{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "is_view": false, "human_description_en": "where party = \"Republican\", state = \"WI\" and year = 2016 sorted by date descending", "rows": [["https://grothman.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=241", "Grothman Condemns American Inaction Regarding U.N. Israel Resolution", "2016-12-30", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Glenn Grothman", "G000576", "grothman.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Congressman Glenn Grothman (R-Glenbeulah) today released the following statement condemning American inaction regarding the U.N.'s Israel resolution.\r\nOnce again the U.N. has passed an anti-Israel resolution. This is not an isolated incident as the General Assembly passed six anti-Israel resolutions earlier this year.\r\nThese resolutions show a disproportionate obsession against Israel - particularly in a world filled with brutal dictators providing ample opportunities for endless resolutions.\r\nTo make matters worse, the U.S., who usually vetoes, decided to sit on the sidelines. The Obama administration's failure to veto the resolution, and Secretary Kerry's speech on the matter Wednesday, shows its real opinion regarding Israel.\r\nThe only bright spot is that we only have one month left until the Trump administration is installed, and America can once again become a reliable ally of Israel.\r\nHowever, this vote should be a wake-up call to Israel's friends in the U.S. The fact that the U.S. would so boldly allow such a resolution to pass shows how close we are to taking a European view of Israel. Work must be done to educate our citizens on facts involving Israel, or America's foreign policy will permanently move in a European direction.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=D41918DA-3670-4C90-950A-FD1DA8CC7D84", "Johnson Statement on Sanctions Against Russia", "2016-12-30", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Ron Johnson", "J000293", "www.ronjohnson.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "OSHKOSH \u2014 Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) said this following the Obama administration\u2019s announcement of measures against Russia:\r\n\u201cPost-Cold War Russia has taken a dark turn under Vladimir Putin. He is emboldened by weakness and inaction. The United States must begin to deal with Russia from a position of strength, which the outgoing administration has failed to do for the past eight years. While today\u2019s actions may be a step in the right direction, they cannot undo the harm caused by this administration\u2019s weakness and its feckless foreign policy.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.speaker.gov/press-release/statement-russia-sanctions", "Statement on Russia Sanctions", "2016-12-29", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Paul Ryan", "R000570", "www.speaker.gov", null, null, "legacy", "\"Russia does not share America\u2019s interests. In fact, it has consistently sought to undermine them, sowing dangerous instability around the world.\u00a0While\u00a0today\u2019s action by the administration\u00a0is overdue, it is an appropriate way to end eight years of failed policy with Russia. And it serves as a prime example of this administration's ineffective foreign\u00a0policy that has left America weaker in the eyes of the world.\"", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.speaker.gov/video/these-things-are-making-difference", "These Things Are Making a Difference", "2016-12-29", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Paul Ryan", "R000570", "www.speaker.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Good news tends to travel slow,\u00a0especially when it is coming out of Washington. But in\u00a0this new video, we\u2019ve looked back at\u00a0things you may not have heard about\u00a0this year. And\u2014more good news\u2014it\u2019ll take\u00a0less than two minutes\u00a0of your time.\n\tHere is how some of the work of the 114th Congress is already making a difference in people's lives.\n \nThanks to the\u00a0Clay Hunt SAV Act, there are now\u00a0more outreach services\u00a0available for veterans at risk of suicide.\u00a0\nAfter an overhaul of our education system,\u00a0states are now taking the lead\u00a0on plans to improve schools and close achievement gaps.\nFollowing an end to the 40-year ban on exporting crude oil,\u00a0\u201crecord U.S. shipments are heading overseas.\u201d\nA historic bill of rights for the survivors of sexual assault is now law.\u00a0Amanda Nguyen, a 24-year old rape survivor who advocated for the bill, says, \u201cThis [bill] becoming law means so much, not just for the 25 million estimated rape survivors across America, but to me personally.\u201d\n9/11 first responders are signing up for health benefits after the Zadroga Act was extended. The wife of a former FDNY first responder says, \u201cIt\u2019s a life-changer for me and our three children.\u201d\nA new law to help fight the opioid epidemic and support recovery is taking effect. A\u00a0father who lost his son to an overdose says,\u00a0\u201cI believe that will save lives, and it\u2019s critically important to me as a parent, because my son faced a number of obstacles in gaining access to good treatment.\u201d\nPatients across the country are celebrating a new law that will accelerate cures for rare and chronic illnesses. A paralegal in Denver suffering from lupus says, \u201cThis is exactly what we need to move forwards.\u00a0My dream is that we\u2019re the last generation who has to deal with this.\u201d\nExperts are calling it \u201ca new day for mental health\u201d after the recent passage of reforms that will put the focus on early intervention and treatment.\nAnd, just in time for the holidays, the president signed a new defense law \u201cgiving troops their largest pay raise since 2010.\u201d\n \nOf course,\u00a0there is much more to do\u00a0to\u00a0get our country back on the right track. In 2017, a unified Republican government will press ahead on a bold agenda to deliver results and relief for the American people.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://duffy.house.gov/press-release/duffy-receives-award-from-wisconsin-state-cranberry-growers-association", "Duffy Receives Award From Wisconsin State Cranberry Growers Association", "2016-12-28", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Sean Duffy", "D000614", "duffy.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Wausau, WI \u2013 U.S. Representative Sean Duffy (WI-07) today was awarded the Wisconsin State Cranberry Growers Association (WSCGA) Board of Directors\u2019 [WSCGA] Service To Industry Award. The award is the highest recognition provided by WSCGA. \u00a0\nCongressman Duffy released the following statement regarding the award:\u00a0\n\u201cI\u2019m honored to receive WSCGA\u2019s Service to Industry award because cranberries are not only delicious, but they are also a critical part of Wisconsin\u2019s economy. Wisconsin is the number one cranberry producer in America, and I will continue to work in a bipartisan fashion to ensure that it remains on top for years to come.\u201d\nBackground:\nThe award will be presented during the 2017 Wisconsin Cranberry School at the WSCGA Winter Meeting and Trade Show, which will be held January 18-19 at the Holiday Inn in Stevens Point, Wisconsin.\nCongressman Duffy attended and delivered remarks at the opening of the CranGrow Cranberry Growers Cooperative in Warrens, Wisconsin this August. Click HERE and HERE to view coverage of the event.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.speaker.gov/press-release/it-s-official-biggest-pay-raise-our-troops-six-years", "It\u2019s Official: The Biggest Pay Raise For Our Troops in Six Years", "2016-12-23", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Paul Ryan", "R000570", "www.speaker.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON\u2014House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) issued the following statement on enactment of the\u00a02017 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which includes the largest pay raise for our troops in six years:\n\t\u201cWe can all be glad that our troops will finally receive their largest pay raise in six years. It is certainly well-deserved, and long overdue. This new law also takes important steps to rebuild our fighting force, streamline the defense acquisition process, and combat military sexual assault. Moreover, this ensures that, right up until his last hour in office, President Obama will not be able to transfer Guantanamo Bay detainees to the United States. During this holiday season, let us all give thanks for the brave men and women who serve our country in uniform.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.speaker.gov/press-release/statement-administrations-refusal-veto-anti-israel-un-resolution", "Statement on Administration's Refusal to Veto Anti-Israel UN Resolution", "2016-12-23", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Paul Ryan", "R000570", "www.speaker.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON\u2014House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) issued the following statement on the Obama administration\u2019s refusal to veto an anti-Israel resolution at the UN:\n\u201cThis is absolutely shameful. Today's vote is a blow to peace that sets a dangerous precedent for further diplomatic efforts to isolate and demonize Israel. Our unified Republican government will work to reverse the damage done by this administration, and rebuild our alliance with Israel.\"", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=F9656FAD-5ADE-4065-AC31-8F9BD13116DB", "Johnson Statement on Obama Administration Conduct at United Nations Concerning Israel", "2016-12-23", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Ron Johnson", "J000293", "www.ronjohnson.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON\u00a0\u2014 Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) had this to say Friday\u00a0after the United States failed to veto a United Nations Security Council resolution on Israeli settlements, breaking a long tradition of standing with Israel before the international body:\r\n\u00a0\r\n\u201cIt is shameful that the Obama administration would allow this anti-Israel resolution to pass. \u00a0We should be helping our friends and allies, not weakening them. \u00a0Inauguration Day cannot come soon enough so that we can begin to repair the damage done during the last eight years.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.speaker.gov/press-release/statement-anti-israel-un-resolution", "Statement on Anti-Israel UN Resolution", "2016-12-22", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Paul Ryan", "R000570", "www.speaker.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON\u2014House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) issued the following statement on the upcoming UN Security Council vote on an anti-Israel resolution:\n\u201cThese stunts at the UN serve only one purpose\u2014to defame and delegitimize the democratic State of Israel.\u00a0This resolution will undermine peace and mutual cooperation by pushing the parties further away from direct negotiations. The administration should veto it.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.speaker.gov/press-release/weekly-republican-address-sandy-hook-mental-health", "Weekly Republican Address: Sandy Hook and the Story of Mental Health Reform", "2016-12-22", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Paul Ryan", "R000570", "www.speaker.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON\u2014In this week\u2019s Republican address, Rep. Tim Murphy (R-PA) discusses a new law\u00a0that will bring the most\u00a0significant reforms to our mental health system\u00a0in more than a generation.\u00a0\u201cAs a practicing psychologist, I have seen firsthand how difficult it is for families to navigate our broken mental health system. Outdated laws prevent the families and caregivers from being a part of the treatment team\u2014too often this has fatal consequences. We need treatment before tragedy, and care before crisis,\u201d said. Rep. Murphy. He continued, \u201cWith this new law, we are finally breaking down the wall between physical health and mental health. Now federal agencies will be moving from vague feel-good programs to ones that emphasize evidence-based care for those at the highest risk.\u201d\nNOTE: The audio of the weekly address is available here.\nRemarks of Representative Tim Murphy of Pennsylvania\n\tWeekly Republican Address\n\tThursday, December 22, 2016\n\tWashington, DC\n\u201cThis picture means so much to me. I keep it on my desk in my congressional office. It was given to me by a proud parent. This is Daniel. Daniel\u2014just seven years old\u2014was at Sandy Hook Elementary School on December 14, 2012, when a troubled young man took his life and those of 25 others, and ultimately his own.\n\u201cYou know, if there\u2019s one thing we cherish at Christmas, it is the comfort and joy of being surrounded by the people we love. But every day, 959 lives are taken\u2014directly or indirectly\u2014by mental illness. Last year alone, 350,000 lives were lost because our broken mental health system continues to fail American families. Rather than getting those who need help most into treatment, we leave them out on the streets or throw them in jail. This is heartbreaking\u2014and it\u2019s unacceptable.\n\u201cAs a practicing psychologist, I have seen firsthand how difficult it is for families to navigate our broken mental health system. Outdated laws prevent the families and caregivers from being a part of the treatment team\u2014too often this has fatal consequences. We need treatment before tragedy, and care before crisis.\n\u201cAfter Sandy Hook, we launched an investigation into our nation\u2019s broken mental health system. Courageous families stepped forward to tell their stories. And we started to understand the real problems\u2014over 110 federal programs and a $130 billion investment that did little but stand by and watch rising rates of suicide, incarceration, and homelessness. But we needed to do more than just talk about this problem. We needed to start solving this problem. \n\u201cBy the start of 2016, we had pushed mental health reform towards the top of Washington\u2019s to-do list. And last week, one day before the Sandy Hook anniversary, President Obama signed into law the most significant mental health reform in 50 years. With this new law, we are finally breaking down the wall between physical health and mental health.\n\u201cNow federal agencies will be moving from vague feel-good programs to ones that emphasize evidence-based care for those at the highest risk. For the first time, there will be an Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use who will lead the way, evaluating and improving the system.\u201cWe\u2019ll be investing in services for the most difficult-to-treat cases and ensuring that family members are a part of the care delivery team. \n\u201cWe\u2019ll be training people to recognize the signs and symptoms of mental illness, including law enforcement officers for how to best respond to a potentially violent situation. \u00a0\n\u201cWe\u2019ll be providing real resources to combat substance abuse, and specifically for the opioid crisis.\n\u201cWe\u2019ll be addressing, head on, the number 10 killer in our nation\u2014suicide, which disproportionately affects our veterans; and for the first time ever, Congress is stepping in to help those with an eating disorder get access to real medical care.\n\u201cAnd we\u2019ll be expanding our mental health workforce, because today, half the counties in America do not have a single psychologist or psychiatrist. \n\u201cOne bill won't solve everything, but these desperately needed reforms will bring help. And where there is help, there is hope.\u00a0 \n\u201cTo the Sandy Hook families and all those who made this possible, who gave their time and took a stand, thank you. To anyone out there struggling, looking for answers, know that you are not alone. We are with you. We are fighting for you. \n\u201cAlthough many doubted we would make it this far, here we are. And in a new year, with a new administration, we will keep working to get real treatment to those who need it.\n\u201cThis is what Christmas is all about: peace, goodwill, and above all, love. So God bless our caregivers, our doctors, our nurses. And God bless our troops, their families, and the nation they serve. And God bless the United States of America.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.speaker.gov/video/speaker-ryans-favorite-christmas-movie", "Speaker Ryan's Favorite Christmas Movie", "2016-12-22", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Paul Ryan", "R000570", "www.speaker.gov", null, null, "legacy", "In the 35-second video below, Speaker Ryan reveals both his personal favorite and his family's favorite Christmas movies of all time.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.speaker.gov/general/stable-transition-better-health-care-system", "A stable transition to a better health care system", "2016-12-21", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Paul Ryan", "R000570", "www.speaker.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Obamacare is hurting families, and before things get worse, we will act to repeal it so that we can bring relief as soon as possible.\n\tOnce Obamacare is repealed, we will make sure there is a stable transition period so that people don\u2019t have the rug pulled out from under them. One key to ensuring a smooth transition is getting House Budget Committee Chairman Tom Price, M.D. (R-GA) confirmed as Secretary of Health and Human Services. Working together, we will focus on delivering relief and a better system for people struggling under Obamacare.\n\tInstead of a government-centered system like Obamacare, our goal is a patient-centered system that gives every American access to quality, affordable health care. \n\tWhat does that look like? Well, last spring, as part of the Better Way agenda, House Republicans offered a unified health care plan to show the American people what we would do differently. It included a number of common-sense ideas and principles, such as:\n Moving health care decisions away from Washington\u00a0to\u00a0patients, families, and doctors,\nGiving patients the right tools, like Health Savings Accounts, to\u00a0make health insurance more portable and affordable,\nBreaking down barriers that\u00a0restrict choices\u00a0and\u00a0prevent Americans from picking the plan that is best for them and their family,\nReal protections and peace of mind\u2014regardless of age, income, medical conditions, or circumstances,\nEmpowering small businesses to provide the kind of\u00a0affordable health coverage that meets your needs.\n Here\u2019s what some experts and editorial boards had to say about these ideas when we put them forward earlier in the year:\n \u201cThe overriding theme of the plan\u2019s many reforms is consumer-directed health care. The ACA moved substantial power and authority over the insurance marketplace and the care delivery process to the federal government. The House GOP wants to reverse this shift of authority by giving consumers and states more control over important decisions in the health sector.\u201d (James Capretta and Joseph Antos, AEI)\n\u00a0\u201c\u2026shows that Republicans understand that a better health care system requires the repeal of Obamacare. Admirably, it proposes a number of patient-centered reforms to the employer and individual market\u2026\u201d (Michael Needham, Heritage Action)\n\u00a0\u201c\u2026it is better economic policy because it makes the health sector look like the rest of the economy \u2014 built on competition, rewarding quality and low-costs, and evolving flexibly to meet the needs of the customer base. It is a far cry from the top-down, industrial-age Obamacare spigot of federal dollars and regulations.\u201d (Douglas Holtz-Eakin, American Action Forum)\n\u00a0\u201c\u2026builds on successful reforms of the past and points us toward a more market-oriented, consumer-driven model, while addressing many of the complaints and fears that Americans have about their health-care system.\u201d\u00a0(National Review)\n\u00a0\u201c\u2026their vision in broad terms of how to deliver quality health care for Americans without entangling them in red tape and federal mandates. ...would help Americans get insurance without handing over all control to the federal government.\u201d\u00a0(Chicago Tribune)\n The American people know the status quo is unsustainable: 80 percent want some kind of major changes. We will act to bring relief to people struggling under Obamacare. \u00a0\nThis is the fifth piece in an ongoing series.\u00a0  Part 1:\u00a0Repeal Is Relief  Part 2:\u00a0Obamacare Has Failed  Part 3:\u00a0How Obamacare Is Getting Worse  Part 4: The Tools It Takes to Repeal Obamacare", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.speaker.gov/press-release/rep-tim-murphy-deliver-weekly-republican-address", "Rep. Tim Murphy to Deliver Weekly Republican Address", "2016-12-21", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Paul Ryan", "R000570", "www.speaker.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON\u2014Today, House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) announced that Rep. Tim Murphy (R-PA) will deliver the Weekly Republican Address on Thursday, December 22. In the address, Rep. Murphy will discuss a new law that will bring the most significant reforms to our mental health system in more than a generation. The National Alliance on Mental Illness calls this new law \"a milestone in mental health history.\"\u00a0\n\u201cI can\u2019t think of a better way to end the year than with signing the Helping Families in Mental Health Crisis Act into law. By bringing research, treatments, and cures into the 21st century, we are finally breaking down the wall between physical health and mental health and focusing on delivering treatment before tragedy,\u201d said Rep. Murphy. \u201cThis Christmas, as we gather with our family and loved ones, we can rejoice knowing that hope is on the way to so many families who for too long have lived in the shadows.\u201d\n\t\u201cTim has led the charge on bringing attention and resources to mental health issues, and I can\u2019t think of a better time than Christmas to talk about the importance of giving families the help they need,\u201d said Speaker Ryan. \u201dAs part of the Cures law, this bill will be one of the first steps we take toward a stronger health care system.\u201d\u00a0\nEarlier this week, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette highlighted the years-long journey to the enactment of mental health reform: \u00a0\n\u201cU.S. Rep. Tim Murphy\u2019s crusade to change the nation\u2019s mental health care system began in the days following Adam Lanza\u2019s slaughter of the innocents at Sandy Hook Elementary School. The 20-year-old gunman, who had been diagnosed with multiple psychiatric and physical ailments that went mostly untreated, killed 20 children, his mother and six other adults on Dec. 14, 2012. On Dec. 12, 2013, after a year of research and hearings, Mr. Murphy, R-Upper St. Clair, introduced the \u2018Helping Families in Mental Health Crisis Act.\u2019 Three more years of hearings, meetings and negotiations ensued. Although the bill garnered impressive bipartisan praise and finally sailed through the House in July on a vote of 422-2, by September observers were calling its chances in the Senate \u2018murky.\u2019 Last Tuesday, just one day before the fourth anniversary of Sandy Hook, President Barack Obama signed Mr. Murphy\u2019s legislation \u2014 or an acceptable facsimile of it \u2014 into law.\u201d\nAbout Rep. Tim Murphy: Congressman Tim Murphy was elected in November 2002 to represent Pennsylvania\u2019s 18th Congressional District. In addition to his representational duties in the House of Representatives, Rep. Murphy serves as a Commander in the United States Navy Reserves. The only practicing psychologist in elected federal government, Rep. Murphy relies on his four decades of experience to advocate for meaningful reforms in the U.S. healthcare system. Serving as co-chair of the Mental Health Caucus and a founding member of the GOP Doctors Caucus, he focuses on policies to make healthcare more affordable and accessible for all families.\n\tLearn more about Rep. Murphy by visiting his website, liking his Facebook page, or following him on Twitter.\nNOTE: The Weekly Republican Address will be available starting Thursday, December 22, at 8:00 a.m. ET on speaker.gov.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.speaker.gov/general/tools-it-takes-repeal-obamacare", "The Tools It Takes to Repeal Obamacare", "2016-12-20", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Paul Ryan", "R000570", "www.speaker.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Obamacare has failed the American people\u2014and things are only getting worse. When Congress reconvenes in January, we will begin the process of reversing the damage caused by Obamacare\u00a0by passing the legislative tools necessary to repeal it. To achieve a stronger, more patient-centered health care system, we first have to fix what isn\u2019t working.\u00a0Keeping a Promise\u00a0  \n\tAs part of\u00a0our Better Way agenda, Republicans proposed a plan to repeal this disastrous law\u2014and in 2017, we\u2019ll keep our word.\u00a0Given the\u00a0dire situation\u00a0facing our country, the time to act is now\u00a0to deliver immediate relief for the American people.\u00a0\nA Repeal Resolution\u00a0  \n\tThe first step is the repeal resolution\u2014a simple budget resolution that will\u00a0set\u00a0the stage for repeal and a stable transition period toward a better health care system. This repeal resolution\u00a0will include what are called reconciliation instructions.\u00a0In short, reconciliation is a tool that allows designated committees to produce legislation\u00a0that can later be passed with a\u00a0simple majority in the Senate.\u00a0To get this reconciliation tool, however, the House and Senate must first both pass this repeal resolution.\u00a0Once they do, we\u2019ll move to step two: the reconciliation process.\u00a0\nCommittees Get to Work  \n\tIn January 2016, we demonstrated that we can\u00a0repeal Obamacare\u00a0and send it to the president\u2019s desk without being\u00a0filibustered in the Senate. This is what makes\u00a0reconciliation\u00a0so important\u00a0(see step one.) So the next step in the process is for certain committees to produce\u00a0actual\u00a0legislation\u00a0to repeal the parts of Obamacare in their jurisdiction.\u00a0\nOnce the various committees produce and pass their pieces, they are sent to the Budget Committee,\u00a0which will compile the text into one complete, straightforward piece of legislation to repeal Obamacare.\u00a0After\u00a0the Budget Committee passes that bill, it's ready for consideration by the full House.\u00a0And once it\u2019s passed\u00a0by the House, the reconciliation package will then be considered under expedited procedures through the Senate\u2014and ultimately be delivered to the president\u2019s desk for signature into law.\nA Better Way  \n\tLong story short:\u00a0Repealing Obamacare will be done through a two-step process: a budget\u00a0resolution\u00a0and then a reconciliation bill.\u00a0Once law, there will be a stable transition period to ensure no one has the rug pulled out from under them as we get on the path to a\u00a0#BetterWay\u00a0for your health care:\u00a0lower\u00a0costs,\u00a0more\u00a0choices, and\u00a0more\u00a0control. To learn more about our ideas, visit better.gop.\n---  \n\tThis is the fourth piece in an ongoing series.\u00a0  \n\tPart 1:\u00a0Repeal Is Relief  \n\tPart 2:\u00a0ObamaCare Has Failed  \n\tPart 3:\u00a0How ObamaCare Is Getting Worse", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.speaker.gov/photo/5-photos-put-you-christmas-spirit", "5 Photos to Put You in the Christmas Spirit", "2016-12-20", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Paul Ryan", "R000570", "www.speaker.gov", null, null, "legacy", "A little\u2014OK, a lot of\u2014rain didn't stop Speaker Ryan and hundreds of others from around the country from kicking off the Christmas season. From the West Front of the U.S. Capitol, the\u00a02016 Capitol Christmas Tree\u00a0lit up the sky, where it will continue to do so every evening through Christmas night.\n1. Toys for Tots\u00a0//\u00a0Speaker Ryan presents a Packers toy to the Marine Corps Liaisons to the House of Representatives for their 6th annual Toys for Tots Collection Day.\n2. Wisconsin Proud\u00a0// These Marines, who all hail from Speaker Ryan's home state of Wisconsin, enjoyed the tree lighting ceremony from the Speaker's balcony at the U.S. Capitol.\n3. A Student's Poem\u00a0// Isabella Gerard, a fifth-grader from the same state as the tree itself (Idaho), reads a\u00a0poem\u00a0to highlight the importance of our national forests.\n4. All Lit Up\u00a0// Speaker Ryan and Isabella marvel at the beauty of the Capitol Christmas Tree with the backdrop of the\u00a0newly restored Capitol dome.\n5. The People's Tree\u00a0// Just as Congress is the People's House, so too is the\u00a0Capitol Christmas Tree\u00a0the people's tree.\n\u00a0\n \n\t\n \nClick here to watch the full lighting ceremony\u00a0on YouTube.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.speaker.gov/video/reminder-president-obama", "A Reminder for President Obama", "2016-12-20", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Paul Ryan", "R000570", "www.speaker.gov", null, null, "legacy", "President Obama is in office for only one more month, and he\u2019s already rolling out his last-ditch regulations. In fact, in just the last two days, he has unilaterally issued rules that will hurt\u00a0coal\u00a0country and take away areas of\u00a0enormous energy potential\u00a0for America. So\u00a0here is a final reminder\u00a0for our outgoing president:\u00a0Presidents don't write laws. Congress does.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://duffy.house.gov/press-release/duffy-comments-on-release-of-report-by-bipartisan-congressional-task-force-on-economic", "Duffy Comments on Release of Report by Bipartisan Congressional Task Force on Economic Growth in Puerto Rico", "2016-12-20", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Sean Duffy", "D000614", "duffy.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington D.C. \u2013 U.S. Representative Sean Duffy (WI-07) offered the following comments after the bipartisan Congressional Task Force on Economic Growth in Puerto Rico, which Rep. Duffy is a member, today released its final report with policy recommendations that aim to promote economic growth and long-term prosperity in the territory.\u00a0The full release from the Task Force is below the following quote from Rep. Duffy:\n\u00a0\n\u00a0\u201cAs the author of PROMESA, I care deeply about Puerto Rico\u2019s success and the bipartisan structure that the law created to address the island\u2019s debt crisis.\u00a0 However, I am also acutely aware that while PROMESA takes important steps to help improve the short-term financial stability of the territory, more needs to be done to spur economic growth, job creation and investment in Puerto Rico.\u00a0 That was the purpose of the creation of the Congressional Task Force on Economic Growth in Puerto Rico.\u00a0 I am proud that the Task Force has worked on a strong bipartisan basis and I believe our report is a down payment on future actions that Congress and the Trump Administration should take to improve federal programs on the island and treat Puerto Ricans more equitably under the law. \u00a0\n\u00a0\n\u201cCongress should give serious consideration to providing the island with equal treatment under all federal laws and programs. \u00a0At the same time, there is no federal substitute for good governance on the island.\u00a0 In order for Puerto Rico to reemerge from its current situation, its leaders must make the hard choices that they have been unwilling to make and work cooperatively with the Oversight Board to balance budgets and grow its economy, starting with a five-year fiscal plan.\u00a0\n\u00a0\n\u201cAs 2016 comes to an end, I am optimistic that next year will be better for Puerto Rico.\u00a0 I look forward to working with the island\u2019s newly elected leaders to assist in any way I can to make 2017 the year when Puerto Rican families and businesses turn a corner and emerge stronger than before.\u201d\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\n\u00a0\nRelease from Bipartisan Congressional Task Force on Economic Growth in Puerto Rico Releases Final Report\n\u00a0\nWASHINGTON \u2014 The bipartisan Congressional Task Force on Economic Growth in Puerto Rico today released its final report with policy recommendations that aim to promote economic growth and long-term prosperity in the territory.\u00a0 The report, issued to comply with section 409 of the Puerto Rico Oversight, Management, and Economic Stability Act (PROMESA), lays out a number of potential policies that could be implemented to enhance the territory\u2019s economic prospects.\u00a0\n\u00a0\n\u201cThe Task Force is of the view that Puerto Rico\u2019s best days lie before it, not behind it.\u201d the Task Force members wrote. \u201cThe members of the Task Force have worked across party lines to identify steps that can be taken to help Puerto Rico\u2019s economy stabilize and grow.\u00a0 The Task Force hopes that its work will serve as a platform for continued bipartisan efforts to support the American citizens in Puerto Rico.\u201d\n\u00a0\nIn drafting the report, the Task Force sought input from a variety of stakeholders and received 450 submissions from the public.\u00a0 Submissions to the Task Force can be found in Appendix 1.\u00a0\n\u00a0\nThe final report can found here. \u00a0\n\u00a0\nBackground:\n\u00a0\nEstablished by Section 409 of the Puerto Rico Oversight, Management, and Economic Stability Act (PROMESA), Public Law 114-187, the Task Force is chaired by Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) and is comprised of U.S. Senators Marco Rubio (R-Fla.); Bill Nelson (D-Fla.); and Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) as well as U.S. Representatives Sean Duffy (R-Wis.); Tom MacArthur (R-N.J.); Nydia Vel\u00e1zquez (D-N.Y.); and Pedro Pierluisi (D-Puerto Rico).\n\u00a0\nUnder the law, the Task Force was charged with writing a report by December 31, 2016, that identifies impediments to growth and recommends changes to: promote long-term economic growth and stability; spur new job creation; reduce child poverty; and attract investment in the territory.\n\u00a0\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=34E62224-1170-4ECB-BF87-AB6032F18022", "Johnson Urges President-elect Trump to Work with Governor Walker on Wisconsin Priorities", "2016-12-20", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Ron Johnson", "J000293", "www.ronjohnson.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON\u00a0\u2014 Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) said this\u00a0Tuesday\u00a0in support of Governor Walker\u2019s letter to President-elect Trump on Wisconsin priorities and federal overreach:\r\n\u00a0\r\n\"I urge President-elect Trump to work with Governor Walker on\u00a0common sense reforms\u00a0to increase flexibility and return authority to Wisconsin.\u00a0I look forward to supporting these efforts by working with him, Speaker Paul Ryan and my colleagues in the United States Senate to reduce the federal footprint, streamline the coordination between federal and state agencies and roll back the federal regulatory burden that is crippling to Wisconsin families and businesses.\"", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.speaker.gov/general/how-obamacare-getting-worse", "How Obamacare Is Getting Worse", "2016-12-19", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Paul Ryan", "R000570", "www.speaker.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Obamacare has\u00a0failed the American people, and things are only getting worse by the day:\n \n\tEven higher premiums.\u00a0People who have signed up for the benchmark Obamacare plan will pay, on average,\u00a025 percent\u00a0more in premiums next year. That is more than three times the increase for 2016. On top of all that, the quality of the coverage is\u00a0worse than expected. Americans are, in effect, paying more for less than what they were promised.\n\tEven higher deductibles.\u00a0On one of the least expensive types of plans, deductibles for both individuals and families are going up by about\u00a015 percent. Deductibles have gotten so high that it is essentially the equivalent of not even having health insurance.\n\tAn even bigger bill for taxpayers.\u00a0Because premiums have skyrocketed so much, so have the subsidies needed to prop up Obamacare. According to one independent study, taxpayers will pay\u00a0nearly $10 billion more\u00a0for subsidies in 2017.\n\tEven fewer choices.\u00a0For 2016, only 2 percent of eligible customers had one insurer to choose from. For next year, that number has jumped to\u00a017 percent.\u00a0\n \nAll of these trends are heading in the wrong direction. The trajectory we are on points to the\u00a0likely possibility that Obamacare is already in what experts call a\u00a0\u201cdeath spiral,\u201d where there is such little competition that costs skyrocket and the market collapses.\u00a0Here's what Doug Badger of the Galen Institute\u00a0wrote\u00a0earlier this month:\n\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\u201cObamacare already is in a death spiral that is fast approaching its terminal point.\u00a0That is because, despite billions in individual and corporate subsidies, insurers are bleeding money. \u2026 And 2015 will be remembered as Obamacare\u2019s good old days. Since then, four of the country\u2019s five largest insurers \u2014 Aetna, Humana, Cigna and UnitedHealthcare \u2014 have all but abandoned the exchanges. The fifth,\u00a0Anthem, saw its stock price spike upwards last month minutes after its CEO told investors that his company might pull out in 2018.\u00a0...\u00a0The insurer exodus has left more than\u00a0one in five Americans\u00a0with an exchange in which only one company participates. The consequences of dumping all the bad risks onto a single insurer are entirely predictable \u2014 that insurer will drop out of the market, leaving no insurers in the exchange.\u00a0The program\u2019s death spiral is irreversible.\u201d\n\t\t\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\n\n\tThe very real possibility of a death spiral picked up last spring, when insurers warned that their losses from Obamacare were\u00a0\u201cunsustainable.\u201d\u00a0The Hill\u00a0reported on April 15:\n\t \n\t\t\u201cInsurers say they are losing money on their ObamaCare plans at a rapid rate, and some have begun to talk about dropping out of the marketplaces altogether. \u2026 While analysts expect the market to stabilize once premiums rise and more young, healthy people sign up,\u00a0some observers have not ruled out the possibility of a collapse of the market, known in insurance parlance as a \u2018death spiral.\u2019\u201d\n\t \n\tSure enough, as the summer unfolded and premium increases piled up, the death spiral began to take shape:\n\t \n\t\t\u201cObamacare ripples through Texas as health insurers propose steep rate hikes.\u00a0\u2026 \u2018The individual market is a market of last resort ... And that's not how it used to be,\u2019 said Janna Hamstra, a benefits consultant in San Antonio whose firm, Hamstra Benefit Solutions, advises employers across Texas. \u2018In our industry, they call it the death spiral\u00a0... As those premiums keep escalating, healthier individuals decide to self insure,\u2019 she said.\u201d (Houston Chronicle)\n\t\t\u201c[Princeton University health economist Uwe Reinhardt] offers an especially thoughtful explanation of why he believes the Obamacare marketplaces won\u2019t work. \u2018Liberals think this will settle itself.\u00a0Eventually, though,\u00a0we all know about the death spiral that actuaries worry about, and I think what you\u2019re seeing now is a mild version of that.\u00a0These things accelerate, as premiums keep rising.\u2019\u201d (Vox)\n\t\t\u201c\u2018I think what we should be expecting is premiums that are substantially higher, and I\u00a0think there\u2019s a real risk that other insurers pull out,\u2019 \u00a0said Michael Morrisey, a professor at the Texas A&M University School of Public Health.\u00a0\u2018We may be beginning to see the death spiral\u00a0of insurance plans in the exchanges.\u2019\u201d\u00a0(Texas Tribune)\n\t\t\u201cJeffrey Anderson, a senior fellow at the conservative Hudson Institute, said that the problem is that there is a high likelihood that no young people will ever sign up for Obamacare. \u2018There are too many loopholes, too many ways to get around paying if you don't get insurance,\u2019 Anderson told Business Insider. For this reason,\u00a0Anderson does not believe that Obamacare will ever work and shows it is in a \u2018slow-motion death spiral.\u2019\u201d (Business Insider)\n\t\t\u201c\u2018That\u2019s going to be the future,\u2019\u00a0said Roger Stark of the Washington Policy Center in Washington State. \u2018What we\u2019re seeing here is the beginning of a death spiral\u00a0as far as exchanges are concerned as more companies pull out.\u2019\u201d (Fox News)\n\t \n\t \n\t\t\u201cDemocratic lawmakers pushing 'public option' amid ObamaCare woes.\u00a0\u2026\u00a0\u2018I think we're seeing the public option come back out of desperation,\u2019 said Douglas Holtz-Eakin, president of the conservative American Action Forum. \u2018We\u2019ve seen UnitedHealthcare groups, the Aetnas of the world withdraw from exchanges. \u2026 As a result, the kinds of people buying insurance there have very expensive medical bills -- insurers are losing money, as they try to cover those bills, jacking up the premiums, people move to other policies\u00a0so\u00a0it\u2019s turning into the death spiral that everybody worried about,\u2019 said Holtz-Eakin.\u201d (Fox News)\n\t \n\nIndeed, even Democrats knew Obamacare was unraveling, and began plotting to impose government-run health care. Now they are digging in to defend the status quo.\u00a0 But the answer isn\u2019t to ignore the problem. The situation is too dire. The time to act is now. This is the third piece in an ongoing series.  \n\tPart 1:\u00a0Repeal Is Relief  \n\tPart 2:\u00a0ObamaCare Has Failed", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.speaker.gov/press-release/obama-administration-fights-its-war-coal-bitter-end", "Obama Administration Fights Its War on Coal to the Bitter End", "2016-12-19", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Paul Ryan", "R000570", "www.speaker.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON\u2014House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) today issued the following statement in response to the Obama administration's release of its final Stream Protection Rule, a rewrite of coal regulations:\u00a0\n\"The Obama administration is fighting its war on coal to the bitter end. This one rule could have crushing consequences for coal miners, their families, and many communities. Yet despite my urging, the White House refused to give the states a chance to provide real input\u2014another sad example of arrogant overreach. If we are going to get America back on track, job-crushing regulations like this must stop. Our unified Republican government will act to provide coal country with relief.\"", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://duffy.house.gov/media-center/enewsletters/hope", "HOPE", "2016-12-19", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Sean Duffy", "D000614", "duffy.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Dear friends,\n\t\t\t\tIn this season of hope, 200 community and business leaders joined me for my 4th\u00a0annual Hunger and Homelessness summit in an effort to pool our collective resources and ideas. It\u2019s an effort to bring about more opportunities for the hundreds of people in our community who find themselves without a job, home or warm meal this Christmas - and throughout the year.\n\t\t\t\tIt was our largest summit to date and we also had a wider cross-section of interested parties and organizations than ever before. It served as both a networking event as well as a great opportunity for me to solicit feedback about my forthcoming \u201cRural Revival\u201d legislative initiative; which I look forward to sharing with you in the new year. Click on the image below for a re-cap of this year\u2019s summit. Or, click\u00a0here to watch the speakers from our Facebook Live coverage.\u00a0\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tOne month from tomorrow\u00a0Donald J. Trump will be sworn-in as the 45th\u00a0President of the United States. The peaceful transition of our government is an awesome event and reminds us of that which is truly special \u2013 and unique \u2013 about our country. Rachel and I were fortunate to talk about this great time in our nation\u2019s history on Fox\u2019s \u201cFox & Friends\u201d. Click on the image below to watch:\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tOne more thing before you go:\u00a0It was a very special\u00a0#ThankACopThursday\u00a0in honor of the newest members of the Capitol Police's K-9 unit! After 12 weeks of intense training, it was finally graduation day for Primi (shown below), eight of his 4-legged colleagues, and their handlers last Thursday. If you see one of these dogs on your visit to the U.S. Capitol, give them a tip of your hat (but no petting while they are working!) Thank you to all of our K-9 officers (and your handlers) for your service to our nation.\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tMerry Christmas:\u00a0The anticipation of the birth of our Savior later this week is palpable in the Duffy house. As we wait in joyful hope for His arrival, we offer prayers of gratitude for the many blessings we have received, and prayers of hope for our less-fortunate neighbors: That they may have a warm place to stay this Christmas night and that in the year ahead they will know the compassion of their community and feel the healing power of His grace and love. To you and yours: we wish you a safe and very merry Christmas.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.speaker.gov/press-release/statement-selection-rep-mick-mulvaney-serve-omb-director", "Statement on Selection of Rep. Mick Mulvaney to Serve as OMB Director", "2016-12-17", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Paul Ryan", "R000570", "www.speaker.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON\u2014House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) issued the following statement commending President-elect Donald Trump\u2019s selection of Congressman Mick Mulvaney (R-SC) to serve as Director of the Office of Management and Budget:\n\u201cMick Mulvaney is the absolute right choice. In Congress, he has been a conservative reformer from day one, proposing solutions to fix the budget process and our regulatory system.\u00a0At OMB, he will lead the work he has started to improve the way government does the people's business.\u00a0Mick is someone I have come to greatly respect and rely on, going back to our time serving together on the Budget Committee. I look\u00a0forward to working with Mick in his new role, and I commend President-elect Trump on this excellent selection.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.speaker.gov/general/top-5-moments-speaker-ryan-s-appearance-poverty-summit", "Top 5 Moments from Speaker Ryan\u2019s Appearance at Poverty Summit", "2016-12-16", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Paul Ryan", "R000570", "www.speaker.gov", null, null, "legacy", "This week, Speaker Ryan participated in the\u00a0Opportunity America #ThisWayUp16 Summit\u00a0to discuss how a unified Republican government can tackle poverty, grow the economy, and get our country back to work. After his\u00a0remarks, Speaker Ryan took questions from Wall Street Journal Washington Bureau Chief Gerald Seib.\nHere are the top five moments:\nMeasure Success\n \nThe war on #poverty has failed. We have a #BetterWay \u2192 Give power back to the states, and measure success based on results. pic.twitter.com/N0WUR4cYjP\u2014 Paul Ryan (@SpeakerRyan) December 16, 2016\n  \nReward Work\n \nA one-sized-fits-all approach to #poverty simply doesn't work. We need to customize benefits and make it pay to work. pic.twitter.com/8xXpTzYCmX\u2014 Paul Ryan (@SpeakerRyan) December 15, 2016\n  \nUpward Mobility\n \nWe need to close the skills gap in this country to get Americans back on the path to upward mobility. pic.twitter.com/3hTyetZkzx\u2014 Paul Ryan (@SpeakerRyan) December 16, 2016\n  \nRegulatory Relief\n \nProviding much-needed regulatory relief to American job-creators will help grow the economy and get our country back to work. pic.twitter.com/ja9U8YOwbY\u2014 Paul Ryan (@SpeakerRyan) December 16, 2016\n  \n2017\n \nWe're working with President-elect @realDonaldTrump on a bold, aggressive agenda to get things done for the American people in 2017. pic.twitter.com/NMGJHTMoVf\u2014 Paul Ryan (@SpeakerRyan) December 16, 2016", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=0AABFC9E-6391-4400-B38D-17CADF276556", "CIA Refuses to Brief Homeland Security Chairman on Russian Hacking", "2016-12-16", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Ron Johnson", "J000293", "www.ronjohnson.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON \u2014 Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, had this to say following news that the CIA refused to provide a briefing on the issue of Russian hacking in the United States.\r\n\u201cThe cyberattack capabilities of America's rivals and adversaries are significant and represent a real and growing threat to our security and world peace and stability. \u00a0As chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, I returned to Washington this week and requested the CIA to provide a briefing on Russia\u2019s cyber capabilities and its involvement with the U.S. presidential election.\u00a0 The CIA refused this request. It is disappointing that the CIA would provide information on this issue to the Washington Post and NBC but will not provide information to elected members of Congress.\u201d\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=A8428032-6D18-4BC7-9453-7F4C995843BE", "Border and National Security Top Johnson Discussion with DHS Secretary Nominee General John Kelly", "2016-12-16", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Ron Johnson", "J000293", "www.ronjohnson.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON \u2014 Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, met Thursday afternoon with President-elect Donald Trump\u2019s designated nominee for Homeland Security secretary, Gen. John Kelly.\r\nAfter the meeting, Johnson said:\r\n\u201cGeneral Kelly\u2019s military background, especially as commander of Southern Command, makes him ideally suited to address the security challenges facing America today. During our meeting, we discussed border security, cybersecurity, and protecting our critical infrastructure.\r\n\u201cI also appreciate that General Kelly has a firm understanding of the threats facing the United States at home and abroad, including the threat from ISIS and other extremists. Leading the Department of Homeland Security is one of the most important jobs in government.\u00a0 I look forward to working closely with General Kelly to expedite his confirmation and help make America safer and more secure.\u201d    The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee has legislative jurisdiction for the Department of Homeland Security, including nominations subject to Senate confirmation.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.speaker.gov/general/iran-sanctions-extension-act-now-law-no-thanks-president-obama", "The Iran Sanctions Extension Act Is Now Law\u2014No Thanks to President Obama", "2016-12-15", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Paul Ryan", "R000570", "www.speaker.gov", null, null, "legacy", "While you were (hopefully) sleeping at 12:52 this morning, the lights were on in the White House press office.\nWhy? Because that\u2019s when they sent out a statement announcing that extending the Iran Sanctions Act\u2014one of the very laws that helped bring Iran to the negotiating table\u2014is \u201cunnecessary\".\nTherefore, the White House explained, \u201cthe Iran Sanctions Act is becoming law without the President\u2019s signature.\u201d\nAh yes, a true profile in courage.\nHere\u2019s the real story. The administration not-so-privately opposed a ten-year renewal of the Iran Sanctions Act\u2014a law that imposed strong economic sanctions on Tehran\u2019s energy sector. Not only is this law necessary, it is critical to protecting America's interests. But that didn't stop Secretary John Kerry from launching a personal lobbying campaign with Senate Democrats to stop the bill.\nThe result? A 99-0 vote in the Senate, which followed a 419-1 vote in the House.\nThis put President Obama in a bind. On one hand, he feared Iranian warnings that an extension would void the nuclear agreement. At the same time, he faced veto-proof majorities in both chambers of Congress.\nAnd that brings us to last night.\nBy allowing the bill to become law without his signature, President Obama once again signaled to the world that he won\u2019t stand up to the mullahs. Moreover, he missed an important chance to bring Americans together in the face of Iranian aggression. Instead, a midnight press release that epitomized this administration\u2019s legacy of going out of its way to appease our enemies at the expense of our allies.\nIn any case, the Iran Sanctions Act is now law for another decade. As Speaker Ryan said after signing the bill earlier this month, \u201cCongress must maintain the ability to immediately reinstate sanctions against Iran. Now President-elect Trump will have the opportunity to evaluate our policy towards Iran independent of additional interference from the outgoing administration.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.speaker.gov/general/obamacare-has-failed-american-people", "Obamacare Has Failed the American People", "2016-12-15", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Paul Ryan", "R000570", "www.speaker.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Six years after the enactment of Obamacare, here\u2019s what we know: This law has failed the American people.\nSkyrocketing Premiums  \n\tPresident Obama promised that Obamacare would help bring down premium costs for an average household. Families have instead seen their premiums skyrocket anywhere from 20 percent in some states to more than 50 percent in others. These double-digit premium hikes have already made health care unaffordable for many hardworking Americans, and it\u2019s only going to get worse from here.\u00a0\nSoaring Deductibles  \n\tDeductibles have soared under Obamacare to the point that many Americans feel like they don\u2019t even have health insurance. People with silver plans have seen their deductibles rise to an average of $3,000, while those with bronze plans face deductibles of more than $5,500. To make matters worse, the increase of deductibles over the past several years has far outpaced the average worker\u2019s wages. This means more Americans paying more out-of-pocket for more expensive health care coverage.\nCollapsing Markets  Nearly 75 percent of state-run Obamacare CO-OPs have already collapsed\u2014with more on the way\u2014forcing more than 800,000 Americans to find new coverage. Following New Jersey\u2019s announcement in September that it will close its CO-OP, kicking 35,000 consumers off their plans next year, only six of the original 23 CO-OPs are left standing. In total, the 17 failed CO-OPs have already cost taxpayers $1.8 billion.\nFewer Choices  \n\tAs a result of major insurers withdrawing from marketplaces nationwide, families have been left with few, if any, options of carriers. Take Tennessee, for example, where a majority of counties offer coverage from only a single insurer. Or North Carolina, where more than a quarter million people are losing their plans as two of three existing insurers leave the marketplace. Or Alaska, where consumers are already down to a choice of just one carrier. This growing trend means less or no competition among insurers, which means higher costs and fewer choices for hardworking families.\nBroken Promises  \n\tWe know you remember this line from President Obama: \u201cIf you like your plan, you can keep it.\u201d This was the central promise on which Obamacare was sold to the American people, and it turned out to be a Lie of the Year. More than two million Americans were kicked off their plans and forced to look elsewhere for coverage. In many cases, this meant losing access to their preferred primary physician in lieu of a worse\u2014and more expensive\u2014health care plan.\nAs you can see, this law has already failed. But it\u2019s also getting even worse. That\u2019s why, when it comes to Obamacare, repeal means relief\u2014relief from the higher costs, low-quality care, and more broken promises.\nTo learn more about how Americans are suffering under Obamacare, check out these helpful fact sheets from the Ways and Means Committee and Education and Workforce Committee.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.speaker.gov/photo/conservative-conscience-people-s-house", "The Conservative Conscience of the People\u2019s House", "2016-12-15", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Paul Ryan", "R000570", "www.speaker.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Recently, Speaker Ryan took part in an event on Capitol Hill honoring Rep. Joe Pitts (R-PA), who is retiring at the end of this Congress.\n\tRep. Pitts has given his life to public service. A teacher. An Air Force captain. Three tours in Vietnam. Ten terms in Congress. Founder of the Values Action Team. Chairman of the Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee.\n\tBut more than any title or tenure, Joe Pitts\u2019 greatest legacy may be his devotion to the principle that every life matters. He has spoken out for political prisoners and used his platform to fight human rights abuses. He has promoted religious freedom and helped start prayer breakfasts all around the world. And he has been a champion of the unborn, waging battle after battle to protect life and defend the conscience rights of taxpayers.\nAt the event, Speaker Ryan called Rep. Pitts the conservative conscience of the people\u2019s House. A man of faith and a leader of action, we are grateful for his service.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.speaker.gov/press-release/statement-selection-rep-ryan-zinke-serve-interior-secretary", "Statement on Selection of Rep. Ryan Zinke to Serve as Interior Secretary", "2016-12-15", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Paul Ryan", "R000570", "www.speaker.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON\u2014House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) issued the following statement commending President-elect Donald Trump\u2019s selection of Congressman Ryan Zinke (R-MT) to serve as Secretary of the Interior:\n\u201cRyan is a no-nonsense leader who has spent his entire life serving this country. He went above and beyond the call of duty as a Navy SEAL for more than two decades. After hanging up the uniform, he decided to continue his service by representing the people of Montana in the House. As a member of the Natural Resources Committee, he has been an ardent supporter of all-of-the-above energy policies and responsible land management. And as a Westerner with close to one third of his state owned by the federal government, he is intimately familiar with how Washington\u2019s decisions affect people\u2019s lives. Ryan\u2019s experience and commitment to improving the lives of all Americans will make him an excellent Interior Secretary. I could not be happier for Ryan, Lola, and their entire family.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.speaker.gov/press-release/us-capitol-receive-historic-visit-make-wish-superhero", "U.S. Capitol to Receive Historic Visit From Make-A-Wish Superhero", "2016-12-15", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Paul Ryan", "R000570", "www.speaker.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON\u2014Tomorrow, Friday, December 16, the United States Capitol will receive a historic visit from a superhero on a special mission.By day, Kaheem is a 5-year old from Owings Mills, MD who is battling leukemia. But with the help of Make-A-Wish Mid-Atlantic, Kaheem will transform into a superhero on a mission to restore our capital city\u2019s spirit.Kaheem\u2019s mission will be broadcast on FOX5 DC, which previewed Kaheem\u2019s wish come true: \u201cWhile a lot of kids wish to go to Disney World or to some other place, all Kaheem wants to do is to help people. His room is filled with all types of superheroes, superheroes that he looks up to. They have always been a big part of his life, but especially now that he is battling such a tough battle.\u201dSuper Kaheem will make several stops throughout the city in his quest to save its citizens. At the Capitol, he will team up with Capitol Police and take on a mission in House Speaker Paul Ryan\u2019s (R-WI) office. Follow @SpeakerRyan on Twitter and Facebook for #SuperKaheem updates.\u201cWe can\u2019t thank Super Kaheem enough for coming to help us,\u201d Speaker Ryan said. \u201cBut we don\u2019t just need Super Kaheem\u2019s help, we need his spirit, which reminds us that nothing is more rewarding than helping others, especially at this time of year. This will be a magical day, and we are truly honored to be part of it.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://duffy.house.gov/press-release/duffy-s-va-reform-legislation-signed-into-law", "Duffys VA Reform Legislation Signed Into Law", "2016-12-15", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Sean Duffy", "D000614", "duffy.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Veterans will now have more options for hearing healthcare services\nWashington D.C. \u2013\u00a0U.S. Representative Sean Duffy\u2019s (WI-07)\u00a0amendment to help Veterans receive better access to hearing healthcare was signed into law today. The language of Duffy\u2019s hearing aid bill, H.R. 353, the Veterans\u2019 Access To hearing Health Act, is included in\u00a0H.R. 3471, the\u00a0Veterans Safety Mobility Act. This law will provide veterans with better access to audiology services by allowing the VA to utilize hearing instrument specialists in addition to audiology doctors to service veterans\u2019 hearing health needs, thereby decreasing wait times for veterans and freeing up the VA\u2019s audiologists for more complex cases.\nThe bill passed the House with a bipartisan majority, 310 to 116, and it passed the Senate by unanimous consent.\nUpon the bill becoming law, Congressman Duffy offered the following comments:\n\u201cThere\u2019s no question, the VA is in dire need of reform, but this bill to expand hearing health options for veterans is an important step in the right direction,\u201d said Congressman Duffy. \u201cI\u2019ve talked with veterans in my district who drive up to 90 miles to get hearing healthcare from a VA audiologist, but with this bill now signed into law, they can receive the same care from a local hearing aid specialist. Our men and women in uniform deserve options in healthcare when they return home.\u201d\u00a0\n\u201cThank you to my colleagues in the House and Senate, who came together in a bipartisan fashion to enthusiastically support this bill, and to the President for signing it into law.\u201d\u00a0\nWatch Congressman Duffy\u2019s remarks from debate on the bill in September:\n\u00a0\n\u00a0\n\u00a0\nWI-7", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=7FE6CE04-8CCD-4CA0-BE1F-73174964AA5F", "Johnson Statement on Chairman Wheeler Stepping Down", "2016-12-15", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Ron Johnson", "J000293", "www.ronjohnson.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON \u2014 Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) had this to say Thursday following the announcement that Federal Communications Commission Chairman Tom Wheeler will step down on Jan. 20, 2017, paving the way for a Republican majority on the FCC:\r\n\u201cI am pleased to see that Chairman Wheeler will follow the long established tradition of stepping down at the end of the president\u2019s term.\u00a0 This is a commitment he should have made long ago, but better late than never.\u00a0 I look forward to working with the new FCC on rolling back harmful, partisan regulations that choke investment and innovation in the communications sector.\u201d\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://paulryan.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=398588", "Ryan Nominates Students for Military Service Academies", "2016-12-14", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Paul Ryan", "R000570", "paulryan.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON \u2014 Today,\u00a0Wisconsin\u2019s First District congressman and speaker of the House, Paul Ryan, announced the 19 students in the First District who would be receiving nominations for appointments to the U.S. service academies. Young men and women who wish to attend a U.S. service academy must obtain a nomination from an authorized nominating source, like a member of Congress.Of this year\u2019s nominees, Ryan said:\u201cMilitary service is an honorable calling. America\u2019s service academies have the highest standards of excellence, and I am proud to nominate these young students from Wisconsin\u2019s First District. I am more than confident that they will rise to the challenge. Should they be accepted, they will represent their state and their nation with pride. Selecting these nominees was a very tough job, and for that reason, I want to thank the members of my Service Academy Nomination Advisory Board for their advice and hard work.\u201dThe Service Academy Nomination Advisory (SANA) Board interviewed and evaluated applicants from the First District in December 2016. Consisting of veterans, academy graduates, and educators, the SANA Board was appointed by Ryan to assist him with identifying the most qualified applicants. First District applicants are typically in the top tier of their class, are active in their communities, and demonstrate great potential for leadership.A list of the students nominated by Congressman Ryan follows:Kenosha CountyAndrew Burrow \u2013 attends St. John\u2019s Northwestern Military Academy, nominated for appointment to the U.S. Military AcademyAlexandra DuChene \u2013 attends George Nelson Tremper High School, nominated for appointment to the U.S. Air Force AcademyThomas Hamm \u2013 attends St. Joseph Catholic Academy, nominated for appointment to the U.S. Military Academy and U.S. Naval AcademyTyler Mortensen \u2013 attends Indian Trail High School and Academy, nominated for appointment to the U.S. Military AcademyEvan Taber \u2013 graduated Harborside Academy, nominated for appointment to the U.S. Military AcademyMilwaukee CountyNathaniel Cramer \u2013 attends Oak Creek High School, nominated for appointment to the U.S. Military AcademyBrandon Kawczynski \u2013 attends Oak Creek High School, nominated for appointment to the U.S. Naval AcademyAmelia Litynski \u2013 attends Franklin High School, nominated for appointment to the U.S. Military AcademyRacine CountyMichael Fischer \u2013 attends Franklin High School, nominated for appointment to the U.S. Naval AcademyMichael Porter \u2013 attends The Prairie School, nominated for appointment to the U.S. Military Academy, U.S. Air Force Academy, U.S. Naval Academy, and U.S. Merchant Marine Academy.Olivia Seymour \u2013 attends Shoreland Lutheran High School, nominated for appointment to the U.S. Air Force AcademyRock CountyDylan Brown \u2013 graduated Milton High School, nominated for appointment to the U.S. Air Force Academy and U.S. Merchant Marine AcademyLogan White \u2013 attends Joseph A. Craig High School, nominated for appointment to the U.S. Air Force AcademyWalworth CountyJohn Czerwinski \u2013 attends Catholic Central High School, nominated for appointment to the U.S. Military AcademyNicholas Robison \u2013 attends Williams Bay High School, nominated for appointment to the U.S. Air Force AcademyTrevor Stumpfoll \u2013 attends Badger High School, nominated for appointment to the U.S. Air Force AcademyWaukesha CountyJacob Klenz \u2013 attends Marquette University High School, nominated for appointment to the U.S. Naval AcademyAlexandra Noles \u2013 attends KM Global School for Leadership and Innovation, nominated for appointment to the U.S. Air Force Academy, U.S. Naval Academy and U.S. Merchant Marine AcademyTravis Wiese \u2013 attends Kettle Moraine High School, nominated for appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.speaker.gov/general/repeal-relief", "Repeal Is Relief", "2016-12-14", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Paul Ryan", "R000570", "www.speaker.gov", null, null, "legacy", "IT HAS FAILED  \n\tObamacare is a disaster.\u00a0Insurance markets are collapsing. Premiums are soaring.\u00a0Patients\u2019 choices are dwindling. The law has failed to deliver on its core promises, hurting far more than it is helping.\nThe country knows that the Obamacare status quo is unsustainable: Eight out of 10 Americans want to change the law significantly or replace it altogether, according to\u00a0Gallup.\nTHE WORST IS YET TO COME  \n\tBut the answer isn\u2019t to ignore the problem.\u00a0The situation is too dire and Obamacare is only getting worse by the day.\u00a0It\u2019s time to act.\u00a0\nREPEAL IS RELIEF  \n\tWhen Congress reconvenes, we will begin repairing the damage by passing the legislative tools that are necessary to repeal Obamacare. We will deliver on our promise to the American people.\nSTABLE TRANSITION  \n\tOnce enacted, there will be a stable transition period to a patient-centered health care system that gives Americans access to quality, affordable care.\nA BETTER WAY: more choices, lower costs, greater control over your health care \u00a0\n Moving health care decisions away from Washington and to where they belong: with patients, their families, and their doctors,\nGiving patients the right tools, like Health Savings Accounts, to make their health insurance more portable and affordable,\nBreaking down barriers that restrict choice and prevent Americans from picking the plan that is best for them and their family,\nProviding coverage protections and peace of mind for all Americans\u2014regardless of age, income, medical conditions, or circumstances,\nEmpowering small businesses to provide employees with the kind of affordable health coverage that meets their needs.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.speaker.gov/press-release/speaker-ryan-names-jonathan-burks-chief-staff", "Speaker Ryan Names Jonathan Burks Chief of Staff", "2016-12-14", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Paul Ryan", "R000570", "www.speaker.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON\u2014House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) today announced that he has promoted long-time aide Jonathan Burks to serve as chief of staff. Burks succeeds Capitol Hill veteran Dave Hoppe, who is departing the speaker\u2019s office following the holidays to pursue a new opportunity.\u00a0\n\tBurks, a policy specialist with experience in the House, Senate, and White House, has worked for Ryan for most of the last six years, most recently as the speaker\u2019s national security advisor. In addition, Burks has been serving as the speaker\u2019s liaison to the transition team of the incoming administration. With this announcement, the speaker released the following statement:\n\t\u201cI am eternally grateful to Dave Hoppe for returning to the Capitol to navigate this past year and help me make it such a success. When this job came at me unexpectedly, I asked Dave to take a year of his career and put together a speakership almost overnight. His invaluable experience, principled vision, and joyful demeanor made it truly seamless. He helped steer a conservative policy agenda and find critical common ground in divided government. I thank him for his friendship, and the whole House thanks him for his service. I wish Dave and his family all the best in his next adventure.\n\t\u201cNo one is better suited to step into this role at this time than Jonathan Burks. Simply put, he can do it all. Jonathan is whip-smart, determined, and just knows how to get things done. From helping me pass my first budget years ago to running our transition efforts today, there\u2019s never been a job I couldn\u2019t throw at him. Having held senior positions in the House, Senate, and executive branch, he understands how every lever of government works and enjoys the respect of his peers across the board. Now, as we work to enact a bold agenda with the new administration, Jonathan's broad and deep policy knowledge will be critical to delivering on our promises to the American people. I\u2019m grateful that Jonathan has accepted this role and excited for him to get started.\u201d\n\tAbout Jonathan Burks:\n\tBefore becoming chief of staff, Jonathan Burks served as national security advisor to House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI). During his nearly two decades in public policy, he has been the policy advisor for budget and appropriations issues to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), the policy director for the House Budget Committee under then-Chairman Ryan, the deputy policy director for the Romney for President campaign, the director of the Office of Legislative and Intergovernmental Affairs at the Securities and Exchange Commission, the senior advisor (chief of staff) to the Under Secretary of the Treasury for International Affairs, a special assistant to the President of the United States, a deputy assistant to the Vice President of the United States, and a policy analyst on the House Republican Policy Committee.\n\tBurks received his Masters in International Relations from the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies and his Bachelor of Science in Foreign Service from Georgetown University. He\u00a0was\u00a0a term member of the Council on Foreign Relations. He lives in Alexandria, Virginia with his wife, Joy.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.speaker.gov/video/21-good-things-congress-you-may-not-have-heard-about", "21 Good Things From Congress You May Not Have Heard About", "2016-12-13", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Paul Ryan", "R000570", "www.speaker.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Later today, President Obama will sign into law the\u00a021st Century Cures Act, groundbreaking legislation to jumpstart medical innovation and treatment for rare diseases. It will help save lives.\n\tAnd if the president signs the national defense bill,\u00a0our troops will see their biggest pay raise in six years.\n\tSometimes good news like this gets missed, so Speaker Ryan made a list\u2014yes yes, we checked it twice\u2014and shared it at\u00a0his last weekly press briefing of 2016:\u00a0\n\t\u201cThe holiday season is a time for making lists, so today I would like to offer one of my own.\u00a0These are just\u00a0some of the things that the 114th Congress has achieved for the American people:\n\u201cMy predecessor, John Boehner, was a big part of this work. He used to say that about 90 percent of what we do around here is bipartisan.\u00a0It\u2019s the other 10 percent that tends to get all the attention.\u00a0Bipartisanship is not rare. It is just rarely noted.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.speaker.gov/press-release/statement-cyber-threats", "Statement on Cyber Threats", "2016-12-12", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Paul Ryan", "R000570", "www.speaker.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON\u2014House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) issued the following statement on cyber threats:\n\u201cWe must condemn and push back forcefully against any state-sponsored cyberattacks on our democratic process. Throughout this Congress, Chairman Nunes and the Intelligence Committee have been working diligently\u00a0on the cyber threats posed by foreign governments and terrorist organizations to the security and institutions of the United States. This important work will continue\u00a0and has my support.\u00a0As I\u2019ve said before, any foreign intervention in our elections is entirely unacceptable. And any intervention by Russia is especially problematic because, under President Putin, Russia\u00a0has been an aggressor that\u00a0consistently\u00a0undermines American\u00a0interests.\u00a0At the same time, exploiting the work of our intelligence community for partisan purposes does a grave disservice to those professionals and potentially jeopardizes our national security. As we work to protect our democracy from foreign influence, we should not cast doubt on the clear and decisive outcome of this election.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=DC7DBAC0-EF97-4CE1-8579-CC6C663B8260", "Johnson pleased to have played a key role in bringing new scheduled international air service to Milwaukee", "2016-12-12", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Ron Johnson", "J000293", "www.ronjohnson.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "OSHKOSH \u2014 Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) lauded the announcement Monday of year-round scheduled international flights from Milwaukee\u2019s General Mitchell International Airport by the Mexican carrier Volaris\u00a0after having played a key role in helping move negotiations forward.\r\n\u00a0\r\n\u201cI am always pleased to see more options for Wisconsinites traveling for business or pleasure,\u201d said Johnson. \u201cThe cooperation between\u00a0Mitchell International, Milwaukee County and U.S. Customs and Border Protection that enabled this development will serve Wisconsin well in any future expansions of international service from Milwaukee. Wisconsin businesses benefit from better access to customers in world markets. Customs agent staffing is crucial for providing foreign travelers with direct access to Wisconsin.\u00a0I am pleased to have played a role in bringing that about.\u201d\r\n\u00a0\r\nJohnson, who is chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, has oversight of Customs and Border Protection. He wrote to the agency\u2019s commissioner, R. Gil Kerlikowske, in May 2016 urging that the agency cooperate with Milwaukee airport officials in arranging for customs agent staffing that would permit the flights.\r\n\u00a0\r\nIn addition, Johnson was one of five cosponsors of the Cross-Border Trade Enhancement Act, which allows airports to reimburse Customs and Border Protection for its services, allowing cities without international air services to more readily attract it. The House version of the bill passed Congress on Saturday.\r\n\u00a0\r\nJohnson\u2019s letter to Kerlikowske can be seen here.\r\n\u00a0\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.speaker.gov/general/about-last-night-speaker-ryans-interview-sean-hannity", "About Last Night: Speaker Ryan's Interview With Sean Hannity", "2016-12-10", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Paul Ryan", "R000570", "www.speaker.gov", null, null, "legacy", "After meeting with President-elect Trump earlier in the day, Speaker Ryan appeared on Hannity to discuss the priorities of the new unified Republican government.\u00a0\u201cWe finally, finally have this great opportunity that\u2019s been given to us by the American people to get this country back on track, to relimit our government, to honor the Constitution, to clean this mess up,\u201d\u00a0he said. Check out more excerpts below:\nSpeaker Ryan on Obamacare: Repeal Is Relief\u00a0\n\u201cIt\u2019s getting worse with Obamacare.\u00a0\u2026 Double-digit premium increases. They\u2019re making the deductibles so high, it\u2019s not like you even have insurance in the first place.\u00a0What we anticipate coming in 2017 is more of that.\u201d\n\t\u201cWhat we want to do is bring relief immediately.\u00a0We are going to work on our repeal legislation immediately. And then we have to make sure that there\u2019s that good transition period, so that people don\u2019t have the rug pulled out from under them, and we can bring relief as quickly as possible.\u201d\u00a0\nSpeaker Ryan on Working Closely with President-Elect Trump\n\t\u201cThe conversations we have always revolve around just getting things done. How we\u2019re going to replace Obamacare. What tax reform looks like. How we\u2019re going to secure the border. How we\u2019re going to get people from welfare to work. What does rebuilding the military look like. These are the things we\u2019re talking about, and now we\u2019re just talking about, how do we execute it.\u201d\n\u201cWhat I\u2019m really impressed with is the Cabinet that he\u2019s putting together. This is a very good Cabinet. He is picking very good people. This is something that those of us who have been fighting against this liberal progressive government really excited. \u2026 The way I look at it is, why don\u2019t we all stop underestimating Donald Trump? I think that\u2019d be a smart thing to do.\u201d\nSpeaker Ryan on Border Security, the VA, and Education\n\t\u201cWhat President-elect Trump has asked us to focus on is enforcing current law\u2026 and getting the border secured. That\u2019s what he says he wants us focused on, and that\u2019s exactly what we\u2019re working on.\u201d\n\u201cHouse Republicans\u2014Jeff Miller, the chairman of the committee\u2014he's the one who uncovered the disgrace at the VA. So we're the ones who brought the Choice program in place to give veterans recourse away from these waiting lists, so absolutely. That place really needs a clearing out.\u201d\n\t\"I can't think of a better person than Betsy DeVos, who has really been a trailblazer in education reform on behalf of choice and charter schools, which to me is really one of the critical components of fighting poverty more effectively. ... We've already pushed the dollars back to the states. Now we want to encourage innovation, like choice and charter, to actually take place, because that is how you get people out of the poverty trap.\u201d\n .@SpeakerRyan on Obamacare: \u201cWhat we want to do is bring relief immediately. We\u2019re going to work on repeal legislation immediately\u201d\n\t\u2014 Sean Hannity (@seanhannity) December 10, 2016", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.speaker.gov/press-release/chairman-upton-deliver-weekly-republican-address", "Chairman Upton to Deliver Weekly Republican Address", "2016-12-09", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Paul Ryan", "R000570", "www.speaker.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON\u2014Today, House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) announced that this week\u2019s Republican address will be delivered by House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI). In the address, Chairman Upton will discuss the 21st Century Cures Act, groundbreaking medical innovation legislation signed by Speaker Ryan earlier this week.\n\t\u201cWe had an idea three years ago that patients deserved better\u2014that medicine wasn't keeping pace with incredible advancements in science,\u201d said Chairman Upton. \u201cPatients needed an innovation game-changer, and we have it with 21st Century Cures. The landmark legislation will accelerate the discovery, development, and delivery of safe new cures and treatments. For families across the country, this legislation to help deliver #CuresNow marks a renewed dawn of hope.\u201d\n\u201cFred Upton is one of the main reasons Americans will start to see improved medical care and healthier lives,\u201d said Speaker Ryan. \u201cThe Cures Act will help researchers and doctors unlock the next generation of cures and treatments for their patients.\u201d As he said at yesterday\u2019s bill signing, \u201cI could not think of a better way to end the year than by signing this bill.\u201d\nChairman Fred Upton represents the commonsense values of southwest Michigan with a district that stretches from the shores of Lake Michigan and includes key industries that range from automobile parts manufacturing to high-tech biomedical innovation centers. In 2010, Chairman Upton was selected by his House colleagues to serve as Chairman of the Committee on Energy and Commerce. In 2014, Chairman Upton unveiled the bipartisan 21st Century Cures initiative, a multi-year effort that aims to accelerate the pace of cures and medical breakthroughs in the United States.\nLearn more about Chairman Upton by visiting his website, following him on Twitter, or liking his Facebook page. Learn more about the Energy and Commerce Committee by visiting its website, following it on Twitter, or liking its Facebook page.\nNOTE: The Weekly Republican Address will be available starting Saturday, December 10, at 6:00 a.m. ET on speaker.gov.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.speaker.gov/press-release/weekly-republican-address-21st-century-cures-we-will-do-better", "Weekly Republican Address: With 21st Century Cures, We Will Do Better", "2016-12-09", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Paul Ryan", "R000570", "www.speaker.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON\u2014In this week\u2019s Republican address, House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI) discusses #CuresNow\u2014legislation signed by Speaker Ryan this week to bring medical research and innovation into the 21st century.\n\u201cThe House and Senate have passed this bipartisan legislation which will ensure our health system can keep pace with incredible advances in science and technology,\u201d said Chairman Upton. He continued, \u201cA new day for medical research is on the horizon. A new day of hope for patients and their loved ones. We needed to do better. And with 21st Century Cures, we will.\u201d\n\tNOTE: The audio of the weekly is address is available here, and the video will be available on speaker.gov.\nRemarks of Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton of Michigan  Weekly Republican Address  Washington, DC  December 10, 2016\nHey there, I\u2019m Fred Upton, Republican Congressman from Southwest Michigan who helped lead the successful, bipartisan effort to find faster cures for families and patients suffering from tragic illness.\nThe holiday season is one of joy. But, it\u2019s often a time for families to come together and reflect on loved ones lost\u2014taken much too soon by disease.\nWe\u2019ve all said too many early good-byes to folks that we hold dear. Families robbed of a parent that will never get to see their kids\u2019 milestones. A child born without the gift of a future. Every day, countless folks living vibrant lives are delivered unexpected diagnoses. It\u2019s a cycle that repeats itself over and over and over. Life changes in an instant\u2014and hope seems just out of reach. Whether it be Alzheimer\u2019s, Lupus, MS, cancer\u2026 you name it.\nSo, three years ago, we had an idea. That we could do better. That we needed to do something and transform our health and research system to effectively fight disease in the 21st century.\nBut we knew the first step had to be doing something that Congress doesn\u2019t do enough of: We had to first listen. And then we engaged. We solicited input. We drafted. We listened some more. It was an inclusive, unique, transparent process that criss-crossed the country, engaging experts in every related field, from pioneering research institutions like the University of Michigan and the Mayo Clinic to government to private industry and everything in between. And most importantly, we listened to patients.\nWhat we learned was staggering. The gap between biomedical innovation and our regulatory process was widening. Of the 10,000 known diseases\u20147,000 of which are rare\u2014there are treatments for only 500. We needed to change the conversation and restore urgency to boosting research and innovation. And working together, we have with 21st\u00a0Century Cures.\nScience and biomedical innovation have made incredible strides over the last two decades. Mapping the human genome, new biomarkers, and personal health care apps have all offered opportunities to find new treatments and cures.\nBut the way the FDA and the NIH apply these new innovations to our regulatory process has lagged behind. These agencies\u2014and the rules and regs that they produce affecting the discovery, development, and delivery of lifesaving drugs and devices\u2014also desperately need modernization and innovation. They need a game-changer. And now we have it.\nThe House and Senate have passed this bipartisan legislation which will ensure our health system can keep pace with incredible advances in science and technology. We break down regulatory barriers and expedite the approvals for safe drugs and devices coupled with billions for more research, including the Beau Biden Cancer Moonshot. We also provide critical funding to the FDA so that they have all the tools they need to ensure the safety of these news drugs and devices.\nA former head of The National Cancer Institute and FDA has called this \u201cthe most transformational biomedical legislation in the past 40 years.\u201d He\u2019s right.\nBut this package is not just about cures. It also includes valuable resources to fight the opioid epidemic that\u2019s impacting every single community, and delivers landmark mental health reforms that will make a real difference, helping families in crisis and treating mental illness rather than incarceration. Treatment, not tragedy was the overriding theme of mental health reform. Yes, this is one of the most important and impactful bills we will enact this Congress.\nPatients aren\u2019t interested in debating the timelines, the failure rates, the size and costs of conducting clinical trials. They just know that despite the promise of scientific breakthroughs, they can\u2019t get the therapy that might save their lives one day. That is why we need 21st Century Cures.\nWe are on the cusp of something special. A once-in-a-generation opportunity to transform how we treat disease. President Obama will sign this legislation into law next week and his help was critical in getting this new law enacted\u2014so we say thank you Mr. President.\nA new day for medical research is on the horizon. A new day of hope for patients and their loved ones. We needed to do better. And with 21st Century Cures, we will. Thank you and have a blessed holiday season.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.speaker.gov/general/speaker-ryan-signs-cures-act-sends-president-s-desk", "Speaker Ryan Signs Cures Act, Sends to President\u2019s Desk", "2016-12-08", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Paul Ryan", "R000570", "www.speaker.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Today, Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI)\u2014joined by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI), Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), and other members of the House and Senate\u2014signed the 21st Century Cures Act, bipartisan legislation to reform our approach to medical research and innovation. With his signature, the bill now goes to the president's desk to become law. Below are Speaker Ryan's opening remarks for the enrollment ceremony:\n\u201cWhat a day, and what a moment. I could not think of a better way to end the year than by signing this bill.\u00a0This is exactly the kind of legislation that we need to be passing. This bill takes head on one of the big challenges we face: curing what today are considered incurable diseases. I don\u2019t have to tell any of you that this moment was a very, very long time coming. And we would not be here if it were not for the tireless, relentless work by so many people that are standing here today like Fred Upton. And now, we have a lot to show for it.\n\u201cI just want to say to all those legislators here, fantastic\u2014you guys just did such a good job. Look what we have to show for it: More money for medical research; a streamlined process for approving new drugs and devices. That means millions of patients will get the treatments that they need. I\u2019m talking about people like our good friend over here, Max Schill. Speeding up medical innovation could mean fewer surgeries and less hassle for Max. It could mean millions of Americans get to live longer, healthier lives. If that doesn\u2019t convince you that we need this bill, then I don\u2019t know what will.\n\u201cI\u2019d also be remiss if I did not recognize the good work of Congressman Tim Murphy. Tim Murphy, just like everybody else on Cures, worked so hard on getting mental health reform over the finish line\u2014criss-crossing America, listening, doing hearings, talking to people about how to fix these issues. He\u2019s led the charge to bring attention and the resources to mental health issues.\n\u201cBut all of you have worked very hard to put the patient back in charge. That\u2019s what this is all about. I am so proud of all of the accomplishments of these members, and I simply want to say: Thank you and job well done.\u201d\n---\nToday\u2019s ceremony included\u00a0Max Schill.\u00a0Max, who was born with a rare disease called Noonan Syndrome, has been a leading advocate for this bipartisan legislation. Max turns 8 next week, and as he wrote on gop.gov, \u201cMy birthday wish is that 21st Century Cures will pass and become a law.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.speaker.gov/press-release/statement-passage-water-resources-bill", "Statement on Passage of Water Resources Bill", "2016-12-08", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Paul Ryan", "R000570", "www.speaker.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON\u2014House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) issued the following statement on House passage of S. 612, the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation (WIIN) Act:\n\u201cThis bill provides the resources necessary to ensure the safety and longevity of our water infrastructure, which is a part of everything from commutes to commerce. Importantly, we are fulfilling our commitment to help the people of Flint and communities affected by contaminated drinking water. In addition, we are taking steps to deliver much-needed water relief to Californians, who are experiencing their worst drought in a century. I applaud Chairman Shuster for his work on this important legislation, which we look forward to sending to the president\u2019s desk.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.speaker.gov/press-release/statement-passing-john-glenn", "Statement on the Passing of John Glenn", "2016-12-08", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Paul Ryan", "R000570", "www.speaker.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON\u2014House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) issued the following statement on the passing of John Glenn:\n\u201cJohn Glenn was an American hero. As a military pilot, astronaut, and U.S. senator, he never lost his passion for exploration and public service. On behalf of the House, I extend my deepest sympathies to Annie and the entire Glenn family. May his memory live on every time we look up at the stars.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=0BF55D93-043A-412A-AEA0-8BCC5FF72F5F", "Johnson Encouraged by Senate Effort to Pass Trickett Wendler Right to Try Act", "2016-12-08", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Ron Johnson", "J000293", "www.ronjohnson.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON \u2013 Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) said this Thursday following an attempt by the Senate Wednesday night to pass the Trickett Wendler Right to Try Act by unanimous consent:\r\n\u201cThere was an effort last night to pass the Trickett Wendler Right to Try Act by unanimous consent. I am disappointed that because of an objection unrelated to the bill, it was not allowed to pass. I am encouraged, however, by the growing list of co-sponsors (43 to date) that demonstrates strong bipartisan support for getting this bill passed on behalf of those with terminal illnesses who simply want the right to try to save their own lives. This momentum will move us into the next Congress where I look forward to working with Leader McConnell and Chairman Alexander to get this important piece of legislation passed.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.speaker.gov/general/75th-anniversary-pearl-harbor", "The 75th Anniversary of Pearl Harbor", "2016-12-07", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Paul Ryan", "R000570", "www.speaker.gov", null, null, "legacy", "It was 7:48am in #PearlHarbor, Hawaii when the planes arrived. https://t.co/r3xrCfwQNv\u2014 Paul Ryan (@SpeakerRyan) December 7, 2016 \nIt was 7:48am in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii when the planes arrived. Our troops awoke to a barrage from hundreds of Japanese aircraft overhead. But they didn\u2019t panic or hide\u2014they fought back.\nWe lost 2,403 Americans that day. These brave men and women died, like many before and after them, fighting to protect our freedoms. The attack may have sunk battleships and taken lives, but it did not sink our resolve. In the years that followed, resilience and strength born out of tragedy led the United States to victory in World War II.\nIn that spirit, today we are sending to the president\u2019s desk two bills honoring World War II heroes with the Congressional Gold Medal. It is the highest honor we can bestow.\nS. 1555 honors the Filipino veterans who fought, and in some cases gave their lives, alongside our troops on the battlefield. Tens of thousands of Filipinos played a pivotal role in securing the Allied victory in the Pacific, and they\u2019ve gone without proper recognition for far too long.\nS. 2234 honors the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), the intelligence agency tasked with executing some of the most dangerous covert missions of the war effort. Members of the OSS worked undercover and behind enemy lines to gather reconnaissance that led to the success of many critical operations, including D-Day.\nFrom a day of infamy came a generation of heroes. They remind us always of the values\u2014and the people\u2014we hold dear.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.speaker.gov/general/speaker-ryan-squawk-box-obamacare-getting-much-worse", "Speaker Ryan on Squawk Box: Obamacare \"Is Getting Much Worse\"", "2016-12-07", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Paul Ryan", "R000570", "www.speaker.gov", null, null, "legacy", "This morning, Speaker Ryan joined CNBC\u2019s Squawk Box to discuss how a unified Republican government will tackle issues ranging from tax reform to repealing and replacing Obamacare. Below are excerpts from their conversation:\nObamacare Is Failing  \u201cThis law is getting much worse. It is what actuaries say is entering a death spiral\u2014high, high premium increases, high deductibles, no choices. So we have to fix this problem. . . . This law is just failing very, very quickly. We\u2019ve got to replace this law. And we will have a transition period so that we don\u2019t pull the rug out from people.\u201d\nA More Competitive Tax Code  \u201cThe plan that we wrote is revenue neutral. We now take into account economic effects of tax changes\u2014they call it dynamic scoring, I call it reality-based scoring\u2014and we will use that so that we make sure that we maximize the economic growth potential. The last thing we want to do is not write tax reform where we\u2019re not thinking about how to maximize growth. So our tax reform is going to be focused on maximizing growth and competitiveness of American businesses, and we will do that in a way where we will make it revenue neutral. That means you have to plug loopholes\u2014tax expenditures\u2014so you can lower rates. And so it\u2019s really going to come down to as to how low we can get [the corporate tax] rate. We believe we can do it at 20 percent right now. If we can squeeze the numbers and plug more loopholes and get us to 15 percent\u2014great. The lower the better as far as I\u2019m concerned.\u201d\nWe\u2019re Going to Hit the Ground Running  \u201cWe spent all of 2016 getting ready for the possible opportunity of having a unified government in 2017. The House went through the entire exercise\u2014every committee working, every member of the House Republican conference working. . . . We\u2019ve been working on our tax-reform legislation for over a year. We\u2019ve been working on our welfare-reform legislation, on our health care legislation, on our regulatory agenda, on our energy policy. So it\u2019s not just talking points and pablum. Our committees\u2014what I told our committees a year ago, our members is: Assume we get the White House and Congress. And then, come 2018, what do you want to have accomplished for the country to get this country back on the right track. What does that look like? Plan now. This is your plan. So for the next year\u2014this is 2016, back at the end of 2015\u2014do everything you need to do to get ready to do that. So this is exactly what Congress and the House have been working on for the last year\u2014getting everything ready to basically rock and roll in 2017 and get working.\"", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=2B399DC1-EE4E-48C0-9074-A72AF7EA87CA", "Johnson Comments on Passage of 21st Century Cures Act, Promises to Continue Fight for Trickett Wendler Right to Try Act", "2016-12-07", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Ron Johnson", "J000293", "www.ronjohnson.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON \u2014 Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) said this Wednesday after voting in favor of the 21st Century Cures Act, which passed the Senate 94-5 and was sent to the president:\r\n\u201cI am hopeful the reforms and resources authorized in this legislation will accelerate the development of treatments and modernize the federal approval process. These are critical goals in today\u2019s era of medical innovation. I am pleased provisions addressing mental health and the nation\u2019s opioid epidemic were included, but I am disappointed the Trickett Wendler Right to Try Act was not included or allowed a vote despite having 43 bipartisan co-sponsors in the U.S. Senate. I remain dedicated to working with Leader McConnell and Chairman Alexander on getting it passed on behalf of those with terminal illnesses who simply want the right to try to save their own lives.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=CC08ACCF-1475-4008-ABEA-79D5E1D6A3B9", "Johnson Praises Truax Field Selection as Possible Host to New Fighter Squadron", "2016-12-07", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Ron Johnson", "J000293", "www.ronjohnson.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON \u2014 Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) praised the inclusion of a Wisconsin site as a finalist for potentially hosting a new fighter squadron.\r\nThe Air Force on Wednesday announced the Wisconsin Air National Guard 115th Fighter Wing was chosen as a finalist to potentially host a F-35A Lightning II squadron that would be based at Truax Field in Madison. The Air Force\u2019s Strategic Basing Initiative will allow two Air National Guard bases to receive F-35 aircraft in 2022.\r\nJohnson said this after the news was announced:\r\n\u201cThe more than 1,200 civilian and military personnel of the 115th Fighter Wing provide vital support in the Global War on Terrorism and ensure a safe airspace above the Midwest,\" said Sen. Johnson. \"F-35s based in Wisconsin would be a valuable asset not just for Wisconsin\u2019s Air National Guard but for our nation\u2019s security at home and abroad.\u00a0 I look forward to working with the Air Force as it decides its path forward on the Strategic Basing Process.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://paulryan.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=398585", "Ryan Outlines 2017 Congressional Priorities on WPR", "2016-12-06", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Paul Ryan", "R000570", "paulryan.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, DC \u2014 Yesterday, Wisconsin\u2019s First District congressman and speaker of the House, Paul Ryan, spoke with WPR\u2019s Rob Ferrett on Central Time.The scandal at Tomah VA Medical Center:\u201cTomah has been under such a microscope and yet they still have these terrible problems. We see persistent management failures here. And what is frustrating to [me] and to Ron Johnson and others is lack of accountability at the VA at large, but especially at Tomah. They cannot have the kind of discipline and management restructuring that is necessary to get this place whipped in to shape. And that is why we think we need to have more wholesale reform at the Veterans Administration. . . . We need to hold people accountable. The bureaucracy is bloated, and it is inefficient and unaccountable, and we need to bring accountability to the VA so that our veterans get the care that they deserve.\u201dBuilding a stronger economy:\u201cWell, we\u2019ve got a lot of number-one priorities, I guess I\u2019d say. The first we\u2019re going to do is start working on a budget. And in that budget we\u2019re going to try and bring Obamacare relief.\u201d***\r\n\u201cBut also [cutting back] the regulatory state, which is really putting a chilling effect on jobs, and reforming the tax code to make American businesses, particularly our manufacturers, much more competitive globally so we can grow more jobs here at home and increase take home pay, and just get faster economic growth.\u201d***\r\n\u201cWhat we ought to be doing is cleaning up our economic policy so that we\u2019re the best . . . with a healthy economy, with strong companies that are in America, building, selling, exporting and engaging in the world, and pushing the values of freedom and free enterprise. That to me is what American leadership needs to look like.\u201dDiscussing health care reforms:\u201cRight now, Medicare Advantage is a very popular program that seniors get to choose from among private plans for their comprehensive Medicare benefits. That\u2019s something seniors today enjoy. The federal employees get to choose among competing comprehensive private plans for their benefit so that they have more choices and lower prices. Those are the kinds of reforms that are being discussed for younger people. It\u2019s very important to note that any discussion of Medicare, those changes do not affect anyone in or near retirement. So anybody who\u2019s on Medicare today or about to go on Medicare is not a part of this conversation.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.speaker.gov/general/speaker-ryan-2017-well-deliver-results", "Speaker Ryan: In 2017, We'll Deliver Results", "2016-12-06", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Paul Ryan", "R000570", "www.speaker.gov", null, null, "legacy", "2016 was a busy\u2014and productive\u2014year for House Republicans. At a press conference with other Republican leaders, Speaker Ryan discussed 2016 and the #BetterWay that's on the horizon: \u00a0\n\"At the start of this year, we as House Republicans made a number of commitments to the American people.\n\"First, we pledged to open up the process\u2014to find common ground for the good of the country. If you look at how we are wrapping up our work for the end of the year here, we\u2019ve done just that: 21st Century Cures. The National Defense Authorization Bill. The water resources bill.\n\"These initiatives all went through the committees. They are all bipartisan. And they are all House-Senate agreements.\n\"That is how we should do things here. It\u2019s important, because that\u2019s exactly how things should work.\n\"The most overarching thing we set out to do\u2014going all the way back to our retreat in Baltimore almost a year ago\u2014was that we would raise our gaze. We would go from being seen as simply being an opposition party to being a proposition party. And with 7 out of 10 Americans unhappy with the direction our country is headed, we felt we had a duty\u2014a moral obligation\u2014to offer our fellow citizens a better way forward. And that\u2019s exactly what we did.\n\"We did not just check the box to win an election, or we didn\u2019t do this so I could just [promote] a website\u2014better.gop\u2014a thousand times with you. The idea was, if we actually won the election by campaigning on solutions and ideas, we would be ready to govern.\n\"And here we are. We are ready to hit the ground running, and we need to hit the ground running. We gave the people a very clear choice, and now the people have given us very clear instructions: deliver results and deliver relief.\n\"Relief from Obamacare\u2014this law is hurting families and it\u2019s only going to get worse. Relief from this broken tax code that is costing us jobs, competitiveness, and growth. Relief from overreach and needless regulations that are crushing livelihoods and industries across this country.\n\"That is what a unified Republican government will be about. It will be about helping our people reach their potential, and making America great again.\n\"So 2016 was about raising our gaze. 2017 is going to be about doing big things for our country.\"", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.speaker.gov/press-release/2016-us-capitol-christmas-tree-lit", "The 2016 U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree Is Lit", "2016-12-06", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Paul Ryan", "R000570", "www.speaker.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON\u2014Tonight, the 2016 U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree was lit for the first time, with House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) and fifth-grader Isabella Gerard of Boise, Idaho doing the honors. This year\u2019s tree\u2014an 80-foot Engelmann spruce from Payette National Forest\u2014will be lit every evening through Christmas night. Speaker Ryan made the following remarks prior to lighting the tree, as prepared for delivery:\u00a0\nWell, in the words of Yogi Berra, at least it\u2019s a dry rain.\nEither way, this is a night to be grateful. Grateful for everyone who put this together: Stephen and his team, the forest service, the people of Idaho. And grateful for the chance to celebrate together. So I want to say to all of you\u2014whatever you did to make this happen\u2014thank you very, very much.\nNot to get too carried away, but I couldn\u2019t feel more hopeful about our country than I do tonight. And by that I don\u2019t mean just that I\u2019m optimistic, though I certainly am. What I mean is, to see so many people work so hard for so long just to give our Capitol some Christmas cheer\u2014well, it\u2019s nothing short of inspiring.\nHope is not the expectation of good fortune. It is the demonstration of good will. It is the determination to do good, whatever the consequences may be.\nThat is the message of the Christmas story. Christ\u2019s birth, like this tree, is a reminder that God is always with us. We may neglect him. We may reject him. But he never forsakes us. He always welcomes us back into his warm embrace. He lights our way. He makes straight our path. He fills every valley and brings every mountain low. We have only to accept the love he offers us.\nAnd tonight, we accept it with joy.\nMerry Christmas, everybody.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=3B00442F-0B51-4824-8A15-E5EF96E0271A", "Committee Approves Johnson, Shaheen Measure to Expand NATO", "2016-12-06", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Ron Johnson", "J000293", "www.ronjohnson.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON \u2014 Legislation to expand the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), led by Senators Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), the chairman and ranking member of the Subcommittee on Europe and Regional Security Cooperation, was approved by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Tuesday.\u00a0 The resolution offers congressional support for the growth of the defensive alliance, reiterates the U.S. commitment to NATO and provides the president with the conditions necessary for the U.S. to formally approve Montenegro\u2019s accession to NATO.\u00a0\r\nJohnson said, \u201cI commend my colleagues on the Foreign Relations Committee for joining me in supporting Montenegro\u2019s bid to join NATO and for reaffirming the United States\u2019 commitment to our partners in Europe. Strengthening and expanding NATO is critical at a time when terrorism and Russian aggression continue to threaten our European allies.\u00a0 I hope that this important resolution will pass the Senate before the end of this Congress.\u201d\r\n\u201cNATO remains indispensable to global security, and the United States must continue to build and strengthen the alliance,\u201d said Shaheen. \u201cApproving Montenegro\u2019s accession will send the clear message that Congress will not bow to Russian threats and intimidation. \u00a0The United States must always stand on the side of freedom, security and democracy, and I urge the Senate to pass this treaty before Congress adjourns.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.speaker.gov/general/7-reasons-were-excited-about-capitol-christmas-tree", "7 Reasons We're Excited About The Capitol Christmas Tree", "2016-12-05", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Paul Ryan", "R000570", "www.speaker.gov", null, null, "legacy", "This year's\u00a0Capitol Christmas Tree\u00a0is ready to be lit, and we for one are excited about it. (Heck, I started writing this post three months ago.) Rain or shine, the tree lighting ceremony gets underway tomorrow at 5:00 p.m. ET, and it will air on\u00a0speaker.gov/live.\nThe tree\n\tEvery year, the\u00a0Architect of the Capitol\u00a0and the\u00a0U.S. Forest Service\u00a0work together to select a tree from one of our national forests. This year's edition\u2014an 80-foot Engelmann spruce\u2014comes from\u00a0Payette National Forest\u00a0in McCall, Idaho.\u00a0\nThe truck  \n\tAfter the tree was cut, it began the 2,500-mile journey to the Capitol, stopping for public events in cities and towns along the way.\u00a0Gary Amoth, the trucker from Twin Falls, Idaho, who drove the tree to the Capitol before daybreak last week,\u00a0said,\u00a0\u201cIt\u2019s awe-inspiring. If you\u2019ve never been here, as I\u2019ve not, it\u2019s pretty awesome.\u201d\nThe tradition  \n\tAccording to\u00a0the House historian, the modern Capitol Christmas Tree tradition dates back to 1962, when\u00a0Speaker John McCormack\u00a0had a tree placed in\u00a0National Statuary Hall, declaring it\u00a0\u201cmost appropriate that a Christmas tree be placed in the Capitol, which is the heart of legislative activity of our country.\u201d The practice of planting a tree on the West Front began a little later.\nThe trimmings  \n\tThe Architect of the Capitol and his team have decorated the tree with\u00a0ornaments handmade by Idahoans. All told, there are\u00a018,000 ornaments\u00a0to go on the big tree and 70 companion trees around Capitol Hill.\nThe toys  \n\tThe tree lighting ceremony is surrounded by events that honor\u00a0what the season is all about. Every year, we part in an annual toy collection drive organized by the Marine Corps Liaisons for the House of Representatives.\nThe good tidings  \n\tTo flip the switch, Speaker Ryan will be joined by Boise fifth-grader\u00a0Isabella Gerard, who submitted a poem as part of a\u00a0statewide contest.\u00a0Here is an excerpt from Isabella's poem:\u00a0\u201cIdaho is blessed with beautiful mountains and immense forests.\u00a0In the winter the mountains and forests are covered with snow,\u00a0making the landscape look like never ending clouds with skyscrapers covered in snow.\u201d\nThe splendor  \n\tThis year's tree will stand in front of the newly restored Capitol Dome, and it will be lit every evening through Christmas night.\u00a0\nBe sure to tune in for tomorrow's ceremony at 5:00 p.m. ET. For now, this\u00a0behind-the-scenes time lapse\u00a0from 2011 tells this whole story for you in\u00a0less than a minute.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.speaker.gov/general/speaker-ryan-60-minutes-obamacare-first-priority-2017", "Speaker Ryan on 60 Minutes: Obamacare Is First Priority in 2017", "2016-12-05", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Paul Ryan", "R000570", "www.speaker.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Last night, Speaker Ryan appeared on CBS\u2019s 60 Minutes for a conversation with Scott Pelley, ranging from what Congress plans to tackle in 2017 to working with President-elect Trump. Below are excerpts from their conversation:\nObamacare: \u201cThe first bill we\u2019re going to be working on is our Obamacare legislation. . . . What we know is we have to make good on this promise. We have to bring relief as fast as possible to people who are struggling under Obamacare. . . . Patient-centered healthcare that gets everybody access to affordable healthcare coverage. So they can buy what they what they want to buy. . . . We will give everyone access to affordable healthcare coverage.\u201d\nPresident-elect Trump:\u00a0\u201cHe\u2019s basically giving voice to a lot of people who have felt that they were voiceless. He\u2019s communicating with people in this country who\u2019ve felt like they have not been listened to. He\u2019s going to be an unconventional president.\u00a0I really think we have a great opportunity in front of us to fix problems, produce results, and improve people\u2019s lives\u2014that\u2019s why we\u2019re here in the first place. And so that\u2019s what\u2019s going to matter at the end of the day. Did we improve people\u2019s lives? Did we solve the problems that the American people need solved? Are we addressing the concerns of people who are tired of being tired. . . . That\u2019s just the way I look at this.\u201d\nPoverty: \u201cWe feel very strongly about making work pay, about getting people transitioned from welfare to work. Get people skills they need, help they need, so they can get on the ladder of life.\u201d\u00a0 \u00a0\nEconomy: \u201cWe really want to focus on economic growth and growing the economy. There are a lot of regulations that are really just crushing jobs. Look at the coal miners in the Rust Belt that are getting out of work . . . the loggers and the timber workers and the paper mills on the West Coast . . . the ranchers or farmers in the Midwest . . . We\u2019re talking about smarter regulations that actually help us grow jobs in this country. . . . We have a real economic growth problem in America. We are limping along. Wages are flat, and jobs aren\u2019t being created near to the extent that they could and should be. So we think regulatory relief is very, very important. And that\u2019s something we\u2019re going to work on day one.\u201d\nBONUS: Want to know what 2017 holds in under 60 seconds? Speaker Ryan lays out six priorities on\u00a060 Minutes\u00a0overtime.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://duffy.house.gov/media-center/enewsletters/so-much-to-tell-you", "So much to tell you!", "2016-12-05", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Sean Duffy", "D000614", "duffy.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Dear Friends,As the subject line of this email suggests, a lot has happened since I last wrote. There are five items I'd like to update you on, specifically:\u00a0\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t1)\u00a0Register today!\u00a0My 4th annual Hunger & Homelessness summit is exactly one week away and it looks as though it will be our largest event to date! However, it's not too late to register! We will have an announcement later this week regarding additional keynote speakers and, I can assure you, it is an event not to be missed. Click on the image to register!\u00a0\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u00a0  \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u00a0\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t2)\u00a0Largest pay raise for our troops in six years:\u00a0The House passed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) last week which, among other things, gives our troops the largest pay raise in six years! As dictated by the Constitution, a top priority of Congress is to provide for our nation's defense; the NDAA is an important part of taking care of our warfighters and ensuring that they have the resources they need to complete their mission and provide for their families.\u00a0\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t3)\u00a0The VA MUST do more:\u00a0\u00a0Unfortunately, this good news for our troops was overshadowed by another disturbing scandal at the Tomah VA. It was revealed last week that a dentist who practices at the medical facility used improperly sterilized equipment to treat nearly 600 patients. The Acting Director of the Tomah VA insists that the risk of infection is low, but I urged her to allow the patients to seek all blood tests and any necessary follow-up medical treatment at a medical provider of their choosing. I also requested further details on any plan to prevent Veterans from being subjected to future health risks. Click on the image below to read my full statement and letter to the Director:\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t4)\u00a0#FollowTheRules Act:\u00a0My bill to extend whistleblower protections for Federal employees who refuse to violate rules and regulations passed the U.S. House of Representatives with overwhelming bipartisan support last week. This bill comes on the heels of a landmark Federal court decision that found that the\u00a0Whistleblower Protection Act\u00a0safeguards Federal workers against employment retaliation for refusing orders to violate Federal law, but those same safeguards do not apply to employees who refuse to violate rules and regulations, despite the fact that rules and regulations are supposed to be derived of law. The\u00a0Follow the Rules Act\u00a0will address this glaring inconsistency. \u00a0Click on the image below to watch my remarks during debate on the Bill:\u00a0\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t5)\u00a0Morning in America:\u00a0I joined Fox's \"Kelly File\" to discuss President-Elect Donald Trump's efforts to convince United Technologies Corporation, the parent company of Carrier, to keep 1,000 jobs in Indiana. Click on the image below to watch my exchange with her:\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u00a0\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tThose are the top five things from this past week. This week, the House hopes to consider, among other things, a \"Continuing Resolution\" legislative package that will fund the government until next year when our newly elected officials are in place. Keep an eye out for next week's email with an update on that and much more. Until next week...", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.speaker.gov/general/speaker-ryan-signs-several-bipartisan-initiatives", "Speaker Ryan Signs Several Bipartisan Initiatives", "2016-12-03", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Paul Ryan", "R000570", "www.speaker.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Yesterday, before I headed home to WI, I signed a bunch of really good bills that are all now headed to the president's desk to become law.\u2014 Paul Ryan (@SpeakerRyan) December 3, 2016\n \n \nThe Veterans Mobility Safety Act reforms outdated VA policies to improve the quality and safety of equipment used by disabled veterans. pic.twitter.com/wi1FN7PCcF\u2014 Paul Ryan (@SpeakerRyan) December 3, 2016\n \n \nThe Northern Border Security Review Act requires the government to analyze & address current & potential threats along our northern border. pic.twitter.com/ENDIJIh0Fi\u2014 Paul Ryan (@SpeakerRyan) December 3, 2016\n \n \nThe Consumer Review Fairness Act protects the right to submit online feedback without fear of retribution. pic.twitter.com/GoYedDhqtH\u2014 Paul Ryan (@SpeakerRyan) December 3, 2016\n \n \nThe First Responder Preparedness Act makes the anthrax vaccine available to first responders in the event of an attack. pic.twitter.com/DjkC9Ix84r\u2014 Paul Ryan (@SpeakerRyan) December 3, 2016\n \n \nThe Iran Sanctions Act keeps a critical tool in place for Congress to hold the Iranian regime accountable. pic.twitter.com/f8PV3CLDgH\u2014 Paul Ryan (@SpeakerRyan) December 3, 2016", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://grothman.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=230", "Grothman Seeks to Restore Power of the Purse to Congress", "2016-12-02", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Glenn Grothman", "G000576", "grothman.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "(Washington, D.C.) -- Congressman Glenn Grothman (R-Glenbeulah) yesterday questioned officials about the use of fines, fees, penalties and settlements to skirt Congress and fund agencies outside the appropriations process in a House Oversight and Government Reform Subcommittee on Government Operations hearing.\r\nExcerpts of Grothman\u2019s remarks:\r\n\u201cIt kind of surprises me the amount of funds that are going around that we probably don\u2019t even know the amount that\u2019s being spent. Can you make suggestions how [\u2026]Congress can start to see more clearly how funds are collected and spent, and what requirements we should put on that budget request?\u201d\r\n\u201cMr. Kosar, [\u2026] you mentioned the government collected $16 billion from the public last year, right? To what degree are these outside of the normal collection [dollars] included in that amount?\r\n\u201cIn other words when [agencies] have money coming in, even though that money is dedicated to a specific purpose, that\u2019s not necessarily apparent from their budget?\r\n\u201cYou know it never ceases to amaze me how screwed up the federal government is. I was a state legislator for 20 years. Washington is so much more screwed up than Madison, Wis. I can\u2019t believe it.\r\n\u201cAre there agencies with funding streams outside the appropriations process? Which agencies in particular do you think could give us more transparent budgets?\u201d\r\nClick here for Grothman\u2019s full remarks.\r\nBackground:\r\nEven though Congress is granted the power of the purse in the Constitution, federal agencies often engage in \u201cbackdoor spending\u201d \u2013 or the use of fines, fees, penalties and settlements to fund their operations and unappropriated programs.\r\nThis backdoor spending is an attempt to cut out Congress and allows agencies to act unilaterally with limited oversight.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.speaker.gov/press-release/largest-pay-raise-our-troops-six-years", "The largest pay raise for our troops in six years", "2016-12-02", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Paul Ryan", "R000570", "www.speaker.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON\u2014House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) issued the following statement on House passage of S. 2943, the Conference Report to accompany the 2017 National Defense Authorization Act:\n\u201cOur Better Way agenda calls for building a 21st century military, and this defense bill delivers important reforms to get us there. In addition to boosting base funding to tackle this readiness gap and equip our troops with cutting-edge technology, it maintains strict prohibitions on transferring Guantanamo Bay detainees to American soil. I\u2019m particularly proud that this NDAA includes the largest pay raise our troops have seen in six years\u2014and it\u2019s well-deserved. I want to commend Mac Thornberry and all the members of the Armed Services Committee for their work on this legislation.\"\n \nBREAKING \u2192 House passes bill to give our troops the largest pay raise in 6 years. #2017NDAA pic.twitter.com/LT7MnsdPNz\u2014 Paul Ryan (@SpeakerRyan) December 2, 2016", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.speaker.gov/press-release/speaker-ryan-signs-iran-sanctions-extension-act", "Speaker Ryan Signs Iran Sanctions Extension Act", "2016-12-02", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Paul Ryan", "R000570", "www.speaker.gov", null, null, "legacy", "I just signed a 10-year extension of the Iran Sanctions Act.\nNext stop \u2192 The president's desk. pic.twitter.com/ucSF9k4Mvm\u2014 Paul Ryan (@SpeakerRyan) December 2, 2016\n \nWASHINGTON\u2014House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) issued the following statement after signing H.R. 6297, the Iran Sanctions Extension Act:\n\u201cI am pleased that despite initial hesitation, the White House has heeded our call and indicated that it will sign this bipartisan legislation. As Tehran continues to sponsor terrorism, test-fire ballistic missiles, and violate the nuclear agreement, Congress must maintain the ability to immediately reinstate sanctions against Iran. Now President-elect Trump will have the opportunity to evaluate our policy towards Iran independent of additional interference from the outgoing administration.\u201d\nNOTE:\u00a0The House\u00a0passed\u00a0H.R. 6297, authored by\u00a0House Foreign Affairs Comittee Chairman Ed Royce (R-CA), by a vote of 419-1. The Senate passed identical legislation by a vote of 99-0.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.speaker.gov/press-release/statement-selection-general-james-mattis-serve-defense-secretary", "Statement on Selection of General James Mattis to Serve as Defense Secretary", "2016-12-02", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Paul Ryan", "R000570", "www.speaker.gov", null, null, "legacy", "General Mattis is exactly the right choice to lead the Pentagon after 8 years of fecklessness under President Obama.\nMy full statement \u2193 pic.twitter.com/TDaFGef7sU\u2014 Paul Ryan (@SpeakerRyan) December 2, 2016\n \nWASHINGTON\u2014House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) issued the following statement commending President-elect Donald Trump\u2019s selection of General James Mattis to serve as Secretary of Defense:\n\u201cGeneral Mattis is exactly the right choice to lead the Pentagon after eight years of fecklessness under President Obama. With this selection, it\u2019s clear President-elect Trump is serious about rebuilding our military, defeating ISIS, and keeping Americans safe. I applaud this decision, and look forward to working with General Mattis and the Trump administration to restore American leadership at home and abroad.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.speaker.gov/press-release/sunday-speaker-ryan-appear-60-minutes", "SUNDAY: Speaker Ryan to Appear on 60 Minutes", "2016-12-02", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Paul Ryan", "R000570", "www.speaker.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON \u2014 One year after their sit-down\u00a0in Janesville, WI, this Sunday, House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) will appear on CBS's 60 Minutes for an interview with host Scott Pelley. Filmed in Speaker Ryan's Capitol office, the wide-ranging interview will air in full on December 4 at 7:00 p.m. ET.\u00a0\nWatch Pelley\u2019s preview of the interview on CBS This Morning.\nDetails:  \n\tSpeaker Ryan on CBS's 60 Minutes with Scott Pelley  \n\tSunday, December 4, at 7:00 p.m. ET  \n\tLearn more about 60 Minutes here.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.speaker.gov/speech/ryan-celebrates-restoration-capitol-dome", "Ryan Celebrates Restoration of Capitol Dome", "2016-12-02", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Paul Ryan", "R000570", "www.speaker.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON\u2014Today, Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) congratulated Architect of the Capitol Stephen T. Ayers and his staff on completing the first comprehensive restoration of the Capitol Dome in more than 50 years. Ayers and his team have repaired more than 1,300 cracks and deficiencies in the dome\u2019s\u00a0cast iron. At a morning celebration marking the project\u2019s successful completion, the speaker thanked everyone involved for all their hard work. Below are his remarks.\nAll I can say is, I am very, very impressed. This was a huge, huge job, and you did it flawlessly. Look, I remember, Stephen, not too long ago, we were up climbing the scaffolding on the outside with [\"The Today Show\"], looking at the progress. On time, under budget, accident-free\u00a0\u2014\u00a0it\u2019s amazing; it really is. This is my 18th year in Congress. I just got elected, as Stephen said, to my tenth term. I was here as a staffer five years before that. So it has been a long time since I\u2019ve\u00a0heard the words \"on time and under budget.\" And I don\u2019t need any reminding, but I just want to stress to you, really, just how important your work is to all of us.\nI remember\u00a0\u2014\u00a0because as you know, my office is right off the side of the Rotunda\u00a0\u2014 I remember when they closed off the Rotunda just to take down the scaffolding. It was just a couple of weeks. But it was just, for a couple of weeks, a big loss. It was just this sense you couldn't go in the Rotunda, you couldn't take constituents, people couldn't go see their Rotunda. And even though it wasn\u2019t very long, I was kind of bummed. Think if it was shut down forever. Think if the artwork wasn't preserved. What a disappointment and a loss that would be.\u00a0\nWinston Churchill\u00a0\u2014\u00a0We just did a Churchill event because we have a bust in Freedom Foyer the other night. And there are so many great Churchill quotes. I'm a huge Churchill fan. He\u00a0once said that we shape our buildings and then our buildings shape us. There is no place where that is not more true than the Rotunda and the U.S. Capitol. All the statues, all the chandeliers, the staircases, just everything, it has an effect on us. You walk through and you know this is where the greats that stood before us, you know, adjudicated. This is where Lincoln, you know, argued. This is where Adams, you know, did these things. It's an amazing, inspiring place. And we have you to thank for preserving this daily dose of inspiration for us. This is one of those kinds of places that inspires us to be bigger and to be better than our everyday selves. And the day if you're in Congress you don't look up in awe of this awesome responsibility that we've been given is the day you shouldn't be here. And so this building is really such an inspiration to those of us who serve here.\u00a0\nAnd you showed us all how a group of hardworking people working together can truly do something that's grand. When you think about it, that\u2019s kind of what this country is all about. When you think about the symbolism of what you've been able to accomplish here, and what it does to lead and to inspire and to raise our gaze to a bigger horizon, to be bigger than ourselves, and to think about how great our potential truly is, it is just the perfect symbolism for where we have to go. And I just want to say on behalf of the entire House of Representatives, on behalf of the United States Congress, and on behalf of the 300 million-plus Americans who have the opportunity to come here and see this great beacon of democracy, \u201cThank you.\u201d Thank you for what you've done to make us proud. Thank you for what you've done to preserve this beautiful and inspiring legacy.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://duffy.house.gov/press-release/duffy-neugebauer-40-lawmakers-to-cfpb-proposed-rules-will-hurt-neediest-among-us", "Duffy, Neugebauer & 40+ Lawmakers to CFPB: Proposed Rules Will Hurt Neediest Among Us", "2016-12-02", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Sean Duffy", "D000614", "duffy.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington D.C. \u2013 House Financial Services Oversight & Investigations Subcommittee Chairman Sean Duffy and Financial Institutions and Consumer\u00a0Credit Subcommittee Chairman Randy Neugebauer were joined by more than 40 of their colleagues in expressing concern to Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) Director, Richard Cordray, over the agency\u2019s proposed rules regarding payday, vehicle title, and certain high-cost installment loans. In a letter to Director Cordray, the lawmakers said in part:\n\u201cBy the CFPB\u2019s own admission, under these rules, lenders will lose up to 75 percent of their revenue which will put most out of business, yet does not suggest where consumers should turn to fulfill their short term credit needs.\u00a0 As you are well aware, the need for credit does not simply disappear.\u00a0 Access to credit has, and will continue to be, critical to millions of Americans. \u00a0In fact, the Federal Reserve reported last year that nearly 47 percent of all American consumers could not cover a $400 emergency. Consumers use short term credit to cover unexpected expenses, or to fill the gaps in irregular income. \u00a0To take what is often times the only lawful option available to make ends meet away from individuals without offering an alternative is irresponsible and is in direct conflict of the CFPB\u2019s mission to \u2018make consumer financial markets work for consumers, responsible providers, and the economy as a whole.\u2019\u201d\nTo read the letter in its entirety, and to see a complete list of signees, \u00a0click here. \u00a0\u00a0\n\u00a0\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://duffy.house.gov/press-release/duffy-on-latest-tomah-va-scandal-more-must-be-done", "Duffy on Latest Tomah VA Scandal: More Must Be Done", "2016-12-02", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Sean Duffy", "D000614", "duffy.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington D.C. \u2013 Upon learning that nearly 600 veterans were exposed to possible infection due to violation of infection control procedures by a dentist practicing at the Tomah VA, U.S. Representative Sean Duffy (WI-07) urged the Acting Director of the Tomah VA Medical Center, Victoria Brahm, to do more to ensure that Veterans\u2019 health is not subjected to future risk. The letter to Ms. Brahm reads in part:\n\u201cI also urge you to conduct a thorough review of your sterilization procedure training regime.\u00a0 If one VA employee purposefully and repeatedly violated the VA\u2019s regulations, I fear that other medical professionals may be unclear or unaware of the consequences of improper sterilization, thereby putting more of our veterans at risk.\u00a0 I also request more detailed information on your plan to discipline the dentist in question.\u00a0\n\u201cOur veterans have served our country, and they deserve the best medical care we can offer them.\u00a0 I have no doubt of the professionalism, competence, and dedication of the vast majority of Tomah VA\u2019s employees.\u00a0 However, I urge you to redouble your efforts to ensure that every veteran who seeks treatment at Tomah VA receives the highest level of medical care.\u201d\nTo read the letter in full, click here.\n\u00a0\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://grothman.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=230", "Grothman Seeks to Restore Power of the Purse to Congress", "2016-12-02", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Glenn Grothman", "G000576", "grothman.house.gov", "grothman", "https://grothman.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27", "scraper", "(Washington, D.C.) -- Congressman Glenn Grothman (R-Glenbeulah) yesterday questioned officials about the use of fines, fees, penalties and settlements to skirt Congress and fund agencies outside the appropriations process in a House Oversight and Government Reform Subcommittee on Government Operations hearing.\n\nExcerpts of Grothman\u2019s remarks:\n\n\u201cIt kind of surprises me the amount of funds that are going around that we probably don\u2019t even know the amount that\u2019s being spent. Can you make suggestions how [\u2026]Congress can start to see more clearly how funds are collected and spent, and what requirements we should put on that budget request?\u201d\n\n\u201cMr. Kosar, [\u2026] you mentioned the government collected $16 billion from the public last year, right? To what degree are these outside of the normal collection [dollars] included in that amount?\n\n\u201cIn other words when [agencies] have money coming in, even though that money is dedicated to a specific purpose, that\u2019s not necessarily apparent from their budget?\n\n\u201cYou know it never ceases to amaze me how screwed up the federal government is. I was a state legislator for 20 years. Washington is so much more screwed up than Madison, Wis. I can\u2019t believe it.\n\n\u201cAre there agencies with funding streams outside the appropriations process? Which agencies in particular do you think could give us more transparent budgets?\u201d\n\nClick here for Grothman\u2019s full remarks.\n\nBackground:\n\nEven though Congress is granted the power of the purse in the Constitution, federal agencies often engage in \u201cbackdoor spending\u201d \u2013 or the use of fines, fees, penalties and settlements to fund their operations and unappropriated programs.\n\nThis backdoor spending is an attempt to cut out Congress and allows agencies to act unilaterally with limited oversight.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T21:09:43Z"], ["https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=575FEC2D-9422-49CC-AA7C-205A0A2BD0ED", "Johnson, Tillis Request President Obama to Implement Hiring Freeze During Transition", "2016-12-02", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Ron Johnson", "J000293", "www.ronjohnson.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Senators Encourage the President to End the Bipartisan Practice of \u201cBurrowing In\u201d  \r\nWASHINGTON \u2013 Sens. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) and Thom Tillis (R-NC) sent a letter to President Obama Thursday night, requesting that his administration consider setting a new precedent for presidential transitions by implementing a hiring freeze on all career civilian servant positions, except those in public health or safety.\r\nThe senators criticized the longstanding practice of \u201cburrowing in,\u201d the conversion of political appointees into career civil servant positions, which has been previously practiced by both Republican and Democratic administrations. A recent Government Accountability Office (GAO) report found that the Obama administration transferred 69 political appointees to career civilian jobs from 2010 to 2015, with 17 of the conversions not receiving prior approval from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), as required.\r\n\u201cNot only is \u2018burrowing in\u2019 unfair to applicants without an inside connection, it further contributes to the possibility that federal workers may attempt to undermine the policies of the new president,\u201d the senators wrote. \u201cWe respectfully encourage you to consider the aforementioned concerns and also consider the implementation of a hiring freeze on all career civil servant positions, except those that involve public health or safety, until the end of your term. Doing so not only will be a gesture of bipartisanship and goodwill, we hope it also will set a precedent for future presidential transitions.\u201d\r\nFull text of the letter is below:\r\nDear President Obama:\r\nWe first want to state that we, like many Americans, have been encouraged by both your words and your actions to assist the president-elect with the transfer of power and to ensure that he and his administration are prepared to lead the country on day one.\r\nBecause we know that you are sincere in overseeing a smooth transition, we hope members of your administration will resist the urge to accelerate the hiring of career civil servants who may not share the priorities of the new administration. There is no doubt that thousands of dedicated civil servants faithfully serve in positions across the federal government without regard to who occupies the White House. However, it would be unfair to those employees, and to the American people, if they are joined by others who may not be willing to properly execute the policies of the new administration.\r\nAdditionally, another activity practiced by both Democratic and Republican administrations in the past is the one called \u201cburrowing in,\u201d when a political appointee moves in, or \u201cconverts,\u201d to a career civil servant position. Since early 2001, more than 300 political appointees have completed this transition. Not only is \u201cburrowing in\u201d unfair to applicants without an inside connection, it further contributes to the possibility that federal workers may attempt to undermine the policies of the new president.\r\nWe respectfully encourage you to consider the aforementioned concerns and also consider the implementation of a hiring freeze on all career civil servant positions, except those that involve public health or safety, until the end of your term. Doing so not only will be a gesture of bipartisanship and goodwill, we hope it also will set a precedent for future presidential transitions.\r\nMr. President, thank you again for your dedicated service to our great nation.\r\nSincerely,\r\nSenator Ron Johnson, Chairman, Committee on Homeland and Governmental Affairs\r\nSenator Thom Tillis\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://grothman.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=229", "Grothman Questions Forest Service on Its Incompetency Addressing Sexual Harassment and Gender Discrimination", "2016-12-01", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Glenn Grothman", "G000576", "grothman.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "(Washington, D.C.) -- Congressman Glenn Grothman (R-Glenbeulah) today questioned officials from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) about sexual harassment and gender discrimination at the U.S. Forest Service during a House Oversight and Government Reform hearing.\r\nUSDA Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Joe Leonard, Jr., U.S. Forest Service Deputy Chief of Business Operations Lenise Lago and Vice President of the USDA Coalition of Minority Employees/Federal Employee Advocate Lesa Donnelly testified at the hearing. Denise Rice, a fire prevention technician for the USDA, was also a witness. Ms. Rice shared her experience of being sexually harassed while working for the agency.\r\nExcerpts of Grothman\u2019s remarks:\r\n\u201cMs. Donnelly, can you let us know whether you feel there\u2019s been improvement over the last eight years, as you compare the current environment at the Forest Service today compared to eight years ago?\u201d\r\n\u201cUnder the current Ag secretary, under the current administration, as bad as things were in 2008, things have gotten even worse, even more callous, even more \u2018who cares?\u2019?\r\n\u201cJust when you think the government can\u2019t get any worse, they get worse. But could you give me some other examples of cases that you\u2019d like to tell this committee about?\u201d\r\nClick here to view Grothman\u2019s full remarks.\r\nBackground:\r\nUnder the Obama Administration, incidences of sexual harassment and gender discrimination at the USDA have increased. \r\nThe Forest Service has been found to be severely mismanaged and incompetent, with perpetrators of sexual harassment and gender discrimination going unpunished and victims often fearing retaliation for filing complaints.\r\nThe Forest Service has asked Congress to make it easier for the agency to fire federal employees who commit acts of sexual harassment or gender discrimination.\r\n ###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://paulryan.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=398582", "Ryan Statement on Latest Tomah VA Scandal", "2016-12-01", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Paul Ryan", "R000570", "paulryan.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, DC \u2014 Wisconsin\u2019s First District congressman and speaker of the House, Paul Ryan issued the following statement after news that almost 600 veterans who received care at the Tomah VA Medical Center may have been infected with various diseases following a breach of VA regulations.\u201cThis news is not just heartbreaking;\u00a0it\u2019s outrageous. How can our veterans be treated so carelessly and where is the accountability? The individual in question has not even been fired\u2014a truly stunning show of bureaucratic impunity. This  demonstrates once and for all that the VA needs a complete overhaul, so that our veterans finally get the care\u2014and the respect\u2014they deserve.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.speaker.gov/general/about-our-troops", "This is about our troops", "2016-12-01", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Paul Ryan", "R000570", "www.speaker.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Tomorrow, the House will vote on legislation to fund our troops and keep Americans safe. #NDAA https://t.co/ws4OTCDRzR\n\t\u2014 Paul Ryan (@SpeakerRyan) December 1, 2016\n \nTomorrow, the House will vote on final passage of the annual\u00a0National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). This bill, which continues a more-than-five-decade tradition of bipartisan support, funds our troops and helps keep Americans safe.\nYou can get the full details here, but in short the 2017 NDAA:\n \nBoosts base funding by $9 billion over the administration\u2019s request to\u00a0close the readiness gap, rebuild our military, and ensure our troops have the tools necessary to carry out their missions.\nProvides our troops with the\u00a0largest pay raise\u00a0they\u2019ve seen in six years at 2.1 percent.\nReforms our acquisition process\u00a0to spend taxpayer dollars more wisely and get our troops cutting-edge technology quickly and efficiently.\nMaintains longstanding provisions to\u00a0prohibit transferring Guantanamo Bay detainees\u00a0to American soil.\nHelps\u00a0combat sexual assault\u00a0in the military by building upon past efforts with an improved reporting process and mandatory sentences for certain offenses.\n \nA central plank of the House Republican\u00a0#BetterWay\u00a0agenda is to rebuild our military, support our troops, and protect our homeland. This is exactly what this year\u2019s NDAA will help us accomplish. We expect a strong vote tomorrow, and urge President Obama to sign this critical bill into law once it reaches his desk.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.speaker.gov/general/speaker-ryan-chairman-upton-energy-commerce", "#CuresNow: Speaker Ryan Thanks Chairman Upton & Members of Both Parties", "2016-12-01", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Paul Ryan", "R000570", "www.speaker.gov", null, null, "legacy", "In case you missed it, last night, the House passed the 21st Century Cures Act with an overwhelming bipartisan vote. Speaker Ryan thanked those who contributed to its success, especially Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI) and members of the Energy and Commerce Committee, this morning at his weekly press briefing:\n\u201cFirst of all, I just want to say how excited we are with the fact that we passed the 21st Century Cures legislation yesterday with a vote of 392. This was fantastic bipartisan legislation, which also included our mental health reforms. Kudos go out to Fred Upton, Chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee, \u00a0[and] Tim Murphy, who worked so hard on these pieces of legislation. I also want to thank the Democrats for working with us in good faith\u2014on the [Energy and] Commerce Committee in particular\u2014for getting this legislation across the finish line, and I expect this to pass in the Senate.\u201d\nLearn more about the 21st Century Cures Act here.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.speaker.gov/press-release/committee-chair-recommendations-115th-congress", "Committee Chair Recommendations for the 115th Congress", "2016-12-01", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Paul Ryan", "R000570", "www.speaker.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON\u2014The House Republican Steering Committee today approved the following recommendations for committee chairs in the 115th Congress.\nAgriculture: Rep. Mike Conaway (R-TX)  Appropriations: Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-NJ)  Armed Services: Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-TX)  Budget: Rep. Tom Price (R-GA)  Education and the Workforce: Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC)  Energy and Commerce:\u00a0Rep. Greg Walden (R-OR)  Financial Services: Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-TX)  Foreign Affairs: Rep. Ed Royce (R-CA)  Homeland Security: Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX)  Judiciary: Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-VA)  Natural Resources: Rep. Rob Bishop (R-UT)  Oversight and Government Reform: Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-UT)  Science, Space, and Technology: Rep. Lamar Smith (R-TX)  Small Business: Rep. Steve Chabot (R-OH)  Transportation and Infrastructure: Rep. Bill Shuster (R-PA)  Veterans\u2019 Affairs: Rep. Phil Roe (R-TN)  Ways and Means: Rep. Kevin Brady (R-TX)\n\tIn addition, House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) has made the following committee chair appointments:\n\tAdministration: Rep. Gregg Harper (R-MS)  Ethics: Rep. Susan Brooks (R-IN)  Joint Economic Committee: Rep. Pat Tiberi (R-OH)  Intelligence: Rep. Devin Nunes (R-CA)  Rules: Rep. Pete Sessions (R-TX)\n\tNOTE: These recommendations will be presented to the full House Republican Conference tomorrow for official ratification.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://grothman.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=229", "Grothman Questions Forest Service on Its Incompetency Addressing Sexual Harassment and Gender Discrimination", "2016-12-01", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Glenn Grothman", "G000576", "grothman.house.gov", "grothman", "https://grothman.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27", "scraper", "(Washington, D.C.) -- Congressman Glenn Grothman (R-Glenbeulah) today questioned officials from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) about sexual harassment and gender discrimination at the U.S. Forest Service during a House Oversight and Government Reform hearing.\n\nUSDA Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Joe Leonard, Jr., U.S. Forest Service Deputy Chief of Business Operations Lenise Lago and Vice President of the USDA Coalition of Minority Employees/Federal Employee Advocate Lesa Donnelly testified at the hearing. Denise Rice, a fire prevention technician for the USDA, was also a witness. Ms. Rice shared her experience of being sexually harassed while working for the agency.\n\nExcerpts of Grothman\u2019s remarks:\n\n\u201cMs. Donnelly, can you let us know whether you feel there\u2019s been improvement over the last eight years, as you compare the current environment at the Forest Service today compared to eight years ago?\u201d\n\n\u201cUnder the current Ag secretary, under the current administration, as bad as things were in 2008, things have gotten even worse, even more callous, even more \u2018who cares?\u2019?\n\n\u201cJust when you think the government can\u2019t get any worse, they get worse. But could you give me some other examples of cases that you\u2019d like to tell this committee about?\u201d\n\nClick here to view Grothman\u2019s full remarks.\n\nBackground:\n\nUnder the Obama Administration, incidences of sexual harassment and gender discrimination at the USDA have increased.\n\nThe Forest Service has been found to be severely mismanaged and incompetent, with perpetrators of sexual harassment and gender discrimination going unpunished and victims often fearing retaliation for filing complaints.\n\nThe Forest Service has asked Congress to make it easier for the agency to fire federal employees who commit acts of sexual harassment or gender discrimination.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T21:09:43Z"], ["http://grothman.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=228", "Grothman Questions DEA Officials About Mismanagement of Confidential Sources", "2016-11-30", "2016", "2016-11", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Glenn Grothman", "G000576", "grothman.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Congressman Glenn Grothman (R-Glenbeulah) today questioned officials from the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) about the agency\u2019s Confidential Source (CS) program at a House Oversight and Government Reform Committee hearing.\r\nInspector General Michael E. Horowitz and DEA Chief of Inspections Rob Patterson provided testimony about the mismanagement of the DEA\u2019s network of 18,000 confidential sources from 2010 to 2015.\r\nExcerpts of Grothman\u2019s remarks:\r\n\u201cMr. Horowitz, you reported that the relationships created by the DEA with limited use confidential sources went beyond that of a person who provides tips. But rather that people were acting almost on behalf of, or in partnership with, the DEA \u2013 giving them real-time information. In some cases, the DEA compensation was greater than what they were getting in their regular job. What privacy concerns [are there] with the DEA essentially treating these sources as independent contractors, and asking them to perform specific tasks?\r\n\u201cI will give you a more specific example: it appears the DEA had one confidential source working in the parcel industry. They were opening up packages and if they found cash, they were alerting the DEA. Now, I assume if you were a DEA employee, you couldn\u2019t sit there without a warrant or something and just open up packages. Furthermore, in this specific instance, they\u2019d call if they found cash, but they never happened to find drugs \u2013 which seems suspicious. So, I wanted your comment on that.\r\n\u201cIt seems a practical matter there \u2013 [the DEA is] giving payment, sometimes payments that are more than a person\u2019s salary, to do something that would be unconstitutional if their own employees did it.\r\n\u201cYour September 2016 audit highlighted widespread issues with the DEA\u2019s tracking and oversight of payments. A lot of these issues have been going back and are similar to those that are happening in a report that was issued in 2005. So, we\u2019ve had an 11-year period here and we\u2019re still finding the same issues. Could you comment on that?\u201d\r\nClick here to watch Grothman\u2019s full line of questioning.\r\nBackground:\r\nThe DEA CS program pays employees from various government entities like the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), private bus companies and parcel delivery services to provide information about possible drug violations.\r\nA recent Department of Justice Office of Inspector General audit of the DEA CS program found that there is limited oversight into this vast network of informants, and that more than 9,000 confidential sources received exorbitant payments of approximately $237 million from the DEA from 2010 to 2015.\r\nThe 2016 audit also found that many of the issues in CS program were discovered during a 2005 audit of the same program, and that nothing or very little has been done to fix these problems. \r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://paulryan.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=398580", "#CuresNow", "2016-11-30", "2016", "2016-11", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Paul Ryan", "R000570", "paulryan.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "It\u2019s 2016, and our society is saturated with technology more than ever before. From smart phones to smart appliances and everything in between, technological advances have made our lives much more convenient. So why hasn\u2019t innovation in health care kept pace?Enter the 21st Century Cures Act. This bill will make significant reforms to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), and other federal agencies with one goal in mind: Getting cures to patients faster.  \r\n\r\n \r\n#CuresNow means we won't give up on anybody. No matter how dire the situation, there can & should always be hope. https://t.co/noFisRyNVq\r\n\u2014 Paul Ryan (@SpeakerRyan) November 30, 2016\r\n\r\n \r\nThese aren\u2019t nebulous ideas. These are real changes to help real people. Consider the tens of thousands of cancer patients in southeast Wisconsin alone. The 21st Century Cures Act, in consultation with Vice President Biden\u2019s \u201cCancer Moonshot,\u201d provides $4.8 billion to NIH to fund research for various diseases, including cancer.That said, this money will also go to research projects to help medical professionals understand all sorts of neurological diseases, like Alzheimer\u2019s. This investment will spur research, innovation, and entrepreneurship to tackle major medical problems facing our country. The 21st Century Cures Act includes funding for the FDA to approve drugs and medical devices for patients more quickly, while maintaining the level of safety Americans have come to expect.For Wisconsinites, opioid and heroin abuse are a serious issue. It is a scourge on our communities. And this bill includes $1 billion for grants to states to fight opioid abuse.If that wasn\u2019t enough, consider the positive economic impact the 21st Century Cures Act will have on Wisconsin. There are over \u201c6,500 medical device companies in the United States. . . . More than 80 percent of medical device companies have fewer than 50 employees\u201d and many of those small businesses call the Badger State home. Wisconsin\u2019s medical device industry provides thousands of good-paying jobs, manufacturing and exporting billions of dollars\u2019 worth of medical and scientific devices each year.Also included in this bill is H.R. 2646, the Helping Families in Mental Health Crisis Act, which reforms the nation\u2019s mental health care system. Back in July, Paul praised initial passage of H.R. 2646, saying that \u201cwe need to make sure that the people who suffer from mental illness\u2014just like any other patients\u2014get the care and medications they need.\u201d The Helping Families in Mental Health Crisis Act is a much needed step in the right direction.The bottom line is this: The 21st Century Cures Act is a strong, bipartisan win for Wisconsin, Wisconsinites, and Americans across the country.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.speaker.gov/general/finally-real-mental-health-reform", "Finally, Real Mental Health Reform", "2016-11-30", "2016", "2016-11", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Paul Ryan", "R000570", "www.speaker.gov", null, null, "legacy", "43.8 million\u2014that\u2019s how many Americans experience some type of mental illness each year. One in every five adults live with it every day\u2014meaning there\u2019s a strong chance you or someone you love has suffered under the unrelenting weight of this disease. Sixty percent of adults living with mental illness didn\u2019t receive care in the previous year.\n\tFor those who do seek help, many are often met with limited resources and a broken system that can\u2019t properly address their needs. As Rep. Tim Murphy (R-PA) said, federal agencies have become \u201cfeel-good programs\u201d instead of emphasizing the evidence-based care Americans so desperately need. That\u2019s why, last year, Speaker Ryan joined Rep. Murphy and families around the country in calling for mental health reform to be a national priority.\n\tA years-long effort began to bear fruit in June, when the Energy and Commerce Committee approved Rep. Murphy\u2019s Helping Families in Mental Health Crisis Act. In July, the House followed suit, passing the measure with 422 votes.\nAt a CNN town hall this summer, Speaker Ryan touted this common ground and the urgency of the problem: \u201cWe have got to get early intervention [to] people with mental illnesses so that we can see these problems before they materialize, and have the ability to do something about it.\u201d\n\tLater today, the House will take up the 21st Century Cures Act, a medical innovation package that will bring hope for patients and accelerate cutting-edge treatments for rare diseases. It will also include the most significant reforms to our mental health system in more than a decade. Among other things, these reforms will modernize our mental health programs, improve mental health services for children with serious emotional disturbance, and strengthen the nation\u2019s mental health reform workforce.\n\tThese reforms represent a landmark shift. Mental illness should no longer be left for families to face alone. It can and should be a national priority. And with these reforms, there will be renewed hope for more people.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.speaker.gov/general/speaker-ryan-cures-now-final-house-vote", "Speaker Ryan Touts #CuresNow Ahead of Final House Vote", "2016-11-30", "2016", "2016-11", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Paul Ryan", "R000570", "www.speaker.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Today, Speaker Ryan discussed the 21st Century Cures Act\u2014legislation introduced by the Energy and Commerce Committee to bring American health care into the 21st century\u2014at a weekly press conference with House Republicans:\n\u201cWe are certainly very excited to bring a final bipartisan version of the 21st Century Cures bill to the House floor today.\u201cThis has been a long time coming. This is going to be a game-changer. It\u2019s going to be a game-changer for patients and for their families. It will fundamentally transform the way that we treat and cure diseases in this country. Cures provides needed funding, but it does so in a responsible way.\u201cI am also pleased, as you just heard, that this legislation includes Tim Murphy\u2019s mental health legislation\u2014mental health reform. Again, something a long time coming. Not only do we need to bring mental illness out of the shadows, we really have to improve how we address it. We need more coordination, more early intervention, and this bill takes a huge step in that right direction.\u201cI just want to thank Fred Upton and Tim Murphy. They have been pushing this for years. And this is the result of their hard work and their collaboration with other people. I want to thank the Republicans and the Democrats on the Energy and Commerce Committee for making this possible.\u201cThese are ideas that we\u2019ve been working on for years. They did not quit. They did not give up. And this is a result of their hard work.\n\u201cAnd that\u2019s really the driving principle of this legislation: We don\u2019t give up on anybody in the country. Nobody is alone. No matter how rare the disease\u2014no matter how dire the situation\u2014there can always be hope. There should always be hope. And with this legislation, there will be more hope for more families.\u201cWe expect very good bipartisan support today, and then we hope the Senate will act swiftly so we can get this bill to the president\u2019s desk.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.speaker.gov/press-release/statement-curesnow", "Statement on Final Passage of #CuresNow", "2016-11-30", "2016", "2016-11", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Paul Ryan", "R000570", "www.speaker.gov", null, null, "legacy", "BREAKING \u2192 The House just passed the 21st Century #CuresAct! pic.twitter.com/LPWFOYmSXv\u2014 Paul Ryan (@SpeakerRyan) November 30, 2016\n \nWASHINGTON\u2014House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) issued the following statement after House passage of the\u00a021st Century Cures Act, a bipartisan bill to reform our approach to medical research and delivery:\n\u201cWe are about to change the very way we do medical research and development in this country. With this bill, we are laying the groundwork for medical breakthroughs that will help countless Americans suffering from what today are considered incurable diseases. We would not have gotten this far if it weren\u2019t for the tireless leadership of Fred Upton. I join the many grateful patients and their families in offering him my deepest thanks.\u201d\nNOTE:\u00a0These reforms are\u00a0a central plank in the\u00a0Better Way\u00a0agenda from House Republicans. Learn more at\u00a0better.gop.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.speaker.gov/press-release/statement-president-elect-trump-s-economic-team", "Statement on President-Elect Trump\u2019s Economic Team", "2016-11-30", "2016", "2016-11", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Paul Ryan", "R000570", "www.speaker.gov", null, null, "legacy", "I am excited to get to work with @realDonaldTrump and his strong economic team.\nMy full statement \u2193 pic.twitter.com/tNhbtfH2Yj\u2014 Paul Ryan (@SpeakerRyan) November 30, 2016\n \nWASHINGTON\u2014House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) issued the following statement on President-elect Donald Trump\u2019s selection of Steven Mnuchin, Wilbur Ross, and Todd Ricketts to key economic posts in the incoming administration:\n\u201cI am excited to get to work with this impressive team to fix our broken tax code, ease the regulatory burden on American businesses, and grow our economy. These men together bring decades of experience across a wide spectrum of industries to their respective roles. I have the utmost confidence that they will serve President-elect Trump and the American people well.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://duffy.house.gov/press-release/duffy-connolly-whistleblower-protection-bill-passes-the-house-with-bipartisan-majority", "Duffy & Connolly Whistleblower Protection Bill Passes the House with Bipartisan Majority", "2016-11-30", "2016", "2016-11", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Sean Duffy", "D000614", "duffy.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "H.R. 6186, Follow the Rules Act\nWashington D.C. \u2013 Representatives Sean Duffy (WI-07) and Gerry Connolly (VA-11)\u2019s bill to extend whistleblower protections for Federal employees who refuse to violate rules and regulations passed the U.S. House of Representatives with overwhelming bipartisan support today. This bill comes on the heels of a landmark Federal court decision that found that the Whistleblower Protection Act safeguards Federal workers against employment retaliation for refusing orders to violate Federal law, but those same safeguards do not apply to employees who refuse to violate rules and regulations, despite the fact that rules and regulations are supposed to be derived of law.\u00a0 The Follow the Rules Act will address this glaring inconsistency. \u00a0\nIn his remarks during debate on the bill, Rep. Duffy offered, \u201cThe court ruling will take away whistleblowers\u2019 protections when they stand up to bad actors in the Federal workforce.\u00a0\nIn effect, this ruling will give permission to supervisors in positions of authority to force Federal workers to violate the rules and regulations that Congress, through law, directs the agencies to implement.\nFor example, at the Treasury Department, one of the agencies I oversee, this would mean that Federal workers could be forced to violate sanctions against Russia for its violation of Ukraine\u2019s territorial integrity.\u00a0 Many of those sanctions are enforced through the Code of Federal Regulations pursuant to laws enacted by Congress.\u201d\nHe continued, \u201cRegardless of your opinion about certain rules and regulations, we should not leave exposed Federal workers who simply want to follow them.\u201d\u00a0\nClick on the image below to watch his full remarks:\n\u00a0\nRep. Connolly added: \u201cI\u2019m proud to work with Rep. Sean Duffy to support federal whistleblowers and improve management practices across the federal government. The Follow the Rules Act will close a loophole that undermines whistleblower protections for federal employees. Federal employees who defy a supervisor\u2019s direction to violate rules and regulations should not be subject to retaliation. This bill continues the bipartisan effort to fight whistleblower retaliation in the federal government and strengthen federal employee protections.\u201d\u00a0\n\u00a0\nAn example of the kind of rules and regulations Federal employees should follow: Consider sanctions against North Korea, which Congress directed the President to promulgate in the form of Federal rules and regulations.\u00a0 Under current law, Federal employees who are told by their supervisor(s) to violate North Korean sanctions have no whistleblower protections.\u00a0 The Follow the Rules Act would fix this and should be considered by Congress.\n\u00a0\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://grothman.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=228", "Grothman Questions DEA Officials About Mismanagement of Confidential Sources", "2016-11-30", "2016", "2016-11", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Glenn Grothman", "G000576", "grothman.house.gov", "grothman", "https://grothman.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27", "scraper", "Congressman Glenn Grothman (R-Glenbeulah) today questioned officials from the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) about the agency\u2019s Confidential Source (CS) program at a House Oversight and Government Reform Committee hearing.\n\nInspector General Michael E. Horowitz and DEA Chief of Inspections Rob Patterson provided testimony about the mismanagement of the DEA\u2019s network of 18,000 confidential sources from 2010 to 2015.\n\nExcerpts of Grothman\u2019s remarks:\n\n\u201cMr. Horowitz, you reported that the relationships created by the DEA with limited use confidential sources went beyond that of a person who provides tips. But rather that people were acting almost on behalf of, or in partnership with, the DEA \u2013 giving them real-time information. In some cases, the DEA compensation was greater than what they were getting in their regular job. What privacy concerns [are there] with the DEA essentially treating these sources as independent contractors, and asking them to perform specific tasks?\n\n\u201cI will give you a more specific example: it appears the DEA had one confidential source working in the parcel industry. They were opening up packages and if they found cash, they were alerting the DEA. Now, I assume if you were a DEA employee, you couldn\u2019t sit there without a warrant or something and just open up packages. Furthermore, in this specific instance, they\u2019d call if they found cash, but they never happened to find drugs \u2013 which seems suspicious. So, I wanted your comment on that.\n\n\u201cIt seems a practical matter there \u2013 [the DEA is] giving payment, sometimes payments that are more than a person\u2019s salary, to do something that would be unconstitutional if their own employees did it.\n\n\u201cYour September 2016 audit highlighted widespread issues with the DEA\u2019s tracking and oversight of payments. A lot of these issues have been going back and are similar to those that are happening in a report that was issued in 2005. So, we\u2019ve had an 11-year period here and we\u2019re still finding the same issues. Could you comment on that?\u201d\n\nClick here to watch Grothman\u2019s full line of questioning.\n\nBackground:\n\nThe DEA CS program pays employees from various government entities like the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), private bus companies and parcel delivery services to provide information about possible drug violations.\n\nA recent Department of Justice Office of Inspector General audit of the DEA CS program found that there is limited oversight into this vast network of informants, and that more than 9,000 confidential sources received exorbitant payments of approximately $237 million from the DEA from 2010 to 2015.\n\nThe 2016 audit also found that many of the issues in CS program were discovered during a 2005 audit of the same program, and that nothing or very little has been done to fix these problems.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T21:07:19Z"], ["http://paulryan.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=398578", "Ryan Discusses A #BetterWay with WCLOs Tim Bremel", "2016-11-29", "2016", "2016-11", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Paul Ryan", "R000570", "paulryan.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, DC \u2014 Today Wisconsin\u2019s First District congressman and speaker of the House, Paul Ryan, spoke with WCLO\u2019s Tim Bremel about implementing House Republicans\u2019 agenda, A Better Way, in 2017.Outlining legislative priorities for next year:\u201cThe first priority is to get the economy growing, get the economy moving. Regulatory relief is a huge part of that. Just go talk to any small-business person . . . and you\u2019ll hear an earful about regulations that are holding them back. So that\u2019s one of the things an incoming administration can bring some immediate relief to, in addition to bills in Congress that we\u2019re working on.\u201d***\r\n\u201cThe health care law is really doing a lot of harm in that people have much fewer choices\u2014some have no choices\u2014and extremely high premiums. . . . So Obamacare relief is something we think is really high and early on the agenda.\u201d***\r\n\u201cReforming the tax code is soon thereafter. That we think is extremely important for economic growth. We\u2019re losing American companies. We\u2019re losing jobs. And we think we can get far faster economic growth and wage growth by reforming our tax system.\u201d\u201cThe tax code is so messy, it\u2019s such a special-interest cesspool, and we want to clean that up. And then, we\u2019ve got all these other issues\u2014like foreign policy, rebuilding the military\u2014that we need to address. . . . Securing the border is a high priority. Take a look at the heroin epidemic we have in Wisconsin. Take a look at some of the crime that comes from . . . a porous border.***\r\n\u201cAnd then while we work on that, we want to work on poverty and restoring our constitutional separation of powers, which is part of regulatory relief and regulatory reform. So those are effectively the six pieces that we\u2019ve been talking about. And the incoming administration, we see eye to eye on these things. And so now, we\u2019re just figuring out how to execute this agenda so that we can get people safe, get people in good jobs, and get this economy growing.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=98F5B18B-1F81-49BE-94AB-8E4D7C0D848D", "100th Wisconsinite Starts Work Through Joseph Project", "2016-11-29", "2016", "2016-11", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Ron Johnson", "J000293", "www.ronjohnson.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Cooperative initiative hits milestone in connecting job-seekers, employers in Wisconsin \r\nMILWAUKEE \u2014 Tuesday morning, the 100th Wisconsinite to find employment through the Joseph Project began her new job. Kenyetta, 32, was a part of the first Madison Joseph Project Class in October and on Tuesday began working at a large Sheboygan County manufacturer. \u00a0Pastor Jerome Smith of the Greater Praise Church of God in Christ, who runs the job training program with the help of Sen. Johnson and his staff, celebrated the milestone Tuesday in front of one of the half dozen vans that the project uses to carry Milwaukeeans to jobs.\r\n\u00a0  Kenyetta was a part of the first Joseph Project class held in Madison, pictured above.\r\nBackground:\r\nThe Joseph Project is an effort inspired by Robert L. Woodson Sr.\u2019s book, \u201cThe Triumphs of Joseph,\u201d about community-based initiatives. In the effort, churches host week-long class sessions to teach job-seekers the \u201csoft skills\u201d that help them in job interviews and in their beginning steps on the career ladder. Sen. Johnson has played a pivotal role in facilitating the churches\u2019 effort. Classes are held in Milwaukee and Madison. More information can be found here.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=AF7E6090-C7F1-4010-BC33-2BB50E257665", "Johnson Statement on Court Suspension of Overtime Rule", "2016-11-23", "2016", "2016-11", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Ron Johnson", "J000293", "www.ronjohnson.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "OSHKOSH \u2014 Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, said this Wednesday regarding a Texas Federal District Judge granting a preliminary\u00a0injunction against the Labor Department\u2019s overtime rule:\r\n\u201cI applaud the decision by a U.S. District Court to issue a preliminary injunction halting the implementation of the Department of Labor\u2019s \u201covertime rule.\u201d The court took a sensible approach and acknowledged the need for additional time to consider the pending case. I recently wrote to Labor Secretary Perez as well as heads of other agencies, asking them to cease implementation of costly rules such as this in order to avoid piling compliance costs on consumers and businesses. In light of the fact that the incoming administration and Congress are likely to re-examine and unwind many of these regulations \u2013 such as the Department of Labor\u2019s \u201cfiduciary\u201d rule, the EPA\u2019s \u201cClean Power Plan\u201d and redefinition of the waters of the United States, and the FDA\u2019s \u201ce-cigs\u201d rule \u2013 I urged these agencies to recognize they can and should avoid placing additional regulatory burdens on the American people.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\r\nBackground: \r\nIn\u00a0June, Sens. Johnson and Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) led 44 senators in introducing legislation under the Congressional Review Act to block implementation of the overtime rule.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://duffy.house.gov/press-release/duffy-announces-keynote-speaker-for-2016-hunger-homelessness-summit", "Duffy Announces Keynote Speaker for 2016 Hunger & Homelessness Summit", "2016-11-22", "2016", "2016-11", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Sean Duffy", "D000614", "duffy.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington D.C. \u2013 U.S. Representative Sean Duffy is pleased to announce that Robert L. Woodson, Sr., Founder and President of the Center for Neighborhood Enterprise, will keynote the 4th annual Hunger & Homelessness Summit.\n\u201cAs we discuss the challenges that our rural community faces in the fight to combat homelessness, we should put a particular emphasis on creating opportunities through self-help and neighborhood empowerment as well,\u201d said Rep Duffy.\n\u00a0\nHe continued, \u201cMr. Woodson has championed this very idea in urban communities. I am very excited for him to share his knowledge and experiences with our community leaders and help us discover opportunities for personal empowerment in our own communities.\u201d\n\u00a0\nMr. Woodson offered, \u201cSubstantial and sustainable community development, rural or urban, must come from the bottom up and the inside out,\u201d said Woodson. \u201cThose with first-hand experience of the problems these communities face are the true experts who can offer innovative, well-targeted solutions.\u201d\n\u00a0\nThis year\u2019s event will be held Monday, December 12, 2016, at 9:00 a.m. (Check-in begins at 8:00 a.m.), at the Central Wisconsin Convention and Expo Center; 10101 Market Street, Suite B40, Rothschild, WI 54474.\nTo register, click here; For more information on Mr. Woodson, click here.\n\u00a0\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://duffy.house.gov/press-release/rep-duffy-offers-condolences-on-passing-of-melvin-laird", "Rep. Duffy Offers Condolences on Passing of Melvin Laird", "2016-11-16", "2016", "2016-11", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Sean Duffy", "D000614", "duffy.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington D.C. \u2013 U.S. Representative Sean Duffy (WI-07) offered the following statement upon learning of the passing of former Secretary of Defense and Congressman for the 7th District of Wisconsin, Melvin Laird:\n\u201cMel Laird set an example for how to put people above politics. He was an honorable servant of our country and the 7th Congressional District of Wisconsin, and he was a great friend and mentor to many, including me.\n\u201cAs I was navigating this position as a Freshman Congressman, our conversations were invaluable to me. More than forty years after leaving his post in Congress, he still knew all of his constituents and key leaders in our community. I will always be grateful to him for taking the time to show me the way.\n\u201cRachel and I offer our prayers to his family and the many friends and mentees who are mourning his passing.\u201d\n\u00a0\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://duffy.house.gov/press-release/duffy-announces-4th-annual-hunger-homeless-summit", "Duffy Announces 5th Annual Hunger & Homeless Summit", "2016-11-14", "2016", "2016-11", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Sean Duffy", "D000614", "duffy.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington D.C. \u2013 U.S. Representative Sean Duffy (WI-07) will host his fourth annual Hunger & Homeless Summit on December 12th in Rothschild, WI. This year\u2019s summit will feature an interactive presentation on Rep. Duffy\u2019s forthcoming \u201cRural Revival\u201d legislative initiative.\nAn announcement about keynote speakers is forthcoming, but registration is open now! 7th District business and community leaders who work on the front lines of, or have an interest in, combatting rural poverty are encouraged to attend.\nWHEN:\u00a0Monday, December 12, 2016, 9:00am (Check-in at 8:00am)\u00a0  WHERE:\u00a0Rothschild Convention Center, 10101 Market St, Rothschild\nTo register, click\u00a0here.\u00a0\n  Questions? Contact: (715) 298-9344 or email Jesse.Garza@mail.house.gov\n\u00a0###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=A07AB846-BC98-4D08-B8A8-77517D7542A5", "Johnson Statement on Veterans Day", "2016-11-11", "2016", "2016-11", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Ron Johnson", "J000293", "www.ronjohnson.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "OSHKOSH\u00a0\u2014 Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) said this Friday on the\u00a0occasion\u00a0of Veterans Day:\r\n\u201cAfter the nation has just finished a long and robust debate over who will represent us in Congress and serve us as president, we Americans should take a moment to remember with gratitude the men and women whose service gave us the freedom to have such a debate and to make such a choice.\r\n\u201cFor more than two centuries, millions of the finest among us have been willing to offer their time, their courage, even potentially their lives to defend our freedom. They took an oath to uphold our Constitution. We honor them by living by that Constitution and by responsibly exercising the liberty they bought for us.\r\n\"Happy Veterans Day.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=2A085305-325F-4637-BA53-5E559FDB5E76", "Chairman Johnson Statement on FBI Decision Regarding Clinton Email Investigation", "2016-11-09", "2016", "2016-11", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Ron Johnson", "J000293", "www.ronjohnson.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON \u2014 Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, had this to say following the receipt of a letter from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) on Sunday indicating they would not recommend charges against Secretary Clinton. The FBI announced in October they were investigating new emails related to Secretary Clinton.\r\n\"Secretary Clinton's use of a private email server \u2013 including to transmit classified information \u2013 was extremely careless and a dereliction of duty,\u201d said Johnson. \u201cThere are also several open questions about the FBI's examination of these facts. As chairman, I will continue my oversight to hold Secretary Clinton, Director Comey and the administration accountable and to ensure compliance with our federal records and national security laws.\"\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=2C373107-AB93-434B-99C9-93CDA93B147F", "Johnson Urges Obama Administration to Finalize Rule Combating Opioid Epidemic, Implement PROP Act", "2016-11-09", "2016", "2016-11", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Ron Johnson", "J000293", "www.ronjohnson.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON\u00a0\u2014\u00a0Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, urged the Obama administration last week to finalize a proposed rule that implements measures against opioid abuse that Johnson and others sought to enact into law.\r\nJohnson sent a letter to Andrew Slavitt, Acting Administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), on Friday urging the agency to finalize its rule to remove pain management questions from hospital payment calculations. Today, pain management questions on patient surveys are factored into Medicare reimbursement calculations, which can serves\u00a0as an incentive for the overprescription of opioids.\r\nIn April 2016, Johnson, joined by Sens. Joe Manchin (D-W. Va.), John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), \u00a0introduced S. 2758, the Promoting Responsible Opioid Prescribing (PROP) Act, which prohibits pain management questions on patient surveys from being factored into Medicare reimbursement calculations, to help address the issue of opioid overprescription. \u00a0In July, CMS proposed a rule that\u00a0would\u00a0effectively implement the PROP Act.\u00a0\r\n\u201cI write regarding a proposed rule by CMS to remove the pain management dimension from the HCAHPS survey for the hospital Value-Based Purchasing Program beginning in Fiscal Year (FY) 2018. I support this proposal, and I write to highlight the numerous other comments that were filed in this proceeding also supporting such an approach,\u201d Johnson wrote in the letter. \u201cGiven the importance of this rule in stemming the tide of opioid abuse in Wisconsin and across the country and the overwhelming support for the change among doctors, administrators, and patients, I respectfully urge you to implement the rule as soon as possible and provide the Committee with regular briefings on your progress.\u201d\r\nIn the letter, Johnson highlighted numerous comments filed in support of implementing the PROP Act.\u00a0 \u201cAs one pain management physician pointed out, these questions \u2018absolutely result[] in increased narcotic prescribing in the inpatient and outpatient setting, and also contributes to higher rates of adverse patient events due to narcotics.\u2019 A nurse of 21 years elaborated: \u2018Physicians will give pain meds to patients so they don\u2019t receive negative patient satisfaction scores.\u00a0 Their pay is often directly related to that scoring system.\u00a0 Our nation has raised a whole new generation of people who expect a pill to fix them.\u2019\u00a0 Similarly, a neurosurgeon wrote \u2018we need to treat our patients\u2019 pain, but within reason.\u2019\u00a0 Finally, a hospitalist explained that these questions, \u2018led to increased opiate prescribing at our facility and inappropriate prescribing at that.\u2019\u00a0 This commenter went on to explain: \u2018The number of times I have heard from physicians at not just our facility but other facilities throughout the city, that they feel forced into prescribing opiates in spite of their better judgment due to patient satisfaction surveys is astounding.\u2019\u00a0\r\nThe letter can be found here.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=521A5DB9-3DF7-40E3-A218-BA2584F8C4C5", "Johnson Requests Greater Transparency about FBI\u2019s Most Recent Clinton Email Review", "2016-11-09", "2016", "2016-11", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Ron Johnson", "J000293", "www.ronjohnson.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON \u2014 Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, wrote to James Comey, director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), requesting additional details about the FBI\u2019s examination of\u00a0 newly discovered emails \u201cpertinent to the investigation\u201d into Secretary of State Hillary Clinton\u2019s private email server.\r\n\u201cOn July 5, 2016, you informed the American public that Secretary Clinton\u2019s use of a private email system was \u2018extremely careless\u2019 and that you could not rule out the possibility that foreign adversaries gained access to her email system,\u201d Johnson wrote in the letter. \u201cYour two most recent letters to Congress leave several unanswered questions about this new material and the FBI\u2019s review of it.\u201d\u00a0\r\nJohnson asked whether the FBI uncovered any new emails containing classified information or identified any new individuals who sent or received classified information.\u00a0 His letter also requested clarity on timing of the FBI\u2019s discovery of the new emails and its interactions with the Justice Department.\r\nThe letter can be found here.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=6FF33683-281A-43F9-9A8D-86D1C260EAF6", "Johnson Statement on 2016 Presidential Election", "2016-11-09", "2016", "2016-11", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Ron Johnson", "J000293", "www.ronjohnson.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "OSHKOSH \u2014 Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) said this Wednesday following the 2016 presidential election:\r\n\u201cCongratulations to President-elect Trump on his victory last night. I look forward to working with him and with Speaker Ryan and Governor Walker on strengthening our economy, helping to make communities safe, and making government more efficient, effective and accountable for the people of Wisconsin. Those of us who have competed in our free market system know how to get real results. By focusing on our shared goal \u2013 a safe, prosperous and secure America \u2013 and concentrating on areas of agreement, we can put America on the right path to provide opportunity for all Americans.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=C597BCF5-F6F0-4E57-9CC7-40B6DBCDC859", "Johnson Applauds Obama Administration Rule Implementing His Measure To Fight Opioid Epidemic", "2016-11-09", "2016", "2016-11", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Ron Johnson", "J000293", "www.ronjohnson.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON \u2014 Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, had this to say following notification that the Department of Health and Human Services finalized a rule implementing provisions of the Promoting Responsible Opioid Prescribing (PROP) Act to help curb the opioid epidemic.\r\n\u201cI applaud the administration for implementing my bipartisan, commonsense solution to fight the opioid epidemic. As we\u2019ve seen in Wisconsin and across the country, the opioid epidemic has affected the lives of many families, including my own. With the support for this change among doctors, administrators, and patients, this is an important step in stemming the tide of opioid abuse,\u201d said Johnson. \u201cPhysicians must be free to exercise their best judgment when prescribing the proper level of pain medication \u2013 that\u2019s what patients and taxpayers expect.\u201d\r\nIn April 2016, Johnson, joined by Sens. Joe Manchin (D-W. Va.), John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.),\u00a0introduced S. 2758, the Promoting Responsible Opioid Prescribing (PROP) Act, which prohibits pain management questions on patient surveys from being factored into Medicare reimbursement calculations, to help address the issue of opioid overprescription.\r\nBefore the implementation of the PROP Act, pain management questions on patient surveys have been factored into Medicare reimbursement calculations, which can serve\u00a0as an incentive for the overprescription of opioids.\r\nDuring the\u00a0Committee\u2019s field hearing\u00a0in Pewaukee, Wisconsin, in April, Dr. Timothy Westlake, the Vice Chairman of the State of Wisconsin Medical Examining Board, testified that the PROP Act is \u201cthe single-most important piece of legislation reform that [policymakers] could do.\u201d \u00a0\r\nJohnson recently sent a\u00a0letter to CMS\u00a0urging the administration to finalize the rule as soon as possible.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://duffy.house.gov/media-center/enewsletters/take-a-look-at-the-story-behind-the-work", "Take a look at the story behind the work", "2016-11-07", "2016", "2016-11", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Sean Duffy", "D000614", "duffy.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Dear friends,\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tIt is one of the greatest honors of my life to represent the 7th District of Wisconsin - the place where I grew-up, that I love, and the people I care about. However, I am concerned that government overreach may prevent my kids - and your kids - from raising their families in the same great community that we were fortunate to grow-up in.\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tI look at what is going on in government: We have an Administration and agencies that are abusing their authority and their power. The only way you can bring them back is through oversight. We work hard on the\u00a0House Committee on Financial Services\u00a0Oversight and Government Reform Subcommittee to shed light on some of the more egregious activity. Take a look at the story behind the work that I do on your behalf:\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tOne more thing before you go:\u00a0It was an honor to receive\u00a0the National Association of Home Builders 2016 \"Defender of Housing\" award direct from some of our hard working Wisconsin home builders. It is always great to catch-up with you all.\u00a0\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tThanks again for allowing me to work on your behalf. As always, if there is anything you need help with, or an issue you would like me to look into, please don't hesitate to\u00a0call on me. Until next week...", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://duffy.house.gov/media-center/enewsletters/this-has-to-be-a-trick-right", "This has to be a trick, right?", "2016-10-31", "2016", "2016-10", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Sean Duffy", "D000614", "duffy.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Dear Friends,\u00a0\n\t\t\t\tThis has to be a trick, right? \u00a0Many of you have shared with me that you're not sure how you will cover the healthcare bills you and your family are facing - and that was before news that healthcare premiums could increase by as much as 25% next year. We need to have an honest conversation about where we go from here.\n\t\t\t\tMy colleagues and I are working on a better way to help all Americans receive quality healthcare that is actually affordable. Our plan will offer more choices to lower costs, advance cutting-edge cures and treatments, ensure that regardless of age, income, medical conditions, or circumstances you won\u2019t be turned away, and it will work towards a stronger Medicare. As you know, I have never been in favor of Obamacare, but I am going to continue to do everything I can to find a solution that lifts this unfair, and incredibly costly, burden from your family.\n\t\t\t\tContinuing the Fight for Main St.:\u00a0I am proud to be the Chairman of the\u00a0House Committee on Financial Services\u00a0Oversight & Government Reform Subcommittee where I can stand up for rural America against unaccountable bureaucrats in Washington D.C. I am also working to rein in the gigantic Dodd-Frank bill which has failed its primary purpose of preventing \"too big to fail\" (the big banks are actually bigger now!) and has ensnared our community banks (who didn't cause the financial crisis) with regulations that are hampering their ability to lend to small businesses and families who desperately need it. America's financial banking system is the envy of the world. My job is to protect it from corruption on Wall Street, as well as the excesses and inefficiencies of big and ever-growing, intrusive government:\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tOn the home front:\u00a0News that Rusk County Sheriff's Deputy Dan Glaze was killed in the line of duty Saturday night left our community shaken, saddened and mad. My hat is off to the Rusk County Sheriff's Department, and the surrounding police forces, for quickly apprehending the suspect; my family's deepest condolences and prayers go out to the Glaze family, and the entire police community, for this horrific loss. If I should receive word of a public memorial service, I will share that information on my\u00a0Facebookpage.\u00a0\n\t\t\t\tOn a lighter note, I hope all of the ghosts and goblins have a great time trick-or-treating tonight. Thank you again to all of our police and public safety officials who will help to ensure their safety tonight as well. Until next week...", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://duffy.house.gov/press-release/duffy-to-tomah-va-director-what-s-your-plan-for-our-veterans", "Duffy to Tomah VA Director: Whats your plan for our veterans?", "2016-10-31", "2016", "2016-10", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Sean Duffy", "D000614", "duffy.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Wausau, WI \u2013 U.S. Representative Sean Duffy (WI-07) asks the Acting Director of the Tomah VA Medical Center to brief him on a plan to assist veterans who will be displaced by the medical center\u2019s recently announced plan to terminate the lease held by the Veterans Assistance Foundation Inc. (VAF) on January 16, 2017.\nIn the letter to Tomah VA\u2019s Acting Director, Ms. Victoria Brahm, Rep. Duffy writes, in part: \u201cI am deeply concerned about the welfare of these veterans, and the impact of the decision to terminate VAF\u2019s lease, on the veterans currently relying on the VAF program for housing and medical care.\u201d He continued, \u201cIf the decision to terminate the lease is final, I urge you to work with VAF to find suitable replacement housing for these veterans, and to ensure a timely resolution of the veterans\u2019 housing needs.\u201d\nThe VAF program currently houses 40 to 50 homeless veterans in the Tomah based facility. In addition to housing, they assist veterans suffering from mental illness and other chronic problems.\nRep. Duffy requests a response by November 4, 2016. To read the letter in full, click here.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=D649002B-69D9-465F-A5A7-F642D4DDFF56", "Johnson Announces Staff Mobile Office Hour", "2016-10-25", "2016", "2016-10", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Ron Johnson", "J000293", "www.ronjohnson.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON \u2014 Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) announced Tuesday that his staff will be available for the mobile office hour listed below. Mobile office hours allow constituents to meet with the senator\u2019s staff to request assistance with a federal agency or regarding other federal matters.\r\nNote: Staff-led mobile office hours are closed to press.\u00a0 Recording devices of any kind are not allowed.\u00a0 These restrictions are put in place for the privacy of constituents we are here to assist.\r\nMonday, Oct. 31, 1 p.m. \u2013 2 p.m.  Milwaukee Urban League, Conference Room  435 W. North Ave., Milwaukee\u00a0\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://duffy.house.gov/media-center/enewsletters/if-you-were-impacted-by-the-floods-you-need-to-read-this", "If you were impacted by the floods, you need to read this", "2016-10-24", "2016", "2016-10", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Sean Duffy", "D000614", "duffy.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Dear friends,\n\t\t\t\tThis past July, severe storms and massive flooding caused more than $11 million in damage to roads and public infrastructure; in addition to battering local homes and businesses in Ashland, Bayfield, Burnett, Douglas, Florence, Iron, Sawyer, and Washburn counties and the Bad River Band of the Lake Superior Chippewa Tribe, all of which reside in the 7th\u00a0Congressional District. Amid great loss--we also saw that great, hardworking, kind, Wisconsin spirit on full display.\n\t\t\t\tWhen Senator Ron Johnson and I surveyed the damage, we witnessed families, neighbors, and in some cases perfect strangers, turn out to help with the clean-up. Additionally, our offices received calls from constituents and organizations asking simply, \u201chow can we help?\u201d, and Senator Johnson and I sprang into action as well.\n\t\t\t\tWe successfully secured federal disaster assistance and set-up a public-private partnership with some of our local, financial institutions. If you live in the impacted areas, I want to make sure you are aware of the options available to you, your family, or your business.\n\t\t\t\tFirst, at the urging of Senator Johnson and myself, the President accepted Gov. Walker\u2019s request for a major disaster declaration for our state. This made available federal disaster relief funding for state, tribal, and eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations for emergency work and the repair or replacement of facilities damaged by the severe storms. I am also happy to report that the U.S. Treasury Secretary heeded our request for additional assistance for some of our farmers, who saw as much as 30 percent of their crop wash away, lost livestock, or suffered property damage.\u00a0\n\t\t\t\tA third option for help is thanks to a partnership with the Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago --whose membership includes several dozen community banks, credit unions and insurance companies in our state. They are offering $500,000 in assistance for our community. Grants of $5,000 will be available through the FHLBC\u2019s Community First\u00ae Disaster Relief Program to eligible households and small businesses located in the areas declared a disaster by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA disaster declaration DR-4276). One can apply for the grant at fhlbc.com or stop in at any participating branch location; the list is also available on their website.\n\t\t\t\tThis has been an all-hands-on-deck effort to get our community rebuilt and back on track. This serves as a good example of government being there during a time of great need, but just as important, I am humbled by the generosity of our local businesses who jumped at the chance to be there for their neighbors. That Wisconsin spirit is truly unlike any other. I am grateful to represent this place that I love and the people I care about. I look forward to seeing this area of our great state come back better than ever.\n\t\t\t\tOne more thing before you go...\n\t\t\t\tMeet Ben Steinhafel. Ben is a Senior at Marquette University, currently working as an intern in our Washington D.C. office as part of the Les Aspen Center's program. If you have called our D.C. office recently, chances are he was the voice you heard on the other end of the line. This past week Ben showed-off some of what he has learned and took his family on a tour of the U.S. Capitol building. It was great to meet them, and thanks, Ben, for all of your help!\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tIf you, or someone you know, are interested in either\u00a0an internship in one of our offices, or a\u00a0tour of the Capitol, let us know - we'd love to help!\u00a0Until next week...", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://duffy.house.gov/media-center/columns/the-chippewa-herald-after-the-wells-fargo-scandal-there-is-a-better-way", "The Chippewa Herald: After the Wells Fargo scandal, there is a better way", "2016-10-17", "2016", "2016-10", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Sean Duffy", "D000614", "duffy.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Recent revelations that Wells Fargo fired thousands of employees for opening more than 2 million unauthorized checking and credit card accounts is infuriating for two reasons.\nFirst, it is hard to imagine a community banker or credit union in Wisconsin allowing even one of their employees to engage in this kind of fraudulent behavior without quick and decisive action. Yet it took the firing of more than 5,300 employees over four years for Wells Fargo to come clean. Second, in the wake of the Great Recession and the enactment of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, the agencies meant to protect consumers appear to have been asleep at the wheel.\nFortunately, there is a better way to hold Wall Street accountable, protect consumers and grow our economy: it\u2019s called the Financial CHOICE Act.\nFollowing the global financial crisis, which caused millions of job losses and sucked tens of billions of dollars from workers\u2019 retirement savings, President Obama used his supermajorities in Congress to remake our financial system. However, instead of addressing the root causes of the crisis, he took the advice of his then-chief of staff Rahm Emmanuel to \u201cnever let a good crisis go to waste.\u201d He enacted everything on his progressive wish list under the guise of crisis management.\nThe product, known as Dodd-Frank, is more than 2,300 pages and is expected to cost our economy $895 billion. Even though small community lenders had nothing to do with the crisis, Dodd-Frank thrust a tidal wave of new rules and regulations on them, forcing them to either shrink their balance sheets, consolidate with big banks like Wells Fargo, or go out of business. The outcome is Dodd-Frank doubled down on \u201ctoo big to fail\u201d bailouts so that if banks, like Wells Fargo, get into trouble, taxpayers could be left holding the bag. Worst of all, it has stalled meaningful economic growth.\nDodd-Frank also propped up the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, a new agency meant to \u201cprotect\u201d customers from the very kind of fraud committed by Wells Fargo. The CFPB was given unique and unprecedented powers for a government agency. It\u2019s nearly impossible for its all-powerful director to be fired and it receives all of its funds without Congressional appropriations or oversight. This stands in stark contrast to most other financial regulators, which are governed by a bipartisan commission that must seek funding from Congress.\nThis lack of accountability helps to explain the abusive behavior by the agency. The CFPB blacklists companies through an unverified public complaint database; it collects consumer\u2019s private information without consent; and it has made it more difficult for Americans to get a mortgage or access to credit.\nAfter the CFPB issued a $180 million fine for Wells Fargo\u2019s fraudulent behavior, Democrats argued that this validated the good work of the CFPB in holding Wall Street accountable and protecting consumers. There is just one problem: As chairman of the Financial Services Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, I have seen no evidence that the CFPB even knew about issues at Wells Fargo until 2013, after the Los Angeles Times exposed what was happening at the bank and the L.A. city attorney filed a lawsuit. Even though the CFPB had agents at the bank, it did nothing until 2015 and that was only because Wells Fargo self-reported.\nUltimately, it was the bank that committed fraud and customer theft, which its CEO was forced to admit publicly to me during a recent hearing. Wells Fargo should be held accountable, which is why I have launched a full investigation. While there is still much that we do not know, we know that more than 8,900 Wisconsin accounts may have been opened without authorization and across the country, and more than 115,000 incurred fees, which may have impacted an individual\u2019s credit scores. While the bank failed to live up to its own ethical standards, regulators appear to have done nothing to prevent or stop this egregious behavior from happening.\nLast month, my committee passed the Financial CHOICE Act to address Dodd-Frank\u2019s failures. Our bill will end taxpayer bailouts, impose the toughest penalties ever on Wall Street for fraud and theft and incentivize well-managed financial institutions to hold more capital by offering them relief from unnecessary regulatory burdens. Our bill also converts the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau into a bipartisan commission and makes it more accountable to the American people.\nNearly a decade after the Great Recession, we shouldn\u2019t be fighting the same fights we did eight years ago. Dodd-Frank was supposed to make our financial system safer. However, as evidenced by the fact that consumers could still be on the hook if a bank, like Wells Fargo, fails and that it can get away with consumer theft right under the nose of our regulators, the law is an utter failure. The Financial CHOICE Act offers a better way to grow our economy, promote financial independence for families, and a safer, more accountable, financial sector.\nU.S. Rep. Sean Duffy (R-Wausau) has represented the 7th Congressional District since 2011. He serves on the House Financial Services Committee as chairman of the Subcommittee on Oversight & Investigations.\nThis column originally appeared in the October 17, 2016 edition of The Chippewa Herald", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=4B87762A-527E-4506-A226-3ED66CEBCC6F", "Johnson Announces Mobile Office Hours", "2016-10-17", "2016", "2016-10", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Ron Johnson", "J000293", "www.ronjohnson.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON \u2014 Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) announced Monday that his staff will be available for the mobile office hours listed below. Mobile office hours allow constituents to meet with the senator\u2019s staff to request assistance with a federal agency or regarding other federal matters.\r\nNote: Staff-led mobile office hours are closed to press.\u00a0 Recording devices of any kind are not allowed.\u00a0 These restrictions are put in place for the privacy of constituents we are here to assist.\r\nMonday, Oct. 24, 10:15 a.m. \u2013 11:15 a.m.  North Fond du Lac Community Center  280 Garfield St., North Fond du Lac\r\nMonday, Oct. 24, 11:45 a.m. \u2013 12:45 p.m.  Fond du Lac Public Library  32 Sheboygan St., Fond du Lac\r\nMonday, Oct. 24, 3 p.m. \u2013 4 p.m.  New London City Hall  215 N. Shawano St., New London\r\nTuesday, Oct. 25, 9:30 a.m. \u2013 10:30 a.m.  Verona Public Library  500 Silent St., Verona\u00a0\r\nWednesday, Oct. 26, 9 a.m. \u2013 10 a.m.  Waupaca Government Building  111 S. Main St., Waupaca\r\nWednesday, Oct. 26, 11:30 a.m. \u2013 12:30 p.m.  Norbert Hill Center  N7210 Seminary Road, Oneida\r\nWednesday, Oct. 26, 1:30 p.m. \u2013 2:30 p.m.  De Pere City Hall  335 S. Broadway, De Pere\r\nWednesday, Oct. 26, 3:15 p.m. \u2013 4:15 p.m.  Muehl Public Library  436 N. Main St., Seymour\r\nThursday, Oct. 27, 10 a.m. \u2013 11 a.m.  Plainfield Public Library  126 S. Main St. Plainfield\r\nThursday, Oct. 27, 12:30 p.m. \u2013 1:30 p.m.  Neenah City Hall, 1st Floor, Hauser Room  211 Walnut St., Neenah\r\nFriday, Oct. 28, 10 a.m. \u2013 11 a.m.  Tomah City Hall, Council Chambers  819 Superior Ave., Tomah\r\nFriday, Oct. 28, 2 p.m. \u2013 3 p.m.  Reedsburg City Hall, Mayor's Office  134 Locust St., Reedsburg", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "truncated": false, "filtered_table_rows_count": 283, "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": "Republican", "p1": "WI", "p2": "2016"}}, "facet_results": {"party": {"name": "party", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/press/releases.json?party=Republican&state=WI&year=2016", "results": [{"value": "Republican", "label": "Republican", "count": 283, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?state=WI&year=2016", "selected": true}], "truncated": false}, "chamber": {"name": "chamber", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/press/releases.json?party=Republican&state=WI&year=2016", "results": [{"value": "House", "label": "House", "count": 283, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?party=Republican&state=WI&year=2016&chamber=House", "selected": false}], "truncated": false}, "state": {"name": "state", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/press/releases.json?party=Republican&state=WI&year=2016", "results": [{"value": "WI", "label": "WI", "count": 283, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?party=Republican&year=2016", "selected": true}], "truncated": false}, "year": {"name": "year", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/press/releases.json?party=Republican&state=WI&year=2016", "results": [{"value": "2016", "label": "2016", "count": 283, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?party=Republican&state=WI", "selected": true}], "truncated": false}}, "suggested_facets": [], "next": "2016-10-17,https~3A~2F~2Fwww~2Eronjohnson~2Esenate~2Egov~2Fpublic~2Findex~2Ecfm~2Fpress-releases~3FID~3D4B87762A-527E-4506-A226-3ED66CEBCC6F", "next_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?party=Republican&state=WI&year=2016&_next=2016-10-17%2Chttps~3A~2F~2Fwww~2Eronjohnson~2Esenate~2Egov~2Fpublic~2Findex~2Ecfm~2Fpress-releases~3FID~3D4B87762A-527E-4506-A226-3ED66CEBCC6F&_sort_desc=date", "private": false, "allow_execute_sql": true, "query_ms": 182.98331694677472, "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"}