markey's letter can be foundHERE, and YouTube's response can be foundHERE.\r\n\r\nOwned by Google, YouTube operates both the mainYouTubeplatform andYouTubeKids.YouTube's parental guide indicates thatYouTubeis not for children under the age of 13 and characterizesYouTubeKids as a destination for children ages 12 and under. However, vast numbers of child users watch videos onYouTubeitself, and there is a wide range of child-focused content available for children onYouTube's main platform.\r\n\r\nIn June, Senator Markeywroteto the FTC expressing concern thatYouTubehas violated Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) and urging the Commission to include a series of new privacy safeguards thatYouTubeshould implement as part of any potential consent decree stemming from a Commission investigation into children's privacy onYouTube. \r\n\r\nSenator Markey plans to introduce legislation to prohibit manipulative marketing to children online.\r\n\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases/senator-markey-statement-on-impeachment-of-president-trump", "Senator Markey Statement on Impeachment of President Trump", "2019-12-18", "2019", "2019-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Edward Markey", "M000133", "www.markey.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Senator Markey Statement on Impeachment of President Trump \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tWednesday, December 18, 2019\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\r\nWashington (December 19, 2019)  Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) released the following statement after the House of Representatives voted to impeach President Donald Trump.\r\n\r\nThe impeachment of a U.S. President by the House of Representatives, for only the third time in our nation's long history, is a sad and solemn occasion. But let's be clear: Donald Trump, by his words and deeds, brought this impeachment entirely upon himself. And the President's allies and enablers, instead of addressing the overwhelming evidence that the President abused his power and then sought to cover it up and obstruct Congress's investigation into it, have engaged in a campaign of denial, distraction, deflection, and demagoguery. This impeachment of President Trump was not only justified and warranted, it was necessary to uphold our Constitution and the system of checks and balances enshrined in it, and to protect our upcoming election, and future elections, from foreign interference. \r\n\r\nI stand ready to fulfill my constitutional role as a juror in the trial of Donald Trump in the Senate. Last week, Senator Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said he would take his cues on the trial from the President's lawyers. That is wrong. He should be taking his cues from the Constitution. Senator McConnell must negotiate in good faith with Senate Democrats on the rules for a full and fair trial, at which Senators can hear and consider all relevant evidence before making the momentous decision whether to remove Donald Trump from office. \r\n\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases/senators-markey-warren-and-rep-keating-criticize-nrc-decision-to-ignore-state-and-local-concerns-move-forward-with-transfer-of-ownership-of-pilgrim-nuclear-plant", "Senators Markey, Warren, and Rep. Keating Criticize NRC Decision to Ignore State and Local Concerns, Move Forward with Transfer of Ownership of Pilgrim Nuclear Plant", "2019-12-18", "2019", "2019-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Edward Markey", "M000133", "www.markey.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Senators Markey, Warren, and Rep. Keating Criticize NRC Decision to Ignore State and Local Concerns, Move Forward with Transfer of Ownership of Pilgrim Nuclear Plant \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tWednesday, December 18, 2019\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\r\nWashington (December 18, 2019)  Massachusetts Senators Edward J. Markey and Elizabeth Warren, and Congressman William Keating (MA-09) today blasted the Nuclear Regulatory (NRC) for rejecting requests by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and Pilgrim Watch to stay and re-evaluate the Commission staff's order approving the transfer of the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station license from Entergy to Holtec. As a result, the license transfer will continue and the community's concerns will go unheard.\r\n\r\nThe residents around Pilgrim and the state of Massachusetts have real and substantive concerns about transferring the nuclear plant from one entity that had one of the worst safety records to another entity that has almost no experience decommissioning a power plant,said Senator Markey.Instead of listening to the people of Massachusetts, the NRC continues to move forward with this license transfer without answering critical questions about safety, security, and funding. It's time for the Commission to prioritize local issues over industry expediency.\r\n\r\nOnce again federal regulators have bypassed the concerns of Southeastern Massachusetts and allowed the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station to change hands,said Senator Warren.This is a punch in the gut to the people who live, work, and go to school in the area and who have rightly raised safety concerns  and should be heard.\r\n\r\nOnce again, technical rules superseded common sense concerns regarding the Pilgrim license transfer, the solvency of the trust fund, and the ultimate fate of spent nuclear fuel, saidCongressman Keating.Since the Commission has indicated that they can still decide on the issues that prompted this request, they should act with urgency to address the substantive issues that they failed to do with this order.\r\n\r\nIn August, Senators Markey and Warren, and Rep. Keatingwroteto the NRC urging it to delay ruling on the proposed license transfer for Pilgrim from Entergy to Holtec until after the Commission considers and rules on extant petitions and motions. And in September, Senators Markey, Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), and Congressman William Keating (MA-09)wroteto the NRC urging it to reject Entergy and Holtec's request for the plant to be exempted from critical safety regulations. The NRC approved Pilgrim's exemption despite public concerns.\r\n\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.warren.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/massachusetts-lawmakers-announce-over-3-million-in-federal-grants-to-youthbuild-organizations", "Massachusetts Lawmakers Announce Over $3 Million in Federal Grants to YouthBuild Organizations", "2019-12-18", "2019", "2019-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Elizabeth Warren", "W000817", "www.warren.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "December 18, 2019\n\t\t\t Massachusetts Lawmakers Announce Over $3 Million in Federal Grants to YouthBuild Organizations \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n        \n\t\t\t\t Grants Will Support Programs in Lowell, New Bedford and Boston\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t Boston, MA - United States Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA)\r\nand Edward J. Markey (D-MA), along with Representatives Stephen F. Lynch\r\n(D-MA-08), William Keating (D-MA-09), Ayanna Pressley (D-MA-07) and Lori Trahan\r\n(D-MA-03), today announced that YouthBuild Programs in Lowell, New Bedford and\r\nBoston will receive a total of $3,355,895 in grants from the U.S. Department of\r\nLabor (DOL). The grants will support programs that help young people learn occupational\r\nskills in construction, health care, information technology, and hospitality.\r\nYouthBuild participants assist with building or rehabilitating affordable\r\nhousing in their communities while receiving educational support and training as\r\nthey complete their high school degrees or equivalent. The DOL's grants include: \r\n $1,440,000 to Community Teamwork Inc. (Lowell, MA) \r\n $1,102,295 to People Acting in Community Endeavors Inc.\r\n     (New Bedford, MA)\r\n $813,600 to YouthBuild Boston (Boston, MA)\r\n \"All our kids deserve a chance to succeed, and that includes getting a\r\nhigh-quality education and receiving needed job training,\" said\r\nSenator Warren. \"It is great to see YouthBuild programs in\r\nMassachusetts receive this funding, and I am going to keep fighting in Congress\r\nfor more federal resources to give all of our kids access to programs that help\r\nthem get ahead.\" \"Kids are 20% of our population, but 100% of our future, and we owe it\r\nto provide them the best education, the most relevant job skills, and the brightest\r\nof outlooks to build their futures,\" said Senator Markey.\r\n\"These YouthBuild grants will do just that -- help build bright futures\r\nfor youth in the Lowell, New Bedford, and Boston areas. I congratulate these\r\nprograms for securing this vital funding, and I look forward to all of the\r\npositive impacts these young people will have on their families, their schools,\r\nand their communities.\" \"I am pleased to see the non-profit organization YouthBuild receive\r\nthis substantial grant from the Department of Labor,\" said\r\nRepresentative Lynch. \"The YouthBuild program helps\r\ntransform lives by providing at-risk youth the proper education, counseling and\r\ntraining to help them gain employment in the building trades industry.\r\nAfter working as an iron worker for almost 20 years, I know firsthand the importance\r\nof learning the proper skills and safety precautions in order to be successful\r\nin these laborious jobs. I am proud to help support this organization\r\nthat continues to help young adults build their careers to improve their\r\nquality of life and strengthen their community.\" \"This million dollar grant to PACE will provide a strong foundation to\r\nmany young people in the Greater New Bedford area,\" said\r\nCongressman Keating. \"YouthBuild programs provide positive\r\ninfluences, educational opportunities, and job training to prepare for the\r\nfuture. But their most profound influence may come from their important\r\nmessage to young people that we, as a community value them and their work, and\r\nthat we all have a stake in their future success.\" \"The Massachusetts 7th Congressional District is home to the largest\r\nconcentrations of young people and we must support their path to a successful\r\nand prosperous future,\" said Congresswoman Pressley.\r\n\"The activist leadership of organizations such as YouthBuild will provide\r\nan on-ramp to our nation's up and coming leaders and opportunities to invest in\r\nthemselves and their communities. I am proud of the powerful work happening in\r\ncommunity and further bolstered by YouthBuild Boston's skills training.\" \"Since 1999, Community Teamwork has been helping at-risk youth train\r\nfor careers that will provide them with a lifetime of success. Through their\r\nvolunteer work in the community, these students receive quality apprenticeships\r\nand learn entrepreneurship skills that will empower them to support themselves\r\nand their families,\" said Congresswoman Trahan.\r\n\"This funding represents a solid investment in our youth and their\r\nfamilies, our workforce, and our regional economy. As a Member of Congress I\r\nwill continue to fight for important investments like this.\" More information about the federal YouthBuild program is available at DOL's\r\nwebsitehere. ###\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tNext Article\n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.warren.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/senator-warren-announces-reintroduction-of-the-bipartisan-aim-high-act", "Senator Warren Announces Reintroduction of the Bipartisan AIM HIGH Act", "2019-12-18", "2019", "2019-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Elizabeth Warren", "W000817", "www.warren.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "December 18, 2019\n\t\t\t Senator Warren Announces Reintroduction of the Bipartisan AIM HIGH Act \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n        \n\t\t\t\t Bipartisan Legislation Would Improve Accessibility of Higher Education Technology for Students with Disabilities\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWashington, D.C. - United States Senator Elizabeth Warren\r\n(D-Mass.), a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP)\r\nCommittee, along with Senators Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Dan Sullivan\r\n(R-Alaska), Jon Tester (D-Mont.), and Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), today announced the\r\nreintroduction of the Accessible Instructional Materials in Higher Education\r\n(AIM HIGH) Act to develop voluntary guidelines that schools can use to ensure\r\nthat educational technology is accessible to students with disabilities. First reintroduced\r\nin the House by Representatives Phil Roe, M.D. (R-Tenn.) and Joe Courtney\r\n(D-Conn.), the legislation would establish a commission of teachers,\r\nadministrators, and other stakeholders to develop guidelines on accessibility\r\nfor instructional technologies used by colleges and universities. The bill\r\nwould also create a pilot program so that institutions of higher education\r\ncould test these guidelines on a voluntary basis.Currently, not all technologies used at colleges and universities are\r\naccessible to students with disabilities, even though non-discrimination laws\r\nrequire accessibility. Federal non-discrimination laws were drafted long before\r\nthe use of electronic instructional materials and other technologies on college\r\ncampuses became widespread, and they do not contain the performance criteria or\r\nspecifications that are necessary for evaluating the accessibility of\r\nelectronic materials.\"I started out as a special needs teacher at a public elementary school\r\nand ended up as a law professor -- I understand how important it is for\r\nstudents with disabilities to have the tools they need to fully participate in our\r\neducation system,\" Senator Warren said. \"That's why\r\nI am introducing legislation to help colleges select accessible materials,\r\nensuring that we build opportunities for all students to succeed.\"The National Federation for the Blind lends its support to this proposal.\"This legislation is critically important to all blind students and to\r\nme personally, as the father of three children, two of whom are blind,\" said\r\nMark Riccobono, President of the National Federation of the Blind.\r\n\"This issue has been ignored for too long. Blind Americans deeply\r\nappreciate Senator Warren's strong national leadership and advocacy for equal\r\nopportunities for all students throughout higher education, and we applaud her\r\nfor supporting this market-based approach to encouraging technology innovations\r\nto be born accessible.\"The AIM HIGH Act builds on a\r\n2011 report from the federal Advisory Commission on Accessible Instructional\r\nMaterials in Postsecondary Education for Students with Disabilities, which\r\nidentified the need for guidelines on accessible electronic instructional\r\nmaterials and technologies. Senator Warren and former Senator Orrin Hatch\r\n(R-Utah) first introduced\r\nthe bill in February 2014.Senator Warren has been achampionforstudents,fightingto\r\ncreate more opportunitiesforyoung people and to protect\r\nAmerica'sstudents.\r\n In July 2018, Senator Warren successfully passed\r\ntheFree\r\nCareer and Technical Education for High School Student Actto\r\nrequire states to reduce or eliminate out-of-pocket costs associated with\r\ncareer and technical education programs for high school students with\r\ndisabilities, students from low-income families, and students with other\r\nbarriers to educational achievement such as those learning English.\r\n In August 2019, Senator Warren and U.S. Senate HELP\r\nCommittee Ranking Member Patty Murray (D-Wash.) applauded\r\nthe Trump Administration for finally implementing automatic student debt\r\nrelief to veterans with disabilities after years of pressure. \r\n In July 2019, Senator Warren and House Majority Whip\r\nJames Clyburn (D-S.C.) introduced\r\nlegislation to cancel student loan debt for millions of students,\r\nproviding relief for 95% of student borrowers. They discussed\r\ntheir legislation at a town hall on the campus of South Carolina State\r\nUniversity, a public, historically black college and university in October\r\n2019.\r\n \r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n###   \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.warren.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/warren-gardner-clark-and-gonzlez-coln-announce-bipartisan-and-bicameral-bill-to-protect-veterans-working-in-the-state-legal-cannabis-industry", "Warren, Gardner, Clark, and Gonz\u00e1lez-Col\u00f3n Announce Bipartisan and Bicameral Bill to Protect Veterans Working in the State-Legal Cannabis Industry", "2019-12-18", "2019", "2019-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Elizabeth Warren", "W000817", "www.warren.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "December 18, 2019\n\t\t\t Warren, Gardner, Clark, and Gonzlez-Coln Announce Bipartisan and Bicameral Bill to Protect Veterans Working in the State-Legal Cannabis Industry \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n        \n\t\t\t\t Legislation would prohibit the Department of Veterans Affairs from denying veterans VA-backed home loans due to income earned from lawful cannabis business\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWashington, D.C. - United States Senators Elizabeth Warren\r\n(D-Mass.) and Cory Gardner (R-Colo.), and Democratic Caucus Vice Chair\r\nKatherine Clark (D-Mass.) and Representative Gonzlez-Coln (R-P.R.) announced\r\nthe introduction of bipartisan and bicameral legislation that would prohibit\r\nthe U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) from denying veterans VA-backed\r\nhome loans based on their employment in their state's legal cannabis industry.\r\nCurrently, cannabis is considered illegal under federal law, though 48\r\nstates -- including Massachusetts -- currently have laws permitting or\r\ndecriminalizing marijuana or marijuana-based products. Washington D.C., Puerto\r\nRico, Guam, and a number of tribal nations have similar laws. As a result of\r\nfederal law, the VA can deny home loans to veterans whose verified income is\r\nearned from working in their state's legal cannabis industry.Eligible veterans are able to receive a home loan partially guaranteed by\r\nthe VA. In states across the country, veterans are among the individuals\r\nworking in the state's legal cannabis industry. In addition to ensuring that\r\nthis work will not affect VA home loan guaranty program eligibility, the bill\r\nwould clarify that the VA's activities related to guaranteeing such a loan\r\nwould not be a violation of federal controlled substances laws, nor would mere\r\napplication for a VA-backed home loan violate these laws.\"Veterans have sacrificed so much for this country, but our outdated\r\nfederal marijuana laws prevent many veterans from getting the loans they need\r\nto buy homes,\" Senator Warren said. \"Our bipartisan\r\nbill would ensure that veterans who work in their state's legal cannabis\r\nindustry can access VA home loans and realize the dream of homeownership.\"\"The citizens of Colorado led the nation in adopting a new approach to\r\ncannabis, and our state's veterans have fought for our country all over the\r\nworld. It's disgraceful that a veteran can be denied a benefit they earned\r\nserving our country because they have a job in alegitimate cannabis\r\nbusiness,\"said Senator Gardner.\"Unfortunately\r\nthis isn't the only policy failure due to conflicting state and federal\r\nmarijuana laws. This is another example in the long list of reasons to pass the\r\nSTATES Act, which Senator Warren and I introduced to respect the will of the\r\npeople and take the states' rights approach to legal cannabis.\"\"The VA needs to catch up with the times and recognize the growing role\r\nof the cannabis economy in our country,\" Democratic Caucus Vice\r\nChair Clarksaid. \"Our veterans shouldn't be penalized or\r\ndenied the benefits they have earned because they live and work in a state\r\nwhere marijuana is legal. We owe it to them to ensure that they can build their\r\nlives and pursue their dreams after their service, and that includes the dream\r\nof homeownership.\"\"Achieving job security and having a stable home are two of the\r\ntoughest challenges veterans face upon separating from the Armed Services. As\r\nMembers of Congress, it is our duty to craft and modernize policies that can\r\nfacilitate the acquisition of both. Through their service and sacrifices, our\r\nveterans have rightfully earned every benefit offered to them by the federal\r\ngovernment,\" said Representative Gonzlez-Coln.\r\n\"That is why, putting their VA Home Loan at risk for embarking on the\r\ncannabis industry when done lawfully in accordance with local laws, is a\r\nmistake. I am proud to lead this bill, along with my colleagues, to continue\r\nremoving obstacles for the success and wellbeing of veterans and their\r\nfamilies.\"The Drug Policy Alliance lends its support to this proposal.\"In any effort to roll back failed marijuana policy, lawmakers must focus\r\non ending the collateral harms vulnerable people still encounter due to federal\r\nprohibition,\" says Queen Adesuyi, policy manager for Drug Policy\r\nAlliance. \"As we work towards comprehensively ending the failed\r\nwar on marijuana, we're thankful for the leadership of Senators Warren and\r\nGardner as they take important steps to mitigate harms faced by veterans and\r\nnoncitizens working within legal marijuana markets.\"In addition to today's announcement, Senators Warren and Gardner announced\r\nanother bipartisan bill\r\nthat would prohibit U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)from\r\nconsidering an individual's employment in the state-legal cannabis industry as\r\na factor in his or her application for naturalization. Both bills were\r\nsimultaneously announced as a package of legislative measures that would help\r\nimprove the lives of individuals who work in the state-legal cannabis industry. ###\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://katherineclark.house.gov/press-releases?ID=510DD5D4-9339-47CF-B763-19F39DB7D726", "Clark Statement on Vote to Impeach President Donald John Trump", "2019-12-18", "2019", "2019-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Katherine Clark", "C001101", "katherineclark.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "There are many aspects of American life the framers of the Constitution could not have foreseen; cars, smartphones, a population of over 300 million people, but they did foresee that the greatest threat to the Constitution and our democracy would be foreign influence in our elections and a President who would corruptly use the powers of the office for his own benefit.\r\n\r\nThe framers warned us that a President who is unprincipled in private life, desperate in his fortune, bold in his temperdespotic in his ordinary demeanor would be the type of President that would necessitate impeachment to protect the democracy. They stated that abuse of power was an impeachable offense because it subverts the will and trust of the American people. They feared foreign interference because it would influence our democracy and separate Americans from their ability to self-govern.\r\n\r\nDonald John Trump is the embodiment of these fears. The facts behind the articles of impeachment are simple and uncontested; he tried to extort a foreign government into investigating a political rival and he has engaged in a massive cover up. Trump has admitted it and has said he would do it all over again. His top aide told us to get over it.\r\n\r\nIf we do not stand for the rule of law, we will no longer have a democracy.\r\n\r\nThese are challenging times for our country, but despite that, I remain optimistic that if we stand for truth, we can continue to strive to be a just America. As I tell my children, you have to do what is right, even when it's hard. My vote today is based on protecting our democracy and my commitment to an America that is of, for and by the people.\"", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://kennedy.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases/dear-ellie-and-james-kennedy-on-impeachment", "DEAR ELLIE AND JAMES: KENNEDY ON IMPEACHMENT", "2019-12-18", "2019", "2019-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Joseph Kennedy", "K000379", "kennedy.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "December 18, 2019\n\t\t\t DEAR ELLIE AND JAMES: KENNEDY ON IMPEACHMENT \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t Among first to speak in support of articles of impeachment\n\t\t\t Washington, D.C.  On the Floor of the House of Representatives this morning, Congressman Joe Kennedy III read a letter written to his children, Ellie and James, explaining why he will vote to impeach President Donald Trump. Dear Ellie and James, This is a moment you will read about in your history books. Today I will vote to impeach the President of the United States. And I want you to know why: He broke our laws. He threatened our security. He abused the highest, most sacred office in our land.  I want you to know that it does not feel good. I can't stop thinking about the cost to our country. Not just the impeachable offenses  but the collateral damage of a President who uses power like a weapon against his own people. Erodes our decency. Degrades our dignity.  I don't yet know how they will tell the story of this era. But I want to tell you the story of this day. Let the record show that  today  justice won. That we did our job. That we kept our word. That we stood our sacred ground. Let the record show that we did not let you down. I love you. Listen to mom. I'll be home soon. To watch Congressman Kennedy's floor speech, please click here.\r\n###\r\nFor Immediate Release:December 18, 2019\r\nContact:  Dan Black (202) 225-5931 \n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n \n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tNext Article\n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://kennedy.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases/kennedy-statement-on-impeachment-of-president-donald-trump", "KENNEDY STATEMENT ON IMPEACHMENT OF PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP", "2019-12-18", "2019", "2019-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Joseph Kennedy", "K000379", "kennedy.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "December 18, 2019\n\t\t\t KENNEDY STATEMENT ON IMPEACHMENT OF PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP \n\t\t\tWashington, D.C.  Congressman Joe Kennedy III released the following statement after voting for both articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump. Impeaching this President is more than an indictment of one man's actions, it is a protective shield around the most powerful democratic office on earth. This is not a moment to celebrate. But it is a moment to be grateful that our system worked as it should, flexing muscle against those who sought to corrupt and abuse it for personal gain. In his attempts to bribe and extort a vulnerable ally, President Trump forced Congress to reckon with his reckless abuse of office. By withholding evidence, threatening witnesses and silencing accomplices, his obstruction only further defined a man who fundamentally believes laws do not apply to him. A failure to impeach him would not just be a failure of justice, but would give him and future presidents license to act with continued disregard for our nation's laws. If Senate Republicans choose complicity in his crimes against the American public, there will be damage to our government that lasts generations. History will harshly judge those who chose power over justice. ###\r\nFor Immediate Release:December 18, 2019\r\nContact:  Dan Black (202) 225-5931 \n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n \n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://moulton.house.gov/press-releases/moulton-statement-on-the-impeachment-of-president-donald-j-trump", "Moulton Statement on the Impeachment of President Donald J. Trump", "2019-12-18", "2019", "2019-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Seth Moulton", "M001196", "moulton.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "December 18, 2019\n\t\t\t Moulton Statement on the Impeachment of President Donald J. Trump \n\t\t\tWASHINGTON  Today, Representative Seth Moulton (D-MA) and a majority of the House of Representatives voted to impeach the President of the United States of America, Donald J. Trump.  Moulton made the following statement:\r\nNo president in history has done so much damage to our institutions, to our Constitution, or to our values. When our Founders expressed their fears of foreign interference in our elections, even they must never have imagined that a U.S. president would solicit and sanction it. And all our past presidents, even those under impeachment inquiries themselves, ultimately respected the Constitutional responsibilities of Congress; by obstructing testimony from members of his Administration, President Trump has flagrantly violated them.\r\nI swore an oath, as a United States Marine and as a Member of Congress, to protect and defend the Constitution unconditionally. Today, that oath compelled me to vote to impeach President Donald Trump. The standards to which we hold the president today set the precedent for future presidents and future generations. History will judge whether, in this time of great division, our leaders put our country first and upheld the American principles of our government: that all are created equal, that no one is above the law, and that we are all responsible for building a freer and more perfect Union.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://neal.house.gov/in-the-news/rep-richard-neal-backs-impeachment-house-floor-i-take-no-pleasure-today-s-vote", "Rep. Richard Neal backs impeachment on House floor; I take no pleasure in todays vote", "2019-12-18", "2019", "2019-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Richard Neal", "N000015", "neal.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON  U.S. Rep. Richard Neal spoke Wednesday in favor of impeaching President Donald Trump as the House of Representatives moved toward a historic vote.\nIt is deeply unfortunate that we have to undertake the impeachment proceedings unfolding today,\" said Neal, according to prepared remarks released by his office. \"But the part we play in this process is not optional: among other things, as the Intelligence and Judiciary Committees have painstakingly documented, the President has abused his authority, and he has obstructed justice. He threatened to withhold congressionally-appropriated U.S. taxpayer dollars from an ally under attack from Russia, unless they agreed to interfere in our election on his behalf. He has expressed no remorse, and he continues to maintain that his behavior was perfect,' while simultaneously obstructing legitimate congressional oversight and subpoenas and blocking members of his administration from providing truthful testimony to investigators. His actions are so far beyond the pale that they have left us with no remaining recourse except impeachment. And so we will impeach. \"\nNeal said that lawmakers simply cannot excuse Trump's behavior.\nThe framers gave us their best effort in 1787. And it was an extraordinary one. The Constitution they set down wasn't perfect, but it founded a republic that has endured and thrived with exceptional stability. As Senator (Daniel Patrick) Moynihan pointed out, only two countries in the world both existed in 1800 and have never had their governments changed by violence since then: the United States and Britain. Only eight governments existed in 1914 and haven't had their form of government changed by force since then: the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, Sweden, and Switzerland. The innovative system of checks and balances and separation of powers that the founders negotiated has successfully met generations of challenges,\" Neal said.\nIn the very first week that the framers began crafting this blueprint for America's freedom and stability, negotiations started on the subject of impeachment. No government in the world at that time exposed the head of government to impeachment, but America was to be different. In the view of the framers, impeachment is in no way a constitutional crisisit is a process that the framers wisely judged that we would sometimes need. This is one of those rare moments.\nMadison worried that one day the country would elect a president who, might pervert his administration into a scheme of peculation (embezzlement) or oppression. He might betray his trust to foreign powers. George Mason asked the delegates, Shall any man be above Justice? Above all, shall that man be above it, who can commit the most extensive injustice? Of course not, because, having just thrown off one king, they would never consent to anoint another one.\nAmerica rejected the notion of divine right. Let me be clear: I take no pleasure in today's vote. Impeachment can never become just one more partisan skirmish, played out on a different battlefield. I've disagreed with Republican presidents in the past without calling for impeachment, regardless of how vast the differences over policy and politics have sometimes become. No one runs for Congress aspiring to participate in an impeachment proceeding. Elections are the way to adjudicate and resolve policy differences.\nImpeachment is reserved for moments of much graver danger, when the constitutional order becomes dangerously out of balance. Moments like this one. And that is why I will cast my vote to impeach President Donald J. Trump.\nAs chairman of the powerful House Ways & Means Committee, Neal is locked in a court fight top get access to Trump's tax returns. That's information other presidents have provided as a matter of course and as a show of transparency. But Trump is fighting disclosure.\nNeal, a member of the House since 1989, has been supportive of Speaker Nancy Pelosi's handling of the ongoing investigation into Trump and his attempt to pressure Ukraine into helping him in the 2020 presidential election.\nThe night before his remarks, supporters of impeachment demonstrated in front of the U.S. Courthouse in Springfield where Neal keeps his district office.\nThey said they were thanking Neal for what they expect would be his supportive vote.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://neal.house.gov/press-releases/neal-statement-support-impeachment-president-trump", "Neal Statement in Support of Impeachment of President Trump", "2019-12-18", "2019", "2019-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Richard Neal", "N000015", "neal.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, D.C.  Today, Chairman of the Ways and Means Committee Richard E. Neal released the following statement in support of the articles of impeachment against President Donald J. Trump.\nIt is deeply unfortunate that we have to undertake the impeachment proceedings unfolding today. But the part we play in this process is not optional: among other things, as the Intelligence and Judiciary Committees have painstakingly documented, the President has abused his authority, and he has obstructed justice. He threatened to withhold congressionally-appropriated U.S. taxpayer dollars from an ally under attack from Russia, unless they agreed to interfere in our election on his behalf. He has expressed no remorse, and he continues to maintain that his behavior was perfect,' while simultaneously obstructing legitimate congressional oversight and subpoenas and blocking members of his administration from providing truthful testimony to investigators. His actions are so far beyond the pale that they have left us with no remaining recourse except impeachment. And so we will impeach.\nBecause, as drastic and unwelcome as that step is, our country faces even greater longer-term risk if we fail to respond. We cannot excuse a President who feels entitled to disregard or break the law with impunity. We are a nation built on rule of law, not the law of rulers.\nThe framers gave us their best effort in 1787. And it was an extraordinary one. The Constitution they set down wasn't perfect, but it founded a republic that has endured and thrived with exceptional stability. As Senator Moynihan pointed out, only two countries in the world both existed in 1800 and have never had their governments changed by violence since then: the United States and Britain. Only eight governments existed in 1914 and haven't had their form of government changed by force since then: the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, Sweden, and Switzerland. The innovative system of checks and balances and separation of powers that the founders negotiated has successfully met generations of challenges.\nIn the very first week that the framers began crafting this blueprint for America's freedom and stability, negotiations started on the subject of impeachment. No government in the world at that time exposed the head of government to impeachment, but America was to be different. In the view of the framers, impeachment is in no way a constitutional crisisit is a process that the framers wisely judged that we would sometimes need. This is one of those rare moments.\nMadison worried that one day the country would elect a president who, might pervert his administration into a scheme of peculation [embezzlement] or oppression. He might betray his trust to foreign powers. George Mason asked the delegates, Shall any man be above Justice? Above all, shall that man be above it, who can commit the most extensive injustice? Of course not, because, having just thrown off one king, they would never consent to anoint another one.\nAmerica rejected the notion of divine right. Let me be clear: I take no pleasure in today's vote. Impeachment can never become just one more partisan skirmish, played out on a different battlefield. I've disagreed with Republican presidents in the past without calling for impeachment, regardless of how vast the differences over policy and politics have sometimes become. No one runs for Congress aspiring to participate in an impeachment proceeding. Elections are the way to adjudicate and resolve policy differences.\nImpeachment is reserved for moments of much graver danger, when the constitutional order becomes dangerously out of balance. Moments like this one. And that is why I will cast my vote to impeach President Donald J. Trump.\n##", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://pressley.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-pressley-speaks-support-articles-impeachment", "Rep. Pressley Speaks in Support of Articles of Impeachment", "2019-12-18", "2019", "2019-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Ayanna Pressley", "P000617", "pressley.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON Today, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) spoke on the House floor in support of the Articles of Impeachment against President Donald Trump. In her remarks, Congresswoman Pressley described today's vote inquiry as both patriotic and uniquely American. Congresswoman Pressley has been a long standing advocate for impeachment: she announced her support for impeachment in April, following the public release of Special counsel Robert Mueller's report.\n\tMadam Speaker, I rise today to protect our democracy. Today we take a stand against corruption and abuses of power. What we are doing here today is not only patriotic, it is uniquely American. America, IS a story of ordinary people confronting abuses of power with the steadfast pursuit of justice. Throughout our history the oppressed have been relegated to the margins by the powerful.\n\tAnd each time we have fought back. Deliberate in our approach. Clear eyed.\n\tEach generation has fought for the preservation of our democracy. And that is what brings us to the House floor today. Efficient and effective in the pursuit of the truth, Congress has done its due diligence.\n\tToday, we send a clear message.\n\tWe will not tolerate abuses of power from the President of the United States of America. The future of this nation rests in our hands. It is with a heavy heart but a resolved one, and because I believe our democracy is worth fighting for, I will vote to impeach Donald J. Trump.\n\tI urge my colleagues to do the same.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://trahan.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=1330", "Congresswoman Lori Trahan Statement on House Passage of Articles of Impeachment", "2019-12-18", "2019", "2019-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Lori Trahan", "T000482", "trahan.house.gov", "trahan", "https://trahan.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, DC \u2013 Congresswoman Lori Trahan (D-MA-03) released this statement following her vote in favor of two articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump; abuse of power, and obstruction of Congress. Both articles passed the House.\n\n\u201cPresident Trump committed an impeachable act by abusing the power of his office for personal and political gain at the expense of our national security. When he got caught, he engaged in a second impeachable offense by launching a campaign to obstruct legitimate congressional oversight into the matter. Impeachment is not a fight we sought, but one we committed to when we raised our right hand and swore to defend and protect the Constitution of the United States. This is a sad day for our country, but President Trump left us no choice. This moment requires all of us to prioritize the Constitution and our democracy above all else, and history will remember those who sought to set the precedent that this president or any other is above the law,\u201d said Congresswoman Trahan.\n\nPrior to the vote, Congresswoman Trahan spoke on the House floor in support of the articles of impeachment. You can read a transcript of her remarks below, and watch and download the clip HERE:\n\n\u201cMadame Speaker, Today I rise to defend our democracy. In this Chamber, we debate the nation\u2019s most pressing issues. And often, reasonable people can draw different conclusions. But not today. The facts are black and white.\n\nPresident Trump abused the power of his office for personal and political gain, and then he engaged in a cover-up. It is up to us to confront those facts \u2013 and vote to preserve and protect our Democratic republic. This is not a fight I or my colleagues sought out when we ran for Congress. But it is one we pledged when we raised our right hand and swore an oath to defend our Constitution.\n\nAnything other than a vote to impeach will be read as a vote endorsing a future president without rules or consequences. An \u2018anything goes\u2019 \u2018no holds barred\u2019 brand of Executive branch authority that will leave us weaker and surely undermine what the Framers passed down.\n\nWe owe it to future generations to transcend personal interest and party loyalty and vote our conscious. For what\u2019s really at stake here today, the sanctity of our constitution and the sanctity of our democracy. Thank you and I yield back.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-04-06T14:55:50Z", "2026-04-06T15:53:19Z"], ["http://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases/markey-joins-baldwin-colleagues-to-call-on-purdue-pharma-to-cancel-13-million-bonus-for-ceo", "Markey Joins Baldwin, Colleagues To Call on Purdue Pharma to Cancel $1.3 Million Bonus for CEO", "2019-12-17", "2019", "2019-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Edward Markey", "M000133", "www.markey.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Markey Joins Baldwin, Colleagues To Call on Purdue Pharma to Cancel $1.3 Million Bonus for CEO \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTuesday, December 17, 2019\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tBy maintaining the aggressive incentive plan for Mr. Landau, the Board is showing that it does not recognize the role the incentive program played in accelerating the opioid crisis into a national tragedy.\r\n\r\nWASHINGTON, D.C.  U.S. Senator Edward J. Markey joined U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin and 9 other Senate colleagues in sending a letter to Purdue Pharma's Board of Directors, calling on them to cancel the reported $1.3 million bonus they are planning to give to Purdue Pharma CEO Craig Landau. Attorneys General from 24 states, including Wisconsin, have argued that Landau should not collect a bonus, and on Thursday, a bankruptcy judge is expected to issue a decision on whether the CEO can collect it.\r\n\r\nFrom the letter, the Senators write,We write to you today with concerns about the $1.3 million incentive bonus payment you have proposed to make to Purdue chief executive officer Craig Landau while your company is in Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Mr. Landau is a named defendant in multiple lawsuits, which allege he personally designed Purdue's intentionally deceptive opioid marketing campaign. Further, the payment is based on aggressive performance incentives similar to those used to encourage opioid sales. As such, we ask that you cancel the incentive payment to Mr. Landau and reevaluate your incentive payment plan to ensure your company puts patient safety ahead of profits.\r\n\r\nPurdue's opioid marketing campaignaccelerated an opioid epidemicthat has claimed an estimated 400,000 lives. The campaign generated$35 billion in revenuefor Purdue and likely significant incentive bonus compensation for Mr. Landau for achieving ambitious opioid sales targets. The Senators are concerned thatPurdue is using profits from selling more prescription opioids to reward high-level employees with massive bonuses, rather than helping states ravished by the opioid crisis that the company made worse. \r\n\r\nThe Senators continue,By maintaining the aggressive incentive plan for Mr. Landau, the Board is showing that it does not recognize the role the incentive program played in accelerating the opioid crisis into a national tragedy. While the filings indicate that Purdue's sales incentive plan will not pay bonuses for opioid sales, it is not clear that the operating profit incentive will exclude opioid sales from its calculation.\r\n\r\nThe company's recently-submitted compensation proposal would incentivize Mr. Landau to meet aggressive sales targets, and could result in the unwarranted prescription and irresponsible distribution of opioids and other addictive drugs. While the proposal indicates that Purdue's sales incentive plan will not pay bonuses for opioid sales, it is not clear that the operating profit incentive will exclude opioid sales from its calculation. In their letter, the Senators highlight that there is no indication the very compensation policies that encouraged its employees to allegedly deceive doctors and patients to sell opioids have been removed from the current compensation plan to sell other drugs.\r\n\r\nThey conclude,In closing, we again urge you to cancel your proposed incentive bonus payment to Mr. Landau, and reevaluate your entire incentive pay program to ensure that your company puts patient safety ahead of profits.\r\n\r\nThe full letter is availablehere. An online version of this release is availablehere.\r\n\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases/senator-markey-and-rep-maloney-applaud-gun-violence-research-funding-in-bipartisan-congressional-spending-agreement", "Senator Markey and Rep. Maloney Applaud Gun Violence Research Funding in Bipartisan Congressional Spending Agreement", "2019-12-17", "2019", "2019-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Edward Markey", "M000133", "www.markey.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Senator Markey and Rep. Maloney Applaud Gun Violence Research Funding in Bipartisan Congressional Spending Agreement \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTuesday, December 17, 2019\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\r\nWashington (December 17, 2019) Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Congresswoman Carolyn B. Maloney (NY-12), co-authors of theGun Violence Prevention Research Act, released the following statement applauding the inclusion of $25 million for gun violence research in the Fiscal Year 2020 spending package that passed the House of Representatives today. The Senate will vote on final passage in the coming days. In November, Senator Markeyled23 of his Senate colleagues in calling on leaders of the Appropriations Committee to include $50 million in funding for gun violence prevention research at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In the letter, the Senators point to the string of mass shootings that have occurred since they last wrote to urge funding for this vital research.\r\n\r\nThis would be the first time Congress approve federal funding for the study of gun violence since an appropriations rider called the Dickey Amendment was put on the books in 1996.\r\n\r\nGun violence is a public health epidemic, and it should be studied just like any other health crisis  by our government's top researchers,said Rep. Maloney and Sen. Markey.While our bill would have provided $50 million for this research, this $25 million is an important first step. Studying gun violence is key is helping us to address an epidemic that takes 100 lives a day. We need to do everything we can to address preventable gun violence.\r\n\r\nIn 2018, Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar testified that the Dickey Amendment does not prevent the CDC from conducting research into gun violence prevention. Report language accompanying the Fiscal Year 2018 omnibus appropriations legislation similarly made this clarification.\r\n\r\nGun safety groups and health organizations endorsing theGun Violence Prevention Actinclude: Brady Campaign, Everytown for Gun Safety, Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, Sandy Hook Promise, March For Our Lives, Giffords: Courage to Fight Gun Violence, NoRA, Stop Handgun Violence, Arizonans for Gun Safety, Survivors Lead, Child Firearm Safety Alliance, Safe Tennessee Project, North Carolinians Against Gun Violence Education Fund, Illinois Council Against Handgun Violence, CeaseFire Pennsylvania, WAVE Educational Fund, Gun Violence Prevention Center of Utah, Ceasefire Oregon, Rhode Island Coalition Against Gun Violence, Michigan Coalition to Prevent Gun Violence, Georgians for Gun Safety, New Mexicans to Prevent Gun Violence, Iowans for Gun Safety, American Academy of Pediatrics, American Public Health Association, Association of Maternal & Child Health Programs, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, American Academy of Family Physicians, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, AASA, the School Superintendents Association, and Futures Without Violence.\r\n\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases/senator-markey-decries-lack-of-lower-drug-cost-provisions-consumer-health-care-protections-in-end-of-year-spending-package", "Senator Markey Decries Lack of Lower Drug Cost Provisions, Consumer Health Care Protections in End-Of-Year Spending Package", "2019-12-17", "2019", "2019-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Edward Markey", "M000133", "www.markey.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Senator Markey Decries Lack of Lower Drug Cost Provisions, Consumer Health Care Protections in End-Of-Year Spending Package \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTuesday, December 17, 2019\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\r\nWashington (December 17, 2019)  As the U.S. Senate prepares to vote on a year-end spending package, Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) today expressed serious concerns to Senate Majority Mitch McConnell about the lack of meaningful attention given to rising prescription drug and health care costs in the massive legislation. Other than inclusion of one bill to make it easier for generic drug companies to get lower-priced products to market, the spending bill does not respond to the needs of Americans who are calling for lower drug prices and lower health care costs. In his letter, Senator Markey calls on the Senate Majority Leader to prioritize an holistic package of consumer health care protection in the next Congressional session.\r\n\r\nCongress must use all available opportunities to prioritize patients' needs over health care industry profits,writes Senator Markey in his letter.\r\n\r\nFull text of Senator Markey's letter can be found below. And a copy can be foundHERE.\r\n\r\n\r\nDecember 17, 2019\r\n\r\nMajority Leader Mitch McConnell\r\nUnited States Senate\r\n317 Russell Senate Office Building\r\nWashington, D.C. 20510\r\n\r\nDear Majority Leader McConnell,\r\n\r\nI am disappointed that the year-end spending package, a wide-ranging bill that impacts a variety of policies, fails to meaningfully address the number one concern of our constituents ? rising prescription drug and health care costs. While the spending package does include the CREATES Act (S. 340), which will reduce unfair barriers to market entry for lower-priced generic drugs, it is critical that Congress consider a more robust and holistic package of consumer health care protections.\r\n\r\nCongress must use all available opportunities to prioritize patients' needs over health care industry profits. I urge you to prioritize addressing the high cost of prescription drugs and surprise medical bills in the next congressional session.\r\n\r\nThank you for your attention to this matter.\r\n\r\nSincerely,\r\n\r\nEdward J. Markey\r\nUnited States Senator\r\n\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases/senators-markey-and-warren-and-rep-keating-urge-army-corps-leaders-to-replace-cape-cod-canal-bridges", "Senators Markey and Warren, and Rep. Keating Urge Army Corps Leaders to Replace Cape Cod Canal Bridges", "2019-12-17", "2019", "2019-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Edward Markey", "M000133", "www.markey.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Senators Markey and Warren, and Rep. Keating Urge Army Corps Leaders to Replace Cape Cod Canal Bridges \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTuesday, December 17, 2019\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\r\nMassachusetts lawmakers call for adoption of New England District's replacement recommendation\r\n\r\nWashington (December 17, 2019)  Massachusetts Senators Edward J. Markey and Elizabeth Warren, and Congressman William R. Keating (MA-09),today sent a letter to the two top officials in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), calling on them to adopt therecommendation of the USACE's New England District and replace both Cape Cod Canal Bridges.\r\n\r\nThe USACE's New England District recently concluded in its draft Major Rehabilitation Evaluation Report that the Bourne and Sagamore Bridges are structurally deficient and in desperate need of replacement. The New England District further determined that a full replacement of both bridges is more cost-effective than repairing and rehabilitating the existing structures. Senators Markey and Warren, and Congressman Keating, have previouslyapplaudedthis report and recommendation as significant progress toward addressing the needs of these two vital infrastructure projects.\r\n\r\nIn order to further the New England District's recommendation, Senator Markey recentlyhosteda meeting with representatives from Senator Warren and Congressman Keating's offices that convened federal, state, and local stakeholders to discuss a joint financing plan to replace the Bourne and Sagamore Bridges. In today's letter, these Massachusetts lawmakers expressed their concern about the possibility discussed at this meeting that the USACE's national headquarters may still choose to repair and rehabilitate the existing Canal bridges rather than build two new structures as the New England District recommended.\r\n\r\nReplacing both the Bourne and Sagamore is not only the best solution for the Cape and Islands, it is the only viable long-term solution for the nearly 250,000 residents and businesses of the region who rely on this vital connection to the rest of Massachusetts,wrote the Massachusetts lawmakers in their letter to Lieutenant General Todd T. Semonite and Assistant Secretary of the Army R.D. James.We urge you to adopt the recommendation of the USACE's New England District: full replacement of both Canal Bridges.\r\n\r\nA copy of the letter can be foundHERE.\r\n\r\nThe Massachusetts delegation has supported various efforts to strengthen the Cape Cod bridges:\r\n \r\nAs part of America's Water Infrastructure Act of 2018, Senators Markey and Warren securedlanguagedirecting the Army Corps of Engineers to repair or replace critical evacuation routes, such as the Sagamore and Bourne Bridges.\r\nIn May 2019, Senators Markey and Warren, and Rep. Keating,introducedtheESCAPE Act, legislation that dedicates $1 billion of federal resources to expand the capacity and improve the resilience of evacuation routes such as the Sagamore and Bourne bridges.\r\nIn June 2019, Congressman Keating secured $5 million in the House's Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies (T-HUD) Appropriations Bill for the redesign of the bridges in their role as federally designated escape routes.\r\nIn July of 2019, Senator Markeysecuredboth theESCAPE Actand a $3.265 billion bridge investment program in the highway funding bill passed by the Environment and Public Works Committee, ensuring multiple funding routes are available for replacing the Cape Cod Canal Bridges.\r\n \r\n\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.warren.senate.gov/newsroom/news-coverage/cbs-boston-warren-markey-and-keating-call-on-army-corps-to-replace-cape-cod-bridges", "CBS Boston: Warren, Markey And Keating Call On Army Corps To Replace Cape Cod Bridges", "2019-12-17", "2019", "2019-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Elizabeth Warren", "W000817", "www.warren.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "December 17, 2019\n\t\t\t CBS Boston: Warren, Markey And Keating Call On Army Corps To Replace Cape Cod Bridges \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tCongressional leaders in Massachusetts are urging the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to follow through on arecommendation to replace the Sagamore and Bourne bridges.Senators Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey, as well as Rep. Bill Keating, sent a letter to leaders calling for full replacement of the 85-year-old Cape Cod Canal bridges. A reportreleased by the Corps in October said replacement is the most cost-effective way to combat a problem that causes major traffic jams, resulting in millions of dollars lost for Cape Cod businesses. But the Congressional trio said they are concerned that federal officials may still decide to repair and rehabilitate the bridges instead of building new ones as recommended. Read the full article on the CBS Boston websitehere.\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t  \n\t\t\t\tSource:\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tCBS Boston\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.warren.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/warren-joins-baldwin-colleagues-call-on-purdue-pharma-to-cancel-13-million-bonus-for-ceo", "Warren Joins Baldwin, Colleagues Call on Purdue Pharma to Cancel $1.3 Million Bonus for CEO", "2019-12-17", "2019", "2019-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Elizabeth Warren", "W000817", "www.warren.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "December 17, 2019\n\t\t\t Warren Joins Baldwin, Colleagues Call on Purdue Pharma to Cancel $1.3 Million Bonus for CEO \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n        \n\t\t\t\t By maintaining the aggressive incentive plan for Mr. Landau, the Board is showing that it does not recognize the role the incentive program played in accelerating the opioid crisis into a national tragedy\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t Text of the Letter (PDF) Washington, D.C.  United States Senator Elizabeth\r\nWarren (D-Mass.) joined Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) and 9 of their Senate\r\ncolleagues in sending a letter to Purdue Pharma's Board of Directors, calling\r\non them to cancel the reported $1.3 million bonus they are planning to give to\r\nPurdue Pharma CEO Craig Landau. Attorneys General from 24 states, including Massachusetts,\r\nhave argued that Landau should not collect a bonus, and on Thursday, a\r\nbankruptcy judge is expected to issue a decision on whether the CEO can collect\r\nit. From\r\nthe letter, the senators write,We\r\nwrite to you today with concerns about the $1.3 million incentive bonus payment\r\nyou have proposed to make to Purdue chief executive officer Craig Landau while\r\nyour company is in Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Mr. Landau is a named defendant in\r\nmultiple lawsuits, which allege he personally designed Purdue's intentionally\r\ndeceptive opioid marketing campaign. Further, the payment is based on\r\naggressive performance incentives similar to those used to encourage opioid\r\nsales. As such, we ask that you cancel the incentive payment to Mr. Landau and reevaluate\r\nyour incentive payment plan to ensure your company puts patient safety ahead of\r\nprofits. Purdue's\r\nopioid marketing campaignaccelerated an opioid epidemicthat has claimed an estimated\r\n400,000 lives. The campaign generated$35 billion in revenuefor Purdue and likely\r\nsignificant incentive bonus compensation for Mr. Landau for achieving ambitious\r\nopioid sales targets. The senators are concerned that Purdue is using profits\r\nfrom selling more prescription opioids to reward high-level employees with\r\nmassive bonuses, rather than helping states ravished by the opioid crisis that\r\nthe company made worse. The senators\r\ncontinue,By\r\nmaintaining the aggressive incentive plan for Mr. Landau, the Board is showing\r\nthat it does not recognize the role the incentive program played in accelerating\r\nthe opioid crisis into a national tragedy. While the filings indicate that\r\nPurdue's sales incentive plan will not pay bonuses for opioid sales, it is not\r\nclear that the operating profit incentive will exclude opioid sales from its\r\ncalculation. The\r\ncompany's recently-submitted compensation proposal would incentivize Mr. Landau\r\nto meet aggressive sales targets, and could result in the unwarranted\r\nprescription and irresponsible distribution of opioids and other addictive\r\ndrugs. While the proposal indicates that Purdue's sales incentive plan will not\r\npay bonuses for opioid sales, it is not clear that the operating profit\r\nincentive will exclude opioid sales from its calculation. In their letter, the\r\nsenators highlight that there is no indication the very compensation policies\r\nthat encouraged its employees to allegedly deceive doctors and patients to sell\r\nopioids have been removed from the current compensation plan to sell other\r\ndrugs. They\r\nconclude,In\r\nclosing, we again urge you to cancel your proposed incentive bonus payment to\r\nMr. Landau, and reevaluate your entire incentive pay program to ensure that\r\nyour company puts patient safety ahead of profits. Massachusetts\r\nAttorney General Maura Healey provided a statement of support in response to\r\nthe December 17, 2019 letter to Purdue's board: The Senators are right. Our\r\nlawsuit revealed that the CEO of Purdue led the company's deceptive campaign to\r\nget more patients on opioids at higher doses, even when he knew patients were\r\ndying. Paying Craig Landau a $1.3 million bonus is the opposite of\r\naccountability. Senator\r\nWarren believes that the opioid crisis facing our country must be addressed\r\ncomprehensively, at all levels of government and society. Senator Warren partnered with the late\r\nCongressman Elijah E. Cummings (D-Md.), then-Chairman of the House Committee on\r\nOversight and Reform, in introducing the most comprehensive solution yet to\r\nconfront the nation's opioid crisis, Comprehensive Addiction Resources Emergency (CARE) Act, to provide the resources needed to begin\r\ntreating the opioid crisis like the critical public health emergency it is. The\r\nCARE Act provides $100 billion in federal funding over ten years. Senator Warren and the late Representative\r\nCummings reintroduced this legislation with over 95 cosponsors and endorsements from\r\nover 200 organizations.She worked\r\nto secure additional funding to address the opioid crisis, including $100 million in new funding in FY2017, and $6 billion in new funding to address both mental health and the opioid\r\ncrisis between FY2018 and FY2019.Senator\r\nWarren led on several bipartisan proposals to combat the opioid epidemic\r\nthat were signed into law as part of the bipartisan SUPPORT Act in October\r\n2018.Senator Warren introduced the\r\nbipartisan Reducing Unused Medications Act with Senator Shelley Moore Capito\r\n(R-W.V.) which would allow for the partial filling of Schedule II opioid\r\nprescriptions to limit the number of unused painkillers in circulation. This\r\nbill was included in the Comprehensive Addiction and\r\nRecovery Act (CARA), which was signed into law in July 2016. ###\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tNext Article\n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.warren.senate.gov/oversight/letters/senators-warren-and-markey-and-rep-keating-urge-army-corps-leaders-to-replace-cape-cod-canal-bridges", "Senators Warren and Markey, and Rep. Keating Urge Army Corps Leaders to Replace Cape Cod Canal Bridges", "2019-12-17", "2019", "2019-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Elizabeth Warren", "W000817", "www.warren.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "December 17, 2019\n\t\t\t Senators Warren and Markey, and Rep. Keating Urge Army Corps Leaders to Replace Cape Cod Canal Bridges \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n        \n\t\t\t\t Massachusetts lawmakers call for adoption of New England District's replacement recommendation\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWashington,\r\nDC  United States Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Edward J. Markey\r\n(D-Mass.), and Congressman William R. Keating (MA-09), today sent a letter to\r\nthe two top officials in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), calling on\r\nthem to adopt the recommendation of the USACE's New England District and\r\nreplace both Cape Cod Canal Bridges.The USACE's New England\r\nDistrict recently concluded in its draft Major Rehabilitation Evaluation Report that the Bourne and Sagamore Bridges are\r\nstructurally deficient and in desperate need of replacement. The New England\r\nDistrict further determined that a full replacement of both bridges is more\r\ncost-effective than repairing and rehabilitating the existing structures.\r\nSenators Warren and Markey, and Congressman Keating, have previouslyapplauded this report and\r\nrecommendation as significant progress toward addressing the needs of these two\r\nvital infrastructure projects.In order to further the New\r\nEngland District's recommendation, Senator Markey and the offices of Senator\r\nWarren and Congressman Keating recentlymet with\r\nfederal, state, and local stakeholders to discuss a joint financing plan to replace\r\nthe Bourne and Sagamore Bridges. In today's letter, these Massachusetts\r\nlawmakers expressed their concern about the possibility discussed at this\r\nmeeting that the USACE's national headquarters may still choose to repair and\r\nrehabilitate the existing Canal bridges rather than build two new structures as\r\nthe New England District recommended.Replacing both the Bourne and\r\nSagamore is not only the best solution for the Cape and Islands, it is the only\r\nviable long-term solution for the nearly 250,000 residents and businesses of\r\nthe region who rely on this vital connection to the rest of\r\nMassachusetts,wrote the Massachusetts lawmakers in their letter to\r\nLieutenant General Todd T. Semonite and Assistant Secretary of the Army R.D.\r\nJames.We urge you to adopt the recommendation of the USACE's New\r\nEngland District: full replacement of both Canal Bridges.The Massachusetts delegation\r\nhas supported various efforts to strengthen the Cape Cod bridges:\r\n In October 2019, as part of\r\nAmerica's Water Infrastructure Act of 2018, Senators Warren and Markey\r\nsecuredlanguagedirecting the Army Corps of\r\nEngineers to repair or replace critical evacuation routes, such as the\r\nSagamore and Bourne Bridges.\r\n Also in October 2019, Senators\r\nWarren and Markey, and Congressman Keating, commended the U.S. Army Corps of\r\nEngineers for its draft Major Rehabilitation\r\nEvaluation Report\r\non the Sagamore and Bourne Bridges in Cape Cod.\r\n In May 2019, Senators Markey\r\nand Warren, and Congressman Keating,introduced theEnhancing the Strength and Capacity of\r\nAmerica's Primary Evacuation Routes (ESCAPE) Act,\r\nlegislation that dedicates $1 billion of federal resources to expand the\r\ncapacity and improve the resilience of evacuation routes such as the\r\nSagamore and Bourne bridges.\r\n In June 2019, Congressman\r\nKeating secured $5 million in the House's Transportation, and Housing and\r\nUrban Development, and Related Agencies (T-HUD) Appropriations Bill for\r\nthe redesign of the bridges in their role as federally designated escape\r\nroutes.\r\n In July of 2019, Senator\r\nMarkeysecuredboth theESCAPE\r\nActand a $3.265 billion nation-wide bridge investment program in the\r\nhighway funding bill passed by the Environment and Public Works Committee.\r\n ###\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tNext Article\n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://katherineclark.house.gov/press-releases?ID=45BCD4D8-665F-4FC6-8607-8A4EAB7BADA5", "Clark Secures $1.1 Billion Increase to Child Care Programs, Funding for Gun Violence Research, Reproductive Health", "2019-12-17", "2019", "2019-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Katherine Clark", "C001101", "katherineclark.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "House passed final FY2020 spending package that makes historic investments on behalf of American families\r\n\r\nDecember 17, 2019- Washington, D.C.Today, Vice Chair of the House Democratic Caucus Congresswoman Katherine Clark voted with the majority of Congress in passing the final full year spending package for Fiscal Year 2020. As a member of the Appropriations Committee, Congresswoman Clark secured a number of legislative priorities to support the success of Massachusetts' families, including a $1.1 billion increase to child care funding and $25 million toward gun violence prevention research, which is the first time in two decades that the House has allocated resources for this purpose.\r\n\r\nWhile we did not achieve all of our goals, House Democrats robustly funded policies that support American families and decisively rejected the President's draconian budget request, said Congresswoman Clark. I am particularly proud of the increases to Head Start and the Child Care and Development Block Grant, two programs that will move thousands of children off waitlists and into classrooms.\r\n\r\nIn addition, Congress funded for the first time two programs I passed into law - $12 million to develop a substance use disorder treatment workforce and $2 million to help survivors of domestic violence flee abuse with their entire family, including their pets. These investments will make a meaningful difference for Massachusetts families.\r\n\r\nFinally, after nearly two decades of inaction, we are investing $25 million in gun violence research, dollars that will help us to understand where and why gun violence occurs. Unlike our Republican colleagues, we refuse to allow special interests to control Congress and prevent action to reduce gun violence.\r\n\r\nMoving forward, we will build on the victories we secured in this year's funding package and continue the fight to invest in American families, protect our country, and hold this administration accountable.\r\n\r\nThe Congresswoman secured the following resources to support American families:\r\n\r\nChildren and Families:\r\n \r\n$5.9 billion included for theChild Care and Development Block Grant, which is a $550 million increase over FY19.\r\n$10.6 billion included for theHead Start Program, which is a $550 million increase over FY19.\r\n$5 million included to fully fund theMaternal Depression Grant Program.\r\n\r\nThis fully funds Congresswoman Clark's 2016 Bringing Postpartum Depression Out of the Shadows Act.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nGun Violence Prevention:\r\n \r\n$25 million in new funds for NIH and CDC firearm injury & mortality prevention research.\r\n \r\n\r\nWomen's Health and Human Rights:\r\n \r\n$9.1 billion for Global Health Programs, including $523.9 million forinternational family planning and reproductive health.\n\r\n$32.5 million for the United Nations Population Fund.\r\nExtends funding for Community Health Centers.\r\n \r\n\r\nSubstance Use Disorder:\r\n \r\n$12 million included to fund the Substance Use Disorder Workforce Loan Repayment Program.\r\n\r\nThis funds Congresswoman Clark's 2018 SUPPORT Communities and Patients Act.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nEnvironmental Protections:\r\n \r\n$2.764 billion for clean water infrastructure.\r\n$1.184 billion for theEPA Superfund, an increase of $55 million above the 2019 enacted level.\r\n$3.5 million for thePartnership Wild and Scenic Rivers Program.\r\n$552 million forEPA compliance monitoring and enforcement activities, a $24 million increase.\r\n$43 million in new funding for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) drinking water and land cleanup assistance.\r\n \r\n\r\n2020 Census:\r\n \r\nIncluded $7.56 billion for theBureau of the Census, which is $3.7 billion above FY19 enacted.\r\n \r\n\r\nNIH:\r\n \r\n41.7 billion for theNational Institutes of Health (NIH), an increase of $2.6 billion above 2019 and $7.5 billion above the President's request, including:\r\n\r\n$2.8 billion for Alzheimer's research.\r\n$3.1 billion for HIV/AIDS research.\r\n$195 million for the Cancer Moonshot research initiative.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nDomestic Violence:\r\n \r\n$50 million set-aside to assist homeless survivors of domestic violence.\r\n$2 million to support housing assistance for domestic violence survivors with pets.\r\n\r\nThis funds Congresswoman Clark's 2018 Pet and Women Safety (PAWS) Act. \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nMilitary, Construction, and Veterans Affairs:\r\n \r\n$50 million included for the Soldier Systems Center Natick Human Engineering Laboratory.\r\n$135 million included to complete construction of the MIT Lincoln Laboratory Advanced Compound Semi-Conductor Lab/Microelectronics Integration Facility.\r\n \r\n\r\nThe House passed the full year funding package for 2020 on December 17, 2019. The package consisted of two bills that funded all federal departments until September 30, 2020.\r\n\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://kennedy.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases/kennedy-grad-student-savings-act-passes-house", "KENNEDY GRAD STUDENT SAVINGS ACT PASSES HOUSE", "2019-12-17", "2019", "2019-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Joseph Kennedy", "K000379", "kennedy.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "December 17, 2019\n\t\t\t KENNEDY GRAD STUDENT SAVINGS ACT PASSES HOUSE \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t Bipartisan bill helps graduate students save for retirement\n\t\t\t Washington, D.C.  Congressman Joe Kennedy III today applauded the passage of the Graduate Student Savings Act as part of the Congressional spending agreement. The legislation will allow graduate school students to place taxable stipend or fellowship income into an Individual Retirement Account (IRA). By classifying this income as compensation, the Graduate Student Savings Act removes barriers to retirement savings for nearly a million students. Working students should not be denied the chance to save for retirement simply because they're pursuing a higher education, said Congressman Kennedy. With the passage of the Graduate Student Savings Act, we will tear down a barrier that limits the financial security of students and deter Americans from pursuing advanced degrees. A majority of doctoral students report receiving some of their financial support during graduate school from fellowships or grants, and about a third of all students report that fellowships or grants were their primary source of funding. The median doctoral student takes about seven years to finish a degree  meaning that, for the better part of a decade, a student can be prohibited from saving major portions of their income in a tax-advantaged account. This bill would remove this unnecessary hurdle so that students and postdoctoral fellows can start saving immediately. Congressman Kennedy originally introduced the Graduate Student Savings Act in 2016. Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Mike Lee (R-UT), Ron Wyden (D-OR), and Tim Scott (R-SC) introduced companion legislation in the United States Senate.\r\n###\r\nFor Immediate Release:December 17, 2019\r\nContact:  Dan Black (202) 225-5931 \n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n \n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://lynch.house.gov/2019/12/rep-lynch-releases-statement-articles-impeachment", "Rep. Lynch Releases Statement On Articles Of Impeachment", "2019-12-17", "2019", "2019-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Stephen F. Lynch", "L000562", "lynch.house.gov", "lynch", "https://lynch.house.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "Wasington, D.C. - Congressman Stephen F. Lynch released his statement on the articles of impeachment issued against President Trump; the first article charges President Trump with abuse of power and the second charges him with obstruction of Congress. The House of Representatives is expected to vote on the two articles tomorrow.\n\n\u201cAfter carefully considering the weight of the evidence and listening to witness depositions, I firmly believe there is clear and convincing evidence, beyond any reasonable doubt, that President Trump, aided by others acting at his direction, conspired to pressure a foreign power to interfere in our 2020 democratic elections. The evidence also plainly demonstrates that President Trump used the power of his office to obstruct a duly authorized Congressional inquiry into his conduct and repeatedly caused others to refuse to cooperate or comply with properly authorized subpoenas, all in violation of the law and Constitution. For these reasons and holding myself bound by my oath of office to \u201csupport and defend the Constitution\u201d, I intend to support the Articles of Impeachment soon to be offered before the House of Representatives.\u201d \u2013 Representative Stephen F. Lynch", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-06-27T23:45:33Z"], ["https://lynch.house.gov/press-release/rep-lynch-releases-statement-articles-impeachment", "Rep. Lynch Releases Statement On Articles Of Impeachment", "2019-12-17", "2019", "2019-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Stephen Lynch", "L000562", "lynch.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Rep. Lynch Releases Statement On Articles Of Impeachment                     The first article charges President Trump with abuse of power and the second charges him with obstruction of Congress.                       \n              Dec 17, 2019                        \n                    \n                    \n                                            \n          \n        \n        \n          \n  \n    \n    \n    Wasington, D.C. - Congressman Stephen F. Lynch released his statement on the articles of impeachment issued against President Trump; the first article charges President Trump with abuse of power and the second charges him with obstruction of Congress. The House of Representatives is expected to vote on the two articles tomorrow.\nAfter carefully considering the weight of the evidence and listening to witness depositions, I firmly believe there is clear and convincing evidence, beyond any reasonable doubt, that President Trump, aided by others acting at his direction, conspired to pressure a foreign power to interfere in our 2020 democratic elections. The evidence also plainly demonstrates that President Trump used the power of his office to obstruct a duly authorized Congressional inquiry into his conduct and repeatedly caused others to refuse to cooperate or comply with properly authorized subpoenas, all in violation of the law and Constitution. For these reasons and holding myself bound by my oath of office to support and defend the Constitution, I intend to support the Articles of Impeachment soon to be offered before the House of Representatives.  Representative Stephen F. Lynch", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://moulton.house.gov/legislative-center/energy/moulton-and-trahan-introduce-legislation-to-protect-essex-national-heritage-area/", "Moulton and Trahan Introduce Legislation to Protect Essex National Heritage Area", "2019-12-17", "2019", "2019-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Seth Moulton", "M001196", "moulton.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Moulton and Trahan Introduce Legislation to Protect Essex National Heritage Area \r\n                        \r\n                                                    December 17th, 2019\r\n                        WASHINGTON  Today, Representatives Seth Moulton (D-MA) and Lori Trahan (D-MA) introduced the Essex National Heritage Area Permanency Act. On September 30, 2021, the Essex National Heritage Area's authorization is set to sunsetmeaning Essex Heritage will exist in name only, without any federal funding to operate in current form. The bill would eliminate the sunset provision and the total funding cap for the Essex National Heritage Area.\nPeople tell me all the time they'd like to see their government run more like a business. Any responsible business leader who saw their $20 million investment generate more than $150 million in return, with the added benefit of employing thousands of people, would double down, Moulton said. It would be foolish to let the Essex National Heritage Area's authorization expire. This is a jobs bill and a heritage bill, and we're going to fight to get it passed.\nFrom Lawrence to Haverhill to Andover to Gloucester, the Essex National Heritage Area has helped our region develop and grow to the benefit of Bay Staters and visitors alike. Permanently renewing the authorization of this crucial funding is necessary for the continued growth of the 34 cities and towns within the region. This is also a smart investment. Studies show that every $1.00 Congress invests in a National Heritage Area leads to $5.50 in local economic activity. I look forward to working with Congressman Moulton to see this important legislation signed into law, Trahan said.\nAnnie Harris, the Director of the Essex National Heritage Area said:\nWe are thrilled to have Congressman Moulton and Congresswoman Trahan's support and endorsement for our work  and to know that they are looking out for the wellbeing of the national heritage area. Lifting the sunset and cap on the federal funds that we receive will help our long-term planning and growth.\nThe Essex National Heritage Area spans 500 square-miles and connects 34 cities and towns from Lawrence to Salem to Gloucester and to Lynn. Since it was created in 1996, Congress has been authorized to invest up to $17 million in the Area. The original legislation had a sunset of 2012 for when the Essex Heritage could receive funding. Congressman Moulton secured an extension to 2021 with a previous bill.\nThe Essex National Heritage Area Permanency Act eliminates the sunset provision and the funding cap the Essex National Heritage Area can receive over the course of its life. Essex Heritage uses these funds to engage the region's residents and visitors in the country's past, and to prepare young people for the future. For example, Essex Heritage runs historic and cultural education programs for residents, visitors and schools, It has a summer jobs program that employs young people at two National Park Sites that teaches them trade-based skills and civic responsibility. And it maintains the region's Essex Coastal Scenic Byway program which brings tourists to the region's historic towns and cities.\nEarlier this year, Moulton worked to raise the funding cap as part of The Natural Resources Management Act,a sweeping public lands bill which has since become law. The critical legislation increased the amount of funding the National Heritage Area can receive but it did not end the sunset.\nNational Heritage Areas are Congressionally-designated places where natural, cultural, and historic resources combine to form a cohesive, nationally important landscape.\nThe National Heritage Area program is affiliated with the National Park Service, and there are currently 55 heritage areas across the USA. Unlike National Parks, most National Heritage Areas are within large communities and managed by independent, local nonprofits that receive funds from the federal government through the Park Service. Research from the Park Service indicates every $1.00 Congress invests in a National Heritage Area leads to $5.50 in local economic activity.\nFederal investments in the Essex National Heritage Area are typically used as seed money for private sector investments. According to Essex Heritage, the group has raised three times the amount it receives from Congress in private investments. Congress put caps on spending and an expiration date on National Heritage Areas when it created them in 1996 because the idea that National Heritage Areas would work as designed was unproven. Since then, studies from the National Park Service and several non-government economists have shown overwhelmingly that National Heritage Areas are smart investments. For example, Congress's investment in the Essex National Heritage Area supports about 2,000 jobs and generates more than $150 million in local economic activity. That economic activity leads to $14.3 million in tax revenue.\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://moulton.house.gov/legislative-center/health-care/video-moulton-pays-tribute-to-pete-frates/", "VIDEO: Moulton Pays Tribute to Pete Frates", "2019-12-17", "2019", "2019-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Seth Moulton", "M001196", "moulton.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "VIDEO: Moulton Pays Tribute to Pete Frates \r\n                        \r\n                                                    December 17th, 2019\r\n                        WASHINGTON  Today, Representative Seth Moulton (D-MA) paid tribute to Pete Frates in a speech on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives.\nMr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the life of Pete Frates.\nI'mreminded of something my minister at Harvard, Peter Gomes, used to say often: The radical news of the Gospel is not that heaven is the destination of the faithful. The radical news is that God wants us to flourish in our present lives, our earthly existence, and to do so more in the future than in the past.\nMr. Speaker, Pete Frates flourished. And even in his darkest days, he looked towards the future. He was the epitome of strength, leadership, and courageboth as an athlete and as an advocate.\nI've met a lot of inspiring people in this job, but none more so than Pete.\nBecause of you, Pete, we will cure ALS.\nJulie, Lucy, John, Nancy, Jennifer and Andrew: thank you for sharing him with us.\nVideo is available here.\nRep. Connor Lamb (D-PA) joined Moulton in paying tribute to Frates with a floor speech.\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://moulton.house.gov/press-releases/moulton-and-trahan-introduce-legislation-to-protect-essex-national-heritage-area", "Moulton and Trahan Introduce Legislation to Protect Essex National Heritage Area", "2019-12-17", "2019", "2019-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Seth Moulton", "M001196", "moulton.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "December 17, 2019\n\t\t\t Moulton and Trahan Introduce Legislation to Protect Essex National Heritage Area \n\t\t\tWASHINGTON  Today, Representatives Seth Moulton (D-MA) and Lori Trahan (D-MA) introduced the Essex National Heritage Area Permanency Act. On September 30, 2021, the Essex National Heritage Area's authorization is set to sunsetmeaning Essex Heritage will exist in name only, without any federal funding to operate in current form. The bill would eliminate the sunset provision and the total funding cap for the Essex National Heritage Area.\r\nPeople tell me all the time they'd like to see their government run more like a business. Any responsible business leader who saw their $20 million investment generate more than $150 million in return, with the added benefit of employing thousands of people, would double down, Moulton said. It would be foolish to let the Essex National Heritage Area's authorization expire. This is a jobs bill and a heritage bill, and we're going to fight to get it passed.\r\nFrom Lawrence to Haverhill to Andover to Gloucester, the Essex National Heritage Area has helped our region develop and grow to the benefit of Bay Staters and visitors alike. Permanently renewing the authorization of this crucial funding is necessary for the continued growth of the 34 cities and towns within the region. This is also a smart investment. Studies show that every $1.00 Congress invests in a National Heritage Area leads to $5.50 in local economic activity. I look forward to working with Congressman Moulton to see this important legislation signed into law, Trahan said.\r\nAnnie Harris, the Director of the Essex National Heritage Area said:\r\nWe are thrilled to have Congressman Moulton and Congresswoman Trahan's support and endorsement for our work  and to know that they are looking out for the wellbeing of the national heritage area. Lifting the sunset and cap on the federal funds that we receive will help our long-term planning and growth.\r\nThe Essex National Heritage Area spans 500 square-miles and connects 34 cities and towns from Lawrence to Salem to Gloucester and to Lynn. Since it was created in 1996, Congress has been authorized to invest up to $17 million in the Area. The original legislation had a sunset of 2012 for when the Essex Heritage could receive funding. Congressman Moulton secured an extension to 2021 with a previous bill.\r\nThe Essex National Heritage Area Permanency Act eliminates the sunset provision and the funding cap the Essex National Heritage Area can receive over the course of its life. Essex Heritage uses these funds to engage the region's residents and visitors in the country's past, and to prepare young people for the future. For example, Essex Heritage runs historic and cultural education programs for residents, visitors and schools, It has a summer jobs program that employs young people at two National Park Sites that teaches them trade-based skills and civic responsibility. And it maintains the region's Essex Coastal Scenic Byway program which brings tourists to the region's historic towns and cities.\r\nEarlier this year, Moulton worked to raise the funding cap as part of The Natural Resources Management Act,a sweeping public lands bill which has since become law. The critical legislation increased the amount of funding the National Heritage Area can receive but it did not end the sunset.\r\nNational Heritage Areas are Congressionally-designated places where natural, cultural, and historic resources combine to form a cohesive, nationally important landscape.\r\nThe National Heritage Area program is affiliated with the National Park Service, and there are currently 55 heritage areas across the USA. Unlike National Parks, most National Heritage Areas are within large communities and managed by independent, local nonprofits that receive funds from the federal government through the Park Service. Research from the Park Service indicates every $1.00 Congress invests in a National Heritage Area leads to $5.50 in local economic activity.\r\nFederal investments in the Essex National Heritage Area are typically used as seed money for private sector investments. According to Essex Heritage, the group has raised three times the amount it receives from Congress in private investments. Congress put caps on spending and an expiration date on National Heritage Areas when it created them in 1996 because the idea that National Heritage Areas would work as designed was unproven. Since then, studies from the National Park Service and several non-government economists have shown overwhelmingly that National Heritage Areas are smart investments. For example, Congress's investment in the Essex National Heritage Area supports about 2,000 jobs and generates more than $150 million in local economic activity. That economic activity leads to $14.3 million in tax revenue.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://moulton.house.gov/press-releases/video-moulton-pays-tribute-to-pete-frates", "VIDEO: Moulton Pays Tribute to Pete Frates", "2019-12-17", "2019", "2019-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Seth Moulton", "M001196", "moulton.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "December 17, 2019\n\t\t\t VIDEO: Moulton Pays Tribute to Pete Frates \n\t\t\tWASHINGTON  Today, Representative Seth Moulton (D-MA) paid tribute to Pete Frates in a speech on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives.\r\nMr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the life of Pete Frates.\r\nI'mreminded of something my minister at Harvard, Peter Gomes, used to say often: The radical news of the Gospel is not that heaven is the destination of the faithful. The radical news is that God wants us to flourish in our present lives, our earthly existence, and to do so more in the future than in the past.\r\nMr. Speaker, Pete Frates flourished. And even in his darkest days, he looked towards the future. He was the epitome of strength, leadership, and courageboth as an athlete and as an advocate.\r\nI've met a lot of inspiring people in this job, but none more so than Pete.\r\nBecause of you, Pete, we will cure ALS.\r\nJulie, Lucy, John, Nancy, Jennifer and Andrew: thank you for sharing him with us.\r\nVideo is available here.\r\nRep. Connor Lamb (D-PA) joined Moulton in paying tribute to Frates with a floor speech.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://neal.house.gov/in-the-news/kennedy-neal-boyle-calls-london-support-gfa", "Kennedy, Neal, Boyle, calls for London support of GFA", "2019-12-17", "2019", "2019-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Richard Neal", "N000015", "neal.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Congressman Joe Kennedy III, together with Congressman Richard Neal and Brendan Boyle, called on the leaders of the United Kingdom's three major political parties to reaffirm their support for the Good Friday Agreement in advance of last week's general election.\nBy Friday, that call was effectively specifically directed at the Conservative Party led by returning prime minister, Boris Johnson.\nJoined by fellow Democrats Neal and Boyle, Kennedy wrote to the party leaders, including Johnson, urging continued commitment to an open Irish border and the continued implementation of the GFA.\nRegardless of the electoral outcome on December 12 and the eventual framework, if any, of the U.K.'s departure from the European Union, it is essential that the hard-won peace of the GFA be preserved and not undermined by any Brexit calculations, the lawmakers stated.\nThat peace includes not only an open border between the Republic of Ireland and the province of Northern Ireland but also commitments to improved protections of human, civil and democratic rights, and economic justice for all the communities of Northern Ireland as enshrined in the GFA.\nThey continued: The political uncertainties unleashed by Brexit have had a negative impact on all the communities of Northern Ireland. It has slowed essential new inward investment to a halt, ratcheted up sectarian tensions, and contributed to the ongoing stalemate over restoring self-government at Stormont.\nAs leaders of the largest political parties in the United Kingdom, we urge you to take all and any steps in your power to ensure that peace prevails in Northern Ireland, including a continuing commitment to an open Irish border and the protection of human and civil rights for all.\nIn October, Rep. Kennedy, who is mounting a Senate bid, co-authored an op/ed in the Boston Globe opposing a No-Deal Brexit with Congressman Neal, Congressman David Cicilline, and Congressman Bill Keating.\nEarlier this year, he authored a letter with 23 of his colleagues to then Prime Minister Theresa May expressing concerns that any potential bilateral free trade agreement would be threatened if a hard border were re-imposed.\nThe latest letter follows the unanimous resolution by the U.S. House of Representatives in recent days reaffirming support for the GFA.\nMembers on both sides of the aisle have stated in recent months that a post Brexit U.S./UK trade deal trade deal is contingent on the preservation of the agreement, and the ensuring that there is no return of a hard border on the island of Ireland as a result of Brexit.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://neal.house.gov/press-releases/neal-opening-statement-markup-wto-resolution-and-usmca-implementing-legislation", "Neal Opening Statement at Markup of WTO Resolution and USMCA Implementing Legislation", "2019-12-17", "2019", "2019-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Richard Neal", "N000015", "neal.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "(As prepared for delivery)\nGood morning. Today we will consider the USMCA, a transformative agreement that creates a new highwater mark for U.S. trade deals moving forward. The implementing bill before us is the result of many months of negotiations between the House Democrats and Ambassador Lighthizer, and I'm very proud of the outcome we've reached.\nWhen we assumed the majority this year, we were asked to consider a renegotiated NAFTA that had structural flaws in a number of key areas: enforcement, labor rights, environment, and access to medicines.\nI'll start with enforcement, which was the crux of the deal. As I've noted many times over the past year, I did not vote for the original NAFTA, and the chief reason was a lack of enforceability. In the past 25 years we've seen the shortcoming of the original agreement, much of which comes down to a lack of enforcement, in my view.\nHouse Democrats fixed that issue. The improvements to the USMCA that we negotiated finally make the agreement enforceable by preventing a country from being able to block the formation of a dispute settlement panel.\nOn labor, our trade agreements have failed American workers. NAFTA has been symbolic of our broken promises to our workers. Over 25 years of the NAFTA, there have been 39 petitions filed documenting the exploitation of workers, and zero enforcement actions to remedy those violations.\nIn close partnership with our labor unions and with the robust support of the Ways and Means Committee Democrats, we negotiated improvements to the rules and to our monitoring regime, and we established a new enforcement mechanism.\nOn the rules, we strengthened certain provisions and addressed obstacles to enforcement in others. On monitoring, for the first time we have created a proactive monitoring regime for the labor obligations in a trade agreement. The implementing bill establishes an Interagency Labor Committee that will actively monitor Mexico's compliance and report to Congress.\nOn enforcement, we negotiated a historic mechanism never included in a trade agreement before. As a result of House Democrats' efforts, we will now have a facility-specific, rapid response mechanism to address violations of key labor obligations.     \nWe have also made great improvements to the environment provisions. The USCMA will now include the highest environmental standards of any trade agreement and will include a new customs verification agreement to enhance enforcement. The implementing bill also secures more than $600 million in funding for environmental problems in the NAFTA region and reauthorizes the North American Development Bank.\nWith the dedication of the Working Group Members appointed by the Speaker, we also secured important changes in the USMCA that preserve Congress's ability to change U.S. law to address the crisis we face with respect to high prescription drug prices.\nThese changes set a new standard for U.S. trade agreements and demonstrate that trade agreements can achieve broad bipartisan support if they empower workers, protect patients' access to affordable health care, and improve our shared environment. I'm proud to support this agreement and the implementing bill before us.\nBut before we consider this historic implementing legislation today, we will first take up House Resolution 746, a bipartisan measure that reaffirms the United States commitment to the World Trade Organization. I commend our colleague Ron Kind for his work on this important bipartisan resolution.  \n\t       \n\tWith that, I'll recognize Ranking Member Brady for any opening remarks he would like to make.\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://neal.house.gov/press-releases/neal-statement-house-passage-fy2020-appropriations-package", "Neal Statement on House Passage of FY2020 Appropriations Package", "2019-12-17", "2019", "2019-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Richard Neal", "N000015", "neal.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Neal Statement on House Passage of FY2020 Appropriations Package \n      \n    \n  \n      \n          \n        \n        \n  \n    \n                 Neal Statement on House Passage of FY2020 Appropriations Package \n                        \n  \n                \n    \n      \n  \n    \n  \n      \n  \n  \n      \n  \n  \n\n  \n      \n  \n  \n    Washington, D.C.  Today, Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard E. Neal praised the House passage of a spending agreement for Fiscal Year 2020 that includes several investments that will better Americans' lives.\n  \n\tToday the House of Representatives came together to provide the American people with a bipartisan appropriations package that invests in the economy and every community across the country, said Chairman Neal. The votes that we took today will invest in health care, jobs, education and our environment. I am proud of the work that the Ways and Means Committee played in these negotiations.\nThe Fiscal Year 2020 Appropriations package includes:\n  \n\t The Family First Transition Act - an unprecedented opportunity to transform our nation's child welfare system.  \n\t The extension of Medicaid for residents of Puerto Rico.  \n\t The allocation of $25 million for gun violence research.  \n\t The SECURE Act, which strengthens Americans' retirement security and fixes the provision in the GOP Tax Law that penalized children of fallen soldiers & first responders.  \n\t $36 billion to protect the health and safety of our community and our environment.  \n\t Expanded access for rural communities with more than $640 million to strengthen rural broadband.  \n\t Provides pathways for affordable health care, better schools, and good paying jobs with $185 billion for these priorities and record base funding for Title I schools, Head Start, and the Child Care and Development Block Grant.  \n\t Over $70 million increase in infrastructure and housing projects for Massachusetts.  \n\t Repeal of the medical device tax.\nMore information on the bills can be found here and here.\n##", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://neal.house.gov/press-releases/neal-urges-inclusion-multiemployer-pension-rehabilitation-legislation-spending", "Neal Urges Inclusion of Multiemployer Pension Rehabilitation Legislation in Spending Package", "2019-12-17", "2019", "2019-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Richard Neal", "N000015", "neal.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Neal Urges Inclusion of Multiemployer Pension Rehabilitation Legislation in Spending Package \n      \n    \n  \n      \n          \n        \n        \n  \n    \n                 Neal Urges Inclusion of Multiemployer Pension Rehabilitation Legislation in Spending Package \n                        \n  \n                \n    \n      \n  \n    \n  \n      \n  \n  \n      \n  \n  \n\n  \n      \n  \n  \n    WASHINGTON, DC  Today, Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard E. Neal (D-MA) issued the following statement regarding the appropriations package:  \n\t  \n\tDemocrats negotiated a spending agreement that includes many critical investments to better Americans' lives. In particular, I'm glad to see that the package extends Medicaid for Puerto Rico; supports life-saving medical research at the NIH; devotes funds to gun violence research; and includes the SECURE Act, which strengthens Americans' retirement security and fixes the provision in the Republican tax law that penalized children of our fallen soldiers and first responders.  \n\t  \n\tBut there is an egregious omission from this deal: the Rehabilitation for Multiemployer Pensions Act, commonly referred to as the Butch Lewis Act. This bipartisan legislation addresses the worsening crisis that threatens the retirement savings of more than a million workers and retirees who  year after year  gave up wage increases in order to fund their pension plans. Now, after working for decades as ironworkers, truck drivers, or autoworkers, their planned retirements are in jeopardy. After forgoing pay raises to save for their futures, these Americans face financial uncertainty at a time when they are often unable to return to the workforce.  \n\t  \n\tWe cannot delay  I urge in the strongest terms the addition of the Butch Lewis Act to the spending package. We must prevent the impending catastrophic pension plan collapse that will do irreversible harm to families and communities across the country that are already struggling.\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://pressley.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-pressley-statement-government-funding-bills", "Rep. Pressley Statement on Government Funding Bills", "2019-12-17", "2019", "2019-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Ayanna Pressley", "P000617", "pressley.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON Today, the U.S House of representatives voted on two legislative packages containing all 12 fiscal year 2020 funding bills: the domestic priorities and international assistance minibus, H.R. 1865: Labor-Health and Human Services-Education, Agriculture, Energy and Water Development, Interior-Environment, Legislative Branch, Military Construction-Veterans Affairs, State-Foreign Operations, and Transportation-Housing and Urban Development (LHHS); and the national security appropriations minibus, H.R. 1158: Defense, Commerce-Justice-Science, Financial Services and General Government, and Homeland Security (DHS/DOD). Congresswoman Pressley (MA-07) issued the following statement following the full House vote:\n \n\tToday I am voting YES on the Domestic Priorities fundingpackage and NO on the DHS/DOD funding package.\n\tThe Domestic Priorities funding package secures record investments in health care and child care assistance,Title I funding for schools serving our highest need scholars, Pell Grants that help families afford college and combat the student debt crisis, and historic NIH and CDC fundingto study gun violence as the public health epidemic it is.\n\tI remain disappointed however that this funding bill includes the Hyde Amendment  a discriminatory policythat prevents low income people, particularly women of color, from accessing comprehensive reproductive health care. As a firm believer in reproductive justice and as Chair of the Abortion Rights and Access Task Force, I filed an amendment to strike the Hyde Amendment from the June LHHS funding bill. Though the amendment didn't pass, I will continue to work with my colleagues to ensure that Hyde's days are numbered.\n\tThe DHS/DOD funding bill fails to hold this Administration accountable for their flagrant disregard for our collective safety and wellbeing. This funding agreement provides a $1.4 billion down payment on a wasteful border wall, maintains ICE and CBP funding at record high levels, and fails to meaningfully address these agencies' consistent patterns of skirting the law. Across the Massachusetts 7th, our immigrant neighbors live in constant fear of this xenophobic Administration, and as the representative of the 7th, I could not in good conscious vote to give more money to this Administration's deportation forces.Consistent with my position, I vehemently believe we must defund ICE and CBP and instead invest in community-based supports for families seeking asylum.\n \n\n# # #", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://trahan.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=1326", "Representatives Trahan and Moulton Introduce Legislation to Protect Essex National Heritage Area", "2019-12-17", "2019", "2019-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Lori Trahan", "T000482", "trahan.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DCToday, Representatives Lori Trahan (D-MA-03) and Seth Moulton (D-MA-06)introduced theEssex National Heritage Area Permanency Act.The bill would eliminate the funding authorization sunset provision and the total funding cap for the Essex National Heritage Area. On September 30, 2021, the Essex National Heritage Area's authorization is set to sunsetmeaning Essex Heritage will exist in name only, without any federal funding to operate in current form.\r\nFrom Lawrence to Haverhill to Andover to Gloucester, the Essex National Heritage Area has helped our region develop and grow to the benefit of Bay Staters and visitors alike. Permanently renewing the authorization of this crucial funding is necessary for the continued growth of the 34 cities and towns within the region. This is also a smart investment. Studies show that every $1.00 Congress invests in a National Heritage Area leads to $5.50 in local economic activity. I look forward to working with Congressman Moulton to see this important legislation signed into law,said Congresswoman Trahan.\r\nPeople tell me all the time they'd like to see their government run more like a business. Any responsible business leader who saw that their $20 million investment generates more than $150 million in return, with the added benefit of employing thousands of people, would double down,said Congressman Moulton.It would be foolish to let the Essex National Heritage Area's authorization expire. This is a jobs bill at the end of the day, and we're going to fight to get it passed.\r\nWe are thrilled to have Congressman Moulton and Congresswoman Trahan's support and endorsement for our work  and to know that they are looking out for the wellbeing of the national heritage area. Lifting the sunset and cap on the federal funds that we can receive will help our long-term planning and growth,saidAnnie Harris, the Director of the Essex National Heritage Area.\r\nThe Essex National Heritage Areaspans 500 square-miles and connects 34 cities and towns from Lawrence to Haverhill to Gloucester and to Lynn. Since it was created in 1996, Congress has been authorized to invest up to $17 million in the Area. The original legislation had a sunset of 2012 for when the Essex Heritage could receive funding; the date was later extended to 2021. Today's bill eliminates completely the sunset provision and the funding cap the Essex National Heritage Area can receive over the course of its life. Essex Heritage uses these funds to engage the region's residents and visitors in the country's past, and to prepare young people for the future. For example, Essex Heritage runs historic and cultural education programs for residents, visitors and schools, It has a summer jobs program that employs young people at two National Park Sites that teaches them trade-based skills and civic responsibility. And it maintains the region's Essex Coastal Scenic Byway program which brings tourists to the region's historic towns and cities.\r\n\r\nEarlier this year, Congresswoman Trahan worked with Congressman Moulton to raise the funding cap as part ofThe Natural Resources Management Act,a sweeping public lands bill which has since become law. The critical legislation increased the amount of funding the National Heritage Area can receive but was not able to extend the sunset date.\r\n\r\nNational Heritage Areas are Congressionally-designated places where natural, cultural, and historic resources combine to form a cohesive, nationally important landscape. The program is affiliated with the National Park Service, and there are currently 55 heritage areas across the USA. Unlike National Parks, most National Heritage Areas are within large communities and managed by independent, local nonprofits that receive funds from the federal government through the Park Service. Research from the Park Service indicates every $1.00 Congress invests in a National Heritage Area leads to $5.50 in local economic activity.\r\nFederal investments in the Essex National Heritage Area are typically used as seed money for private sector investments. According to Essex Heritage, the group has raised three times the amount it receives from Congress in private investments. Congress put caps on spending and an expiration date on National Heritage Areas when it created them in 1996 because the idea that National Heritage Areas would work as designed was unproven. Since then, studies from the National Park Service and several non-government economists have shown overwhelmingly that National Heritage Areas are smart investments. For example, Congress's investment in the Essex National Heritage Area supports about 2,000 jobs and generates more than $150 million in local economic activity. That economic activity leads to $14.3 million in tax revenue.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.warren.senate.gov/oversight/letters/lawmakers-request-that-inspector-general-review-femas-faltering-efforts-to-rebuild-vieques-closed-health-care-facility", "Lawmakers Request that Inspector General Review FEMA's Faltering Efforts to Rebuild Vieques' Closed Health Care Facility", "2019-12-16", "2019", "2019-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Elizabeth Warren", "W000817", "www.warren.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "December 16, 2019\n\t\t\t Lawmakers Request that Inspector General Review FEMA's Faltering Efforts to Rebuild Vieques' Closed Health Care Facility \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n        \n\t\t\t\t More than two years after Hurricane Maria Devastated Puerto Rico, 9,000 U.S. citizens still lack access to a functioning health care facility on Vieques; Current law requires FEMA to replace or restore critical service facilities damaged by the storm\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWashington, DC - United States Senator Elizabeth Warren\r\n(D-Mass.), Representative Nydia Velzquez (D-N.Y.), Senator Robert Menendez\r\n(D-N.J.), House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Ral Grijalva (D-Ariz.),\r\nHouse Homeland Security Committee Chairman Bennie G. Thompson (D-Miss.), and\r\nHouse Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Chairman Peter DeFazio\r\n(D-Ore.) sent a letter to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Inspector\r\nGeneral (IG) Joseph V. Cuffari requesting an audit or evaluation of the Federal\r\nEmergency Management Agency's (FEMA) efforts to reconstruct the Vieques public\r\ncommunity health center (Centro de Salud Familiar Susana Centeno).Vieques, a Puerto Rican island located roughly seven miles off the coast of\r\nmainland Puerto Rico, is home to thousands of U.S. citizens and was devastated\r\nby Hurricanes Irma and Maria in 2017. The public community health center was\r\nthe only facility performing the functions of a hospital on the\r\nisland-municipality and has remained closed since suffering hurricane damage,\r\ndespite the Bipartisan Budget Act and the Additional Supplemental\r\nAppropriations for Disaster Relief Act, signed into law in February 2018\r\nand June 2019, respectively, requiring FEMA to replace or restore critical\r\nservice facilities damaged by the storm.In May 2019, several Members of Congress urged\r\nFEMA to take rapid and robust action to help rebuild the Vieques health\r\nfacility following damage from Hurricane Maria in September 2017 that led to\r\nthe facility's closing. The facility remains closed, and the island's 9,000\r\nresidents - including those with serious health problems - must still take the\r\nferry to the mainland of Puerto Rico to receive even basic care. Congress has\r\nnot yet received a written response to their May 2019 letter.\"It is unacceptable that U.S. citizens in Puerto Rico continue to lack\r\naccess to high-quality critical health services years after a disaster, and\r\nthat FEMA has failed to take rapid and robust action to provide viequenses\r\nwith needed recovery resources that have been and are being provided to other\r\nU.S. jurisdictions and communities,\" wrote the lawmakers.FEMA informed Congressional staff during a November 14, 2019 briefing that\r\nthe agency had identified the medical center as an \"ambulatory health care\r\nfacility\" rather than a hospital, which could result in less funding for,\r\nand more limited health services in, a reconstructed facility. The lawmakers'\r\nletter criticizes this decision, noting that the Vieques public community\r\nhealth center performed the functions of a hospital before the hurricane,\r\nhousing the island's only labor and delivery room and providing inpatient\r\nadmissions, despite lacking formal hospital designation. The facility also\r\nhoused the Vieques VA Clinic and provided access to primary care for the\r\nisland's veterans.\"It remains troubling that while the public community health center\r\nremains closed, forcing viequenses to depend on interim health\r\nservices, FEMA continues to make determinations and policy choices that may\r\nlimit the ultimate restoration of pre-disaster services to Vieques,\" the\r\nlawmakers wrote.Senator Warren has been a steadfast champion for Puerto Rico and has paid\r\nspecial attention to Vieques.\r\n In July 2019, Senator Warren\r\nand Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), along with 15 of\r\ntheir colleagues, sent\r\na letter to the Chairmen and Ranking Members of the Senate and House Armed\r\nServices Committees urging them to include a provision funding the safe\r\ncleanup of military waste on Vieques in the final National Defense\r\nAuthorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020.The effort was successful.\r\n Earlier in May 2019, she\r\nre-introduced theU.S.\r\nTerritorial Relief Act, along with Senators Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.),\r\nKamala Harris (D-Calif.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Edward J. Markey\r\n(D-Mass.), and Representative Velzquez, to provide a pathway to\r\ncomprehensive debt relief for Puerto Rico and other disaster-ravaged U.S.\r\nterritories so they can recover and rebuild with dignity.\r\n In March 2018, shejoinedher\r\ncolleagues in writing to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to request\r\ninformation about the draw-down of Army Corps personnel working on\r\nelectricity restoration, especially on Vieques.\r\n In October 2017, she and\r\nSenator Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) led their colleagues inurgingthe\r\nTrump Administration to prioritize hurricane relief efforts on Vieques and\r\nCulebra, another Puerto Rican island, and called on the White House to\r\nswiftly secure the Superfund site on Vieques. Earlier that month,\r\nsheled her colleagues incallingonPresident\r\nTrump to step up disaster recovery efforts on Vieques and Culebra after\r\nthe islands were devastated by Hurricanes Irma and Maria.\r\nFor more information about her extensive work fighting for robust recovery\r\nefforts for Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands since Hurricanes Irma and\r\nMaria, as well as her work fighting for comprehensive debt relief for the\r\nisland, visitwww.warren.senate.gov/puertorico. ###\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.warren.senate.gov/oversight/letters/warren-and-garca-press-regulators-for-evidence-supporting-their-approval-of-the-bbandt-suntrust-merger", "Warren and Garc\u00eda Press Regulators For Evidence Supporting Their Approval of the BB&T-Suntrust Merger", "2019-12-16", "2019", "2019-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Elizabeth Warren", "W000817", "www.warren.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "December 16, 2019\n\t\t\t Warren and Garca Press Regulators For Evidence Supporting Their Approval of the BB&T-Suntrust Merger \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n        \n\t\t\t\t \"The creation of a new bank with almost $450 billion worth of assets has broad implications for working families, their communities and U.S. financial system, and consumers deserve to know exactly how these decisions are made by your agency\"; Warren and Garca introduced the bicameral Bank Merger Review Modernization Act earlier this month\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWashington, DC - United States Senator Elizabeth Warren\r\n(D-Mass.), member of the Senate Banking Committee, and Representative Jess\r\n\"Chuy\" Garca (D-Ill.), member of the House of Representatives\r\nCommittee on Financial Services, on Friday sent a letter to the Federal Reserve\r\n(Fed) and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) to raise new\r\nquestions about their agencies' rubber-stamp approval of the $450 billion\r\nBB&T-Suntrust merger. The merger, finalized on December 6, 2019, created\r\nTruist Financial Corporation (Truist), the sixth largest bank in the United\r\nStates and the first new big \"Too Big To Fail\" bank since the\r\nfinancial crisis.\"The creation of a new bank with almost $450 billion worth of assets\r\nhas broad implications for working families, their communities and U.S.\r\nfinancial system, and consumers deserve to know exactly how these decisions are\r\nmade by your agency,\" the lawmakers wrote in their letter.Senator Warren and Representative Garca are the lead sponsors of the\r\nbicameral Bank\r\nMerger Review Modernization Act, legislation that would put an end to the\r\nrubber stamping of bank merger applications, restrict harmful consolidation in\r\nthe banking industry, and protect consumers and the financial system from Too\r\nBig to Fail institutions.The lawmakers' letter asked regulators to respond to their questions no\r\nlater than December 27, 2019 from the Fed and no later than December 30, 2019\r\nfrom the FDIC.Today Senator Warren also released questions for the hearing record\r\nsubmitted to the Banking Committee in follow up to financial regulators'\r\ntestimony at a December 5th hearing, \"Oversight of Financial\r\nRegulators.\" In addition to raising questions about the BB&T-SunTrust\r\nmerger, Senator Warren questioned regulators about their oversight of the\r\nCommunity Reinvestment Act, the impact of climate change on financial\r\nstability, and the \"valid-when-made\" doctrine.Senator Warren has a strong record of questioning Too Big to Fail banks and\r\nthe regulators who enable them:\r\n Senator Elizabeth Warren, the\r\nlate Senator John McCain (R-Ariz.), Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), and\r\nSenator Angus King (I-Maine) re-introduced the21st\r\nCentury Glass-Steagall Act, a modern version of the Banking Act of\r\n1933 (Glass-Steagall) that protects American taxpayers, helps community\r\nbanks and credit unions compete, and decreases the likelihood of future\r\nfinancial crises.The group of lawmakersfirst\r\nintroducedthe bill in 2013.\r\n In January 2018, Senator\r\nWarren delivered aspeechon\r\nthe Senate floor opposing the nomination of Jerome Powell to serve as\r\nChairman of the Fed. In her speech, Senator Warrenexpressed\r\nconcernthat Mr. Powell would weaken financial regulations rather\r\nthan strengthen them, and urged her colleagues to reject his\r\nnomination.\r\n In March 2018, Senator\r\nWarrenintroducedthe\r\nEnding Too Big to Jail Act to hold big bank executives accountable when\r\nthe banks they lead break the law.\r\n In response to a letter\r\nSenator Warrenwrotein\r\nApril 2018 to Chairman Powell and Attorney General Jeff Sessions in the\r\nwake of the passage of the Bank Lobbyist Act (Public Law No: 115-174),\r\nwhich the senator correctly assumed would catalyze mergers among large\r\nbanks, Chairman Powelladmittedthat\r\nno merger applications had been declined since 2006, though a handful had\r\nbeen withdrawn. Chairman Powell's letter also revealed that in considering\r\na merger application, the Fed largely looks at whether the merger would\r\ncreate monopolies for the merged bank in any market.\r\n In February 2019, following\r\nthe announcement of the merger proposal between BB&T and SunTrust,\r\nSenator Warrenwroteto\r\nChairman Powell asking about the proposed merger's effect on consumers.\r\n Senator Warren alsoraised\r\nquestionswith Chairman Powell during a February 2019 Senate\r\nBanking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee hearing about closed-door\r\ndiscussions that take place before a merger application is filed. As a\r\nresult, the Fedannouncedthat\r\nit would hold two public forums to get public input on the BB&T and\r\nSunTrust merger.\r\n \r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n###   \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tNext Article\n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.warren.senate.gov/oversight/letters/warren-colleagues-examine-role-of-private-equity-firm-blackstone-in-deforestation-of-amazon-rainforest", "Warren, Colleagues Examine Role of Private Equity Firm Blackstone in Deforestation of Amazon Rainforest", "2019-12-16", "2019", "2019-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Elizabeth Warren", "W000817", "www.warren.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "December 16, 2019\n\t\t\t Warren, Colleagues Examine Role of Private Equity Firm Blackstone in Deforestation of Amazon Rainforest \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n        \n\t\t\t\t Private-Equity Owned Brazilian Logistics Company Has Played Major Role in Destruction of Rainforest\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t Text\r\nof Letter (PDF) Washington, D.C. - United States Senator Elizabeth Warren\r\n(D-Mass.), member of the Senate Banking Committee; Representative Mark Pocan (D-Wisc.);\r\nHouse Natural Resources Committee Chairman Ral Grijalva (D-Ariz.); House\r\nNatural Resources Committee Vice Chair and National Parks, Forests, and Public\r\nLands Subcommittee Chair Deb Haaland (D-N.M.); Representatives Rashida Tlaib\r\n(D-Mich.) and Jess G. \"Chuy\" Garca (D-Ill.), members of the House\r\nFinancial Services Committee; and Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), member\r\nof the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee; sent a letter to private\r\nequity firm Blackstone Group raising concerns about the firm's investments in\r\nHidrovias do Brasil, a company that is playing a significant role in the\r\nongoing destruction and deforestation in the Amazon rainforest in Brazil, which\r\nexacerbates the climate crisis. The letter, which continues Senator Warren's\r\ninvestigation into the effects of private equity investments in a variety of\r\nindustries, requested information about the firm's structure, business\r\npractices, and finances as they relate to Hidrovias and similar companies. Reports\r\nshow that Blackstone owns a significant stake in Hidrovias, a Brazilian\r\nlogistics company that does business in and around the Amazon rainforest,\r\nthrough direct investments and investments in a Brazilian private equity fund.\r\nHidrovias has contributed directly to Amazon deforestation by clearing hundreds\r\nof miles of forestland to modernize a controversial\r\nhighway, BR-163, that leads to a company-owned export terminal. The\r\ncontroversial highway is also indirectly contributing to deforestation by\r\nincentivizing farmers to increase exports and clear Amazon forestland to\r\ncultivate grains and soy. The Amazon rainforest accounts\r\nfor a quarter of the carbon absorbed by global forests annually, and it has\r\nsequestered as much as 140 billion tons of carbon in the ground. If destroyed\r\nthrough activities like clear-cutting or forest burning for roadbuilding or\r\nagricultural use, the rainforest could release the equivalent of up to 140\r\nyears of human carbon emissions. \"Given the immense global climate ramifications of deforestation in the\r\nAmazon rainforest, it is deeply troubling that U.S.-based private equity firms\r\nlike Blackstone have taken advantage of the weakening of Brazil's environmental\r\nsafeguards through your investments in the logistics and resource extraction\r\nindustries to boost short-term profits, at the expense of our global climate\r\nand Indigenous communities,\" wrote the lawmakers. In their letter, the lawmakers expressed concern with Blackstone's\r\ninvestments in Hidrovias, detailing the company's work on the construction and\r\ndevelopment of BR-163 and its contribution\r\nto deforestation. The lawmakers also criticized Blackstone for its attempts to\r\navoid responsibility for the role of Hidrovias in the deforestation of the\r\nAmazon rainforest. \"By financing a company that profits from this destruction, through\r\ndeveloping a road to export these agricultural goods, Blackstone's investments\r\nappear to pave the way for further deforestation and an exacerbated climate\r\ncrisis,\" the lawmakers continued. In July, Senator Warren and Representative Pocan, along with a number of\r\nDemocratic colleagues, introduced theStop\r\nWall Street Looting Act, a comprehensive bill to bring greater\r\nresponsibility to the private equity industry by holding private equity firms\r\nresponsible for the liabilities of companies under their control and requiring\r\ngreater transparency in private equity firms' practices. The lawmakers asked Blackstone to provide the disclosure documents and\r\ninformation required under the Stop Wall Street Looting Act, along with other\r\ninformation regarding the firm's investments and their environmental impacts.\r\nThe lawmakers requested a response to their letter by January 10, 2019. Earlier this year, Senator Warren joined her colleagues on a letter\r\ncalling for major companies and financial firms to wield their influence to\r\ncombat runaway deforestation in the Amazon. The senator also\r\nsigned a letter urging the White House to pressure the Bolsonaro government to\r\nprotect the Amazon rainforest from deforestation. Senator Warren has been a vocal critic of private equity abuses throughout\r\nher time in the Senate and is fighting for reforms that protect students,\r\nworkers, communities, and investors: \r\n Senators Warren, Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Ron Wyden\r\n     (D-Ore.) and Congressman Pocansent\r\n     letters to three private equity firms investments in election\r\n     technology vendors, raising concerns about vulnerabilities and a lack of\r\n     transparency in the election technology industry and the poor condition of\r\n     voting machines and other election technology equipment. \r\n Senators Warren, Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), and Bernie\r\n     Sanders (I-Vt.)sentletters\r\n     to two major private equity-owned commercial institutional review boards\r\n     (IRBs), raising questions about whether for-profit IRBs are vulnerable to\r\n     conflicts of interest that could inhibit their ability to protect research\r\n     subjects, and whether the two companies are maintaining appropriate ethics\r\n     standards.\r\n Senators Warren and Brown, along with Representative\r\n     Pocan,sent\r\n     lettersto four private equity firms that currently invest, or\r\n     have recently invested in, companies providing nursing home care and other\r\n     long-term care services, noting research that shows facilities owned by\r\n     private equity firms provide worse care.\r\n Senators Warren, Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), and Sanders,\r\n     along with Representatives Pocan, and Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), sent a\r\n     letter to Ernst & Youngsharply\r\n     criticizinga misleading report the firm released in partnership\r\n     with the American Investment Council, a trade group for the private equity\r\n     industry, about the scope of private equity's influence in the economy.\r\n Senator Warren and Representatives Pocan and Lloyd\r\n     Doggett (D-Texas)wroteto\r\n     five private equity firms with investments in physician staffing and\r\n     emergency transport companies, questioning the role these companies play\r\n     in patients receiving exorbitant surprise bills for out-of-network medical\r\n     treatment.\r\n Senator Warren and Representatives Pocan and Alexandria\r\n     Ocasio Cortez (D-N.Y.)wroteto\r\n     five private equity firms that own companies providing support services to\r\n     prisons, including health care, food service, and telephone services,\r\n     noting how private equity firms deliver poor-quality food and services at\r\n     exorbitant prices, making huge profits off of incarcerated people, their\r\n     families, and taxpayers.\r\n Senator Warren and Representative Pocanwroteto\r\n     six private equity firms with current or recent holdings in for-profit\r\n     colleges, citing research about private equity's destructive role in\r\n     for-profit colleges and student outcomes.\r\n Senator Warren and Representative Dave Loebsack\r\n     (D-Iowa)opened\r\n     an investigation intoprivate equity firms behind some of the\r\n     country's largest manufactured housing communities to obtain information\r\n     about their use of predatory practices to boost profits in the communities\r\n     they own.\r\n Senator Warren and Representative Ocasio-CortezquestionedTreasury\r\n     Secretary Steven Mnuchin on his involvement in dubious financial engineering\r\n     and other managerial decisions that enriched investment company executives\r\n     while decimating Sears' long-term growth and sustainability -- ultimately\r\n     resulting in Sears' bankruptcy and the loss of tens of thousands of jobs.\r\n Senator Warrenrequested\r\n     answersfrom Vornado Realty Trust and five major hedge funds on\r\n     their role in the liquidation of Toys \"R\" Us, which resulted in\r\n     30,000 workers losing their jobs without severance pay, after the company\r\n     went into bankruptcy as the result of a leveraged buyout in 2005.\r\n In June 2015, Senator Warren was an original co-sponsor\r\n     of theCarried\r\n     Interest Fairness Act, legislation to close the carried interest\r\n     loophole that allowed private equity fund managers to pay lower\r\n     taxes.The legislation was re-introduced in March 2019 and is\r\n     included in the Stop Wall Street Looting Act.\r\n ###\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.warren.senate.gov/oversight/letters/warren-delauro-colleagues-reiterate-urgent-concerns-with-border-protection-agencys-unconscionable-failure-to-provide-flu-vaccines-for-migrants-in-custody", "Warren, DeLauro, Colleagues Reiterate Urgent Concerns With Border Protection Agency's \"Unconscionable\" Failure to Provide Flu Vaccines for Migrants in Custody", "2019-12-16", "2019", "2019-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Elizabeth Warren", "W000817", "www.warren.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "December 16, 2019\n\t\t\t Warren, DeLauro, Colleagues Reiterate Urgent Concerns With Border Protection Agency's \"Unconscionable\" Failure to Provide Flu Vaccines for Migrants in Custody \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n        \n\t\t\t\t Letter Follows Disturbing New Details About Death of 16-Year-Old Migrant Who Died of Flu in CBP Care\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t 2019-2020 Flu Season Already\r\nUnderway Letter\r\nto CBP (PDF) | CBP\r\nResponse to Senators (PDF) | CDC\r\nResponse to Rep. DeLauro (PDF) |CDC\r\nResponse to Senator Warren and Colleagues (PDF) Washington, D.C. - United States Senator Elizabeth Warren\r\n(D-Mass.), member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and\r\nPensions, and Representative Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.), Chair of the U.S. House\r\nAppropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Related\r\nAgencies, led a letter to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) expressing\r\ntheir disappointment and alarm about the failure of CBP to provide recommended\r\nflu vaccinations to migrants in its custody. The lawmakers' letter -- which\r\nfollows disturbing revelations about the deaths of three children in CBP\r\ncustody over the past year due at least in part to the flu: Wilmer Josue\r\nRamirez Vasquez (2  years old), Felipe Gomez Alonzo (8 years old), and Carlos\r\nGregorio Hernandez Vasquez (16 years old) -- comes as the flu season is\r\nofficially underway and after repeated requests by members of Congress for CBP\r\nand the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to provide flu vaccinations to\r\ndetainees. In August 2019, Chair DeLauro requested\r\ninformation from DHS and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)\r\non flu vaccinations, screening, testing, surveillance, and post-exposure\r\nprophylaxis. In September 2019, thirteen Senators -- led by Senator Warren\r\n--wrote\r\nto DHS and HHS urging CBP to implement a flu vaccination program for detainees\r\nand asking a series of questions about the agency's failure to do so. In a\r\nseparate letter\r\nto the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Chair DeLauro\r\nrequested information on CDC's coordination and communication with CBP\r\nregarding its flu vaccination program. However, despite these repeated requests from Congress and the clear risk of\r\nflu transmission to migrants and CBP agents, CBP is still not vaccinating\r\nmigrants in its custody against the flu. Instead, CBP has failed to respond to\r\nHouse appropriators, and its response\r\nlast month to the senators' inquiry failed to provide an adequate rationale for\r\nits unwillingness to vaccinate detainees. In response\r\nto Chair DeLauro's letter, the CDC revealed that it made specific recommendations\r\nto CBP in January 2019 to implement a robust flu vaccination program for\r\ndetainees -- making the CBP's ongoing inaction even more inexplicable. CDC\r\nprovided additional information in a response\r\nto the senators' inquiry to HHS. In their latest letter to CBP, the lawmakers sharply criticized CBP for\r\nignoring the CDC's recommendations, and raised questions about CBP policies for\r\ndetection and treatment of flu in its facilities. \"CBP acknowledges that there is an 'unprecedented' humanitarian crisis\r\nat the Southwest Border, and yet, despite this admission, insists on adhering\r\nto its 'long-standing practice' of not conducting vaccinations for the flu in\r\nits facilities,\" the lawmakers continued. \"This\r\ndecision is unconscionable and continues to endanger the health and safety of\r\nmigrant families, CBP personnel, and the American public.\" The lawmakers called on CBP to immediately reverse its decision, and asked\r\nthe agency to answer a series of questions about its ongoing failure to provide\r\nrecommended flu vaccines to detainees. The lawmakers requested a response to\r\ntheir letter by December 30, 2019. CBP's response to Senator Warren and colleagues' initial inquiry can be read\r\nhere.\r\nCDC's response to Chair DeLauro's inquiry can be read here.\r\nCDC's response to Senator Warren and colleagues' initial inquiry can be read here. Joining Senator Warren and Chair DeLauro in sending the letter are Senators\r\nRichard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Tom Udall (D-N.M.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.),\r\nKamala D. Harris (D-Calif.), Jeffrey A. Merkley (D-Ore.), Cory A. Booker\r\n(D-N.J.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.),\r\nSherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Bernard Sanders (I-Vt.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.),\r\nRobert Menendez (D-N.J.), Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Patty\r\nMurray (D-Wash.), and Thomas R. Carper (D-Del.), and Representatives Juan\r\nVargas (CA-51), Filemon Vela (TX-34), Gregory W. Meeks (NY-05), Grace\r\nNapolitano (CA-32), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-AL), Rashida Tlaib (MI-13),\r\nBarbara Lee (CA-13), Judy Chu (CA-27), Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Bonnie Watson\r\nColeman (NJ-12), John Garamendi (CA-03), Rick Larsen (WA-02), James P. McGovern\r\n(MA-02), Joaquin Castro (TX-20), John B. Larson (CT-01), Norma Torres (CA-35),\r\nSheila Jackson Lee (TX-18), Jahana Hayes (CT-05), Ayanna Pressley (MA-07),\r\nMarcia L. Fudge (OH-11), Derek Kilmer (WA-06), C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger\r\n(MD-02), Cedric Richmond (LA-02), Frederica Wilson (FL-24), Jos E. Serrano\r\n(NY-15), Dina Titus (NV-01), Ral M. Grijalva (AZ-03), Adriano Espaillat\r\n(NY-13), Cheri Bustos (IL-17), Gwen Moore (WI-04), Donna E. Shalala (FL-27),\r\nSteve Cohen (TN-09), Jackie Speier (CA-14), Mark Takano (CA-41), Mike Levin\r\n(CA-49), James A. Himes (CT-04), Jamie Raskin (MD-08), Ben Ray Lujn (NM-03),\r\nLauren Underwood (IL-14), Jimmy Gomez (CA-34), Jess G. \"Chuy\" Garca\r\n(IL-04), Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01), Adam Schiff (CA-28), Linda T. Snchez\r\n(CA-38), Mark DeSaulnier (CA-11), and Pete Aguilar (CA-31). ###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.warren.senate.gov/oversight/reports/senators-warren-and-blumenthal-release-investigation-revealing-diabetes-patients-lack-of-access-to-lower-priced-insulin", "Senators Warren and Blumenthal Release Investigation Revealing Diabetes Patients' Lack of Access to Lower-Priced Insulin", "2019-12-16", "2019", "2019-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Elizabeth Warren", "W000817", "www.warren.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "December 16, 2019\n\t\t\t Senators Warren and Blumenthal Release Investigation Revealing Diabetes Patients' Lack of Access to Lower-Priced Insulin \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n        \n\t\t\t\t Despite Promises, Eli Lilly's Less Expensive Authorized Generic \"Insulin Lispro\" Widely Unavailable in Pharmacies\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t Report\r\n(PDF)   Washington, D.C. - United States Senator Elizabeth Warren\r\n(D-Mass.), a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP)\r\nCommittee, and Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) today released the findings\r\nof a months-long survey of nearly 400 pharmacies nationwide regarding the\r\navailability of pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly's authorized generic insulin,\r\n\"Insulin Lispro.\" The investigative report, Inaccessible Insulin:\r\nThe Broken Promise of Eli Lilly's Authorized Generic, concluded that Eli\r\nLilly's lower-priced, authorized generic insulin is widely unavailable in\r\npharmacies across the country, and that the company has not taken meaningful\r\nsteps to increase insulin accessibility and affordability. \"This report shows that pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly has not lived up\r\nto its promise to provide a lower-priced insulin to patients who need it,\"\r\nsaid Senator Warren. \"With rising prescription drug costs\r\nsqueezing families in every part of the country, Congress must bring drug\r\nprices down for consumers, hold drug companies accountable for needless price\r\nhikes, and encourage more competition in the prescription drug\r\nmarket.\" \"Our report shows that Eli Lilly has failed to deliver on its promise\r\nto put a more-affordable insulin product on the shelves,\" said\r\nSenator Blumenthal. \"Instead of giving patients access to its\r\ngeneric alternative, this pharmaceutical behemoth is still charging\r\nastronomical prices for a drug people require daily and cannot live without.\r\nCongress needs to step up and take action on skyrocketing drug prices.\" For many of the\r\nmore than 30 million Americans living with diabetes, insulin is an\r\nessential medicine that helps the body process glucose derived from food.\r\nWithout glucose (and the insulin necessary to process it), the human body\r\ncannot function properly. Three pharmaceutical companies -- Sanofi, Nordisk,\r\nand Eli Lilly --produce\r\nover 80% of the global insulin supply and have taken advantage of limited\r\nmarket competition by steadily increasing insulin prices, even though experts estimate\r\ndrug manufacturers could profitably produce insulin for $7 to $11 per patient\r\nper month. Little generic competition exists in the insulin market, further\r\ncontributing to increased prices. Patients, caregivers, and advocates have raised alarms about the\r\nlife-threatening insulin price increases. In response to this public pressure,\r\nmanufacturers have announced measures that they claim will help reduce\r\npatients' out-of-pocket drug costs-including the introduction of so-called\r\n\"authorized generics.\" Unlike true generics, which are produced by\r\ncompeting companies, authorized\r\ngenerics are the same drug sold by the original manufacturer at a slightly\r\ndiscounted price. In March 2019, Eli Lilly announced\r\nthat it would produce an authorized generic version of Humalog, \"Insulin\r\nLispro,\" and promised that it would \"work quickly with supply chain\r\npartners to make [the authorized generic] available in pharmacies as quickly as\r\npossible.\" However, in the months after Eli Lilly's announcement,\r\nanecdotal reports\r\nraised questions about the availability of \"Insulin Lispro\" in local\r\npharmacies. To assess the impact of authorized generics, like \"Insulin\r\nLispro,\" on patients' access to insulin, the offices of Senators Warren\r\nand Blumenthal conducted a national telephone survey of pharmacies to determine\r\nif they had access to, and were providing patients with, the lower-cost\r\nauthorized generic version of Humalog insulin. The investigation revealed: \r\n Eli Lilly's\r\n     authorized generic insulin, \"Insulin Lispro,\" is not widely\r\n     available in pharmacies across the country. In 83% of pharmacies\r\n     surveyed, the less expensive, authorized generic promised by Eli Lilly was\r\n     not in stock and available for consumers. In 14 states, not one of the up\r\n     to eight surveyed pharmacies had the generic version of the drug in stock;\r\n     in 17 states, the drug was only available in one surveyed pharmacy. And in\r\n     most cases (69%), pharmacies that did not have the generic drug in stock\r\n     indicated that they could not order the drug, even if the consumer did not\r\n     need it immediately.\r\n  \r\n Pharmacies are\r\n     unaware of, and not adequately informing consumers about, the availability\r\n     of Eli Lilly's authorized generic insulin. In many cases,\r\n     consumers cannot get the generic version of a drug if they do not know to\r\n     ask for it - and they rely on pharmacies to inform them when generics are\r\n     available. But this survey revealed that, even when pharmacies have the\r\n     authorized generic version of Humalog, they do not proactively offer it to\r\n     consumers. Only half of the limited number of pharmacies that had the\r\n     authorized generic in stock offered it as a first option for consumers. In\r\n     total, only 15% of pharmacies offered the authorized generic without\r\n     prompting. \r\n  \r\n Eli Lilly has not\r\n     taken meaningful steps to increase patient access to insulin. The\r\n     results of the survey suggest that Eli Lilly's introduction of a\r\n     lower-cost alternative has not translated to lower-costs for patients, who\r\n     are not able to access the authorized generic. Eli Lilly has failed to\r\n     take consequential steps -- such as simply lowering the list price of\r\n     Humalog, as it has in foreign markets -- to provide lower-cost access to\r\n     this important diabetes drug. \r\n The senators' report concluded by urging Eli Lilly to lower the list price\r\nof its insulin and calling for Congress to take steps to enact systemic change\r\nto reduce drug prices nationwide. A member of the Senate HELP Committee, Senator Warren has been a leading\r\nvoice in Washington calling for lower prescription drug prices since joining\r\nthe Senate in 2013. In December 2018, Senator Warren and Representative Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.)\r\nintroduced the Affordable\r\nDrug Manufacturing Act, a bill that would allow the federal government to\r\ndevelop generic drugs -- including insulin -- in cases where the market has\r\nfailed. Senator Warren is a co-sponsor of the Medicare for All Act of 2019, a\r\nbill that would ensure that no family goes broke paying for prescription drugs.\r\nSenator Warren has also co-sponsored the Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Act, a\r\nbill that would permit the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to\r\nnegotiate the prices of prescription drugs offered through the Medicare\r\nprogram; the Affordable and Safe Prescription Drug Importation Act, a bill that\r\nwould allow for the safe importation of drugs from countries like Canada; and\r\nthe Affordable Medications Act, a bill that would-among other\r\nprovisions-promote the development of generic drugs. ###\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://kennedy.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases/kennedy-demands-extension-of-aca-open-enrollment", "KENNEDY DEMANDS EXTENSION OF ACA OPEN ENROLLMENT", "2019-12-16", "2019", "2019-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Joseph Kennedy", "K000379", "kennedy.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "December 16, 2019\n\t\t\t KENNEDY DEMANDS EXTENSION OF ACA OPEN ENROLLMENT \n\t\t\tWashington, D.C.  Congressman Joe Kennedy III today demanded an extension of the Affordable Care Act open enrollment period until at least December 23 following reports of widespread outages and glitches on the last day consumers can choose coverage for next year. In a letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Seema Verma, Kennedy expressed outrage that there was not an immediate effort to address errors and coordinate outreach to impacted Americans. Online outages and website errors can be unexpected and unintentional, but the Trump Administration's disinterest in addressing them shows how little they care for Americans' health coverage. Extending the deadline for at least one week will ensure that the approximately 100,000 consumers impacted can access the care and coverage they need and deserve. Anything less than an immediate extension and robust public awareness campaign is unacceptable. To read Congressman Kennedy's letter, please click here.\r\n###\r\nFor Immediate Release:December 16, 2019\r\nContact:  Dan Black (202) 225-5931 \n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n \n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://lynch.house.gov/2019/12/chairman-lynch-hold-hearing-examine-us-counterterrorism-priorities-and-challenges", "Chairman Lynch To Hold Hearing To Examine U.S. Counterterrorism Priorities And Challenges In Africa", "2019-12-16", "2019", "2019-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Stephen F. Lynch", "L000562", "lynch.house.gov", "lynch", "https://lynch.house.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C. \u2013 On Tuesday, December 17, 2019, Rep. Stephen F. Lynch, Chairman of the Subcommittee on National Security, will hold a hearing on the growing threat of violent extremism to U.S. national security interests in Africa. The hearing will examine the current terrorism landscape across the African continent and evaluate the threat of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), Al-Qaeda, and affiliated terrorist organizations. The hearing will also assess whether existing counterterrorism and assistance resources are being used effectively to achieve U.S. strategic objectives and promote stability and security in Africa.\n\nWHERE: 2154 Rayburn House Office Building\n\nWHEN: Tuesday, December 17, 2019\n\nTIME: 2:00 p.m.\n\nThe hearing will be broadcast here.\n\nBACKGROUND\n\nAcross the African continent, extremist activity increased from 288 attacks in 2009 to 3,050 in 2018. Organizations, including Al-Shabaab, Boko Haram, Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM), Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), and various regional affiliates of ISIS, continue to destabilize already fragile African states, with significant implications for U.S. national security interests.\n\nDrivers of terrorist recruitment and violence in Africa are systemic, including but not limited to factors such as widespread poverty, the expansion of illicit trade in vast border areas, ethnic divisions, and weak or abusive governance.\n\nUnder the Trump Administration\u2019s National Security Strategy, in November 2018, the Department of Defense announced that it would reduce its overall footprint in Africa from approximately 7,200 personnel to about 6,480 and that in certain regions such as West Africa, emphasis would shift \u201cfrom tactical assistance to advising, assisting, liaising, and sharing intelligence.\u201d\n\nWITNESSES\n\nJudd Devermont, Director, Africa Program - Center for Strategic & International Studies\n\nAdotei Akwei, Deputy Director for Advocacy and Government Relations - Amnesty International\n\nAlexis Arieff, Specialist in African Affairs - Congressional Research Service", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-06-27T23:45:33Z"], ["https://lynch.house.gov/press-release/chairman-lynch-hold-hearing-examine-us-counterterrorism-priorities-and-challenges", "Chairman Lynch To Hold Hearing To Examine U.S. Counterterrorism Priorities And Challenges In Africa", "2019-12-16", "2019", "2019-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Stephen Lynch", "L000562", "lynch.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, D.C.  On Tuesday, December 17, 2019, Rep. Stephen F. Lynch, Chairman of the Subcommittee on National Security, will hold a hearing on the growing threat of violent extremism to U.S. national security interests in Africa. The hearing will examine the current terrorism landscape across the African continent and evaluate the threat of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), Al-Qaeda, and affiliated terrorist organizations. The hearing will also assess whether existing counterterrorism and assistance resources are being used effectively to achieve U.S. strategic objectives and promote stability and security in Africa.\nWHERE: 2154 Rayburn House Office Building\nWHEN: Tuesday, December 17, 2019\nTIME: 2:00 p.m.\nThe hearing will be broadcast here.\nBACKGROUND\n Across the African continent, extremist activity increased from 288 attacks in 2009 to 3,050 in 2018. Organizations, including Al-Shabaab, Boko Haram, Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM), Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), and various regional affiliates of ISIS, continue to destabilize already fragile African states, with significant implications for U.S. national security interests.\n  Drivers of terrorist recruitment and violence in Africa are systemic, including but not limited to factors such as widespread poverty, the expansion of illicit trade in vast border areas, ethnic divisions, and weak or abusive governance.\n  Under the Trump Administration's National Security Strategy, in November 2018, the Department of Defense announced that it would reduce its overall footprint in Africa from approximately 7,200 personnel to about 6,480 and that in certain regions such as West Africa, emphasis would shift from tactical assistance to advising, assisting, liaising, and sharing intelligence.\n WITNESSES\nJudd Devermont,Director, Africa Program -Center for Strategic & International Studies\nAdotei Akwei,Deputy Director for Advocacy and Government Relations -Amnesty International\nAlexis Arieff,Specialist in African Affairs -Congressional Research Service\nJoshua Meservey,Senior Policy Analyst, Africa and the Middle East -The Heritage Foundation", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://neal.house.gov/in-the-news/improvements-coming-neighborhood-park", "Improvements Coming To Neighborhood Park", "2019-12-16", "2019", "2019-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Richard Neal", "N000015", "neal.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "A $ 1 million improvement plan has been unveiled for an urban park in western Massachusetts.\nWalsh Park is 12 acres of fields and woods tucked between residential streets in Springfield's Liberty Heights section. Come the summer of 2021, the park will have two playgrounds, a splash pad, baseball diamond, a walking path, and picnic area.\n\"We are very very excited about this project and can't wait for the day in the near future when we see shovels in the ground,\" said Pete Krupczak, Springfield's assistant parks director.     \nPlans also include a pollinator meadow to address the decline in bee and butterfly populations.\nTwo new entrances to the park will be created according to Laura Walsh, projects manager for the city's parks department.\n\"There will be new entrances, one on Freeman Street and one on Van Buren (Ave.), so that people from both sides of the neighborhood can come in and recreate,\" said Walsh.\nOnce a popular recreation spot, Walsh Park, known by many as Freeman Park, suffered from neglect and was almost unusable a dozen years ago, according to City Councilor Mike Fenton.\n\"The park was in pretty bad shape, there were some sinkholes and mounds of dirt,\" said Fenotn. \"It was not a place you would come to safely recreate.\"\nPlans were drawn up several years ago to redevelop Walsh Park, but the money for the project became available only recently, according to Mayor Domenic Sarno.\n\"Finally, after years of going after grants it has come to fruition,\" said Sarno.\nFunding for the project comes from a $550,000 grant from the U.S. National Park Service's Land and Water Conservation Fund, a $250,000 Community Development Block Grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development with the city putting in $300,000.\nDemocratic Congressman Richard Neal, in a prepared statement, said the federal funding for the park project is great news for the City of Springfield.\nOver the last dozen years or so, the city has spent about $30 million on park improvements, according to Sarno.\n\"Growing up, parks were my Riviera,\" said Sarno. \"Green space is very very important for all our people.\"\nJust last month, a major project costing $2.5 million to replace a collapsed culvert in Forest Park was completed. Last summer, a $3 million renovation to Riverfront Park was wrapped up.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://neal.house.gov/in-the-news/springfield-relief-chinese-rail-car-plant-will-survive", "In Springfield, relief that Chinese rail car plant will survive", "2019-12-15", "2019", "2019-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Richard Neal", "N000015", "neal.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "SPRINGFIELD  This city has long sought to recover the jobs it lost during its 20th century industrial decline, and in recent years it began to make some headway  attracting big new employers, including the plant making Red and Orange line cars for the MBTA.\nBut city leaders have been watching nervously in recent weeks as Congress considered restrictions on the plant's owner, CRRC Corp., which is backed by the Chinese government and has been at the center of debates over global trade and national security.\nAn early proposal could have eventually shut the factory down. A compromise measure approved by the US House last week would place limits on CRRC's ability to bid on contracts with new clients and could eventually limit its US market to transit systems in Boston, Philadelphia, and Los Angeles.\nIn Springfield, given the alternative of losing a promising new employer entirely, that sounds like a good deal.\nThey would have had to close down, Mayor Domenic J. Sarno said in an interview in his office, where models of CRRC trains in China and Brazil sit on his desk amid stacks of papers and souvenirs from city events. Now, we're on the field, and we're able to play and compete, and you go from there.\nCRRC has had in its corner Representative Richard Neal, the former Springfield mayor who now chairs the powerful House Ways and Means Committee.\nThough the measure  part of the $738 billion National Defense Authorization Act  still needs to clear a Senate vote, President Trump has said he'd sign it. Neal believes his change leaves CRRC, and Springfield, in a much better position.\nIt keeps this facility going. It keeps the people working. It keeps them in a position where they can secure additional work, he said.\nThe company said in a statement that the House measure has preserved our ability to compete for all vehicle procurement bids at transit agencies across the U.S.  which means jobs. American jobs. Unionized jobs.\nIn East Springfield, where CRRC employs about 200 on the once-abandoned site of a former Westinghouse plant, people have felt relieved in the days since the House compromise was announced.\nIt's been great for the neighborhood, said Kathleen Brown, president of the East Springfield Neighborhood Council. From a neighborhood perspective, they've only been an asset.\nShe said the factory site had long been a blight at the center of the neighborhood. Contaminated by its past industrial use, it was in need of a major turnaround.\nThe CRRC factory, with its state-of-the-art manufacturing facility fronted by office space in a brick building that was part of the Westinghouse factory, has certainly been that.\nIt has also provided a needed boost for a community that never forgot its industrial heyday.\nSpringfield produced the first gas-powered automobile in the United States. It was the headquarters of a massive US armory that employed thousands. It had factories producing Indian Motorcycles and Rolls-Royce cars. In 1960, manufacturing accounted for 34 percent of employment in Springfield, according to US Census data. By 2007, the number was 12.5 percent.\nOn its own, the CRRC factory won't reverse those declines. But for the people who work there, the factory has looked like a place to make a stable, good living.\nPaul Gour, business agent with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 7, which represents about 110 workers at the CRRC plant, said his members have been disturbed by the uncertainty.\nHe said the recent construction of the massive MGM Springfield casino downtown provided a lot of good work. But with that project complete, members need long-term employment.\nThey were scared, he said. They want to work here, and this is a career for them. They want to retire out of this place.\nCRRC's close ties to the Chinese government have long provided fodder for opponents.\nHere, as in other places where the company has sought contracts, it has aggressively undercut other bidders. In 2014, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation gave it a $566.6 million contract to supply 284 cars to the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. The state later expanded the order.\nBut the state faced protests from competing companies. And activists criticized the decision to award state business to the company, given China's human rights record.\nAs the company has expanded in recent years, and the US trade relationship with China has become more strained, the criticism has broadened.\nWith the company seeking business with the Washington, D.C., transit system recently, some opponents raised questions about whether such a deal could lead to national security threats.\nThe measure passed by the House bars CRRC from bidding on federally funded transit projects associated with the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. But Neal's office said the measure would allow the company to continue to bid on new federally funded business with its existing customers. It would also be able to bid on new deals with most other agencies for two years.\nMichael A. Fenton, the Springfield city councilor who represents the area around the factory, said that leaves open a lot of possibilities that didn't exist just a few years ago.\nWhen CRRC first came to town, there was no promise of any kind of contracts other than the initial MBTA contracts, he said. I understand that there are going to be some restrictions that were not there previously, but I'm thrilled that they're not going to be crippling.\nGus Ubaldi, an airport and railroad expert at the firm Robson Forensic, said the changes certainly won't make it easier for the company to compete for contracts in a challenging industry. He noted that many rail car manufacturers have failed  there are none left in the United States  even without such limitations.\nHe said the fact that Congress has targeted CRRC once might also give prospective clients pause. Are you going to buy a car from a manufacturer that's going out of business? he said.\nGovernor Charlie Baker said in an interview that the changes secured by Neal gave him confidence about the viability of CRRC.\nThe legislation as it was originally contemplated would have meant that maintaining some sort of going concern would have been really hard to do, which would have made it hard for the company to hold onto its people, and its talent, and its intellectual property, he said.\nHe noted that Massachusetts didn't use any federal money on the contract, so similar deals would not be covered by the federal restrictions.\nThe company will complete work on MBTA cars in 2023. It has already delivered several Orange Line cars, though they have been taken out of service twice because of mechanical concerns.\nNeal said he hopes the flexibility gives CRRC time to adapt its business, and potentially explore bringing in some American business partners.\nIf they want to take off some of this controversy because of the disagreements that we have over trade, then it strikes me that they should look for domestic partners, he said.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases/senators-markey-and-gillibrand-question-hhs-roll-back-of-nondiscrimination-regulations-and-proposed-rule-to-allow-hhs-grantees-to-deny-services-for-lgbtq-individuals", "Senators Markey and Gillibrand Question HHS Roll-back of Nondiscrimination Regulations and Proposed Rule to allow HHS Grantees to Deny Services for LGBTQ Individuals", "2019-12-13", "2019", "2019-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Edward Markey", "M000133", "www.markey.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Senators Markey and Gillibrand Question HHS Roll-back of Nondiscrimination Regulations and Proposed Rule to allow HHS Grantees to Deny Services for LGBTQ Individuals \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tFriday, December 13, 2019\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\r\nWashington (December 13, 2019)  Senators Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) today sent a letter to the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) voicing strong opposition to the agency's decision to roll back current nondiscrimination regulations and proposed rule that would allow HHS grantees to deny services to members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) community under the guise of religious freedom. The letter questions whether HHS conducted any analysis on the harmful impacts of this rule prior to its publication, and calls on the agency to provide documentation of this analysis. The Senators explain that removing protections for LGBTQ individuals raises serious concerns about LGBTQ individuals' access to programs administered through HHS, including HIV prevention, youth homelessness, refugee resettlement efforts, and violence prevention services for the elderly. The proposed rule would be especially devastating for LGBTQ foster youth, who represent more than one out of five youth in the foster system, where faith-based adoption and foster care agencies play a vital role in the federally-funded welfare system.\r\n\r\nThose who depend on these programs should not be denied access to them simply because of who they are or whom they love,write Senators Markey and Gillibrand in their letter to Secretary Alex Azar.The harmful consequences of both this proposed rule as well as of HHS's refusal to enforce existing federal nondiscrimination regulations are deeply concerning to us.\r\n\r\nA copy of the Senators' letter can be foundHERE.\r\n\r\nIn their letter, the Senators request responses to questions that include:\r\n \r\nDid HHS analyze the number of people who may be unable to access services or programs under this rule?\r\nHow many children do faith-based adoption agencies or foster care services currently serve, and what portion of the U.S. foster and adoption system is represented by faith-based adoption or foster organizations?\r\nHas the agency considered the proposed rule's impact on President Trump's stated commitment to end the HIV epidemic?\r\nWill federal opioid prevention and treatment grantees be able to refuse treatment and recovery services to LGBTQ individuals?\r\nWould organizations receiving Head Start funding be able to deny services to children of LGBTQ parents?\r\n \r\n\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.warren.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/warren-joins-bipartisan-bicameral-group-of-lawmakers-to-file-amicus-brief-supporting-the-indian-child-welfare-act", "Warren Joins Bipartisan, Bicameral Group of Lawmakers to File Amicus Brief Supporting the Indian Child Welfare Act", "2019-12-13", "2019", "2019-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Elizabeth Warren", "W000817", "www.warren.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "December 13, 2019\n\t\t\t Warren Joins Bipartisan, Bicameral Group of Lawmakers to File Amicus Brief Supporting the Indian Child Welfare Act \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n        \n\t\t\t\t Amicus brief led by Udall and Hoeven makes the case for the constitutionality of the Indian Child Welfare Act and Congress's authorityand trust responsibilityto legislate for the benefit of Indian Tribes; Urges the Fifth Circuit to uphold the court's previous ruling\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t Amicus Brief and Full List of\r\nSignatories (PDF) Washington, DC  United States\r\nSenator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) joined Senate Committee on Indian Affairs (SCIA) Vice Chairman Tom Udall (D-N.M.) and SCIA Chairman John Hoeven(R-N.D.), along with\r\na group of25senators and52representatives,\r\nin filing an amicus brief in federal court making the case for the\r\nconstitutionality of the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA). The bipartisan and\r\nbicameral brief was filed with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit\r\nas the courtrevisits its August\r\nrulingthat affirmed ICWA's\r\nconstitutionality inBrackeen\r\nv. Bernhardt. The amicus brief urges the Fifth Circuit\r\nto uphold the court's previous decision affirming the constitutionality of ICWA.\r\nThe decision the Fifth Circuit issued in Augustreversed an unprecedented rulingfrom the U.S. District Court for the\r\nNorthern District of Texas which wrongly struck down ICWA as unconstitutional. Congress passed ICWA in 1978 after\r\nreceiving testimony that 25 to 35 percent of American Indian and Alaska Native\r\nchildren were removed from their homes by state and private adoption agencies.\r\nICWA sets best-practice standards for child welfare and adoption proceedings\r\ninvolving children who are members of a federally-recognized tribal nation or are\r\neligible for membership in a federally-recognized tribal nation. Over four decades, the\r\nlaw has become the gold standard for child welfare policy and keeping Native\r\nchildren connected to their communities and cultures.  For decades, the Indian Child Welfare\r\nAct has been critical in keeping Native children connected with their families\r\nand communities, Senator Warren said.\r\nIt's crucial that the 5th Circuit uphold ICWA's constitutionality, as\r\nit did in August, because it protects the best interests of Native children and\r\nreaffirms tribal sovereignty. Senator Warren supports ICWA and recognizes its importance to\r\nIndian Country. She cosponsored a bipartisan\r\nresolution recognizing the 40th anniversary of ICWA. During her time\r\nin the Senate, Senator Warren has also worked to protect and advance tribal\r\nsovereignty, to emphasize the federal government's trust and treaty\r\nresponsibilities to tribal nations, and to affirm Washington's\r\ngovernment-to-government relationship with tribal nations: \r\n Senator Warren joined Senator Jon Tester (D-Mont.),\r\n     member of SCIA, in introducing a bill to provide a fix to the 2009 Supreme\r\n     Court caseCarcieri v. Salazar, so that tribal nations' lands\r\n     can be taken into trust and protected. \r\n She is working with\r\n     Congresswoman Deb Haaland (D-N.M.), one of the first Native women elected\r\n     to Congress, on theHonoring Promises\r\n     to Native Nations Act,legislation\r\n     that will address chronic underfunding and barriers to sovereignty in\r\n     Indian Country and hold the federal government accountable for honoring\r\n     America's legal promises to Native peoples.\r\n Senator Warren and Senator\r\n     Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) willintroducethe Senate version of\r\n     the Remove the Stain Act, which would revoke the Medal of Honor from the\r\n     soldiers who perpetrated the Wounded Knee massacre.\r\n Senator Warrencosponsoreda resolution to\r\n     recognize November as Native American Heritage Month, a time for\r\n     celebrating the heritages and cultures of Native Americans and the\r\n     contributions of Native Americans to the United States.\r\n She hassupportedefforts toaddressviolence in Indian\r\n     Country, especially against women and girls. When the Violence Against\r\n     Women Act (VAWA) waslast\r\n     reauthorizedin\r\n     2013, she joined the call to ensure the law contained new safeguards for\r\n     Native abuse victims. She cosponsored that reauthorization, which\r\n     recognized tribal sovereignty in crucial new ways. However, VAWA expired\r\n     earlier this year, and Senator Warren is a cosponsor and strong supporter\r\n     of Senator Dianne Feinstein's (D-Calif.) bill to reauthorize VAWA through\r\n     2024. This billthe Senate companion to legislation that has already\r\n     passed the House of Representativescontains important and robust tribal\r\n     provisions.\r\n Senator Warren twiceintroduceda bipartisan bill to\r\n     give tribal nations a seat at the table in addressing the elevated suicide\r\n     rates in their communities.\r\n Senator Warren worked with\r\n     Representative RalGrijalva (D-Ariz.) andintroducedthe American Indian and\r\n     Alaska Native Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act, legislation that\r\n     would amend the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act tohelpprovidetribal nations with\r\n     resources to combat child abuse and neglect.\r\n TheComprehensive\r\n     Addiction Resources Emergency(CARE) Act, her major legislation with\r\n     then-Chairman of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee, the late\r\n     Elijah Cummings, to address the nationwide crisis of opioid addiction and\r\n     substance use disorders, has robusttribal\r\n     provisionsthat\r\n     would provide funding and resources directly to tribal nations and tribal\r\n     organizations and mandate tribal consultation.\r\n Senator Warren ensured that\r\n     her bipartisan cannabis legislation, the Strengthening the Tenth Amendment\r\n     Through Entrusting States (STATES) Act, wouldprotectcannabis laws and\r\n     policies that tribal nations adopted for themselves.\r\n Senator Warren's majorhousing\r\n     legislation,the\r\n     American Housing and Economic Mobility Act, would provide a significant\r\n     increase in funding for Indian Housing Block Grants and restore the\r\n     ability of tribal housing authorities to administer Housing Choice\r\n     Vouchers. The National American Indian Housing Councilpassed a\r\n     resolutionsupporting\r\n     the bill.\r\n She has twicepartneredwith Senator Udall to\r\n     introduce the Native American Voting Rights Act, landmark legislation to\r\n     provide the necessary resources and oversight to ensure Native people have\r\n     equal access to the electoral process.\r\n Senator Warren'sUniversal Child\r\n     Care and Early Learning Act, introduced with Congresswoman Haaland, would\r\n     provide families in Indian Country with free, high-quality child care and\r\n     early learning options. The legislation allows tribal governments to be\r\n     local administrators of the universal child care and pre-K program. ###\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tNext Article\n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.warren.senate.gov/oversight/letters/in-bipartisan-letter-senators-warren-paul-and-wyden-ask-credit-reporting-agencies-equifax-experian-and-transunion-for-transparency-about-their-handling-of-fbi-requests-for-consumer-financial-data", "In Bipartisan Letter, Senators Warren, Paul, and Wyden Ask Credit Reporting Agencies Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion for Transparency About Their Handling of FBI Requests for Consumer Financial Data", "2019-12-13", "2019", "2019-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Elizabeth Warren", "W000817", "www.warren.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "New Documents Show FBI Has Frequently Requested Sensitive Information from Credit Bureaus\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWashington, D.C. -\r\nUnited States Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Rand Paul (R-Ky.), and Ron\r\nWyden (D-Ore.) yesterday sent letters to the Chief Executive Officers of the\r\nthree major credit reporting agenciesEquifax, Experian, and TransUnionregarding\r\nthe companies' lack of transparency in their handling of consumer financial\r\ninformation requested through national security letters (NSLs) from the Federal\r\nBureau of Investigation (FBI). The letters follow the recent release of\r\ndocuments gained via a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit indicating that the\r\nthree credit reporting agencies have frequently been the recipients of such\r\nrequests. NSLs are akin to administrative subpoenas that require the\r\nrecipient to divulge information that the FBI deems relevant to national security\r\ninvestigations, which in the case of the credit agencies can even include full\r\ncredit reports. They do not require prior approval from a judge, and are frequently\r\naccompanied by nondisclosure orders preventing companies from notifying\r\nconsumers that the company has received a letter. Under the USA FREEDOM Act, companies that receive NSLs from\r\nthe FBI may publish information about the volume of NSLs they receive and\r\nrelease redacted versions of the letters if and when the nondisclosure orders\r\nare lifted by the FBI. However, while dozens of technology and\r\ntelecommunication companies have been transparent about their receipt and\r\nhandling of NSLs, Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion have not. Because your company holds so much potentially sensitive\r\ndata on so many Americans and collects this information without obtaining\r\nconsent from these individuals, you have a responsibility to be transparent\r\nabout how you handle that data, wrote the\r\nsenators in their letters. Unfortunately, your company has not provided\r\ninformation to policymakers or the public about the type or the number of\r\ndisclosures that you have made to the FBI. To gain a better understanding of the content that the credit\r\nreporting agencies share with the FBI, the senators asked the companies to\r\nanswer a series of questions about their receipt, handling, and reporting of\r\nNSLs, and asked if the companies would follow the lead of their peers and\r\nrelease regular transparency reports about NSLs. American consumers deserve to know what happens to the data\r\nthat your company collects, which can encompass all of the major financial\r\nrelationships that a consumer might have over the course of their lifetime, the senators continued.  The senators requested a response to their letter by\r\nDecember 20, 2019. Senator Warren has led efforts in the Senate to protect\r\nconsumer privacy, increase transparency and oversight, and hold consumer credit\r\nagencies accountable. In the aftermath of the massive Equifax breach\r\nin 2017, Senator Warren releasedthe\r\nfirst comprehensive review of over 20,000 consumer complaints received by\r\nCFPB in the wake of the breach and conducted a four-month long investigation that\r\nrevealed how Equifax failed to protect the personal information belonging to millions of Americans. Afterward she worked with\r\nher colleagues to take numerous oversight\r\nactions, call for stronger\r\nprotections, and in May 2019, she and the late Representative Elijah\r\nCummings (D-Md.), then-Chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform,\r\nreintroduced the bicameralData\r\nBreach Prevention and Compensation Act to hold large credit reporting\r\nagencies accountable for data breaches involving consumer data.In September 2019, Senator Warren raised\r\nconcerns with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regardingreportsthatconsumers\r\nwho opted to receive $125 in compensation as a part of the Equifax breach\r\nsettlement received suspicious-looking emails forcing them to complete\r\nadditional, complicated steps in order to receive payments, which appeared\r\ndesigned to discourage applications.She later requested\r\nan investigationof FTC's misleading Equifax settlement descriptions\r\nwhich did not advise consumers affected by the Equifax breach of the likely\r\nreduction of their settlement payments. In August 2019, sheraised\r\nquestions withCapital One regarding a\r\nmassive data breach that compromised sensitive personal information of over 100\r\nmillion Capital One customers.In October 2019, she and Senator Wydendrew\r\nattention to a vulnerability in Amazon Web Services associated with the\r\nCapital One breach; Amazon fixed\r\nthe vulnerability weeks later.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://lynch.house.gov/2019/12/chairman-lynch-seeks-info-foreign-entities-accessing-us-mobile-application-data", "Chairman Lynch Seeks Info On Foreign Entities Accessing U.S. Mobile Application Data", "2019-12-13", "2019", "2019-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Stephen F. Lynch", "L000562", "lynch.house.gov", "lynch", "https://lynch.house.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C. \u2013 Today, Rep. Stephen F. Lynch, the Chairman of the Subcommittee on National Security, sent letters to Google and Apple seeking information related to whether they require mobile application developers to disclose potential overseas affiliations before making their products available to U.S. users.\n\n\u201cCongress has a responsibility to protect the privacy of American citizens and the national security of the United States while foreign entities and governments invest in economic and technological advancement,\u201d wrote Chairman Lynch. \u201cDeliberate, thorough, and transparent oversight of foreign operated mobile applications promotes these goals.\u201d\n\nRecent reporting suggests that foreign companies and developers could be providing sensitive data to their host governments on U.S. citizens via their mobile applications, such as TikTok, Grindr, and FaceApp, creating significant national security risks.\n\n\u201cBy collecting personal information on U.S. government personnel who have access to classified information, foreign adversaries may attempt to expose them to blackmail, tailor intelligence spotting or recruitment activities to specific targets, or exert undue foreign influence in U.S. policymaking,\u201d continued Chairman Lynch. \u201cIn addition, artificial intelligence could enable foreign adversaries to manipulate user-provided data to create profiles on average U.S. citizens that could be leveraged in future military conflicts or diplomatic disputes.\u201d\n\nIn November, in response to a letter from Minority Leader Charles Schumer, the FBI wrote, \u201cThe FBI considers any mobile application or similar product developed in Russia ... to be a potential counterintelligence threat, based on the data the product collects, its privacy and terms of use policies, and the legal mechanisms available to the Government of Russia that permit access to data within Russia's borders.\u201d\n\nUnder U.S. law, mobile applications may collect massive amounts of personal, possibly sensitive information with their users\u2019 consent as a condition of service. In the United States, the data that mobile device users voluntarily share with applications is protected under the Fourth Amendment, which prohibits unreasonable government searches and seizures. However, when mobile applications are owned, operated, or developed by a foreign entity, there is a risk that foreign governments might be able to access that information, irrespective of whether the data is stored on servers in the United States or abroad.\n\n\u201cGiven the pervasiveness of smartphone technology in the United States, as well as the vast amounts of information stored on those devices, foreign adversaries may be able to collect sensitive information about U.S. citizens, which presents serious and immediate risks for U.S. national security,\u201d Chairman Lynch continued.\n\nChairman Lynch asked Google and Apple to provide information relating to whether they require mobile application developers to disclose their potential overseas affiliations before making their products available on their platforms.\n\nYou can read the letter to Google CEO Sundar Pichai here.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-06-27T23:45:33Z"], ["https://lynch.house.gov/press-release/chairman-lynch-seeks-info-foreign-entities-accessing-us-mobile-application-data", "Chairman Lynch Seeks Info On Foreign Entities Accessing U.S. Mobile Application Data", "2019-12-13", "2019", "2019-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Stephen Lynch", "L000562", "lynch.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, D.C.  Today, Rep. Stephen F. Lynch, the Chairman of the Subcommittee on National Security, sent letters to Google and Apple seeking information related to whether they require mobile application developers to disclose potential overseas affiliations before making their products available to U.S. users. \nCongress has a responsibility to protect the privacy of American citizens and the national security of the United States while foreign entities and governments invest in economic and technological advancement, wrote Chairman Lynch. Deliberate, thorough, and transparent oversight of foreign operated mobile applications promotes these goals.\nRecent reporting suggests that foreign companies and developers could be providing sensitive data to their host governments on U.S. citizens via their mobile applications, such asTikTok,Grindr, andFaceApp, creating significant national security risks.\nBy collecting personal information on U.S. government personnel who have access to classified information, foreign adversaries may attempt to expose them to blackmail, tailor intelligence spotting or recruitment activities to specific targets, or exert undue foreign influence in U.S. policymaking, continued Chairman Lynch. In addition, artificial intelligence could enable foreign adversaries to manipulate user-provided data to create profiles on average U.S. citizens that could be leveraged in future military conflicts or diplomatic disputes.\nIn November, in response to a letter from Minority Leader Charles Schumer, the FBI wrote, The FBI considers any mobile application or similar product developed in Russia ... to be a potential counterintelligence threat, based on the data the product collects, its privacy and terms of use policies, and the legal mechanisms available to the Government of Russia that permit access to data within Russia's borders.\nUnder U.S. law, mobile applications may collect massive amounts of personal, possibly sensitive information with their users' consent as a condition of service. In the United States, the data that mobile device users voluntarily share with applications is protected under the Fourth Amendment, which prohibits unreasonable government searches and seizures. However, when mobile applications are owned, operated, or developed by a foreign entity, there is a risk that foreign governments might be able to access that information, irrespective of whether the data is stored on servers in the United States or abroad.\nGiven the pervasiveness of smartphone technology in the United States, as well as the vast amounts of information stored on those devices, foreign adversaries may be able to collect sensitive information about U.S. citizens, which presents serious and immediate risks for U.S. national security, Chairman Lynch continued.\nChairman Lynch asked Google and Apple to provide information relating to whether they require mobile application developers to disclose their potential overseas affiliations before making their products available on their platforms.\nYou can read theletter to Google CEO Sundar Pichai here.\nYou can read theletter to Apple CEO Timothy Cook here.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://moulton.house.gov/press-releases/icymi-rep-moulton-grills-militarys-most-seniors-leaders-on-trumps-pardons-retreat-from-iran-deal", "ICYMI: Rep. Moulton Grills Military's Most Seniors Leaders on Trump's Pardons, Retreat from Iran Deal", "2019-12-13", "2019", "2019-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Seth Moulton", "M001196", "moulton.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "December 13, 2019\n\t\t\t ICYMI: Rep. Moulton Grills Military's Most Seniors Leaders on Trump's Pardons, Retreat from Iran Deal \n\t\t\tWASHINGTON, D.C.  Yesterday, Representative Seth Moulton (D-MA) questioned Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley, the military's highest-ranking officer, and Secretary of Defense Mark Esper, the military's civilian leader, about President Trump's decision to pardon Navy SEAL Eddie Gallagher and two other service members.Two of the three service members were convicted of offenses of the Uniformed Code of Military Justice by a jury of their peers. The third self-reported a crime.\r\nThe exchange came during a hearing of the House Armed Services Committeeabout U.S. policy in Syria on Thursday afternoon.\r\nVideo of the exchange is available here.\r\nMoulton also asked Secretary of Defense Esper about the president's decision to retreat from the Iran Deal.\r\nThe exchange came a week after Moulton published an op-ed in Time outlining the consequences of President Trump's pardoning of service members, including Gallagher.\r\nEsper recently demanded the resignation of Secretary of the Navy Richard Spencer for refusing to reinstate Gallagher's prestigious Navy SEAL insignia after the president pardoned him.\r\nFull Transcript of the Exchange: \r\nMoulton: Secretary Esper, I'd like to just start with you. Regarding Iran, it is my understanding that the administration's three objectives for Iran are: to limit their nuclear weapons capability, to deter regional aggression, and to bring Iran back to the negotiating table to get a stronger deal. Is that correct?\r\nEsper: I'm going to cast it a little bit differently, our overall goal is to get Iran to be a normal country, that behaves normally. The key aspects that we are focusing on are actually...four things. Nuclear weapons: they can't have access to nuclear weapons or the means to produce them. Number two: missiles. Number three: their aggressive, malign behavior throughout the region and beyond. And then, number four is hostage taking.\r\nMoulton: Ok so, hostage taking has never been stated before, but let's focus on the first three that we can all agree on. Since President Trump pulled out of the Iran Nuclear Deal, against the best advice of Secretary Mattis, his Secretary of Defense; Chairman Dunford, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; literally hundredshundredsof military and national security professionals; even many who were opposed to signing the deal initially but recognized the national security risk of pulling out and breaking our word as a country and breaking our word to our closest allies in the worldsince doing that, have you seen any evidence of success for the administration's strategy?\r\nEsper: Yes I have, in the context that (the) maximum pressure campaign has denied them resources because of the dramatic effect it has had on its economy. We have seen the Europeans make movements in our direction. You saw the Europeans expressing concerns about how Iran has been violating the deal\r\nMoulton: Ok I'm sorry, but Europeans aren't listed as part of the strategy. These are the goals: the goal is to limit their nuclear weapons capability, and Iran is now advancing their nuclear weapons capability. They're much closer to having a nuclear bomb than they were under the deal. International and American inspectors verified that they were following the deal. Since pulling out, Iran has advanced their nuclear weapons capability.\r\nNow the second point was deterring aggression. Now, Iran was attacking us before. I mean, Iran attacked America in Iraq. I have friends who were grievously wounded and killed by Iranian weapons in Iraq. Iran has now rejoined those attacks, and we've gone through all the ways that Iran's regional aggression has picked up. But it was pretty quiet under the deal. There's no question those attacks have picked up since we pulled out.\r\nEsper: I'm not sure that's...what we saw after the deal was consummated and their money was returned to them, what we saw was an uptick in activities and in terms of their missile production as well.\r\nMoulton: Oh wait, so you'd say there's less activity now than when we had the deal? I mean they weren't attacking Saudi oil fields. I think that's just an absurd conclusion, and that's obviously not true. Now on the third point, getting Iran to the negotiating table, we were with them at the negotiating table. We had lines of communication with them under the JCPOA. We do not have those lines of communication now. Have you seen any evidence that they are coming back to the negotiating table to negotiate a stronger deal to further limit their nuclear weapons capability?\r\nEsper: Ah..No. But...that is the aim...\r\nMoulton: Thank you Mr. Secretary.\r\nEsper: Well there's more of an answer to this question as well.\r\nMoulton: No, I understand the Administration wants to talk about the maximum pressure campaign and all the ways its hurting their economy and everything, but I'm just holding you to your stated strategy. To your stated strategy, and on all three points, the administration's strategy is failing. The administration is worse off, we are worse off, we are less safe than we were under the JCPOA. I have only a minute left so I want to make sure the general...\r\nEsper (interrupting): I'm not sure you can make that statement. I think strategies take time to play out. And I think if you look not everybody agreed to include United States...JCPOA was (inaudible)\r\nMoulton: Ok fine look Mr. Secretary, you might be right in the future, but we're looking at this today. And there's no evidence that this is working.\r\nMoulton: General Milley I'd like to just go on to you. Thank you for your earlier clarification about the three servicemen. Because, to your point, innocent until proven guilty, only two of them have been convicted of war crimes. So we have two out of three who are war criminals. Now, I received a text from a sergeant major (in the) Marines after this happened. And he said:\r\nTrump involving himself in all the cases of these guys who conducted themselves inappropriately in a combat zone like Eddie Gallagher is appalling, basically setting a precedent that the rule of law in a combat zone doesn't apply, and encourages folks to start burning villages and pillaging like Genghis Khan. And if you don't like your ruling just tell Trump personally, and he'll overturn it. The man has greatly marginalized the positions of the service leaders. \r\nIs this sergeant major of Marines wrong?\r\nMilley: I think that the Uniformed Code of Military Justice and the means by which we maintain good order and discipline are a critical element in order to maintain that capability and some level of humanity in combat zones. And, I think it's critical. I understand where the sergeant major is coming from, and I know the advice that was given, which I'm not going to share here. But, the President of the United States is part of the process, and he has the legal authorities to do what he did, and he weighed the conditions and the situations as he saw fit. He is part of the process. We do maintain and we will maintain good order and discipline. We will not turn into a gang of raping and burning and pillaging throughout as that sergeant major implies. That is not going to happen.\r\nArmed Services Committee Chairman Adam Smith:I'm sorry, but we are way overtime.\r\nMoulton: General Look, let's just be careful here. Look this is a sergeant major (in the) Marines. He got a Purple Heart and a Navy Cross and we are defending the actions of a draft dodger, our president.\r\nMilley: I am not defending anyone's actions.\r\nMilley: I respect your views and the sergeant major's views.\r\nSmith: I just want to say to conclude: Yes, the president is part of the process, but the way he is being part of the process is unhelpful as Mr. Moulton has described.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://pressley.house.gov/media/press-releases/youre-invited-equity-agenda-peoples-justice-guarantee", "You're Invited to an Equity Agenda on the People's Justice Guarantee", "2019-12-13", "2019", "2019-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Ayanna Pressley", "P000617", "pressley.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Dear friend,\nAs 2019 and my first year in Congress comes to a close, I want to invite you to a community conversation on the future of justice in this country. Last month, after engaging those most impacted by our criminal INjustice system, I introduced H. Res. 702, The People's Justice Guarantee - a bold, progressive vision for a criminal legal system that centers the humanity of all people.\nI'm proud to announce that this Sunday in Dorchester, we will be hosting anEquity Agenda event on the People's Justice Guarantee, and I want to personally invite you to attend. The lived experiences of all people, especially those most impacted by the war on drugs and mass incarceration, is critical in the creation of a truly just society.\n  \n\tOur Equity Agenda events are anchored in communities in the Massachusetts 7th and provide a safe space for us to develop intersectional, enduring solutions together. In partnership, we answer the question: In a world with no barriers, what does equity in the Massachusetts 7th look and feel like?\n\n  The People's Justice Guarantee calls for a People's Process to create a legal system that makes good on the promise of justice for all, and this workshop will be an opportunity for us to put that process into action. The event venue is wheelchair accessible, language interpretation will be provided, and there will be childcare services and food available. For more information and to RSVP to our Equity Agenda, click here: https://bit.ly/2YJvf6x I'm so grateful for your partnership and I look forward to seeing you on Sunday! Sincerely,\nAyanna Pressley\nMember of Congress", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases/senators-request-update-from-federal-agencies-on-progress-towards-issuing-long-delayed-licensing-of-marijuana-manufacturing-for-research-purposes", "Senators Request Update from Federal Agencies on Progress Towards Issuing Long-Delayed Licensing of Marijuana Manufacturing for Research Purposes", "2019-12-12", "2019", "2019-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Edward Markey", "M000133", "www.markey.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Senators Request Update from Federal Agencies on Progress Towards Issuing Long-Delayed Licensing of Marijuana Manufacturing for Research Purposes \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tThursday, December 12, 2019\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tAgencies announced they would begin to issue these licenses in 2016, delayed, and made a similar announcement again in 2019\r\n\"Evidence-based public policy is crucial to ensuring our marijuana laws best serve patients and health care providers\"\r\nText of the Letter (PDF)\r\nWashington, DC- United States Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Cory Booker (D-Conn.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), and Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.) sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), requesting an update on the progress of the federal government's efforts tofacilitateresearch on medical marijuana by issuing needed manufacturing licenses. The senators seek guidance on how the DEA will make these licenses available to qualified researchers in a timely manner given that the federal government has a unique responsibility to coordinate medical marijuana research efforts -- and hasdelayedissuing these licenses in the past.\r\n\"With millions of American adults having access to recreational marijuana and a growing number seeking the drug for medicinal purposes, the federal government is not providing the necessary leadership and tools in this developing field,\"wrote the lawmakers.\"Evidence-based public policy is crucial to ensuring our marijuana laws best serve patients and health care providers.\"\r\nThe lawmakers have requested responses no later than January 10, 2020, to better understand both the DEA's decision-making, and its work with HHS and ONDCP to expand medical marijuana research.\r\n\"This research is crucial to developing a thorough understanding of medical marijuana and would be invaluable to doctors, patients, and lawmakers across the nation,\"wrote the lawmakers.\r\nSenator Warren led similar letters to the agencies inJuly 2015,December 2015, andJune 2016requesting information on their efforts to facilitate government research on marijuana, highlighting the need for the federal government's need to take leadership and encourage cannabis research and to issue additional licenses for production for such purposes. Senator Warren has alsocalledfor the rescheduling of marijuana.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.markey.senate.gov/view/sen-markey-demands-a-vote-on-the-save-the-internet-act-to-restore-net-neutrality", "Sen. Markey Demands a Vote on the Save The Internet Act to Restore Net Neutrality", "2019-12-12", "2019", "2019-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Edward Markey", "M000133", "www.markey.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Fall River, MA \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t222 Milliken Boulevard, Suite 312  \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tFall River, MA 02721  \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tPhone: 508-677-0523", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.warren.senate.gov/oversight/letters/senator-warren-cautions-department-of-labor-against-proposing-a-weak-conflict-of-interest-rule-that-would-put-americans-hard-earned-retirement-savings-in-jeopardy", "Senator Warren Cautions Department of Labor Against Proposing a Weak Conflict-of-Interest Rule That Would Put Americans' Hard-Earned Retirement Savings in Jeopardy", "2019-12-12", "2019", "2019-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Elizabeth Warren", "W000817", "www.warren.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "\"Americans' savings should never be willfully compromised by conflicted actors operating under anemic rules - but they are.\"\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWashington, DC United States Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, yesterday wrote to Department of Labor (DOL) Secretary Eugene Scalia in anticipation of DOL's proposed replacement for the Fiduciary Rule, warning him against proposing weak conflict-of-interest standards that would allow financial advisers to put their own interests above the interests of working families saving for retirement. This month, DOL is expected to propose a replacement for the Fiduciary Rule, which the Fifth Circuit vacated last year. The Trump Administration refused to appeal that ruling. Americans' savings should never be willfully compromised by conflicted actors operating under anemic rules  but they are,Senator Warren wrote in the letter.Studies show that American familieslosebillions of dollars in retirement savings every year as a result of financial advisers who prioritize making a quick buck over helping customers trying to build a secure retirement for themselves and their families.In 2016, DOL updated its Fiduciary Ruleto protectinvestors, and during the short period the fiduciary rule was partially implemented, investors sawpositive results: firms eliminated their highest-fee products and cut prices on funds; some firms eliminated commission-based sales practices entirely. Despite its positive impact for American families, that rule was overturned by a lawsuit brought by Secretary Scalia while he was in private practice and representing the Chamber of Commerce, the broker-dealer industry, and other big business interests.After the Fiduciary Rule was defeated, DOL announced plans to write a new rule defining conflicts of interest for retirement advisors. Then-DOL Secretary Acosta suggested that the new Fiduciary Rule should mirror a deeply flawed 2019 Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) rule that governs standards of conduct for all broker-dealers and investment advisers, a troubling view Secretary Scaliaappears to share.The SEC rule weakens longstanding protections for investors and does not require broker-deals to eliminate conflicts of interest, as detailed in the letter.Given your past statements that the fiduciary rule is a matter that ought to be addressed by the SEC,' I am concerned that the DOL may simply copy the wholly inadequate standards of conduct framework developed by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in its recently-finalized Regulation Best Interest (Reg BI),wrote Senator Warren in the letter to Secretary Scalia. That would be a costly mistakethose standards not only allow broker-dealers to give clients advice that is not in their best interest, but significantly water down the longstanding fiduciary standard that has protected the clients of the investment advisers for decades. In her letter, Senator Warren asked Secretary Scalia to provide answers to her questions about DOL's rulemaking by December 18, 2019. Senator Warren has been a strong opponent of weakened conflict of interest standards:  Senator Warren and her office conducted a series of investigations in2015and2017that showed 13 of the 15 leading annuity providers offered their agents lavish, secretive kickbacks for sales to often-unwitting purchasers, including all-expenses-paid vacations, iPads, professional sports tickets, and more, creating perverse incentives for broker-dealers to sell whatever products reap them the greatest personal reward, even if it comes at the expense of peoples' savings.She drew attention to lobbying and special interest tactics aimed at weakening the rules proposed in 2015-2016. For instance, when Brookings Non-Resident Fellow Robert Litan testified before Congress in 2015 about a study he authored asserting that the DOL Fiduciary Rule could cost consumers $80 billion, a figure the financial industry amplified in their own arguments against the rule, Senator Warrenrevealedhis work was backed  financially and editorially -- by those same special interests opposing the reforms. Litan later resigned from Brookings.She advocated for the tougher Fiduciary rule publicly,writingan op-ed in 2016 with Senator Cory Booker (D-N.J.) to argue the urgent need for the reforms.In 2016, Senator Warren and now-Chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee Congressman Bobby Scott (D-V.A.)releaseda Government Accountability Office study that underscored the importance of working people having sound investment advice that is in their best interest.In January 2017, Senator Warren asked 33 financial institutions whether they supported a roll back of the financial advisor conflict of interest rules, and in September 2017invokedstatements from CEOs that the rule was in the best interest of their customers, while urging then Labor Secretary Alexander Acosta to avoid further delay and implement the new rules.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.warren.senate.gov/oversight/letters/senators-request-update-from-federal-agencies-on-progress-towards-issuing-long-delayed-licensing-of-marijuana-manufacturing-for-research-purposes", "Senators Request Update from Federal Agencies on Progress Towards Issuing Long-Delayed Licensing of Marijuana Manufacturing for Research Purposes", "2019-12-12", "2019", "2019-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Elizabeth Warren", "W000817", "www.warren.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "December 12, 2019\n\t\t\t Senators Request Update from Federal Agencies on Progress Towards Issuing Long-Delayed Licensing of Marijuana Manufacturing for Research Purposes \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n        \n\t\t\t\t Agencies announced they would begin to issue these licenses in 2016, delayed, and made a similar announcement again in 2019; \"Evidence-based public policy is crucial to ensuring our marijuana laws best serve patients and health care providers\"\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWashington, DC - United States Senators Elizabeth Warren\r\n(D-Mass.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), Kirsten Gillibrand\r\n(D-N.Y.), Cory Booker (D-Conn.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Edward J. Markey\r\n(D-Mass.), and Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.) sent a letter to the U.S. Department of\r\nHealth and Human Services (HHS), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and\r\nthe White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), requesting an\r\nupdate on the progress of the federal government's efforts to facilitate\r\nresearch on medical marijuana by issuing needed manufacturing licenses. The\r\nsenators seek guidance on how the DEA will make these licenses available to\r\nqualified researchers in a timely manner given that the federal government has\r\na unique responsibility to coordinate medical marijuana research efforts -- and\r\nhas delayed\r\nissuing these licenses in the past.\"With millions of American adults having access to recreational\r\nmarijuana and a growing number seeking the drug for medicinal purposes, the\r\nfederal government is not providing the necessary leadership and tools in this\r\ndeveloping field,\" wrote the lawmakers.\r\n\"Evidence-based public policy is crucial to ensuring our marijuana laws\r\nbest serve patients and health care providers.\"The lawmakers have requested responses no later than January 10, 2020, to\r\nbetter understand both the DEA's decision-making, and its work with HHS and\r\nONDCP to expand medical marijuana research.\"This research is crucial to developing a thorough understanding of\r\nmedical marijuana and would be invaluable to doctors, patients, and lawmakers\r\nacross the nation,\" wrote the lawmakers.Senator Warren led similar letters to the agencies in July\r\n2015, December\r\n2015, and June\r\n2016 requesting information on their efforts to facilitate government\r\nresearch on marijuana, highlighting the need for the federal government's need\r\nto take leadership and encourage cannabis research and to issue additional\r\nlicenses for production for such purposes. Senator Warren has also called\r\nfor the rescheduling of marijuana. \r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n###   \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://kennedy.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases/house-passes-kennedy-amendment-strengthening-pharma-ehtics", "HOUSE PASSES KENNEDY AMENDMENT STRENGTHENING PHARMA EHTICS", "2019-12-12", "2019", "2019-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Joseph Kennedy", "K000379", "kennedy.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "December 12, 2019\n\t\t\t HOUSE PASSES KENNEDY AMENDMENT STRENGTHENING PHARMA EHTICS \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t Amendment would prohibit conflict of interests for HHS Secretaries in drug negotiations\n\t\t\t Washington, D.C.  Congressman Joe Kennedy III today applauded the unanimous passage of his amendment to prohibit conflicts of interest in Medicare prescription drug negotiations as part of the Elijah E. Cummings Lower Drug Costs Now Act. Kennedy's amendment would force the General Counsel of the Department of Health and Human Services to identify conflicts of interest that could impact drug negotiations.  If a Secretary has built a career increasing prices on insulin and countless other drugs while working for a large pharma company, the profits of a former employer may influence negotiations more than the health of American patients. As we grant the Secretary of Health and Human Services the authority to negotiate drug prices, we should never question the motives behind those decisions. Because of this amendment, patients benefiting from HR 3 would know that their interests and their health will guide the negotiations taking place on their behalf. To read Congressman Kennedy's amendment, please click here.  ###\r\nFor Immediate Release:December 12, 2019\r\nContact:  Dan Black (202) 225-5931 \n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n \n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://kennedy.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases/kennedy-demands-federal-regulators-halt-weymouth-compressor-construction", "KENNEDY DEMANDS FEDERAL REGULATORS HALT WEYMOUTH COMPRESSOR CONSTRUCTION", "2019-12-12", "2019", "2019-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Joseph Kennedy", "K000379", "kennedy.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "December 12, 2019\n\t\t\t KENNEDY DEMANDS FEDERAL REGULATORS HALT WEYMOUTH COMPRESSOR CONSTRUCTION \n\t\t\tWashington, D.C.  In a letter to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), Congressman Joe Kennedy III today demanded an immediate halt on construction of the Weymouth Compressor Station. Citing reduced market demand for the project, Kennedy wrote that these changing circumstances required FERC to issue a Stop Work Order and review previous approvals. Federal energy regulators should have never approved construction of the Weymouth Compressor Station and decreased market demand only underscores their initial mistake. With at least two companies claiming the station is unnecessary to meet customer demand, federal regulators must immediately halt construction and review outdated, faulty approvals. It is time for these regulators to listen to the voices and concerns of the citizens and community who will be impacted most by their oversight. To read Congressman Kennedy's letter, please click here.  ###\r\nFor Immediate Release:December 12, 2019\r\nContact:  Dan Black (202) 225-5931 \n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n \n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://lynch.house.gov/2019/12/rep-lynch-votes-decrease-prescription-drug-prices-house-passage-hr3", "Rep. Lynch Votes To Decrease Prescription Drug Prices With House Passage of H.R.3", "2019-12-12", "2019", "2019-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Stephen F. Lynch", "L000562", "lynch.house.gov", "lynch", "https://lynch.house.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C. \u2013 Today, Congressman Stephen F. Lynch (MA-08) voted to pass H.R.3, the Elijah E. Cummings Lower Drug Costs Now Act, which will help bring down the cost of prescription drugs and strengthen the health and financial security of Americans and their families. This bill will give Medicare the power to negotiate directly with drug companies and will make those lower drug prices transparent so that private insurance companies can make the same prices available to their consumers. H.R. 3 would also create a new $2,000 out-of-pocket limit on prescription drug costs for Medicare beneficiaries and reinvests all the money saved directly into improving Medicare.\n\n\u201cMany constituents in my district, and all over Massachusetts, are facing skyrocketing prescription drug prices that threaten their health, well-being and cause them significant financial hardships,\u201d said Rep. Lynch. \u201cNo hard working American should have to choose between purchasing a life-saving medication or paying for basic needs such as food, clothing and heat in the wintertime. I was proud to vote for H.R.3 today and I am pleased to see the bill invests the money it saves into expanding Medicare\u2019s benefits to include dental, vision, and hearing; as well as assisting innovation in the search for new cures and treatments and helping combat the opioid crisis. I urge the Senate to take up and pass H.R.3 and send it to the President\u2019s desk for his signature.\u201d\n\nIn the 8th Congressional District of Massachusetts, there are 104,880 people enrolled in a Medicare Part D plan and 588,253 people enrolled in private health insurance \u2013 all of whom stand to benefit from H.R.3. Additionally, those living with diabetes, cancer, arthritis, asthma, HIV/AIDS, and multiple sclerosis are expected to experience the following significant savings as a result of H.R.3:\n\nDiabetes: Over 30 million Americans live with diabetes, including 506,608 people in Massachusetts. H.R.3 can lower the average total cost of the insulin medication NovoLOG Flexpen by 76%\n\nLeukemia: In 2019, an estimated 1,140 people in Massachusetts will be diagnosed with leukemia. H.R.3 can lower the average total cost of the leukemia medication Tasigna by 71%\n\nBreast cancer: In 2019, an estimated 6,610 women in Massachusetts will be diagnosed with breast cancer. H.R.3 can lower the average total cost of the breast cancer medication Ibrance by 65%\n\nProstate cancer: In 2019, an estimated 2,710 people in Massachusetts will be diagnosed with prostate cancer. H.R.3 can lower the average total cost of the prostate cancer medication Zytiga by 66%\n\nArthritis: 22% of Massachusetts residents have arthritis, and H.R.3 can lower their total costs on most arthritis drugs from about $40,000 to $10,000 per year\n\nAsthma: About 11.5% of Massachusetts residents live with asthma, and H.R.3 can lower their total costs on most asthma drugs from about $1,400 to $270 per year\n\nHIV/AIDS: In 2015, 605 Massachusetts residents were diagnosed with HIV, and H.R.3 can lower their total costs on most HIV drugs from about $15,000 to $6,000 per year\n\nMultiple Sclerosis (MS): One million people are living with MS in the United States, and H.R.3 can lower their total costs on most MS drugs from about $40,000 to $13,000 per year\n\nIn addition to lowering prescription drug prices, H.R.3 also reinvests savings into expanding Medicare coverage for dental, vision, and hearing services for constituents in the 8th Congressional District of Massachusetts:", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-06-27T23:45:33Z"]], "truncated": false, "filtered_table_rows_count": 1871, "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": "MA", "p2": "2019"}}, "facet_results": {"party": {"name": "party", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/press/releases.json?party=Democrat&state=MA&year=2019", "results": [{"value": "Democrat", "label": "Democrat", "count": 1871, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?state=MA&year=2019", "selected": true}], "truncated": false}, "chamber": {"name": "chamber", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/press/releases.json?party=Democrat&state=MA&year=2019", "results": [{"value": "House", "label": "House", "count": 1871, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?party=Democrat&state=MA&year=2019&chamber=House", "selected": false}], "truncated": false}, "state": {"name": "state", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/press/releases.json?party=Democrat&state=MA&year=2019", "results": [{"value": "MA", "label": "MA", "count": 1871, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?party=Democrat&year=2019", "selected": true}], "truncated": false}, "year": {"name": "year", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/press/releases.json?party=Democrat&state=MA&year=2019", "results": [{"value": "2019", "label": "2019", "count": 1871, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?party=Democrat&state=MA", "selected": true}], "truncated": false}}, "suggested_facets": [], "next": "2019-12-12,https~3A~2F~2Flynch~2Ehouse~2Egov~2F2019~2F12~2Frep-lynch-votes-decrease-prescription-drug-prices-house-passage-hr3", "next_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?party=Democrat&state=MA&year=2019&_next=2019-12-12%2Chttps~3A~2F~2Flynch~2Ehouse~2Egov~2F2019~2F12~2Frep-lynch-votes-decrease-prescription-drug-prices-house-passage-hr3&_sort_desc=date", "private": false, "allow_execute_sql": true, "query_ms": 281.34856233373284, "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"}