{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "is_view": false, "human_description_en": "where party = \"Democrat\", state = \"PA\" and year = 2026 sorted by date descending", "rows": [["https://www.fetterman.senate.gov/fetterman-leads-colleagues-in-letter-to-hud-urging-implementation-of-whole-home-repairs-law/", "Fetterman Leads Colleagues in Letter to HUD Urging Implementation of Whole Home Repairs Law", "2026-09-30", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "Senate", "PA", "John Fetterman", "F000479", "www.fetterman.senate.gov", "fetterman", "https://www.fetterman.senate.gov/press-release/", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2014 Today, U.S. Senator John Fetterman (D-PA) led his colleagues in a letter to U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Scott Turner urging an establishment of a Whole Home Repairs program through the Office of Lead Hazard Control and Healthy Homes. The letter was cosigned by U.S. Senator Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) and U.S. Representative Nikema Williams (GA-5).\n\n\u201cAlmost 7 million Americans live in homes that are in need of significant repair, with deficiencies including leaky roofs, faulty wiring, and mold. This is an issue that disproportionately affects America\u2019s seniors, many of whom would like to downsize but do not want to sell the home at a steep discount due to the updates required. As we saw in Commonwealth of Pennsylvania\u2019s successful Whole Home Repairs program, providing grants for repairs allowed seniors to sell larger homes to growing families,\u201d wrote the members of Congress.\n\nPennsylvania\u2019s program provided grants and forgivable loans to help homeowners and small landlords repair and weatherize their properties. The Pennsylvania program also supported training and pre-apprenticeship programs to create jobs and build a skilled workforce for the future. As the result of a bipartisan and bicameral effort, the Whole-Home Repairs Act was signed into law with the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act. The Whole Home Repairs pilot program will provide renovation and repair grants to homeowners and small landlords. This will help ensure America\u2019s aging homes do not fall out of the housing supply.\n\n\u201cThe language in the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act authorizes you to operate a Whole Home Repairs program through 2031. We want to show the nation that repairing America\u2019s crumbling homes is not a red or blue issue. Creating greater access to housing is an American issue. Any delays will mean millions of American families may never realize the benefit of this program. We were proud to help the Whole Home Repairs bill become law, and we stand ready to support you in making it a reality for Americans,\u201d continued the members.\n\nRead the full text of the letter below and here.\n\n\u2014\n\nDear Secretary Turner,\n\nWe write to urge you to establish a Whole Home Repairs program through the Office of Lead Hazard Control and Healthy Homes. We were proud to vote for the historic 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act to improve access to affordable homeownership in America. This law includes our bill to create a Whole Home Repairs pilot program, which will provide renovation and repair grants to homeowners and ensure America\u2019s aging homes do not fall out of the housing supply.\n\nAlmost 7 million Americans live in homes that are in need of significant repair, with deficiencies including leaky roofs, faulty wiring, and mold. This is an issue that disproportionately affects America\u2019s seniors, many of whom would like to downsize but do not want to sell the home at a steep discount due to the updates required. As we saw in Commonwealth of Pennsylvania\u2019s successful Whole Home Repairs program, providing grants for repairs allowed seniors to sell larger homes to growing families.\n\nThe language in the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act authorizes you to operate a Whole Home Repairs program through 2031. We want to show the nation that repairing America\u2019s crumbling homes is not a red or blue issue. Creating greater access to housing is an American issue. Any delays will mean millions of American families may never realize the benefit of this program. We were proud to help the Whole Home Repairs bill become law, and we stand ready to support you in making it a reality for Americans.\n\nGiven the importance of establishing the Congressionally-authorized Whole Home Repairs program, we request a meeting with the Office of Lead Hazard Control for our staff to discuss how it plans to implement this program. Specifically, we want to discuss how it plans to utilize appropriated funds and manage streamlining and reporting requirements. Thank you for your consideration.\n\nSincerely,", 1, "2026-10-01T11:23:28Z", "2026-10-01T11:25:15Z"], ["http://houlahan.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=5228", "Rep. Houlahan Boards USS Lincoln at Sea, Finds Service Members Endured Grueling Deployment for Trump and Hegseth\u2019s Unjustified Iran War", "2026-09-29", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "PA", "Chrissy Houlahan", "H001085", "houlahan.house.gov", "houlahan", "https://houlahan.house.gov/news/rss.aspx", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Representative Chrissy Houlahan (PA-06) joined a bipartisan Congressional embark led by Acting Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao to visit the sailors of the USS Lincoln as they traveled home from the Middle East to the ship\u2019s San Diego base.\n\nSailors on this deployment spent a record-breaking 321 days at sea, and 200 of those days without a single stop at a port of call. The original deployment was supposed to be to be for six months, with port calls roughly once a month. Rep. Houlahan, the lead Democrat on the House Military Personnel Subcommittee, sought answers about conditions on the USS Lincoln following reports of a grueling tempo of operations, inadequate food and showers, and far more suicide attempts than experienced in similar deployments.\n\n\u201cFirst and foremost, we have remarkable, talented, and resilient men and women in service of this country,\u201d said Rep. Houlahan. \u201cI had the opportunity to meet with support services, officers, and enlisted service members \u2013 including some who are my constituents from PA-06. I learned what went right and what went wrong. For the sake of our troops\u2019 safety and security, many of the lessons, personnel details, and adjustments to be made cannot be shared publicly.\u201d\n\n\u201cI will say this: no servicemember should ever feel like they have been denied decent treatment. Ever. And not one family member back home should have to worry that their loved one is not being treated well,\u201d Rep. Houlahan continued. \u201cBut the real problem here goes beyond the USS Lincoln and beyond the stressors our troops face in times of war. The problem is the war itself.\u201d\n\n\u201cPresident Trump and Secretary Hegseth have waged war with Iran for over seven months, despite neither the American public nor Congress approving it. If we ask our servicemembers to endure conditions like those on the USS Lincoln, we must be absolutely sure that their sacrifices are necessary and justified,\u201d Rep. Houlahan concluded. \u201cThis Administration\u2019s failure to prove that is an insult to the sailors I met this weekend, and to all of our brave men and women in uniform.\u201d\n\nRead Rep. Houlahan\u2019s full reflection on her USS Lincoln visit here.", 1, "2026-09-30T10:57:52Z", "2026-09-30T10:59:04Z"], ["https://deluzio.house.gov/media/press-releases/deluzio-announces-october-town-hall-tour-across-western-pennsylvania", "Deluzio Announces October Town Hall Tour Across Western Pennsylvania", "2026-09-29", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "PA", "Christopher R. Deluzio", "D000530", "deluzio.house.gov", "deluzio", "https://deluzio.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "CARNEGIE, PA \u2013 Today, Congressman Chris Deluzio (PA-17) announced his upcoming three-part October Town Hall Tour across Pennsylvania\u2019s 17th Congressional District. These events are a chance for residents from Pennsylvania\u2019s 17th Congressional District to share their opinions with Congressman Deluzio and hear directly from their elected voice in the U.S. House of Representatives. Congressman Deluzio regularly participates in open-question town hall events, with more than twenty such events during the current congressional session alone (2025-2026).\n\n\u201cA lot has happened down in Washington this year,\u201d said Congressman Deluzio. \u201cFrom the White House launching this reckless Iran War and ballooning the national debt, to devastating healthcare and SNAP cuts across our Commonwealth\u2014there is a lot to discuss. Now, I\u2019m home from Washington to hear directly from Western Pennsylvanians by launching my October Town Hall Tour. The tour is kicking off in Penn Hills on Monday, October 5th and will also stop in Carnegie and Beaver Falls. Hope to see you this October!\u201d\n\nCongressman Deluzio\u2019s entire October Town Hall Tour is open to the public and the press upon RSVP. Each event has a limited capacity, and registration will be first come, first served. This is an event hosted by the congressional office. Members of the public can RSVP to next Monday\u2019s Penn Hills stop of Deluzio\u2019s October Town Hall Tour at bit.ly/DeluzioPennHills. The Carnegie stop of the Town Hall will be on Tuesday, October 13th at 5:30 PM and the third stop of the Town Hall Tour will be in Beaver Falls on Saturday, October 17th at 2:00PM.\n\nMembers of the press should RSVP by emailing or calling Communications Director Zoe Bluffstone at pa17comms@mail.house.gov or 202-225-2301.\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-30T10:57:52Z", "2026-09-30T10:59:04Z"], ["https://www.fetterman.senate.gov/fetterman-announces-1-44-million-in-funding-for-williamsport-water-tank-replacement-project/", "Fetterman Announces $1.44 Million in Funding for Williamsport Water Tank Replacement Project", "2026-09-29", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "Senate", "PA", "John Fetterman", "F000479", "www.fetterman.senate.gov", "fetterman", "https://www.fetterman.senate.gov/press-release/", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2014 Today, U.S. Senator John Fetterman (D-PA) announced $1,440,000 from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to the Williamsport Municipal Water Authority (WMWA) for a tank replacement. This funding was secured by Senator Fetterman, through the EPA\u2019s Community Grants program, to have their aging water tank replaced, bolstering water service reliability for over 51,000 customers.\n\n\u201cOne of my highest priorities is securing federal investments that lower costs for Pennsylvania families and businesses. I was proud to support WMWA in its efforts to replace its 100+ year old water storage tank. This investment will improve water service reliability for generations to come and puts ratepayers first,\u201d said Senator Fetterman.\n\n\u201cThe Williamsport Municipal Water Authority is extremely grateful to Senator John Fetterman for providing this grant opportunity and for recognizing the importance of investing in critical water infrastructure. The Authority also thanks EPA for their support and assistance throughout the grant process and construction of this project. Their efforts helped make this investment in our community possible. Maintaining and investing in critical water infrastructure is essential to the health, safety and future of our community. Reliable water service is something people often take for granted, but it requires constant investment to ensure our system remains safe, dependable, and resilient for generations to come,\u201d said Michael D. Miller, Executive Director of the Williamsport Municipal Water Authority.\n\nSenator Fetterman was the sole supporter of this award in the FY24 Congressionally Directed Spending process.", 1, "2026-09-30T10:57:52Z", "2026-09-30T10:59:04Z"], ["https://www.fetterman.senate.gov/fetterman-celebrates-teamsters-local-500s-new-contract-with-quaker-valley-foods-2/", "Fetterman Celebrates Teamsters Local 500\u2019s New Contract with Quaker Valley Foods", "2026-09-29", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "Senate", "PA", "John Fetterman", "F000479", "www.fetterman.senate.gov", "fetterman", "https://www.fetterman.senate.gov/press-release/", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2014 Today, after the announcement of a new contract agreement between Teamsters Local 500 and Quaker Valley Foods, U.S. Senator John Fetterman (D-PA) released the following statement:\n\n\u201cThe members of Teamsters Local 500 work year-round to move food up and down the East Coast. This deal with Quaker Valley gives them what we all deserve: a dignified retirement. Sending my congratulations to everyone who stood together in fighting for this new contract.\u201d\n\nTeamsters Local 500 represents nearly 70 Quaker Valley Foods employees in Northeast Philadelphia, including the roughly 35 truck drivers who began striking on August 5, 2026. These workers fought for and secured stable retirement benefits, in the form of a hybrid annuity, as part of their new contract with the food distributor.", 1, "2026-09-30T10:57:52Z", "2026-09-30T10:59:04Z"], ["https://boyle.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/icymi-boyle-unveils-new-legislation-support-firefighter-health-and", "ICYMI: Boyle Unveils New Legislation to Support Firefighter Health and Wellness", "2026-09-28", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "PA", "Brendan F. Boyle", "B001296", "boyle.house.gov", "boyle", "https://boyle.house.gov/media-center/press-releases", "scraper", "PHILADELPHIA, PA \u2013 Today, Congressman Brendan F. Boyle (PA-02) joined Philadelphia firefighters and local labor leaders at IAFF Local 22 to unveil the Public Safety Wellness Tax Credit Act, new federal legislation to improve health protections for the firefighters who put their lives on the line to keep the public safe. Boyle\u2019s bipartisan legislation would create a federal tax credit for publicly funded, not-for-profit fire and EMS agencies that offer preventive medical and behavioral health programs.\n\n\u201cFirefighters put their lives and their health on the line every single day to protect us,\u201d said Congressman Boyle. \u201cThe risks of the job can stay with firefighters long after they're on the job. Years or decades into retirement, they can feel the adverse health effects of such a difficult job. That is why I'm proud to announce new legislation that is focused on one simple goal: helping firefighters stay safe and get healthier. I think it's our moral obligation as a society to ensure that they get those services they need and that they've earned.\u201d\n\nFirefighters are at increased risk for occupational illnesses\u2014including cancer, cardiac events, and post-traumatic stress. Congressman Boyle\u2019s new targeted tax credit would improve firefighter health outcomes and reduce long-term municipal costs. To be eligible, fire and EMS agencies must be publicly operated and explicitly codify preventive health and wellness services through collective bargaining agreements (CBAs) with their employees.\n\nBoyle was joined at today\u2019s announcement by Mike Bresnan, President of the Philadelphia Firefighters\u2019 & Paramedics\u2019 Union, International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) Local 22, members of IAFF Local 22, and other local labor leaders.\n\n\u201cI just want to take a moment to thank Congressman Boyle. He's always been there for us when we need some help with something,\u201d said IAFF Local 22 President Mike Bresnan. \u201cI want to thank Congressman Boyle for stepping up and spearheading this, and hopefully everybody gets on board and supports this.\u201d\n\nThe Public Safety Wellness Tax Credit Act is co-led in the House by Congressman Mike Carey (OH-15).", 1, "2026-09-29T11:07:12Z", "2026-09-29T11:08:49Z"], ["https://www.fetterman.senate.gov/fetterman-joins-senate-colleagues-in-letter-to-dhs-on-election-interference/", "Fetterman Joins Senate Colleagues in Letter to DHS on Election Interference", "2026-09-28", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "Senate", "PA", "John Fetterman", "F000479", "www.fetterman.senate.gov", "fetterman", "https://www.fetterman.senate.gov/press-release/", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2014 U.S. Senator John Fetterman (D-PA), a member of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, joined his Senate colleagues in sending a letter to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Markwayne Mullin urging the Department to halt its efforts in asserting federal control over and undermining public trust in the 2026 midterm elections. The senators demanded information substantiating Mullin\u2019s public claims about noncitizens who registered to vote, called on DHS to rescind new election-related conditions on Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) homeland security grants, release the full grant funding to states, and end the alleged \u201cUnlawful Voter Initiative\u201d disclosed by a recent whistleblower.\n\n\u201cWe write to warn you against continued activities at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) that seek to undermine the Constitutional authority of both Congress and states to administer elections and defy the directions of federal courts. As Secretary of Homeland Security, you have promoted the President\u2019s conspiracy theories about our elections, pressured states to participate in illegal activities, and explicitly threatened to reduce grant funding and initiate criminal investigations for those states that do not comply with the Administration\u2019s demands,\u201d the senators wrote.\n\nIn their letter, the senators raised concerns about Mullin\u2019s unsupported claim that 250,000 noncitizens were registered to vote in four states, including Pennsylvania, and criticized DHS efforts to pressure states to provide sensitive voter roll information to be run through the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) program, despite the Administration\u2019s acknowledgment of problems with the underlying data. The senators also objected to new election-related conditions on FEMA\u2019s Homeland Security Grant Program, which have been retroactively applied to previously awarded Fiscal Year 2025 funding and are threatening Fiscal Year 2026 funding. By threatening to withhold funding that communities rely on to prevent acts of terrorism and other threats, Mullin is putting Americans\u2019 safety at risk as political leverage.\n\nThe senators also highlighted allegations from a federal whistleblower about an effort referred to as the \u201cUnlawful Voter Initiative.\u201d According to the whistleblower, USCIS personnel were allegedly directed to use sensitive, personally identifiable information and improperly access state voter registration websites to find non-citizen voters. The whistleblower also alleged that personnel were directed to create law enforcement records using incomplete and unverifiable data for potential referral to law enforcement.\n\n\u201cAccording to the whistleblower, USCIS staff were given a list of names and told to use sensitive personally identifiable information to impersonate voters and access state voter registration websites to verify individuals\u2019 immigration and voter registration statuses. Equipped with incomplete and unverifiable data compiled with \u2018supplemental magic,\u2019 USCIS staff are allegedly being directed to create law enforcement records on individuals, including U.S. citizens, for possible referral to HSI for further investigation,\u201d the senators wrote. \u201cIf true, this is just another alarming effort by the Department to use data that USCIS materials admit may be inaccurate, coupled with questionable means to potentially disenfranchise voters.\u201d\n\nThe senators called on Mullin to immediately provide all information substantiating his July 17, 2026 allegations regarding noncitizens who registered to vote, rescind FEMA Information Bulletin Nos. 569 and 569(a) and release all withheld funds to states without further delay; and provide information about the \u201cUnlawful Voter Initiative\u201d and immediately cease its activities.\n\n\u201cThe 2026 midterm elections are already underway. Your unsubstantiated allegations of noncitizen voter fraud, public recitation of unreliable data, and unwarranted conditioning of continued grant funding for state election security measures on compliance with politically motivated requests for voter data appear to be calculated efforts to undermine confidence in our elections and risks wrongly disenfranchising voters,\u201d the senators wrote.\n\nSenator Fetterman has been unequivocally clear that our elections are absolutely secure, fair, and accurate. In April, he joined his colleagues in a letter to the United States Postal Service (USPS) Board of Governors and Postmaster General David Steiner urging them not to implement the March executive order that sought to transform USPS into an election administration agency with the power to determine who can vote by mail and to establish ballot specifications. In June following the Board\u2019s issuance of the proposed rule in response to the executive order, Senator Fetterman again joined his colleagues in a second letter urging the Board and Postmaster General Steiner to withdraw the proposed rule. Senate Democrats sent a third letter on September 4 after USPS finalized its rule to implement the vote-by-mail executive order.\n\nAs recently as the end of September, Senator Fetterman continued to urge that our elections are safe and secure, including vote-by-mail. At the Texas Tribune Festival last week, he highlighted that the \u201cbest examples of vote-by-mail come from red states.\u201d He continued the conversation saying, \u201cif the only time you criticize voting is if it means you lost, that means it\u2019s impossible to take that seriously.\u201d\n\nRead the full text of the senators\u2019 September letter to DHS below and here.\n\n\u2014\n\nDear Secretary Mullin:\n\nWe write to warn you against continued activities at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) that seek to undermine the Constitutional authority of both Congress and states to administer elections and defy the directions of federal courts. As Secretary of Homeland Security, you have promoted the President\u2019s conspiracy theories about our elections, pressured states to participate in illegal activities, and explicitly threatened to reduce grant funding and initiate criminal investigations for those states that do not comply with the Administration\u2019s demands.\n\nYou have been unwilling to publicly affirm that you will not send U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) or Customs and Border Protection (CBP) personnel to the polls, despite federal law barring their presence. Most recently, you deployed Homeland Security Investigation (HSI) agents across nine states for a \u201ccoordinated criminal voter fraud surge initiative,\u201d despite the lack of verifiable evidence of widespread noncitizen voter fraud. Your actions as Secretary are intentionally undermining Americans\u2019 trust in the 2026 midterm elections and appear to purposefully disenfranchise eligible voters. Taken together, these actions amount to an illegal attempt to federalize the administration of the upcoming midterm elections.\n\nAt the direction of President Trump, you have endeavored to coerce states into divulging sensitive voter roll information, raising serious concerns about how that information will be stored and used. On March 25, 2025, President Trump issued Executive Order No. 14248, which required DHS to compare state voter registration lists against federal immigration databases. The Executive Order was followed by an overhaul of the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) program, which transformed the program from one used for individual benefits eligibility checks to a system that could carry out bulk searches of records using Social Security numbers. Since then, DHS has repeatedly pressured states to share their voter rolls and run them through the modified SAVE program, despite legal concerns and known accuracy issues. You have exerted this pressure despite the fact that U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), which administers the SAVE program, has acknowledged that its results can be inaccurate. Additionally, the Social Security Administration (SSA) has acknowledged that its citizenship data for naturalized citizens \u2013 which is used by the SAVE program \u2013 is incomplete and unreliable. Even though the Supreme Court has allowed you to use the SAVE program for now, we remind you of the requirement of the National Voter Registration Act, 52 U. S. C. \u00a720507(c)(2)(A) that bars any systematic removal of ineligible voters within 90 days of Election Day.\n\nOn July 17, 2026, you claimed, without evidence, that 250,000 non-citizens were registered to vote in four states. This claim has been refuted by states and even by other administration officials. For example, you claimed that around 16,000 noncitizens illegally registered to vote in Nevada, but later, other DHS officials alleged the number was only 185. A subsequent review by Nevada state officials found all 185 individuals were U.S. citizens. These states did not agree to give you their sensitive state voter roll information and judges in each state dismissed the Department of Justice\u2019s efforts to access that information. Moreover, elections experts have challenged the legitimacy of these numbers. Considering the inaccuracies in SSA\u2019s citizenship categorizations and the questions surrounding how you obtained the voter roll information needed to analyze this data, we cannot trust the numbers as reported.\n\nFurther, under your leadership, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) recently added new terms and conditions to fiscal year (FY) 2025 and 2026 Urban Area Security Initiative and State Homeland Security Grant Program awards. These are grants provided to states to help them protect their communities from terrorism and other hazards. In the FY 2025 Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), FEMA mandated that 3% of the target allocations for these grants be spent on enhancing election security, including critical activities like hardening election locations. Now, after FY25 agreements have already been signed, this Administration is threatening to withhold a percentage of the funding hostage if recipients do not meet these new, specious requirements, despite serious legal and implementation concerns. FEMA also added requirements to the recently released FY26 Homeland Security Grant Program NOFO, conditioning 20% of the full amount of the grants on states\u2019 compliance with election requirements that states have contested in litigation. DHS\u2019s continued interference with FEMA\u2019s grants puts FEMA\u2019s mission at risk, slows down the administration of grants, and ultimately hurts communities.\n\nNow, a federal whistleblower has alleged that, at the direction of DHS and USCIS leadership, the component\u2019s Fraud Detection and National Security Directorate staff may have violated laws and DHS policies in furtherance of a new \u201cUnlawful Voter Initiative.\u201d According to the whistleblower, USCIS staff were given a list of names and told to use sensitive personally identifiable information to impersonate voters and access state voter registration websites to verify individuals\u2019 immigration and voter registration statuses. Equipped with incomplete and unverifiable data compiled with \u201csupplemental magic,\u201d USCIS staff are allegedly being directed to create law enforcement records on individuals, including U.S. citizens, for possible referral to HSI for further investigation. If true, this is just another alarming effort by the Department to use data that USCIS materials admit may be inaccurate, coupled with questionable means to potentially disenfranchise voters.\n\nThe 2026 midterm elections are already underway. Your unsubstantiated allegations of noncitizen voter fraud, public recitation of unreliable data, and unwarranted conditioning of continued grant funding for state election security measures on compliance with politically motivated requests for voter data appear to be calculated efforts to undermine confidence in our elections and risks wrongly disenfranchising voters.\n\nWe are deeply troubled by the actions that you, DHS, and the Trump Administration have taken. As such, we demand that you immediately cease the aforementioned activities and provide us with all information underpinning the allegations made in your July 17, 2026, letter regarding non-citizens registered to vote, rescind Information Bulletin Nos. 569 and 569(a), release all withheld funds to the states without further delay, and provide information about the \u201cUnlawful Voter Initiative.\u201d\n\nThank you for your prompt attention and cooperation in this matter.\n\nSincerely,", 1, "2026-09-29T11:07:12Z", "2026-09-29T11:08:49Z"], ["https://www.fetterman.senate.gov/news-fetterman-colleagues-urge-health-department-to-reinstate-teen-pregnancy-prevention-program-grants/", "Fetterman, Colleagues Urge Health Department to Reinstate Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program Grants", "2026-09-28", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "Senate", "PA", "John Fetterman", "F000479", "www.fetterman.senate.gov", "fetterman", "https://www.fetterman.senate.gov/press-release/", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2014 After penning a July letter to top officials at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) urging the reconsideration of the termination of grants awarded to Pennsylvania organizations for the Teen Pregnancy Prevention (TPP) Program, U.S. Senator John Fetterman (D-PA) joined his colleagues in an additional bicameral letter to push the Department to reinstate the funding.\n\n\u201cAs the fiscal year rapidly comes to an end on September 30, we are very concerned that your Department has failed to distribute over $100 million of the $101 million in funding Congress provided for the Teen Pregnancy Prevention (TPP) Program. Your decision to terminate the vast majority of existing TPP grants this summer and your attempts to distort the program and impose illegal conditions on grant recipients have already halted critical work being done in states across the country to prevent teen pregnancy. While the court will prevent the funding from lapsing, grantees still need access to those funds to sustain their operations and serve their communities,\u201dwrote the members.\n\nThe TPP program is a national, evidence-based program that helps improve reproductive health outcomes, promote positive relationships, and support healthy environments for youth across the country. TPP grants fund organizations that provide evidence-based teen pregnancy prevention and sexual health education to more than 10,000 Pennsylvanians. Two organizations, Family Health Council of Central Pennsylvania and AccessMatters, serve 24 counties in the Commonwealth that use funds from TPP grants.\n\nIn June, HHS cancelled 53 of 67 TPP grants nationwide. The following month, Senator Fetterman raised his concerns with the administration and questioned why HHS terminated funding for TPP grants awarded to Pennsylvania. Given how beneficial the TPP program has been for organizations across the Commonwealth and country, Senator Fetterman joined 92 of his Congressional colleagues in this additional letter as an eleventh-hour call to action for HHS to release the funds before the end of the fiscal year.\n\n\u201cYoung people across the country have positively benefited from the programs funded by the TPP Program and would immediately suffer from direct service cuts and loss of access to beneficial support. For example, in Central Pennsylvania, more than 10,000 teens\u2014many of whom are foster youth, have substance use disorders, or face mental health challenges\u2014will lose access to these critical resources due to the discontinuation of funding for a single provider,\u201d continued the members.\n\nRead the full text of the bicameral letter below and here.\n\n\u2014\n\nDear Secretary Kennedy:\n\nAs the fiscal year rapidly comes to an end on September 30, we are very concerned that your Department has failed to distribute over $100 million of the $101 million in funding Congress provided for the Teen Pregnancy Prevention (TPP) Program. Your decision to terminate the vast majority of existing TPP grants this summer and your attempts to distort the program and impose illegal conditions on grant recipients have already halted critical work being done in states across the country to prevent teen pregnancy. While the court will prevent the funding from lapsing, grantees still need access to those funds to sustain their operations and serve their communities. That is why we write to, once again, demand that you immediately reinstate funding for grantees of the TPP Program that your department cut off earlier this year. Both chambers of Congress sent your Department letters highlighting our initial concerns in July. We will not stand by as this congressionally allocated funding fails to be distributed, and we will hold you responsible for withholding these funds.\n\nWith just days left before the end of the fiscal year and your Department rightly enjoined by the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia from implementing new funding conditions, we are concerned that the funds are now sitting unused, and, therefore, the communities served by the TPP program are suffering. The only reasonable path forward is to provide funding to the grantees that were previously subject to the Department\u2019s arbitrary terminations. As of this writing, only $579,499 of the program\u2019s $101 million appropriation has been provided to a single grantee. It is clear you have no practical plan to legally spend down these funds before they expire, and the best course of action is to simply renew the awards that were terminated.\n\nAny additional delay in obligating these funds would risk further damage to the evidence-based programs fulfilling their congressionally directed mission of providing accurate and age-appropriate programs to reduce teen pregnancy. If funds are not made available to these longstanding, high-performing grantees by September 30, millions of dollars that Congress appropriated for this important goal will expire without being spent as directed.\n\nThe majority of the grants terminated by your Department were in the third year of their five-year cycle. Withholding these funds deprives teens across the U.S. of vital resources and threatens to unwind decades of progress made in reducing teen pregnancy. Young people across the country have positively benefited from the programs funded by the TPP Program and would immediately suffer from direct service cuts and loss of access to beneficial support. For example, in Central Pennsylvania, more than 10,000 teens\u2014many of whom are foster youth, have substance use disorders, or face mental health challenges\u2014will lose access to these critical resources due to the discontinuation of funding for a single provider. In South Carolina, the discontinuation of funds for another provider would impact over 6,450 youth and has already led to staff layoffs. These grants supported evidence-based programs that worked to prevent teen pregnancy and behavioral risk factors underlying teen pregnancy, as is required by law. With such little time left in the fiscal year, the only option available is to reinstate every terminated TPP grant.\n\nSincerely,", 1, "2026-09-29T11:07:12Z", "2026-09-29T11:08:49Z"], ["http://houlahan.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=5213", "Rep. Houlahan, Members of Congress Demand Answers on Delayed Separation Pay Promised to Trans Troops Ousted by Trump", "2026-09-24", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "PA", "Chrissy Houlahan", "H001085", "houlahan.house.gov", "houlahan", "https://houlahan.house.gov/news/rss.aspx", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Following reporting that the Department of Defense has failed to pay the promised separation pay to some transgender servicemembers who were separated from the armed forces under Trump\u2019s ban on transgender military service in a timely manner or, in some cases, at all, Representative Chrissy Houlahan (PA-06) led members of Congress to demand answers from Secretary of Defense Hegseth.\n\nRep. Houlahan, House Armed Services Subcommittee on Military Personnel Ranking Member, was joined by Congressional Equality Caucus (CEC) Co-Chair Rep. Sarah McBride, House Armed Services Committee (HASC) Ranking Member Rep. Adam Smith, House Committee on Veterans\u2019 Affairs Ranking Member and CEC Chair Rep. Mark Takano, HASC Member and CEC\u2019s Transgender Equality Task Force Co-Chair Rep. Sara Jacobs, HASC Member and CEC Co-Chair Rep. Eric Sorensen, and CEC Co-Chair Rep. Everton Blair.\n\nThe members\u2019 letter begins:\n\n\u201cWe write in response to recent reporting that at least a dozen transgender troops have not received the separation funds they are owed. This is unacceptable and appears to be another broken promise by this Administration to those who have served.\n\nSince the beginning of this Administration, you and President Trump have targeted transgender servicemembers\u2014not only kicking them out of the military but also subjecting them to constant indignities along the way. President Trump has falsely stated that being transgender is incompatible \u201cwith a soldier\u2019s commitment to an honorable, truthful, and disciplined lifestyle.\u201d\n\nUnder the trans military ban, the Services have been forced to ignore the sacrifice, years of service, and contributions by transgender service members. Some servicemembers were approved\u2014and then rejected for\u2014early retirement benefits. As we fight a war in Iran that has resulted in nearly 800 troops being injured, the Pentagon continues to waste valuable time and resources on scouring through servicemembers\u2019 confidential medical records in order to identify transgender service members for separation.\u201d\n\nMembers cite federal law and DoD instructions that authorize and establish procedures for separation pay, as well as DoD\u2019s own guidance for implementing the transgender military ban, before identifying several ousted transgender servicemembers who reportedly did not receive their full separation pay in a timely fashion.\n\nThe members continue:\n\n\u201cLet us be clear: we strongly oppose the underlying transgender military ban. The House of Representatives recently rejected, on a bipartisan vote, an attempt to codify this ban into law, and we hope the Courts will permanently block this ban from being carried out against any transgender person who would and could be serving but for this ban. In the meantime, transgender servicemembers should receive the separation pay they are owed in a timely fashion\u2014and we urge you to ensure this is handled expeditiously.\u201d\n\nThe members conclude their letter by asking for Secretary Hegseth\u2019s response to the following questions by October 14, 2026:\n\nFor each military branch, please provide the following calculations for servicemembers who were separated from the Armed Forces between January 20, 2025, and September 23, 2026, and were eligible for separation pay:\n\n1. For each military branch, please provide the following calculations for servicemembers who were separated from the Armed Forces between January 20, 2025, and September 23, 2026, and were eligible for separation pay:\n\na. The average and median number of days it took following their separation for servicemembers to receive their separation pay in full.\n\nb. For servicemembers who were separated pursuant to Executive Order No. 14183 and its implementing regulations and/or branch guidance, the average and median number of days it took following their separation for them to receive their separation pay in full.\n\nc. For all other servicemembers (i.e. those who were not separated pursuant to Executive Order No. 14183 and its implementing regulations and/or branch guidance), the average and median number of days it took following their separation for them to receive their separation pay in full.\n\n2. Please provide anonymized data for every servicemember who was eligible for separation pay and has been separated pursuant to Executive Order No. 14183 and its implementing regulations that includes the following:\n\na. The amount of separation pay they have received;\n\nb. The total amount of separation pay they were owed;\n\nc. Whether they were voluntary or involuntary separated;\n\nd. The date each payment was received;\n\ne. The number of days between their date of separation and when they received their first payment of separation pay;\n\nf. The number of days between their date of separation and when they received their separation pay in full; and\n\ng. For those who have not received their separation pay in full, the total amount outstanding and the date by which DoD expects that individual to receive all outstanding payments.\n\n3. Please provide a copy of all guidance and communications relating to the processing of separation pay for servicemembers separated pursuant to Executive Order No. 14183 and its implementing regulations.\n\nCitations omitted in press release. Read the full letter here.", 1, "2026-09-25T10:04:52Z", "2026-09-25T10:05:46Z"], ["https://deluzio.house.gov/media/press-releases/deluzio-padilla-ruiz-launch-effort-prohibit-firearms-polling-places-protect", "Deluzio, Padilla, Ruiz Launch Effort to Prohibit Firearms at Polling Places, Protect Voters and Election Workers", "2026-09-24", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "PA", "Christopher R. Deluzio", "D000530", "deluzio.house.gov", "deluzio", "https://deluzio.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 With midterm elections just around the corner and threats to our elections at an all-time high, U.S. Representative Chris Deluzio (D-PA-17), U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-CA), and Congressman Ra\u00fal Ruiz (D-CA-25) introduced bicameral legislation to protect voters and election workers from intimidation and threats of violence at polling places.\n\nThe Freedom from Intimidation in Elections Act of 2026 would help ensure that every voter and election worker has the right to cast their ballot and conduct their official duties free from fear and intimidation. It would update existing anti-intimidation provisions of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 to limit the presence of visible firearms at locations where voters cast their ballot or election workers perform their official duties, empowering poll workers and election officials to continue safely administering elections.\n\n\u201cThe right to vote is foundational to America's democracy, and part of protecting that right is keeping official ballot drop sites and polling places free from intimidation,\u201d said Congressman Deluzio. \u201cWith the rising risk of political violence and ongoing threats to our democratic system, we need to strengthen the sanctity of our elections. The Freedom from Intimidation in Elections Act of 2026 would help protect the rights of America\u2019s voters and election workers so that they can vote and perform their official duties free from violent threats and intimidation. I\u2019m proud to reintroduce this bill today alongside Senator Alex Padilla and Representative Ruiz.\u201d\n\n\u201cNo voter should have to walk past a gauntlet of firearms to exercise their right to vote, and no election worker should have to risk armed threats just to do their job,\u201d said Senator Padilla. \u201cIntimidation and violence have no place at our polls. These threats disenfranchise voters, undermine the fairness of our elections, and prevent nonpartisan election workers from doing their jobs. Our bill will keep visible firearms and other forms of violence away from polling places, ensuring every eligible voter can exercise their fundamental right safely, freely, and without intimidation.\u201d\n\n\"With the midterms just weeks away, every American should be able to cast their ballot, and every election worker should be able to do their job without fear for their personal safety,\u201d said Congressman Dr. Raul Ruiz. \u201cThat is why I am proud to join Congressman Deluzio and Senator Padilla introducing the Freedom from Intimidation in Elections Act. This legislation aims to help keep our polling places safe and more secure and protect the voters and election workers who make our democracy possible.\"\n\nThe right to vote is fundamental to American democracy, but rising threats of political violence against voters and election workers threaten election security. As of April 2026, 32 percent of local election workers have reported experience threats, harassment, or abuse. Armed groups such as the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers who were involved in the January 6, 2021 assault on the U.S. Capitol have threatened to patrol polling places in recent elections. While intimidation is illegal under existing law, this new legislation is important to provide a clearer standard and further ensure safe polling locations.\n\nSpecifically, the Freedom from Intimidation in Elections Act would:\n\nAmend Section 11(b) of the Voting Rights Act to establish a rebuttable presumption that a person carrying a visible firearm while engaging in election-related activities is engaging in voter intimidation;\n\nProvide civil remedies for individuals who experience this type of intimidation, including an emergency injunction that would allow the voter or election official to carry out their duties in peace; and\n\nRecognize an exception for law enforcement officers acting within their official duties.\n\nThe Freedom from Intimidation in Elections Act is endorsed by organizations including the Brennan Center, Defend the Vote Action Fund, and the Fair Elections Center.\n\n\"Congress must pass the Freedom from Intimidation in Elections Act. We are grateful to Representative Deluzio, Senator Padilla, and other members of Congress for their work to keep our elections safe for everyone involved in the process. This legislation would bolster federal protections that empower voters, election officials, and election workers to seek legal recourse if they are intimidated. The bill would help protect our democracy by keeping intimidation and violence out of voting.\" \u2014 Sean Morales-Doyle, Senior Director of the voting rights program, Brennan Center for Justice at NYU Law.\n\n\"Our ability to hold elected leaders accountable to the people depends on ensuring every voter can access the ballot free from intimidation or harassment, and that election workers can run those elections without interference. Defend The Vote Action Fund applauds Rep. Deluzio and Sen. Padilla for their leadership on this critical bill that protects voters' rights to cast their ballots free from interference, while ensuring that poll workers and election officials can safely oversee and administer our elections.\" \u2014 Brian Lemek, Executive Director of Defend the Vote Action Fund.\n\n\"To fully realize our civil rights, we need stronger protections against intimidation to make sure that election officials can do their jobs without fear, and that no American is stopped from exercising their right to vote. The Freedom from Intimidation in Elections Act is one way we can defend our voting rights in the face of those who want to take power away from the people.\" \u2014 Rebekah Caruthers, President and CEO of the Fair Elections Center.\n\nThis bill was first introduced in 2024. Full text of the 2026 bill is available HERE.\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-25T10:04:52Z", "2026-09-25T10:05:46Z"], ["https://scanlon.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=2075", "Ranking Member Scanlon Convenes Spotlight Hearing with National Experts on Defending the Right to Vote", "2026-09-24", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "PA", "Mary Gay Scanlon", "S001205", "scanlon.house.gov", "scanlon", "https://scanlon.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx", "scraper", "Washington, D.C. \u2014 Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-05), Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Committee\u2019s Subcommittee on the Constitution and Limited Government, this week convened a shadow hearing to reinforce for the American people the importance and resiliency of our elections and the safeguards in place to protect the right to vote ahead of November\u2019s midterm elections.\n\nThe shadow hearing, titled \u201cProtecting Democracy: Defending the Right to Vote,\u201d convened as the Trump administration continues to undermine voting rights by pushing election integrity misinformation and voter suppression laws to disenfranchise voters. Over the past year and a half, Americans have overwhelmingly rejected the Trump administration\u2019s policies through public opinion polls and special elections, yet the administration continues to sow division and stoke fear and confusion to prevent the American people from casting ballots that reject its policies of chaos, corruption, and division. To provide transparency ahead of the November midterms, a panel of expert witnesses shared critical information about the origins of the right to vote, voter education, and election security to reassure Members in attendance, and the American people, that their votes in November\u2019s midterm election are safe and secure.\n\nMembers of Congress joining the hearing included Rep. Jamie Raskin (MD-08), Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Committee, Rep. Joe Morelle (NY-25), Ranking Member of the Committee on House Administration, Rep. Don Beyer (VA-08), Rep. Glenn Ivey (MD-04), and Rep. Jasmine Crockett (TX-30). The members heard testimony from Michael Waldman, President and CEO of the Brennan Center for Justice, Jessica Jones Capparell, Director of Government Affairs at the League of Women Voters of the United States, and Alysoun McLaughlin, former Deputy Elections Director for Montgomery County, Maryland, and Director of the Election Resilience Lab at the University of Maryland\u2019s Center for Democracy and Civic Engagement.\n\nThe hearing builds on a shadow hearing Ranking Member Scanlon led last week at Widener University in Chester, PA alongside Ranking Member Morelle. That hearing focused upon the Supreme Court\u2019s ruling rejecting the President\u2019s attempt to interfere with vote-by-mail as unlawful, and election security in the Keystone State. Experts at both hearings expressed confidence that American elections are secure and accurate, and urged voters to exercise their right and responsibility to participate in America\u2019s democratic elections in order to express their views.\n\nBelow are Ranking Member Scanlon\u2019s remarks at this week\u2019s hearing.\n\nWATCH Ranking Member Scanlon\u2019s full opening statement.\n\nWATCH a recorded livestream of the event here.\n\nI would like to start by thanking my colleagues and our expert witnesses for joining us here today.\n\nI\u2019m eager to hear from our experts about the security and resilience of our election systems and how we can best protect the right to vote. This topic is timely as rich and powerful forces, including many in the Trump administration, actively seek to undermine voters\u2019 voices with untruths and unconstitutional attacks that could disenfranchise significant numbers of our fellow citizens.\n\nAs our country has sought to bend the arc of the moral universe towards justice, a constant part of that effort has been expanding access to the ballot. We\u2019ve seen that from the very birth of our nation as our founders rejected the monarchy and claimed the right to determine their own destiny in a democratic republic. That effort continued as the right to vote expanded to those who are not property owners, those who were formerly enslaved or subjugated, to women, to those denied access to the ballot by Jim Crow laws, and to citizens under the age of 21.\n\nAt each step of the way, we\u2019ve seen opposition by those in power\u2014those who consider themselves elite\u2014and who would lose power if they allowed others to participate in our government. That includes the king and nobility in 1776, slaveholders during the Civil War, men when women were granted suffrage, white plantation and business owners in the South, and politicians who sent young men to war in Vietnam. Those who stand to lose power have always tried to keep it in their grip.\n\nThe situation now is the same. The rich and powerful who have had a death grip on our government through lax campaign finance laws and the Supreme Court\u2019s curtailment of rights are desperate to cling to power. This is not the way of leaders.\n\nThroughout our history, U.S. presidents have been at the forefront of expanding and ensuring access to the ballot, whether it was George Washington leading the fight to establish a democracy, Abraham Lincoln fighting to free those enslaved, John F. Kennedy and LBJ joining forces with civil rights leaders, or each time the Voting Rights Act was extended with bipartisan support.\n\nUp until now, it has always been assumed that a president would support the Department of Justice\u2019s enforcement of civil rights laws, and reinforce, rather than attack, Americans\u2019 faith in our democratic system.\n\nAs Ronald Reagan unequivocally declared when he signed into law the 1982 amendments to the Voting Rights Act: \u201c[T]he right to vote is the crown jewel of American liberties, and we will not see its luster diminished.\u201d\n\nBut at this moment, we see a president trying to undermine voters\u2019 faith in our elections with phony claims about election integrity, by defunding the watchdogs and systems that protect our elections, and by trying to restrict access to the ballot with 21st-century voter suppression laws like the SAVE Act. It has become clear that this administration seeks to undermine our elections for the reasons that those in power have always tried to do so\u2014because it can\u2019t stand that Americans wish to chart a more equitable and just course for our future and our children\u2019s future. Everywhere you look, the policies are only growing more undemocratic.\n\nThe administration is clamoring for voter suppression laws; usurping the powers of Congress to make laws, direct spending, and declare war; using the government and our criminal justice system to attack the president's enemies; and suppressing dissent and criticism by banning the press, television programming, and even comedians.\n\nIt is not hard to see why this administration would want to restrict access to the ballot, as Americans are roundly rejecting these policies of chaos, corruption, and cruelty unleashed by this administration. Everything from public opinion polls to special elections in the last year and a half, to the millions of Americans who have taken to the streets to express their dissent, points to Americans seeking a course correction in the midterm elections.\n\nYour votes are the tool created by the framers of our Constitution for Americans to demand a course correction. Your vote is always the antidote to those who fail to act in our common interest or abuse the power that \u201cWe the People\u201d have given to them with our elections.\n\nAnd that is why we are holding this hearing today, to look at that history and examine: why our votes are so important - one could even call it a superpower; how we guard that precious voice for every American; and why it is so important that every eligible American be able to cast their ballot\u2014and use their superpower to do so.\n\nThe rights etched into history by the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence were part of a \u201cpromissory note\u201d to every American, in the words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The United States has defaulted on its promise many times over two and a half centuries. It failed initially to deliver on that promise to people of color, to women, to Indigenous tribes, to the impoverished. And yet, the American people never stopped striving to deliver.\n\nOur history shows that, when asked who shall participate, the public ultimately declared that the vote should belong to every citizen. Not only that, but the American people have fought for this principle time and time again.\n\nNo matter what this president hopes to do or wants us to think, the American people remain steadfast in their devotion to the crown jewel of their citizenship and of this democracy - their right to vote.\n\nOn this, my Democratic colleagues and I could not agree more with President Reagan \u2014the right to vote shall never see its luster diminished. Expanding the right to vote is a proud American tradition.\n\nUnfortunately, the actions of the Trump administration and the Supreme Court\u2019s recent decisions carving up the VRA are indications that reactionary forces are once again on the rise. But just as previous campaigns by the corrupt and powerful have failed to undermine Americans\u2019 resolve to expand the franchise and exercise the vote, this latest attempt will fail as well. And our democratic experiment, which was forged in the summer heat of a Philadelphia assembly hall in 1776, will thrive.\n\nEvery American should be able to exercise our precious right to vote, and deserves to know that our ballot is secure. We urge you to Vote, and honor that sacred right. This November, and for every election that follows, the American people will make our voices known, and we will continue preserving our Constitution\u2014a republic dedicated to the will of \u201cWe the People\u201d and based upon the sanctity of our votes.\n\nI look forward to our witnesses\u2019 testimony and thank them again for being here with us today.\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-25T10:04:52Z", "2026-09-25T10:05:46Z"], ["https://summerlee.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases/rep-summer-lee-backs-paid-parental-leave-push-says-families-shouldn-t-have-to-choose-between-care-and-a-paycheck", "Rep. Summer Lee Backs Paid Parental Leave Push, Says Families Shouldn't Have to Choose Between Care and a Paycheck", "2026-09-24", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "PA", "Summer L. Lee", "L000602", "summerlee.house.gov", "summerlee", "https://summerlee.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "Photos (Dropbox)\n\nPITTSBURGH, PA \u2013 SEPTEMBER 24, 2026 \u2014 Today, Congresswoman Summer L. Lee (PA-12) joined Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato, Congressman Chris Deluzio (PA-17), members of the Allegheny County state legislative delegation, and family advocates at the Western Pennsylvania Diaper Bank to voice her support for Allegheny County\u2019s proposed paid parental leave policy and call for stronger federal investments in working families.\n\nThe revised county proposal would provide eligible workers with up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave during the first year following the birth or adoption of a child. The proposal would cover employers with 15 or more eligible employees and comes after months of public input from workers, families, public health experts, employers, and community members.\n\n\u201cNo parent should have to choose between the time it takes to care for a new baby and the paycheck it takes to provide for one,\u201d said Rep. Summer Lee. \u201cWe cannot keep treating those as competing responsibilities. And if the system keeps forcing those responsibilities apart, then it is our job to build one that lets families hold them together. Paid leave gives families the time and financial stability to do both. And that is exactly what Allegheny County is working to do here, and I am proud to support this effort.\u201d\n\nThe proposal builds on growing efforts to treat paid parental leave as both an economic security and public health issue. Allegheny County health officials have pointed to the weeks immediately following birth as a medically vulnerable period for babies and birthing parents and say paid leave can support maternal recovery, infant health, and family stability.\n\nRep. Lee has made supporting working families a central part of her work in Congress. She is a cosponsor of the FAMILY Act, which would establish a national paid family and medical leave program providing up to 12 weeks of paid leave for workers welcoming a new child, caring for a loved one, or dealing with a serious health condition. She also cosponsors the American Family Act to expand the Child Tax Credit and provide families with more consistent financial support, has pushed for her Child Care for Working Families Act to bring down childcare costs, and also co-leads the Head Start for America\u2019s Children Act to expand Head Start to more than 11 million eligible young children nationwide.\n\nRep. Lee also highlighted the unequal burden created by the lack of guaranteed paid leave, particularly for Black women and families already stretched by rising costs. Nearly 7 in 10 Black mothers are the sole or primary breadwinners for their families, yet research has found that 55 percent of parental leaves taken by Black women are unpaid. That gap carries real financial consequences as Black women lose an estimated $866 million in wages each year while taking parental leave, putting families who depend on that income at even greater risk of falling behind at the exact moment they need stability most.\n\nThursday\u2019s press conference was held at the Western Pennsylvania Diaper Bank, which provides diapers and other essential hygiene products to families across the region and works to address the financial and health consequences of diaper needs.", 1, "2026-09-25T10:04:52Z", "2026-09-25T10:05:46Z"], ["https://dean.house.gov/2026/9/congresswoman-dean-senator-schatz-reintroduce-bill-to-expand-education-opportunities-support-reentry-for-incarcerated-individuals", "Congresswoman Dean, Senator Schatz Reintroduce Bill to Expand Education Opportunities, Support Reentry for Incarcerated Individuals", "2026-09-24", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "PA", "Madeleine Dean", "D000631", "dean.house.gov", "dean", "https://dean.house.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Congresswoman Madeleine Dean (PA-04), Congressman Kweisi Mfume (MD-07), and Senator Brian Schatz (D-HI) reintroduced the Promoting Reentry through Education in Prisons (PREP) Act to establish an Office of Prison Education within the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) to ensure that incarcerated individuals receive the education needed to successfully reenter their communities after completing their sentences. Congresswoman Dean previously introduced this bicameral legislation in 2023, 2021, and 2019.\n\nProviding incarcerated individuals with the resources to effectively reintegrate into society upon release can dramatically reduce recidivism. Two-thirds of formerly incarcerated individuals are rearrested within three years; however, incarcerated people who participated in educational programs had a 43 percent lower recidivism rate than those who did not receive such opportunities. The PREP Act would standardize educational opportunities and workforce training across federal and state facilities to support incarcerated individuals as they prepare for reentry.\n\n\u201cWhen someone gets a second change, we must ensure that they have the education, training, and resources to seize it \u2014 for themselves, their families, and their communities,\u201d Rep. Dean said. \u201cEducation is a powerful tool in helping to reduce recidivism and guide formerly incarcerated individuals as they forge meaningful lives. I\u2019m grateful for Senator Schatz's continued partnership on the PREP Act as we work to ensure success in reentry.\u201d\n\nSpecifically, the PREP Act:\n\nEstablishes an Office of Prison Education within the Bureau of Prisons to standardize educational programs across all federal prisons, ensuring that BOP provides educational services for adult literacy, GED, postsecondary, workforce readiness, apprenticeships, career and technical education, and expanded opportunities for individuals with learning disabilities;\n\nEstablishes the Federal Prison Education Program to create partnerships between federal correctional facilities and education providers to create quality programs that promote successful community reintegration;\n\nTrains and assists state and local correctional institutions to provide training and technical assistance to state and local correctional institutions that implement similar education programs; and\n\nNotifies veterans of their eligibility to access education benefits and available programs in their federal or state correctional facility.\n\nRead the full text of the bill here.\n\nRep. Madeleine Dean is a mother, grandmother, attorney, professor, former four-term member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, and U.S. Representative for the Fourth District of Pennsylvania.\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-29T11:07:12Z", "2026-09-29T11:08:49Z"], ["https://deluzio.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-deluzio-celebrates-federal-funds-next-generation-cancer-treatment", "Congressman Deluzio Celebrates Federal Funds for Next-Generation Cancer Treatment Research Based in O\u2019Hara Township", "2026-09-23", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "PA", "Christopher R. Deluzio", "D000530", "deluzio.house.gov", "deluzio", "https://deluzio.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "CARNEGIE, PA \u2014 Today, Congressman Chris Deluzio (PA-17) announced that the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services has awarded a $306,756 grant to KaliVir Immunotherapeutics of O\u2019Hara Township, PA for cancer treatment research. This federal funding is a Small Business Innovation Research Grant (SBIR) \u2013 Phase II from the National Cancer Institute.\n\nKaliVir Immunotherapeutics develops next-generation, viral-based therapies (oncolytic viruses) that both directly destroy tumor cells as well as attract and activate an anti-tumor immune response.\n\n\u201cI\u2019m proud to announce federal funding to support cutting-edge research for cancer treatment right here in Western PA,\u201d said Congressman Deluzio. \u201cKaliVir does life-saving work\u2014and I\u2019m excited to see the discoveries they make with this grant.\u201d\n\n\u201cKaliVir Immunotherapeutics is grateful to Congressman Duluzio and his colleagues for voting to restore funding for the SBIR program,\u201d said KaliVir\u2019s Chief Executive Officer Helena Chaye, PhD, JD. \u201cThe STEALTH-001 study is a first-in-human, open-label, Phase 1/1b dose-escalation and expansion trial evaluating VET3-TGI, both as a monotherapy and in combination with atezolizumab in patients with pathologically confirmed, advanced, unresectable or metastatic solid tumors. The SBIR award will allow KaliVir to further strengthen the scientific foundation of our programs, and the full amount of the grant will directly impact the economy in the greater Pittsburgh area.\u201dAmerica's Seed Fund, including funding for SBIR Phase II Grants, provides technology-focused entrepreneurs, startups, and small businesses with funding to develop their ideas and a pathway to commercialization. Powered by a network of federal agencies, entrepreneur support organizations, and the Small Business Administration (SBA), America's Seed Fund advances federal missions and fosters a culture of innovation in the United States.\n\nThe Trump Administration\u2019s efforts to freeze funding and pause federal grants has created significant uncertainty for grantees, varying by agency and program. As of now, courts have paused many of these freezes. However, Congressman Deluzio\u2019s office will continue to monitor these developments and fight to make sure this congressionally authorized funding keeps going to projects that make life better for Western Pennsylvanians. If you are the recipient of a federal grant and have been notified that this funding is no longer available to you or are experiencing other issues accessing your lawfully appropriated funds, please share your concerns with Congressman Deluzio\u2019s office at PA17Grants@mail.house.gov.\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-24T09:44:48Z", "2026-09-24T09:45:52Z"], ["https://summerlee.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases/icymi-rep-summer-lee-celebrates-grand-opening-of-uptown-flats-bringing-34-new-affordable-homes-to-pittsburgh", "ICYMI: Rep. Summer Lee Celebrates Grand Opening of Uptown Flats, Bringing 34 New Affordable Homes to Pittsburgh", "2026-09-23", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "PA", "Summer L. Lee", "L000602", "summerlee.house.gov", "summerlee", "https://summerlee.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "Photos (Dropbox)\n\nPITTSBURGH, PA \u2013 SEPTEMBER 23, 2026 \u2014 Yesterday, Congresswoman Summer L. Lee (PA-12) joined Bethlehem Haven, ACTION-Housing, Pittsburgh Mercy, local elected officials, housing advocates, community partners, and residents to celebrate the grand opening of Uptown Flats, a new 34-unit affordable permanent supportive housing community in Pittsburgh\u2019s Uptown neighborhood.\n\nPreviously, Rep. Lee joined project partners for the groundbreaking of Uptown Flats in October 2024 and returned Tuesday as the nearly decade-long effort officially welcomed residents home.\n\n\u201cToday, we get to celebrate 34 new homes, 34 new beginnings, and one more example of what Western Pennsylvania can build when we put people first,\u201d said Rep. Lee. \u201cFor someone coming out of homelessness, or a senior, veteran, or person with a disability who has spent too long wondering where they are going to lay their head at night, this kind of stability can mean the difference between surviving and finally having some room to breathe. Housing is a human right, and Uptown Flats shows us what that can actually look like in practice.\u201d\n\nDeveloped through a partnership between Bethlehem Haven and ACTION-Housing, Uptown Flats includes 11 studio apartments, 16 one-bedroom apartments, and seven two-bedroom apartments designed to provide safe, stable housing for people exiting homelessness and residents with disabilities and other special needs. All 34 apartments receive Project-Based Section 8 rental assistance, helping ensure residents can afford their homes based on their income. The development also provides accessible units, community spaces, and on-site supportive services to help residents build long-term stability.\n\nThe more than $22 million development brought together federal, state, county, city, nonprofit, and private investment, including federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credits and HOME-ARP funding. The development sits along Pittsburgh\u2019s Bus Rapid Transit corridor and includes accessible housing designed for residents with mobility, hearing, and visual disabilities.\n\nRep. Lee has made expanding access to safe, affordable housing a central part of her work in Congress. Earlier this year, shesecured $3 million to help Allegheny County create affordable rental homes dedicated to people exiting homelessness anddelivered another $1 million to help convert vacant Downtown Pittsburgh office space into affordable housing. Last year, Rep. Lee alsojoined Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato to celebrate the \u201c500 in 500\u201d initiative, which helped house more than 600 people experiencing homelessness and identified hundreds of affordable housing units across the county.\n\nIn Congress, Rep. Lee helped reintroduce theStop Wall Street Landlords Act to curb large institutional investors\u2019 ability to use taxpayer subsidies to buy up single-family homes and theHOMES Act to restrict tax breaks for large corporate investors purchasing local housing. Her affordable housing agenda also includes expanding federal rental assistance, strengthening tenant protections, preserving affordable housing, and preventing displacement and homelessness.", 1, "2026-09-24T09:44:48Z", "2026-09-24T09:45:52Z"], ["https://www.fetterman.senate.gov/pennsylvania-senators-announce-support-for-dots-smart-initiative-investments-in-pa-air-traffic-control-systems/", "Pennsylvania Senators Announce Support for DOT\u2019s SMART Initiative, Investments in PA Air Traffic Control Systems", "2026-09-23", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "Senate", "PA", "John Fetterman", "F000479", "www.fetterman.senate.gov", "fetterman", "https://www.fetterman.senate.gov/press-release/", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2014 Following the announcement from the Department of Transportation (DOT) to bring the newest technologies and infrastructure to America\u2019s airports through the new Strategic Management of Airspace, Routes and Trajectories (SMART) initiative, U.S. Senators John Fetterman (D-PA) and Dave McCormick (R-PA) announce their support and highlight what this and other recent aviation investments mean for Pennsylvania.\n\nSMART centralizes 200 data streams, including weather patterns, flight paths, traffic flow, and controller staffing metrics into one platform. It then synthesizes this data to provide a comprehensive visualization of where planes are going, how much traffic the system can handle, and where congestion or weather could cause challenges.\n\n\u201cI had the opportunity to tour the SMART Lab and see real-time data firsthand with Secretary Duffy and Administrator Bedford last week. They are transforming commercial flying from reactive to predictive,\u201d said Senator Fetterman. \u201cI recognize how beneficial this tool and other investments will be for all our air traffic controllers and everyone who flies into and out of the Commonwealth. This is a great initiative and I look forward to working with Senator McCormick and the administration on this.\u201d\n\n\u201cModernizing our air traffic control system is critical to keeping Pennsylvanians safe and our airports competitive,\u201d said Senator McCormick. \u201cThe SMART initiative, along with $284 million from the Working Families Tax Cut to upgrade air traffic control infrastructure across Pennsylvania, will give our controllers better technology and make air travel safer and more reliable. I\u2019m proud to work with Senator Fetterman and Secretary Duffy to deliver these investments for Pennsylvania.\u201d\n\nThrough its Brand New Air Traffic Control System project, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is also investing $284 million in Pennsylvania\u2019s air traffic control towers and related infrastructure, including:\n\n1,059 new radios at 101 sites\n\nHigh-speed fiber connections at Philadelphia (PHL), Pittsburgh (PIT), and Harrisburg (MDT)\n\nNew internet protocol voice switches at 12 locations, including Williamsport (IPT) and Erie (ERI)\n\nNew controller information display systems at 9 airports\n\nElectronic flight strips at PHL and PIT\n\n19 new radars at 11 locations\n\nSurface movement radars at PHL and PIT\n\nInstallation of Surface Awareness Initiative (SAI) capabilities to improve runway safety at 6 airports\n\nTower simulation systems at Wilkes-Barre (AVP), MDT, and ERI\n\nThe FAA\u2019s work on these infrastructure improvements is ongoing and is expected to be completed by 2028.", 1, "2026-09-24T09:44:48Z", "2026-09-24T09:45:52Z"], ["http://houlahan.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=5211", "Ahead of Xi White House Meeting, Congresswoman Chrissy Houlahan Joins Democratic Veterans in Demanding Trump Hold Beijing Accountable for Providing Key Intelligence to Iran Resulting in U.S. Troop Deaths\u00a0", "2026-09-22", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "PA", "Chrissy Houlahan", "H001085", "houlahan.house.gov", "houlahan", "https://houlahan.house.gov/news/rss.aspx", "scraper", "On July 17th, an Iranian missile struck a U.S. base in Jordan killing three servicemembers and injuring four others; Wall Street Journal reporting has confirmed that Iran acquired high-resolution satellite imagery of the base \u2013 used to carry out the attack \u2013 from Chinese entities\n\nAhead of the September 23rd White House meeting between Trump and Xi, twelve Trump hold Xi accountable for Beijing\u2019s role in U.S. troop deaths\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Today, Congresswoman Chrissy Houlahan and 12 fellow Democratic veterans in Congress called on President Trump to publicly condemn China's support for Iranian forces that are killing U.S. troops, ahead of his White House meeting with President Xi Jinping later this month.\n\nOn July 17th, an Iranian missile struck a U.S. base in Jordan killing three servicemembers and injuring four others. Recent reporting from the Wall Street Journal confirms that Iran acquired high-resolution satellite imagery of the base from Chinese entities.\n\nAhead of the September 23rd White House meeting between Trump and Xi, Houlahan and fellow Democratic veteran colleagues demandTrump hold Xi accountable for Beijing\u2019s role in U.S. troop deaths, and that he publicly condemn China\u2019s support for IRGC operations.\n\n\u201c22 brave Americans have lost their lives in Trump\u2019s war with Iran. We now know that at least three of those deaths directly resulted from President Xi sharing key intelligence about U.S. positions with Iran. Instead of holding China accountable, Trump is rolling out the red carpet,\u201d said Congressman Pat Ryan who led the initiative. \u201cI served 27 months in combat in Iraq as an Army Intelligence Officer \u2013 I know just how critical and sensitive this information is, and how dangerous it can become in the wrong hands. What\u2019s worse is that Trump knows, too, and hasn\u2019t done a thing to stop it. He said he thinks Xi has been \u2018well behaved.\u2019 We disagree. From intelligence sharing to assistance with weapons manufacturing, President Trump must send a strong clear message to Beijing that aiding the IRGC to kill U.S. troops will not be tolerated.\u201d\n\nThe letter to President Trump, sent from Democratic Congresspeople including Houlahan, Pat Ryan, Salud Carbajal, Gilbert Cisneros, Herbert Conaway, Jason Crow, Chris Deluzio, Maggie Goodlander, Ted Lieu, Seth Moulton, Mike Thompson, Derek Tran, and Eugene Vindman \u2013 is included here, and in full below:\n\nDear President Trump,\n\nAhead of President Xi Jinping\u2019s upcoming visit to the White House, we implore you to use your meeting to strongly condemn China\u2019s sharing of satellite information that resulted in the deaths of three U.S. servicemembers in Jordan on July 17th, and demand that President Xi cease any support, cooperation, and information sharing with Iran and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).\n\nOn July 17th, an Iranian ballistic missile struck sleeping quarters at Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan, killing three American soldiers and wounding four others. The Wall Street Journal has since reported that Iran acquired high-resolution satellite imagery of the base from Chinese entities both before and after the attack, intelligence that U.S. officials say was directly connected to the strike that killed our troops.\n\nYour administration knew this coordination was happening. In May, the State Department sanctioned three China-based firms for supplying Iran with satellite imagery of American and allied military facilities. Senior officials in your administration reportedly spent months warning their Chinese counterparts that companies in their country were arming Iran with the targeting data.\n\nThe satellite imagery is only one piece of China\u2019s material support to Iran; Chinese firms have supplied key raw materials for the production of Iranian Shaheds, delivered chipmaking equipment to the IRGC, and sold Iran shoulder-launched missile systems, including the weapon that was likely responsible for the downed American F-15E Strike Eagle.\n\nRather than hold Beijing accountable, you downplayed these findings. When asked aboard Air Force One whether you would raise the issue with President Xi, you told reporters, \u201cI think he\u2019s behaved reasonably well.\" That is a direct and egregious betrayal of our troops.\n\nOur servicemembers are paying the price in blood for this administration's pathetic refusal to confront Beijing. That must end now. Your meeting with President Xi presents an important opportunity to condemn China's role in arming and enabling Iran, and to demand an end to their support.\n\nAs veterans, we know what it means to send Americans into harm's way, and we know what is owed to them in return: the truth, and a Commander-in-Chief willing to hold accountable anyone and everyone who might do harm to our troops.\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-23T09:45:16Z", "2026-09-23T09:46:14Z"], ["https://deluzio.house.gov/media/press-releases/deluzio-joins-new-push-stop-tax-giveaways-data-centers", "Deluzio Joins New Push to Stop Tax Giveaways for Data Centers", "2026-09-22", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "PA", "Christopher R. Deluzio", "D000530", "deluzio.house.gov", "deluzio", "https://deluzio.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "CARNEGIE, PA \u2014 Last week, Congressman Chris Deluzio (PA-17) helped introduce the Reverse Big Ugly Tax Breaks for Data Centers Act, which would reverse tax giveaways for data center development from the Republicans\u2019 One Big Beautiful Bill. Congressmembers Kristen McDonald Rivet (MI-08) and Don Davis (NC-01) lead the bill, and Congressman Deluzio is a co-sponsor of the measure.\n\nThe One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) that Donald Trump and congressional Republicans passed into law in 2025 cut more than $1 trillion from Medicaid and SNAP food assistance and added trillions in debt to pay for reckless tax giveaways for things like AI data construction. The Reverse Big Ugly Tax Breaks for Data Centers Act would end these tax giveaways for AI data centers. Specifically, the bill would keep data centers from being able to take the 100% bonus depreciation tax deduction and from being eligible for Opportunity Zone tax benefits.\n\n\u201cIt is ridiculous that Donald Trump and Congressional Republicans slashed healthcare for Pennsylvanians and jacked up the debt by trillions to help pay for reckless tax giveaways to AI data center developers,\u201d said Congressman Deluzio. \u201cLet\u2019s repeal these giveaways and get our government focused on making sure hard work delivers the good life that people have earned.\u201d\n\nThe bill text can be found HERE, and a one-pager on the bill can be found HERE.\n\nOther members co-sponsoring the bill include Representatives Kathy Castor (FL-14), Sharice Davids (KS-03), Madeleine Dean (PA-04), Vicente Gonzalez (TX-34), Adelita Grijalva (AZ-07), Greg Landsman (OH-01), Rick Larsen (WA-02), Mike Levin (CA-49), John Mannion (NY-22), April McClain Delaney (MD-06), Betty McCollum (MN-04), Jimmy Panetta (CA-19), Chris Pappas (NH-01), Deborah Ross (NC-02), Andrea Salinas (OR-06), Greg Stanton (AZ-04), Dina Titus (NV-01), Norma Torres (CA-35), Derek Tran (CA-45), Gabe Vasquez (NM-02), Eugene Vindman (VA-07), and Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-25)\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-23T09:45:16Z", "2026-09-23T09:46:14Z"], ["https://scanlon.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=2062", "Scanlon Introduces Bill to Lower Costs of Meat and Poultry and Target Corporate Greed", "2026-09-21", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "PA", "Mary Gay Scanlon", "S001205", "scanlon.house.gov", "scanlon", "https://scanlon.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx", "scraper", "Washington, D.C. \u2014 Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-05) last week introduced the Packers and Stockyards Improvements Act, legislation to address rising meat and poultry prices due to corporate mergers and takeovers. The bill would improve the United States Department of Agriculture\u2019s (USDA) enforcement tools under the Packers and Stockyards Act and prohibit anti-competitive behavior in the meat and poultry industry.\n\n\u201cAs mergers and corporate takeovers have consolidated power in the meat and poultry industry, consumers and producers have paid the price. The Packers and Stockyards Act has been crucial for enforcing compliance, but lacks sufficient tools to protect Americans from paying outrageous costs,\u201d said Rep. Scanlon. \u201cThe Trump administration\u2019s deregulation of the industry will only help his corporate buddies to maximize profits while continuing to hurt ranchers, farmers, and American families. I\u2019m proud to introduce the Packers and Stockyards Improvements Act to lower costs for consumers and strengthen protections for our ranchers and farmers.\u201d\n\nIn recent years, the meat and poultry sector has undergone a drastic shift with just four major corporations - Tyson Foods, JBS, Cargill, and National Beef - controlling about 85% of the U.S. beef packing, 67% of the pork market, and 60% of poultry processing, resulting in skyrocketing prices for consumers. The Packers and Stockyards Act of 1921 was passed to promote fair competition and trade practices, but has been unable to prevent increasing consolidation and subsequent price increases. This has further exacerbated the cost of living crisis as working class Americans struggle to put food on the table. In August 2026, the cost of ground beef reached a record high of $7.158 per pound. Beef prices have risen more than 22% since January 2025, as the Trump administration continues to pursue trade wars and failed to prevent a screwworm outbreak.\n\nTo address major changes from the first Trump administration, including the weakening of Packers and Stockyards protections, the USDA released a study entitled Agricultural Competition: A Plan in Support of Fair and Competitive Markets as part of President Biden\u2019s Executive Order on Promoting Competition in the American Economy to use existing authorities to promote competition and protect ranchers and farmers from abusive meatpacker practices. Based on the report\u2019s findings, the USDA implemented two rules and proposed a third. However, in July 2026, the Trump administration announced that it was rescinding those rules.\n\nTo address these insufficiencies, the Packers and Stockyard Improvements Act would:\n\nAdd poultry growers to administrative litigation authority under USDA.\n\nAllow the Packers and Stockyards Division to have regular access to Livestock Mandatory Reporting Data to better monitor for violations.\n\nGive USDA civil investigative demand authority for potential violations of the Packers and Stockyards Act.\n\nProvide a standard whistleblower protection for employees and contractors of regulated businesses who report suspected violations of the Packers and Stockyards Act.\n\nThe Packers and Stockyards Improvements Act would further strengthen our ability to combat contemporary anticompetitive practices in meat and poultry markets, and add a new list of per se violations to address commonly used practices that lessen competition and punish suppliers, growers, and farmers.\n\nThe bill is endorsed by the American Economic Liberties Project, Campaign for Contract Agriculture Reform, National Farmers Union, Farm Aid, National Family Farm Coalition, RAFI, and Farm and Ranch Freedom Alliance.\n\nFind the full bill text here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-22T09:42:49Z", "2026-09-22T09:44:35Z"], ["https://deluzio.house.gov/media/press-releases/deluzio-leads-110-colleagues-message-tech-industry-we-will-reject-reckless", "Deluzio Leads 110 Colleagues in Message to Tech Industry: We Will Reject Reckless Data Center Development", "2026-09-18", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "PA", "Christopher R. Deluzio", "D000530", "deluzio.house.gov", "deluzio", "https://deluzio.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2014 Today, Congressman Chris Deluzio (D-PA-17) sent a bipartisan letter with 110 of his congressional colleagues to tech industry leaders demanding all data center construction follow strict guardrails to protect consumers from electricity and water price hikes, to ensure strong labor and environment standards, and to stand up for affected communities. The signing congressmembers made clear that they would oppose projects failing to meet these standards.\n\nIncorporate strong labor standards from the supply chain through operations and maintenance\n\nEmploy local workers and pay at least the prevailing wage\n\nUse registered apprentices\n\nNegotiate community benefits agreements with local stakeholders\n\nEstablish strong safety practices and procure from domestic sources\n\nPay your fair share for the resources used to operate and maintain data centers\n\nMitigate impacts on local air quality, drinking water and water supplies\u201d\n\nThe 111 signers of the letter are: Chris Deluzio (D-PA-17), Gabe Amo (D-RI-01), Jake Auchincloss (D-MA-04), Becca Balint (D-VT-AL), Nanette Barrag\u00e1n (D-CA-44), Wesley Bell (D-MO-01), Brendan Boyle (D-PA-02), Rob Bresnahan (R-PA-08), Julia Brownley (D-CA-26), Nikki Budzinski (D-IL-13), Salud Carbajal (D-CA-24), Andr\u00e9 Carson (D-IN-07), Troy Carter (D-LA-02), Greg Casar (D-TX-35), Kathy Castor (D-FL-14), Gil Cisneros (D-CA-31), Emanuel Cleaver (D-MI-05), Steve Cohen (D-TN-09), Herb Conaway (D-NJ-03),Joe Courtney (D-CT-02), Angie Craig (D-MN-02), Sharice Davids (D-KS-03), Don Davis (D-NC-10), Rosa DeLauro (D-CT-03), Suzan DelBene (D-WA-10), Debbie Dingell (D-MI-06), Sarah Elfreth (D-MD-03), Veronica Escobar (D-TX-16), Dwight Evans (D-PA-03), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA-01), Lizzie Fletcher (D-TX-07), Laura Friedman (D-CA-30), Jes\u00fas \u201cChuy\u201d Garc\u00eda (D-IL-04), Sylvia Garcia (D-TX-29), Laura Gillen (D-NY-04), Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ-05), Adelita Grijalva (D-AZ-07), Jahana Hayes (D-CT-05), Steven Horsford (D-NV-04), Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA-06), Val Hoyle (D-OR-04), Jared Huffman (D-CA-02), Jonathan Jackson (D-IL-01), Pramila Jayapal (D-WA-07), Marcy Kaptur (D-OH-09), Thomas Kean (R-NJ-07), Bill Keating (D-MA-09), Tim Kennedy (D-NY-26), Ro Khanna (D-CA-17), Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL-08), Greg Landsman (D-OH-01), Rick Larsen (D-WA-02), Michael Lawler (R-NY-17), Susie Lee (D-NV-03), Teresa Leger Fernandez (D-NM-03), Mike Levin (D-CA-49), Ted Lieu (D-CA-36), Stephen Lynch (D-MA-08), Seth Magaziner (D-RI-02), John Mannion (D-NY-22), Doris Matsui (D-CA-07), Sarah McBride (D-DE-AL), April McClain Delaney (D-MD-06), Kristen McDonald Rivet (D-MI-08), Morgan McGarvey (D-KY-03), Analilia Mejia (D-NJ-11), Christian Menefee (D-TX-18), Rob Menendez (D-NJ-08), Gwen Moore (D-WI-04), Joe Morelle (D-NY25), Kelly Morrison (D-MN-03), Seth Moulton (D-MA-06), Frank Mrvan (D-IN-01), Kevin Mullin (D-CA-15), Donald Norcross (D-NJ-10), Johnny Olszewski (D-MD-02), Jimmy Panetta (D-CA-19), Nancy Pelosi (D-CA-11), Scott Peters (D-CA-50), Brittany Pettersen (D-CO-07), Mark Pocan (D-WI-02), Emily Randall (D-WA-06), Josh Riley (D-NY-19), Raul Ruiz (D-CA-25), Andrea Salinas (D-OR-06), Linda S\u00e1nchez (D-CA-39), Janice Schakowsky (D-IL-09) Brad Schneider (D-IL-10), Hillary Scholten (D-MI-03), Kim Schrier (D-WA-08), Bobby Scott (D-VA-03), Brad Sherman (D-CA-32), Lateefah Simon (D-CA-12), Eric Sorensen (D-IL-17), Haley Stevens (D-MI-11), Marilyn Strickland (D-WA-10), Suhas Subramanyam (D-VA-10), Thomas Suozzi (D-NY-3), Emilia Sykes (D-OH-13), Bennie Thompson (D-MI-02), Dina Titus (D-NV-01), Jill Tokuda (D-HI-02), Paul Tonko (D-NY-20), Ritchie Torres (D-NY-15), Lori Trahan (D-MA-03), Derek Tran (D-CA-45), Lauren Underwood (D-IL-14), Gabe Vasquez (D-NM-02), Marc Veasey (D-TX-33), Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ-12), and Frederica Wilson (D-FL-24).\n\nThe local community must have a say in whether or not they want a data center in their area\u2014and their voices must be listened to.\n\nThe centers must bring and provide their own power, without raising costs or depleting a community\u2019s energy supply.\n\nThe centers must not pollute a community\u2019s air or water or deplete a community's water supply.\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-19T09:11:33Z", "2026-09-19T09:12:45Z"], ["https://summerlee.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases/rep-summer-lee-joins-pa-democrats-demanding-answers-on-moshannon-detention-center-finances", "Rep. Summer Lee Joins PA Democrats Demanding Answers on Moshannon Detention Center Finances", "2026-09-18", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "PA", "Summer L. Lee", "L000602", "summerlee.house.gov", "summerlee", "https://summerlee.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 SEPTEMBER 18, 2026 \u2014 Yesterday, Congresswoman Summer L. Lee (PA-12) joined Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-05) and fellow Pennsylvania Democrats in demanding answers from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the GEO Group, Inc. (GEO), and Clearfield County about the financial relationship behind the Moshannon Valley Processing Center, the largest ICE detention center in the Northeast.\n\nThe lawmakers are seeking invoices, payment records, contracts, and communications detailing how taxpayer dollars are being spent at Moshannon as ICE solicits bids for a new contract that could extend immigration detention at the facility for another 10 years. The current five-year agreement is set to expire this month.\n\nThe letter is also signed by Reps. Brendan Boyle (PA-02), Dwight Evans (PA-03), Madeleine Dean (PA-04), Chrissy Houlahan (PA-06), and Chris Deluzio (PA-17).\n\n\u201cAs Members of Congress, it is our responsibility to conduct oversight of government spending and executive action. GEO has reported record profits driven by this administration\u2019s mass deportation and immigrant surveillance campaigns. As part of these efforts, ICE and Clearfield County have both funneled Pennsylvanians\u2019 taxpayer dollars to GEO. More importantly, our constituents have been detained at Moshannon. It is incumbent on us, as their elected representatives, to investigate the contract terms that peg their detention to GEO\u2019s profit,\u201d the members wrote.\n\nICE recently issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) to solicit contract bids that would extend immigration detention at Moshannon for another 10 years. The current five year contract is due to expire this month. The RFP sets an expedited timeline \u2014 just two weeks of visibility for the public from the time it was posted online (August 28, 2026) to when the Phase 1 Proposal(s) were due (September 11, 2026). This timing is in line with other attempts by the administration to rush government contracts and obscure how taxpayer funds are being spent.\n\nBoth Congress and the public must be able to evaluate the financial impact of the current agreement governing Moshannon before a new contract is awarded. Currently, an Intergovernmental Service Agreement (IGSA) between ICE and Clearfield County provides for the operation of the Moshannon facility and services related to the detention of persons in ICE custody, with GEO as the approved private contractor delivering those services. This contracting structure thwarts oversight because it delays the availability of crucial financial details.\n\nThe IGSA agreement requires that the County submit an itemized operating fee to ICE on a monthly basis, which ICE then reviews and approves for payout. According to recent reports, the monthly fixed rate includes a monthly operating fee, which began as $2.95 million per month and may have adjusted over time, a per diem fee of $10 per day for 1 through 800 detainees and $40 per day for 801 to 1876 detainees, reimbursement of one dollar per day for the detainee work program, transportation fees, and fees for guards.\n\n\u201cWe request that you provide us with any and all monthly invoices for services provided pursuant to the IGSA and all communications regarding such invoices and payments made for such services at Moshannon from January 1, 2025, to present, by and among ICE, GEO, and Clearfield County,\u201d the members continued. \u201cWe also request all invoices, payments, and communications by and among the parties and detainees regarding payments for and operation of the \u201cdetainee work program,\u201d from January 1, 2025, to the present.\u201d\n\n\u201cFinally, to the extent that additional agreements exist directly between GEO and Clearfield County, we request such agreements, corresponding contracts, any amendments or modifications, payment receipts, invoices, and supplemental documentation,\u201d the members concluded.\n\nIn the letter, the members have requested a number of materials by September 25, 2026 \u2014 prior to the expiration of the current IGSA between ICE and Clearfield County, which is set to expire on September 28, 2026.\n\nFind the full text of the letter here.\n\nCongresswoman Lee has repeatedly conducted oversight of conditions at the Moshannon Valley Processing Center. In August 2025, Rep. Lee and a Human Rights First advocate attempted an oversight visit following reports of abuse and the death of a person detained at the facility, but ICE officials denied them entry. In May 2026, Rep. Lee returned with Rep. Chris Deluzio for an unannounced oversight visit. The lawmakers spent approximately two hours inside the facility and heard directly from people detained there about concerns including inadequate medical care, food quality, and conditions for pregnant women. Congressional staff and translators were denied entry, limiting the lawmakers\u2019 ability to communicate with people detained inside.\n\nIn the weeks surrounding that oversight effort, additional reports raised concerns about retaliation against people who spoke out about conditions at Moshannon, including a detained man who said he was placed in solitary confinement and later transferred out of state after being accused of encouraging others to refuse meals in protest. Rep. Lee has continued pressing ICE and GEO for answers about conditions, medical care, treatment of detained people, retaliation, and efforts to obstruct congressional oversight, including joining Pennsylvania colleagues in an August 2026 demand for additional records and accountability from ICE and GEO. Rep. Lee also helped introduce the Oversight Access Act to strengthen lawmakers\u2019 ability to conduct unannounced oversight at ICE facilities.", 1, "2026-09-19T09:11:33Z", "2026-09-19T09:12:45Z"], ["http://houlahan.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=5198", "Reps. Houlahan, Ryan, House Democratic Veterans Introduce \u201cHonoring the Sacrifice of Troops in War Act,\u201d Demand Trump and Hegseth Stop Hiding True Cost of Iran War", "2026-09-17", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "PA", "Chrissy Houlahan", "H001085", "houlahan.house.gov", "houlahan", "https://houlahan.house.gov/news/rss.aspx", "scraper", "To ban the Secretary of Defense from hiding the true cost of war, the Honoring the Sacrifice of Troops in War Act specifically:\n\nBans arbitrary, unjustified recategorizing of designated contingency operations by prohibiting redesignating an ongoing conflict if the Administration continues to mobilize forces against the same enemy;\n\nPrevents manipulation of casualty records by prohibiting manipulation of casualty records by falsely redesignating a contingency operation;\n\nRestores casualty records of our fallen and wounded heroes in the Iran War by requiring restoration of casualty records for Iran-related operations since February 28, 2026, and notify next-of-kin about the correction;\n\nBans cutting hard-earned benefits for troops and civilian personnel by prohibiting the modification of eligibility for deployment-related personnel benefits on the basis of falsely redesignating a contingency operation; and\n\nRestores benefits to personnel supporting Iran War by retroactively restoring all covered benefits entitled to members of the Armed Services and civilian employees who have supported Iran-related operations since February 28, 2026.\n\n--end--", 1, "2026-09-18T09:27:43Z", "2026-09-18T09:29:09Z"], ["https://deluzio.house.gov/media/press-releases/deluzio-joins-push-stop-trump-hiding-true-cost-iran-war-dishonoring-fallen", "Deluzio Joins Push to Stop Trump from Hiding True Cost of Iran War, Dishonoring Fallen Servicemembers", "2026-09-17", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "PA", "Christopher R. Deluzio", "D000530", "deluzio.house.gov", "deluzio", "https://deluzio.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2014 Today, Iraq War veteran and House Armed Services Committee member Congressman Chris Deluzio (PA-17) helped announce the new Honoring the Sacrifices of Our Troops in War Act. This legislation, which he co-sponsors, would stop President Donald Trump\u2019s attempt to hide both the duration and the true cost of his Iran War from the American people.\n\nThis bill introduction follows the Pentagon\u2019s unprecedented move to recategorize recent casualties from Trump\u2019s Iran War\u2014including four killed and over 200 wounded servicemembers\u2014under a separate category outside Operation Epic Fury in a shameless attempt to downplay the damage done and evade accountability to the American people.\n\n\u201cI will not allow Donald Trump to dishonor the service of our troops just because it benefits him politically to downplay the length and bloody cost of his Iran War,\u201d said Congressman Deluzio. \u201cTrump knows his reckless Iran War is failing, which is why he\u2019s manipulating casualty records to try and fool the American people. It is disgusting that this administration is trying to play games with the deaths of the men and women who gave their lives serving this country.\u201d\n\nThe legislation is endorsed by VoteVets and Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA).\n\nCongressman Deluzio has been opposed to this Iran War since Donald Trump and Pete Hegseth started it, criticizing the administration for launching it without a clearly defined strategy or exit plan. Congressman Deluzio is also a House co-lead of the No Funds for Iran War Act which would prohibit the use of additional public money for military action against Iran in the absence of an Authorization for the Use of Military Force (AUMF) or declaration of war from Congress. He also put Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth through the ringer with intensive questioning in a hearing in front of the House Armed Services Committee.\n\nSpecifically, to ban the Secretary of Defense from hiding the true cost of war, the Honoring the Sacrifices of Our Troops in War Act:\n\nBans Arbitrary, Unjustified Recategorizing of Designated Contingency Operations by prohibiting redesignating an ongoing conflict if the Administration continues to mobilize forces against the same enemy;\n\nPrevents Manipulation of Casualty Records by prohibiting manipulation of casualty records by falsely redesignating a contingency operation;\n\nRestores Casualty Records of Our Fallen and Wounded Heroes in the Iran War by requiring restoration of casualty records for Iran-related operations since February 28, 2026, and notify next-of-kin about the correction;\n\nBans Cutting Hard-Earned Benefits for Troops and Civilian Personnel by prohibiting the modification of eligibility for deployment-related personnel benefits on the basis of falsely redesignating a contingency operation; and\n\nRestores Benefits to Personnel Supporting Iran War by retroactively restoring all covered benefits entitled to members of the Armed Services and civilian employees who have supported Iran-related operations since February 28, 2026.\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-18T09:27:43Z", "2026-09-18T09:29:09Z"], ["https://deluzio.house.gov/media/press-releases/deluzio-secures-wins-western-pa-biennial-water-resources-bill", "Deluzio Secures Wins for Western PA in Biennial Water Resources Bill", "2026-09-17", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "PA", "Christopher R. Deluzio", "D000530", "deluzio.house.gov", "deluzio", "https://deluzio.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2014 This week, Congressman Chris Deluzio (PA-17) joined his colleagues to pass H.R. 9497, the Water Resources Development Act of 2026 (otherwise known as WRDA) unanimously off the floor of the House of Representatives. This biennial, bipartisan legislation also passed out of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee with unanimous support.\n\nThe WRDA bill is a comprehensive legislative package that authorizes language for conservation, water, and the development of water and water-related resources. It authorizes the Secretary of the Army, through the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works, to conduct studies, construct projects, and research activities that can improve rivers and harbors of the United States. Next, the bill heads to the Senate for consideration.\n\n\u201cInland waterways connect Western Pennsylvania economically, geographically, and culturally,\u201d said Congressman Deluzio. \u201cI am proud that I included important provisions in the 2026 water resources bill that support the waterways in our region and the people who work or play on or around our rivers.\"\n\nSpecifically, the additions that Congressman Deluzio successfully advocated for in this year\u2019s WRDA bill are:\n\nStudying Recreation on the Allegheny River as a Focus of Future Funding Opportunities\n\nThis request authorizes the Secretary of Transportation to study the addition of recreation on the Allegheny River as a project purpose.\n\nAdding recreation as a project purpose would allow the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Pittsburgh District to compete for recreation funding in the annual O&M budget and appropriations process.\n\nExpand Army Corps of Engineers Collaborations Across Pennsylvania", 1, "2026-09-18T09:27:43Z", "2026-09-18T09:29:09Z"], ["https://scanlon.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=2060", "Scanlon Leads PA Dems to Demand Answers About Private Detention Center Financials", "2026-09-17", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "PA", "Mary Gay Scanlon", "S001205", "scanlon.house.gov", "scanlon", "https://scanlon.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx", "scraper", "Washington, D.C. \u2014 Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-05) today led her Pennsylvania Democratic House colleagues in pressing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the GEO Group, Inc.(GEO), and Clearfield County, Pennsylvania, for transparency on their intentionally opaque financial relationship with Moshannon Valley Processing Center, the largest immigration center in the Northeast. The push comes following Rep. Scanlon\u2019s unannounced oversight visit to Moshannon Valley Processing Center on July 29, 2026.\n\nThe letter is signed by Reps. Brendan Boyle (PA-02), Dwight Evans (PA-03), Madeleine Dean (PA-04), Chrissy Houlahan (PA-06), Summer Lee (PA-12), and Chris Deluzio (PA-17).\n\n\u201cAs Members of Congress, it is our responsibility to conduct oversight of government spending and executive action. GEO has reported record profits driven by this administration\u2019s mass deportation and immigrant surveillance campaigns. As part of these efforts, ICE and Clearfield County have both funneled Pennsylvanians\u2019 taxpayer dollars to GEO. More importantly, our constituents have been detained at Moshannon. It is incumbent on us, as their elected representatives, to investigate the contract terms that peg their detention to GEO\u2019s profit,\u201d the members wrote.\n\nICE recently issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) to solicit contract bids that would extend immigration detention at Moshannon for another 10 years. The current five year contract is due to expire this month. The RFP sets an expedited timeline \u2014 just two weeks of visibility for the public from the time it was posted online (August 28, 2026) to when the Phase 1 Proposal(s) were due (September 11, 2026). This timing is in line with other attempts by the administration to rush government contracts and obscure how taxpayer funds are being spent.\n\nBoth Congress and the public must be able to evaluate the financial impact of the current agreement governing Moshannon before a new contract is awarded. Currently, an Intergovernmental Service Agreement (IGSA) between ICE and Clearfield County provides for the operation of the Moshannon facility and services related to the detention of persons in ICE custody, with GEO as the approved private contractor delivering those services. This contracting structure thwarts oversight because it delays the availability of crucial financial details. When Congresswoman Scanlon visited Moshannon in July, onsite managers of the facility claimed that they could not provide the Congresswoman with a copy of the contract or other current billing details.\n\nThe IGSA agreement requires that the County submit an itemized operating fee to ICE on a monthly basis, which ICE then reviews and approves for payout. According to recent reports, the monthly fixed rate includes a monthly operating fee, which began as $2.95 million per month and may have adjusted over time, a per diem fee of $10 per day for 1 through 800 detainees and $40 per day for 801 to 1876 detainees, reimbursement of one dollar per day for the detainee work program, transportation fees, and fees for guards.\n\n\u201cWe request that you provide us with any and all monthly invoices for services provided pursuant to the IGSA and all communications regarding such invoices and payments made for such services at Moshannon from January 1, 2025, to present, by and among ICE, GEO, and Clearfield County,\u201d the members continued. \u201cWe also request all invoices, payments, and communications by and among the parties and detainees regarding payments for and operation of the \u201cdetainee work program,\u201d from January 1, 2025, to the present.\u201d\n\n\u201cFinally, to the extent that additional agreements exist directly between GEO and Clearfield County, we request such agreements, corresponding contracts, any amendments or modifications, payment receipts, invoices, and supplemental documentation,\u201d the members concluded.\n\nIn the letter, the members have requested a number of materials by September 25, 2026 \u2014 prior to the expiration of the current IGSA between ICE and Clearfield County, which is set to expire on September 28, 2026.\n\nFind the full text of the letter here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-18T09:27:43Z", "2026-09-18T09:29:09Z"], ["http://houlahan.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=5206", "Houlahan Joins Scanlon, PA Dems to Demand Answers About Private Detention Center Financials", "2026-09-17", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "PA", "Chrissy Houlahan", "H001085", "houlahan.house.gov", "houlahan", "https://houlahan.house.gov/news/rss.aspx", "scraper", "Washington, D.C. \u2014 Today, Representative Chrissy Houlahan (PA-06) joined Representative Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-05) and their Pennsylvania Democratic House colleagues in pressing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the GEO Group, Inc.(GEO), and Clearfield County, Pennsylvania, for transparency on their intentionally opaque financial relationship with Moshannon Valley Processing Center, the largest immigration center in the Northeast. The push comes following Rep. Scanlon\u2019s unannounced oversight visit to Moshannon Valley Processing Center on July 29, 2026.\n\nThe letter is signed by Reps. Brendan Boyle (PA-02), Dwight Evans (PA-03), Madeleine Dean (PA-04), Summer Lee (PA-12), and Chris Deluzio (PA-17).\n\n\u201cAs Members of Congress, it is our responsibility to conduct oversight of government spending and executive action. GEO has reported record profits driven by this administration\u2019s mass deportation and immigrant surveillance campaigns. As part of these efforts, ICE and Clearfield County have both funneled Pennsylvanians\u2019 taxpayer dollars to GEO. More importantly, our constituents have been detained at Moshannon. It is incumbent on us, as their elected representatives, to investigate the contract terms that peg their detention to GEO\u2019s profit,\u201d the members wrote.\n\nICE recently issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) to solicit contract bids that would extend immigration detention at Moshannon for another 10 years. The current five year contract is due to expire this month. The RFP sets an expedited timeline \u2014 just two weeks of visibility for the public from the time it was posted online (August 28, 2026) to when the Phase 1 Proposal(s) were due (September 11, 2026). This timing is in line with other attempts by the administration to rush government contracts and obscure how taxpayer funds are being spent.\n\nBoth Congress and the public must be able to evaluate the financial impact of the current agreement governing Moshannon before a new contract is awarded. Currently, an Intergovernmental Service Agreement (IGSA) between ICE and Clearfield County provides for the operation of the Moshannon facility and services related to the detention of persons in ICE custody, with GEO as the approved private contractor delivering those services. This contracting structure thwarts oversight because it delays the availability of crucial financial details. When Congresswoman Scanlon visited Moshannon in July, onsite managers of the facility claimed that they could not provide the Congresswoman with a copy of the contract or other current billing details.\n\nThe IGSA agreement requires that the County submit an itemized operating fee to ICE on a monthly basis, which ICE then reviews and approves for payout. According to recent reports, the monthly fixed rate includes a monthly operating fee, which began as $2.95 million per month and may have adjusted over time, a per diem fee of $10 per day for 1 through 800 detainees and $40 per day for 801 to 1876 detainees, reimbursement of one dollar per day for the detainee work program, transportation fees, and fees for guards.\n\n\u201cWe request that you provide us with any and all monthly invoices for services provided pursuant to the IGSA and all communications regarding such invoices and payments made for such services at Moshannon from January 1, 2025, to present, by and among ICE, GEO, and Clearfield County,\u201d the members continued. \u201cWe also request all invoices, payments, and communications by and among the parties and detainees regarding payments for and operation of the \u201cdetainee work program,\u201d from January 1, 2025, to the present.\u201d\n\n\u201cFinally, to the extent that additional agreements exist directly between GEO and Clearfield County, we request such agreements, corresponding contracts, any amendments or modifications, payment receipts, invoices, and supplemental documentation,\u201d the members concluded.\n\nIn the letter, the members have requested a number of materials by September 25, 2026 \u2014 prior to the expiration of the current IGSA between ICE and Clearfield County, which is set to expire on September 28, 2026.\n\nFind the full text of the letter here.", 1, "2026-09-19T09:11:33Z", "2026-09-19T09:12:45Z"], ["http://houlahan.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=5197", "Statement on voting YES on Senate Amendments to H.R. 5334", "2026-09-16", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "PA", "Chrissy Houlahan", "H001085", "houlahan.house.gov", "houlahan", "https://houlahan.house.gov/news/rss.aspx", "scraper", "\u201cFor more than four years, the people of Ukraine have stared down Russian aggression and have done what seemed impossible: they have survived. They have stood their ground. And, with our support, they will outlast this brutal invasion.\n\nSupporting Ukraine is deeply personal to me, as my father fled Ukraine (formerly, Poland) with his mother to escape the Holocaust, but it is also in the best interest of all Americans. A stronger Ukraine means a stronger United States. A more secure Ukraine means a more secure United States. A Ukraine free from Putin\u2019s grasp ensures a United States free from Putin\u2019s grasp, too. That is why I voted YES on Senate Amendments to H.R. 5334 to sanction Russia.\n\nI recognize that some of my colleagues have real concerns about how this legislation expands executive tariff authority, especially under this Administration. I take these concerns seriously. But I also know that the tariff authority in this bill is strictly limited to those propping up the Kremlin. President Trump\u2019s attempts to enact unlawful and broadly harmful tariffs have been blocked by the Supreme Court. With this bill, tariffs beyond the scope of Russian sanctions will remain unlawful.\n\nTogether, Ukraine and the United States will not cower to destructive authoritarians. My vote today affirms that.\u201d", 1, "2026-09-17T09:52:05Z", "2026-09-17T09:53:00Z"], ["https://dean.house.gov/2026/9/congresswoman-dean-issues-statement-on-vote-for-russia-and-iran-sanctions-act", "Congresswoman Dean Issues Statement on Vote for Russia and Iran Sanctions Act", "2026-09-16", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "PA", "Madeleine Dean", "D000631", "dean.house.gov", "dean", "https://dean.house.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Congresswoman Madeleine Dean (PA-04), member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, released the following statement regarding her vote for the Russian and Iran Sanctions Act:\n\n\u201cFor four-and-a-half years, I have stood with the people of Ukraine in their fight for sovereignty against Russia\u2019s illegal, brutal invasion. I have urged two administrations to stand with our ally Ukraine \u2014 to give them what they need to win.\n\nI voted for sending advanced weapons, for passing supplemental funding packages, and for expanding Ukraine\u2019s strike capabilities. I joined a bipartisan delegation to Ukraine in 2024 to meet with our troops in Poland, Ukrainian troops in Ukraine, and President Zelensky in Kyiv. And I condemned President Trump\u2019s repugnant treatment of President Zelensky in the Oval Office on February 28, 2025. I have always stood with the people of Ukraine and the Ukrainian American community \u2014 including the large, welcoming population in my district \u2014 who have never given up hope.\n\nToday, the Ukrainian people are asking us again to stand with them, with their young democracy, as their indispensable ally. To offer hope.\n\nI did not agree often with Senator Graham. Yet, he saw the moral imperative of supporting Ukraine in this war. This bill is not perfect, but it can do one important thing. To end this conflict, we must turn off the spigot of Russian fuel sales.\n\nOur work in Congress does not stop here. We must prevent President Trump from abusing any tariff authority or using them for his personal benefit, as he has continuously done before. We must ensure Russia\u2019s war machine \u2014 not American families \u2014 bears the costs of Putin\u2019s war crimes. We must reclaim our constitutional authority over trade and create coherent policies that strengthen our economy and our national security. Finally, we must force the administration to provide the $400 million Congress has already appropriated to Ukraine.\n\nAnd in the meantime, I will not stop fighting to bring home the at least 20,000 precious Ukrainian children kidnapped by Russia.\n\nThese are the challenges ahead, but today, the most important question is \u2014 What are the people of Ukraine asking for? They are asking for hope, and that we cannot deny them.\n\nIn this narrow window before another Ukrainian winter or war, I voted \u2018Yes\u2019 to offer help and hope to the people of Ukraine.\n\nRep. Madeleine Dean is a mother, grandmother, attorney, professor, former four-term member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, and U.S. Representative for the Fourth District of Pennsylvania.\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-17T09:52:05Z", "2026-09-17T09:53:00Z"], ["https://deluzio.house.gov/media/press-releases/deluzio-calls-house-republicans-keep-congress-washington-dc-regulate-ai", "Deluzio Calls for House Republicans to Keep Congress in Washington, D.C. to Regulate AI Superintelligence", "2026-09-16", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "PA", "Christopher R. Deluzio", "D000530", "deluzio.house.gov", "deluzio", "https://deluzio.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2014 Today, Congressman Chris Deluzio (PA-17) joined more than 100 members of Congress in calling for Republican Speaker of the House Mike Johnson to keep the U.S. House of Representatives in session and working at the nation\u2019s Capitol until Congress advances a bill with significant AI safeguards.\n\nWithout this extension, members of the House are scheduled to leave this week and not return until Monday, November 9\u2014an absence of more than 50 days while AI industry leaders and researchers themselves sound the alarm to slow down the development of AI superintelligence. With AI superintelligence advancing so quickly, the landscape of this technology could change vastly over more than 50 days of congressional inaction.\n\n\u201cPennsylvanians send me down to Washington to pass laws to make life better for all of us,\u201d said Congressman Deluzio. \u201cRight now, the American people are screaming at Congress to do something about a technology that they\u2019re hearing may eliminate their jobs, upend their lives, or even wipe out humanity\u2014but House Republican leadership has their ears plugged. We need national action and global coordination under America\u2019s leadership on superintelligence. Everyone seems to want AI safety\u2014except our government\u2019s Republican leaders. This is an emergency. We should act like it.\u201d\n\nCongressman Deluzio and his colleagues write in their letter, \u201cA series of proposals have emerged from our colleagues that deserve consideration, public debate, thoughtful amendment, and action. They include bills mandating transparency and evaluation of frontier models, \u2018kill switch\u2019 requirements, and a waiver of antitrust laws to enable critical industry-wide collaboration on safety and security. Whether with these proposals or any other variants, AI experts and leading companies agree that the United States can lead the world in artificial intelligence while establishing reasonable safeguards that protect Americans and our national security. We can\u2014and must\u2014do both.\u201d\n\n\u201cTo our children who will have read a post-apocalyptic history, 'Why Congress Slept' \u2014 likely written by agentic AI \u2014 our inaction will be inexplicable, and unforgivable,\u201d they conclude.\n\nThe full text of the letter is available HERE.\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-17T09:52:05Z", "2026-09-17T09:53:00Z"], ["https://deluzio.house.gov/media/press-releases/deluzio-statement-hr-5334", "Deluzio Statement on H.R. 5334", "2026-09-16", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "PA", "Christopher R. Deluzio", "D000530", "deluzio.house.gov", "deluzio", "https://deluzio.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "\u201cUkraine is in a righteous fight against Russia\u2019s illegal invasion, and I will continue to support Ukraine\u2019s valiant efforts.\n\nBut I refuse to hand over even more tariff authority to Donald Trump, who has corruptly and recklessly deployed tariffs.\u201d", 1, "2026-09-17T09:52:05Z", "2026-09-17T09:53:00Z"], ["https://www.fetterman.senate.gov/in-meeting-with-pittsburgh-regional-transit-fetterman-celebrates-with-leaders-on-recent-funding-win-priorities-moving-forward/", "In Meeting with Pittsburgh Regional Transit, Fetterman Celebrates with Leaders on Recent Funding Win, Priorities Moving Forward", "2026-09-16", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "Senate", "PA", "John Fetterman", "F000479", "www.fetterman.senate.gov", "fetterman", "https://www.fetterman.senate.gov/press-release/", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2014 Yesterday, U.S. Senator John Fetterman (D-PA) met with officials from Pittsburgh Regional Transit (PRT) to congratulate the agency on their recent $82 million federal grant award and to discuss their plans for replacing aging light rail cars on the T.\n\nFrom left to right: Melissa Girty, Senator Fetterman, Donminika Brown and Katharine Kelleman\n\nPRT is the main public transportation system serving Allegheny County and the greater Pittsburgh area. With more than 700 buses and over 90 local and express routes across the county, it provides connections between neighborhoods, job centers, and campuses.\n\nIn the meeting with the agency\u2019s Chief Executive Officer Katharine Kelleman, Chief Financial Officer Donminika Brown, and Senior Government Affairs Liaison Melissa Girty, Senator Fetterman reiterated the importance of public transit not only in Western PA, but across the Commonwealth and the country. The senator also reaffirmed his commitment to continued federal investment in public transit in the next surface transportation reauthorization bill.\n\n\u201cOn behalf of Pittsburgh Regional Transit\u2019s 120,000 daily riders, I want to thank Sen. Fetterman and all of the elected officials who supported our application to fund the next generation of rail cars,\u201d said PRT CEO Katharine Kelleman. \u201cThis investment will help us provide riders with a safer, more accessible, more comfortable, and more reliable transit experience.\u201d\n\nEarlier this month, Senator Fetterman congratulated PRT on their $82,774,074 award which will support the replacement of its aging light rail fleet. This follows a letter in support of PRT\u2019s grant application to FTA Acting Executive Director Jamie Pfister in July.\n\nSenator Fetterman has a strong track record supporting public transit in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. He joined a bipartisan group of his colleagues to secure more than $100 million in the Fiscal Year 2026 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies appropriations bill to support public transit operations during the FIFA World Cup, including $8,474,327 for transit in the Philadelphia region. Senator Fetterman has also co-led legislation like the Moving Transit Forward Act, which would provide Pennsylvania\u2019s transit agencies with the reliable funding support they need to avoid service cuts and keep our communities moving. He also helped deliver millions in grant awards for both PRT and the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority in the last two weeks.\n\nSenator Fetterman will continue to push for a stronger public transit system to ensure no community is left behind.", 1, "2026-09-17T09:52:05Z", "2026-09-17T09:53:00Z"], ["http://houlahan.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=5195", "Reps. Houlahan, Goodlander, Whitesides, Ryan Introduce Protect Our Polls Act, Blocking Armed Federal Agents at Polls", "2026-09-15", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "PA", "Chrissy Houlahan", "H001085", "houlahan.house.gov", "houlahan", "https://houlahan.house.gov/news/rss.aspx", "scraper", "\u201cAmericans should never have to walk past armed federal agents or military personnel to cast their ballot,\u201d said Rep. Houlahan. \u201cSince the Civil War, federal law has kept troops away from our polling places, and for good reason. Our military exists to defend the Constitution and the American people, not to police our elections.\n\n\u201cWhen I asked a senior military official whether troops could be deployed to polling places this November, I could not get a commitment that they would not be. That should alarm every American. We should not have to rely on the restraint of this or any President or administration when something as fundamental as the right to vote is at stake. The Protect Our Polls Act makes the guardrails unmistakable: no President gets to put armed federal forces at our polls without Congress and the law standing in the way.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe right to vote is the fundamental right from which all of our rights flow as Americans, and free and fair elections are the foundation of our republic,\u201d said Rep. Goodlander. \u201cAt a moment when this President is hellbent on sowing chaos and confusion in our elections, our commonsense bill makes a bedrock American principle crystal clear: the ballot box belongs to the American people\u2014not any President.\u201d\n\n\u201cTrump\u2019s second term has been defined by crushing cost increases, a war in Iran \u2013 which has cost us billions in taxpayer dollars and the lives of 18 brave Patriots \u2013 and historic cuts to programs like SNAP and Medicaid,\u201d said Rep. Ryan. \u201cThat\u2019s not a winning message, and Trump knows it \u2013 that\u2019s why he\u2019s doing everything in his power to silence the American people ahead of the election. This legislation would help ensure that every American has unencumbered access to their polling place in November, and stop the President from yet again using our Patriots in uniform as pawns in his political games.\u201d\n\n\u201cThis administration has spent months trying to chip away at Americans' confidence in our elections \u2013 from executive orders targeting mail voting, to threats against states that don't fall in line,\u201d said Rep. Whitesides. \u201cThat's not how democracy is supposed to work. The right to vote doesn't belong to whoever holds power in Washington; it belongs to the American people. The Protect Our Polls Act strengthens existing guardrails to require Congressional approval before the President can make any kind of decision to deploy armed agents to polling places.\u201d", 1, "2026-09-16T09:43:13Z", "2026-09-16T09:44:22Z"], ["http://houlahan.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=5191", "Houlahan Leads PA House Democrats Seeking Answers on Pennsylvania Election Cybersecurity Ahead of Midterms ", "2026-09-14", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "PA", "Chrissy Houlahan", "H001085", "houlahan.house.gov", "houlahan", "https://houlahan.house.gov/news/rss.aspx", "scraper", "West Chester District Office\n\n709 E. Gay Street, Suite 4\n\nWest Chester, PA 19380\n\nPhone: (610) 883-5050\n\nOpen:\n\nMonday-Wednesday\n\n9:00am-5:00pm\n\nOpen by Appointment:\n\nThursday and Friday\n\nS\u00ed, se habla espa\u00f1ol\n\nReading District Office\n\n201 Penn Street, Suite 201\n\nReading, PA 19601\n\nPhone: (610) 295-0815\n\nOpen:\n\nWednesday-Friday\n\n9:00am-5:00pm\n\nOpen by Appointment:\n\nMonday and Tuesday\n\nS\u00ed, se habla espa\u00f1ol", 1, "2026-09-15T09:50:21Z", "2026-09-15T09:52:05Z"], ["https://boyle.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/icymi-boyle-announces-legislation-plan-celebration-250th-anniversary-us", "ICYMI: Boyle Announces Legislation to Plan Celebration for 250th Anniversary of U.S. Constitution in Philadelphia", "2026-09-14", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "PA", "Brendan F. Boyle", "B001296", "boyle.house.gov", "boyle", "https://boyle.house.gov/media-center/press-releases", "scraper", "PHILADELPHIA, PA \u2013 Today, Congressman Brendan F. Boyle (PA-02) announced new federal legislation to establish a national commission charged with planning the celebration of the 250th anniversary of the United States Constitution in 2037.\n\nBoyle announced the legislation at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia alongside Vince Stango, Interim President and CEO of the National Constitution Center.\n\n\u201cI distinctly remember the bicentennial of our Constitution being celebrated here in Philadelphia in 1987. It was a massive event, and I look forward to ensuring that 2037 will be at least as significant as 2026 and 1987,\u201d said Congressman Brendan F. Boyle. \u201cThis is a great bipartisan effort. I think it is badly needed in our times that we keep this not as a Democratic thing or a Republican thing, but as an American thing. It is also an opportunity over these next few years to tell the story of our nation's Constitution and why it matters today. These anniversaries are not just about honoring the dead, they're about educating the living.\u201d\n\nThe United States Constitution was drafted during the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia in 1787 and signed at Independence Hall on September 17, 1787. Boyle\u2019s legislation would begin the work of ensuring that the Constitution\u2019s semiquincentennial is commemorated on a national scale while recognizing Philadelphia\u2019s unique role in the nation\u2019s founding.\n\n\u201cAs Americans across the country have come together to mark the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, we must see 2026 not as an end point, but as the beginning of a longer national effort,\u201d said Vince Stango, Interim President and CEO of the National Constitution Center. \u201cThe Civic Decade gives us an opportunity to sustain the partnerships, infrastructure, and spirit of coming together that this anniversary has inspired, and to continue deepening investments in the civic, educational, and cultural institutions that connect Americans to our constitutional story. We are inspired by Congressman Boyle\u2019s leadership to introduce this bipartisan legislation into Congress and honored to announce this effort with him today. As we build together toward the Constitution\u2019s 250th anniversary in 2037, and ultimately the Bill of Rights\u2019 in 2041, the National Constitution Center is proud to help lead that work in Philadelphia and across the country.\u201d\n\nThe announcement builds on Boyle\u2019s ongoing efforts to highlight Philadelphia\u2019s central role in the founding of the United States. Earlier this year, Boyle brought a bipartisan Congressional delegation to Philadelphia as part of the national commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the United States.\n\nThe new commission would bring together federal, state, local, and civic leaders to begin preparing for the Constitution\u2019s 250th anniversary and coordinate efforts surrounding the national commemoration, similar to the effort that began a decade ahead of the nation\u2019s 250th birthday.\n\nThe Constitutional Convention convened in Philadelphia in May 1787. After months of debate, delegates completed a new framework for the federal government, and the Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787. The 250th anniversary of its signing will occur on September 17, 2037.", 1, "2026-09-15T09:50:21Z", "2026-09-15T09:52:05Z"], ["https://evans.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-evans-septa-announce-80-million-federal-grant-trolley-station-ada", "Rep. Evans, SEPTA Announce $80 Million Federal Grant for Trolley Station ADA Improvements", "2026-09-14", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "PA", "Dwight Evans", "E000296", "evans.house.gov", "evans", "https://evans.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "PHILADELPHIA (September 14, 2026) \u2013 Today, U.S. Rep. Dwight Evans (D-PA-3) and the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) announced that SEPTA has been awarded $80 million in federal All Stations Accessibility Program (ASAP) funding to make three stations in the Center City Trolley Tunnel fully accessible.\n\n\u201cWhen we invest in our public transit accessibility, we invest in our community,\u201d said Rep Evans. \u201cThat\u2019s why I was proud to help establish this vital grant program through President Biden\u2019s historic Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and fight for SEPTA to receive this critical federal funding. It will increase accessibility at stations throughout Philadelphia- improving the transit experience for all riders.\"\n\n\u201cEnsuring that every customer can access transit service that is safe, clean and reliable is a core part of SEPTA\u2019s mission,\u201d said SEPTA Board Chair Kenneth E. Lawrence Jr. \u201cStation accessibility projects like those this grant will fund are critically important to that effort. I want to thank our Congressional delegation for establishing this vital program and working to support our application.\u201d\n\nASAP funding will allow SEPTA to construct accessibility improvements at 22nd Street, 33rd Street and 36th Street T Stations, which are all located in Philadelphia\u2019s 3rd Congressional District, in the Center City Trolley Tunnel. Originally built in 1955, these three stations are only accessible via stairs, preventing individuals with disabilities that require the use of a mobility device, families with strollers, or anyone who is physically unable to use stairs from traveling to and from these destinations. The projects will bring the stations into full compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Each station will be retrofitted with elevators connecting street level to the underground boarding areas. Raised platforms and other enhancements will also be constructed to accommodate the new fleet of low-floor streetcars that SEPTA is procuring as part of Trolley Modernization.\n\n\u201cAccessibility is critical for SEPTA and our riders,\u201d said SEPTA General Manager Scott A. Sauer. \u201cAcross the SEPTA system, we are currently advancing more than a dozen Metro and Regional Rail station accessibility projects that will greatly improve the customer experience. This major ASAP grant will expand our capacity to deliver these critical improvements, and we are grateful for the FTA\u2019s confidence in our program in awarding this grant.\u201d\n\nThis is SEPTA\u2019s second ASAP grant. The Authority was previously awarded $56 million to support ADA station improvement projects at five Metro stations. At Erie Station on the B, SEPTA became the first transit agency in the nation to advance to construction on an ASAP-funded project. Last month, SEPTA broke ground on a $44 million ASAP-funded accessibility project at 11th Street Station on the L.\n\n\u201cThis investment is a win for every Philadelphia resident who relies on safe, accessible, and modern public transportation,\u201d said Mayor Cherelle L. Parker. \u201cMaking the T stations at 22nd, 33rd, and 36th Streets fully accessible is more than an infrastructure upgrade. It\u2019s a commitment to equity, and ensuring Philadelphians can visit family and friends, attend school or get to work. I am proud that with our partners at the Federal Transit Administration and SEPTA, we are building a transit system that serves everyone.\u201d\n\n\u201cThis money will make all the difference for our seniors, for Pennsylvanians with disabilities and for anyone who relies on SEPTA,\u201d said U.S. Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA). \u201cI\u2019m proud of the steps SEPTA has already taken to make its system more accessible for all riders, and I\u2019m grateful for the FTA\u2019s support of this important work.\u201d\n\n\u201cThis $80 million investment is a major win for SEPTA riders and will help make three of Philadelphia\u2019s trolley stations more accessible for all Pennsylvanians who rely on public transportation,\u201d said U.S. Sen. Dave McCormick (R-PA). \u201cI\u2019m committed to reauthorizing the All Stations Accessibility Program along with Senator Duckworth to ensure this important program continues delivering for communities in Pennsylvania and across the country.\u201d\n\nEvans represents the 3rd Congressional District, which includes Northwest and West Philadelphia and parts of North, South, Southwest and Center City Philadelphia. Evans\u2019 website is evans.house.gov and his social media handle is @RepDwightEvans on Youtube, Bluesky, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Threads.\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-15T09:50:21Z", "2026-09-15T09:52:05Z"], ["https://scanlon.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=2058", "Scanlon and Congressional Colleagues Host Hearing on Protecting American Democracy and the Right to Vote at Widener University", "2026-09-14", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "PA", "Mary Gay Scanlon", "S001205", "scanlon.house.gov", "scanlon", "https://scanlon.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx", "scraper", "Chester, PA \u2013 Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-05) and Ranking Member Joe Morelle (NY-25), Committee on House Administration, today hosted a shadow hearing with Reps. Norma Torres (CA-35), Madeleine Dean (PA-04), and Chrissy Houlahan (PA-06) featuring presentations from experts about protecting American democracy, including election security, electoral reforms, voting rights, and anti-corruption efforts.\n\nExperts at today\u2019s shadow hearing included:\n\nOmar Noureldin, Senior Vice President of Policy and Litigation, Common Cause\n\nAmy Widestrom, Executive Director, League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania\n\nLauren Cristella, President and CEO, Committee of Seventy\n\nMarian Schneider, Adjunct Professor of Law, Villanova University and former PA election official\n\nThis shadow hearing takes place amid widespread concerns over proposals by Republicans and the Trump Administration to restrict voting and allow federal takeover of state elections. Proposals include the SAVE America Act, which could potentially disenfranchise hundreds of millions of American citizens, and efforts to restrict voting by mail.\n\n\u201cOur democracy ultimately depends on Americans choosing to participate in it. When the White House sows propaganda and injects chaos in our elections, it suppresses voter participation,\u201d said Rep. Scanlon. \u201cAmericans should have confidence that when they cast a lawful ballot, that ballot will be counted. I\u2019m grateful to the experts who joined today\u2019s hearing to provide truthful information about our elections, and the various ways that every American can participate in and be an ambassador for our democracy.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe President and his allies want to take over this election,\u201d said Ranking Member Morelle. \u201cOur planned, targeted responses include litigation, effective community organization and mobilization, and promoting early voting. This work is ongoing every day. It\u2019s iterative, and there\u2019s still a long road ahead, but I\u2019m confident that through this work we will be more prepared than ever this fall and beyond.\u201d\n\nWatch a recorded livestream of the event here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-15T09:50:21Z", "2026-09-15T09:52:05Z"], ["https://www.fetterman.senate.gov/icymi-in-letter-to-sec-and-cftc-fetterman-urges-private-credit-market-transparency/", "ICYMI: In Letter to SEC and CFTC, Fetterman Urges Private Credit Market Transparency", "2026-09-14", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "Senate", "PA", "John Fetterman", "F000479", "www.fetterman.senate.gov", "fetterman", "https://www.fetterman.senate.gov/press-release/", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2014 U.S. Senator John Fetterman (D-PA) penned a July letter to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) urging them to begin enforcing an existing rule requiring greater disclosures in private credit markets.\n\n\u201cThe private credit industry is far too opaque to regulators and the rest of the financial system. Because these firms have never been through a downturn at their current size, markets do not know how to properly value private credit loans and assets in a crisis. As with all financial crises, the panic of not knowing where the floor is makes it far worse. It is important that regulators have the knowledge and the tools to prevent crises before they happen, but that is not possible if they do not know enough about the market,\u201d wrote Senator Fetterman.\n\nBig banks, insurance companies, and pension funds are all exposed to private credit \u2014 a market of unregulated lending to struggling companies \u2014 which is showing signs of much higher risk than investors anticipated. Form PF is a disclosure form that unregulated entities like private credit funds must submit to the SEC and CFTC. The agencies\u2019 proposed updates to Form PF would greatly improve their understanding of the risks in private credit, but have yet to start enforcing them.\n\n\u201cThe updates to Form PF, as originally proposed, would ensure regulators and investors better understand the leverage, interconnectedness, loan quality, and liquidity of this market. It is concerning, therefore, that your agencies have chosen to delay the enforcement of these requirements three times since taking office,\u201d continued the senator. \u201cNow is not the time for regulators to be in the dark.\u201d\n\nRead the full text of the letter below and here.\n\n\u2013\n\nDear Chairman Atkins and Chairman Selig:\n\nI write to urge you to begin enforcing compliance with the updates to Form PF as initially proposed. It is critically important that regulators have a better understanding of the risks in private markets, in order to protect investors and prevent disruptions to the broader financial system.\n\nI am deeply concerned about the mounting risks in private credit markets. Now $3 trillion in size, the private credit industry is making increasingly bad loans to subprime companies. The failures of First Brands and Tricolor, increasing reliance on payments-in-kind among borrowers, and concerns around AI disruption to the software industry all demonstrate poor underwriting over the past several years. In reaction, investors have been rushing to get their money out of these souring investments, but have often been trapped.\n\nEven more concerning is the exposure America\u2019s traditional financial system has to this market. The big banks have lent almost $300 billion to the private credit industry, much of which lacks covenants that protect the banks in times of crisis. Moreover, the insurance industry is not only exposed to $1 trillion in risk but also is among the largest purchasers of the low-tranche collateralized loan obligations (CLOs) that would get wiped out in a downturn.\n\nThe private credit industry is far too opaque to regulators and the rest of the financial system. Because these firms have never been through a downturn at their current size, markets do not know how to properly value private credit loans and assets in a crisis. As with all financial crises, the panic of not knowing where the floor is makes it far worse. It is important that regulators have the knowledge and the tools to prevent crises before they happen, but that is not possible if they do not know enough about the market.\n\nThe updates to Form PF, as originally proposed, would ensure regulators and investors better understand the leverage, interconnectedness, loan quality, and liquidity of this market. It is concerning, therefore, that your agencies have chosen to delay the enforcement of these requirements three times since taking office. Your recent April 24th announcement seeking comments on an extreme watering down of the changes is even more concerning. Beyond these updates, it is critical that you better enforce annual reporting requirements and punish market actors who fail to follow their obligations.\n\nI urge you to move forward with robust, detailed transparency through Form PF by October 1st. Now is not the time for regulators to be in the dark.\n\nSincerely,", 1, "2026-09-15T09:50:21Z", "2026-09-15T09:52:05Z"], ["http://houlahan.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=5193", "Houlahan, Pfluger Introduce the Biosecurity Modernization and Innovation Act", "2026-09-14", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "PA", "Chrissy Houlahan", "H001085", "houlahan.house.gov", "houlahan", "https://houlahan.house.gov/news/rss.aspx", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2014 Today, Representative Chrissy Houlahan (PA-06) introduced the bipartisan Biosecurity Modernization and Innovation Act alongside Representative August Pfluger (TX-11) to keep dangerous actors from misusing DNA synthesis technology while keeping America at the forefront of biotechnology.\n\nGene synthesis has transformed medicine, agriculture, and manufacturing, helping scientists build lifesaving treatments and develop hardier crops. However, these same tools could be misused to create dangerous pathogens if left unchecked. Currently, screening of nucleic acid orders is voluntary, leaving a gap that bad actors could exploit, especially as new desktop machines make it easier to generate genetic material outside the traditional supply chain.\n\nThe Biosecurity Modernization and Innovation Act would close this dangerous gap by requiring companies that sell synthetic DNA, as well as the manufacturers of the machines that produce it, to know their customers and exactly what they're being asked to make.\n\n\u201cBiotechnology is creating enormous opportunities to improve lives and transform our economy, but like all emerging technologies, the related security policies must keep pace,\u201d said Rep. Houlahan. \u201cThe Biosecurity Modernization and Innovation Act is an important step toward ensuring that the federal government has the flexibility and agility to respond to new technologies and emerging threats as they evolve. As Co-Chair of the bipartisan BIOTech Caucus, I am committed to ensuring that we strengthen our biosecurity posture while preserving the responsible innovation that keeps America at the forefront of biotechnology.\u201d\n\n\u201cBiotechnology is one of America's greatest strategic advantages. Right now, there's a dangerous gap between how fast this technology is moving and the safeguards we have in place to keep it out of the wrong hands,\u201d said Rep. Pfluger. \u201cThe Biosecurity Modernization and Innovation Act closes this gap without slowing down the innovation saving lives while strengthening our economy.\u201d\n\nThe legislation is a House companion to bipartisan legislation introduced by Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR) and was developed in consultation with key industry stakeholders in the biotechnology and gene-synthesis sector.\n\nRead full text of the bill here.", 1, "2026-09-16T09:43:13Z", "2026-09-16T09:44:22Z"], ["http://houlahan.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=5174", "Houlahan Introduces Bill to Build Four Million New Homes, Declare National Housing Emergency", "2026-09-11", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "PA", "Chrissy Houlahan", "H001085", "houlahan.house.gov", "houlahan", "https://houlahan.house.gov/news/rss.aspx", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Representative Chrissy Houlahan (PA-06) introduced legislation this week declaring a national housing emergency, incenting housing production to build or restore four million new homes. The National Housing Emergency Act, led by Senator Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) in the Senate, will boost domestically produced materials to support the construction and rehabilitation of housing and push states and localities to cut red tape currently standing in the way of building middle class housing.\n\n\u201cConstituents across my district, from young families to aging seniors and everyone in between, are all facing the same problem: housing is too expensive,\u201d said Rep. Houlahan, \u201cWe need to start treating the high cost of housing like the crisis it is, and that\u2019s exactly what the National Housing Emergency Act does. This legislation relieves some of the supply constraints, building and restoring four million homes to stop the cycle of high costs for buyers and renters at every stage of life.\u201d", 1, "2026-09-12T09:02:30Z", "2026-09-12T09:03:27Z"], ["https://deluzio.house.gov/media/press-releases/deluzio-leads-pa-colleagues-demanding-stronger-data-transparency-ice", "Deluzio Leads PA Colleagues in Demanding Stronger Data Transparency from ICE", "2026-09-11", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "PA", "Christopher R. Deluzio", "D000530", "deluzio.house.gov", "deluzio", "https://deluzio.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Yesterday, Congressman Chris Deluzio (PA-17) led his Pennsylvania colleagues Congresswoman Madeleine Dean (PA-04), Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-05), and Congresswoman Summer Lee (PA-12) on a letter to the Acting Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) exposing the lack of data transparency in current ICE records management and reporting. ICE is refusing to document in public records which local law enforcement agencies with a 287(g) agreement are involved in arrests, thereby hiding from public view how local law enforcement is involved in ICE\u2019s mass deportation regime.\n\nSpecifically, the Congressmembers are pushing for training records, complaints, and oversight records about 287(g) programs in Pennsylvania to be made public. The 287(g) program sets up partnerships between ICE and state or local law enforcement agencies to authorize selected officers to carry out federal immigration enforcement or deportation. Reps. Deluzio, Dean, Scanlon, and Lee are demanding ICE require its agents to fully complete the 287(g)-designation field in its arrest records and identify the participating agencies involved in arrests. They also make specific demands that more data, details, and records be released to the public.\n\nThe Pennsylvania congressmembers write in the letter:\n\n\u201cAccording to published federal records between January 1 to August 6, 2026, of the 1,227 Pennsylvania 287(g) arrest records, only 12 of those records included the task force designation agency that was involved in arrest. ICE chose to withhold that information more than 1,000 times so far this year despite such information being a designated field included in arrest records. This discrepancy undermines transparency and leaves the public without a clear understanding of which agency or department was involved.\n\nThe members continue:\n\n\u201cThe public has a right to clear and complete information about the nature of the enforcement activities taking place in our neighborhoods and the departments or agencies responsible for carrying them out. Programs between federal and local law enforcement agencies must meet the highest standards of transparency.\u201d\n\nThe full text of the letter is available HERE.\n\nCongressman Deluzio is actively fighting back against Trump\u2019s mass deportation scheme. In May 2026, he and Congresswoman Summer Lee conducted an unannounced oversight visit to Moshannon Valley Processing Center in Clearfield County, PA, where they found that the overwhelming majority of people locked up inside the ICE facility were considered low-security level\u2014meaning that they have not been accused of serious, violent crimes or engaged in similar conduct while detained.\n\nDuring this visit, the two congressmembers were blocked from bringing congressional staff inside the facility. These staff were immigration policy experts and able to provide translation services, limiting the congressmembers\u2019 ability to communicate with people inside Moshannon. After this, Congressman Deluzio introduced the Oversight Access Act, a new bill which would permit Members of Congress to bring one member of their staff inside Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facilities when conducting oversight, without prior notice.\n\nRep. Deluzio led and joined his Pennsylvania colleagues on recent letters to ICE and the GEO Group, the for-profit prison corporation that owns and operates the Pennsylvania Moshannon Valley Processing Center to demand answers on GEO\u2019s failure to comply with federal standards of adequate staffing and medical care to detainees and to stop obstructing congressional oversight.\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-12T09:02:30Z", "2026-09-12T09:03:27Z"], ["https://summerlee.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases/reps-lee-deluzio-pa-colleagues-demand-stronger-data-transparency-from-ice", "Reps. Lee, Deluzio, PA Colleagues Demand Stronger Data Transparency from ICE", "2026-09-11", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "PA", "Summer L. Lee", "L000602", "summerlee.house.gov", "summerlee", "https://summerlee.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "Text of Letter (PDF)\n\nPITTSBURGH, PA \u2013 September 11, 2026 \u2014 Yesterday, Congresswoman Summer L. Lee (PA-12) joined Congressman Chris Deluzio (PA-17) and their colleagues Congresswoman Madeleine Dean (PA-04) and Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-05) on a letter to the Acting Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) exposing the lack of data transparency in current ICE records management and reporting. ICE is refusing to document in public records which local law enforcement agencies with a 287(g) agreement are involved in arrests, thereby hiding from public view how local law enforcement is involved in ICE\u2019s mass deportation regime.\n\nSpecifically, the Congressmembers are pushing for training records, complaints, and oversight records about 287(g) programs in Pennsylvania to be made public. The 287(g) program sets up partnerships between ICE and state or local law enforcement agencies to authorize selected officers to carry out federal immigration enforcement or deportation. Reps. Lee, Deluzio, Dean, and Scanlon are demanding ICE require its agents to fully complete the 287(g)-designation field in its arrest records and identify the participating agencies involved in arrests. They also make specific demands that more data, details, and records be released to the public.\n\nThe Pennsylvania congressmembers write in the letter:\n\n\u201cAccording to published federal records between January 1 to August 6, 2026, of the 1,227 Pennsylvania 287(g) arrest records, only 12 of those records included the task force designation agency that was involved in arrest. ICE chose to withhold that information more than 1,000 times so far this year despite such information being a designated field included in arrest records. This discrepancy undermines transparency and leaves the public without a clear understanding of which agency or department was involved.\n\nThe members continue:\n\n\u201cThe public has a right to clear and complete information about the nature of the enforcement activities taking place in our neighborhoods and the departments or agencies responsible for carrying them out. Programs between federal and local law enforcement agencies must meet the highest standards of transparency.\u201d\n\nThe full text of the letter can be found here.", 1, "2026-09-12T09:02:30Z", "2026-09-12T09:03:27Z"], ["https://www.fetterman.senate.gov/fetterman-statement-on-25th-anniversary-of-the-sept-11-terrorist-attacks/", "Fetterman Statement on 25th Anniversary of the Sept. 11 Terrorist Attacks", "2026-09-11", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "Senate", "PA", "John Fetterman", "F000479", "www.fetterman.senate.gov", "fetterman", "https://www.fetterman.senate.gov/press-release/", "scraper", "SHANKSVILLE, PA \u2014 Following the wreath ceremony at the Flight 93 Memorial in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, U.S. Senator John Fetterman (D-PA) released the following image and statement:\n\n\u201cHallowed ground here at the Flight 93 Memorial in Shanksville commemorating 25 years since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.\n\n\u201cThis sacred land honors the Americans who fought back to prevent another, larger attack. The precise timing of the wreath layings marked the times of each attack in New York City, Arlington, Virginia, and Shanksville.", 1, "2026-09-12T09:02:30Z", "2026-09-12T09:03:27Z"], ["https://www.fetterman.senate.gov/fetterman-urges-u-s-immigration-and-customs-enforcement-to-pay-medical-service-providers/", "Fetterman Urges U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to Pay Medical Service Providers", "2026-09-11", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "Senate", "PA", "John Fetterman", "F000479", "www.fetterman.senate.gov", "fetterman", "https://www.fetterman.senate.gov/press-release/", "scraper", "BRADDOCK, PA \u2014 Last week, U.S. Senator John Fetterman (D-PA) sent a letter to the Senior Official Performing the Duties of the Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), David J. Venturella, to note his concern with the lack of reimbursement to medical service providers for care provided to detainees, and to urge immediate repayment.\n\n\u201cFor more than two decades, ICE paid the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to process reimbursement claims for medical services related to immigration detention. This agreement, which came at no cost to the VA, allowed for timely and efficient payment of medical providers and ensured a responsible level of care for detainees and detention center staff. On October 3, 2025, the Veterans Affairs Administration (VA) and ICE abruptly terminated this decades-long contract. This action left ICE with no mechanism to process invoices and pay medical providers serving ICE facilities and detainees,\u201d wrote Senator Fetterman.\n\nIn the Commonwealth, Moshannon Valley Emergency Medical Services (MVEMS) is responsible for emergency medical care for over 40,000 Pennsylvanians. This includes nearly 2,000 detainees held at ICE\u2019s Moshannon Valley Processing Center. Since payments ceased, MVEMS is now owed over $230,000.\n\nOn January 13, ICE Health Service Corps announced plans to transition claims processing to a new electronic provider portal, with a launch date of April 30. As of now, providers remain unable to submit reimbursement claims for emergency responses initiated through 911 calls and other medical care provided to individuals in ICE custody or at ICE facilities. The continued delays raise serious concerns about access to timely emergency medical care for detainees, guards, custodial staff, administrators, and others at these facilities.\n\n\u201cAs MVEMS and medical service providers from across the Commonwealth continue to show up for their communities, ICE must also be a good neighbor. ICE should not and cannot rely on medical service providers like MVEMS to shoulder the financial and operational burden of federal immigration detention operations,\u201d continued the senator.\n\nRead the full text of the letter below and here.\n\n\u2013\n\nDear Mr. Venturella:\n\nI am concerned about the non-payment of medical service provider invoices for care rendered to individuals in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and I demand that ICE immediately pay these bills. This inaction is creating economic hardship for medical service providers across rural Pennsylvania. Refusal to pay for these services hurts our communities and breaks financial obligations.\n\nFor more than two decades, ICE paid the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to process reimbursement claims for medical services related to immigration detention. This agreement, which came at no cost to the VA, allowed for timely and efficient payment of medical providers and ensured a responsible level of care for detainees and detention center staff. On October 3, 2025, the Veterans Affairs Administration (VA) and ICE abruptly terminated this decades-long contract. This action left ICE with no mechanism to process invoices and pay medical providers serving ICE facilities and detainees.\n\nOn January 13, 2026, ICE Health Service Corps announced it would begin processing claims through a new electronic provider portal. It was the expectation of the Department of Homeland Security and ICE that this portal would launch on April 30, 2026.2 It is now September and providers are still unable to submit reimbursement claims for 911 call-initiated responses and other care provided to individuals in the custody of or physically located at an ICE facility. This raises serious concerns about access to emergency treatment for detainees, guards, custodians, and administrators.\n\nICE recognizes the danger this lapse in payments to providers creates. In contracting documents signed in October 2025 and made publicly available via the Systems Award Management website in November 2025, ICE states, \u201cIt is an absolute emergency for ICE to immediately procure claims processing support because lack of this support will delay critical medical care for [illegal aliens] such as dialysis, prenatal care, oncology, chemotherapy, etc.\n\nWhile payment delays adversely affect all providers, they are especially harmful to rural health and emergency care providers with limited staff, equipment, and financial reserves. Moshannon Valley Emergency Medical Services (MVEMS) is a rural EMS provider in Philipsburg, PA. MVEMS operates over an almost 800 square mile area and provides EMS service to 41,000 Pennsylvanians. They accomplish this every day with only 10 full-time employees, 35 part-time staff, and five ambulances. They also provide EMS services to the Moshannon Valley Processing Center, which is capable of holding nearly 1,900 detainees. As of August 20, 2025, ICE owes MVEMS $236,124.91 in overdue payments, because of the reimbursement freeze.\n\nAs MVEMS and medical service providers from across the Commonwealth continue to show up for their communities, ICE must also be a good neighbor. ICE should not and cannot rely on medical service providers like MVEMS to shoulder the financial and operational burden of federal immigration detention operations.\n\nI request ICE promptly provide my office with the following information:\n\nA detailed accounting of the total amount currently owed by ICE to medical service providers, EMS providers, hospitals, and other health care entities for care provided to individuals in ICE custody.\n\nIf unavailable, please provide a detailed estimate of the total amount currently owed based on historical averages adjusted for recent increases in ICE\u2019s enforcement and detention activities.\n\nA statistical impact report addressing how these payment delays have affected detainee medical care and medical and EMS providers.\n\nA detailed update on the status of ICE\u2019s new payment system, including when it will be fully operational, when outstanding claims will be paid, and what steps ICE is taking to prevent future payment disruptions.\n\nI appreciate your attention to this matter, and I hope to receive your response no later than September 15, 2026.\n\nSincerely,", 1, "2026-09-12T09:02:30Z", "2026-09-12T09:03:27Z"], ["https://dean.house.gov/2026/9/dean-pa-delegation-demand-stronger-data-transparency-from-ice", "Dean, PA Delegation Demand Stronger Data Transparency from ICE", "2026-09-11", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "PA", "Madeleine Dean", "D000631", "dean.house.gov", "dean", "https://dean.house.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Representatives Madeleine Dean (PA-04), Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-05), Summer Lee (PA-12), and Chris Deluzio (PA-17) wrote a letter to the Acting Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) exposing the lack of data transparency in current ICE records management and reporting, specifically in its partnerships with state and local law enforcement.\n\n\u201cAccording to published federal records between January 1 to August 6, 2026, of the 1,227 Pennsylvania 287(g) arrest records, only 12 of those records included the task force designation agency that was involved in arrest. ICE chose to withhold that information more than 1,000 times so far this year despite such information being a designated field included in arrest records. This discrepancy undermines transparency and leaves the public without a clear understanding of which agency or department was involved,\u201d the lawmakers wrote.\n\nThe 287(g) program established a partnership between ICE and state or local law enforcement to authorize selected officers to carry out federal immigration enforcement or deportation. Specifically, the lawmakers are demanding training records, complaints, and oversight records about 287(g) programs in Pennsylvania to be made public.\n\n\u201cThe public has a right to clear and complete information about the nature of the enforcement activities taking place in our neighborhoods and the departments or agencies responsible for carrying them out. Programs between federal and local law enforcement agencies must meet the highest standards of transparency,\u201d the lawmakers continue.\n\nFollowing a recent visit to Moshannon Valley Processing Center in central Pennsylvania, Congresswoman Dean lead her Pennsylvania colleagues in letters to ICE and the GEO Group, the for-profit prison corporation that owns and operates MVPC, to demand answers on GEO\u2019s failure to comply with federal standards of adequate staffing and medical care to detainees, as well as obstruction of congressional oversight.\n\nCongresswoman Dean also recently introduced theOversight Access Act to expand congressional oversight at ICE facilities without prior notice and the No Shock Act to ban the use of electric shock gloves by ICE agents.?\n\nRead the full text of the letter here.\n\nRep. Madeleine Dean is a mother, grandmother, attorney, professor, former four-term member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, and U.S. Representative for the Fourth District of Pennsylvania.\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-15T09:50:21Z", "2026-09-15T09:52:05Z"], ["http://houlahan.house.gov/calendar/eventsingle.aspx?EventID=5159", "Rep. Houlahan's Fourth Annual Medicare Town Hall", "2026-09-10", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "PA", "Chrissy Houlahan", "H001085", "houlahan.house.gov", "houlahan", "https://houlahan.house.gov/news/rss.aspx", "scraper", "West Chester District Office\n\n709 E. Gay Street, Suite 4\n\nWest Chester, PA 19380\n\nPhone: (610) 883-5050\n\nOpen:\n\nMonday-Wednesday\n\n9:00am-5:00pm\n\nOpen by Appointment:\n\nThursday and Friday\n\nS\u00ed, se habla espa\u00f1ol\n\nReading District Office\n\n201 Penn Street, Suite 201\n\nReading, PA 19601\n\nPhone: (610) 295-0815\n\nOpen:\n\nWednesday-Friday\n\n9:00am-5:00pm\n\nOpen by Appointment:\n\nMonday and Tuesday\n\nS\u00ed, se habla espa\u00f1ol", 1, "2026-09-10T09:25:58Z", "2026-09-10T09:27:09Z"], ["https://www.fetterman.senate.gov/fetterman-secures-80-million-investment-for-accessibility-improvements-at-septa-trolley-stations/", "Fetterman Secures $80 Million Investment for Accessibility Improvements at SEPTA Trolley Stations", "2026-09-10", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "Senate", "PA", "John Fetterman", "F000479", "www.fetterman.senate.gov", "fetterman", "https://www.fetterman.senate.gov/press-release/", "scraper", "BRADDOCK, PA \u2014 Today, U.S. Senator John Fetterman (D-PA) announced an $80 million grant award for the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) through the Federal Transit Administration (FTA)\u2019s All Stations Accessibility Program (ASAP). This funding will support accessibility improvements at SEPTA\u2019s 22nd Street, 33rd Street, and 36th Street trolley stations in Philadelphia.\n\n\u201cThis money will make all the difference for our seniors, for Pennsylvanians with disabilities, and for anyone who relies on SEPTA,\u201d said Senator Fetterman. \u201cI\u2019m proud of the steps SEPTA has already taken to make its system more accessible for all riders, and I\u2019m grateful for the FTA\u2019s support of this important work.\u201d\n\nSEPTA\u2019s 22nd Street, 33rd Street, and 36th Street Stations are among the busiest in the Authority\u2019s trolley network. These stations provide critical access to the Center City Trolley Tunnel in Philadelphia, which connects more than 60,000 daily riders to Southeastern Pennsylvania\u2019s largest employment centers in Center City and University City.\n\nThis $80 million award will fund critical accessibility improvements at these stations, including the installation of new elevators and raised platforms, making them fully compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. The project represents a key component of SEPTA\u2019s broader Trolley Modernization initiative, which aims to improve safety, accessibility, and reliability along one of the nation\u2019s largest trolley networks. In April, Senator Fetterman penned a letter in support of SEPTA\u2019s grant application to FTA Acting Executive Director Jamie Pfister.\n\n\u201cAccessibility is core to SEPTA\u2019s mission, and this grant will help us deliver three new projects that will have lasting benefits for our customers,\u201d said SEPTA General Manager Scott A. Sauer. \u201cWith this announcement, ASAP funding is now supporting a total of eight SEPTA Metro station accessibility projects. We are grateful to our Congressional delegation for their leadership in establishing this vital program and to the FTA for its confidence in our station accessibility efforts.\u201d", 1, "2026-09-11T09:25:29Z", "2026-09-11T09:27:08Z"], ["https://dean.house.gov/2026/9/rep-dean-reintroduces-bill-to-lower-treatment-costs-for-opioid-use-disorder", "Rep. Dean Reintroduces Bill to Lower Treatment Costs for Opioid Use Disorder", "2026-09-10", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "PA", "Madeleine Dean", "D000631", "dean.house.gov", "dean", "https://dean.house.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Congresswoman Madeleine Dean (PA-04) reintroduced the Maximizing Opioid Recovery Emergency (MORE) Savings Act to lower costs for the more than 20 million Americans seeking treatment for opioid use disorder (OUD), including life-saving medications and outpatient treatment services. This legislation would eliminate cost-sharing for opioid treatment and recovery support services for people with private insurance, Medicaid, and for people enrolled under a new Medicare pilot program.\n\n\u201cEvery family, every community has been scarred by the disease of addiction \u2014 and as the Trump Administration systematically strips away affordable healthcare, it is critical that we expand access to treatment and recovery,\u201d Rep. Dean said. \u201cBecause of the so-called Big Beautiful Bill, 100,000 Pennsylvanians struggling with substance use disorder, including OUD, lost coverage. The MORE Savings Act will help lower costs so that the more than 20 million Americans seeking treatment can find hope and joy in recovery.\u201d\n\nThe MORE Savings Act would require individual and group health insurance plans to cover medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD), overdose reversal medications, treatment in outpatient settings, and recovery support services with no cost-sharing for patients. The bill would also establish a 5-year pilot program in 15 states to eliminate cost-sharing under Medicare and provide an enhanced federal match under Medicaid for people accessing treatment and recovery services.\n\nCongresswoman Dean previously introduced the MORE Savings Act in the 118th Congress.\n\nRead the full text of the bill here.\n\nRep. Madeleine Dean is a mother, grandmother, attorney, professor, former four-term member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, and U.S. Representative for the Fourth District of Pennsylvania.\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-12T09:02:30Z", "2026-09-12T09:03:27Z"], ["https://deluzio.house.gov/media/press-releases/deluzio-highlights-25000-investment-job-training-opportunities-beaver-county", "Deluzio Highlights $25,000 Investment in Job Training Opportunities for Beaver County Youth", "2026-09-09", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "PA", "Christopher R. Deluzio", "D000530", "deluzio.house.gov", "deluzio", "https://deluzio.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "CENTER TOWNSHIP, PA \u2014 Today, Congressman Deluzio announced that Beaver County is receiving $25,000 in federal funding to invest in educational and job opportunities for Beaver County youth. The Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) awarded the funding to Flourish Beaver County to develop a three-year strategic plan for these opportunities.\n\n\u201cYoung people throughout Western PA should have every tool at their disposal to get a good education, find a solid job, build their lives, and earn their own slice of the American Dream,\u201d said Congressman Deluzio. \u201cThis federal funding is a win for Beaver County youth, and I look forward to seeing all that Flourish Beaver County will do with it.\u201d\n\n\u201cThis investment from the Appalachian Regional Commission will help Flourish build the organizational capacity needed to keep young people at the center of our work,\u201d said Jennifer Marino, CEO of Flourish Beaver County. \u201cWith a stronger, more sustainable foundation, we can expand our ability to bring school districts, higher education, employers, and community partners together to help Beaver County youth discover their strengths, explore future careers, and access the education and training that can help them thrive. We are grateful to Congressman Deluzio and his team for supporting this work.\u201d\n\nThe Appalachian Regional Commission\u2019s READY Appalachia Grant Program awarded the funding to Flourish Beaver County\u2014a nonprofit that invests in support opportunities for Beaver County youth. The initiative helps Appalachian communities, organizations, and individuals obtain the skills, knowledge, and resources necessary to strengthen their local economies\n\nThe Trump Administration\u2019s efforts to freeze funding and pause federal grants has created significant uncertainty for grantees, varying by agency and program. As of now, courts have paused many of these freezes. However, Congressman Deluzio\u2019s office will continue to monitor these developments and fight to make sure this congressionally-authorized funding continues going to projects that make life better for Western Pennsylvanians. If you are the recipient of a federal grant and have been notified that this funding is no longer available to you or are experiencing other issues accessing your lawfully appropriated funds, please share your concerns with Congressman Deluzio\u2019s office at PA17Grants@mail.house.gov.\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-10T09:25:58Z", "2026-09-10T09:27:09Z"], ["https://boyle.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/icymi-boyle-demands-answers-usps-vote-mail-calls-congress-pass-vote", "ICYMI: Boyle Demands Answers from USPS on Vote-By-Mail, Calls for Congress to Pass Vote by Mail Protection Act", "2026-09-08", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "PA", "Brendan F. Boyle", "B001296", "boyle.house.gov", "boyle", "https://boyle.house.gov/media-center/press-releases", "scraper", "PHILADELPHIA, PA \u2013 Today, Congressman Brendan F. Boyle (PA-02) held a press conference outside the Northeast Philadelphia Satellite Election Office, calling on Congress to urgently pass H.R. 8666, the Vote by Mail Protection Act, to stop President Trump\u2019s efforts to restrict access to the ballot. Boyle also announced a new oversight letter to the United States Postal Service, demanding answers about new procedures that could interfere with the delivery of mail-in ballots and pressing USPS to fully comply with court orders protecting voters.\n\n\u201cWe are now exactly eight weeks from what perhaps may be one of the most consequential congressional elections in our lifetime. There are many people throughout the nation who vote by mail, including President Donald Trump,\u201d said Congressman Boyle. \u201cUnfortunately, this White House continues its unprecedented assault on vote-by-mail. First, I am calling on Congress to pass a bill that I'm proud to co-sponsor, the Vote by Mail Protection Act. Second, I am sending an oversight letter today to the Postmaster General demanding answers about this new system and what it could mean for Philadelphia. These are basic questions, and voters \u2014 whether Democrat, Republican, or Independent \u2014 deserve these answers.\u201d\n\nIn the 2024 general election, 200,000 Philadelphians voted by mail or absentee ballot. In his letter, Boyle demands answers about reports that USPS is rushing to make changes to the handling of mail-in ballots at the direction of the Trump administration. Boyle also calls on USPS to provide information about how these changes could impact Philadelphians who vote by mail, what safeguards are in place, and what communications USPS has had with the White House.\n\nThe full text of Boyle\u2019s letter to Postmaster General David Steiner can be found here.\n\nBoyle was joined at today\u2019s event by Philadelphia City Commissioner Lisa Deeley and leaders from the American Postal Workers Union.\n\n\u201cWe know this playbook,\u201d said City Commissioner Deeley. \u201cIt's been the same playbook since 2016. The trick plays have gotten a little more elaborate, but the message is clear: to create confusion and to stop people from exercising their right to vote. I remind everybody, as the Congressman said, you have time, and most importantly, I remind you that it's preparation, not panic, that will win the day for democracy on November the 3rd.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe American Postal Workers Union represents over 200,000 postal workers, covering the clerks that you see at the window, the folks that process the mail, the maintenance employees that fix the machines, those that clean, and our drivers. Vote-by-mail works. There's no evidence whatsoever that there's been fraud in elections. And we take pride in doing it. We hope it continues. I appreciate Congressman Boyle, what he's doing for this, and we hope for the best,\u201d said Vince Tarducci, Eastern Region Coordinator, American Postal Workers Union.\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-09T09:27:09Z", "2026-09-09T09:29:04Z"], ["https://summerlee.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases/rep-summer-lee-celebrates-new-schoolyard-supported-by-400k-in-federal-funds-highlights-bill-to-transform-schoolyards", "Rep. Summer Lee Celebrates New Schoolyard Supported by $400K in Federal Funds, Highlights Bill to Transform Schoolyards", "2026-09-04", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "PA", "Summer L. Lee", "L000602", "summerlee.house.gov", "summerlee", "https://summerlee.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "Photos (Dropbox)\n\nPITTSBURGH, PA \u2013 September 4, 2026 \u2014 Today, Congresswoman Summer L. Lee (PA-12) joined Trust for Public Land (TPL), Greenfield PreK-8 Neighborhood School, and community leaders to celebrate the opening of a new community schoolyard. The Congresswoman secured $400,000 in FY26 community project funding to support the transformation. The new schoolyard showcases how transforming paved and underused schoolyards can expand access to parks, create places for children to learn and play, and help neighborhoods become more climate resilient. The event, hosted at Greenfield Elementary, included a brief speaking program and a walkthrough of the new community schoolyard with students and parents.\n\nDuring her remarks, Rep. Lee highlighted her Revitalizing America\u2019s Schoolyards Act, legislation to help schools nationwide transform their schoolyards into vibrant, nature-rich spaces for learning, play, and community use. She introduced the bill in April 2026 with Senator Martin Heinrich from New Mexico.\n\n\u201cGreenfield Elementary\u2019s transformed schoolyard is a powerful example of what public investment can mean for a community: a safe place for children to play, a green space where families can gather, and a third space where neighbors can connect with one another and with nature,\u201d said Rep. Lee. \u201cI\u2019m proud to have supported this incredible transformation with $400,000 in federal funds and to have introduced the Revitalizing America\u2019s Schoolyards Act to help communities across the country follow Greenfield\u2019s example and transform schoolyards into greener, healthier, more resilient spaces for generations to come.\u201d\n\n\u201cGreenfield shows that a schoolyard can be so much more than a place for recess\u2014it can be a park, a classroom, a gathering place, and a tool for building healthier, more resilient neighborhoods,\u201d said Danielle Denk, Director of the Community Schoolyards Program at Trust for Public Land. \u201cThese spaces also give children more opportunities to put down their screens, get outside, and connect with nature and one another. Congresswoman Summer Lee\u2019s leadership in advancing the Revitalizing America\u2019s Schoolyards Act recognizes the power of these spaces and the need for investment to help communities across the country transform asphalt into vibrant places where children and families can connect with the outdoors.\u201d\n\n\u201cWe are grateful to Congresswoman Summer Lee for securing this important investment, which will transform Pittsburgh Greenfield\u2019s schoolyard into a space shaped by student voice and designed to support learning, play, connection and well-being,\u201d said Pittsburgh Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Wayne N. Walters. \u201cWe appreciate Congresswoman Lee\u2019s partnership, her advocacy for our students and her recognition of the important role our school spaces play in supporting students and strengthening communities.\u201d\n\nGreenfield is a powerful local example of what public investment can accomplish. Led by Trust for Public Land\u2019s Community Schoolyards program, the project transformed the schoolyard into a greener, more welcoming space with new play equipment and connection to nature. The project will serve Greenfield\u2019s students and more than 2,500 neighbors within a 10-minute walk.\n\nThe project also illustrates the role schoolyards can play in addressing extreme heat and building climate resilience. Students at Greenfield helped develop the design through 8 weeks of participatory design, with focused STEAM lessons focused on climate and health challenges facing their community.\n\nPhotos from the event can be found here.", 1, "2026-09-05T08:49:07Z", "2026-09-05T08:50:44Z"], ["https://boyle.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/boyle-bynum-introduce-back-school-supplies-affordability-act", "Boyle, Bynum Introduce Back-to-School Supplies Affordability Act", "2026-09-03", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "PA", "Brendan F. Boyle", "B001296", "boyle.house.gov", "boyle", "https://boyle.house.gov/media-center/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, DC \u2013 Today, Congressman Brendan F. Boyle (PA-02) and Congresswoman Janelle Bynum (OR-05) introduced the Back-to-School Supplies Affordability Act to lower the cost of school supplies for students and teachers. The legislation would exempt school supplies and educational materials from President Trump\u2019s tariff taxes, which have raised prices for families across the country.\n\n\u201cLike families across the country, my wife and I felt the sticker shock when we went back-to-school shopping this year,\u201d said Congressman Boyle. \u201cFamilies are already stretching every dollar, and they shouldn\u2019t be forced to pay even more for basic school supplies because of President Trump\u2019s reckless tariff taxes. I\u2019m proud to help lead this bill to eliminate tariffs on back-to-school essentials and give parents, teachers, and students some much-needed relief.\u201d\n\n\u201cBetween gas, groceries, and rent, our families are already struggling with rising costs,\u201d said Congresswoman Bynum. \u201cSchool supplies are the latest example of how Trump\u2019s tariffs are pricing people out of the essentials. With costs up and school supply lists out, families are having to make hard financial decisions. This bill is about giving parents and teachers a break, while still setting our children up for success in the classroom.\u201d\n\nAccording to Groundwork Collaborative and the Century Foundation, the cost of school supplies has increased 8 percent this year, with many essential items facing even larger cost increases. Lunchbox prices have increased 27 percent, while notebooks have become 23 percent more expensive.\n\nThe Back-to-School Supplies Affordability Act directs the Secretaries of Commerce and Education to work together to create a list of tariff-free school supplies, and specifically exempts:\n\nOffice and school supplies\n\nBackpacks\n\nNotebooks, memorandum pads, and similar paper products\n\nChildren\u2019s picture, drawing, and coloring books\n\nCalendars\n\nComputer keyboards\n\nHairbrushes\n\nPencils, crayons, chalk, and other drawing materials\n\nPens, markers, and related writing instruments\n\nThe bill preserves congressional oversight by allowing Congress to disapprove the designation of specific items for tariff exemptions through a Joint Resolution of Disapproval.\n\nIn the House, the legislation is cosponsored by Representatives Angie Craig (MN-02), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC), Sarah McBride (DE), Juan Vargas (CA-52), and Raja Krishnamoorthi (IL-08).\n\nThis legislation is led in the Senate by Senator Angela Alsobrooks (MD). The bill is cosponsored by Senators Chris Van Hollen (MD), Chris Coons (DE), Andy Kim (NJ), Lisa Blunt Rochester (DE), Jacky Rosen (NV), and John Hickenlooper (CO).\n\nBoyle is the Ranking Member of the House Budget Committee and serves on the Ways and Means Committee, which has jurisdiction over federal tax policy.\n\nThe full text of the Back-to-School Supplies Affordability Act is available here.", 1, "2026-09-04T09:19:37Z", "2026-09-04T09:20:58Z"], ["https://dean.house.gov/2026/9/reps-dean-ramirez-introduce-bill-to-ban-ice-use-of-shock-gloves", "Reps. Dean, Ramirez Introduce Bill to Ban ICE Use of \u201cShock Gloves\u201d", "2026-09-03", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "PA", "Madeleine Dean", "D000631", "dean.house.gov", "dean", "https://dean.house.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2014 U.S. Representatives Madeleine Dean (PA-04) and Delia Ramirez (IL-03) introduced the No Shock Act to ban the use of \u201cshock gloves\u201d by U.S. Immigration and Enforcement (ICE) agents. This month, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced their plan to spend $17 million on 6,000 shock gloves \u2014 electric gloves designed to inflict painful shocks with just a touch of the hand \u2014 for ICE officers to enforce the Trump Administration\u2019s policy of mass deportations.\n\n\u201cFor nearly two years, we have witnessed grotesquely un-American behavior from ICE agents \u2014 the tragic killing of innocent Americans, the wrongful arrests of lawful residents and peaceful protesters, and the inhumane conditions at ICE facilities across the country,\u201d Rep. Dean said. \u201cNow, DHS seeks to further arm ICE agents with electric shock gloves, enabling them to inflict even more pain with zero accountability. My bill will prohibit these devices from being used in any immigration enforcement.\u201d\n\n\"For years, DHS has spent billions of taxpayer dollars to amass paramilitary weapons while simultaneously attempting to shield itself and its agents from accountability. Using surveillance tech and tools of torture, DHS has already proven its capacity to perpetrate state-sanctioned abuse and arbitrary cruelty. Under no circumstances can DHS be trusted with electric shock gloves and the power to inflict \u2018sudden\u2019 death,\u201d Rep. Ramirez said. \u201cAfter opening a Congressional inquiry to demand that DHS immediately halt the acquisition and deployment of electric shock gloves, I\u2019m joining Rep. Dean to prohibit these cruel devices from being used during immigration enforcement. We cannot continue letting a dangerous agency access more tools to wage war on our communities. We have to take every weapon, every dollar, every authority away. We have to dismantle DHS.\"\n\nThe Generated Low Output Voltage Emitter (G.L.O.V.E.) devices are manufactured in Lexington, Kentucky by Compliant Technologies LLC. They are being purchased by DHS through a no-bid contract \u2014 a process typically reserved for emergencies. The No Shock Act would prohibit the use of these gloves for all DHS immigration enforcement, including ICE and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), as well as state and local officers enlisted to carry out federal immigration enforcement.\n\nFollowing an alarming visit to the Moshannon Detention Center in central Pennsylvania,Congresswoman Dean recently introduced the Oversight Access Act to expand unannounced congressional oversight at ICE facilities.\n\nRead the full text of the bill here.\n\nRep. Madeleine Dean is a mother, grandmother, attorney, professor, former four-term member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, and U.S. Representative for the Fourth District of Pennsylvania.\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-04T09:19:37Z", "2026-09-04T09:20:58Z"], ["https://summerlee.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases/reps-lee-hayes-introduce-bill-to-provide-free-school-supplies-to-school-districts", "Reps. Lee, Hayes Introduce Bill to Provide Free School Supplies to School Districts", "2026-09-03", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "PA", "Summer L. Lee", "L000602", "summerlee.house.gov", "summerlee", "https://summerlee.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "Text of Bill (PDF)\n\nWASHINGTON, DC \u2013 September 3, 2026 \u2014 Today, Congresswoman Summer L. Lee (PA-12) and Congresswoman Jahana Hayes (CT-05) introduced the Access to School Supplies Act of 2026, legislation that would invest $500 million in a federal pilot program to provide school supplies at no cost to students, teachers, librarians, and support staff. Rep. Lee touted the bill\u2019s introduction last year during a school supply distribution event at The Education Partnership. The bill was initially introduced by former Congresswoman Cori Bush (MO-01).\n\n\u201cEach school year, millions of students, families, and educators across the country struggle to afford the basic supplies students need to succeed in the classroom. We are already in an affordability crisis. In the wealthiest country in history, basic expenses should not stand between a child and a quality education,\u201d said Rep. Lee. \u201cThe Access to School Supplies Act of 2026 is common-sense legislation that would help ensure our classrooms are equipped to serve teachers and students. I\u2019m proud to carry this bill forward with my colleagues and our education partners.\u201d\n\n\u201cToo often students attend school without basic supplies, while teachers reach into their own pockets to provide them. I know firsthand how limited resources can negatively impact an educational experience,\u201d said Rep. Hayes. \u201cAs school budgets shrink, the Access to School Supplies Act is a commonsense investment in our students, our teachers, and our classrooms. I look forward to working with Representative Lee to ensure every child has the tools they need to succeed.\u201d\n\nSchool supply prices are up nearly 8% this year, with families spending an average of nearly $200 on supplies and nearly $900 on total back-to-school costs. Teachers are feeling the burden as well: during the 2024\u201325 school year, educators spent an average of $895 out of pocket on supplies for their students\u2014a 49% increase since 2015.\n\nFor too many students, these rising costs mean reusing old supplies, purchasing lower-quality materials, or showing up to school without the tools they need to learn. The Access to School Supplies Act of 2026 would strengthen federal support for public schools and help ensure that a family\u2019s income does not determine whether a student has the basic materials they need to succeed.\n\nThe purpose of the legislation is to:\n\nProvide school supplies at no cost to students and instructional staff;\n\nIncrease the number of students who have access to the supplies needed to maintain a stable learning environment; and\n\nImprove student academic achievement, particularly for students from low-income families.\n\nUnder the legislation, the Department of Education would allocate $100 million annually through a pilot program to:\n\n10 local educational agencies (LEAs) with at least one high-poverty school in their district through competitive grants administered by the Department of Education; and\n\nThe Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) and outlying areas through formula grants that do not require applications, reducing the burden on smaller communities and ensuring they are not forced to compete with larger LEAs for critical resources.\n\nThe bill is cosponsored by Representatives Alma Adams, Wesley Bell, Suzanne Bonamici, Shontel Brown, Troy Carter, Greg Casar, Yvette Clarke, Chuy Garc\u00eda, Eleanor Holmes Norton, Jonathan Jackson, Pramila Jayapal, Ayanna Pressley, Rashida Tlaib, and Frederica Wilson.\n\nThe bill is endorsed by The Education Partnership, American Federation of Teachers (AFT), National Education Association (NEA), SchoolHouse Connection, All4Ed, EdTrust, Children's Defense Fund Action (CDF Action), and Teacher Education Division of the Council for Exceptional Children.\n\n\"Teachers should not have to buy their own classroom. The Education Partnership distributes free supplies, everything from pencils and desk chairs to snacks and clothing, into the hands of 12,500 educators and their 82,000 students across southwestern Pennsylvania every year, and Congresswoman Lee's Access to School Supplies Act would bring that same relief to classrooms nationwide. Of critical concern, nearly 68 percent of the educators we serve tell us this support factored into their decision to stay in the classroom. We are proud to stand with Congresswoman Lee and all educators in providing the right resources for education to flourish today and tomorrow,\u201d said Josh Whiteside, Executive Director of The Education Partnership.\n\n\u201cAt SHC, we know that access to basic school supplies isn\u2019t a luxury - it\u2019s a lifeline for students, especially those experiencing homelessness. By equipping local schools in high-poverty areas, the Access to School Supplies Act will enable school districts to have more tools in the fight to reduce chronic absenteeism and create the stable, supportive environments every student deserves. We wholeheartedly endorse this legislation and urge Congress to act swiftly to ensure no child falls behind for lack of the most fundamental tools,\u201d said Barbara Duffield, Executive Director of SchoolHouse Connection.\n\nA copy of the bill text can be found here.", 1, "2026-09-04T09:19:37Z", "2026-09-04T09:20:58Z"], ["https://www.fetterman.senate.gov/fetterman-mccormick-celebrate-96-million-rail-vehicle-replacement-program-investment-in-prt-septa/", "Fetterman, McCormick Celebrate $96 Million Rail Vehicle Replacement Program Investment in PRT, SEPTA", "2026-09-03", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "Senate", "PA", "John Fetterman", "F000479", "www.fetterman.senate.gov", "fetterman", "https://www.fetterman.senate.gov/press-release/", "scraper", "BRADDOCK, PA \u2014 Today, U.S. Senators John Fetterman (D-PA) and Dave McCormick (R-PA) announced a combined $96 million in grant awards for Pittsburgh Regional Transit (PRT) and the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) through the Federal Transit Administration (FTA)\u2019s Rail Vehicle Replacement Program. These awards will support the replacement of PRT\u2019s aging Light Rail (\u201cT\u201d) fleet and SEPTA\u2019s 50-year-old Silverliner IV Regional Rail cars.\n\n\u201cHundreds of thousands of Pennsylvanians across our Commonwealth rely on public transit to get where they need to go every day. Investments like these matter,\u201d said Senator Fetterman. \u201cThese grants will make service on the T in Pittsburgh and across the Regional Rail system in Philly safer and more reliable for riders. I\u2019m proud to have fought for this critical funding.\u201d\n\n\u201cThis $96 million investment is a major win for Pennsylvania transit riders. It will help PRT and SEPTA replace aging vehicles with modern fleets that increase capacity, improve reliability, and deliver better service for the thousands of Pennsylvanians who rely on public transportation every day,\u201d said Senator McCormick. \u201cI was proud to advocate for this funding and appreciate the Federal Transit Administration\u2019s support for these critical transportation systems.\u201d\n\nPRT\u2019s $82,774,074 award will support the replacement of its aging light rail fleet. Much of PRT\u2019s existing fleet has exceeded its intended service life, which has caused growing maintenance challenges, significant reliability concerns, and increased operating costs on the T. Senator Fetterman penned a letter in support of PRT\u2019s grant application to FTA Acting Executive Director Jamie Pfister in July. Senator McCormick also provided a letter of support for the project.\n\nSEPTA\u2019s $13,263,248 award will support the replacement of its Silverliner IV fleet with new Silverliner VI rail cars. Dating back to the mid-1970s, the Silverliner IVs are among the oldest operating passenger rail cars in the country, and they represent two-thirds of SEPTA\u2019s Regional Rail fleet. A new Silverliner VI fleet will provide safer and more accessible service for passengers, while reducing the maintenance costs necessary to keep the Silverliner IVs in service.\n\n\u201cI\u2019m thrilled we\u2019ve brought this substantial investment in rail cars home to Allegheny County and thank you to our federal partners who helped secure these important funds for PRT,\u201d said County Executive Sara Innamorato. \u201cStrategic investments in our fleet help ensure reliability and improve accessibility for our riders. Modernizing the PRT system for today\u2019s riders and future generations is a legacy we can all be proud of.\u201d\n\n\u201cI want to thank everyone who played a role in making this funding possible,\u201d said PRT CEO Katharine Kelleman. \u201cThis investment will help us move forward with a new fleet of rail cars that will provide riders with a safer, more accessible, more comfortable, and more reliable experience for decades to come.\u201d", 1, "2026-09-04T09:19:37Z", "2026-09-04T09:20:58Z"], ["https://deluzio.house.gov/media/press-releases/deluzio-releases-new-data-showing-pennsylvanians-have-had-spend-additional", "Deluzio Releases New Data Showing Pennsylvanians Have Had to Spend an Additional $4,200 on Everyday Essentials Under Trump", "2026-09-02", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "PA", "Christopher R. Deluzio", "D000530", "deluzio.house.gov", "deluzio", "https://deluzio.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2014 Today, Congressman Chris Deluzio (PA-17) released new data from the Joint Economic Committee Democrats showing that American families have had to spend an additional $4,200+ on goods and services since President Trump took office in January 2025.\n\n\u201cUnder the Trump Administration and full Republican control in Congress, the cost of gas, healthcare, housing, and groceries are all rising\u2014with no end in sight,\u201d said Congressman Deluzio. \u201cTrump\u2019s Iran War and reckless tariffs are jacking up costs and leaving hardworking families struggling to cover life\u2019s necessities. Reversing Trump\u2019s disastrous decisions would make life more affordable, but we must do so much more so that people\u2019s hard work delivers the good life they have earned in America.\u201d\n\nThe updated data shows that Trump Administration policies have hit Pennsylvanians have harder than other Americans\u2014with people in the Commonwealth paying around $400 more than the average American family since Trump\u2019s inauguration.\n\nOther takeaways from these new reports include:\n\nHOUSING: Pennsylvania families have had to spend an additional $924 on housing costs like rent and mortgage payments since President Trump took office.\n\nENERGY: People across PA\u201017 have spent an additional $124 million on gas since the beginning of the Iran War, costing the average family in PA\u201017 an additional $408 in gas costs.\n\nHEALTHCARE: Monthly ACA premiums rose more than 50 percent on average in 2026 compared to last year. Meanwhile deductibles surged to record highs increasing by more than $1,000 on average.\n\nThe new reports for Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania's 17th Congressional District and others are available on the Joint Economic Committee website.\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-03T09:29:33Z", "2026-09-03T09:31:32Z"], ["https://scanlon.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=2056", "Ranking Member Scanlon\u2019s Opening Statement Blasting Republicans for Trying to Strip American Children of Their Constitutional Right to Citizenship", "2026-09-02", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "PA", "Mary Gay Scanlon", "S001205", "scanlon.house.gov", "scanlon", "https://scanlon.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx", "scraper", "WATCH Ranking Member Scanlon\u2019s opening statement.\n\nRanking Member Mary Gay Scanlon\n\nSubcommittee on the Constitution and Limited Government\n\nHearing on \u201c\u2018Subject to the Jurisdiction Thereof\u2019: Birthright Citizenship and the Fourteenth Amendment, Part II\u201d\n\nSeptember 2, 2026\n\n\u201cThank you, Mr. Chairman. It seems that my Republican colleagues believe that no matter how false or bizarre a claim, repeating it over and over again will somehow make it true. What else can explain the hearing that they\u2019ve scheduled for today?\n\nAs I explained last time the majority swung and missed on this topic, the text and legislative history of the 14th Amendment clearly establish that, aside from rare exceptions, a person\u2019s birth in the United States guarantees citizenship in the United States. To suggest otherwise is nothing more than a disingenuous attempt to rewrite our nation\u2019s history and the very words of the Constitution.\n\nAnd you don\u2019t have to take my word for it. The Supreme Court resoundingly agreed just two and a half months ago in its decision on this issue in Trump v. Barbra: the 14th Amendment guarantees that \u201call persons born in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States.\u201d That plain text is about as clear as the law can be. The Supreme Court and our Constitution only recognize two very narrow exceptions for children of foreign diplomats and children of an occupying army\u2019s soldiers\u2014situations where U.S. law cannot be applied. Simply tweeting that there is \u201can invasion\u201d of immigrants is nothing more than a desperate and bigoted attempt to fabricate an end run around birthright citizenship, and doesn\u2019t meet either of those exceptions.\n\nThe American children of undocumented immigrants and the American children of visa holders are persons born here in America at the moment of their birth. They\u2019re subject to the same laws of the United States as me or you or the Chairman here with an undeniable constitutional claim to the rights, duties, and protections of that reciprocal relationship. In other words: citizenship.\n\nSo why are Donald Trump and our Republican colleagues continuing to question the plain, long-settled meaning of the 14th Amendment? Why are they peddling obviously unconstitutional proposals to end birthright citizenship, even after the Supreme Court settled the matter? Once again, it\u2019s because Donald Trump and his Republican flunkies think they can profit at the polls if they strip away from an entire group of our American neighbors their rights, their votes, and their identities, and turn them into a permanent underclass. These Republicans want to pick and choose who is worthy of citizenship, based solely upon who someone\u2019s parents are and where their parents are from.\n\nIn our country, where the Founders banned noble titles and declared that no man is guilty for his father\u2019s sins, there\u2019s nothing less American than that. In short, the people who want to end birthright citizenship are proposing to resurrect the infamous Dred Scott decision, which tried to make bloodline the mark of citizenship. Thankfully, most Americans reject this bigoted view, one that is diametrically opposed to our nation\u2019s long-standing history and ideals. Patriotism requires us to resist the backsliding and injustice that the president and his allies are pushing. Our history, our quest for a more perfect union, has always been about opening up opportunity and civic participation, not ripping it away. Expanding our electorate has been an important part of that progress\u2014enfranchisement, not disenfranchisement.\n\nWe passed constitutional amendments that guarantee citizenship and access to the ballot box, no matter a person\u2019s race or sex. In doing so, we\u2019ve made our country and its government more representative, more fair, and, slowly but surely, more perfect. That\u2019s a vision shared by patriotic Americans and rooted in fundamental American ideals. Any attempt to radically reinterpret the citizenship clause only serves the schemes of right-wing extremists and limits who can have a political voice in this country.\n\nDonald Trump\u2019s unconstitutional executive orders to end birthright citizenship, not to mention copycat legislation by our Republican colleagues\u2014even after the Court\u2019s Barbara decision\u2014would drag us backwards. Their efforts would upend the promise of America and consecrate a government that\u2019s not for \u201cthe\u201d people, but for \u201csome\u201d people.\n\nIt\u2019s been nearly 160 years since the 14th Amendment rebuked the Dred Scott decision and reestablished birthright citizenship as the law of our land. In that time, the U.S. has been made better by Americans born here to immigrants, regardless of their parents\u2019 birthplace or citizenship status. Countless prominent Americans are U.S.-born children of immigrants, including the Chairman of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, Congressman Greg Casar, the Chairman of the House Freedom Caucus, Congressman Andy Harris, and for the region I represent, one of the greatest Eagles players of all time, Chuck \u201cConcrete Charlie\u201d Bednarik.\n\nIf you\u2019re looking for prominent Americans who\u2019ve benefited from birthright citizenship, you can look no further than senior officials in the Trump Administration like Marco Rubio or Nikki Haley, who were born to non-citizens and received their U.S. citizenship at birth.\n\nDefending birthright citizenship is a moral as well as a constitutional imperative. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops wrote in its Trump v. Barbara amicus brief that \u201cending birthright citizenship denies the innate dignity and freedom of the person.\u201d The moral imperative, historical evidence, legal arguments, and U.S. Constitution are apparently no obstacle to our Republican colleagues, however.\n\nAs they persist in conjuring up all kinds of nonsense to justify limiting birthright citizenship, we\u2019ve already heard some of our colleagues\u2019 hallucinations about \u201cbirth tourism\u201d and anchor babies. The claim that nefarious, expectant mothers enter the country on tourist visas just to give birth. Setting aside the fact that the Republicans own witnesses cannot show actual proof that birth tourism happens on any meaningful or widespread basis, any congressional response certainly does not involve upending constitutional fundamentals about the meaning of American citizenship. In fact, birthright citizenship is about as American as apple pie. Americans overwhelmingly back birthright citizenship, and extremists like Stephen Miller know they don\u2019t have the votes or the public support to pass a constitutional amendment to repeal it.\n\nSo instead, they\u2019re trying to do an end run by obliterating more than a century and a half of legal analysis and forcing a tortured reading of the English language, which the Supreme Court just rejected again.\n\nFinally, let\u2019s be abundantly clear. The through line that links this attempt to end birthright citizenship and every cruel immigration policy propped up by this administration serves the same goal: turning our melting pot democracy into a white nationalist ethnostate. And we will do everything in our power to fight that vision as a Congress, as a government, as a nation.\n\nWe should not be in the business of turning back the clock and allowing our country to backslide into the most shameful parts of its past. Instead, we should be passing laws that shepherd it towards a brighter future, where the promise to form a more perfect union rings true for all, rather than just a titled few.\n\nPolicies that bring us toward this vision of a more, just, more fair America, guided by all Americans, are exactly what I and my Democratic colleagues will use this Committee to fight for, and with that, I yield back.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-04T09:19:37Z", "2026-09-04T09:20:58Z"], ["http://houlahan.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=5163", "My Statement on H.R.6500", "2026-09-01", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "PA", "Chrissy Houlahan", "H001085", "houlahan.house.gov", "houlahan", "https://houlahan.house.gov/news/rss.aspx", "scraper", "When Speaker Johnson tried to pass a Continuing Resolution in July, I voted against it, because we still had months before the federal government\u2019s budget would expire. I wanted to use that time to broker a better deal. Now, I can say that holding out was worth it.\n\nToday, I voted to pass a far better Continuing Resolution than the one offered two months ago. This CR closes a loophole that would have allowed the Trump Administration to funnel more money to ICE and CBP, blocks the White House\u2019s attempt to restrict federal grant funding based on recipients\u2019 political views, and keeps Congressional Republicans from further slashing funding for the programs our community relies on.", 1, "2026-09-02T09:19:58Z", "2026-09-02T09:20:51Z"], ["http://houlahan.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=5164", "Statement on my vote on H.Res.1490", "2026-09-01", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "PA", "Chrissy Houlahan", "H001085", "houlahan.house.gov", "houlahan", "https://houlahan.house.gov/news/rss.aspx", "scraper", "H.Res.1490, an ostensible resolution to \u201ccondemn socialism,\u201d calls out the harm of totalitarian regimes, reaffirms the importance of free and fair elections, and recommits us to protecting our Constitution. All valid concerns \u2013 concerns we have already voted on, and that I have already voted for. Then the resolution nonsensically concludes that, because of these concerns, we need the SAVE America Act, an unrelated Act that I have already voted against. Several times.\n\nThis bill takes two separate ideas and asks us to vote on them as if they are related. In other words, it\u2019s a desperately laid trap by a flailing Republican majority. I am not here in Washington to play games with the people\u2019s precious time. So, today I voted PRESENT on H.Res.1490. Because I already voted for a resolution condemning authoritarian socialist regimes and because I already voted against the SAVE America Act.\n\nThis \u201cresolution\u201d is purely symbolic and does not have the force of law. It is not binding nor is it likely to even get a vote in the Senate. It does nothing substantive to fix our economy or help our families, or to protect our elections from foreign or domestic interference or to prevent oppressive governments of any ideology.\n\nIf Speaker Johnson is truly interested in protecting our elections, he should bring real voting rights legislation for a vote instead of meaningless resolutions that may look like we're taking action but in fact, are not. If Congressional Republicans want to protect us from authoritarian rule, they should take real action to reign in President Trump\u2019s lawless administration.", 1, "2026-09-02T09:19:58Z", "2026-09-02T09:20:51Z"], ["https://deluzio.house.gov/media/press-releases/deluzio-lee-announce-nearly-83-million-pittsburgh-rapid-transit-replace-t", "Deluzio, Lee Announce Nearly $83 Million for Pittsburgh Rapid Transit to Replace \u2018T\u2019 Light Rail Vehicles", "2026-09-01", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "PA", "Christopher R. Deluzio", "D000530", "deluzio.house.gov", "deluzio", "https://deluzio.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2014 Today, Congressman Chris Deluzio (PA-17) and Congresswoman Summer Lee (PA-12) celebrated that $82,774,074 in federal funding is coming to Pittsburgh Rapid Transit (PRT) to replace T train cars. Congressman Deluzio wrote a letter in support of PRT\u2019s successful grant application.\n\n\u201cI\u2019m proud that I helped secure more than eighty-two million dollars in federal funding to replace old T train cars,\u201d said Congressman Deluzio. \u201cThe T keeps our communities moving, and upgrading PRT\u2019s aging train cars will make service safer, more comfortable, and more efficient\u2014helping folks get to where they need to go. I will keep up the work to deliver federal money to strengthen and modernize Western Pennsylvania\u2019s infrastructure.\u201d\n\n\u201cThis multi-million-dollar investment in PRT is welcome news for Pittsburgh and for the thousands of riders who depend on public transit every day,\u201d said Congresswoman Summer Lee. \u201cReplacing aging rail cars and investing in an updated fleet will help keep the T running on time, reduce maintenance costs and disruptions, and provide riders with safer, more dependable service. I\u2019m proud to partner with our local and federal leaders to make these critical investments in an accessible PRT system that keeps our communities connected and our region moving.\u201d\n\nThese replacements will help PRT\u2019s buy 45 new 170-foot light rail vehicles. The new vehicles will replace PRT\u2019s 76 existing 80-foot light rail vehicles, which are more than 30 years old and reached technical obsolescence. These purchases will help modernize the trains, preserve service, reduce service disruptions, save energy across the light rail network, improve the rider experience, and strengthen the transportation infrastructure that working families and businesses count on every day.\n\nThis federal funding comes from the Rail Vehicle Replacement(RVR) Program, which is a discretionary grant program to help local transit systems replace rail rolling stock. Rail rolling stock is defined as revenue service, passenger-carrying vehicles, or propulsion (locomotive) vehicles necessary for the provision of rail public transportation.\n\n\u201cI\u2019m thrilled we\u2019ve brought this substantial investment in rail cars home to Allegheny County and thank you to our federal partners who helped secure these important funds for PRT,\u201d said Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato. \u201cStrategic investments in our fleet help ensure reliability and improve accessibility for our riders. Modernizing the PRT system for today\u2019s riders and future generations is a legacy we can all be proud of.\u201d\n\n\u201cI want to thank everyone who played a role in making this funding possible\u201d said PRT CEO Katharine Kelleman. \u201cThis investment will help us move forward with a new fleet of rail cars that will provide riders with a safer, more accessible, more comfortable, and more reliable experience for decades to come.\u201d\n\n###\n\n.", 1, "2026-09-02T09:19:58Z", "2026-09-02T09:20:51Z"], ["https://summerlee.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases/reps-lee-deluzio-announce-nearly-83-million-for-pittsburgh-rapid-transit-to-replace-t-light-rail-vehicles", "Reps. Lee, Deluzio Announce Nearly $83 Million for Pittsburgh Rapid Transit to Replace \u2018T\u2019 Light Rail Vehicles", "2026-09-01", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "PA", "Summer L. Lee", "L000602", "summerlee.house.gov", "summerlee", "https://summerlee.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, DC \u2013 September 1, 2026 \u2014 Today, Congresswoman Summer L. Lee (PA-12) and Congressman Chris Deluzio (PA-17) celebrated that $82,774,074 in federal funding is coming to Pittsburgh Rapid Transit (PRT) to replace T train cars.\n\n\u201cThis multi-million-dollar investment in PRT is welcome news for Pittsburgh and for the thousands of riders who depend on public transit every day,\u201d said Rep. Lee. \u201cReplacing aging rail cars and investing in an updated fleet will help keep the T running on time, reduce maintenance costs and disruptions, and provide riders with safer, more dependable service. I\u2019m proud to partner with our local and federal leaders to make these critical investments in an accessible PRT system that keeps our communities connected and our region moving.\u201d\n\n\u201cI\u2019m proud that I helped secure more than eighty-two million dollars in federal funding to replace old T train cars,\u201d said Rep. Deluzio. \u201cThe T keeps our communities moving, and upgrading PRT\u2019s aging train cars will make service safer, more comfortable, and more efficient\u2014helping folks get to where they need to go. I will keep up the work to deliver federal money to strengthen and modernize Western Pennsylvania\u2019s infrastructure.\u201d\n\nThis federal funding comes from the Rail Vehicle Replacement (RVR) Program, which is a discretionary grant program to help local transit systems replace rail rolling stock. Rail rolling stock is defined as revenue service, passenger-carrying vehicles, or propulsion (locomotive) vehicles necessary for the provision of rail public transportation.\n\n\u201cI\u2019m thrilled we\u2019ve brought this substantial investment in rail cars home to Allegheny County and thank you to our federal partners who helped secure these important funds for PRT,\u201d said Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato. \u201cStrategic investments in our fleet help ensure reliability and improve accessibility for our riders. Modernizing the PRT system for today\u2019s riders and future generations is a legacy we can all be proud of.\u201d\n\n\u201cI want to thank everyone who played a role in making this funding possible\u201d said PRT CEO Katharine Kelleman. \u201cThis investment will help us move forward with a new fleet of rail cars that will provide riders with a safer, more accessible, more comfortable, and more reliable experience for decades to come.\u201d", 1, "2026-09-02T09:19:58Z", "2026-09-02T09:20:51Z"], ["https://boyle.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/boyle-announces-133-million-federal-funding-modernize-septa-regional", "Boyle Announces $13.3 Million in Federal Funding to Modernize SEPTA Regional Rail Fleet", "2026-08-31", "2026", "2026-08", "Democrat", "House", "PA", "Brendan F. Boyle", "B001296", "boyle.house.gov", "boyle", "https://boyle.house.gov/media-center/press-releases", "scraper", "PHILADELPHIA, PA \u2013 Congressman Brendan F. Boyle (PA-02) today announced that the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) will receive $13,263,248 in federal funding to support the replacement of its aging Silverliner IV Regional Rail cars.\n\nThe funding comes through the Federal Transit Administration\u2019s Fiscal Year 2026 Rail Vehicle Replacement Grant Program and was made possible by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which Congressman Boyle helped pass.\n\n\u201cRegional Rail is essential for thousands of people across Philadelphia and Southeastern Pennsylvania,\u201d said Congressman Boyle. \u201cThe Silverliner IV cars have served our region for half a century, and this federal investment will help SEPTA move forward with replacing this aging fleet with modern and accessible trains. I was proud to champion the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and I\u2019m thrilled to see another $13.3 million from that law coming home to ensure safer and more reliable service for passengers across our region.\u201d\n\nSEPTA\u2019s Silverliner IV cars make up the bulk of its electric Regional Rail fleet. The 230-car fleet was built between 1974 and 1976 and has become increasingly costly and difficult to maintain as the vehicles have aged.\n\nSEPTA is working to replace the Silverliner IV fleet with new Silverliner VI cars as part of a long-term modernization of its Regional Rail system. The next-generation cars are expected to improve reliability and energy efficiency, reduce maintenance costs, enhance accessibility, and provide an improved experience for Regional Rail riders.\n\nThe Federal Transit Administration\u2019s Rail Vehicle Replacement Grant Program provides competitive federal funding to help transit agencies replace aging passenger rail cars and locomotives and bring rail systems into a state of good repair.\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-01T09:48:49Z", "2026-09-01T09:49:51Z"], ["https://deluzio.house.gov/media/press-releases/video-deluzio-delivers-more-13-million-street-safety-improvements-outside", "VIDEO: Deluzio Delivers More than $1.3 Million for Street, Safety Improvements Outside Crafton Elementary", "2026-08-31", "2026", "2026-08", "Democrat", "House", "PA", "Christopher R. Deluzio", "D000530", "deluzio.house.gov", "deluzio", "https://deluzio.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "CRAFTON, PA \u2013 Today, Congressman Chris Deluzio (PA-17) released a new video about the $1,338,581.00 in federal funding that he delivered for street and safety improvements on Crafton Boulevard outside Crafton Elementary School. Right now, school buses have to load and unload students directly on Crafton Boulevard, with no protection from nearby traffic. The project will adjust the width of the street, design and install a dedicated school bus lane, and update the surrounding area for pedestrians, students, and families.\n\n\u201cThis is about keeping kids safe. Crafton and the Carlynton School District did a great job to put me in the position to secure more than $1.3 million to help fix up Crafton Boulevard,\u201d said Congressman Deluzio. \u201cThis is a really important project for Crafton that is all about making families and kids safer heading to school\u2014I am proud to help bring these federal dollars here to Crafton.\u201d\n\nThe video features stories and insights from Crafton leaders including Crafton Mayor Coletta Perry, Crafton Borough Council President John Oliverio, Crafton Borough Council Member Greg Wozniak, and Carlynton School Board President Jim Schriver.\n\nThe video is live here and is downloadable here. Photos from the check presentation are available here.\n\nThis funding for Crafton is one of Congressman Deluzio\u2019s community funding project selections for Fiscal Year (FY) 2026. He successfully secured more than $193 million for fourteen projects across his Western Pennsylvania district, earning the title as the U.S. House Democrat who secured the most funding for their district out of the FY 2026 spending bills. This makes Congressman Deluzio third out of all 435 U.S. House Members. More details on all of those here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-01T09:48:49Z", "2026-09-01T09:49:51Z"], ["https://boyle.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/pennsylvania-democratic-congressional-delegation-statement-us-v-mciver", "Pennsylvania Democratic Congressional Delegation Statement on U.S. v. McIver", "2026-08-28", "2026", "2026-08", "Democrat", "House", "PA", "Brendan F. Boyle", "B001296", "boyle.house.gov", "boyle", "https://boyle.house.gov/media-center/press-releases", "scraper", "PHILADELPHIA, PA \u2014 Congressman Brendan F. Boyle (PA-02), Dean of Pennsylvania\u2019s Democratic Congressional Delegation, along with Representatives Dwight Evans (PA-03), Madeleine Dean (PA-04), Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-05), Chrissy Houlahan (PA-06), Summer Lee (PA-12), and Chris Deluzio (PA-17) released the following statement:\n\n\u201cThis ruling sets a dangerous precedent. Members of Congress must be able to conduct legitimate oversight of the Executive Branch without fear of criminal retaliation. Weaponizing the Justice Department against lawmakers for doing their jobs threatens the checks and balances at the heart of our democracy.\n\nThis case is bigger than any one particular Member. No president should be able to use federal law enforcement to intimidate political opponents or silence congressional oversight. We stand with Congresswoman LaMonica McIver as she continues this fight, and we will not be intimidated from carrying out our constitutional responsibilities.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-08-29T11:31:28Z", "2026-08-29T11:32:37Z"], ["https://deluzio.house.gov/media/press-releases/deluzio-celebrates-groundbreaking-new-churchill-playground-500000-federal", "Deluzio Celebrates Groundbreaking of New Churchill Playground With $500,000 in Federal Funding", "2026-08-28", "2026", "2026-08", "Democrat", "House", "PA", "Christopher R. Deluzio", "D000530", "deluzio.house.gov", "deluzio", "https://deluzio.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "CARNEGIE, PA \u2013 Yesterday, staff from the office of Congressman Chris Deluzio (PA-17) attended the groundbreaking of the new, all-inclusive playground built in Churchill, PA. The new, ADA-accessible playground will be built in Blackridge Community Park on Beaulah Drive\u2014the only park in the Borough of Churchill. Congressman Deluzio brought home $500,000 in federal funding to help bring this project to life.\n\n\u201cI am proud that I brought home half a million federal dollars to make this new playground in Churchill a reality,\u201d said Congressman Deluzio. \u201cThis new playground will help more kids and families have fun playing and exercising in Blackridge Community Park. I can\u2019t wait to celebrate its grand opening next year!\u201d\n\nThe updated park will include a new pavilion, walking trail, ADA-accessible merry-go-round, ADA-accessible swings and other types of inclusive playground equipment. Along with $500,000 in federal funding from Congressman Deluzio, the project was also supported by state and local funding sources. Construction will begin soon, and the playground is expected to be opened in the spring of 2027.\n\nThis playground funding is just one of Congressman Deluzio\u2019s fourteen community funding project selections for Fiscal Year (FY) 2026. He successfully secured more than $193 million projects across Pennsylvania\u2019s 17th Congressional District, earning his title as the Democrat in the United States House of Representatives when it comes to securing the most funding for their district out of the FY 2026 spending bills. This makes Congressman Deluzio third out of all 435 U.S. House Members. More details on all of those here.\n\nPhotos of the groundbreaking in Churchill are available upon request.\n\n###", 1, "2026-08-29T11:31:28Z", "2026-08-29T11:32:37Z"], ["https://evans.house.gov/media/press-releases/pennsylvania-democratic-congressional-delegation-statement-us-v-mciver", "Pennsylvania Democratic Congressional Delegation Statement on U.S. v. McIver", "2026-08-28", "2026", "2026-08", "Democrat", "House", "PA", "Dwight Evans", "E000296", "evans.house.gov", "evans", "https://evans.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "PHILADELPHIA (Aug. 28, 2026) \u2014 Congressman Brendan F. Boyle (PA-02), Dean of Pennsylvania\u2019s Democratic Congressional Delegation, along with Representatives Dwight Evans (PA-03), Madeleine Dean (PA-04), Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-05), Chrissy Houlahan (PA-06), Summer Lee (PA-12), and Chris Deluzio (PA-17) released the following statement:\n\n\u201cThis ruling sets a dangerous precedent. Members of Congress must be able to conduct legitimate oversight of the Executive Branch without fear of criminal retaliation. Weaponizing the Justice Department against lawmakers for doing their jobs threatens the checks and balances at the heart of our democracy.\n\nThis case is bigger than any one particular Member. No president should be able to use federal law enforcement to intimidate political opponents or silence congressional oversight. We stand with Congresswoman LaMonica McIver as she continues this fight, and we will not be intimidated from carrying out our constitutional responsibilities.\u201d", 1, "2026-08-29T11:31:28Z", "2026-08-29T11:32:37Z"], ["https://summerlee.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases/rep-summer-lee-joins-pennsylvania-democratic-delegation-in-condemning-us-v-mciver-ruling", "Rep. Summer Lee Joins Pennsylvania Democratic Delegation in Condemning U.S. v. McIver Ruling", "2026-08-28", "2026", "2026-08", "Democrat", "House", "PA", "Summer L. Lee", "L000602", "summerlee.house.gov", "summerlee", "https://summerlee.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "PITTSBURGH, PA \u2013 AUGUST 28, 2026 \u2014 Today, Congresswoman Summer L. Lee (PA-12) joined Pennsylvania Democratic Congressional Delegation Dean Brendan F. Boyle (PA-02) and Representatives Dwight Evans (PA-03), Madeleine Dean (PA-04), Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-05), Chrissy Houlahan (PA-06), and Chris Deluzio (PA-17) in condemning the ruling in U.S. v. McIver and warning of the dangerous precedent it could set for congressional oversight.\n\nThe members released the following joint statement:\n\n\u201cThis ruling sets a dangerous precedent. Members of Congress must be able to conduct legitimate oversight of the Executive Branch without fear of criminal retaliation. Weaponizing the Justice Department against lawmakers for doing their jobs threatens the checks and balances at the heart of our democracy.\n\nThis case is bigger than any one particular Member. No president should be able to use federal law enforcement to intimidate political opponents or silence congressional oversight. We stand with Congresswoman LaMonica McIver as she continues this fight, and we will not be intimidated from carrying out our constitutional responsibilities.\u201d", 1, "2026-08-29T11:31:28Z", "2026-08-29T11:32:37Z"], ["https://deluzio.house.gov/media/press-releases/deluzio-finstad-reintroduce-water-authority-cybersecurity-protection-act", "Deluzio, Finstad Reintroduce \u2018Water Authority Cybersecurity Protection Act\u2019 Following Recent Hacks on Water Systems Across America", "2026-08-27", "2026", "2026-08", "Democrat", "House", "PA", "Christopher R. Deluzio", "D000530", "deluzio.house.gov", "deluzio", "https://deluzio.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "CARNEGIE, PA \u2013 Today, Congressman Chris Deluzio (D-PA-17) and Congressman Brad Finstad (R-MN-01) announced the reintroduction of the Water Authority Cybersecurity Protection Act. This now bipartisan bill doubles the amount of funding available in certain grants and technical assistance to local water authorities to strengthen cybersecurity efforts.\n\nCongressman Deluzio first introduced the bill in December 2024 following an Iranian-based hack of the Municipal Water Authority of Aliquippa on November 24, 2023 that suddenly shut down water pressure technologies. Congressman Deluzio led a call for a Department of Justice investigation into the incident.\n\nSince then, hackers have launched cyberattacks on water systems across the country. So far in the summer of 2026, at least 12 states have reported possible cyberattacks to their water systems\u2014with some experiencing flooding and reduced water pressure or going offline completely. At least 100 municipalities have reported potential hacking efforts to their water systems. U.S. intelligence again suggests that Iranian hackers are to blame.\n\n\u201cAny attack on our nation\u2019s critical infrastructure is unacceptable, and the 2023 Iranian hack in Western Pennsylvania should have been a major wake-up call for our federal government,\u201d said Congressman Deluzio. \u201cEspecially while the Iran War continues, we need to make sure our local water authorities have the resources and training they need to defend against cyber threats from the Iranians and others. Residents should be able to trust that their drinking water is safe from attacks. I am proud to reintroduce the Water Authority Cybersecurity Protection Act to help local leaders better secure our water system.\u201d\n\n\u201cWe have seen far too many instances of cybersecurity threats to our critical water systems,\u201d said Rep. Finstad. \u201cJust this summer, Minnesota experienced over 30 cyberattacks targeting operational technologies that our communities rely on. I am proud to join Congressman Deluzio in introducing this important, bipartisan legislation that will help ensure our local water authorities have the proper capabilities to respond to threats from foreign adversaries.\"\n\nThis legislation would renew the Drinking Water Infrastructure Risk and Resilience Program through 2029 and provide grants to owners and operators of community water systems based on community size. The bill authorizes $50 million each fiscal year to assist local water authorities plan, design, and implement programs for emergency responses. Key among these is improvements for automated and remote systems, and training programs for security and resilience.\n\nThe full text of the bill is available here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-08-28T17:11:49Z", "2026-08-28T17:13:14Z"], ["https://deluzio.house.gov/media/press-releases/deluzio-presses-irs-answers-high-call-volumes-lack-live-support", "Deluzio Presses IRS for Answers on High Call Volumes, Lack of Live Support", "2026-08-25", "2026", "2026-08", "Democrat", "House", "PA", "Christopher R. Deluzio", "D000530", "deluzio.house.gov", "deluzio", "https://deluzio.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "CARNEGIE, PA \u2014 Today, Congressman Chris Deluzio (PA-17) shared a recent letter that he sent to the CEO of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Frank J. Bisignano, pressing for answers about the wide range of issues Western Pennsylvanians face when trying to contact the agency.\n\nThe Congressman and his office hear regularly from constituents receiving notices in the mail that request time-sensitive, personal information. Western Pennsylvanians tell Congressman Deluzio\u2019s team that they face hour-long wait times on the phone or get a message telling them to try again at a different time. This has even prompted some to request time off work in the hopes of finally reaching a live agent on the phone for assistance.\n\nCongressman Deluzio\u2019s letter to the IRS reads, \u201cConstituents receive no answers and waste an unreasonable amount of time trying to fulfill their duties to pay taxes and to address their issues with the IRS.\u201d\n\nThe letter continues, \u201cAmericans should be able to have their questions answered and receive assistance in a timely manner without spending days and weeks at a time trying to get connected to an agent by phone.\u201d\n\nIn his letter, Congressman Deluzio requested information regarding any steps the IRS is taking to address high call volumes, whether the agency is prioritizing automated systems over human agents, and if there are any technology and staffing improvements in the works. He requested a response by September 4, 2026.\n\nRead the full letter HERE.\n\nCongressman Deluzio\u2019s congressional office offers casework services to constituents of Pennsylvania\u2019s 17th Congressional District who have problems and questions with federal programs or agencies. To date, his congressional office has closed more than 4,650 constituent cases and helped return over $11.5 million to Western Pennsylvanians.\n\n###", 1, "2026-08-26T05:33:32Z", "2026-08-26T05:34:56Z"], ["https://summerlee.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases/rep-summer-lee-delivers-1-million-for-biddle-mine-cleanup-and-turtle-creek-watershed-restoration", "Rep. Summer Lee Delivers $1+ Million for Biddle Mine Cleanup and Turtle Creek Watershed Restoration", "2026-08-25", "2026", "2026-08", "Democrat", "House", "PA", "Summer L. Lee", "L000602", "summerlee.house.gov", "summerlee", "https://summerlee.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "Photos (Dropbox)\n\nPITTSBURGH, PA \u2013 AUGUST 25, 2026 \u2014 Today, Congresswoman Summer L. Lee (PA-12) joined Westmoreland County leaders in Irwin and North Huntingdon to celebrate $1,075,000 in federal Community Project Funding she secured to address abandoned mine drainage from the Biddle Mine and help restore the Turtle Creek watershed.\n\nCongresswoman Lee toured Tinkers Run and Brush Creek, where pollution from the Biddle Mine continues to visibly impact local waterways, including stretches of creek turned orange by mine runoff. She also visited the future site of a treatment facility that will help clean polluted water before it reaches the surrounding watershed.\n\nFollowing the tour, Congresswoman Lee presented Westmoreland County Commissioners with a ceremonial $1+ million check representing the federal investment she helped bring home for the project.\n\n\u201cWhen you can stand next to a creek and quite literally see the water turning orange from mine pollution, you don\u2019t need anybody to explain why this investment matters,\u201d said Rep. Lee. \u201cFor generations, communities across Western Pennsylvania have lived with the environmental consequences left behind by industries that built enormous wealth off our region, impacting their health, quality of living, and cleanup costs. That\u2019s why I fought to bring home more than $1 million for this project, so we can clean up these waterways, protect the Turtle Creek watershed, and invest in a healthier future for the people who live here.\u201d\n\n\u201cAs a Biddle native this area often served as a playground for me and my friends. Our children today and in the future deserve better. This is a really important project for our environment and our community. And I am so grateful for all of the project partners, including Congresswoman Summer Lee for the federal support,\u201d said Westmoreland County Commissioner Ted Kopas.\n\nThe project will support efforts to remediate mine drainage associated with the Biddle Mine and reduce pollution entering Tinkers Run, Brush Creek, and the broader Turtle Creek watershed.\n\nCongresswoman Lee was joined by Westmoreland County Commissioners Ted Kopas, Sean Kertes, and Doug Chew, along with local officials and community partners involved in the remediation effort.\n\nThe $1,075,000 investment was included in the Fiscal Year 2026 federal funding package as a Community Project Funding request secured by Congresswoman Lee.\n\nThrough her Community Project Funding efforts, Rep. Lee has secured direct investments for community-based organizations, including a $1 million CPF award to the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank, $450,000 to the Trade Institute of Pittsburgh, over $1.5 million in federal support for the Tree of Life rebuilding and healing initiatives, $1 million in Community Project Funding for historic renovations at the Carnegie Library of Homestead, more than $1 million in federal funding to combat blight and revitalize housing in North Braddock, and $1 million to help turn vacant office space into affordable homes, create good-paying jobs, and bring new life to downtown Pittsburgh.\n\nThese projects are part of more than $24.9 million in Community Project Funding secured during her time in Congress. Rep. Lee\u2019s office has consistently directed federal dollars to historically overlooked communities to ensure equitable access to opportunities and long-term regional growth and stability.", 1, "2026-08-26T05:33:32Z", "2026-08-26T05:34:56Z"], ["https://deluzio.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-deluzio-opens-service-academy-nominations", "Congressman Deluzio Opens Service Academy Nominations", "2026-08-21", "2026", "2026-08", "Democrat", "House", "PA", "Christopher R. Deluzio", "D000530", "deluzio.house.gov", "deluzio", "https://deluzio.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "CARNEGIE, PA \u2013 Today, Congressman Chris Deluzio (PA-17) announced that his office is accepting nomination applications from eligible constituents to attend a United States service academy. A graduate of the United States Naval Academy himself, in his role as a United States Congressman, Congressman Deluzio now nominates Western Pennsylvanians to attend our country\u2019s service academies.\n\n\u201cIt\u2019s a great honor to nominate outstanding young constituents to the nation\u2019s service academies, especially as Naval Academy alum myself,\u201d said Congressman Deluzio. \u201cI encourage any patriotic young person interested in military service to apply.\u201d\n\nEligible constituents must be at least 17 years old, must reside within Pennsylvania\u2019s 17th Congressional District, and must be a U.S. citizen or a permanent resident of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. More information, including further eligibility criteria, is available HERE.\n\nApplicants can access the nomination application HERE. Any questions should be directed to PA17ServiceAcademyNominations@mail.house.gov or with a call to the Flagship Carnegie Office: (412) 344-5583.\n\nApplications close at 5:00pm EST on Friday, October 9th, 2026.\n\nThe United States service academies are: the U.S. Air Force Academy (Colorado Springs), the U.S. Coast Guard Academy (no congressional nomination required), the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (Kings Point), the U.S. Military Academy (West Point), and the U.S. Naval Academy (Annapolis).\n\n###", 1, "2026-08-22T05:24:59Z", "2026-08-22T05:26:16Z"], ["https://www.fetterman.senate.gov/senator-fetterman-congressman-kelly-urge-postmaster-general-to-reopen-south-erie-post-office/", "Senator Fetterman, Congressman Kelly Urge Postmaster General to Reopen South Erie Post Office", "2026-08-21", "2026", "2026-08", "Democrat", "Senate", "PA", "John Fetterman", "F000479", "www.fetterman.senate.gov", "fetterman", "https://www.fetterman.senate.gov/press-release/", "scraper", "BRADDOCK, PA \u2014 Today, U.S. Senator John Fetterman (D-PA) and U.S. Representative Mike Kelly (R-PA-16) sent a letter to Postmaster General David Steiner urging the U.S. Postal Service to reopen the South Erie Post Office.\n\n\u201cErie residents who do not drive struggle to access alternative post offices, while others report long waits at retail counters to retrieve their rerouted mail. In addition, we are concerned about dangerous conditions at the South Erie Post Office, including missing windows, holes in the pavement, and unhoused individuals sleeping on the premises. Unless the South Erie Post Office reopens soon, residents worry that they will face another holiday season without their local post office,\u201d wrote the members of Congress.\n\nThe South Erie Post Office located on Poplar Street suspended operations in October 2025 for repairs, and as of August 2026, remains closed. The U.S. Postal Service told members of Congress that it plans to reopen the facility in November 2026.\n\n\u201cOur offices learned that the South Erie Post Office is set to reopen in November 2026, but USPS has not communicated this with the community, and the current condition of the building leaves that timeline in doubt. The Erie community relies on this post office for essential services and it deserves answers about when services will be restored,\u201d continued the members.\n\nRead the full text of the letter below and here.\n\n\u2013\n\nDear Postmaster General Steiner:\n\nWe are concerned about the current closure and status of renovations of the South Erie Post Office located at 3607 Poplar Street, Erie, PA, 16508. The South Erie Post Office\u2019s continued closure is a burden on the Erie community, and we urge the Postal Service to reopen this facility as soon as possible.\n\nThe South Erie Post Office suspended operations in October 2025 for repairs.1 Erie residents who do not drive struggle to access alternative post offices, while others report long waits at retail counters to retrieve their rerouted mail. In addition, we are concerned about dangerous conditions at the South Erie Post Office, including missing windows, holes in the pavement, and unhoused individuals sleeping on the premises. Unless the South Erie Post Office reopens soon, residents worry that they will face another holiday season without their local post office.\n\nOur offices learned that the South Erie Post Office is set to reopen in November 2026, but USPS has not communicated this with the community,3 and the current condition of the building leaves that timeline in doubt. The Erie community relies on this post office for essential services and it deserves answers about when services will be restored. To that end, we request your response in writing to the following questions no later than September 4, 2026.\n\nWhat is the status of repairs at the South Erie Post Office? What work has been done so far and what remains to be completed?\n\nWill the South Erie Post Office reopen and be fully operational in November 2026?\n\nAre there plans to permanently close or relocate services provided by the South Erie Post Office? If so, please provide additional information on these plans.\n\nWe appreciate your prompt attention to this matter. If you have any questions, please contact our offices.\n\nSincerely,", 1, "2026-08-22T05:24:59Z", "2026-08-22T05:26:16Z"], ["https://deluzio.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-deluzio-celebrates-13100-wilkinsburg-police-department-safety", "Congressman Deluzio Celebrates $13,100 for Wilkinsburg Police Department Safety Upgrades", "2026-08-20", "2026", "2026-08", "Democrat", "House", "PA", "Christopher R. Deluzio", "D000530", "deluzio.house.gov", "deluzio", "https://deluzio.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "CARNEGIE, PA \u2013 Today, Congressman Chris Deluzio (PA-17) announced that the Borough of Wilkinsburg Police Department was awarded $13,100 to upgrade their street camera and license plate reader systems. The federal funding comes from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ).\n\n\u201cOur cops keep our communities safe, and we need to make sure they have the necessary resources to do their important work,\u201d said Congressman Deluzio. \u201cI\u2019m happy to announce more than $13,000 in federal funding for the Wilkinsburg Police Department today.\u201d\n\n\u201cWe are incredibly thrilled to have been selected as a recipient of this grant,\u201d said Wilkinsburg Police Chief Christopher Duncan. \u201cOn behalf of the Wilkinsburg Police Department, we would like to express our sincere gratitude to Congressman Deluzio.\u201d\n\nThis funding was awarded through the DOJ\u2019s Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program for FY 2025. The BJA provides a variety of funding opportunities to state, local, and tribal jurisdictions, aiming to reduce and prevent crime and to reform the U.S. criminal justice system. Further grantee eligibility information is available here.\n\nThe Trump Administration\u2019s efforts to freeze funding and pause federal grants has created significant uncertainty for grantees, varying by agency and program. As of now, courts have paused many of these freezes. However, Congressman Deluzio\u2019s office will continue to monitor these developments and fight to make sure this congressionally-authorized funding keeps going to projects that make life better for Western Pennsylvanians. If you are the recipient of a federal grant and have been notified that this funding is no longer available to you or are experiencing other issues accessing your lawfully appropriated funds, please share your concerns with Congressman Deluzio\u2019s office at PA17Grants@mail.house.gov.\n\n###", 1, "2026-08-21T05:30:57Z", "2026-08-21T05:32:22Z"], ["https://boyle.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/boyle-sends-letter-secretary-state-rubio-demanding-investigation", "Boyle Sends Letter to Secretary of State Rubio Demanding Investigation Into Detention of U.S. Citizen Hussein Jabarin", "2026-08-18", "2026", "2026-08", "Democrat", "House", "PA", "Brendan F. Boyle", "B001296", "boyle.house.gov", "boyle", "https://boyle.house.gov/media-center/press-releases", "scraper", "PHILADELPHIA, PA \u2013 Today, Congressman Brendan F. Boyle (PA-02) sent a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio demanding a formal investigation into the harassment and detention of Mr. Hussein Jabarin, a U.S. citizen and constituent. This follows the letter Boyle sent to U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee on Thursday, August 13, demanding he take action to secure Mr. Jabarin\u2019s release.\n\n\u201cWhile I am relieved that Mr. Jabarin was eventually released from Israeli custody on August 16, 2026, I am horrified by how he and his family were apparently treated by these Israeli settlers and authorities over the past week,\u201d Boyle wrote. \u201cThis treatment follows a long pattern of violence and aggression that Mr. Jabarin\u2019s family has endured in the West Bank over the last year and a half.\u201d\n\nBoyle continued, \u201cI am demanding that you investigate who specifically was involved in the heinous acts that led to the harassment and beating of Mr. Jabarin and his family and to the theft and destruction of their property. Additionally, I demand you investigate which specific individuals aided in Mr. Jabarin\u2019s detainment, arrest, and holding without charge.\u201d\n\nIn the letter, Boyle condemned the violence and aggression from Israeli settlers towards Mr. Jabarin and his family, and urged Secretary Rubio to explore formally sanctioning the individuals found to have engaged in these egregious acts.\n\nThe full text of Boyle\u2019s letter is available here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-08-19T05:29:02Z", "2026-08-19T05:30:24Z"], ["https://boyle.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/icymi-boyle-announces-legislation-lower-cost-back-school-supplies-calls", "ICYMI: Boyle Announces Legislation to Lower Cost of Back-to-School Supplies, Calls on Trump to End Tariff Taxes on School Supplies", "2026-08-18", "2026", "2026-08", "Democrat", "House", "PA", "Brendan F. Boyle", "B001296", "boyle.house.gov", "boyle", "https://boyle.house.gov/media-center/press-releases", "scraper", "PHILADELPHIA, PA \u2013 Today, Congressman Brendan F. Boyle (PA-02) announced the Back-to-School Supplies Affordability Act, legislation to lower the cost of school supplies for students and teachers. This bill would exempt school supplies and educational materials from the Trump administration\u2019s costly tariff taxes, which are increasing prices for families. Boyle also called on the White House to take immediate action to exempt these products from the tariffs.\n\n\u201cMy wife and I were shocked when we discovered this firsthand just last week when we were buying a new lunchbox for our daughter,\u201d said Congressman Boyle. \u201cOther goods \u2014 pencils, pens, anything you can name \u2014 are up and through the roof. I am proud to announce that I am introducing legislation in the House to exempt school supplies from these tariff taxes. I also want to urge the Administration to act now. The White House could act today to exempt these products from their tariffs.\u201d\n\nAccording to Groundwork Collaborative and the Century Foundation, the cost of school supplies has increased by 8 percent this year. Lunchboxes have increased 27 percent, while notebooks have become 23 percent more expensive.\n\nThe Back-to-School Supplies Affordability Act directs the Secretaries of Commerce and Education to work together to create a list of tariff-free school supplies, but also specifically exempts:\n\nOffice and school supplies\n\nBackpacks\n\nNotebooks, memorandum pads, and similar paper products\n\nChildren\u2019s picture, drawing, and coloring books\n\nCalendars\n\nComputer keyboards\n\nHairbrushes\n\nPencils, crayons, chalk, and other drawing materials\n\nPens, markers, and related writing instruments\n\nThe bill preserves congressional oversight by allowing Congress to disapprove the designation of specific items for tariff exemptions through a Joint Resolution of Disapproval.\n\nBoyle will lead the effort to pass the Back-to-School Supplies Affordability Act in the House. This legislation is led in the Senate by Sen. Angela Alsobrooks (MD). Senate cosponsors include Chris Van Hollen (MD), Chris Coons (DE), Andy Kim (NJ), Lisa Blunt Rochester (DE), Jacky Rosen (NV), and John Hickenlooper (CO).\n\nBoyle is the Ranking Member of the House Budget Committee and serves on the Ways and Means Committee, which has jurisdiction over federal tax policy.\n\n###", 1, "2026-08-19T05:29:02Z", "2026-08-19T05:30:24Z"], ["https://deluzio.house.gov/media/press-releases/deluzio-announces-850000-penn-hills-verona-road-bridge-project", "Deluzio Announces $850,000 for Penn Hills Verona Road Bridge Project", "2026-08-18", "2026", "2026-08", "Democrat", "House", "PA", "Christopher R. Deluzio", "D000530", "deluzio.house.gov", "deluzio", "https://deluzio.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "PENN HILLS, PA \u2013 Today, Congressman Chris Deluzio (PA-17) was in Penn Hills, Pennsylvania to celebrate that he secured $850,000 in federal funding for the Verona Road Bridge Replacement in Penn Hills. At the check presentation and press conference, Congressman Deluzio was joined by State Representative Joe McAndrew, Penn Hills Mayor Pauline Calabrese, Jason Zang, District Executive for the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation's (PennDOT) Engineering District 11, and other Penn Hills and Verona leaders.\n\n\u201cI\u2019m proud that I secured $850,000 in federal funding to help replace and upgrade the bridge on Verona Road in Penn Hills,\u201d said Congressman Deluzio. \u201cOur community should have the best infrastructure out there, and I\u2019m proud I could help Penn Hills and PennDOT do this important bridge replacement. I\u2019ll always fight to bring home federal money to make life better for all of us in Western Pennsylvania.\u201d\n\nThe Verona Road Bridge Replacement project would replace the full existing bridge over Sandy Creek between Mt. Carmel Rd and Lincoln Rd. It would be replaced with a structure that would ensure the safety and reliability of this State Route 2058 corridor. The proposed project would improve any structural and geometric deficiencies of the existing bridge and approach roadway to ensure uninterrupted traffic movements and reduce ongoing maintenance costs. According to PennDOT, the full project cost is $4.7 million and is expected to complete construction at the end of 2028.\n\n\u201cWe are seeing real injections of infrastructure project funding in our region because we want to maintain this infrastructure for generations to come. This project is a testament to the fact that we see an issue that is not just effecting the roadway, but also the primary source of funding for our Fire Department, Engine #221, and we are address this issue for the region.\u201d \u2013 Pennsylvania State Representative Joe McAndrew (House District 32)\n\n\u201cWe are grateful that Congressman Deluzio once again is delivering real results for us. His work to secure funding for this critical project directly protects public safety by clearing the way for emergency vehicles, school buses, and our residents who drive over that bridge every day.\u201d \u2013 Pauline Calabrese, Mayor of Penn Hills\n\n\u201cCongressman Deluzio has been a strong advocate for transportation funding in Western Pennsylvania and consistently delivers critical funding year after year. We are extremely grateful for the funding secured for this critical link for the community. The Verona Road Bridge project, when complete, will continue to serve the community for many years to come.\u201d \u2013 Jason Zang, District Executive for the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation's (PennDOT) Engineering District 11\n\nThis $850,000 PennDOT award is one of Congressman Deluzio\u2019s community funding project selections for Fiscal Year (FY) 2026. He secured more than $193 million for fourteen projects across his Western Pennsylvania district, earning the title as the U.S. House Democrat who secured the most funding for their district out of the FY 2026 spending bills. He is third out of all U.S. House Members\u2014of which there are 435. More details on all of those here.\n\nPhotos and video from the event are available here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-08-19T05:29:02Z", "2026-08-19T05:30:24Z"], ["https://scanlon.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=2054", "Scanlon, Deluzio, Dean, Lee, Evans Introduce Bill to Expand Congressional Oversight at ICE Facilities", "2026-08-18", "2026", "2026-08", "Democrat", "House", "PA", "Mary Gay Scanlon", "S001205", "scanlon.house.gov", "scanlon", "https://scanlon.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx", "scraper", "Washington, D.C. \u2014 Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-05) yesterday joined Reps. Chris Deluzio (PA-17), Madeleine Dean (PA-04), Summer Lee (PA-12), and Dwight Evans (PA-03) in introducing the new Oversight Access Act of 2026.\n\nThis bill would allow for Representatives to bring one member of their staff inside Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facilities when conducting oversight, without prior notice. This would allow for additional translation services and more capacity to conduct oversight. Under a current Trump Administration rule, Members of Congress can enter the facility unannounced but interpreters and other staff must receive prior approval, defeating the purpose of unannounced oversight visits.\n\n\u201cWhen a Member of Congress visits an ICE detention facility to conduct congressional oversight, they must be able to do so effectively,\u201d said Rep. Scanlon. \u201cThat includes being able to bring an essential staff member or interpreter to support this critical duty. I am proud to lead the Oversight Access Act with Reps. Deluzio, Dean, Lee, and Evans to ensure that future unannounced oversight visits include a staff member.\u201d\n\n\u201cMoshannon officials blocked my staff from joining our oversight visit this May, and it limited the conversations we could have with people detained inside. Unannounced congressional oversight visits to federal facilities are powerful and important accountability measures,\u201d said Rep. Deluzio. \u201cHowever, unannounced oversight would be far stronger if Members of Congress could be accompanied by a staff member who could provide translation services, legal guidance, or policy expertise. I\u2019m introducing the Oversight Access Act to make this fix and expand congressional oversight at ICE facilities.\u201d\n\n\u201cCongress has a solemn duty to conduct oversight at ICE facilities in Pennsylvania and across the country, but ICE\u2019s arbitrary rules have made that more difficult. As a member of the Appropriations Committee, I care deeply about ensuring that any facility receiving federal dollars lives up to the highest standards of care, decency, and safety,\u201d said Rep. Dean. \u201cI am grateful to Congressman Deluzio, Congresswoman Scanlon, Congresswoman Lee, and Congressman Evans for their partnership on this critical legislation, which would strengthen Congressional oversight and make it easier for members of Congress and our staff to visit ICE facilities unannounced.\u201d\n\n\u201cCongressional oversight works when Members of Congress have the proper tools they need, and our staff play a critical role in that work, from providing translation services to bringing legal and policy expertise to the table,\u201d said Rep. Lee. \u201cIt\u2019s been made clear abuse, neglect, and inhumane conditions have plagued detention centers. Members of Congress have a constitutional responsibility and right to conduct oversight, and we must be able to do our jobs without obstruction or intimidation. No administration is above accountability.\u201d\n\n\u201cOver the past year and a half, we have seen numerous reports of inhumane, even deadly conditions of ICE detention facilities,\u201d said Rep. Evans. \u201cI\u2019m proud to join this effort to demand more transparency and oversight of the Trump-Vance Administration\u2019s actions.\u201d\n\nRep. Scanlon joined her House colleagues in introducing this bill after she conducted an unannounced oversight visit of ICE\u2019s largest detention center in Pennsylvania, the Moshannon Valley Detention Center. At the site, the Congresswoman was not permitted to bring congressional staff inside the facility. ICE blocking congressional staff from entering the facility limited the ability to communicate with people detained inside Moshannon.\n\nSpecifically, the bill would:\n\nRemove the requirement of prior notice for a Member or an employee to enter any facility operated by or for the Department of Homeland Security.\n\nProhibits temporary modification in any such facility that would alter what is observed by a Member of Congress while conducting oversight.\n\nProhibit the Secretary of Homeland Security from preventing Members of Congress and congressional employees accompanying a Member from entering a facility with the purpose of conducting oversight.\n\nFind the full bill text here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-08-19T05:29:02Z", "2026-08-19T05:30:24Z"], ["https://deluzio.house.gov/media/press-releases/deluzio-pa-colleagues-introduce-bill-expand-congressional-oversight-ice", "Deluzio, PA Colleagues Introduce Bill to Expand Congressional Oversight at ICE Facilities", "2026-08-17", "2026", "2026-08", "Democrat", "House", "PA", "Christopher R. Deluzio", "D000530", "deluzio.house.gov", "deluzio", "https://deluzio.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Today, Congressman Chris Deluzio (PA-17), Congresswoman Madeleine Dean (PA-04), Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-05), Congresswoman Summer Lee (PA-12), and Congressman Dwight Evans (PA-03) introduced the new Oversight Access Act of 2026.\n\nThis bill would allow for Representatives to bring one member of their staff inside Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facilities when conducting oversight, without prior notice. This would allow for additional translation services and more capacity to conduct oversight. Under a current Trump Administration rule, Members of Congress can enter the facility unannounced but interpreters and other staff must receive prior approval, defeating the purpose of unannounced oversight visits.\n\n\u201cMoshannon officials blocked my staff from joining our oversight visit this May, and it limited the conversations we could have with people detained inside. Unannounced congressional oversight visits to federal facilities are powerful and important accountability measures. However, unannounced oversight would be far stronger if Members of Congress could be accompanied by a staff member who could provide translation services, legal guidance, or policy expertise. I\u2019m introducing the Oversight Access Act to make this fix and expand congressional oversight at ICE facilities.\u201d \u2013 Congressman Chris Deluzio\n\n\u201cCongress has a solemn duty to conduct oversight at ICE facilities in Pennsylvania and across the country, but ICE\u2019s arbitrary rules have made that more difficult. As a member of the Appropriations Committee, I care deeply about ensuring that any facility receiving federal dollars lives up to the highest standards of care, decency, and safety. I am grateful to Congressman Deluzio, Congresswoman Scanlon, Congresswoman Lee, and Congressman Evans for their partnership on this critical legislation, which would strengthen Congressional oversight and make it easier for members of Congress and our staff to visit ICE facilities unannounced.\" \u2013 Congresswoman Madeleine Dean\n\n\u201cWhen a Member of Congress visits an ICE detention facility to conduct congressional oversight, they must be able to do so effectively. That includes being able to bring an essential staff member or interpreter to support this critical duty. I am proud to lead the Oversight Access Act with Reps. Deluzio, Dean, Lee, and Evans to ensure that future unannounced oversight visits include a staff member.\u201d \u2013 Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon\n\n\u201cCongressional oversight works when Members of Congress have the proper tools they need, and our staff play a critical role in that work, from providing translation services to bringing legal and policy expertise to the table. It\u2019s been made clear abuse, neglect, and inhumane conditions have plagued detention centers. Members of Congress have a constitutional responsibility and right to conduct oversight, and we must be able to do our jobs without obstruction or intimidation. No administration is above accountability.\u201d \u2013 Congresswoman Summer Lee\n\n\u201cOver the past year and a half, we have seen numerous reports of inhumane, even deadly conditions of ICE detention facilities. I\u2019m proud to join this effort to demand more transparency and oversight of the Trump-Vance Administration\u2019s actions.\u201d \u2013 Congressman Dwight Evans\n\nDeluzio and his colleagues are introducing this bill after he and Congresswoman Lee conducted an unannounced oversight visit of ICE\u2019s largest detention center in Pennsylvania, the Moshannon Valley Detention Center. At the site, the congressmembers were not permitted to bring their congressional staff inside the facility. These staff were immigration policy experts and able to provide translation services. ICE blocking congressional staff from entering the facility limited the congressmembers\u2019 ability to communicate with people detained inside Moshannon.\n\nSpecifically, the bill would:\n\nRemove the requirement of prior notice for a Member or an employee to enter any facility operated by or for the Department of Homeland Security.\n\nProhibits temporary modification in any such facility that would alter what is observed by a Member of Congress while conducting oversight.\n\nProhibit the Secretary of Homeland Security from preventing Members of Congress and congressional employees accompanying a Member from entering a facility with the purpose of conducting oversight.\n\nThe full text of the Oversight Access Act is available here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-08-18T05:27:41Z", "2026-08-18T05:29:06Z"], ["https://scanlon.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=2053", "Scanlon Introduces Legislation to Expand Eviction Diversion Programs", "2026-08-17", "2026", "2026-08", "Democrat", "House", "PA", "Mary Gay Scanlon", "S001205", "scanlon.house.gov", "scanlon", "https://scanlon.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx", "scraper", "Washington, D.C. \u2014 Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-05) last week introduced the Stable Homes Act, legislation that would establish a competitive grant program to help local governments create or expand eviction diversion programs. More than two million eviction cases are filed each year across the country, roughly one filing every four minutes. Only 3% of tenants - compared to more than 80% of landlords - have legal representation. Eviction diversion programs (EDPs) have produced benefits for tenants, landlords, and local court systems by resolving disputes before an eviction filing is ever made.\n\nEDPs help tenants avoid long-term consequences of an eviction record, such as barriers to future housing and damage to credit, while landlords benefit through mediation and supported negotiation to help resolve payment disputes and avoid court and attorney fees associated with formal eviction proceedings. EDPs also connect families to rental assistance, housing counseling, legal representation, and other resources to keep them housed.\n\n\u201cAt a time when working-class Americans are living paycheck to paycheck, we need programs that help individuals and families stay in their homes and prevent housing insecurity,\u201d said Rep. Scanlon. \u201cEviction diversion programs promote faster, fairer, and more sustainable resolutions for both landlords and tenants. I\u2019m proud to introduce the Stable Homes Act to strengthen our housing market and keep our most vulnerable neighbors housed.\u201d\n\nLocally, Philadelphia\u2019s EDP has demonstrated how pre-filing mediation can transform a city\u2019s eviction landscape. In its first full year, 85% of cases entering the program avoided eviction court entirely, contributing to a dramatic decline in eviction filings from 20,000 annually to 7,000 in 2021. The program also relieved the local court system, reducing hearing wait times by two-thirds.\n\nThe Stable Homes Act would provide funding for localities to:\n\nEstablish eviction diversion programs, offering mediation services between tenants and landlords before an eviction filing occurs.\n\nSupport productive negotiation by providing direct rental assistance, legal representation, and housing counseling for the tenant.\n\nCollect data and evaluate outcomes to measure program effectiveness and inform future policy.\n\nThe bill is endorsed by the National Housing Law Project and the National Alliance to End Homelessness.\n\nFind the full bill text here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-08-18T05:27:41Z", "2026-08-18T05:29:06Z"], ["https://summerlee.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases/reps-lee-deluzio-pa-colleagues-introduce-bill-to-expand-congressional-oversight-at-ice-facilities", "Reps. Lee, Deluzio, PA Colleagues Introduce Bill to Expand Congressional Oversight at ICE Facilities", "2026-08-17", "2026", "2026-08", "Democrat", "House", "PA", "Summer L. Lee", "L000602", "summerlee.house.gov", "summerlee", "https://summerlee.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "Text of Bill (PDF)\n\nPITTSBURGH, PA \u2013 August 17, 2026 \u2014 Today, Congresswoman Summer L. Lee (PA-12), Congressman Chris Deluzio (PA-17), Congresswoman Madeleine Dean (PA-04), Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-05), and Congressman Dwight Evans (PA-03) introduced the new Oversight Access Act of 2026.\n\nThis bill would allow for Representatives to bring one member of their staff inside Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facilities when conducting oversight, without prior notice. This would allow for additional translation services and more capacity to conduct oversight. Under a current Trump Administration rule, Members of Congress can enter the facility unannounced but interpreters and other staff must receive prior approval, defeating the purpose of unannounced oversight visits.\n\n\u201cCongressional oversight works when Members of Congress have the proper tools they need, and our staff play a critical role in that work, from providing translation services to bringing legal and policy expertise to the table. It\u2019s been made clear abuse, neglect, and inhumane conditions have plagued detention centers. Members of Congress have a constitutional responsibility and right to conduct oversight, and we must be able to do our jobs without obstruction or intimidation. No administration is above accountability,\u201d said Congresswoman Summer Lee.\n\n\u201cMoshannon officials blocked my staff from joining our oversight visit this May, and it limited the conversations we could have with people detained inside. Unannounced congressional oversight visits to federal facilities are powerful and important accountability measures. However, unannounced oversight would be far stronger if Members of Congress could be accompanied by a staff member who could provide translation services, legal guidance, or policy expertise. I\u2019m introducing the Oversight Access Act to make this fix and expand congressional oversight at ICE facilities,\u201d said Congressman Chris Deluzio.\n\n\u201cCongress has a solemn duty to conduct oversight at ICE facilities in Pennsylvania and across the country, but ICE\u2019s arbitrary rules have made that more difficult. As a member of the Appropriations Committee, I care deeply about ensuring that any facility receiving federal dollars lives up to the highest standards of care, decency, and safety. I am grateful to Congressman Deluzio, Congresswoman Scanlon, Congresswoman Lee, and Congressman Evans for their partnership on this critical legislation, which would strengthen Congressional oversight and make it easier for members of Congress and our staff to visit ICE facilities unannounced,\u201d said Congresswoman Madeleine Dean.\n\n\u201cWhen a Member of Congress visits an ICE detention facility to conduct congressional oversight, they must be able to do so effectively. That includes being able to bring an essential staff member or interpreter to support this critical duty. I am proud to lead the Oversight Access Act with Reps. Deluzio, Dean, Lee, and Evans to ensure that future unannounced oversight visits include a staff member,\u201d said Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon.\n\n\u201cOver the past year and a half, we have seen numerous reports of inhumane, even deadly conditions of ICE detention facilities. I\u2019m proud to join this effort to demand more transparency and oversight of the Trump-Vance Administration\u2019s actions,\u201d said Congressman Dwight Evans.\n\nThe lawmakers are introducing this bill after Rep. Lee and Rep. Deluzio conducted an unannounced oversight visit of ICE\u2019s largest detention center in Pennsylvania, the Moshannon Valley Detention Center. At the site, the congressmembers were not permitted to bring their congressional staff inside the facility. These staff were immigration policy experts and able to provide translation services. ICE blocking congressional staff from entering the facility limited the congressmembers\u2019 ability to communicate with people detained inside Moshannon.\n\nSpecifically, the bill would:\n\nRemove the requirement of prior notice for a Member or an employee to enter any facility operated by or for the Department of Homeland Security.\n\nProhibits temporary modification in any such facility that would alter what is observed by a Member of Congress while conducting oversight.\n\nProhibit the Secretary of Homeland Security from preventing Members of Congress and congressional employees accompanying a Member from entering a facility with the purpose of conducting oversight.\n\nThe full text of the Oversight Access Act is available here.\n\nCongresswoman Summer Lee has been a leading voice in Congress demanding accountability, transparency, and an end to ICE\u2019s cruel detention and deportation system. She recently wrote letters to the ICE and the GEO Group, the for-profit prison corporation that owns and operates Moshannon Valley Detention Center in Philipsburg, PA, to demand answers on GEO\u2019s failure to comply with federal standards of adequate staffing and medical care to detainees, as well as obstruction of congressional oversight. She also sent a letter with Rep. Deluzio to the HHS and Office of Refugee Resettlement demanding answers about ORR's decision to place unaccompanied migrant children at Abraxas Academy in Morgantown, Pennsylvania, despite the facility's extensive record of documented child abuse violations.\n\nRep. Lee has called to abolish ICE and oppose billions in additional ICE funding, introduced legislation to end ICE detention and redirect funding toward care, due process, and community-based services, demanded answers from ICE after the detention of a Brentwood asylum seeker, visited and called for the closure of the Moshannon Detention Facility following reports of abuse, retaliation, and a hunger strike, and recently conducted oversight of ICE detention conditions at Moshannon Valley ICE Detention Center after being illegally denied entry. She also released a statement after public reporting confirmed that the Allegheny County Medical Examiner\u2019s Office ruled the death of Daphy Michel, a 31-year-old Haitian immigrant who died after being released from ICE custody, a homicide.", 1, "2026-08-18T05:27:41Z", "2026-08-18T05:29:06Z"], ["https://dean.house.gov/2026/8/dean-deluzio-pa-colleagues-introduce-bill-to-expand-congressional-oversight-at-ice-facilities", "Dean, PA Delegation Introduce Bill to Expand Congressional Oversight at ICE Facilities", "2026-08-17", "2026", "2026-08", "Democrat", "House", "PA", "Madeleine Dean", "D000631", "dean.house.gov", "dean", "https://dean.house.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Representatives Madeleine Dean (PA-04), Dwight Evans (PA-03), Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-05), Summer Lee (PA-12), and Chris Deluzio (PA-17) introduced the Oversight Access Act to allow Members of Congress to bring one staff member inside Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facilities when conducting congressional oversight without prior notice.\n\nIn June, Congresswoman Dean conduted oversigt at the Moshannon Valley Detention Center \u2014 which began operating as an ICE facility in 2021 \u2014 in Philipsburg, PA on an announced visit. Although she was permitted to bring staff, Rep. Dean was blocked from speaking directly with people detained. In May, Congressman Deluzio and Congresswoman Lee conducted unannounced oversight. However, their staff members were not permitted to enter the ICE facility.\n\nUnder a current Trump Administration rule, U.S. Representatives can enter the facility unannounced but interpreters and other staff must receive prior approval, defeating the purpose of unannounced oversight visits. This bill would allow for additional translation services and more capacity to conduct oversight.\n\n\u201cCongress has a solemn duty to conduct oversight at ICE facilities in Pennsylvania and across the country, but ICE\u2019s arbitrary rules have made that more difficult. As a member of the Appropriations Committee, I care deeply about ensuring that any facility receiving federal dollars lives up to the highest standards of care, decency, and safety. I am grateful to Congressman Deluzio, Congresswoman Scanlon, Congresswoman Lee, and Congressman Evans for their partnership on this critical legislation, which would strengthen Congressional oversight and make it easier for members of Congress and our staff to visit ICE facilities unannounced,\" Rep. Dean said.\n\n\u201cOver the past year and a half, we have seen numerous reports of inhumane, even deadly conditions of ICE detention facilities. I\u2019m proud to join this effort to demand more transparency and oversight of the Trump-Vance Administration\u2019s actions,\" Rep. Evans said.\n\n\u201cWhen a Member of Congress visits an ICE detention facility to conduct congressional oversight, they must be able to do so effectively. That includes being able to bring an essential staff member or interpreter to support this critical duty. I am proud to lead the Oversight Access Act with Reps. Deluzio, Dean, Lee, and Evans to ensure that future unannounced oversight visits include a staff member,\" Rep. Scanlon said.\n\n\u201cCongressional oversight works when Members of Congress have the proper tools they need, and our staff play a critical role in that work, from providing translation services to bringing legal and policy expertise to the table. It\u2019s been made clear abuse, neglect, and inhumane conditions have plagued detention centers. Members of Congress have a?constitutional responsibility and right to conduct oversight, and we must be able to do our jobs without obstruction or intimidation. No administration is above accountability,\" Rep. Lee said.\n\n\u201cMoshannon officials blocked my staff from joining our oversight visit this May, and it limited the conversations we could have with people detained inside. Unannounced congressional oversight visits to federal facilities are powerful and important accountability measures. However, unannounced oversight would be far stronger if Members of Congress could be accompanied by a staff member who could provide translation services, legal guidance, or policy expertise. I\u2019m introducing the Oversight Access Act to make this fix and expand congressional oversight at ICE facilities,\" Rep. Deluzio said.\n\nSpecifically, the Oversight Access Act would:\n\nRemove the requirement of prior notice for a Member or an employee to enter any facility operated by or for the Department of Homeland Security;\n\nProhibit temporary modification in any such facility that would alter what is observed by a Member of Congress while conducting oversight; and\n\nProhibit the Secretary of Homeland Security from preventing Members of Congress and congressional employees accompanying a Member from entering a facility with the purpose of conducting oversight.\n\nRead the full text of the bill here.\n\nRep. Madeleine Dean is a mother, grandmother, attorney, professor, former four-term member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, and U.S. Representative for the Fourth District of Pennsylvania.\n\n###", 1, "2026-08-19T05:29:02Z", "2026-08-19T05:30:24Z"], ["https://boyle.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/boyle-statement-91st-anniversary-social-security", "Boyle Statement on the 91st Anniversary of Social Security", "2026-08-14", "2026", "2026-08", "Democrat", "House", "PA", "Brendan F. Boyle", "B001296", "boyle.house.gov", "boyle", "https://boyle.house.gov/media-center/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, DC \u2014 Congressman Brendan F. Boyle (PA-02), Ranking Member of the House Budget Committee, issued the following statement on the 91st anniversary of President Franklin D. Roosevelt signing the Social Security Act:\n\n\u201cSocial Security is the greatest anti-poverty program in American history. But 91 years after its creation, Republicans in Washington are still trying to break Social Security\u2019s sacred promise. After passing the largest health care cuts in our nation\u2019s history, Speaker Johnson now says he has a \u2018plan\u2019 to cut Social Security.\n\nI will always defend Americans\u2019 hard-earned benefits against Republican cuts. My Medicare and Social Security Fair Share Act proves that we can protect and strengthen these programs by making millionaires and billionaires pay their fair share. It\u2019s time to pass my bill and keep the promise of Social Security for all generations.\u201d\n\nBackground:\n\nCongressman Boyle has introduced the Medicare and Social Security Fair Share Act, legislation that would protect Social Security for all generations by making the nation's highest earners contribute their fair share.\n\nThe independent actuaries at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the Social Security Administration have confirmed Boyle\u2019s legislation will extend solvency indefinitely.\n\nTo read more about Boyle\u2019s Medicare and Social Security Fair Share Act, click here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-08-15T05:23:20Z", "2026-08-15T05:24:50Z"], ["https://deluzio.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-deluzio-announces-999000-center-township-waterline-improvements", "Congressman Deluzio Announces $999,000 for Center Township Waterline Improvements", "2026-08-12", "2026", "2026-08", "Democrat", "House", "PA", "Christopher R. Deluzio", "D000530", "deluzio.house.gov", "deluzio", "https://deluzio.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "CENTER TOWNSHIP, PA \u2013 Today, Congressman Chris Deluzio (PA-17) announced that Center Township in Beaver County, PA is receiving $999,000 for upgrades to their waterline infrastructure. This funding will pay for a section of replacement waterline. Replacing this waterline will improve water service and reduce maintenance work for the Township.\n\n\u201cEvery community should have safe, clean drinking water that they can count on,\u201d said Congressman Deluzio. \u201cI\u2019m glad to announce this funding for the people of Center Township. Thank you to former Congressman Conor Lamb for his work on this project in the 117th Congress.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe management and investigative efforts [from this funding] will protect the health and safety of residents,\u201d said Bill DiCioccio, Jr., Chairman of the Board of Supervisors for Center Township.\n\nThe waterline infrastructure funding was appropriated by Congress in 2022 under the Consolidated Appropriations Act and is granted by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) through the State and Tribal Assistance Grants\u2019 (STAG) State Revolving Fund.\n\nThe Trump Administration\u2019s efforts to freeze funding and pause federal grants has created significant uncertainty for grantees, varying by agency and program. As of now, courts have paused many of these freezes. However, Congressman Deluzio\u2019s office will continue to monitor these developments and fight to make sure this congressionally-authorized funding continues going to projects that make life better for Western Pennsylvanians. If you are the recipient of a federal grant and have been notified that this funding is no longer available to you or are experiencing other issues accessing your lawfully appropriated funds, please share your concerns with Congressman Deluzio\u2019s office at PA17Grants@mail.house.gov.\n\n###", 1, "2026-08-13T06:17:16Z", "2026-08-13T06:18:13Z"], ["http://houlahan.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=5146", "Rep. Houlahan, Sen. Warren, Lawmakers Slam Trump Admin for Efforts to Tear Apart Military Families, Convert Military Bases Into \u201cTraps\u201d for Non-Citizens", "2026-08-10", "2026", "2026-08", "Democrat", "House", "PA", "Chrissy Houlahan", "H001085", "houlahan.house.gov", "houlahan", "https://houlahan.house.gov/news/rss.aspx", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2014 Representative Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA), with Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Representatives Maggie Goodlander (D-NH), Delia Ramirez (D-IL), and Lizzie Fletcher (D-TX) led a bicameral letter pressing the Department of Defense (DoD), the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Veterans Affairs (VA), U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on their efforts to coordinate to arrest, and detain, and deport hundreds of veterans and military families. In April 2025, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) rescinded its long-standing policy that treated military service a \u201csignificant mitigating factor\u201d when deciding whether to pursue immigration enforcement, and replaced it with a new policy stating that military service alone \u201cdoes not automatically exempt\u201d non-citizens from enforcement actions.\n\nIn September 2025, Rep. Houlahan, Sen. Warren, and other lawmakers opened an investigation into the impacts of these policy changes on military families. The investigation revealed that ICE has attempted to deport 282 veterans and their relatives. But DHS refused to disclose the number of active-duty troops and their families who have been threatened by the administration\u2019s policy.\n\nBut new reports indicate that DoD and DHS appear to be coordinating to convert military bases into \u201ctraps\u201d for individuals this administration deems deportable and has detained non-citizens during routine check-ins, visits, and drop-offs at or near military installations. At the same time, DoD has continued to recruit new service members with the promise of immigration protections.\n\nRecent reporting by the Associated Press reveals that, since January 2025, more than 50 parents and spouses of active-duty service members have been detained, and at least six have been deported. ICE\u2019s statistics show that the agency has arrested 16 non-citizen armed forces members since the beginning of Fiscal Year 2026. Some service members have reportedly needed to take leave or delay deployment because ICE detained their families.\n\n\u201cThese efforts imperil military readiness, weaken service members\u2019 morale, and betray America\u2019s promises to the people who put their lives on the line for our nation,\u201d wrote the lawmakers. Alarmingly, DoD has been reportedly targeting individuals at military installations, detaining them on military property, and turning them over to ICE \u2014 effectively converting military bases into \u201ctraps\u201d for noncitizens. For example, a 22-year-old military wife was recently detained while attempting to obtain a military spouse I.D. Military officials allegedly called DHS and held her in a room until ICE agents arrived to take her to a detention center.\n\n\u201cDoD\u2019s participation in civil immigration enforcement activities raises both ethical and legal concerns, including potential violations of the Posse Comitatus Act, which prohibits using the armed forces of the military for civilian law enforcement,\u201d wrote the lawmakers.\n\nThe coalition warned that if service members were to be swept up in any of these enforcement actions, it could separately constitute a violation of the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, which provides protections to all members of the United States military on active duty, including non-citizens, from civil actions\u2014such as immigration proceedings\u2014that interfere with their military duties.\n\n\u201cService members must have confidence that their sacrifices will be honored, not used against them or to target their loved ones,\u201d wrote the lawmakers. \u201cDoD\u2019s new anti-immigrant practices risk deterring future recruits and damaging the credibility of military recruitment efforts\u2014which promised to care for service members even after their time in uniform.\u201d\n\nThe lawmakers requested that the agencies explain the enhanced coordination between DoD and DHS, restore long-standing immigration protections for family members of service members, and explain what steps they are taking to protect troops, veterans, and their families from unjust immigration enforcement by August 23, 2026.\n\nThe letter was signed by Senators Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.).\n\nRepresentatives Yassamin Ansari (D-Ariz.), Nanette Barrag\u00e1n (D-Calif.), Andr\u00e9 Carson (D-Ind.), Greg Casar (D-Texas), Sean Casten (D-Ill.), Joaquin Castro (D-Texas), Gil Cisneros (D-Calif.), Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-N.J.), Daniel Davis (D-Ill.), Madeleine Dean (D-Pa.), Diana DeGette (D-Colo.), Mark DeSaulnier (D-Calif.), Maxine Dexter (D-Ore.), Veronica Escobar (D-Texas), Bill Foster (D-Ill.), Maxwell Frost (D-Fla.), Chuy Garc\u00eda (D-Ill.), Sylvia Garcia (D-Texas), Adelita Grijalva (D-Ariz.), Jonathan Jackson (D-Ill.), Hank Johnson (D-Ga.), Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), John Larson (D-Conn.), Stephen Lynch (D-Mass.), Seth Magaziner (D-R.I.), Seth Moulton (D-Mass.), Kevin Mullin (D-Calif.), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), Mike Quigley (D-Ill.), Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.), Lateefah Simon (D-Calif.), Marilyn Strickland (D-Wash.), Suhas Subramanyam (D-Va.), Mark Takano (D-Calif.), Dina Titus (D-Nev.), Marc Veasey (D-Texas), Maxine Waters (D-Calif.), and Gabe Vasquez (D-N.M.), joined in signing the letter.\n\nThe letter was endorsed by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), Immigration Defenders Law Center, the Seattle Clemency Project, Common Defense, Repatriate Our Patriots, and League of United Latin American Citizens.\n\n\"It is hard to imagine a more profound betrayal than targeting service members, veterans, and military families for deportation,\u201d said Jennie Pasquarella, interim executive director of the Seattle Clemency Project. \"This administration is abandoning decades of bipartisan policies that recognized a simple truth: protecting those who serve makes our military stronger and our nation safer. Targeting the very communities that have sacrificed for this country is not just morally indefensible, it is a direct attack on military readiness, recruitment, and trust.\"\n\n\"This administration has made a conscious decision to abandon its promises to military families and fail those who put their lives on the line for our nation,\u201d said Amanda Schuft, director of legal services at Immigrant Defenders Law Center. \u201cWe have seen the devastating human cost firsthand. Our client, the father of an active-duty Army service member, was detained by ICE despite suffering from terminal renal failure, forcing his son to take leave from military service to plead for his release and provide evidence of his grave medical condition. The government ignored those pleas. After his health deteriorated in detention, our client was eventually released, only to die within weeks.\u201d\n\n\u201cFamily readiness directly impacts mission readiness. Behind every military spouse or parent in detention is a servicemember who could deploy at any moment. Without a strong homefront, we cannot have a ready force. Our government must honor its commitments to those who serve,\u201d said Danitza G. James, MSW, President, Repatriate Our Patriots.\n\n--end--", 1, "2026-08-11T05:54:29Z", "2026-08-11T05:56:25Z"], ["https://evans.house.gov/media/press-releases/evans-introduces-bill-build-more-accessible-affordable-housing", "Evans Introduces Bill to Build More Accessible, Affordable Housing", "2026-08-10", "2026", "2026-08", "Democrat", "House", "PA", "Dwight Evans", "E000296", "evans.house.gov", "evans", "https://evans.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "PHILADELPHIA (Aug. 10, 2026) \u2013 U.S. Rep. Dwight Evans (D-PA-3) introduced the Visitable Inclusive Tax Credits for Accessible Living (VITAL) Act to strengthen the Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) to expand the supply of affordable, accessible housing for older adults and people with disabilities.\n\nEvans\u2019 lead House co-sponsor is Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA-1), and U.S. Sens. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), ranking member of the Senate Special Committee on Aging, introduced companion legislation in the Senate.\n\nEvans said, \u201cAbout 26 percent of people in the United States have a disability, yet less than 6 percent of the national housing supply is designed to be accessible at even a basic level. This bill would change that by expanding low-income housing tax credits to make affordable housing more accessible for seniors and people with disabilities. The need for accessible housing will only continue to grow as America\u2019s senior population grows! I want to thank Congressman Fitzpatrick and Senators Klobuchar and Gillibrand for partnering on this much-needed bill.\u201d\n\n\u201cAs we work to increase housing supply and make homes more affordable, we must also build with the needs of our seniors and Americans with disabilities in mind. The VITAL Act uses the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit to promote accessible, adaptable homes in communities connected to transportation and essential services. This legislation reflects the kind of housing policy I will always champion \u2014 one that strengthens independence, expands opportunity, and helps every person live with dignity,\u201d Fitzpatrick said.\n\n\u201cFor far too many Americans living with disabilities and older adults with mobility issues, safe housing is out of reach due to a lack of affordable and accessible options,\u201d Klobuchar said. \u201cThis legislation would increase the number of new homes that are located in walkable or wheelchair-friendly communities to increase access to housing for all.\u201d\n\n\u201cAs our aging population continues to grow, it is critical that we invest in affordable housing units with accessible features,\u201d Gillibrand said. \u201cThe VITAL Act would help ensure that affordable housing meets the mobility and accessibility needs of New York seniors and people with disabilities, allowing them to age comfortably in the communities of their choice. As the top Democrat on the Senate Aging Committee, I am proud to lead this bill, and I encourage my colleagues to support it.\u201d\n\nThe LIHTC is a federal program providing tax credits to developers who build new housing for low-income renters. The VITAL Act would increase state LIHTC allocations, provide an enhanced tax credit for qualifying affordable housing developments that include accessible units for people with disabilities in walkable communities, and incentivize state housing finance agencies to prioritize the development of more accessible housing.\n\nThe VITAL Act is endorsed by The Kelsey, LeadingAge, Pathways to Housing PA, TriageCancer, National Low Income Housing Coalition, Liberty Housing Development Corporation, National Council on Independent Living, National Disability Rights Network, Autistic Self Advocacy Network, The Arc of the United States, Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund, Justice in Aging, National Housing Law Project, National Council on Aging, National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities, Association of Assistive Technology Act Programs, Muscular Dystrophy Association, National NeighborWorks Association, Paralyzed Veterans of America, TASH, ANCOR, Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law, The Amputee Coalition, Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation, Colorado Cross-Disability Coalition, YIMBY Action, Disability Empowerment Center of Lancaster PA, American Foundation of the Blind, America Walks, National Homelessness Law Center, Caring Across Generations, National Association of the Deaf, Community Solutions, Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP), American Council of the Blind, HDC MidAtlantic, New Disabled South, and Autism Speaks.", 1, "2026-08-11T05:54:29Z", "2026-08-11T05:56:25Z"], ["http://houlahan.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=5145", "Reps. Houlahan, Whitesides, Haridopolos Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Bolster Military Readiness for Natural Disasters", "2026-08-07", "2026", "2026-08", "Democrat", "House", "PA", "Chrissy Houlahan", "H001085", "houlahan.house.gov", "houlahan", "https://houlahan.house.gov/news/rss.aspx", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Today, Representatives Chrissy Houlahan (PA-06), George Whitesides (CA-27), and Mike Haridopolos (FL-08) introduced the bipartisan Military Readiness Through Resilient Lands Act, legislation that instructs the Department of Defense to develop and maintain goals and metrics to assess natural resources on military installations. Natural disasters, such as wildfires and floods, and deterioration of environmental conditions can compromise important operations on military installations, reducing military preparedness and posing risks to national security. This bill asks the Department of the Defense to assess technologies that could be used to monitor their natural resources, which would enable better preparation on military installations for natural disasters and other threats to the ecosystem.\n\n\u201cAs ranking member of the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Military Personnel, I believe readiness begins with protecting our servicemembers and ensuring they have safe, resilient installations where they can live, work, and train. Wildfires, flooding, and other effects of a changing climate can threaten our people, disrupt operations, and undermine mission readiness,\u201d said Rep. Houlahan. \u201cI am proud to co-lead the Military Readiness Through Resilient Lands Act with Congressman Whitesides to give military leaders better data and modern tools to manage our natural resources, strengthen installation resilience, and keep our forces safe and ready.\u201d\n\n\u201cAs our nation\u2019s military continues to protect our country, it is imperative that our bases and installations are prepared for potential threats, including natural disasters,\u201d said Rep. Whitesides. \u201cIf a wildfire strikes a military installation, like we saw in Camp Pendleton earlier this year, it could shut down its operations, putting all of us at risk. Through the use of advanced technology and cutting-edge monitoring systems, our military can better understand the natural resources that exist on their installations, and take preventative actions to protect the installation from threats like natural disasters.\u201d\n\n\u201cAmerica\u2019s military bases are critical to keeping our country safe, and it\u2019s important that they stay strong and ready to do their jobs,\u201d said Rep. Haridopolos. \u201cThe Military Readiness Through Resilient Lands Act protects our land and natural resources around these bases that are needed for training and operations, using improved technology and better information to make sure our military stays prepared to meet new challenges.\u201d\n\nSpecifically, the Military Readiness Through Resilient Lands Act directs the Department of Defense to:\n\nEvaluate, test, and, where appropriate, use, technologies and methodologies to improve natural resources programs on military installations.\n\nAssess natural resources and ecosystem services on military installations to allow for the comparison of conditions and trends concerning wildfire risk and fuels conditions, flood risk, ecosystem conditions, and biodiversity within that installation.\n\nProvide consistent and regular updates to data for use in integrated natural resource management plans.\n\nAdd additional information to a report that the Department of Defense gives to Congress concerning progress made and benefits of using the metrics, technologies, methods, and data.", 1, "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"], ["https://summerlee.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases/rep-lee-joins-mon-valley-initiative-to-celebrate-completion-of-3-miller-ave-rehabilitation-in-rankin", "Rep. Lee Joins Mon Valley Initiative to Celebrate Completion of 3 Miller Ave Rehabilitation in Rankin", "2026-08-07", "2026", "2026-08", "Democrat", "House", "PA", "Summer L. Lee", "L000602", "summerlee.house.gov", "summerlee", "https://summerlee.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "Photos (Dropbox)\n\nRANKIN, PA \u2013 AUGUST 7, 2026 \u2014 Yesterday, Congresswoman Summer L. Lee (PA-12) joined Mon Valley Initiative (MVI), Allegheny County Economic Development (ACED), elected officials, project partners, and community members to celebrate the completion of its rehabilitation of 3 Miller Ave with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Thursday, August 6. The renovated 3-bedroom, 1.5-bathroom home, located in Rankin, will soon welcome new homeowner Emily Perry and her family.\n\nCongresswoman Summer Lee reflected on what the project means for the community. \u201cThe completion of 3 Miller Avenue shows what becomes possible when people invest in Rankin, work together, and deliver something real for the community. A home can change the direction of a family, and a block full of strong families can change the direction of an entire community,\u201d she said.\n\n\u201cSince 2000, MVI has renovated 14 homes and built 9 new ones along this corridor. 3 Miller Avenue is the latest piece of that work, an over $340,000 investment that turns a vacant property back into a home a family can afford and build a future in,\u201dsaid Laura Zinski, MVI CEO.\n\nThe approximately 1,759-square-foot home includes a front porch, an extra side yard lot, rear parking, a third-floor bonus room, and an unfinished basement, and was put on the market for $140,000. The property sits on a primary public transit corridor within walking distance or a short drive of the Swissvale Shopping Center, Edgewood Towne Center, and the Waterfront.\n\nThe renovation was funded through ACED\u2019s HOME Investment Partnerships Program, which supports the redevelopment of vacant and underused properties across the county. Investments like this deliver value beyond the home itself. The borough, county, and school district will benefit each year from new taxes generated by the property, helping stabilize and grow the local market.\n\n\u201cHOME is a critical federal resource that allows us to invest in housing projects that strengthen neighborhoods. Restoring a vacant property like 3 Miller Ave supports new homeowners while also reinforcing neighborhood stability and long\u2011term economic growth. We\u2019re grateful to MVI for their partnership on this project, and to the federal, state, and local programs that make these housing investments possible,\u201d said Lauren Connelly, Director of ACED.\n\nPerry, who is set to move into the home later this summer with her family, joined the ceremony and toured the finished property with guests.\n\nAbout Mon Valley Initiative\n\nMon Valley Initiative (MVI), founded in 1988, works to improve the lives of people in the Mon Valley area by helping to rebuild community infrastructure, provide safe and affordable housing, and connect employers to people seeking new jobs and careers. We do this by delivering quality services to the people of the Mon Valley, including housing counseling, workforce development & financial coaching, real estate development, and community development. For more information, visit www.monvalleyinitiative.com.\n\nFor photos of the event, click here.", 1, "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"], ["https://deluzio.house.gov/media/press-releases/deluzio-dean-lee-demand-answers-ice-geo-group-about-violations-moshannon", "Deluzio, Dean, Lee Demand Answers from ICE, GEO Group about Violations at Moshannon Detention Center", "2026-08-06", "2026", "2026-08", "Democrat", "House", "PA", "Christopher R. Deluzio", "D000530", "deluzio.house.gov", "deluzio", "https://deluzio.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2014 This week, Pennsylvania Congressmembers Chris Deluzio (PA-17), Madeleine Dean (PA-04), and Summer Lee (PA-12) wrote letters to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the GEO Group, the for-profit prison corporation that owns and operates Moshannon Valley Processing Center (MVPC) in Philipsburg, PA, to demand answers on GEO\u2019s failure to comply with federal standards of adequate staffing and medical care to detainees, as well as obstruction of congressional oversight.\n\nAhead of GEO\u2019s Second Quarter 2026 Earnings Call, the Pennsylvania lawmakers said clearly that, \u201cthere shouldn\u2019t be earnings calls for human detention.\u201d\n\nAs ICE\u2019s reckless, and at times deadly, arrests proliferate across the country, Congressman Deluzio and Congresswoman Lee conducted the first successful unannounced oversight to MVPC on May 28, 2026. MVPC began operating as an ICE facility in 2021 and is currently the largest ICE detention facility in Pennsylvania.\n\nCongresswoman Dean conducted an announced congressional oversight visit to the same facility on June 17, 2026.\n\nDuring Congressman Deluzio and Congresswoman Lee\u2019s oversight at Moshannon, their staff members who could provide translation and casework services were denied entry. This limited their ability to speak with people detained in the facility. Still, they learned that the vast majority of people detained in Moshannon are considered \u201clow-security,\u201d meaning they have not been accused of serious, violent crimes or engaged in similar conduct while detained. Additionally, detained women in the facility had concerns about food and medical care, including care for pregnant women. Writ large, there were major differences between what Moshannon leadership told the members of Congress, and the stories that detained people shared, especially about medical care, food quality, and ability to stay updated on their legal cases.\n\nCongresswoman Dean was denied from speaking with detainees during her announced oversight visit to the ICE facility.\n\nActing ICE Director David Venturella spent more than a decade as a GEO senior executive and then as a consultant\u2014a grave conflict of interest.\n\nThe Congressmembers\u2019 letter to GEO reads, \u201cIt is my constitutional duty to ensure that federal contractors honor their legal obligations and that taxpayer dollars do not fund systemic neglect or cruelty.\u201d\n\nAnd continues, \u201cHaving a former high-ranking GEO executive with an active non-compete clause serving as Acting Director of ICE raises profound questions of self-dealing, regulatory capture, and whether ICE will ever hold GEO to account for its material contractual breaches.\u201d\n\nThe Pennsylvania lawmakers requested answers from both ICE and GEO regarding federal contract compliance, a commitment to congressional oversight, and recusal agreements governing former ICE and DHS officials currently employed by or consulting for GEO and current ICE and DHS employees formerly employed by or consulting for GEO.\n\nRead the full letter to GEO here.\n\nRead the full letter to ICE here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"], ["https://boyle.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/icymi-boyle-stands-research-leaders-oppose-cuts-philadelphia-health", "ICYMI: Boyle Stands with Research Leaders to Oppose Cuts to Philadelphia Health Research Programs and Announce Letter Demanding Answers from Trump Administration", "2026-08-05", "2026", "2026-08", "Democrat", "House", "PA", "Brendan F. Boyle", "B001296", "boyle.house.gov", "boyle", "https://boyle.house.gov/media-center/press-releases", "scraper", "PHILADELPHIA, PA \u2013 Congressman Brendan F. Boyle (PA-02), Ranking Member of the House Budget Committee, joined Philadelphia health research leaders to oppose the Trump Administration\u2019s cuts to programs at Children\u2019s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) and the University of Pennsylvania (Penn). Congressman Boyle also announced that, as the top Democrat on the Budget Committee, he sent a formal letter today to Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Russell Vought and Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) Director Roger Klein, demanding answers on these cancellations.\n\n\u201cThis funding isn't partisan, nor is it controversial. It represents exactly what our federal government should be doing, creating jobs and saving lives by funding critical medical research,\u201d said Congressman Brendan Boyle (PA-02). \u201cAs the top Democrat on the House Budget Committee, I'm using my authority to demand answers. Hardworking Philadelphia scientists are counting on this funding. So are the patients across the country, our most vulnerable, who benefit from their work.\u201d\n\nBoyle sent the letter in his capacity as Ranking Member of the House Budget Committee, which has jurisdiction over the budget process, including illegal impoundments or funding freezes.\n\nIn the letter, he demanded the detailed information needed to determine whether the terminations are illegal, pressed the Administration to identify the authority it claims in canceling these grants, and asked whether the cuts are politically motivated. Boyle also demanded to know whether the Trump Administration will commit to fully spending the funding Congress appropriated for AHRQ.\n\nThe full letter can be read here.\n\nIn recent weeks, AHRQ cut funding for dozens of grants nationwide, including several major programs at CHOP and Penn. AHRQ has also frozen or halted funding for other research grants, often without notice.\n\nCongressman Dwight Evans (PA-03) said, \"I stand with my colleague Congressman Boyle in demanding the Trump-Vance administration provide answers about canceling federal grants to CHOP, Penn and other important centers that do life-saving health research.\"\n\nCongressman Boyle was joined by Dr. Christopher Forrest, Professor of Pediatrics at CHOP and Scientific Director of PEDSnet; and Dr. Rachel Werner, Professor of Medicine at Penn\u2019s Perelman School of Medicine and Research Education Core Leader at PennPORTAL. Boyle was also joined by Drs. Kit Delgado, Meeta Kerlin, and Jaya Aysola with Penn Medicine.\n\n\u201cSeven years ago, we started a program called PEDSnet Scholars. That program has trained 44 physicians, psychologists, and nurses who are now improving health care and improving the health and well-being of children,\u201d said Dr. Christopher Forrest. \u201cOur scientists have focused on conditions like kidney disease, mental health disorders like ADHD and substance use, pain, infections, high blood pressure, lung diseases like asthma and cystic fibrosis. Without this funding, this program is going to be terminated, and I thank Congressman Boyle for his leadership.\u201d\n\n\u201cAlong with a number of my colleagues here today, and with the AHRQ's support, we built a program called PORTAL, which trains clinicians to become leaders in building a healthcare system that provides better care for patients,\u201d said Dr. Rachel Werner. \u201cWhat specifically do we lose from these terminations? First, they mean fewer discoveries that can make healthcare safer and more effective. Second, they mean the immediate loss of jobs. And third, they mean losing the next generation of scientists.\u201d", 1, "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"], ["https://dean.house.gov/2026/8/dean-deluzio-and-lee-demand-answers-from-ice-geo-group-about-violations-at-moshannon-detention-center", "Dean, Deluzio, and Lee Demand Answers from ICE, GEO Group about Violations at Moshannon Detention Center", "2026-08-05", "2026", "2026-08", "Democrat", "House", "PA", "Madeleine Dean", "D000631", "dean.house.gov", "dean", "https://dean.house.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2014 U.S. Representative Madeleine Dean (PA-04), alongside U.S. Representatives Chris Deluzio (PA-17) and Summer Lee (PA-12), wrote letters to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the GEO Group, the for-profit prison corporation that owns and operates Moshannon Valley Processing Center (MVPC) in Philipsburg, PA, to demand answers on GEO\u2019s failure to comply with federal standards of adequate staffing and medical care to detainees, as well as obstruction of congressional oversight.\n\nAhead of GEO\u2019s Second Quarter Earnings Call, the Pennsylvania lawmakers are clear: \u201cThere shouldn\u2019t be earnings calls for human detention.\u201d\n\nAs ICE\u2019s reckless, and at times fatal, arrests proliferate across the country, Congresswoman Dean conducted an announced congressional oversight visit to MVPC \u2014 which began operating as an ICE facility in 2021 \u2014 on June 17. Congressman Deluzio and Congresswoman Lee had previously conducted unannounced oversight on May 28.\n\n\u201cAs a member of the House Appropriations Committee, it is my constitutional duty to ensure that federal contractors honor their legal obligations and that taxpayer dollars do not fund systemic neglect or cruelty. What I uncovered at MVPC did not reassure me; rather, it confirmed serious reports of medical neglect, safety violations, and explicit contract violations,\u201d Rep. Dean wrote.\n\nDuring Congresswoman Dean\u2019s oversight at Moshannon, senior MVPC leadership repeatedly admitted that initial medical screenings occurred 24 to 72 hours upon arrival \u2014 violating ICE\u2019s national standard of comprehensive screening within 12 hours of every detainee\u2019s arrival.\n\nIn August 2025, 32-year-old Chaofeng Ge died by suicide at MVPC. In 2023, 37-year-old Frankline Okpu died in custody at MVPC. In December 2025, 46-year-old Fouad Saeed Abdulkadir died in custody at MVPC.\n\nFollowing her visit, Congresswoman Dean learned that Acting ICE Director David Venturella spent more than a decade as a GEO senior executive and then as a consultant \u2014 creating a grave conflict of interest.\n\n\u201cThese failures are not accidental; they are the predictable result of a privatized, for-profit detention business model. As a publicly traded entity, GEO has a strict legal obligation, a fiduciary duty, to act in the best interest of its shareholders. GEO\u2019s focus on maximizing shareholder value drives aggressive cost cutting across medical personnel, nutritional quality, and translation services,\u201d the lawmakers continued.\n\nThe lawmakers requested answers from both ICE and GEO regarding federal contract compliance, a commitment to congressional oversight, and recusal agreements governing former ICE and DHS officials currently employed by or consulting for GEO and current ICE and DHS employees formerly employed by or consulting for GEO.\n\nRead the full letter to GEO here.\n\nRead the full letter to ICE here.\n\nRep. Madeleine Dean is a mother, grandmother, attorney, professor, former four-term member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, and U.S. Representative for the Fourth District of Pennsylvania.\n\n###", 1, "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"], ["https://deluzio.house.gov/media/press-releases/deluzio-celebrates-new-daily-amtrak-service-connecting-pittsburgh-commonwealth", "Deluzio Celebrates New, Daily Amtrak Service Connecting Pittsburgh to the Commonwealth", "2026-08-05", "2026", "2026-08", "Democrat", "House", "PA", "Christopher R. Deluzio", "D000530", "deluzio.house.gov", "deluzio", "https://deluzio.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "CARNEGIE, PA \u2013 Today, Congressman Chris Deluzio (PA-17) celebrated the news that Amtrak will add a second daily train to the Pennsylvanian route later this year. Outgoing Amtrak President Roger Harris made the announcement in a July 29th Board Meeting. The Pennsylvanian route connects Pittsburgh to New York City via Harrisburg and Philadelphia.\n\nBack in December 2023, Congressman Deluzio helped announce a $143,629,028 federal grant from the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) to expand Amtrak passenger rail service on the Keystone West Corridor\u2014specifically for a second daily round-trip between Pittsburgh and Harrisburg. This funding was from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021.\n\nCongressman Deluzio released the following statement:\n\n\u201cThree years ago, I was thrilled to announce this massive $143.6 million federal investment in Western Pennsylvania\u2019s long neglected passenger rail service,\u201d said Congressman Deluzio. \u201cToday, I\u2019m proud to celebrate this step forward to get a second train heading east from Pittsburgh. But we must dream bigger: my goal is high-speed rail that is cheap and reliable connecting people all across Pennsylvania and our great country.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"], ["https://summerlee.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases/reps-lee-dean-deluzio-demand-answers-from-ice-geo-group-about-violations-at-moshannon-detention-center", "Reps. Lee, Dean, Deluzio, Demand Answers from ICE, GEO Group about Violations at Moshannon Detention Center", "2026-08-05", "2026", "2026-08", "Democrat", "House", "PA", "Summer L. Lee", "L000602", "summerlee.house.gov", "summerlee", "https://summerlee.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "Letter to ICE | Letter to GEO Group\n\nPITTSBURGH, PA \u2013 AUGUST 5, 2026 \u2014 Today, Congresswoman Summer L. Lee (PA-12), Congresswoman Madeleine Dean (PA-04), and Congressman Chris Deluzio (PA-17) wrote letters to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the GEO Group, the for-profit prison corporation that owns and operates Moshannon Valley Detention Center in Philipsburg, PA, to demand answers on GEO\u2019s failure to comply with federal standards of adequate staffing and medical care to detainees, as well as obstruction of congressional oversight.\n\nAhead of GEO\u2019s Second Quarter 2026 Earnings Call, the Pennsylvania lawmakers are clear: \u201cThere shouldn\u2019t be earnings calls for human detention.\u201d\n\nCongresswoman Lee and Congressman Deluzio previously conducted an unannounced oversight to Moshannon \u2014 which began operating as an ICE facility in 2021 \u2014 on May 28. They previously attempted to conduct a Moshannon visit in August 2025. Congresswoman Dean conducted an announced congressional oversight on June 17.\n\nIn August 2025, 32-year-old Chaofeng Ge died by suicide at Moshannon. In 2023, 37-year-old Frankline Okpu died in custody. In December 2025, 46-year-old Fouad Saeed Abdulkadir died in custody.\n\n\u201cThese failures are not accidental; they are the predictable result of a privatized, for-profit detention business model. As a publicly traded entity, GEO has a strict legal obligation, a fiduciary duty, to act in the best interest of its shareholders. GEO\u2019s focus on maximizing shareholder value drives aggressive cost cutting across medical personnel, nutritional quality, and translation services,\u201d the lawmakers continued.\n\nThe lawmakers requested answers from both ICE and GEO regarding federal contract compliance, a commitment to congressional oversight, and recusal agreements governing former ICE and DHS officials currently employed by or consulting for GEO and current ICE and DHS employees formerly employed by or consulting for GEO.\n\nCongresswoman Summer Lee has been a leading voice in Congress demanding accountability, transparency, and an end to ICE\u2019s cruel detention and deportation system. She recently sent a letter with Rep. Deluzio to the Department of Health and Human Services and Office of Refugee Resettlement demanding answers about ORR's decision to place unaccompanied migrant children at Abraxas Academy in Morgantown, Pennsylvania, despite the facility's extensive record of documented child abuse violations. Rep. Lee has called to abolish ICE and oppose billions in additional ICE funding, introduced legislation to end ICE detention and redirect funding toward care, due process, and community-based services, demanded answers from ICE after the detention of a Brentwood asylum seeker, visited and called for the closure of the Moshannon Detention Facility following reports of abuse, retaliation, and a hunger strike, and recently conducted oversight of ICE detention conditions at Moshannon Valley ICE Detention Center after being illegally denied entry. She also released a statement after public reporting confirmed that the Allegheny County Medical Examiner\u2019s Office ruled the death of Daphy Michel, a 31-year-old Haitian immigrant who died after being released from ICE custody, a homicide.\n\nRead the full letter to GEO here. Read the full letter to ICE here.", 1, "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"], ["https://dean.house.gov/2026/8/dean-davidson-reintroduce-bill-to-protect-servicemembers-from-predatory-debt-collection-practices", "Dean, Davidson Reintroduce Bill to Protect Servicemembers from Predatory Debt Collection Practices", "2026-08-04", "2026", "2026-08", "Democrat", "House", "PA", "Madeleine Dean", "D000631", "dean.house.gov", "dean", "https://dean.house.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2014 U.S. Representatives Madeleine Dean (PA-04) and Warren Davidson (OH-08) reintroduced the Fair Debt Collection Practices for Servicemembers Act (H.R. 10018), bipartisan legislation to address abusive debt collection practices affecting members of the military.Congresswoman Dean\u2019s bill previously passed the House in the 116th Congress.\n\nAccording to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau\u2019s Office of Servicemember Affairs, 13.8% of complaints filed by servicemembers concern debt collection \u2014 as compared to only 6.6% by non-servicemembers. Debt collectors threaten the rank and security clearances of U.S. troops. And unfortunately, debt collectors also target military spouses, unfairly burdening our military families.\n\n\u201cOur service members are the very best of us, sacrificing their very lives for our protection and freedom \u2014 they should not fear that their careers will be marred by manipulative debt collectors,\u201d Rep. Dean said. \u201cOur bipartisan bill is a commonsense measure to protect U.S. troops, and our military families, from unfair debt collection practices.\u201d\n\n\u201cDebt collectors have no business attempting to interfere with the military\u2019s chain of command,\u201d Rep. Davidson said. \u201cI\u2019m proud to support this bill to protect service members by ensuring they cannot be coerced by false threats to their rank or security clearance.\u201d\n\nThe Fair Debt Collection Practices for Servicemembers Act strengthens protections for servicemembers by prohibiting a debt collector from conveying any threats to a servicemember or commanding office:\n\nTo have the servicemember\u2019s rank reduced; or\n\nTo have the servicemember\u2019s security clearance revoked.\n\nThe bill also requires the Government Accountability Office to report the impact of this act on military readiness and national security, including the extent covered members with security clearances would be impacted by uncollected debt.\n\nThe Fair Debt Collection Practices for Servicemembers Act is endorsed by the Military Family Advisory Network and the National Military Family Association.\n\n\u201cMilitary families already navigate financial pressures unique to military life, including frequent moves, disruptions to spouse employment, and unexpected out-of-pocket costs. No servicemember, recently separated veteran, or military family member should face collection tactics that exploit their connection to military service by threatening rank, security clearance, or prosecution. MFAN is proud to support the Fair Debt Collection Practices for Servicemembers Act, which provides important protections for military families while recognizing that their financial well-being is directly connected to military readiness and national security,\u201d Shannon Razsadin, CEO, Military Family Advisory Network said.\n\nRead the full text of the bill here.\n\nRep. Madeleine Dean is a mother, grandmother, attorney, professor, former four-term member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, and U.S. Representative for the Fourth District of Pennsylvania.", 1, "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"], ["https://www.fetterman.senate.gov/fetterman-mccormick-wyden-introduce-bill-to-stop-spread-of-spotted-lanternflies/", "Fetterman, McCormick, Introduce Bill to Stop Spread of Spotted Lanternflies", "2026-08-03", "2026", "2026-08", "Democrat", "Senate", "PA", "John Fetterman", "F000479", "www.fetterman.senate.gov", "fetterman", "https://www.fetterman.senate.gov/press-release/", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2014 Last week, U.S. Senators John Fetterman (D-PA) and Dave McCormick (R-PA), joined by U.S. Senators Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), introduced the Spotted Lanternfly Research and Development Act to designate the Spotted Lanternfly, an invasive species that poses a significant threat to our nation\u2019s agricultural economy, as a high-priority research initiative for the National Institute of Food and Agriculture.\n\n\u201cSpotted lanternflies have ravaged crops that are critical to Pennsylvania\u2019s economy including grapevines, apples, peaches, hops, and more,\u201d said Senator Fetterman. \u201cFor over a decade, they have cost the Commonwealth millions of dollars and thousands of jobs. I\u2019m proud to lead this bipartisan bill to combat this invasive species and protect our farmers.\u201d\n\n\u201cPennsylvania\u2019s farmers work hard to produce some of the best agricultural products in the world, and it\u2019s concerning that their hard work is at risk of being eaten away by pests,\u201d said Senator McCormick. \u201cBy investing in research to combat spotted lanternflies, this bill will help protect our farms, strengthen our agricultural economy, and better control this invasive species.\u201d\n\nSpotted lanternflies were first detected in Pennsylvania in 2014. They have since spread throughout the Commonwealth and are currently found in 51 counties. Studies estimate that the species could cost the state $324 million annually if not contained because of the significant damage they cause many pieces of critical agriculture.\n\nWatch Senator Fetterman\u2019s subcommittee hearing on lanternflies here.", 1, "2026-08-04T07:35:49Z", "2026-08-04T07:37:27Z"], ["https://deluzio.house.gov/media/press-releases/deluzio-lee-raise-alarm-federal-government-ending-legal-representation", "Deluzio, Lee Raise Alarm on Federal Government Ending Legal Representation for Hundreds of Unaccompanied Migrant Children in Pennsylvania", "2026-07-31", "2026", "2026-07", "Democrat", "House", "PA", "Christopher R. Deluzio", "D000530", "deluzio.house.gov", "deluzio", "https://deluzio.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "\u201cOur offices have heard concerns from an organization in our region that provides legal services to unaccompanied children about the continuity of children's legal cases and their clients' overall wellbeing in the absence of guidance from the government about how the cases will be transferred or managed\u2026 \u201cIf this organization (and others operating across the country) are unable to continue their work, approximately 20,000 unaccompanied children in federal custody and living in our communities will lose federally funded representation they are to receive under the law. Equally troubling, if the agency does not take action to continue these services, new children that enter ORR custody will be stripped of access to critical legal information and a trusted adult to help them understand their rights starting on August 1, 2026. \u201cChildren, many of which have fled violence and exploitation, should not be forced to appear in court alone without representation. Please provide responses to the following questions by August 10, 2026:\n\n1. Why has ORR failed to present the Acacia center with guidance on case continuity?\n\n2. How will the government ensure its compliance with statutory language and court order requiring that unaccompanied children receive legal services?\n\n3. What plans are in place to ensure these unaccompanied minors' cases receive due process according to the law?\n\n4. What is the Administration's plan to transfer or transition these cases and the work of these organizations?\n\n5. When will the Administration release the payments owed to legal services providers?", 1, "2026-08-01T07:27:26Z", "2026-08-01T07:28:22Z"], ["https://scanlon.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=2050", "Congresswoman Scanlon Conducts Unannounced Oversight Visit to Moshannon Valley Processing Center, Largest ICE Detention Center in Northeast", "2026-07-31", "2026", "2026-07", "Democrat", "House", "PA", "Mary Gay Scanlon", "S001205", "scanlon.house.gov", "scanlon", "https://scanlon.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx", "scraper", "Chester, PA \u2014 Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-05) this week conducted an unannounced Congressional oversight visit inside Moshannon Valley Processing Center, the largest ICE detention center in the Northeast. After a roughly 30 minute wait, Rep. Scanlon gained entry to the facility and was provided a tour of the Moshannon facility by ICE and GEO administrators for 3 hours. With one exception, she was not allowed to speak with detainees.\n\nThe visit occurred without prior notice to ICE after a March 2 court order blocked ICE actions to restrict access to detention facilities by Members of Congress and reaffirmed their legal right to conduct unannounced oversight visits to those facilities.\n\nMoshannon Valley Processing Center is a former prison owned and operated by private prison contractor, GEO Group, and now used solely for immigration detention. While reports of poor conditions at Moshannon have circulated for years, they have dramatically increased since the start of the Trump Administration\u2019s mass deportation efforts, including a hunger strike, reports of inadequate medical care and neglect, allegations of sexual assault, and two detainee deaths.\n\n\u201cThe American people are entitled to know how their tax dollars are being spent. Given the billions of dollars in deficit spending that Congressional Republicans and the Trump White House are devoting to mass deportation, it is more important than ever that Congress conduct oversight of ICE and DHS operations to find out how those taxpayer dollars are being spent, and ensure that people being held in custody by the United States government are treated humanely,\u201d said Rep. Scanlon. \u201cFollowing numerous reports of unsafe living conditions, subpar medical care, and two deaths at this private prison facility, in which dozens of my community members and constituents have been detained against their will, it would be irresponsible not to inspect conditions at Moshannon firsthand. GEO charges us millions of dollars every month to detain people at Moshannon. Taxpayer dollars should be spent to improve the lives of Americans, not to inflict misery and make private prison contractors rich.\u201d\n\nRep. Scanlon summarized her key takeaways as follows:\n\nAdministrators reported that the population at Moshannon during the visit was 1,634 \u2014 consistent with increased detention numbers across the country as ICE arrests have escalated in June and July 2026.\n\nOfficials at Moshannon indicated that 1,311 of the 1,634 individuals detained at the time of the visit were considered low-security. ICE\u2019s FY2026 statistics confirm that the vast majority (8 out of 10) of people detained at Moshannon have no criminal record.\n\nOnly 46 (less than 3%) of detainees were women. This aligns with reports that ICE is targeting male breadwinners for detention in order to pressure self-deportation by entire family units (including children who are U.S. citizens).\n\nThe average stay at Moshannon was reported by administrators to be 34 days; current online statistics from ICE list a higher (46 days) average stay.\n\nWhile ICE and GEO officials on site said that they did not know or could not disclose how much ICE pays GEO to operate the facility at Moshannon, public reporting indicates that GEO is receiving over $5.3 million per month, consisting of a monthly management fee of at least $3.4 million and an additional fee of $10 per person per day up to 800 detainees, and $40 per person per day for over 800 detainees. This fee structure provides a perverse incentive for private prisons to prolong detention. GEO Group representatives also confirmed that it charges the government additional fees for its expanding private transportation services.\n\nIf one prorates GEO\u2019s monthly fees as reported for May 2025, before the most recent surge, it is costing taxpayers $43,741 per year to detain someone at Moshannon, which is about what it costs to send a student to Penn State University nearby for a year.\n\nMoshannon Valley Processing Center is a former prison, and is run using prison practices. Detained individuals are required to wear color-coded prison garb and eat in their living quarters. There are severe constraints upon their liberty and their ability to contact family and anyone outside the facility.\n\nBy law, immigration detention is supposed to be a form of civil process, not criminal punishment, meaning the system is supposed to be used to manage flight or safety risks and ensure that people attend their court hearings. What detained individuals experience at Moshannon could not be described as anything other than punitive \u2014 at best.\n\nDetainees must perform most of the labor at the facility where they are being involuntarily held, including cleaning showers, toilets, and living quarters, and supplying the majority of labor for food service and laundry. Only two full-time janitors service the entire facility, which has a capacity of more than 1,800 people. While GEO and ICE say that such labor is \u201cvoluntary,\u201d an administrator acknowledged that these core functions could not be performed without detainee labor. By using detainee labor, rather than hiring employees or contractors at market rates, the private contractor increases its profits.\n\nMany detainees avoid the institutional meals which administrators said are prepared to meet correctional facility caloric and nutrition standards. Due to poor food quality, detainees have initiated two hunger strike protests this year and rely upon food such as ramen noodles purchased from the facility\u2019s commissary, using funds sent to them by friends or relatives. The Congresswoman saw such prepackaged food in the living quarters. She was provided with a lunch tray in the dining hall, which detainees cannot use, but was unable to compare it to what detainees were served.\n\nWhile the facility denies using solitary confinement for punishment, its \u201cSpecial Management Unit\u201d currently has 29 detainees in single cells, separate from the general population. The physical setup of the unit, and admissions by management that some detainees were assigned there for infraction of facility rules, at least partially confirmed reports of abuse of solitary confinement standards. All cells were occupied by only one person. Some were on suicide watch. One had been held there for 220 days. Daily recreation for residents of that unit takes place in a cement block hall containing chain link cages in which \u201cnatural light and fresh air\u201d is provided by 1\u2019 x 3\u2019 openings in the wall about 12 feet above floor level.\n\nDuring her visit to Moshannon Valley Processing Center, Rep. Scanlon was able to speak with one of her constituents who had previously completed an ICE Privacy Waiver that authorizes the release of information to a third party, including a Congressional office. Moshannon administrators barred the Congresswoman from speaking with other detainees, which made it difficult to assess their actual treatment and conditions.\n\nThe July 29 visit follows an August 2025 visit to Moshannon, when Rep. Scanlon was denied entry under orders of former Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, and her January 2026 oversight visit to Philadelphia Federal Detention Center, which serves as a temporary holding facility for individuals detained in the area before they are transferred to Moshannon or elsewhere.\n\nRep. Scanlon, who is a member of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration, has previously visited a detention center and migrant shelter in Texas, ports of entry on both the northern and southern borders, and a family detention center in Berks County, PA, which has since been closed.\n\n###", 1, "2026-08-01T07:27:26Z", "2026-08-01T07:28:22Z"], ["https://summerlee.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases/rep-lee-colleagues-press-hhs-on-decision-to-detain-migrant-children-at-facility-with-documented-abuse-record", "Rep. Lee, Colleagues Press HHS on Decision to Detain Migrant Children at Facility with Documented Abuse Record", "2026-07-31", "2026", "2026-07", "Democrat", "House", "PA", "Summer L. Lee", "L000602", "summerlee.house.gov", "summerlee", "https://summerlee.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "Text of Letter (PDF)\n\nPITTSBURGH, PA \u2013 JULY 31, 2026 \u2014 Today, Congresswoman Summer L. Lee (PA-12), Congressman Chris Deluzio (PA-17), Congresswoman Madeleine Dean (PA-04), and Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (IL-08) sent a letter to Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) Acting Director Angie Salazar demanding answers about ORR's decision to place unaccompanied migrant children at Abraxas Academy in Morgantown, Pennsylvania, despite the facility's extensive record of documented child abuse violations.\n\nThe lawmakers expressed \"extreme concern\" over ORR's decision to award Abraxas Alliance a $9.2 million contract in August 2025 despite Pennsylvania officials documenting serious deficiencies and revoking one of the facility's licenses.\n\n\"It is appalling that ORR nevertheless decided to house unaccompanied minors in a facility with such a record, thereby potentially exposing these children to the possibility of abuse and in violation of federal rules,\" the Members wrote.\n\nThe letter details a troubling history at the facility, including repeated state findings of physical mistreatment of minors, allegations of sexual harassment and abuse by staff, and a pattern of institutional failures spanning more than two decades. Federal law requires ORR to place children in \"the least restrictive setting that is in the best interests of the child,\" yet children at the facility are reportedly being housed in locked cells.\n\nThe lawmakers also cited concerns stemming from a July 8, 2026 oversight visit by Rep. Dean, during which facility staff were reportedly unable to answer basic questions about allegations of abuse or explain legally required procedures for children who turn 18 while in ORR custody. \"This utter lack of knowledge of the basic, legally required functions of this facility raises serious concerns about the safety of the children living inside,\" the letter states.\n\nThe Members are demanding answers by August 14, 2026, including:\n\nWho approved the decision to place children at Abraxas Academy and what child welfare assessments were conducted.\n\nWhy ORR proceeded with the contract despite Pennsylvania's documented findings of abuse and licensing violations.\n\nWhether HHS has reviewed other ORR-contracted facilities for compliance with state and federal child welfare standards.\n\nWhy some children with parents or close relatives in the United States were reportedly placed in ORR custody instead of being reunited with family.\n\nWhat safeguards exist to protect children from abuse and how staff are trained.\n\nThe nature of the financial and operational relationship between Abraxas Alliance and GEO Group.\n\nIn addition to seeking answers, the lawmakers urged HHS to immediately review all facilities used by ORR, suspend its contract with the Morgantown Abraxas Academy pending a full investigation, and provide Congress with a complete accounting of how the placement decision was made.\n\n\"The federal government bears a solemn responsibility to ensure the proper treatment and protection of every child in its care,\" the Members wrote. \"Allowing any child to be placed in an environment with a history of abuse is cruel and undermines the moral leadership of the United States.\"\n\nCongresswoman Summer Lee has been a leading voice in Congress demanding accountability, transparency, and an end to ICE\u2019s cruel detention and deportation system. She has called to abolish ICE and oppose billions in additional ICE funding, introduced legislation to end ICE detention and redirect funding toward care, due process, and community-based services, demanded answers from ICE after the detention of a Brentwood asylum seeker, visited and called for the closure of the Moshannon Detention Facility following reports of abuse, retaliation, and a hunger strike, and recently conducted oversight of ICE detention conditions at Moshannon Valley ICE Detention Center after being illegally denied entry. She also released a statement after public reporting confirmed that the Allegheny County Medical Examiner\u2019s Office ruled the death of Daphy Michel, a 31-year-old Haitian immigrant who died after being released from ICE custody, a homicide.\n\nA copy of the letter can be found here.", 1, "2026-08-01T07:27:26Z", "2026-08-01T07:28:22Z"], ["https://summerlee.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases/rep-summer-lee-joins-cbc-members-and-black-mayors-to-champion-community-driven-public-safety-solutions", "Rep. Summer Lee Joins CBC Members and Black Mayors to Champion Community-Driven Public Safety Solutions", "2026-07-31", "2026", "2026-07", "Democrat", "House", "PA", "Summer L. Lee", "L000602", "summerlee.house.gov", "summerlee", "https://summerlee.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "VIDEO\n\nPITTSBURGH, PA \u2013 JULY 31, 2026 \u2014 Yesterday, Congresswoman Summer L. Lee (PA-12) joined members of the Congressional Black Caucus, Black mayors, and public safety advocates for a virtual roundtable highlighting the community-driven strategies helping cities across the country reduce violence and make families safer.\n\nHosted by the Vera Institute of Justice, the conversation featured Congresswoman Lee (PA-12), Congresswoman Shontel Brown (OH-11), Baltimore Mayor Brandon M. Scott, Newark Mayor Ras J. Baraka, and Durham Mayor Leonardo \u201cLeo\u201d Williams. Vera Institute President Insha Rahman moderated the discussion.\n\nParticipants discussed how investments in housing, education, healthcare, economic opportunity, violence prevention, trauma recovery, and other community resources are helping drive crime rates down across the country. They also warned against the Trump administration\u2019s efforts to cut effective public safety programs while returning to failed policies that criminalize Black communities and use fear to justify federal overreach.\n\n\u201cCommunities in Western Pennsylvania and across the country are seeing declines in crime because leaders are investing in the resources that help people thrive--safe housing, good schools, accessible healthcare, living-wage jobs, and community-led violence prevention,\u201d said Congresswoman Lee. \u201cInstead of doubling down on failed policies that criminalize our communities, we should be scaling the solutions that make families safer and stronger. I'm proud to stand with the Congressional Black Caucus, local leaders, and advocates who are advancing a vision of public safety rooted in dignity, opportunity, and justice.\u201d\n\n\u201cWhile Trump focuses on \u201ctough on crime\u201d fear-mongering and counter-productive gimmicks like deploying the National Guard, Black Mayors across the country are doing the real work to make cities safer. I\u2019m proud to stand with my colleagues in the Congressional Black Caucus to set the record straight and advocate for real public safety solutions,\u201d said Congresswoman Shontel Brown.\n\n\u201cIn Baltimore, we know how to solve the issue of public safety,\u201d said Baltimore Mayor Brandon M. Scott. \u201cIt's about investing in public health, it's about getting rid of vacant houses and providing opportunities. It's about being focused on the very small percent who are responsible for the overwhelming amount of violence in our communities\u2014going after guns and getting them off our streets. We are currently seeing a historic reduction in violence and homicides, and we want to push it even further. You don't do that without the support of the community.\u201d\n\n\u201cOur approach in Newark is to treat crime and violence as a public health issue,\u201d said Newark Mayor Ras J. Baraka. \u201cAnd what we see now in our city \u2014 with a homicide rate that hasn\u2019t been this low since Eisenhower was president \u2014 is the result of us focusing on the kind of things that have been absent from our neighborhoods: investing in housing, investing in our young people, literacy, education, recreation and opportunity. When you start to add that, and at the same time address some of the symptomatic issues and build a community-based public safety ecosystem centered on violence prevention and trauma recovery, you\u2019ll see that violence and crime gets reduce gradually. It\u2019s all about putting the 'public' back into 'public safety.'\"\n\n\u201cCrime rates continue to fall across the country to historic levels thanks to bold, community-first approaches to public safety like the ones discussed today. While the Trump administration continues its assault on immigrants and cities, while simultaneously gutting programs that we know increase safety, local and federal leaders\u2014specifically Black leaders like Rep. Summer Lee, Rep. Shontel Brown, and Mayors Scott, Baraka and Williams are charting a path forward for all to follow. Their serious approach to safety is a model for how we can prevent crime before it happens and continue to help communities thrive,\u201d said Vera President Insha Rahman.\n\nCongresswoman Lee is the founder and co-chair of theCongressional Community Safety Caucus, where she works to advance proven, community-led solutions that prevent violence and address its root causes. She has fought toprotect federal funding for community violence intervention programs and expand access to trauma-informed services. Through legislation including thePeople\u2019s Response Act, Lee is working to build a public safety system that prevents harm, supports survivors, and gives every community the resources it needs to not only survive, but to thrive.\n\nThe full conversation and Q&A can be viewed HERE.", 1, "2026-08-01T07:27:26Z", "2026-08-01T07:28:22Z"], ["https://summerlee.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases/reps-summer-lee-chris-deluzio-raise-alarm-as-federal-government-ends-legal-representation-for-hundreds-of-unaccompanied-migrant-children-in-pa", "Reps. Summer Lee, Chris Deluzio Raise Alarm as Federal Government Ends Legal Representation for Hundreds of Unaccompanied Migrant Children in PA", "2026-07-31", "2026", "2026-07", "Democrat", "House", "PA", "Summer L. Lee", "L000602", "summerlee.house.gov", "summerlee", "https://summerlee.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "\u201cChildren, many of which have fled violence and exploitation, should not be forced to appear in court alone without representation.\n\nPlease provide responses to the following questions by August 10, 2026:\n\n1. Why has ORR failed to present the Acacia center with guidance on case continuity?\n\n2. How will the government ensure its compliance with statutory language and court order requiring that unaccompanied children receive legal services?\n\n3. What plans are in place to ensure these unaccompanied minors' cases receive due process according to the law?\n\n4. What is the Administration's plan to transfer or transition these cases and the work of these organizations?\n\n5. When will the Administration release the payments owed to legal services providers?\n\nRep. Lee has consistently fought to protect immigrant children and families, defend due process, and hold federal immigration agencies accountable. She previously raised the alarm after the Trump administration canceled legal-service contracts that left children as young as two at risk of representing themselves in immigration court. Lee has also demanded answers following the detention of a Western Pennsylvania asylum seeker and introduced legislation to redirect federal immigration-enforcement funding toward legal assistance, housing, healthcare, and community-based services. As a member of the House Judiciary Committee, Lee continues working to protect constitutional rights and ensure every person receives fair treatment under the law.", 1, "2026-08-01T07:27:26Z", "2026-08-01T07:28:22Z"], ["https://www.fetterman.senate.gov/fetterman-secures-priorities-in-bipartisan-water-resources-development-act/", "Fetterman Secures Priorities in Bipartisan Water Resources Development Act", "2026-07-31", "2026", "2026-07", "Democrat", "Senate", "PA", "John Fetterman", "F000479", "www.fetterman.senate.gov", "fetterman", "https://www.fetterman.senate.gov/press-release/", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2014 Last week, the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works unanimously passed the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) which included several of U.S. Senator John Fetterman\u2019s (D-PA) priorities to support Pennsylvania\u2019s rivers and recreation.\n\n\u201cInvesting in our communities, the rivers they use, and the overall recreation helps boost economies and keeps jobs in Pennsylvania,\u201d said Senator Fetterman. \u201cI\u2019m grateful these priorities were included and urge my colleagues on both sides to support this package.\u201d\n\nThe Water Resources Development Act is a biennial legislative package authorizing water infrastructure projects across the United States. Originating in the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, the legislation ensures the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers can make improvements to the nation\u2019s ports, harbors, water navigation systems, flood control, and other water infrastructure and resources.\n\nSenator Fetterman\u2019s Priorities\n\nWatershed Planning Section 729 directs the Army Corps to conduct a study to assess and address water resource needs and issues including the Ohio River Basin of Pennsylvania. The basin begins at the confluence of the Allegheny and Monongahela Rivers in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.\n\nAllegheny River Recreation Designation authorizes recreational activities on the Allegheny river. This aims to boost the local economy and tourism industry, taking advantage of the natural attraction in Southwestern PA.\n\nHarmful Algal Bloom Demonstration Program amends prior WRDA section to add lakes and reservoirs in Pennsylvania to the existing program that identifies solutions to reducing the severity and frequency of Harmful Algal Blooms.\n\nSec. 219 Reimbursement Authority enables the Army Corps to directly issue grants and reimbursements to local municipalities, getting money back to communities faster.", 1, "2026-08-01T07:27:26Z", "2026-08-01T07:28:22Z"], ["https://boyle.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/boyle-statement-61st-anniversary-medicare-and-medicaid", "Boyle Statement on the 61st Anniversary of Medicare and Medicaid", "2026-07-30", "2026", "2026-07", "Democrat", "House", "PA", "Brendan F. Boyle", "B001296", "boyle.house.gov", "boyle", "https://boyle.house.gov/media-center/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, DC \u2014 Congressman Brendan F. Boyle (PA-02), Ranking Member of the House Budget Committee, issued the following statement marking the 61st anniversary of President Lyndon B. Johnson signing the Medicare and Medicaid Act:\n\n\u201cFor 61 years, Medicare and Medicaid have ensured that millions of Americans can live with dignity and get the medical care they need. Today, these bedrock programs are under attack like never before.\n\nPresident Trump has been clear about his plans to cut these programs, saying we can\u2019t afford Medicare and Medicaid because we\u2019re \u2018fighting wars.\u2019 Millions of Americans have already lost Medicaid coverage under Trump, and millions more stand to lose their health care thanks to Republicans in Washington.\n\nI won\u2019t rest until we stop Trump\u2019s cuts and defend health care for every American.\u201d\n\nBackground:\n\nAs Ranking Member of the Budget Committee, Boyle has led the fight against the devastating impacts of Trump\u2019s health care cuts. He is the author of the Protecting Americans\u2019 Health Care Act, legislation to fully reverse the largest cut to Medicaid in American history.\n\nBoyle previously filed a discharge petition to stop Trump\u2019s cuts to Medicaid in the so-called \u201cBig Beautiful Bill.\u201d Boyle has also introduced a resolution urging the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to work with states to issue much-needed guidance on the impending Medicaid cuts.\n\nCongressman Boyle has also introduced the Medicare and Social Security Fair Share Act, legislation that would protect Medicare for all generations by making the nation's highest earners contribute their fair share.\n\nFor more information on the impacts of Trump\u2019s health care cuts and his cost-of-living crisis in congressional districts across the United States, visit democrats-budget.house.gov/costofliving.\n\n###", 1, "2026-07-31T07:49:23Z", "2026-07-31T07:50:48Z"]], "truncated": false, "filtered_table_rows_count": 485, "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": "PA", "p2": "2026"}}, "facet_results": {"party": {"name": "party", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/press/releases.json?party=Democrat&state=PA&year=2026", "results": [{"value": "Democrat", "label": "Democrat", "count": 485, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?state=PA&year=2026", "selected": true}], "truncated": false}, "chamber": {"name": "chamber", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/press/releases.json?party=Democrat&state=PA&year=2026", "results": [{"value": "House", "label": "House", "count": 410, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?party=Democrat&state=PA&year=2026&chamber=House", "selected": false}, {"value": "Senate", "label": "Senate", "count": 75, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?party=Democrat&state=PA&year=2026&chamber=Senate", "selected": false}], "truncated": false}, "state": {"name": "state", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/press/releases.json?party=Democrat&state=PA&year=2026", "results": [{"value": "PA", "label": "PA", "count": 485, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?party=Democrat&year=2026", "selected": true}], "truncated": false}, "year": {"name": "year", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/press/releases.json?party=Democrat&state=PA&year=2026", "results": [{"value": "2026", "label": "2026", "count": 485, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?party=Democrat&state=PA", "selected": true}], "truncated": false}}, "suggested_facets": [], "next": "2026-07-30,https~3A~2F~2Fboyle~2Ehouse~2Egov~2Fmedia-center~2Fpress-releases~2Fboyle-statement-61st-anniversary-medicare-and-medicaid", "next_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?party=Democrat&state=PA&year=2026&_next=2026-07-30%2Chttps~3A~2F~2Fboyle~2Ehouse~2Egov~2Fmedia-center~2Fpress-releases~2Fboyle-statement-61st-anniversary-medicare-and-medicaid&_sort_desc=date", "private": false, "allow_execute_sql": true, "query_ms": 333.5233898833394, "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"}