{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "is_view": false, "human_description_en": "where party = \"Republican\", state = \"WI\" and year = 2026 sorted by date descending", "rows": [["https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/2026/09/30/video-release-sen-johnsons-full-roundtable-discussion-covid-19-hospital-protocols-real-stories-from-real-people/", "***VIDEO RELEASE*** Sen. Johnson\u2019s Full Roundtable Discussion:\u00a0COVID-19 Hospital Protocols: Real Stories from Real People", "2026-09-30", "2026", "2026-09", "Republican", "Senate", "WI", "Ron Johnson", "J000293", "www.ronjohnson.senate.gov", "ronjohnson", "https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/category/press-releases/", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 On Monday, U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) held a roundtable discussion titled \u201cCOVID-19 Hospital Protocols: Real Stories from Real People\u201d with patients, families, doctors, and nurses. The 21 panelists shared firsthand accounts of mistreatment and other experiences they witnessed at hospitals across the country. In their remarks, panelists detailed how treatments such as remdesivir and ventilation were often forced on patients as the only viable options. Patients were denied alternative treatments and drugs, even when rigid hospital protocols were failing.\n\n\u201cRigid adherence to hospital protocols \u2013 rarely questioned \u2013 became the norm, which many doctors saw as violating the Hippocratic Oath\u2019s core duty: patients first, not protocols. Far too often, the stories of COVID-19 hospitalizations were horrific \u2026 Patients lost their freedom. Family members could not visit and comfort their dying loved ones \u2026 In many of the testimonies received for this event, the callous comments by doctors and nurses to unvaccinated patients and their families are almost unbelievable,\u201d Sen. Johnson said.\n\n\u201cThe stories you are about to hear didn\u2019t occur within only one or two hospitals, but in hospitals across America. To date, we [have] received 583 testimonies from 46 states. The fact that these attitudes were widespread is indisputable. Today, I am providing a platform for these stories to be told so that this kind of cruelty will not be repeated,\u201d Sen. Johnson continued.\n\n\u201cThe other underlying reality is these stories are real \u2026 [The] medical establishment \u2013 those doctors, those nurses \u2013 has to acknowledge the fact [that] these things are real so, once again, it can never be repeated,\u201d Sen. Johnson concluded.\n\nWatch the full four-hour discussion here.\n\nPARTICIPANTS:\n\nPeggy Hokett\n\nPeggy Hokett\u2019s husband, Raymond, died 24 days after being hospitalized in Oklahoma City. He was given remdesivir, told he would die because he was unvaccinated, and placed on a ventilator without consent.\n\nDr. James P. Miller\n\nDr. James P. Miller is a licensed physician and surgeon from Everett, Washington. He spoke on hospital misconduct, patient mistreatment, retaliation, and deliberate targeting of doctors who challenged COVID-era treatment practices.\n\nGail Seiler\n\nGail Seiler of Plano, Texas, was hospitalized with COVID in December 2021. Fortunately, with the help of her husband Brad, she was allowed to leave the hospital and recovered at home. She told her story from the perspective of a patient.\n\nBrad Seiler\n\nBrad Seiler is Gail\u2019s husband, a registered nurse, and a former Army captain. Brad shared what he witnessed during her 15-day hospitalization, his concerns about her treatment, and his successful effort to bring her home.\n\nDonna Lowery, RN\n\nDonna Lowery is a registered nurse with 39 years of clinical experience, including 31 years at a hospital in Florida. After advocating for a COVID patient to receive a physician-ordered ivermectin prescription, she was terminated and faced a complaint filed against her nursing license with the Florida Board of Nursing.\n\nStephanie Williamson\n\nStephanie Williamson\u2019s husband, David, was hospitalized December 10, 2021, in Pomona, New Jersey. He was denied alternative treatments, given remdesivir without consent, and pressured into intubation. David died 30 days later.\n\nRalph Lorigo, Esq.\n\nRalph Lorigo is a Buffalo-area attorney with more than 50 years of legal experience. During the pandemic, he represented 212 families across 40 states who were denied access to alternative treatments and drugs.\n\nDarla Smith\n\nDarla Smith\u2019s husband, Keith, was hospitalized with COVID in York, Pennsylvania, on November 19, 2021. Darla unsuccessfully fought to advocate for his treatment, and Keith died on December 12 after being placed on a ventilator.\n\nDr. John Littell\n\nDr. John Littell is a family physician who cared for thousands of COVID patients in offices, homes, hospitals, and nursing homes. As chairman of family medicine at a Florida hospital, he witnessed patients and families denied treatment options, visitation, and access to dying loved ones.\n\nMelodie McKeel\n\nMelodie McKeel is the wife of Bryan McKeel, who passed away in Sarasota, Florida. Against the wishes of his family, he was intubated and denied further access to ivermectin after showing signs of improvement.\n\nGail Macrae, RN\n\nGail Macrae worked as a registered nurse at a hospital in Santa Rosa, California. During the pandemic, she witnessed the imposition of rigid protocols and the denial of alternative treatments and drugs.\n\nKaren Hayles\n\nKaren Hayles\u2019 son, Chase, was a childhood cancer survivor with preexisting kidney damage. He was assured he would not receive remdesivir when he was hospitalized in Houston in 2021. He received it anyway, further damaging his kidneys. Chase died while awaiting a kidney transplant.\n\nDr. Randy Grellner\n\nDr. Randy Grellner is an Oklahoma state senator and family physician. Randy told the story of his longtime patient and friend, John \u2013 a 72-year-old farmer and Navy veteran who died after being hospitalized.\n\nKatelyn Johnson, RN\n\nKatelyn Johnson is a registered nurse with 10 years of bedside clinical experience and the former director of Medical Services for Paralyzed Veterans of America. She brought firsthand insight into how COVID-19-era hospital protocols affected patient access and the nurses caring for vulnerable veterans.\n\nCori Peth\n\nCori Peth\u2019s father, George, died April 7, 2022, in Colorado after a three-month hospitalization. He was denied monoclonal antibodies, given remdesivir, and told he would die if he refused a ventilator. He later died on the ventilator.\n\nNicole Landers, RN\n\nNicole Landers is a Maryland registered nurse with more than 30 years of clinical experience. During the pandemic, she provided alternative treatments when doctors only offered the standard COVID-19 hospital protocols.\n\nPatti Joyce\n\nPatti Joyce of Jacksonville, Florida, told the story of her brother, Earl Hendrix, who died at 62 in Whitefish, Montana.\n\nDr. Susan Rohr\n\nDr. Susan Rohr is a board-certified pulmonary and critical care physician in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. She challenged rigid treatment protocols and advocated for additional treatment options when patients were told there was nothing more that could be done.\n\nPatty Myers\n\nPatty Myers is a behavior analyst whose husband, Tony, died after a 25-day COVID-19 hospitalization in 2021. During his hospitalization, Patty advocated for and was denied treatments including ivermectin, monoclonal antibodies, high-dose vitamin C, zinc, and vitamin D.\n\nJenna Hadley Johnsen, RN\n\nJenna Hadley Johnsen is a registered nurse, public health nurse, and Certified Legal Nurse Consultant (CLNC) from Minnesota with more than 22 years of experience. She held the medical power of attorney for her father who died after a 24-day COVID hospitalization in January 2022.\n\nDr. Pierre Kory\n\nDr. Pierre Kory is a pulmonary and critical care physician and the Chief Scientific Officer of Rebuild Medicine. He is the former chief of the Critical Care Service at the University of Wisconsin and was a frontline doctor treating patients from the start of the pandemic.\n\n###", 1, "2026-10-01T11:23:28Z", "2026-10-01T11:25:15Z"], ["https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/2026/09/24/media-advisory-reminder-sen-johnson-to-lead-roundtable-discussion-covid-19-hospital-protocols-real-stories-from-real-people/", "***MEDIA ADVISORY*** Reminder: Sen. Johnson to Lead Roundtable Discussion: \u201cCOVID-19 Hospital Protocols: Real Stories from Real People\u201d", "2026-09-24", "2026", "2026-09", "Republican", "Senate", "WI", "Ron Johnson", "J000293", "www.ronjohnson.senate.gov", "ronjohnson", "https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/category/press-releases/", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 On Monday, September 28, 2026, U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) will lead a roundtable discussion titled \u201cCOVID-19 Hospital Protocols: Real Stories from Real People.\u201d Sen. Johnson will be joined by patients, families, doctors, and nurses to discuss how hospitals failed to administer proper care and treatment to patients suffering from COVID-19 throughout the pandemic.\n\nPanelists will share firsthand accounts of mistreatment and other experiences they witnessed at hospitals across the country.\n\nSen. Johnson has held a series of public hearings and roundtables examining our federal health officials\u2019 flawed response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This is the first event devoted entirely to what happened inside hospitals.\n\nWHEN: September 28, 2026, 1 p.m. ET\n\nWHO: Sen. Johnson, patients, families, doctors, and nurses\n\nWHERE: Russell Senate Office Building, Kennedy Caucus Room 325.\n\nPlease note guests must enter through security at the Russell entrance at First St. & Constitution Ave. door or the Upper Delaware Ave. door (ADA). A map is linked here.\n\nLIVESTREAM: Rumble: @SenRonJohnson; X: @SenRonJohnson; Facebook: Senator Ron Johnson\n\nPRESS RSVP: Please RSVP by Friday, September 25 at 10 a.m. ET with name, outlet, email, and phone number to press@ronjohnson.senate.gov.\n\nRSVPs are strictly for press and media inquiries. Due to capacity restrictions, we cannot guarantee a seat to everyone who plans to attend. Seats will be on a first-come, first-served basis. An overflow room with the livestream will be available.\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-25T10:04:52Z", "2026-09-25T10:05:46Z"], ["https://fitzgerald.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-fitzgerald-introduces-merger-exclusivity-discussion-draft", "Rep. Fitzgerald Introduces Merger Exclusivity Discussion Draft", "2026-09-18", "2026", "2026-09", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Scott Fitzgerald", "F000471", "fitzgerald.house.gov", "fitzgerald", "https://fitzgerald.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, DC \u2013 Congressman Scott Fitzgerald (WI-05), Chairman of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Administrative State, Regulatory Reform, and Antitrust, has introduced a discussion draft of legislation to provide the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and Department of Justice (DOJ) with exclusive authority to review or challenge certain mergers and acquisitions with an inherent interstate or international nexus.\n\n\u201cOver the last two years, we have witnessed multiple attempts by Democrat state attorneys general to challenge mergers and acquisitions that have already been approved by multiple federal and foreign regulators,\u201d said Congressman Scott Fitzgerald. \u201cThese lawsuits\u2014which are based entirely on political disagreements rather than legitimate antitrust concerns\u2014provide uncertainty to businesses and harm consumers who would otherwise benefit from the efficiencies of a completed transaction. State AGs should not be able to delay mergers that extend beyond their territorial borders. My bill promotes federalism by asserting the federal government\u2019s role as the sole authority in transactions effecting interstate commerce.\u201d\n\nCongressman Fitzgerald\u2019s proposed National Merger Uniformity and Federal Exclusivity Act would grant the FTC and DOJ with exclusive authority to investigate, challenge, approve, consent to, or settle transactions that are reasonably likely to have substantial direct economic effects on interstate or international commerce, foreign markets, international supply chains, or trade between the United States and foreign countries. State AGs would still be allowed to participate in reviews or challenges brought by federal regulators, and the bill would not affect a state\u2019s ability to challenge mergers that are inherently intrastate.\n\nView the discussion draft here.\n\nAny person who wishes to provide feedback on the draft legislation may contact Congressman Fitzgerald\u2019s Washington D.C. office at (202) 225-5101 for further guidance.\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-19T09:11:33Z", "2026-09-19T09:12:45Z"], ["https://steil.house.gov/media/press-releases/steil-presents-racine-physicians-with-2026-health-care-hero-awards", "Steil Presents Racine Physicians with 2026 Health Care Hero Awards", "2026-09-18", "2026", "2026-09", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Bryan Steil", "S001213", "steil.house.gov", "steil", "https://steil.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Racine, WI \u2013 Today, Congressman Bryan Steil (WI-01) presented Dr. Paul Durbin and Dr. Patricia Golden with Wisconsin\u2019s First Congressional District\u2019s 2026 Health Care Hero of the Year Award for their exceptional service to patients and communities across Southeast Wisconsin.\n\n\u201cOur community is incredibly grateful for the health care professionals working on the front lines. Dr. Durbin and Dr. Golden exemplify the compassion, dedication, and selflessness that define our health care heroes. Their commitment to their patients, colleagues, and communities has made a lasting difference across Southeast Wisconsin. Congratulations to Dr. Durbin and Dr. Golden.\u201d\n\nRep. Steil (left) with Dr. Patricia Golden (middle) and Dr. Paul Durbin (right)\n\nDr. Paul Durbin, recognized as Wisconsin\u2019s First Congressional District's Healthcare Worker of the Year. Dr. Durbin is an internal medicine physician who has served patients at Ascension All Saints in Racine for 28 years. According to his nomination, Dr. Durbin he has built lasting relationships with patients and their families while earning recognition for his expertise in preventive medicine and chronic disease management. He has received six Guardian Angel Awards and has been repeatedly recognized as a Top Doctor by local publications.\n\nBeyond his medical practice, Dr. Durbin has dedicated himself to serving vulnerable populations in Racine and around the world. For 13 years, he has helped lead an annual medical mission to Guatemala, coordinating nearly 70 volunteers to provide medical and dental care to underserved communities. He also serves on the board of HALO, Racine\u2019s homeless shelter, volunteers through Grace Church, and has helped lead Ascension\u2019s Medical Mission at Home events. Alongside his wife, Jennifer, Dr. Durbin has also opened their home to foster children, including medically complex children who require specialized care.\n\nRep. Steil with Dr. Paul Durbin\n\nDr. Patricia Golden, recognized as a Health Care Hero, is a family medicine physician and Chief Medical Officer for Ascension Medical Group Wisconsin. According to her nomination, Dr. Golden\u2019s career has focused on improving the health of individuals, families, and communities across southeastern Wisconsin. For more than 20 years, she has balanced compassionate patient care with physician leadership and has served for more than a decade as Medical Director of Ascension Wisconsin\u2019s Community Clinics, providing clinical leadership for programs serving Southeast Wisconsin's most vulnerable residents.\n\nDr. Golden has also served for more than 10 years as Medical Advisor to the Franklin Health Department, helping guide public health planning, disease prevention, emergency preparedness, and community wellness. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she helped lead Ascension Wisconsin\u2019s regional response and develop a mobile testing playbook that was shared with other health systems, public health agencies, and community partners. She continues to mentor future health care professionals, recruit physicians to southeastern Wisconsin, and volunteer with organizations serving underserved communities.\n\nRep. Bryan Steil with Dr. Patricia Golden\n\nFor more photos from the event, click here.\n\nBackground:\n\nRecipients of this award were nominated by residents of Wisconsin and selected by Wisconsin\u2019s First Congressional District\u2019s Health Care Advisory Board.\n\nThe Advisory Board is comprised of health care professionals across Southeast Wisconsin.\n\nThe Advisory Board evaluated nominees on the following criteria:\n\nSERVICE: Displays exemplary service and performance in their profession.\n\nDEDICATION: Upholds the standard of providing unsurpassed care and treatment for their patients and goes above and beyond the call of duty in performing their responsibilities.\n\nSELFLESSNESS: Displays self-sacrifice and selflessness in caring for others.\n\nNominees must reside in Wisconsin\u2019s 1st Congressional District and be a licensed health care professional.\n\nThis is the seventh annual 1st Congressional District Health Care Hero of the Year Award.", 1, "2026-09-19T09:11:33Z", "2026-09-19T09:12:45Z"], ["https://fitzgerald.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-fitzgerald-votes-sanction-russia-and-iran-and-lower-costs-imposed-left", "Rep. Fitzgerald Votes to Sanction Russia and Iran and to Lower Costs Imposed by Left-Wing Climate Mandates", "2026-09-17", "2026", "2026-09", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Scott Fitzgerald", "F000471", "fitzgerald.house.gov", "fitzgerald", "https://fitzgerald.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, DC \u2013 Congressman Scott Fitzgerald (WI-05) issued the following statements in response to the passage of the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 and two joint resolutions challenging left-wing environmental regulations that have unnecessarily driven up costs.\n\nOn the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act:\n\n\u201cAmerica\u2019s foreign policy must put the safety, security, and prosperity of the American people first,\u201d said Congressman Fitzgerald. \u201cRussia and Iran are hostile regimes that threaten our national interests and continue to undermine stability around the world. This legislation gives the United States greater leverage to hold these regimes and those who support them accountable. Stronger sanctions give us greater leverage to force Russia to the negotiating table and pursue a lasting peace in Ukraine. These sanctions also strengthen our ability to confront the Iranian regime and protect American interests from its terrorist activities and nuclear ambitions.\u201d\n\nBackground: This bill imposes broad sanctions and economic restrictions on Russia in response to its war against Ukraine. It targets Russian government officials, financial institutions, state-owned entities, energy projects, defense suppliers, sanctions evaders, and vessels used to transport Russian energy products. The bill also authorizes tariffs of up to 500 percent on Russian imports and up to 100 percent on goods from certain countries that continue purchasing significant amounts of Russian oil or natural gas or facilitate sanctions evasion. It extends the Iran Sanctions Act through 2031.\n\nOn H.J. Res 213:\n\n\u201cGreen New Deal activists should not be allowed to use the federal government to impose costly environmental mandates that drive up prices for American workers, businesses, and consumers,\u201d said Congressman Fitzgerald. \u201cThese burdensome regulations do nothing to make Americans safer or more prosperous, and they threaten jobs and economic growth. I\u2019m proud to support this resolution to roll back these costly mandates and put American economic interests first.\u201d\n\nBackground: This resolution overturns a Biden-Harris Administration waiver that allows California to impose costly and burdensome mandates on ferries, tugboats, work boats, and commercial fishing boats. These requirements would cost maritime operators and consumers more than $2.5 billion and would not result in a meaningful reduction in emissions.\n\nOn H.J. Res. 210:\n\n\u201cThe United States cannot sacrifice our energy security in pursuit of radical climate policies,\u201d said Congressman Fitzgerald. \u201cThese costly regulations threaten our energy supply, drive up prices for hardworking Americans, and put critical fuel supplies for our military at risk. I\u2019m proud to support this resolution to overturn another reckless Biden-Harris Administration waiver.\u201d\n\nBackground: This resolution overturns a Biden-Harris Administration waiver covering ocean-going oil tankers docked in California waters. These rules disrupt oil imports and are contributing to refinery closures, including refineries supplying critical jet fuel for military use.\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-18T09:27:43Z", "2026-09-18T09:29:09Z"], ["https://fitzgerald.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-fitzgerald-introduces-landmark-reform-judicial-conduct-and-disability-act", "Rep. Fitzgerald Introduces Landmark Reform of Judicial Conduct and Disability Act", "2026-09-16", "2026", "2026-09", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Scott Fitzgerald", "F000471", "fitzgerald.house.gov", "fitzgerald", "https://fitzgerald.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, DC \u2013 Congressman Scott Fitzgerald (WI-05), a member of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property, Artificial Intelligence, and the Internet, introduced the Judicial Conduct and Disability Reform Act, the first major overhaul of the Judicial Conduct and Disability (JCDA) Act in more than 45 years and the latest since 2002.\n\n\u201cThe case of Judge Pauline Newman has exposed major flaws in the JCDA that warrant Congressional attention,\u201d said Congressman Fitzgerald. \u201cFor more than three years, Judge Newman has been unable to hear any cases while her case drags on. Meanwhile, the Chief Justice refused to grant Judge Newman\u2019s request to transfer the proceedings to another circuit despite an obvious bias at the Federal Circuit and has now denied her petition for judicial review. My bill will correct this injustice against Judge Newman and ensure judges cannot be subjected to indefinite suspensions without due process.\u201d\n\nThe Judicial Conduct and Disability Reform Act makes four key reforms to the JCDA:\n\nProvides a statutory time limit for Judicial Conduct and Disability (JC&D) proceedings;\n\nRequires the mandatory transfer of cases against certain Circuit Court judges;\n\nCreates limited judicial review for challenging suspension orders; and\n\nEstablishes an objective standard of recusal from JC&D proceedings.\n\nThe bill also increases oversight and notification procedures to Congress when judges are subject to certain judicial conduct proceedings. This is a change from current law, which requires Congressional notification only when the Judicial Conference determines impeachment may be warranted.\n\n\u201cFor decades, the Judicial Conduct and Disability Act has helped ensure that judges who engage in unethical conduct are held accountable. But developments like Judge Newman's suspension and Judge Ross' misbehavior underscore the need for modernization,\u201d said Executive Director of Fix the Court Gabe Roth. \u201cRep. Fitzgerald's amendments would strengthen the JCDA in several respects, by limiting the maximum duration of suspensions, facilitating the transfer of complaints where appropriate and enhancing Congress\u2019s oversight responsibilities. They constitute a valuable contribution to judicial accountability, and Fix the Court is proud to endorse Rep. Fitzgerald's work.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe Judicial Conduct and Disability Act was last amended almost a quarter of a century ago. Since then, high-profile proceedings have revealed gaps and flaws that warrant Congressional attention,\u201d said federal judicial ethics expert Professor Arthur D. Hellman. \u201cI applaud Rep. Fitzgerald for introducing this bill, which makes modest but important changes in the Act\u2019s procedures. Although the bill responds particularly to the concerns raised by what has been called the \u2018stealth impeachment\u2019 of Judge Pauline Newman of the Federal Circuit, its provisions are broadly applicable and will serve the interests of judges and complainants alike.\u201d\n\nBackground: The Judicial Conduct and Disability Act of 1980 (28 U.S.C. \u00a7\u00a7 351-364) authorizes any person, including the chief judge of the circuit, to file or initiate a written complaint alleging that a federal judge either has engaged in \u201cconduct prejudicial to the effective and expeditious administration of the business of the courts,\u201d or \u201cis unable to discharge all the duties\u201d of the office due to mental or physical disability. In 2023, Judge Pauline Newman of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit was the victim of a misconduct and disability investigation initiated by the Chief Judge of the Federal Circuit, who also chaired the judicial council charged with reviewing the complaint. In 2025, the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit upheld a district court\u2019s earlier ruling that it lacked standing to hear Judge Newman\u2019s challenge of the suspension due to 28 U.S.C. \u00a7 357(c)\u2019s bar on judicial review and, in June 2026, the Supreme Court denied Judge Newman\u2019s petition for certiorari.\n\nRead the bill text here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-17T09:52:05Z", "2026-09-17T09:53:00Z"], ["https://fitzgerald.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-fitzgerald-votes-strengthen-federal-fight-against-fraud", "Rep. Fitzgerald Votes to Strengthen Federal Fight Against Fraud", "2026-09-16", "2026", "2026-09", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Scott Fitzgerald", "F000471", "fitzgerald.house.gov", "fitzgerald", "https://fitzgerald.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, DC \u2013 Congressman Scott Fitzgerald (WI-05) issued the following statements in response to the passage of two critical pieces of legislation today: the National Fraud Enforcement Division Act of 2026 and the Preventing Rip-offs and Obtaining Oversight of Funds (PROOF) Act.\n\nOn the National Fraud Enforcement Division Act:\n\n\u201cAmerican taxpayers work too hard to have their money siphoned away by fraudsters,\u201d said Congressman Fitzgerald. \u201cThis legislation gives the Department of Justice a permanent structure dedicated to going after major fraud schemes and holding those who steal from taxpayers accountable. There is zero excuse for not taking fraud seriously and the House of Representatives took action today to guarantee the DOJ can continue shutting these schemes down.\u201d\n\nBackground: This bill codifies the National Fraud Enforcement Division in federal law. This is critical to ensure the Department of Justice has a permanent structure focused on major fraud investigations and prosecutions to protect taxpayer dollars.\n\nOn the PROOF Act:\n\n\u201cFederal investigators can\u2019t crack down on fraud if they can\u2019t get the information needed to uncover it,\u201d said Congressman Fitzgerald. \u201cThe PROOF Act closes critical information gaps and gives DOJ the ability to access state program data when investigating fraud cases. If someone is stealing from a taxpayer-funded program, it\u2019s a no-brainer that investigators should have the tools to find them, follow the money, and hold them accountable.\u201d\n\nBackground: This bill requires states provide program data when the Attorney General makes a written request related to a fraud investigation or prosecution. This applies to Medicaid, SNAP, unemployment benefits, pandemic relief, disaster assistance, housing programs, broadband funding, and other federally funded state programs determined to be vulnerable to fraud.\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-17T09:52:05Z", "2026-09-17T09:53:00Z"], ["https://wied.house.gov/media/press-releases/small-business-committee-advances-two-bills-introduced-rep-wied", "Small Business Committee Advances Two Bills Introduced by Rep. Wied", "2026-09-16", "2026", "2026-09", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Tony Wied", "W000829", "wied.house.gov", "wied", "https://wied.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, DC \u2014 The House Committee on Small Business today advanced two bills introduced by Congressman Tony Wied (R-WI) with bipartisan support.\n\n\u201cWhether it\u2019s strengthening cybersecurity for small businesses or helping bring manufacturing back home, I am committed to doing everything I can to put Main Street first and give small businesses the tools they need to continue driving our economy,\u201d said Congressman Wied. \u201cThese commonsense pieces of legislation were designed to make life easier for small business owners. I am pleased to see them advance through committee, and I look forward to working to pass them through the House.\u201d\n\nDuring today\u2019s markup, members of the Small Business Committee unanimously voted to advance both the Cybersecurity for Small Businesses Act and the Reshoring American Manufacturing Act.\n\nThe Cybersecurity for Small Businesses Act:\n\nRequires the Small Business Administration to collaborate with the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and the National Institute of Standards and Technology to provide small businesses with information on cybersecurity best practices.\n\nRequires the Small Business Administration, in coordination with the Secretary of War, to provide specific information related to the levels of cybersecurity requirements for the Department of War\u2019s Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC).\n\nRequires the Administrator to consult the Chief Counsel for Advocacy at the SBA\u2019s Office of Advocacy annually to determine best practices for disseminating information to small businesses.\n\nThe Reshoring American Manufacturing Act:", 1, "2026-09-17T09:52:05Z", "2026-09-17T09:53:00Z"], ["https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/2026/09/16/media-advisory-sen-johnson-to-lead-roundtable-discussion-covid-19-hospital-protocols-real-stories-from-real-people/", "***MEDIA ADVISORY*** Sen. Johnson to Lead Roundtable Discussion: \u201cCOVID-19 Hospital Protocols: Real Stories from Real People\u201d", "2026-09-16", "2026", "2026-09", "Republican", "Senate", "WI", "Ron Johnson", "J000293", "www.ronjohnson.senate.gov", "ronjohnson", "https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/category/press-releases/", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 On Monday, September 28, 2026, U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) will lead a roundtable discussion titled \u201cCOVID-19 Hospital Protocols: Real Stories from Real People.\u201d Sen. Johnson will be joined by patients, families, doctors, and nurses to discuss how hospitals failed to administer proper care and treatment to patients suffering from COVID-19 throughout the pandemic.\n\nPanelists will share firsthand accounts of mistreatment and other experiences they witnessed at hospitals across the country.\n\nSen. Johnson has held a series of public hearings and roundtables examining our federal health officials\u2019 flawed response to the COVID-19pandemic. This is the first event devoted entirely to what happened inside hospitals.\n\nA livestream of the event will be available.\n\nWHAT: A nonpartisan panel discussion about flawed hospital protocols during the COVID-19 pandemic\n\nWHEN: September 28, 2026, 1 p.m. ET\n\nWHO: Sen. Johnson, patients, families, doctors, and nurses\n\nWHERE: Russell Senate Office Building, Kennedy Caucus Room 325\n\nPRESS RSVP: Please RSVP by Friday, September 25 at 10:00 a.m. ET with name, outlet, email, and phone number to press@ronjohnson.senate.gov.\n\nDue to capacity restrictions, we cannot guarantee a seat to everyone who plans to attend. An overflow room will be available. Additional updates will be provided on our website.\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-17T09:52:05Z", "2026-09-17T09:53:00Z"], ["https://fitzgerald.house.gov/media/press-releases/fitzgerald-led-bill-protecting-retirees-scams-passes-house-representatives", "Fitzgerald-Led Bill Protecting Retirees from Scams Passes House of Representatives", "2026-09-15", "2026", "2026-09", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Scott Fitzgerald", "F000471", "fitzgerald.house.gov", "fitzgerald", "https://fitzgerald.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, DC \u2013 Today, the Guarding Unprotected Aging Retirees from Deception (GUARD) Act, bipartisan legislation Congressman Scott Fitzgerald (WI-05) introduced alongside Congressman Zach Nunn (IA-03) and Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-05), passed the House of Representatives.\n\nThe GUARD Act was introduced with one critical goal in mind\u2014to combat financial fraud scams that target hardworking Americans. Scams have become increasingly complex, cross-jurisdictional, and technology-driven. Pig butchering schemes often combine social engineering, fake investment platforms, romance or confidence fraud, and cryptocurrency transactions that move quickly across wallets, exchanges, and borders.\n\nState, local, and tribal law enforcement are often the first point of contact for scam victims, but many agencies lack dedicated personnel, blockchain tracing tools, training, and coordination channels with financial institutions and federal law enforcement.\n\nThe GUARD Act addresses this gap by allowing existing federal grant funds to be used more directly for financial fraud investigations, training, technology, data collection, and law enforcement coordination.\n\n\u201cAs technology continues to evolve, so do the tactics used by criminals to defraud hardworking Americans. The House passage of the GUARD Act is an important step toward giving state and local law enforcement the tools they need to combat financial fraud and protect victims,\u201d said Rep. Fitzgerald. \u201cBy harnessing innovative technologies like blockchain, we can stay ahead of increasingly sophisticated scams and better protect Wisconsin seniors and families. I\u2019m proud to co-lead this effort, and I urge my Senate colleagues to take up the GUARD Act and pass it swiftly.\u201d\n\n\u201cIowa retirees spent a lifetime building their savings, and scammers are using increasingly sophisticated technology to steal it out from under them,\u201d said Rep. Nunn. \u201cThe GUARD Act came directly from an Iowa sheriff's deputy who told me officers were watching criminals steal the life savings of hardworking Iowans but lacked the tools to track them down and recover the money. Today, the House voted to give state and local law enforcement the resources they need to pursue fraudsters, recover stolen funds, and deliver justice for victims. I urge the Senate to take it up without delay and get these protections to the Iowans who need them.\u201d\n\nBACKGROUND: Financial fraud, elder exploitation, and cryptocurrency-enabled scams continue to impose significant losses on American consumers, particularly seniors. The FTC reported that consumers lost about $16 billion to fraud in 2025, the highest level on record, while reported fraud losses in 2024 totaled $12.5 billion. The FBI\u2019s 2024 Internet Crime Report found that IC3 received 859,532 complaints with losses exceeding $16.6 billion, including more than $6.5 billion in cryptocurrency-related investment fraud losses.\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-16T09:43:13Z", "2026-09-16T09:44:22Z"], ["https://fitzgerald.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-fitzgerald-chairs-judiciary-subcommittee-field-hearing-obamacare-waste", "Rep. Fitzgerald Chairs Judiciary Subcommittee Field Hearing on Obamacare Waste, Fraud, & Abuse", "2026-09-14", "2026", "2026-09", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Scott Fitzgerald", "F000471", "fitzgerald.house.gov", "fitzgerald", "https://fitzgerald.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "CHARLOTTE, NC \u2013 Today, Congressman Scott Fitzgerald (WI-05), who serves as Chairman of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Administrative State, Regulatory Reform, and Antitrust, held a field hearing in North Carolina titled, \u201cExamining Healthcare Markets: Fraud and Competition.\u201d Rep. Fitzgerald issued the following statement about the hearing:\n\n\u201cI think we can all agree that there is something wrong with the American healthcare system. The price of care is sky high, in part because of the design of, and rampant fraud occurring in, the Obamacare insurance system.\n\n\u201cObamacare promised affordable healthcare for Americans. But it has not lived up to that promise. The price of Obamacare plans has increased at twice the rate of employer-sponsored plans. Instead of doing something about the artificially inflated prices, the Biden Administration just handed out more subsidies.\n\n\u201cTo add insult to injury, because the Obamacare system does not trust Americans to make decisions about their own healthcare coverage, those subsidies go straight into the pockets of insurance companies instead of the American people.\n\n\u201cIn the Working Families Tax Cuts bill, Republicans prevented illegal aliens from receiving premium tax credits. We also removed the cap on repayments to the federal government for excessive subsidies and added stricter eligibility verification to ensure people do not receive generous subsidies before their eligibility is determined.\n\n\u201cI also supported the Lower Health Care Premiums for All Americans Act that passed the House late last year. House Republicans recognize that we cannot keep writing blank checks for heavily subsidized programs that continue to drive up costs.\n\n\u201cWhile we have taken huge steps in the right direction, Congress must build on that progress to protect taxpayers, crack down on fraud, and ensure these subsidies go to people who are actually eligible.\n\n\u201cThat\u2019s exactly why we gathered in North Carolina for this field hearing, to gather additional solutions. North Carolina has redefined its healthcare industry through investments in cutting-edge tech and research hubs, as well as a statewide rural health transformation program. As a result, the state has received national rankings in healthcare innovation and quality.\u201d\n\nWatch Congressman Fitzgerald's opening statement from the hearing:\n\nBackground: This hearing examined how mergers, certificate of need laws, regulations, vertical integration, and insurance fraud are affecting healthcare access and affordability across the United States. The hearing also reviewed how Obamacare subsidies inflate healthcare costs and create an environment ripe for waste, fraud, and abuse.\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-15T09:50:21Z", "2026-09-15T09:52:05Z"], ["https://tiffany.house.gov/media/press-releases/tiffany-applauds-white-houses-action-delist-gray-wolves", "Tiffany Applauds White House\u2019s Action to Delist Gray Wolves", "2026-09-04", "2026", "2026-09", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Thomas P. Tiffany", "T000165", "tiffany.house.gov", "tiffany", "https://tiffany.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WAUSAU, WI \u2013 Congressman Tom Tiffany (WI-07) today applauded President Trump\u2019s executive action directing the Department of the Interior to determine whether gray wolves meet the criteria for removal from protections under the Endangered Species Act and begin the process of delisting them.\n\n\u201cThe gray wolf has recovered, and the impacts are being felt across rural communities in Wisconsin. Farmers are dealing with livestock depredations, families are losing pets, and wolves are showing up closer to homes. Wisconsin has successfully managed wildlife for generations. It is time to get out-of-state judges and bureaucrats out of the way and let Wisconsin responsibly manage its wolf population,\u201d said Congressman Tom Tiffany.\n\nTiffany has been a leading advocate in Congress for removing the gray wolf from the federal endangered species list and returning management back to states. He authored the Pet and Livestock Protection Act, legislation to delist the gray wolf and return management authority to states like Wisconsin. The legislation passed the House with bipartisan support and awaits action in the Senate.", 1, "2026-09-05T08:49:07Z", "2026-09-05T08:50:44Z"], ["https://fitzgerald.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-fitzgerald-votes-condemn-socialism-all-forms-protect-domestic-mining", "Rep. Fitzgerald Votes to Condemn Socialism in All Forms & Protect Domestic Mining", "2026-09-04", "2026", "2026-09", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Scott Fitzgerald", "F000471", "fitzgerald.house.gov", "fitzgerald", "https://fitzgerald.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, DC \u2013 Congressman Scott Fitzgerald (WI-05) issued the following statements in response to the passage of two critical measures this week: H. Res. 1490 - Condemning Socialism in All Forms and H.R. 1501 - Protecting Domestic Mining Act.\n\nOn the Resolution Condemning Socialism:\n\n\u201cWe have seen a dramatic rise in socialism in the United States over the past year which is completely antithetical to the American way of life and what the Founders intended,\u201d said Congressman Fitzgerald. \u201cThis Resolution, which 192 House Democrats opposed, formally condemns socialism in all its forms, including the Democratic Socialists of America, and opposes socialist policies in the United States. Socialism gives government more power and leaves the people with less freedom. That is the exact opposite of what America stands for.\u201d\n\nOn the Protecting Domestic Mining Act:\n\n\u201cThis legislation will help make it easier to produce the minerals the United States needs right here at home,\u201d said Congressman Fitzgerald. \u201cBy improving the permitting process for mining and mineral processing, we will strengthen our domestic supply chains and reduce our dependence on foreign adversaries like China. This is key to protecting our national security and supporting American manufacturing.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-10T09:25:58Z", "2026-09-10T09:27:09Z"], ["https://wied.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-wied-introduces-bill-strengthen-cybersecurity-and-reduce-costs-small", "Rep. Wied Introduces Bill to Strengthen Cybersecurity and Reduce Costs for Small Businesses", "2026-09-03", "2026", "2026-09", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Tony Wied", "W000829", "wied.house.gov", "wied", "https://wied.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, DC \u2014 Congressman Tony Wied (R-WI) introduced legislation this week to help small businesses strengthen their cybersecurity while streamlining coordination among federal agencies to reduce unnecessary costs.\n\nThe Cybersecurity for Small Businesses Act requires the Small Business Administration to work with the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency to provide small businesses with information on cybersecurity best practices. It also requires coordination with the Secretary of War to provide specific information on the levels of cybersecurity requirements under the Department of War\u2019s Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) program.\n\n\u201cIn today\u2019s rapidly evolving digital world, it is critical for small businesses to maintain the highest-quality and most up-to-date cybersecurity infrastructure,\u201d said Congressman Wied. \u201cHowever, small businesses shouldn't be forced to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to obtain a level of cybersecurity they don\u2019t need simply because Washington has failed to provide clear rules. The Cybersecurity for Small Businesses Act will provide much-needed clarity to help small businesses protect themselves without forcing them to spend excessive amounts of money trying to comply with vague guidelines.\u201d\n\nBackground: Cybersecurity has become an increasingly important consideration for small businesses, but many struggle to find clear, up-to-date guidance. Currently, the SBA\u2019s website provides some information for small businesses looking to secure their cyber infrastructure, but it may not reflect other agencies\u2019 best-practice recommendations. This leaves small businesses\u2019 cyber infrastructure vulnerable to nefarious actors. Additionally, the SBA lacks information on complying with the Department of War's new cybersecurity initiative, the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC). This certification is multi-tiered based on the sensitive information a contractor or subcontractor may handle. The DoW has paused Phase II and III requirements while it conducts a 60-day review. Before the temporary pause, many small businesses were unsure of which level they were required to have. Without clear instructions, many were forced to spend upwards of hundreds of thousands of dollars to comply with requirements they may not have needed. This bill ensures the SBA can provide small businesses with the most accurate and relevant information once Phase II and III requirements are reimplemented.\n\nRepresentatives Beth Van Duyne (R-TX) and Kimberlyn King-Hinds (R-CNMI) are original cosponsors of this legislation.\n\n\u201cNorth Texas is one of America\u2019s fastest-growing hubs for firms offering professional, scientific, and technical services, and thousands of tech-oriented small businesses call our region home. They shouldn\u2019t have to spend six figures trying to decipher Washington\u2019s one-size-fits-all bureaucratic cybersecurity rules. I am glad to help introduce the Cybersecurity for Small Business Act to give small businesses clear guidance on best practices to protect their networks without wasting time and money on unnecessary requirements,\u201d said Congresswoman Van Duyne.\n\n\u201cCyberattacks do not just target the federal government or large corporations. Small businesses are also targets for foreign adversaries, including the Chinese Communist Party. Many lack the resources or expertise of larger companies to protect themselves. These attacks cost American businesses and our economy. This legislation gives small businesses clearer access to federal cybersecurity guidance. It also helps those seeking to work with the federal government understand the requirements they need to meet. Protecting America\u2019s small businesses is part of protecting our economy and our national security,\u201d said Congresswoman King-Hinds.\n\nThe Cybersecurity for Small Businesses Act:\n\nRequires the Small Business Administration to collaborate with the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure\n\nSecurity Agency to provide small businesses with information on cybersecurity best practices.\n\nRequires the Small Business Administration, in coordination with the Secretary of War to provide specific information related to the levels of cybersecurity requirements for the Department of War\u2019s Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC).\n\nRequires the Administrator to consult the Chief Counsel for Advocacy at the SBA\u2019s Office of Advocacy to determine best practices for disseminating information.\n\nAdds an annual reporting requirement to Section 10 of the Small Business Act.", 1, "2026-09-04T09:19:37Z", "2026-09-04T09:20:58Z"], ["https://fitzgerald.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-fitzgerald-votes-keep-government-open-avoiding-another-democrat-led", "Rep. Fitzgerald Votes to Keep the Government Open, Avoiding Another Democrat-Led Shutdown", "2026-09-01", "2026", "2026-09", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Scott Fitzgerald", "F000471", "fitzgerald.house.gov", "fitzgerald", "https://fitzgerald.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, DC \u2013 Congressman Scott Fitzgerald (WI-05) issued the following statement after voting to pass the Senate Amendment to H.R. 6500 - Continuing Appropriations Act, 2027.\n\n\u201cKeeping the government open is the responsible thing to do,\u201d said Congressman Fitzgerald. \u201cThis legislation keeps the government funded through December 11, 2026, ensures critical services continue, provides certainty for our military, and supports our national security priorities. I voted to keep the government open and avoid another reckless shutdown while we work to complete the appropriations process here in the House.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-03T09:29:33Z", "2026-09-03T09:31:32Z"], ["https://fitzgerald.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-fitzgeralds-ndo-fairness-act-passes-house-representatives", "Rep. Fitzgerald's NDO Fairness Act Passes House of Representatives", "2026-08-31", "2026", "2026-08", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Scott Fitzgerald", "F000471", "fitzgerald.house.gov", "fitzgerald", "https://fitzgerald.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, DC \u2013 Congressman Scott Fitzgerald\u2019s (WI-05) NDO Fairness Act, legislation aimed at restoring transparency, reinforcing constitutional rights, and ending the pattern of surveillance overreach, passed the House of Representatives unanimously today.\n\nEarlier this year, Congressman Fitzgerald questioned former Special Counsel Jack Smith during a House Judiciary Committee hearing that focused on Smith\u2019s investigations and prosecutions of President Trump.\n\nAs mentioned by multiple committee members during the hearing, the unconstitutional subpoena of phone records for Members of Congress was a gross abuse of power. Not only did Smith\u2019s team fail to notify the Federal Judge that the subpoenas were for Members of Congress, but he also imposed a non-disclosure order, or NDO, prohibiting the phone companies from notifying Members of the search.\n\nThe NDO Fairness Act would require notification of a subpoena after 90 days, ensuring all Americans, not just Members of Congress, have a right to challenge the constitutionality of a subpoena.\n\n\u201cThe government should not be able to secretly search Americans\u2019 private information and then prevent them from ever knowing it happened,\u201d said Congressman Fitzgerald. \u201cThe NDO Fairness Act restores fundamental safeguards against government overreach by ensuring Americans have the opportunity to learn when their information has been searched. I thank my colleagues for supporting this legislation, and I urge the Senate to act quickly to advance these critical protections.\u201d\n\nBACKGROUND: The NDO Fairness Act reins in prosecutorial abuse and executive branch overreach by strengthening the standards prosecutors must meet when seeking to place non-disclosure orders (NDOs) on service providers. This bill will prevent federal prosecutors from using indefinite and often boilerplate secrecy orders to access third-party communications data. It will also ensure an individual is notified within 90 days when their data was searched and allow that individual to request a copy of any information disclosed.\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-01T09:48:49Z", "2026-09-01T09:49:51Z"], ["https://grothman.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=5367", "Grothman Leads Wisconsin Delegation in Urging President Trump to Approve Major Disaster Declaration", "2026-08-27", "2026", "2026-08", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Glenn Grothman", "G000576", "grothman.house.gov", "grothman", "https://grothman.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27", "scraper", "Congressman Glenn Grothman (R-WI) is leading every member of Wisconsin\u2019s Congressional delegation in urging President Donald Trump to approve Wisconsin\u2019s request for a Major Disaster Declaration following the severe storms and tornadoes that struck the state on July 27, 2026.\n\nThe storms caused extensive damage across Forest, Outagamie, Vilas, and Winnebago Counties. A powerful EF3 tornado tore through Wisconsin\u2019s Fox Valley region, leaving a broad path of devastation across Appleton, Menasha, Neenah, and Fox Crossing. Preliminary findings from the National Weather Service indicate that the tornado remained on the ground for more than 20 minutes, traveled approximately 12 miles, and reached nearly one mile in width, with estimated winds of 136 to 165 miles per hour. The tornado left thousands of homes and businesses destroyed or severely damaged and caused widespread damage to infrastructure.\n\nDamage assessments conducted by FEMA and Wisconsin Emergency Management found 2,346 residential structures impacted, including 84 destroyed and 412 with major damage, with estimated losses exceeding $8.2 million. Public-sector damage exceeded $13.8 million, surpassing Wisconsin\u2019s per-capita threshold by more than $2.4 million.\n\nThe bipartisan delegation is urging President Trump to make Individual Assistance, Public Assistance, and Hazard Mitigation assistance available to affected Wisconsinites.", 1, "2026-09-01T09:48:49Z", "2026-09-01T09:49:51Z"], ["https://fitzgerald.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-fitzgerald-tours-oaks-jackson-highlights-housing-legislation-inspired", "Rep. Fitzgerald Tours Oaks of Jackson, Highlights Housing Legislation Inspired by Washington County Initiative", "2026-08-26", "2026", "2026-08", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Scott Fitzgerald", "F000471", "fitzgerald.house.gov", "fitzgerald", "https://fitzgerald.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "JACKSON, WI \u2013 Congressman Scott Fitzgerald (WI-05) toured the Oaks of Jackson, a Washington County Next Generation Housing development, to highlight the county\u2019s efforts to expand attainable homeownership opportunities and discuss his recently introduced Working Families Home Construction Act, which was inspired by the county\u2019s successful housing initiative.\n\nThe Working Families Home Construction Act is designed to help address the nation\u2019s housing supply shortage by making construction financing more accessible to builders. The bill would allow Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to purchase qualifying residential construction loans at low interest rates, helping builders access gap financing needed to produce more middle-class housing.\n\n\u201cWashington County has shown that innovative financing can help get more homes built for working families,\u201d said Congressman Fitzgerald. \u201cMy Working Families Home Construction Act takes the lessons learned here in Wisconsin and brings them to the federal level, helping builders access the financing they need to build more middle-class housing across the country.\u201d\n\nBuilders across the country are ready to build, but too often cannot access affordable construction financing needed for land acquisition, infrastructure, site preparation, and other upfront development costs, making it difficult for developers to build anything but upper-income homes.\n\n\u201cFixing the housing shortage in the United States is one of the top issues we face,\u201d said Congressman Fitzgerald. \u201cWashington County has developed a successful model for overcoming barriers to housing construction, and we need to build on that success so more hardworking Americans can achieve the dream of homeownership.\u201d\n\n\u201cWhat started as a local solution to a challenge facing Washington County is now helping shape the national conversation about housing,\u201d said Washington County Executive Josh Schoemann. \u201cOur Next Generation Housing Initiative demonstrates what can be accomplished when county and municipal leaders work alongside builders, employers and community partners. By reducing barriers to construction and focusing on attainable homeownership, we are helping more working families achieve the American Dream while strengthening the workforce our local businesses need.\u201d\n\nDuring the tour, Congressman Fitzgerald joined Washington County Executive Josh Schoemann, Village of Jackson Administrator Jen Heidke, local housing partners, and Next Generation Housing homeowners to view homes within the Oaks of Jackson and discuss the importance of increasing the supply of attainable, owner-occupied housing.", 1, "2026-08-27T16:10:01Z", "2026-08-27T16:10:50Z"], ["https://vanorden.house.gov/media/press-releases/van-orden-wisconsin-delegation-applaud-cms-rule-securing-historic-healthcare", "Van Orden, Wisconsin Delegation Applaud CMS Rule Securing Historic Healthcare Funding for Wisconsin Families", "2026-08-19", "2026", "2026-08", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Derrick Van Orden", "V000135", "vanorden.house.gov", "vanorden", "https://vanorden.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, DC \u2013 Today, Derrick Van Orden (WI-03), Congressmen Bryan Steil (WI-01), Scott Fitzgerald (WI-05), Glenn Grothman (WI-06), Tom Tiffany (WI-07), and Tony Wied (WI-08), applauded the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services\u2019(CMS) proposed rule 91 FR 46562, ensuring Wisconsin receives fairness in the Medicaid reimbursement formula and delivering historic Medicaid funding to WI.\n\nVan Orden led the delegation in working directly with CMS and the Trump Administration to ensure that Wisconsin providers receive the same treatment in the Medicaid reimbursement system as providers in other states. Recent changes resulted in an additional $1 billion in federal healthcare funding for Wisconsin. This funding will help ensure high-quality care for patients in Wisconsin.\n\n\u201cFor years, Wisconsin providers have been reimbursed at a lower rate than other states. Under the Working Families Tax Cuts, Wisconsin will now be treated fairly, protecting Medicaid for the people it was designed for - children, pregnant women, and disabled Americans,\u201d said the Representatives. \u201cWisconsin\u2019s Republican congressional delegation worked closely with the State Legislature and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to guarantee fair treatment, implement meaningful reforms, and deliver affordable, high-quality healthcare for families and seniors.\u201d\n\nDuring CMS Administrator Dr. Oz\u2019s visit to Eau Claire, he stated, \"We're going to make sure the Badger State is taken care of and that the funding that's required to improve rural healthcare is at the level that it should be at,\" and praised Van Orden for ensuring that Wisconsin\u2019s provider tax rate was aligned with other states across the nation.", 1, "2026-08-20T05:28:41Z", "2026-08-20T05:29:58Z"], ["https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/2026/08/16/senators-johnson-paul-release-additional-texts-from-dr-faucis-government-iphone/", "Senators Johnson, Paul Release Additional Texts from Dr. Fauci\u2019s Government iPhone", "2026-08-16", "2026", "2026-08", "Republican", "Senate", "WI", "Ron Johnson", "J000293", "www.ronjohnson.senate.gov", "ronjohnson", "https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/category/press-releases/", "scraper", "In Jan. 2021 Dr. Fauci told: \u201cInitial Studies avoid vaccination in first trimester\u201d\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Today, U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), chairman of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, and U.S. Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, released new text messages obtained from Dr. Anthony Fauci\u2019s government-issued cellphone which was produced by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) on August 5, 2026, in response to Chairman Johnson\u2019s request.\n\nThe text chain released today provides additional context to Dr. Fauci\u2019s message to Drs. Vivek Murthy and Rochelle Walensky expressing concerns about \u201ccytokines storm and fever after the 2nd dose\u201d of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines \u201ctheoretically\u201d resulting in \u201cmiscarriage in the 1st trimester.\u201d According to the newly released January 25, 2021 text message, Dr. John Mascola, the then-Director of the Vaccine Research Center at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, texted Dr. Fauci writing \u201cI am corrected on pregnancy studies. Initial Studies avoid vaccination in first trimester due to possible fever and higher rates of miscarriage in first trimester[.]\u201d\n\nA key text in the chain from Dr. John Mascola to Dr. Fauci below:\n\nAbbreviated Timeline of Text Messages from Dr. Fauci\u2019s iPhone on Miscarriage Risk (New Text Message Highlighted)\n\nJanuary 25, 2021 at 4:31 pm: Dr. Vivek Murthy texts Drs. Fauci and Rochelle Walensky. Dr. Murthy writes \u201c[f]or pregnant women considering getting the vaccine, are you aware of any data or theoretical reason why vaccinating early vs late in pregnancy would be preferred?\u201d[1]\n\nJanuary 25, 2021 at 4:48 pm: Dr. Walensky responds to Dr. Murthy writing \u201cmy understanding is that this is all a [sic] data free.\u201d[2]\n\nJanuary 25, 2021 at 4:56 pm: Dr. Fauci responds to Dr. Murthy and writes \u201c[a]gree with Rochelle. There are no data or theoretical reason to believe that vaccinating early versus late in pregnancy would be preferred.\u201d[3]\n\nJanuary 25, 2021 at 5:47 pm: Dr. Fauci receives a text from Dr. John Mascola, the then-Director of the NIAID\u2019s Vaccine Research Center, who writes \u201cI am corrected on pregnancy studies. Initial Studies [sic] avoid vaccination in first trimester due to possible fever and higher rates of miscarriage in first trimester.\u201d[4]\n\nInformation from the iPhone indicates Dr. Fauci read Dr. Mascola\u2019s message at 6:42pm on January 25, 2021.[5]\n\nBased on the information reviewed by the Subcommittee to date, it is unclear why Dr. Mascola sends this message or what \u201cinitial studies\u201d he is referring to.\n\nChairman Johnson\u2019s office immediately emailed Dr. Mascola to understand what he was saying and what he meant in this specific text message. Unfortunately, the Subcommittee has not yet been able to speak with Dr. Mascola as he has retained an attorney. Chairman Johnson hopes that Dr. Mascola will fully cooperate with the Subcommittee and expeditiously provide the transparency that federal health officials, like Dr. Fauci, have failed to provide for years.\n\nJanuary 25, 2021 at 6:45 pm: Three minutes after reading Dr. Mascola\u2019s message, Dr. Fauci follows up again with Drs. Murthy and Walensky and writes, \u201cSince many people have significant cytokines storm and fever after the 2nd dose, this theoretically could be associated with miscarriage in the first trimester.\u201d[6]\n\nDr. Walensky responds to Dr. Fauci\u2019s text writing \u201cDefinitely a good point, esp [sic] after dose two.\u201d[7]\n\nDr. Fauci also replied to Dr. Mascola\u2019s message writing \u201cThanks.\u201d[8]\n\nSimple questions for Dr. Mascola:\n\nWhat prompted your January 25, 2021 text to Dr. Fauci?\n\nWhat pregnancy studies were you referring to?\n\nIn what way were you \u201ccorrected\u201d?\n\nPlease explain: \u201cInitial Studies [sic] avoid vaccination in first trimester due to possible fever and higher rates of miscarriage in first trimester.\u201d\n\nWere there studies that avoided vaccination during the first trimester because they had already seen higher rates of miscarriage in the first trimester, or did they avoid vaccination because of \u201ctheoretically\u201d higher rates of miscarriage?\n\n###\n\n[1] January 25, 2021 Text message thread between Drs. Fauci, Walensky, and Murthy, at 1.\n\n[2] January 25, 2021 Text message thread between Drs. Fauci, Walensky, and Murthy, at 2.\n\n[3] Id.\n\n[4] January 24, 2021 Text message thread between Drs. Fauci and Mascola (emphasis added).\n\n[5] Id.\n\n[6] January 25, 2021 Text message thread between Drs. Fauci, Walensky, and Murthy, at 2 (emphasis added).\n\n[7] January 25, 2021 Text message thread between Drs. Fauci, Walensky, and Murthy, at 2.\n\n[8] January 24, 2021 Text message thread between Drs. Fauci and Mascola", 1, "2026-08-17T05:33:43Z", "2026-08-17T05:34:34Z"], ["https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/2026/08/16/senators-johnson-paul-release-email-showing-top-fda-official-expressing-concern-over-covid-19-vaccine-adverse-events-2/", "Senators Johnson, Paul Release Email Showing Top FDA Official Expressing Concern Over COVID-19 Vaccine Adverse Events", "2026-08-16", "2026", "2026-08", "Republican", "Senate", "WI", "Ron Johnson", "J000293", "www.ronjohnson.senate.gov", "ronjohnson", "https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/category/press-releases/", "scraper", "In May 2021, Dr. Janet Woodcock wrote about reports of patients experiencing unknown adverse events: \u201cno one takes them seriously, no one knows how to treat them, and there is no effort to study this\u201d\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Today, U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), chairman of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, and U.S. Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, released a new email obtained from Dr. Anthony Fauci\u2019s government email which was produced by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).\n\nThe newly released email shows that on May 27, 2021, Dr. Janet Woodcock, the then-Acting Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), wrote to Drs. Anthony Fauci and Francis Collins regarding reports she had received directly from individuals, including \u201chealthcare professionals,\u201d of adverse events after COVID-19 vaccination.\n\nDr. Woodcock wrote, \u201cThe symptoms do not fit together into a distinctive syndrome and most are not easily quantifiable or evaluated with standard laboratory testing.\u201d She went on to write that \u201cThese problems are not the sort that a system like VAERS would be able to detect, or even a more sophisticated population-based active followup [sic] such as CDC has, or a medical record based system such as BEST [an FDA safety surveillance system].\u201d\n\nDr. Woodcock wrote that she thought health officials should conduct a study, adding, \u201cI doubt the industry would support, for obvious reasons. But my experience is, that if you let a problem fester, then it will come back to bite you later and you are not prepared.\u201d\n\nThe day after receiving Dr. Woodcock\u2019s email, Dr. Fauci forwarded it to Dr. Collins, writing: \u201cJanet [Woodcock] asks what we think of this? We cannot ignore her. We should probably bring in CDC and see what Rochelle [Walensky] thinks.\u201d\n\nBased on information reviewed to date, it is unclear if Walensky was ever consulted.\n\nDr. Woodcock\u2019s May 27, 2021 email below:\n\nBy the end of May 2021, when Acting Commissioner Woodcock wrote this email, there were already 440,025 worldwide adverse events and 8,650 deaths associated with the COVID injection reported to VAERS, with 3,350 (39%) of those deaths occurring within 2 days of injection. CDC used a contractor, General Dynamics Information Technology (GDIT), to input reports into VAERS. The 440,025 adverse events exceeded GDIT\u2019s December 2020 worst-case scenario of 1,000 reports per day by a factor of approximately 2.6.\n\nAs Chairman Johnson\u2019s April 29, 2026 report details, three months before Woodcock\u2019s May 27, 2021 email, on March 1, 2021, Dr. Peter Marks, Director of FDA\u2019s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER), was warned by Dr. Ana Szarfman that the algorithm FDA was using to evaluate VAERS was masking/hiding safety signals. The email we are releasing coincides with monthly data runs by Dr. Szarfman using a new algorithm showing dozens of safety signals including sudden cardiac death, pulmonary infarction (which Dr. Fauci suffered in June 2021), cerebral artery occlusion, basal ganglia stroke, agonal rhythm, and Bell\u2019s palsy.\n\nUnfortunately, FDA officials ignored Dr. Szarfman and the safety signals, told her to cease and desist, and continued to use the algorithm they knew was masking safety signals.\n\nAlso, beginning in March 2021, National Institutes of Health\u2019s (NIH) Dr. Avindra Nath was leading a team of doctors and researchers who were diagnosing and treating individuals severely injured by the COVID injections. The injuries and symptoms being treated were similar to those being described and reported directly to then-Acting Commissioner Woodcock.\n\nWas Acting Commissioner Woodcock aware of Dr. Nath\u2019s diagnosing and treatment of COVID injection injuries at NIH and/or what senior FDA officials had been told and shown about safety signals when she wrote her May 27, 2021 email? If so, why did she hide that knowledge from the public? If not, why was she kept in the dark?\n\nDr. Woodcock wrote that she thought health officials should conduct a study, adding, \u201cI doubt the industry would support, for obvious reasons.\u201d What are those obvious reasons?\n\nThe day after receiving Dr. Woodcock\u2019s email, Dr. Fauci forwarded it to Dr. Collins, writing: \u201cJanet [Woodcock] asks what we think of this? We cannot ignore her.\u201d That is an odd statement as it indicates they sure would like to ignore her and the reports of injection injuries.\n\n###", 1, "2026-08-17T05:33:43Z", "2026-08-17T05:34:34Z"], ["https://grothman.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=5342", "Grothman Introduces PERM Backlog Reduction Act to Address Green Card Processing Delays", "2026-08-13", "2026", "2026-08", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Glenn Grothman", "G000576", "grothman.house.gov", "grothman", "https://grothman.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27", "scraper", "Congressmen Glenn Grothman (R-WI) and Lou Correa (D-CA) introduced the PERM Backlog Reduction Act, legislation to reduce costly delays in the Department of Labor's Program Electronic Review Management (PERM) system, which employers use to obtain permanent labor certifications required for certain permanent employment-based immigration petitions, by establishing an optional premium processing program for participating employers.\n\nThe bill establishes an optional fee for expedited processing of the ETA-9089 Permanent Employment Certification Form, which is one of the two required filings in the Department of Labor's PERM process. The user fees generated would fund the program while also helping reduce processing delays for the additional ETA-9141 Prevailing Wage Determination Form, ensuring the program is fully supported without taxpayer dollars. Fees collected would be dedicated exclusively to modernizing the PERM system and reducing backlogs.\n\nThe PERM Backlog Reduction Act is endorsed by the Critical Labor Coalition, Eb3.Work, and the Coalition of Franchisee Associations.\n\n\"Our legal immigration system should work efficiently for employers who follow the rules,\" said Congressman Grothman. \u201cBefore an employer can permanently hire a foreign worker, the PERM process requires employers to first show that they were unable to find an available and qualified American worker to fill the position. Businesses that have already met those requirements shouldn't be forced to wait through unnecessary bureaucratic delays that make it harder to plan for their workforce, fill critical positions, and grow our economy. The PERM Backlog Reduction Act provides employers with an optional, self-funded way to receive timely decisions while giving the Department of Labor the resources it needs to reduce backlogs and modernize the system. This is a practical solution that benefits American businesses without costing taxpayers a dime.\"\n\n\"Businesses and employers across the country are trying to create jobs and grow our economy, but they're being held back by unnecessary government delays,\u201d said Congressman Lou Correa. \u201cThis bill gives the Department of Labor the resources to modernize the PERM process, reduce delays, and make sure our system works for employers, workers, and America's economy.\"\n\n\u201cThe Critical Labor Coalition applauds Congressman Grothman for his leadership in introducing the PERM Backlog Reduction Act. By incorporating processes which update and streamline the PERM application process, this bill ensures a robust, efficient process for U.S. employers. The PERM Backlog Reduction Act modernizes application evaluations, increases resources to update current systems and streamlines the vetting process to assist America\u2019s job creators,\u201d said Misty Chally, Executive Director of the Critical Labor Coalition.\n\n\"The Coalition of Franchisee Associations applauds Congressman Grothman for his leadership in introducing the PERM Backlog Reduction Act. As small business owners, franchisees are facing an unprecedented logjam in securing the talent needed to keep their doors open. By addressing Department of Labor processing delays, increasing critical resources, and streamlining the vetting process, this Act provides vital relief to America's franchisees\u2014allowing them to cut through red tape, fill essential vacancies, and continue growing their businesses,\u201d said Bill Mathis, Chairman of the Board for the Coalition of Franchisee Associations.\n\nBackground Information\n\nThe Department of Labor's Program Electronic Review Management (PERM) system is required for most employment-based green card applications. In recent years, processing times for prevailing wage determinations and labor certifications have increased significantly despite stable funding levels and application volumes.\n\nThe PERM Backlog Reduction Act establishes an optional premium processing program at DOL to expedite processing of Form ETA-9089 \u2013 PERM Labor Certifications for employers seeking permanent labor certifications.\n\nProcess ETA-9089 within 30 days.\n\nCharge a $1,200 premium processing fee for Form ETA-9089, adjusted annually for inflation beginning in FY2028.\n\nThe legislation requires the Department of Labor to set premium processing fees at levels necessary to fully fund the program. All fees would be deposited into a dedicated PERM Premium Processing Fee Account within the U.S. Treasury and used exclusively for program operations, modernization, and reducing processing backlogs.\n\n-30-\n\nU.S. Rep. Glenn Grothman (R-Glenbeulah) proudly serves the people of Wisconsin\u2019s 6th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives.", 1, "2026-08-14T06:13:05Z", "2026-08-14T06:14:08Z"], ["https://grothman.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=5341", "Grothman Leads Entire Bipartisan Wisconsin Delegation in Urging FEMA to Assess Fox Valley Tornado Damage", "2026-08-12", "2026", "2026-08", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Glenn Grothman", "G000576", "grothman.house.gov", "grothman", "https://grothman.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27", "scraper", "Congressman Glenn Grothman (R-WI) led the entire bipartisan Wisconsin Congressional delegation in support of Wisconsin\u2019s request that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) conduct a Joint Preliminary Damage Assessment (PDA) with Wisconsin Emergency Management following the devastating EF3 tornado that struck the Fox Valley on July 27.\n\nThe tornado caused widespread destruction across Appleton, Menasha, Neenah, and Fox Crossing. It remained on the ground for more than 20 minutes, traveled approximately 12 miles, reached nearly one mile in width, and produced estimated winds of 136 to 165 miles per hour. More than 30,000 homes and businesses lost power.\n\nThe members wrote, \u201cThe tornado ripped roofs from homes and businesses, hollowed out houses, reduced some structures to little more than their exterior walls, overturned vehicles, snapped trees, and brought down utility poles and power lines. Debris was scattered across neighborhoods and highways, roadways became impassable, families were displaced, and more than 30,000 homes and businesses lost power.\u201d\n\nThe Members emphasized the importance of a timely assessment, writing, \u201cConducting a timely Joint Preliminary Damage Assessment is an essential first step in securing the federal support needed to help affected families, local governments, and communities recover and rebuild.\u201d\n\nThe letter urged FEMA to \u201cbegin work in partnership with Wisconsin Emergency Management as soon as possible so that this process can move forward without delay.\u201d\n\nGovernor Evers has declared a state of emergency, while Neenah, Menasha, and the Town of Grand Chute have issued local emergency or disaster declarations.", 1, "2026-08-13T06:17:16Z", "2026-08-13T06:18:13Z"], ["https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/2026/08/11/chairman-johnson-requests-doj-investigate-california-ballot-fraud/", "Chairman Johnson Requests DOJ Investigate California Ballot Fraud", "2026-08-11", "2026", "2026-08", "Republican", "Senate", "WI", "Ron Johnson", "J000293", "www.ronjohnson.senate.gov", "ronjohnson", "https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/category/press-releases/", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 On Monday, U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), chairman of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, sent a letter to Attorney General Todd Blanche, Federal Bureau of Investigation (\u201cFBI\u201d) Director Kash Patel, and First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California, Bilal Essayli, requesting an investigation into potential ballot fraud occurring in Los Angeles, California. The letter follows a Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs hearing held last month at which James O\u2019Keefe, CEO of O\u2019Keefe Media Group, testified about alleged violations of federal and state elections law through a cash-for-signatures scheme in the Skid Row area of downtown Los Angeles.\n\nIn his letter, Chairman Johnson wrote that in March 2026, O\u2019Keefe Media Group published a series of videos showing petition circulators paying homeless individuals cash, cigarettes, or marijuana for their signatures on various ballot measures. Based on this reporting, Chairman Johnson\u2019s letter identified two entities, Urban Signers and 1 Moore Petition LLC, alleged to have engaged in misconduct.\n\n\u201cThese entities\u2019 apparent actions risk undermining confidence in our democratic process,\u201d wrote Chairman Johnson.\n\nFull text of the letter to the FBI and the Department of Justice can be found here.\n\nWatch the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs hearing here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-08-12T06:18:38Z", "2026-08-12T06:20:33Z"], ["https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/2026/08/10/icymi-sen-johnson-joins-the-clay-travis-and-buck-sexton-show-and-america-reports/", "ICYMI: Sen. Johnson\u00a0Joins\u00a0The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show\u00a0and\u00a0America Reports", "2026-08-10", "2026", "2026-08", "Republican", "Senate", "WI", "Ron Johnson", "J000293", "www.ronjohnson.senate.gov", "ronjohnson", "https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/category/press-releases/", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Today, U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), chairman of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, appeared on The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show and America Reports to discuss one of the text chain messages obtained from Dr. Anthony Fauci\u2019s government-issued cellphone. The phone contains more than 34,000 text messages and 522 voicemails. Read more about the messages released here.\n\nWatch the full interview with Clay Travis and Buck Sexton here.\n\nRead excerpts from Sen. Johnson below:\n\n\u201cThis piece of information I had to release today because it impacts public safety. It impacts informed consent. So, this is an email chain between Anthony Fauci, CDC director [Rochelle] Walensky, and Surgeon General [Vivek] Murthy. This is on January 25th and 26th, 2021 \u2013 a little more than a month after the emergency use authorization on the mRNA injections \u2026 So in the middle of the chain Dr. Fauci writes \u2018I asked around a bit more, and another issue came up that you need to be aware of. Since many people have significant cytokine storm and fever after the second dose, this theoretically could be associated with miscarriage in the first trimester.\u2019 Now, I\u2019ve never heard public officials talk about significant cytokine storms after the second dose. All we heard from public officials is that this was perfectly safe for pregnancy.\n\n\u2026\n\n\u201cIn June of 2021, Tom Shimabukuro, he was the man in charge of safety surveillance systems for the CDC, published a grossly misleading paper in the New England Journal of Medicine, where they looked at 827 confirmed pregnancies, [in] 700 of those pregnancies, the women got their COVID injection in the third trimester, after 28 weeks. Of those 827, 104 suffered a spontaneous abortion, or a miscarriage.\n\n\u201cThe problem with those stats is they took the 104 divided by 827 [and] came up with a miscarriage rate of 12.6 percent, which is about four times the normal miscarriage rate on a confirmed pregnancy. But here\u2019s what they did that was so grossly misleading: 700 of those women got their injection in the third trimester. A miscarriage or a spontaneous abortion is defined as anything up to 20 weeks. So, the relevant denominator should have been 104 miscarriages divided by 127, which puts the miscarriage rate at 82 percent.\n\n\u201cAnthony Fauci knew about potential cytokine storms impacting the first trimester in miscarriages [and] told no one about it because it would create vaccine hesitancy. These folks are well aware of this stuff, you know, the massive government scandal I broke that no news station, not a broadcast network or major newspaper, has covered this as a story where Peter Marks knew about these safety signals in March of 2021 [and] he told no one.\u201d\n\nWatch the full interview with John Roberts and Sandra Smith here.\n\nRead excerpts from Sen. Johnson below:\n\n\u201cWell, first of all, thanks for having me on and thanks for covering this. So we obviously have his phone. We\u2019ve downloaded it. And we\u2019re going to carefully go through this to protect these people\u2019s personal information. But I thought we had to release this right away, because this is, I think, major news. Anthony Fauci, in a text exchange with Vivek Murthy and Rochelle Walensky, the CDC director, they\u2019re talking about the COVID injection and having pregnant women take it. And in the middle of that text exchange, I think the key text is where Anthony Fauci is talking about the fact that the second dose creates a greater cytokine storm. That\u2019s additional information that could have an impact on increased miscarriages in the first trimester.\n\n\u201cNow to add to that, in June of 2021, Tom Shimabukuro, and a bunch of other people, published a grossly misleading study in the New England Journal of Medicine where they were looking at 827 confirmed pregnancies. There were 104 miscarriages. They called them spontaneous abortions. But we refer to those as miscarriages \u2013 104 divided by 827 would imply about a 12.6 percent miscarriage rate, which is quite high for confirmed pregnancies. I talked to Dr. James Thorp, he said it\u2019s generally around 3 percent. So it\u2019s already four times as high, but within the realm of confirmed and unconfirmed pregnancies, OK?\n\n\u201cSo they put this study out there, but what they don\u2019t reveal \u2013 they do, but they don\u2019t account for it is that 700 of those 827 women took the injection in their third trimester. Now spontaneous abortions occur before 20 weeks. Third trimester starts after 28 [weeks], so the relevant denominator would have been 127. So you would have had 104 miscarriages out of 127 of the women who got the injection in the first or second trimesters. That\u2019s an 82 percent, 82 percent miscarriage rate. That is shocking news, OK? And that\u2019s been known for quite some time.\n\n\u201cBut, again, the federal health agencies weren\u2019t highlighting that. A gross misrepresentation by Tom Shimabukuro, who is, by the way, he\u2019s the guy, the head of safety and surveillance for the CDC, who deleted his emails, and we\u2019ve also found out that not only did he delete them on his devices, but somebody deleted them on HHS servers as well. That needs to be fully investigated in terms of violations of the Federal Records Act.\u201d\n\n\u2026\n\n\u201cNot one major news broadcast station or major newspaper has covered my April 29th report where I showed that Peter Marks, who\u2019s the head of the division that approves vaccines and surveils for safety in FDA, was told that his algorithm analyzing VAERS was going to hide and mask safety signals. So then for four consecutive months, using a new algorithm, senior FDA officials were shown dozens of safety signals, including sudden cardiac death, pulmonary infarction \u2013 which Fauci himself suffered from in June of 2021 \u2013 Bell\u2019s palsy, different types of strokes.\n\n\u201cSo, no, again, I\u2019ve been frustrated that the news media hasn\u2019t been covering that major scandal, I guess because this was attached to Fauci, maybe they\u2019ll start paying attention to how our federal officials, starting at the top with Anthony Fauci, lied to the American public [and] did not provide informed consent for those experimental gene therapy injections.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-08-11T05:54:29Z", "2026-08-11T05:56:25Z"], ["https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/2026/08/10/senators-johnson-paul-release-initial-texts-from-dr-faucis-government-iphone-2/", "Senators Johnson, Paul Release Initial Texts from Dr. Fauci\u2019s Government iPhone", "2026-08-10", "2026", "2026-08", "Republican", "Senate", "WI", "Ron Johnson", "J000293", "www.ronjohnson.senate.gov", "ronjohnson", "https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/category/press-releases/", "scraper", "Dr. Fauci in Jan. 2021: second dose of covid vaccine \u201ctheoretically could be associated with miscarriage in the 1st trimester\u201d\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Today, U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), chairman of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, and U.S. Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, released one of the text chain messages obtained from Dr. Anthony Fauci\u2019s government-issued cellphone which was produced by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) on August 5, 2026, in response to Chairman Johnson\u2019s request.\n\nThe phone contains more than 34,000 text messages and 522 voicemails. Oddly, only three contacts are listed; all other text messages are identified only with phone numbers rather than contact names. It is too early to determine whether any data has been deleted.\n\nTo protect the privacy of individuals with whom Dr. Fauci communicated, as well as personal messages unrelated to the public health issues he was involved in, it will take time to carefully review the large volume of information the senators received. Chairman Johnson, Chairman Paul, and their staffs will work diligently and cooperatively to release relevant information to the public as soon as possible.\n\nThe text chain released today could have an immediate impact of public health and the principle of informed consent. The text chain below is between Anthony Fauci, Rochelle Walensky, and Vivek Murthy dated from January 25-26, 2021; in the chain they discuss pregnant women and the COVID-19 injection.\n\nA key text in the chain is from Dr. Fauci:\n\nAdditional texts from the conversation can be found here.\n\nBelow are public statements made by federal health officials regarding their recommendations to pregnant women and a rebuttal by Dr. James Thorp OB/GYN to a Shimabukuro et al paper published in the New England Journal of Medicine.\n\nFeb. 3, 2021 \u2013 NIAID Director Dr. Anthony Fauci: \u201c[FDA] have found thus far and we have to be careful but thus far no red flags about that, about pregnant women.\u201d\n\nAug. 11, 2021 \u2013 CDC\u2019s Sascha Ellington: \u201cWe are not seeing a signal of safety concerns of the vaccine in pregnancy \u2026 This vaccine can prevent Covid-19, and so that\u2019s the primary benefit.\u201d\n\nAug. 30, 2021 \u2013 NIAID Director Dr. Anthony Fauci: \u201cWell, are the vaccines safe?\u201d \u2026 \u201c10s and 10s and 10s of thousands of women who have been followed by the CDC, who have been vaccinated when they were pregnant, there\u2019s no indication whatsoever that there\u2019s any increase of any adverse issues in a pregnant woman who was vaccinated compared to a pregnant woman who wasn\u2019t vaccinated \u2026 it\u2019s pretty clear that pregnant women should get vaccinated.\u201d\n\nSept. 29, 2021 \u2013 CDC Director Rochelle Walensky: \u201cCDC strongly recommends COVID-19 vaccination either before or during pregnancy because the benefits of vaccination outweigh known or potential risks,\u201d the agency said in a health alert \u2026 Walensky told a White House COVID-19 briefing that studies show COVID-19 vaccines are safe for pregnant women.\n\nFeb. 1, 2022 \u2013 Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy: \u201cIt\u2019s all the more important for you to get vaccinated if you are pregnant or if you are trying to become pregnant \u2026 The data points show that the vaccines are safe during these various stages before and during pregnancy \u2026 They found generally that anytime during your pregnancy is actually fine [to get the vaccine], and that\u2019s why the recommendation is just to get it.\u201d\n\nJan. 12, 2022 \u2013 Dr. James A Thorp, OB/GYN and maternal-fetal medicine specialist published an open letter to the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology with the following critique of the Shimabukuro et al June 17, 2021 paper published in the New England Journal of Medicine. He argued that because 700 of the 827 pregnant women in the study received their COVID-19 injection in the third trimester (after 28 weeks), those 700 should be excluded from the denominator used to calculate a 12.6% (104/827) spontaneous abortion rate (defined as occurring before 20 weeks). The actual spontaneous abortion rate would then be 82% (104/127).\n\n###", 1, "2026-08-11T05:54:29Z", "2026-08-11T05:56:25Z"], ["https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/2026/08/06/icymi-sen-johnson-votes-to-hold-dr-anthony-fauci-in-contempt-of-congress-in-todays-homeland-security-and-governmental-affairs-committee-business-meeting/", "ICYMI:\u00a0Sen.\u00a0Johnson\u00a0Votes to\u00a0Hold Dr. Anthony Fauci in Contempt of Congress in Today\u2019s Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Business Meeting", "2026-08-06", "2026", "2026-08", "Republican", "Senate", "WI", "Ron Johnson", "J000293", "www.ronjohnson.senate.gov", "ronjohnson", "https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/category/press-releases/", "scraper", "\u201cIf these investigations are one-sided, it\u2019s because one side simply doesn\u2019t want to look at the truth.\u201d\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Today, U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), chairman of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, voted to hold Dr. Anthony Fauci in contempt of Congress during a business meeting of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. The vote follows Dr. Fauci\u2019s refusal to comply with the committee\u2019s investigation in his role during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as his silence in last Wednesday\u2019s hearing.\n\nSen. Johnson\u2019s remarks:\n\n\u201cThank you, Mr. Chairman. First of all, I want to associate myself with and second your opening comments. And I also want to strongly rebut the comments from our Democratic colleagues here, you know, particularly when Ranking Member Peters says this has been \u2018one-sided\u2019 and \u2018rushed,\u2019 rushed?\n\n\u201cWhen I was chairman of this committee back in 2020, I started conducting oversight. I held hearings. There was no cooperation in those hearings. As a matter of fact, I remember one when we held a hearing with Dr. Pierre Kory, when he came in with all kinds of evidence on the effectiveness of ivermectin. The ranking member then denigrated him. Back then, Dr. Kory was a Democrat. He was shocked at the treatment he was given by the ranking member.\n\n\u201cHow many people died because they lacked early treatment with safe, effective generic drugs? Well, that hearing laid out the truth that this could be something that could help people, and we had a ranking member that did everything that he could to denigrate that truth.\n\n\u201cMy current experience is as the chairman of PSI; we\u2019ve been holding hearing after hearing. My ranking member, [Senator] Blumenthal, in those hearings, we had one called \u2018Voices of the Vaccine Injured.\u2019 We had parents come in and tell their heart-wrenching stories. We had parents coming in, telling the truth. And the ranking member, a few hours before that hearing, held a press conference and said, \u2018hope the press doesn\u2019t cover it, because there\u2019s nothing credible about this hearing.\u2019\n\n\u201cIf these investigations are one-sided, it\u2019s because one side simply doesn\u2019t want to look at the truth. They want to bury the truth. They want to memory-hole it. They don\u2019t want to look at the Fauci diaries and take a look at how contradictory what he wrote to himself \u2013how contradictory it was to what he actually told the public.\n\n\u201cI think one of the revelations of those diaries, I think probably the most significant one that\u2019s being overlooked, was early on in the pandemic, he wrote in his diaries he thought COVID would be maybe twice a bad flu season. Now, I\u2019m not downplaying a bad flu season. We have them oftentimes. They overwhelm hospitals, something to take seriously. But a pandemic that\u2019s going to be twice that \u2013 is that really worth destroying people\u2019s lives, shutting down businesses, destroying an economy? I argued back then that it wouldn\u2019t be.\n\n\u201cIt\u2019s been six years since the pandemic began. We have not had a reckoning of what happened. Last Wednesday\u2019s hearing was an excellent hearing from the standpoint of legitimate questions being raised, legitimate questions the American people want answers to, legitimate questions that some of them, only Anthony Fauci, \u2018Saint Fauci,\u2019 \u2018Mr. Science\u2019 could answer.\n\n\u201cAnd even though we have quotes of him saying, \u2018I\u2019m not afraid of any oversight committee, I\u2019m happy to talk to any oversight committee, I have nothing to hide.\u2019 That\u2019s not the position he took last Wednesday. What he displayed last Wednesday was contempt for Congress, contempt for this committee, contempt for our investigation, the same contempt that \u2026 our ranking members have shown for the diligent oversight and the exposing of the truth that I\u2019ve been undertaking for six years.\n\n\u201cThere\u2019s nothing rushed. It\u2019s been one-sided, but not because we haven\u2019t reached out, not because we haven\u2019t involved the other side. The other side, like way too many Americans, have just closed their eyes, covered up their ears, and refused \u2013 refused to look at the truth.\n\n\u201cI am definitely going to vote yes on contempt of Congress, and my investigation has just begun.\n\n\u201cWe\u2019ve invited Dr. Fauci for a transcribed interview. Okay, he doesn\u2019t want to do it in front of the American public? Come in front of our committee. We\u2019ll go through detail [by] detail. You say you have nothing to hide. Good. We\u2019ll do it behind closed doors. We\u2019ll transcribe it. That\u2019s only one of the interviews we will be conducting \u2026 Last week\u2019s hearing just began the accountability. There\u2019s a lot more accountability that\u2019s required.\n\n\u201cThank you, Mr. Chairman.\u201d\n\nWatch the full remarks here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"], ["https://grothman.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=5329", "Grothman Leads Wisconsin Delegation in Protecting Marine Corps Readiness", "2026-08-05", "2026", "2026-08", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Glenn Grothman", "G000576", "grothman.house.gov", "grothman", "https://grothman.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27", "scraper", "Congressman Glenn Grothman (R-WI) announced today that he led every Republican member of Wisconsin\u2019s congressional delegation in urging the Trump Administration to protect Marine Corps readiness, preserve competition, and strengthen America\u2019s tactical vehicle industrial base.\n\nIn a letter sent to Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, Deputy Secretary of War Steve Feinberg, and Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought, the lawmakers expressed support for the Administration\u2019s Arsenal of Freedom initiative and called for qualified alternative production capacity to remain available for the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) program.\n\n\u201cAmerica\u2019s warfighters should not be forced to wait for critical equipment because a defense program has fallen behind schedule,\u201d said Congressman Grothman. \u201cMaintaining competition and proven production capacity will help protect military readiness while ensuring contractors remain accountable to the servicemembers and taxpayers they serve. Oshkosh Defense has the experienced workforce and proven manufacturing capability needed to produce vehicles and help address the current backlog. Wisconsin stands ready to support the Marine Corps and deliver the vehicles our warfighters need.\u201d\n\nProduction challenges affecting the JLTV A2 program have raised concerns about the Marine Corps\u2019 ability to field the vehicles needed to support expeditionary operations. According to the House Appropriations Committee report accompanying the Fiscal Year 2027 Defense Appropriations Act, the program was more than 20 months behind schedule, with approximately 2,000 vehicles overdue.\n\nThe delegation also highlighted the Marine Corps\u2019 May Request for Information seeking commercially available, non-developmental vehicles capable of rapid fielding. The lawmakers described the request as an important step toward preserving competition and ensuring qualified alternative production capacity remains available if performance challenges continue.\n\nOshkosh Defense, headquartered in Wisconsin, has delivered more than 25,000 JLTV A1 vehicles to U.S. and allied forces. The company is positioned to produce additional vehicles to help reduce the backlog, protect the Marine Corps\u2019 fielding schedule, and restore needed competition to the program.", 1, "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"], ["https://wied.house.gov/media/press-releases/wied-introduces-resolution-recognizing-small-firearm-manufacturers", "Wied Introduces Resolution Recognizing Small Firearm Manufacturers", "2026-08-05", "2026", "2026-08", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Tony Wied", "W000829", "wied.house.gov", "wied", "https://wied.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, DC \u2014 Congressman Tony Wied (R-WI) introduced a resolution this week to recognize the contributions of small business firearm manufacturers to our economy and designate the month of August as National Shooting Sports Month.\n\n\"Wisconsin is home to many incredible small firearm manufacturers who help drive our economy and ensure access to safe, reliable firearms that allow us to exercise our Second Amendment rights,\" said Congressman Wied. \"This month, we recognize their contributions to our economy and reaffirm our commitment to protecting Americans\u2019 constitutional right to keep and bear arms.\"\n\nBackground: Small manufacturers of firearms contribute significantly to the national and local economy, as they support 380,000 jobs in the broader firearms industry and produce more than $91 billion in annual economic output. They are essential conduits for the exercise of Second Amendment rights by individuals in the United States and provide products, training, and community engagement to sportsmen in this country. Shooting sports promote safe and responsible firearm handling, outdoor stewardship, and civic engagement through local clubs, ranges, and competitions. Congressman Wied introduced a similar resolution in the House of Representatives in August 2025. He renewed the effort this month to reassert his commitment to small manufacturers and to protecting the Second Amendment.\n\nCongressman Wied is proud to have the support of the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF).\n\n\u201cNational Shooting Sports Month is a celebration of our shared American heritage of responsible firearm ownership. The firearm industry has been on the leading edge of ensuring Americans can freely exercise their Second Amendment rights. That journey begins when law-abiding citizens can freely approach the counter to purchase firearms and ammunition. Americans share our industry\u2019s passion for recreational shooting sports, hunting, conservation and self-defense. The firearm industry proudly supports 393,00 jobs across America and generates over $91.7 billion in economic activity. Just as proudly, the firearm industry paid over $804 million in Pittman-Robertson excise taxes last year, which funds wildlife conservation, public land access and construction of public recreational shooting ranges. Since those funds\u2019 inception in 1937, firearm and ammunition manufacturers have paid over $31 billion, when adjusted for inflation. NSSF is grateful that Congressman Tony Wied has been at the forefront to ensure that heritage of responsible firearm ownership is passed on to the next generation, and we are proud that he leads this effort to recognize the importance of National Shooting Sports Month,\u201d said Lawrence G. Keane, NSSF Senior Vice President & General Counsel.\n\nThis Resolution:\n\nCelebrates the role of small businesses that manufacture firearms in supporting domestic manufacturing and economic opportunity in communities across the United States.\n\nSupports policies that strengthen the ability of such small businesses to innovate, grow, and preserve the recreational shooting traditions of the United States.\n\nRecognizes August 2026 as \u201cNational Shooting Sports Month.\"", 1, "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"], ["https://vanorden.house.gov/media/press-releases/van-orden-secures-cms-approval-protecting-wisconsin-hospitals-and-medicaid", "Van Orden Secures CMS Approval Protecting Wisconsin Hospitals and Medicaid Funding", "2026-07-29", "2026", "2026-07", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Derrick Van Orden", "V000135", "vanorden.house.gov", "vanorden", "https://vanorden.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Today, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced the approval of Van Orden\u2019s request to grandfather the state\u2019s six percent hospital provider tax, preserving enhanced federal Medicaid funding for hospitals across Wisconsin.\n\nPrior to the passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill, Congressman Van Orden urged Governor Tony Evers in a letter highlighting the critical need to promptly enact Wisconsin's FY 2025\u20132027 state budget so the state's hospital provider tax increase could take effect before the anticipated federal deadline. In a letter to the Governor, Van Orden urged Evers to \"act swiftly to sign the budget and secure the provider tax increase in time to meet this critical federal deadline.\"\n\nCMS\u2019s announcement follows Congressman Derrick Van Orden\u2019s continued advocacy with CMS and the Trump Administration to ensure Wisconsin qualified for the grandfathering protections included in the One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB). The approval allows Wisconsin to continue drawing down enhanced federal Medicaid matching funds and protects critical health care resources across the state. Without this action, Wisconsin\u2019s enhanced federal Medicaid payments would have expired on October 1, 2026.\n\nIn addition, CMS approved Wisconsin's Medicaid state plan preprint for all of calendar year 2026, ensuring the state will continue receiving the higher federal Medicaid reimbursement throughout the year.\n\n\"This is a major win for Wisconsin. When I learned Wisconsin hospitals were at risk of losing critical Medicaid funding, I immediately got to work with CMS and the Trump Administration to fix it. I fought to make sure Wisconsin's provider tax was grandfathered exactly as intended under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, and today that work paid off. With this rule, Wisconsin's Medicaid reimbursement rate is jumping from 1.8% to 6%. This decision protects our hospitals and gives providers the certainty they need to continue caring for Wisconsin families.\" Van Orden said.\n\nDuring CMS Administrator Dr. Oz\u2019s visit to Eau Claire, he stated\"We're going to make sure the Badger State is taken care of and that the funding that's required to improve rural healthcare is at the level that it should be at,\" and praised Van Orden for ensuring that Wisconsin\u2019s provider tax rate was aligned with other states across the nation.\n\nFor Wisconsin\u2019s rural hospitals and health care providers, this decision provides critical stability and ensures they can continue serving patients in communities across the state. This approval is the latest example of Van Orden fighting to deliver for Wisconsin families and ensuring federal policies work for the communities he represents.\n\nThe proposed rule can be found here: https://www.federalregister.gov/public-inspection/2026-14897/medicaid-program-indirect-hold-harmless-threshold-of-health-care-related-taxes\n\nA fact sheet on the proposed rule can be found here: https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/fact-sheets/amending-indirect-hold-harmless-threshold-health-care-related-taxes-proposed-rule-cms-2452-p\n\n###", 1, "2026-07-30T07:32:48Z", "2026-07-30T07:34:08Z"], ["https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/2026/07/29/chairman-johnson-requests-interviews-with-dr-anthony-fauci-dr-peter-marks-and-other-former-federal-health-officials-on-the-safety-and-efficacy-of-covid-19-vaccines/", "Chairman Johnson\u00a0Requests Interviews with\u00a0Dr. Anthony Fauci, Dr. Peter Marks, and Other Former Federal Health Officials on the Safety and Efficacy of COVID-19 Vaccines", "2026-07-29", "2026", "2026-07", "Republican", "Senate", "WI", "Ron Johnson", "J000293", "www.ronjohnson.senate.gov", "ronjohnson", "https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/category/press-releases/", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 Today, U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), chairman of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, sent letters to former Food and Drug Administration officials (\u201cFDA\u201d) Dr. Peter Marks, Dr. Narayan Nair, Dr. Steven Anderson, and Dr. Manette Niu, as well as former National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (\u201cNIAID\u201d) Director Dr. Anthony Fauci, requesting transcribed interviews about their roles in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, including the safety and efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccines.\n\nOn April 29, 2026, Chairman Johnson released an interim report detailing how senior officials at the FDA turned a blind eye toward warnings that their vaccine safety monitoring system was hiding safety signals for the COVID-19 vaccines. Dr. Marks and other former FDA officials Chairman Johnson has requested interviews with were among the officials involved in ignoring those warnings.\n\n\u201cI hope that you will be cooperative and fully transparent regarding your involvement and knowledge of these issues,\u201d Chairman Johnson wrote.\n\nChairman Johnson questioned Dr. Fauci about COVID-19 vaccine safety at today\u2019s hearing before the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, but he refused to answer questions and asserted his Fifth Amendment right. In his letter to Dr. Fauci, Chairman Johnson wrote, \u201cI want to give you another opportunity to provide much-needed transparency about the COVID-19 pandemic and the government\u2019s response to it, including early treatments and the development, deployment, safety monitoring, and efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccines.\u201d\n\nThe letters are listed below:\n\nDr. Anthony Fauci\n\nDr. Peter Marks\n\nDr. Narayan Nair\n\nDr. Steven Anderson\n\nDr. Manette Niu\n\n###", 1, "2026-07-30T07:32:48Z", "2026-07-30T07:34:08Z"], ["https://steil.house.gov/media/press-releases/house-passes-steil-s-congressional-stock-trading-ban", "House Passes Steil's Congressional Stock\u00a0Trading Ban", "2026-07-23", "2026", "2026-07", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Bryan Steil", "S001213", "steil.house.gov", "steil", "https://steil.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "(July 22, 2026) Washington, D.C. \u2013 Congressman Bryan Steil (WI-01) issued the following statement after the House of Representatives passed H.R. 7008, the Stop Insider Trading Act.\n\n\u201cThe Stop Insider Trading Act is a major step forward for ethics reform on Capitol Hill. It ensures no lawmaker can profit off of insider information,\u201d said Steil. \u201cI urge my Senate colleagues to quickly take it up and send it to President Trump\u2019s desk.\u201d\n\nThe Stop Insider Trading Act bill prohibits Members of Congress, spouses, and dependent children from purchasing publicly traded stocks. The bill also requires public notice 7 days before a lawmaker, spouse, or dependent child may sell a stock. Finally, the bill institutes strict penalties for any violation.\n\nWatch Chairman Steil\u2019s closing remarks on the House Floor in support of the bill here.\n\nBackground:\n\nIn January 2026, Chairman Steil introduced the Stop Insider Trading Act.\n\nThe legislation:\n\nBans Members, their spouses, and their dependent children from purchasing a security issued by a publicly traded company.\n\nRequires Members of Congress to file a public notice at least 7 days, but no more than 14 days, in advance for each intended sale with the Clerk of the House of Representatives or Secretary of the Senate.\n\nPenalties for a violation:\n\nRequires the respective ethics committees to issue a fee equal to $2,000 or 10% of the value of the covered investment, whichever is greater.\n\nAlso requires forfeiture of any realized profit from a sale.\n\nThe Stop Insider Trading Act passed the House on a bipartisan vote of 232-198.\n\n###", 1, "2026-07-24T07:30:11Z", "2026-07-24T07:31:13Z"], ["https://steil.house.gov/media/press-releases/wisconsin-congressmen-applaud-cms-rule-securing-historic-healthcare-funding-for-wisconsin-families", "Wisconsin\u00a0Congressmen Applaud\u00a0CMS\u00a0Rule\u00a0Securing Historic Healthcare Funding for Wisconsin Families", "2026-07-23", "2026", "2026-07", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Bryan Steil", "S001213", "steil.house.gov", "steil", "https://steil.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Washington, DC \u2013 Today, Congressmen Bryan Steil (WI-01), Derrick Van Orden (WI-03), Scott Fitzgerald (WI-05), Glenn Grothman (WI-06), Tom Tiffany (WI-07), and Tony Wied (WI-08), applauded the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services\u2019(CMS) proposed rule 91 FR 46562, ensuring Wisconsin receives fairness in the Medicaid reimbursement formula and delivering historic Medicaid funding to WI.\n\nWisconsin\u2019s Republican delegation has been working directly with CMS and the Trump Administration to ensure that Wisconsin providers receive the same treatment in the Medicaid reimbursement system as providers in other states. Recent changes resulted in an additional $1 billion in federal healthcare funding for Wisconsin. This funding will help ensure high-quality care for patients in Wisconsin.", 1, "2026-07-24T07:30:11Z", "2026-07-24T07:31:13Z"], ["https://fitzgerald.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-fitzgerald-statement-passage-budget-resolution-kicking-reconciliation-30", "Rep. Fitzgerald Statement on Passage of Budget Resolution Kicking Off Reconciliation 3.0 to Secure Our Elections and Protect National Security", "2026-07-22", "2026", "2026-07", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Scott Fitzgerald", "F000471", "fitzgerald.house.gov", "fitzgerald", "https://fitzgerald.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, DC \u2013 Congressman Scott Fitzgerald (WI-05) issued the following statement in response to the House passage of H. Con. Res. 113.\n\n\u201cProtecting the integrity of our elections and bolstering our national security are among the most fundamental responsibilities of Congress,\u201d said Congressman Fitzgerald. \u201cHouse Republicans are moving Reconciliation 3.0 forward to strengthen our military, support the hardworking farmers who keep our country fed, and advance election integrity safeguards to ensure only U.S. citizens vote in our elections.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-07-23T07:31:02Z", "2026-07-23T07:32:26Z"], ["https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/2026/07/22/sen-johnson-named-chairman-of-the-u-s-senate-committee-on-the-budget/", "Sen. Johnson Named Chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on the Budget", "2026-07-22", "2026", "2026-07", "Republican", "Senate", "WI", "Ron Johnson", "J000293", "www.ronjohnson.senate.gov", "ronjohnson", "https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/category/press-releases/", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 Yesterday, U.S. Senator Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) was named chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on the Budget by the Republican Conference. Today, the senator released the following statement:\n\n\u201cI\u2019m stepping into this role following the tragic death of my friend and colleague, Senator Lindsey Graham. He was a true American patriot, and he will be sorely missed.\n\n\u201cAs chairman for the remainder of the year, I intend to maximize this opportunity to define the fiscal challenge we face, help expose the fraud in government programs, and work with the House, the White House, and my Senate colleagues to enact as much of President Trump\u2019s agenda as possible.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-07-23T07:31:02Z", "2026-07-23T07:32:26Z"], ["https://fitzgerald.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-fitzgerald-votes-pass-stop-insider-trading-act", "Rep. Fitzgerald Votes to Pass the Stop Insider Trading Act", "2026-07-22", "2026", "2026-07", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Scott Fitzgerald", "F000471", "fitzgerald.house.gov", "fitzgerald", "https://fitzgerald.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, DC \u2013 Congressman Scott Fitzgerald (WI-05) issued the following statement after voting to pass H.R. 7008, the Stop Insider Trading Act.\n\n\u201cAs an original cosponsor of the Stop Insider Trading Act, I\u2019m extremely pleased that it passed the House today,\u201d said Congressman Fitzgerald. \u201cTransparency and accountability are essential for public confidence in our government. From my first day in Congress, I made a commitment not to trade individual stocks because I believe elected officials should be held to the highest ethical standards. This legislation reflects those same principles and is a commonsense step toward rebuilding trust in Congress.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-07-24T07:30:11Z", "2026-07-24T07:31:13Z"], ["https://wied.house.gov/media/press-releases/wied-introduces-10-year-ban-members-congress-becoming-lobbyists-or-federal", "Wied Introduces 10-Year Ban on Members of Congress Becoming Lobbyists or Federal Contractors", "2026-07-21", "2026", "2026-07", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Tony Wied", "W000829", "wied.house.gov", "wied", "https://wied.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, DC \u2014 Congressman Tony Wied (R-WI) introduced legislation today to address an issue that has plagued the DC swamp for far too long: career politicians using their connections and insider knowledge to enrich themselves as lobbyists and federal contractors after leaving office.\n\nThe Safeguarding Ethics and Restoring Voter Expectations (SERVE) Act establishes a mandatory ten-year cooling-off period prohibiting any individual who serves as a Member of Congress during the 119th Congress or any succeeding Congress from lobbying or engaging in compensated federal contracting activities.\n\n\u201cPublic service is supposed to be about the people we represent, not a steppingstone to personal gain,\u201d said Congressman Wied. \u201cYet too often, we see former Members of Congress leverage their time in Washington to position themselves for lucrative lobbying or federal contracting opportunities immediately after leaving office. This self-serving cycle is exactly why the American people have lost faith in Washington, and I don't blame them. Until we end this revolving door, career politicians will continue to abuse the system to enrich themselves and further erode trust in our government.\u201d\n\nBackground: For decades, Americans have watched as former Members of Congress have walked out of the Capitol and immediately cashed in on their time in office, turning public trust into private profit. This revolving-door culture erodes confidence in Congress and fuels the perception that decisions made here are shaped by future job prospects rather than the interests of our constituents. Currently, Senators are prohibited from lobbying for 2 years after leaving office, and Representatives are prohibited from lobbying for 1 year. There are no restrictions prohibiting former Members of Congress from serving as federal contractors.\n\nThe SERVE Act addresses this conflict of interest by:\n\nEstablishing a mandatory ten-year cooling-off period for any individual who serves as a Member of Congress during the 119th Congress or any Congress thereafter.\n\nProhibiting former Members from:\n\nLobbying Congress or federal agencies.\n\nEngaging in compensated federal contracting activities for ten years after leaving office.\n\nThis legislation institutes practical, commonsense reforms that put constituents first and will help rebuild faith in Congress.", 1, "2026-07-22T07:34:13Z", "2026-07-22T07:35:16Z"], ["https://fitzgerald.house.gov/media/press-releases/fitzgerald-banking-reform-bills-included-house-passed-main-street-capital", "Fitzgerald Banking Reform Bills Included in House-Passed Main Street Capital Access Act", "2026-07-21", "2026", "2026-07", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Scott Fitzgerald", "F000471", "fitzgerald.house.gov", "fitzgerald", "https://fitzgerald.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "July 21, 2026\n\nWASHINGTON, DC \u2013 Today, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 6955, the Main Street Capital Access Act, comprehensive legislation to modernize the nation\u2019s banking regulatory framework to strengthen community banks.\n\nThis legislation includes three bills introduced by Congressman Scott Fitzgerald (WI-05): the Bank Competition Modernization Act, the Halting Uncertain Methods and Practices in Supervision (HUMPS) Act, and the Merger Agreement Approvals Clarity and Predictability Act. It also includes the Bank Failure Prevention Act, which Congressman Fitzgerald co-led with Congressman Andy Barr (KY-06).\n\n\u201cCommunity banks are essential to Wisconsin\u2019s families, farmers, and small businesses, but Washington has buried them under red tape and an unpredictable regulatory system for far too long,\u201d said Congressman Scott Fitzgerald. \u201cThe Main Street Capital Access Act reins in unelected regulators, increases accountability, and gives community banks the certainty they need to grow, compete, and serve their customers. I am proud that several of my bills are included in this package, and I look forward to working with my Senate colleagues to get these reforms to President Trump\u2019s desk.\u201d\n\nMore on Congressman Fitzgerald\u2019s provisions in the legislation:\n\nBank Competition Modernization Act: Modernizes outdated bank merger review standards. Specifically, the bill creates a $10 billion asset threshold, adjusted for growth in nominal GDP, under which federal banking regulators provide a safe harbor from the Department of Justice\u2019s (DOJ) competition analysis, allowing small community banks to grow and achieve operational efficiencies without the delays associated with the DOJ\u2019s competition review.\n\nHalting Uncertain Methods and Practices in Supervision (HUMPS) Act: Strengthens transparency in how banks are evaluated. Specifically, it directs the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council (FFIEC) to revise the CAMELS rating system by establishing clear, objective standards for each component and updating the formula used to calculate a bank\u2019s overall rating. It also calls for eliminating or reforming the subjective \u201cManagement\u201d component, focusing instead on measurable risk governance and internal controls.\n\nMerger Agreement Approvals Clarity and Predictability Act: Addresses political intrusion into the regulatory approval process for bank mergers and acquisitions. Specifically, the bill requires the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to conduct a thorough review of how federal regulators use commitments and conditions when approving mergers of insured depository institutions. It also directs GAO to determine whether regulators rely on extrastatutory considerations, such as policy preferences or non\u2011statutory goals, when conditioning merger approvals.\n\nBank Failure Prevention Act: Enhances competition in the U.S. banking system. Specifically, it ensures bank regulators make timely decisions on mergers to bring certainty to bank competition and consumer needs.\n\n###", 1, "2026-07-23T07:31:02Z", "2026-07-23T07:32:26Z"], ["https://grothman.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=5299", "Grothman Bill to Streamline Foreign Medical Accreditation Advances Through Education and Workforce Committee", "2026-07-17", "2026", "2026-07", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Glenn Grothman", "G000576", "grothman.house.gov", "grothman", "https://grothman.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27", "scraper", "Congressman Glenn Grothman (WI-06)'s Less Bureaucracy, Better Foreign Medical Accreditation Act advanced through the House Committee on Education and Workforce, clearing the way for consideration by the full House of Representatives.\n\nThe legislation would transfer responsibility for foreign medical accreditation from the U.S. Department of Education to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), placing the program within the federal agency best equipped to oversee medical education and the healthcare workforce.\n\n\"President Trump has made it a priority to reduce unnecessary bureaucracy and ensure the federal government is focused on doing its job efficiently,\" Congressman Grothman said. \"Foreign medical accreditation is a healthcare issue, not an education issue. The Department of Health and Human Services has the expertise to oversee this process, and moving these responsibilities there is simply common sense. This bill cuts red tape, improves accountability, and ensures these important functions are handled by the agency best suited for the job. I'm pleased the Education and Workforce Committee advanced this legislation, and I hope to see it considered by the full House.\"\n\nBackground Information\n\nForeign medical accreditation is the process by which foreign medical schools are evaluated to ensure their graduates meet standards comparable to those required of medical schools in the United States. These responsibilities are currently carried out by the National Committee on Foreign Medical Education and Accreditation (NCFMEA, which is currently housed within the Department of Education.\n\nAs part of President Trump's effort to reduce the size and scope of the Department of Education and return education authority to the states, the Department of Education entered into an Interagency Agreement with HHS on November 18, 2025, to begin transferring these responsibilities. Because HHS oversees many federal healthcare and medical workforce programs, it is better positioned to administer foreign medical accreditation.\n\nThe Less Bureaucracy, Better Foreign Medical Accreditation Act would permanently codify that transfer by:\n\nMoving all foreign medical accreditation functions from the Secretary of Education to the Secretary of Health and Human Services.", 1, "2026-07-18T06:58:50Z", "2026-07-18T07:31:57Z"], ["https://steil.house.gov/media/press-releases/steil-leads-wi-republican-delegation-requests-epa-hold-canada-accountable-for-wildfire-pollutants", "Steil Leads WI Republican Delegation, Requests EPA Hold Canada Accountable for Wildfire Pollutants", "2026-07-17", "2026", "2026-07", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Bryan Steil", "S001213", "steil.house.gov", "steil", "https://steil.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "July 17, 2026\n\nJanesville, WI \u2013 Today, Congressmen Bryan Steil (WI-01), Derrick Van Orden (WI-03), Glenn Grothman (WI-06), Tom Tiffany (WI-07), Scott Fitzgerald (WI-05), and Tony Wied (WI-08) wrote to EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, requesting the department review available actions under the U.S.-Canada Air Quality Agreement (AQA) to help address ongoing wildfire smoke in Wisconsin originating from Canada.\n\n\u201cRecord-breaking wildfire smoke is inflicting real harm on Wisconsin families. We cannot allow this to continue. Canada must meet its clean air promise and prevent future wildfires from impacting Wisconsin families,\u201d wrote the Representatives. \"We write to respectfully request that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) take all appropriate measures under the U.S.-Canada AQA to address the impact of Canadian wildfire smoke on families in the Great Lakes Region and the Northeast.\"\n\nRead the letter here.\n\nBackground:\n\nSmoke from recent wildfires, including those originating in Canada, has drifted into the United States, creating hazardous air quality ratings across Wisconsin.\n\nOn Thursday, July 16, 5 of the 10 worst areas for air quality in the world were in southern Wisconsin.\n\nAir Quality Index ratings exceeded 500 in many portions of Wisconsin, including Brown, Waukesha, and Kenosha Counties.\n\nMilwaukee saw its worst air quality on record, with an AQI of 566 - significantly higher than cities like Beijing (73) and Delhi (160).\n\nWildfires like those originating in Canada are a source of significant pollutants including carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, and particulate matter.\n\nThe U.S.-Canada Air Quality Agreement was signed by the U.S. and Canada in 1991 and expanded in 2000. The agreement is designed to help reduce toxic air pollutants including ozone and particulate matter.\n\nUnder the agreement, the U.S. can raise concerns surrounding particulate emissions to force consultations with Canadian officials within 30 days.\n\nIf a resolution is not reached, the U.S. can refer the dispute to a third party or enter formal negotiations.\n\nThe letter requests that the EPA utilize this mechanism to address the impacts of ongoing wildfires and help mitigate future occurrences.\n\n###", 1, "2026-07-18T06:58:50Z", "2026-07-18T07:00:34Z"], ["https://wied.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-wied-introduces-bill-help-restore-us-manufacturing", "Congressman Wied Introduces Bill to Help Restore U.S. Manufacturing", "2026-07-16", "2026", "2026-07", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Tony Wied", "W000829", "wied.house.gov", "wied", "https://wied.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, DC \u2014 Congressman Tony Wied (R-WI) introduced the Restoring American Manufacturing (RAM) Act to provide resources to small businesses seeking to bring their manufacturing back to the United States.\n\nThe RAM Act would codify the Small Business Administration\u2019s (SBA) Make Onshoring Great Again Portal, connecting small businesses who seek to onshore their operations with verified U.S. manufacturers, producers, and suppliers.\n\n\u201cReshoring manufacturing is critical for restoring our nation\u2019s economic independence, maintaining global supply chain control, and supporting American workers,\u201d said Congressman Wied. \u201cThis online portal gives small businesses the resources they need to reshore their operations and revitalize Made in America manufacturing. I am proud to introduce this legislation to help bring American jobs back home and strengthen our economy.\u201d\n\n\u201cSmall businesses make up over 98% of American manufacturers, and North Texas is no exception, as manufacturing is central to our local economy,\u201d said Congresswoman Van Duyne. \u201cThe Small Business Administration already has the tools and partnerships to help small businesses onshore their manufacturing to the U.S., they just need an easy way to find those resources. The Reshoring American Manufacturing Act will do just that, which is why I am glad to help introduce this legislation.\u201d\n\nBackground: Through executive orders from President Trump, prioritization from the SBA, and congressional action such as the One Big Beautiful Bill, the United States is revitalizing its manufacturing capabilities. While many large corporations have the resources needed to reshore their manufacturing capabilities, many small businesses do not and instead turn to the SBA for support. The Make Onshoring Great Again Portal is a website run by the SBA that provides information on its programs and partnerships with organizations such as IndustryNet, CONNEX, and IQS Directory, giving small businesses a clear starting point for reshoring their manufacturing capabilities.\n\nReps. Beth Van Duyne (R-TX), Jake Ellzey (R-TX), and Brad Finstad (R-MN) are original cosponsors of this legislation.\n\nKey Provisions:\n\nRequires the Small Business Administration to establish, operate, and maintain a website that provides a list of resources and relevant agencies for small businesses seeking information on onshoring part or all of their manufacturing capacity to the United States.", 1, "2026-07-17T07:15:58Z", "2026-07-17T07:17:05Z"], ["https://steil.house.gov/media/press-releases/icymi-steil-led-housing-affordability-bill-becomes-law", "ICYMI - Steil-Led\u00a0Housing\u00a0Affordability Bill Becomes Law", "2026-07-15", "2026", "2026-07", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Bryan Steil", "S001213", "steil.house.gov", "steil", "https://steil.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Washington, DC \u2013 On Saturday, July 11, the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act (H.R. 6644) became law. This package of bills increases housing supply, reduces government regulation, cuts red tape for building and lending, and addresses high housing costs. It includes the Accelerating Home Building Act (H.R. 5907), a bill co-led by Congressman Bryan Steil (WI-01) and Congresswoman Janelle Bynum (OR-05).\n\n\u201cRed tape and bureaucratic delays have put homeownership out of reach for many Wisconsin families,\" said Steil. \"The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act is a step forward to increase housing supply and reduce burdensome regulations to help make housing more affordable. I appreciate the strong bipartisan support to move this bill forward and help make life more affordable for working families.\u201d\n\nCLICK HERE to read the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act.\n\nCLICK HERE for a one pager on the bill.\n\nBackground:\n\nHousing costs continue to rise due to a lack of supply, workforce shortages, and costly government regulations. These costs have put homeownership out of reach for many families.\n\nThe 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act boosts housing supply by modernizing standards, cutting red tape to reduce the cost of manufactured homes by approximately $3,000. It updates federal permitting to ensure that projects without environmental impacts do not need to undergo additional environmental reviews.\n\nThis is the first meaningful housing reform package to pass Congress in over 30 years.\n\nThe bill passed the House on Tuesday, June 23rd, on a bipartisan vote of 358-32 and the Senate on Monday, June 22nd, on a vote of 85-5.\n\nSteil's Accelerating Home Building Act creates a grant program within the Department of Housing and Urban Development to help towns and cities implement pattern zoning, a process for architects and local governments to develop \"pattern books\" full of pre-approved, standardized plans and designs for use in their communities. This process tackles housing affordability by reducing red tape, lowering design costs, streamlining zoning approvals, and accelerating construction timelines.\n\n###", 1, "2026-07-16T07:21:44Z", "2026-07-16T07:23:13Z"], ["https://vanorden.house.gov/media/press-releases/van-orden-introduces-two-bills-strengthen-va-security-and-support-retired", "Van Orden Introduces Two Bills\u00a0to Strengthen VA Security and Support Retired Federal Working Dogs", "2026-07-14", "2026", "2026-07", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Derrick Van Orden", "V000135", "vanorden.house.gov", "vanorden", "https://vanorden.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Today, Congressman Derrick Van Orden introduced two bills to strengthen security at VA facilities and support retired federal working dogs.\n\nThe VA Police Security Enhancement Act would strengthen security at VA facilities by expanding the definition of VA property under federal law, authorizing VA police officers to carry out broader security responsibilities, allowing limited off-property operations when necessary, encouraging coordination with state and local law enforcement through memoranda of understanding, modernizing facility security measures, increasing congressional oversight, and establishing a dedicated account to support VA police staffing, training, and security infrastructure.\n\n\u201cOur veterans have earned the very best care and support our nation can provide. That starts with ensuring the facilities they rely on are secure, and that the hardworking VA police officers have the tools necessary to protect them,\u201d said Van Orden.\n\nThe K-9 Hero Act of 2026 would establish a federal grant program to help nonprofit organizations cover veterinary expenses for retired federal working dogs that served alongside America\u2019s military members, law enforcement officers, and homeland security personnel.\n\n\"Federal working dogs have been an invaluable part of missions that protect our country and keep Americans safe. This legislation ensures the organizations caring for these retired heroes have the support necessary to provide them with proper medical care,\u201d Van Orden added.\n\nVan Orden is a 26-year Navy SEAL veteran and a member of the House Veterans\u2019 Affairs Committee, where he continues to advocate for veterans and their families.\n\n###", 1, "2026-07-15T07:12:08Z", "2026-07-15T07:13:45Z"], ["https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/2026/07/14/chairmen-johnson-grassley-release-records-showing-jack-smiths-investigative-team-secretly-obtained-text-messages-from-44-members-of-congress-amid-trump-probe/", "Chairmen Johnson, Grassley Release Records Showing Jack Smith\u2019s Investigative Team Secretly Obtained Text Messages from 44 Members of Congress Amid Trump\u00a0Probe", "2026-07-14", "2026", "2026-07", "Republican", "Senate", "WI", "Ron Johnson", "J000293", "www.ronjohnson.senate.gov", "ronjohnson", "https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/category/press-releases/", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 Special Counsel Jack Smith\u2019s investigative team obtained and reviewed text messages from White House personnel, including messages to and from 44 Members of Congress, as part of the Biden Department of Justice\u2019s (DOJ) criminal investigation into President Trump. Evidence shows the investigators bypassed a required Filter Team review process, violating investigative protocols.\n\nThe bombshell discovery comes in new records released today by Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations Chairman Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) and Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) as part of their ongoing Arctic Frost oversight. Johnson and Grassley requested the records from DOJ after receiving legally protected whistleblower disclosures.\n\nThe Justice Department\u2019s letter to the chairmen and the provided records indicate Smith\u2019s investigative team circumvented its own filter review process, which was established to protect privileged materials from being swept up in a criminal prosecution, and directly accessed the content of texts sent by Republican and Democrat senators and members of the House of Representatives to White House officials during Trump\u2019s first term. Bypassing a Filter Team evades consideration of additional privileges, such as attorney-client privilege.\n\nBoth Johnson and Grassley\u2019s text messages were obtained by Smith\u2019s team.\n\n\u201cThis is yet another grotesque example of the Biden administration\u2019s weaponization of the Justice Department,\u201d Sen. Johnson said. \u201cJack Smith\u2019s team acted with impunity as they disregarded their own protocols to obtain and access White House text messages, including messages to and from 44 Members of Congress. At this point, no one should be shocked by Jack Smith\u2019s recklessness and blatant abuse of power, but they should be outraged.\u201d\n\n\u201cJack Smith\u2019s criminal investigation of President Trump was a runaway train that had no brakes. Based on the information that\u2019s been produced to me and Senator Johnson, Biden DOJ and FBI investigators apparently ignored their own routine investigative protocols to obtain and review work-related messages from me and dozens of my Republican and Democrat colleagues who were outside the scope of the government\u2019s investigation, \u201dSen. Grassley said. \u201cI hope my Democrat colleagues, several of whom had their own texts swept up, finally put partisanship aside and recognize the severity of these actions. Smith\u2019s team ran roughshod over the Constitution even after repeated warnings. Jack Smith has answering to do, and I intend to have him before the Senate Judiciary Committee in the coming months to hold him accountable.\u201d\n\nRead DOJ\u2019s summary of the records here and access the records here.\n\nBackground:\n\nThe records, as summarized in a DOJ cover letter, provide evidence the Biden Justice Department \u201cestablished a Filter Team to evaluate materials obtained in the course of both Jack Smith\u2019s investigation relating to January 6 (referred to as \u2018Project Coconut\u2019) and his Mar-a-Lago documents investigation (referred to as \u2018Project Cranberry\u2019). The Filter Team\u2019s purpose was to prevent investigators from the Special Counsel\u2019s Office and the FBI (\u2018Investigative Team\u2019) from accessing privileged materials among the records obtained during the course of these investigations.\u201d The DOJ letter further states \u201cthe Special Counsel\u2019s Investigative Team apparently bypassed the Filter Team and directly accessed these text messages,\u201d in reference to Members\u2019 communications.\n\nIn June 2023, the Special Counsel\u2019s Office (SCO) subpoenaed the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) to provide all text messages from October 2020 through January 20, 2021, from phones associated with a long list of personnel serving in the White House during President Trump\u2019s first term, including Trump himself as well as: Mark Meadows, Dan Scavino, Ivanka Trump, Stephen Miller, Peter Navarro, John Ratcliffe, Kash Patel, Rudy Giuliani, Kellyanne Conway and Mike Pence.\n\nNARA provided the texts to SCO on August 21, 2023. Within half an hour, one of Smith\u2019s senior lawyers, Thomas Windom, downloaded the texts and, within one hour, other members of Smith\u2019s investigative team downloaded and began reviewing the texts. It appears the review was done without waiting for the Filter Team to evaluate and segregate privileged information.\n\nSmith\u2019s team accessed texts to and from the following current and former senators and members of the House of Representatives:\n\n1. Senator Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa)\n\n2. Senator Ron Johnson (R-Wis.)\n\n3. Senator John Cornyn (R-Texas)\n\n4. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.)\n\n5. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.)\n\n6. Senator Mike Lee (R-Utah)\n\n7. Senator Cory Booker (D-N.J.)\n\n8. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.)\n\n9. Senator Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska)\n\n10. Senator David Perdue (R-Ga.)\n\n11. Senator Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.)\n\n12. Senator Martha McSally (R-Ariz.)\n\n13. Senator Rand Paul (R-Ky.)\n\n14. Senator Rick Scott (R-Fla.)\n\n15. Senator Rob Portman (R-Ohio)\n\n16. Senator Roy Blunt (R-Mo.)\n\n17. Senator Susan Collins (R-Maine)\n\n18. Senator Tim Scott (R-S.C.)\n\n19. Senator Tom Cotton (R-Ark.)\n\n20. Senator Cory Gardner (R-Colo.)\n\n21. Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.)\n\n22. Rep. Steve Scalise (R-La.)\n\n23. Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio)\n\n24. Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.)\n\n25. Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.)\n\n26. Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.)\n\n27. Rep. Mark Walker (R-N.C.)\n\n28. Rep. Bryan Steil (R-Wis.)\n\n29. Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-Wash.)\n\n30. Rep. Doug Collins (R-Ga.)\n\n31. Rep. Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.)\n\n32. Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.)\n\n33. Rep. John Katko (R-N.Y.)\n\n34. Rep. Joshua Gottheimer (D-N.J.)\n\n35. Rep. Karen Bass (D-Calif.)\n\n36. Rep. Ken Buck (R-Colo.)\n\n37. Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-N.Y.)\n\n38. Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart (R-Fla.)\n\n39. Rep. Mo Brooks (R-Ala.)\n\n40. Rep. Morgan Griffith (R-Va.)\n\n41. Rep. Rodney Davis (R-Ill.)\n\n42. Rep. Russ Fulcher (R-Idaho)\n\n43. Rep. Scott Perry (R-Pa.)\n\n44. Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.)\n\n###", 1, "2026-07-15T07:12:08Z", "2026-07-15T07:13:45Z"], ["https://grothman.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=5281", "Grothman Introduces Hmong Congressional Gold Medal Act to Honor Hmong Veterans' Service During the Vietnam War", "2026-07-10", "2026", "2026-07", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Glenn Grothman", "G000576", "grothman.house.gov", "grothman", "https://grothman.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27", "scraper", "Today, Congressman Glenn Grothman (WI-06) introduced the Hmong Congressional Gold Medal Act, legislation to award the Congressional Gold Medal to the Hmong people in recognition of their extraordinary courage, sacrifice, and loyalty to the United States during the Vietnam War.\n\nThe legislation pays tribute to the thousands of Hmong soldiers who courageously fought alongside American forces against communist aggression and celebrates the lasting legacy and contributions of Hmong Americans across the United States.\n\n\"The Hmong people stood shoulder to shoulder with the United States in defense of freedom and against communist aggression in Southeast Asia.\" said Grothman. \"Thousands risked everything to support American troops, and many paid the ultimate price for their loyalty. The story of their courage and sacrifice has been underreported for far too long and should never be forgotten. Awarding the Congressional Gold Medal is a fitting tribute to the Hmong veterans and families who answered America's call and to the generations of Hmong Americans who continue to strengthen our communities through their dedication, patriotism, and commitment to family.\"\n\nBackground Information\n\nDuring the Vietnam War, more than 30,000 Hmong soldiers fought alongside American forces in the battle against communism. Serving under General Vang Pao and other Hmong leaders, they gathered critical intelligence, disrupted enemy operations, defended strategic positions, and rescued downed American pilots\u2014helping save countless American lives.\n\nFollowing the war, many Hmong soldiers and their families faced persecution because of their alliance with the United States. Tens of thousands fled their homes, and more than 150,000 Hmong refugees ultimately resettled in the United States, where they have built thriving communities and made lasting contributions to our nation.\n\nThe Hmong Congressional Gold Medal Act would award the Congressional Gold Medal in recognition of the Hmong people's extraordinary courage, sacrifice, and service alongside the United States during the Vietnam War, while honoring the enduring contributions Hmong Americans continue to make to communities across the country.\n\n-30-", 1, "2026-07-12T07:28:31Z", "2026-07-12T07:30:18Z"], ["https://steil.house.gov/media/press-releases/steil-joins-vp-vance-and-cms-administrator-oz-in-wisconsin-to-discuss-combatting-waste-fraud-and-abuse-in-government-programs", "Steil Joins VP Vance and CMS Administrator Oz in Wisconsin to Discuss Combatting Waste, Fraud, and Abuse in Government Programs", "2026-07-08", "2026", "2026-07", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Bryan Steil", "S001213", "steil.house.gov", "steil", "https://steil.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "July 8, 2026\n\nMILWAUKEE, WI. \u2013 Today, Congressman Bryan Steil (WI-01), Vice President JD Vance, and Dr. Mehmet Oz, Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), highlighted their work to eliminate fraud within critical federal programs. According to US Department of Justice (DOJ), fraudsters cost Wisconsin Medicaid more than $15.5 million between 2019 and 2022 and more than $6.5 billion nationwide.\n\nImage\n\n\u201cInadequate fraud prevention standards have opened the door to criminal actors and harmed American families and children,\" said Steil. \"Program resources should go to those in need, not fraudsters and criminals. I'm proud to work alongside VP Vance and the Trump Administration to protect vulnerable Americans and root out waste, fraud, and abuse.\u201d\n\nBackground:\n\nAccording to US DOJ, fraudsters cost Medicaid more than $6.5 billion including more than $15.5 million in Wisconsin between 2019 and 2022.\n\nUS DOJ filed charges against 455 defendants including:\n\nA Milwaukee funeral home owner who is facing 14 felony counts of fraud for stealing nearly $1 million from Medicaid.\n\nA Milwaukee prenatal care company owner who is accused of stealing more than $5.4 million from Medicaid.\n\nOther recent WI Medicaid fraud charges include:\n\nA Milwaukee prenatal care company owner who was sentenced to more than 10 years in prison for stealing more than $2.3 million from Medicaid.\n\nA Milwaukee business owner accused of defrauding Medicaid of more than $2 million for personal care services that were never delivered.\n\nIn July 2025, the Working Family Tax Cuts (WFTC) was signed into law. The bill helps fight waste, fraud, and abuse and strengthens critical programs like Medicaid to protect them for who they were designed to serve: children, pregnant women, and disabled Americans:\n\nWork requirements - requires able-bodied adults without young children to work 20 hours per week to receive benefits\n\nEligibility integrity - Strengthens eligibility integrity to remove deceased individuals, remove duplicate enrollees, and perform eligibility verification two times per year\n\nIncreases Medicaid spending by more than $100 billion over the next 10 years\n\nListen to Rep. Steil's remarks here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-07-10T08:20:04Z", "2026-07-10T08:21:18Z"], ["https://steil.house.gov/media/press-releases/steil-shares-fema-storm-damage-resources-for-wisconsin-families", "Steil Shares\u00a0FEMA\u00a0Storm Damage Resources for Wisconsin Families", "2026-07-06", "2026", "2026-07", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Bryan Steil", "S001213", "steil.house.gov", "steil", "https://steil.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "July 6, 2026\n\nJANESVILLE, WI \u2013 Today, Congressman Bryan Steil (WI-01) shared additional details regarding FEMA resources for families and affected communities following storm damage in Wisconsin this past April. This follows President Trump\u2019s approval of a Major Disaster Declaration for Wisconsin and approval of $22.6 million in funding for Wisconsin families.\n\n\"This is an important step towards helping Wisconsin families impacted by the severe weather and damaging flooding in April,\" said Steil. \"Thank you, President Trump for working to provide critical resources to Wisconsin families. I look forward to working with FEMA to help Wisconsin families impacted by these storms.\"\n\nBackground:\n\nOn June 30, President Trump approved an initial $22.6 million in funding assistance for Wisconsin families following storm damage in April.\n\nThe approval includes Individual Assistance Funding for families in Kenosha, Milwaukee, Racine, Rock Counties and Public Assistance funding for Rock Counties in WI-01, as well as other counties throughout Wisconsin.\n\nFamilies can apply for assistance online at the link here.\n\nMore funding and additional determinations may be made available according to FEMA.\n\nThe timeline to receive FEMA funding for the most recent storm in April is following a similar timeline to the over $200 million disbursed to support recovery efforts from storms that occurred in August 2025.\n\nAugust 2025 Storms\n\nInitial amount approved: $29.8 million\n\nFinal amount disbursed: $208.2 million\n\nApril 2026 Storms\n\nInitial amount approved: $22.6 million\n\nFinal amount disbursed: TBD\n\nIn September 2025, President Trump announced the approval of $29.8 million and ultimately disbursed over $200 million to support recovery efforts in Wisconsin following historic flooding caused by severe rainfall in the Milwaukee region on August 9th and 10th.\n\nIn April, storms caused tornadoes and widespread flooding and damage across Wisconsin.\n\nOn May 1, 2026, Rep. Steil and Wisconsin Republican Congressional Delegation sent a letter to Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) thanking the agency for their prompt response to the State of Wisconsin's request for FEMA to conduct a Joint Preliminary Damage Assessment to determine whether the damage meets the thresholds for a Presidential Major Disaster Declaration.\n\nOn May 28, 2026, Rep. Steil and the Wisconsin Congressional Delegation sent a letter to President Trump to support the State of Wisconsin's request for a Presidential Major Disaster Declaration.\n\nIn June, President Trump announced the approval of a Major Disaster Declaration providing $22.6 million dollars to Wisconsin to support recovery efforts.\n\n###", 1, "2026-07-07T08:20:12Z", "2026-07-07T08:22:09Z"], ["https://tiffany.house.gov/media/press-releases/tiffany-hageman-introduce-legislation-protect-taxpayers-abusive-eaja-lawsuits", "Tiffany, Hageman Introduce Legislation to Protect Taxpayers from Abusive EAJA Lawsuits", "2026-07-01", "2026", "2026-07", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Thomas P. Tiffany", "T000165", "tiffany.house.gov", "tiffany", "https://tiffany.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, DC \u2013 Congressman Tom Tiffany (WI-07) and Congresswoman Harriet Hageman (WY-At Large) introduced the Fixing Egregiously Expensive Suits Act, or FEES Act for short.\n\nThe Equal Access to Justice Act (EAJA) was enacted in 1980 to help ordinary Americans challenge federal overreach. It was intended to protect veterans, Social Security recipients, small businesses, and other individuals from prohibitive legal costs when taking action against the federal government. Instead, well-funded environmental organizations have transformed EAJA into a taxpayer-funded revenue stream to finance politically motivated litigation that has little to do with justice and everything to do with advancing their agenda.\n\n\u201cEAJA was enacted to give veterans, small businesses, and everyday Americans a fair shot at challenging government overreach. Instead, it has become a cash machine for well-funded environmental groups that sue federal agencies and stick taxpayers with the bill. The FEES Act shuts down that gravy train and returns EAJA to the people it was meant to serve,\u201dsaid Congressman Tiffany.\n\n\u201cRadical environmental groups have exploited the Equal Access to Justice Act for decades, using taxpayer dollars to fund sue-and-settle schemes that undermine responsible land management and block critical projects across the West. The FEES Act closes loopholes and restores the original intent of EAJA by limiting attorney fee awards to parties with real, direct stakes in outcomes, not well-funded activist organizations gaming the system at the public's expense. The American people deserve a federal government that can actually do its job without being held hostage by serial litigants,\u201d said Congresswoman Hageman.\n\nFrom fiscal years 2019 through 2024, the Department of the Interior and USDA awarded approximately $24.8 million under EAJA, with 76% of those funds flowing to a small number of environmental organizations and their lawyers, whose fees have been reimbursed at rates as high as $500 per hour\u2014all at taxpayer expense.\n\n\u201cThe American Forest Resource Council supports the FEES Act because it restores accountability and transparency to the Equal Access to Justice Act (EAJA). Too often, taxpayers are forced to fund attorney fee awards associated with lawsuits that delay critical forest management, wildfire reduction, and public safety projects for years. These commonsense EAJA reforms will help reduce incentives for serial litigation, improving the ability of federal land managers to steward public lands and protect nearby communities,\u201dsaid Travis Joseph, President/CEO of the American Forest Resource Council.\n\n\u201cAmerican ranchers have felt the impact of radical activists\u2019 exploitation of taxpayer-funded litigation for decades. What started as a well-intended and much-needed tools for average Americans to settle issues like veterans\u2019 benefits and small business claims quickly was corrupted by groups who wanted to stop active management and science-based decisions across the country. Well-financed environmental groups that only exist to sue the government and recoup their attorneys\u2019 fees should not have their agenda funded by taxpayer dollars. Thank you to Representatives Tiffany and Hageman for recognizing the need to end the cycle of sue-and-settle that has undermined meaningful resource planning for far too long,\u201dsaid Tim Canterbury, Public Lands Council President.\n\n\u201cRepeat litigants have weaponized taxpayer funds and abused EAJA for far too long. This bill delivers needed reforms to curb \u2018sue-and-settle\u2019 tactics that have allowed well-funded organizations to rely on procedural arguments that do not benefit wildlife or habitat,\u201dsaid SCI CEO W. Laird Hamberlin. \u201cThe bill protects the original intent of EAJA by ensuring that only those with a real, direct stake in a case can recover fees, instead of repeatedly cashing in at taxpayers\u2019 expense. SCI urges the House to rapidly consider and pass EAJA reform like this bill.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe Equal Access to Justice Act was enacted with good intentions to give small businesses and individuals the ability to fight an unresponsive government in court. However, by letting well-funded and litigious environmental organizations get their lawyers\u2019 fees paid, the incentive to file suits and delay important habitat management projects has only grown. Litigation is now one of the biggest barriers to wildlife habitat improvement on federal lands. We support the FEES Act introduced by Representative Tom Tiffany as a commonsense reform to get our foresters and biologists back in the field and out of the court room,\u201dsaid the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation.\n\nSupporting organizations include: The American Forest Resource Council, Public Lands Council and NCBA Natural Resources, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, and Safari Club International.\n\nThe FEES Act includes the following reforms to the Equal Access to Justice Act (EAJA):\n\nLimits attorney fee awards to prevailing parties with a direct, personal financial interest in the case, such as those involving personal injury, property damage, or an unpaid agency disbursement.\n\nCaps EAJA awards at $200,000 per adversary adjudication and limits recipients to no more than three adversary adjudications per calendar year.\n\nRequires courts to reduce or deny attorney fee awards for parties that acted in bad faith or engaged in dilatory, oppressive, or otherwise improper conduct.\n\nProhibits attorney fee awards when a lawsuit is resolved through a settlement that results in the creation of a new federal regulation or guidance document.\n\nCreates a carve out so lawsuits related to Social Security or Veterans Affairs are not impacted.\n\nExempts successful class action lawsuits from these new limitations.\n\nDirects the Secretary of the Interior to convene an independent panel to evaluate the law's impact and submit a report to the House Committee on Natural Resources and the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.\n\nYou can view the text of the FEES Act here.", 1, "2026-07-11T07:10:48Z", "2026-07-11T07:14:29Z"], ["https://grothman.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=5268", "Grothman Introduces Bill to Strengthen Identity Protections for Federal Health Care Enrollees", "2026-06-30", "2026", "2026-06", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Glenn Grothman", "G000576", "grothman.house.gov", "grothman", "https://grothman.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27", "scraper", "Congressman Glenn Grothman (WI-06) introduced the Marketplace Fraud Accountability (MFA) Act, legislation requiring the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to implement multifactor authentication for enrollees in federal health care programs governed by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to better protect Americans' personal information and reduce fraud.\n\n\"Fraudsters are constantly looking for ways to exploit weak security systems, and the federal government shouldn't make it easy for them,\" said Grothman. \"Multifactor authentication has become a standard security measure for everything from banking to email to fast food apps because it works. There's no reason Americans should have stronger protections for their bank accounts than for their health care accounts. This is a commonsense anti-fraud measure that will make it harder for bad actors to manipulate federal health care account and exploit taxpayer-funded programs. By strengthening these basic security protections, we can better protect enrollees and save taxpayer funds by reducing fraud and improper payments. At the same time, this bill ensures individuals without reliable broadband or cellular service can continue accessing their health care accounts through alternative verification methods.\"\n\n\"Congressman Grothman has stepped forward as a true champion for both consumers and the professional agent community,\" said B. Ronnell Nolan, President and CEO of Health Agents for America (HAFA). \"The Marketplace Fraud Accountability Act is about protecting Americans from fraud, preserving consumer choice, and ensuring licensed agents can continue serving their clients with integrity and accountability. This legislation is long overdue.\"\n\nBackground Information\n\nMultifactor authentication is a widely used security measure that verifies a user's identity through two or more authentication factors, such as a password, security token, or biometric identifier. While Americans routinely use these protections for banking, email, and other online services, CMS does not currently require multifactor authentication for Affordable Care Act enrollees.\n\nWatchdog organizations have raised concerns that the lack of basic identity protections leaves enrollees vulnerable to fraud, unauthorized account changes, and identity theft. According to the Paragon Institute, fraud and improper enrollment resulting from these vulnerabilities is conservatively estimated to cost taxpayers between $15 billion and $26 billion. Several state-based health care exchanges, including DC Health Link, already require multifactor authentication.\n\nThe Marketplace Fraud Accountability Act would require CMS to implement multifactor authentication for Affordable Care Act enrollees within one year of enactment. The legislation also directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to provide alternative authentication methods on a case-by-case basis for individuals who lack reliable broadband or cellular service, ensuring they are not prevented from accessing their health care accounts.\n\n-30-", 1, "2026-07-01T06:34:07Z", "2026-07-01T06:35:35Z"], ["https://vanorden.house.gov/media/press-releases/van-orden-statement-supreme-court-decision-uphold-integrity-womens-sports", "Van Orden Statement on Supreme Court Decision to Uphold Integrity in Women\u2019s Sports", "2026-06-30", "2026", "2026-06", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Derrick Van Orden", "V000135", "vanorden.house.gov", "vanorden", "https://vanorden.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Congressman Derrick Van Orden released the following statement regarding today\u2019s monumental Supreme Court ruling gives states the right to ban males from playing in female sports:\n\n\u201cToday\u2019s Supreme Court ruling is a landmark victory for women and female athletes. The Court rightly recognized that states have authority to set clear standards that preserve women\u2019s sports for female athletes. That framework protects competitive integrity and ensures that opportunities created under Title IX remain grounded in their original intent. Women and girls deserve a fair playing field, and today the Court upheld that principle.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-07-01T06:34:07Z", "2026-07-01T06:35:35Z"], ["https://vanorden.house.gov/media/press-releases/van-orden-statement-supreme-court-ruling-birthright-citizenship", "Van Orden Statement on Supreme Court Ruling on Birthright Citizenship", "2026-06-30", "2026", "2026-06", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Derrick Van Orden", "V000135", "vanorden.house.gov", "vanorden", "https://vanorden.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Congressman Derrick Van Orden released the following statement regarding today\u2019s Supreme Court ruling on Birthright Citizenship:\n\n\u201cThe Fourteenth Amendment was enacted in the aftermath of Dred Scott to guarantee citizenship for freed slaves, not to establish automatic citizenship for individuals who are unlawfully present in the United States or only temporarily here. This ruling departs from that historical context and the original understanding.\n\nBy adopting this interpretation, the Court risks further incentivizing abuse of the immigration system and undermining the integrity of American citizenship. These are serious consequences with long-term implications for the rule of law and border security.\n\nCongress should act promptly to ensure the Citizenship Clause is applied consistent with its original meaning and protect the integrity of American citizenship.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-07-01T06:34:07Z", "2026-07-01T06:35:35Z"], ["https://wied.house.gov/media/press-releases/wieds-statement-following-president-trumps-approval-wisconsins-disaster", "Wied's Statement Following President Trump's Approval of Wisconsin's Disaster Declaration Request", "2026-06-30", "2026", "2026-06", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Tony Wied", "W000829", "wied.house.gov", "wied", "https://wied.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, DC \u2014 Congressman Tony Wied (WI-08) released the following statement after President Trump approved the State of Wisconsin\u2019s request for a Major Disaster Declaration in response to the severe flooding that struck the state in April.\n\n\u201cI am grateful to President Trump for approving this request and glad to see Northeast Wisconsin receive the relief it deserves,\u201d said Congressman Wied. \u201cFrom the moment these storms hit, I have been committed to working with the Trump Administration to ensure every available federal resource is used to support a swift and full recovery for those impacted by April\u2019s floods. I look forward to seeing these much-needed funds delivered to communities across Wisconsin\u2019s 8th District.\u201d\n\nBackground: In April, communities across Wisconsin experienced heavy rainfall and severe weather over several days, causing multiple rivers to flood their banks and destroy homes and businesses alike. On Wednesday, April 29th, Governor Evers requested FEMA\u2019s assistance with a Joint Preliminary Damage Assessment (JPDA), and on Thursday, April 30th, FEMA responded. Following the JPDA, Governor Tony Evers requested a Major Disaster Declaration. In total, over 1,500 residential structures were damaged across 19 counties and the Oneida Nation, resulting in nearly $10 million in costs. Public infrastructure damage is currently estimated at over $17 million, easily exceeding the State\u2019s per capita indicator. On May 28th, Congressman Wied led a bipartisan delegation letter urging the Trump Administration to approve the state of Wisconsin\u2019s request. President Trump announced the state would receive $22.6 million on June 30th.", 1, "2026-07-01T06:34:07Z", "2026-07-01T06:35:35Z"], ["https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/2026/06/30/chairman-johnson-requests-information-from-medical-journal-on-removal-of-article-on-sudden-infant-death-syndrome-and-vaccines/", "Chairman\u00a0Johnson Requests Information from Medical Journal on Removal of Article on Sudden Infant Death Syndrome and Vaccines", "2026-06-30", "2026", "2026-06", "Republican", "Senate", "WI", "Ron Johnson", "J000293", "www.ronjohnson.senate.gov", "ronjohnson", "https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/category/press-releases/", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 On Monday, U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), chairman of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, wrote to the journal Toxicology Reports and its owner, Elsevier, requesting documents explaining their decision to remove a previously published article by Neil Z. Miller titled \u201cVaccines and sudden infant death: An analysis of the VAERS database 1990-2019 and review of the medical literature.\u201d\n\nMiller\u2019s article, which discussed the potential connection between Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) and vaccines, had been published and was publicly available online for five years before Toxicology Reports removed it on April 9, 2026. The removal was reportedly driven by comments on X and PubPeer, raising concerns about the article.\n\nChairman Johnson\u2019s letter follows Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.\u2019s June 11, 2026 letter to the journal regarding the removal of Miller\u2019s article.\n\n\u201cThe decision to remove this peer-reviewed article five years after the article was first published raises questions about the integrity of the scientific review process at the journal,\u201d Chairman Johnson wrote.\n\n\u201cWe owe it to \u2026 all parents that have lost a child to SIDS to encourage and promote\u2014instead of discourage and remove\u2014medical research into the potential connection between vaccines and pediatric deaths,\u201d Chairman Johnson concluded.\n\nRead more about the chairman\u2019s letter in The Defender.\n\nFull text of the letter can be found here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-07-01T06:34:07Z", "2026-07-01T06:35:35Z"], ["https://fitzgerald.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-fitzgerald-introduces-package-housing-legislation-end-gse-conservatorship", "Rep. Fitzgerald Introduces Package of Housing Legislation to End the GSE Conservatorship & Help Fix America's Housing Supply Crisis", "2026-06-25", "2026", "2026-06", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Scott Fitzgerald", "F000471", "fitzgerald.house.gov", "fitzgerald", "https://fitzgerald.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, DC \u2013 Today, Congressman Scott Fitzgerald (WI-05) introduced three pieces of legislation aimed at fixing the housing supply crisis in the United States: the Sustainable Homeownership Act, the Working Families Home Construction Act, and the Home Affordability Through Mortgage Simplification Act.\n\nThe Sustainable Homeownership Act creates a statutory path out of conservatorship for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. It also increases private-sector risk sharing, limits risky balance-sheet growth, and protects equal access for small lenders. The broader goal is to move the housing finance system away from indefinite government control and toward a more transparent, better-capitalized, private-capital-backed structure. The bill also addresses affordability concerns by tying conforming loan limit growth more closely to household income and by permitting certain enterprise funds to support housing supply initiatives.\n\n\u201cFannie Mae and Freddie Mac have remained in conservatorship since the 2008 financial crisis, and Congress should establish clear guardrails for a more sustainable housing finance system,\u201d said Congressman Fitzgerald. \u201cThe bill locks in conservative reforms that have been done administratively, brings more private capital into the mortgage market, and protects taxpayers from future bailouts.\u201d\n\nBackground: Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac remain central to the housing finance market, but their long-running conservatorships have left unresolved questions about taxpayer exposure, enterprise capital, private risk sharing, and the appropriate role of the government-sponsored enterprises in the mortgage market. Republican members have consistently raised concerns that the enterprises should operate with stronger capital, greater private-sector risk transfer, a narrower retained portfolio, and clearer limits on mission creep.\n\nRead the bill text here.\n\nThe Working Families Home Construction Act allows Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to purchase residential construction loans at a low interest rate that are subject to certain home price specifications, helping builders access gap financing needed to produce more middle-class housing. Builders across the country are ready to build, but too often cannot access affordable construction financing needed for land acquisition, infrastructure, site preparation, and other upfront development costs, making it difficult for developers to build anything but upper-income homes.\n\n\u201cBy providing low-cost financing, my bill will incentivize developers to build the type of middle-class housing currently missing from the market,\u201d said Congressman Fitzgerald. \u201cI based this legislative effort on a similar program that has worked successfully in Washington County, Wisconsin. Fixing the housing shortage in the United States is one of the top issues we face.\u201d\n\nBackground: The United States continues to face a shortage of attainable, owner-occupied housing, particularly for working and middle-income families. While much of the housing affordability debate focuses on mortgage rates and monthly payments, insufficient housing supply remains a central driver of elevated home prices. Builders frequently face financing gaps for development costs that are not well supported by traditional mortgage finance. These challenges are especially acute for smaller builders and locally supported projects aimed at producing entry-level or workforce housing. Existing federal housing finance tools primarily support completed mortgages rather than the construction pipeline needed to produce new homes.\n\nRead the bill text here.\n\nThe Home Affordability Through Mortgage Simplification Act streamlines mortgage disclosure rules so lenders are not punished for minor, technical errors that do not harm borrowers, while preserving consumer restitution rights. The current Truth in Lending Act and Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act Integrated Disclosures (TRID) framework has become overly technical and can delay closings over small, non-material issues. The bill is designed to keep core borrower protections in place while making TRID more practical.\n\n\u201cBy simplifying the TRID process, my bill reduces unnecessary closing delays, lowers compliance uncertainty, and helps make the mortgage process less costly and frustrating for homebuyers,\u201d said Congressman Fitzgerald. \u201cAny commonsense reforms that make it easier for hardworking Americans to buy a home should be a no-brainer.\u201d\n\nBackground:The TRID mortgage disclosure rules were created to help borrowers understand loan terms and closing costs before closing. While the goal remains important, the current framework has become overly technical and can delay closings or create lender liability for minor errors that do not harm the borrower. Under current rules, small fee changes, settlement agent mistakes, or routine last-minute updates can require corrected disclosures, reset waiting periods, or trigger compliance violations even when the borrower\u2019s total costs remain substantially accurate. This creates uncertainty for lenders, adds costs to the mortgage process, and can disrupt home purchases in an already difficult affordability environment.\n\nRead the bill text here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-06-27T21:44:12Z", "2026-06-27T22:11:26Z"], ["https://fitzgerald.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-fitzgerald-chairs-hearing-how-government-regulation-harms-airline", "Rep. Fitzgerald Chairs Hearing on How Government Regulation Harms Airline Competition and Consumer Costs", "2026-06-24", "2026", "2026-06", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Scott Fitzgerald", "F000471", "fitzgerald.house.gov", "fitzgerald", "https://fitzgerald.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, DC \u2013 Today, Congressman Scott Fitzgerald (WI-05), who serves as Chairman of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Administrative State, Regulatory Reform, and Antitrust, held a hearing entitled, \u201cThe 30,000 Foot View: Competition and Regulation in the U.S. Airline Industry.\u201d Rep. Fitzgerald issued the following statement about the hearing:\n\n\u201cAnnual airline passenger traffic has nearly quadrupled since the 1970s, and consumers now benefit from a range of choices, from the legacy airlines to the low-cost- and ultra-low-cost-carriers. This is all thanks to the Airline Deregulation Act of 1978.\n\n\u201cUnshackled from government regulation, what we saw over time was intense competitive pressure that pushed prices down and consumer choice up. But that pressure also led to a significant number of mergers, acquisitions, and bankruptcies.\n\n\u201cBetween 1978 and 2005, 162 airlines filed for bankruptcy. Today\u2019s airline industry, while certainly more accessible and more competitive, is also more concentrated than ever before. The Big Four air carriers\u2014American, United, Delta, and Southwest\u2014control nearly 80 percent of domestic airline travel.\n\n\u201cWhile the Airline Deregulation Act freed the airlines from the decrees of government boards, the government still occupies a major role in commercial aviation that often benefits the incumbents at the expense of new entrants. For example, at seven of the nation\u2019s busiest airports, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) controls and distributes access to take-offs and landings through a slot system that often favors incumbent carriers.\n\n\u201cThere are also long-term gate lease agreements that last for decades. In 2016, Delta signed a twenty-year lease agreement with the City of Atlanta for its airport. That lease agreement also stipulated that the City of Atlanta could not operate a second airport. These agreements create a significant barrier to entry for competitors seeking to gain a foothold at major airports. If a competitor can\u2019t access a gate, it can\u2019t compete for a slot.\n\n\u201cConsumers deserve a system where airlines compete freely and can innovate and grow, not a system where the government consistently puts its thumb on the scale to foreclose competition. Government-imposed barriers destroy competition, leaving consumers worse off.\n\n\u201cThe most recent example of this was the proposed Spirit-JetBlue merger. In 2023, the Biden-Harris DOJ sued to block the proposed $3.8 billion merger. The DOJ claimed the merger would remove Spirit from the market and reduce competition. At the time, the proposed merger would have created the fifth largest airline domestically\u2014with 10 percent market share\u2014and increase competition against the Big Four.\n\n\u201cHowever, one year later, a federal judge in Massachusetts sided with the DOJ and blocked the deal. Spirit later filed for bankruptcy twice and ultimately shut down operations in May of this year. The blocked merger of Spirit-JetBlue offers a cautionary tale about government overregulation. By blocking the transaction, regulators prevented the market from testing whether a stronger competitor could emerge to challenge the industry's largest incumbents. At a minimum, the case demonstrates the importance of ensuring that antitrust enforcement promotes competition rather than merely preserving the status quo.\n\n\u201cToday, we had a constructive debate about the future of the airline industry. Our goal should be to remove unnecessary barriers to entry, encourage robust competition, and ensure that consumers, not regulators, are the ultimate beneficiaries of airline policy.\u201d\n\nWatch Congressman Fitzgerald's opening statement from the hearing:\n\nBackground: This hearing examined competition and regulation in the U.S. airline industry, including the current market structure and government regulations. The hearing also evaluated recent mergers and acquisitions in the airline industry and their effect on consumers.\n\n###", 1, "2026-06-27T21:44:12Z", "2026-06-27T22:11:26Z"], ["https://wied.house.gov/media/press-releases/real-ingredients-real-standards-congressman-wied-introduces-real-butter-act", "REAL Ingredients, REAL Standards: Congressman Wied Introduces REAL Butter Act", "2026-06-22", "2026", "2026-06", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Tony Wied", "W000829", "wied.house.gov", "wied", "https://wied.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Greenleaf, WI \u2014 Congressman Tony Wied (R-WI) visited Brickstead Dairy earlier today to announce his newest bill, the bipartisan Recognizing Engineered Alternatives as Lab-Created (REAL) Butter Act, co-led with Congressman Josh Riley (D-NY). This legislation would promote transparency, protect consumer choice, and support Wisconsin dairy farmers.\n\n\u201cBillionaire food experiments are no longer hypothetical. Bill Gates is currently funding a carbon-based, lab-grown butter project created from carbon dioxide instead of milk from a cow, and it is happening in Illinois, right in the backyard of America's Dairyland. The REAL Butter Act would simply require that it be clearly labeled as \"lab-created butter\" directly on the product. America's dairy farmers put in the work every day to keep our families fed, our rural communities strong, and our agricultural heritage alive. They should not have to compete with products that hide behind vague or misleading labels,\u201d said Congressman Wied.\n\n\"Upstate dairy farmers work hard to make high-quality products that our families can count on. Fake 'butter' alternatives shouldn\u2019t be allowed to ride their coattails with misleading labels that confuse customers. Our bipartisan bill strengthens labeling standards for imitation butter, helping families make informed choices at the grocery store and protecting dairy farmers in Upstate New York and across the country,\u201d said Congressman Riley.\n\nBackground: In April 2025, Bill Gates announced his newest company, Savor, with a \u201cbutter\u201d made of carbon. In other words, a fake butter made from thin air, despite claims that it is chemically the same as traditional butter. This creation is an attack on American farmers, the dairy industry, and the Trump Administration, which recently recognized butter as a healthy food under its newly announced dietary guidelines. The REAL Butter Act would simply ensure that this fake \"butter\" is labeled as \"lab-created\" directly on the product, so consumers are not confused about what they are buying. This commonsense bill would protect consumers by ensuring they can make informed decisions when choosing healthy, real dairy-based butter and allow dairy farmers to compete on a level playing field.\n\nRepresentatives Tom Tiffany (R-WI), Derrick Van Orden (R-WI), Claudia Tenney (R-NY), John Rose (R-TN), and David Schweikert (R-AZ) are original cosponsors of this legislation.", 1, "2026-06-27T21:44:12Z", "2026-06-27T22:11:26Z"], ["https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/2026/06/18/chairman-johnson-questions-cdc-awarding-pfizer-1-24-billion-for-mrna-covid-19-vaccines-after-fda-officials-recommended-warning-of-fatal-outcomes/", "Chairman\u00a0Johnson Questions CDC Awarding Pfizer $1.24 Billion for mRNA COVID-19 Vaccines After FDA Officials Recommended Warning of Fatal Outcomes", "2026-06-18", "2026", "2026-06", "Republican", "Senate", "WI", "Ron Johnson", "J000293", "www.ronjohnson.senate.gov", "ronjohnson", "https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/category/press-releases/", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 On Tuesday, U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), Chairman of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, wrote to Health and Human Services (HHS), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) raising concerns about the CDC recently awarding Pfizer two contracts for its mRNA COVID-19 vaccines valued at approximately $1.24 billion.\n\nIn conjunction with the letter, Chairman Johnson released a December 5, 2025 email, in which FDA officials recommended changing the label on mRNA COVID-19 vaccines to include \u201cmyocarditis with fatal outcomes.\u201d Chairman Johnson raised questions about the extent to which this proposed label change was considered by other FDA officials, particularly in light of the new Pfizer vaccine contracts.\n\nThe letter also revealed that in late 2025, FDA officials initially assessed ten cases of pediatric deaths to be probably or possibly connected to the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines. Communications enclosed in the chairman\u2019s letter show FDA officials discussing their plans to eventually reduce the number of pediatric deaths probably or possibly connected to the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines which was then reflected in their December 5, 2025 memo. Chairman Johnson released that memo as an enclosure in his May 11, 2026 letter to HHS.\n\n\u201cThe decision to award these contracts raises questions about CDC\u2019s commitment to vaccine safety,\u201d Chairman Johnson wrote.\n\n\u201cThe safety issues with the COVID-19 injections that the Subcommittee has uncovered so far should have raised serious concerns at HHS and CDC about the mRNA COVID-19 injections. Instead, CDC\u2019s reported awarding of approximately $1.24 billion in new contracts to Pfizer for a vaccine linked to serious adverse events\u2014including potentially the deaths of children\u2014suggests CDC continues to fail to take its vaccine safety responsibilities seriously,\u201d Chairman Johnson concluded.\n\nRead more about the chairman\u2019s letter in The Daily Caller.\n\nFull text of the letter can be found here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-06-19T06:50:32Z", "2026-06-19T06:53:40Z"], ["https://wied.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-wied-announces-2026-congressional-app-challenge", "Rep. Wied Announces 2026 Congressional App Challenge", "2026-06-17", "2026", "2026-06", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Tony Wied", "W000829", "wied.house.gov", "wied", "https://wied.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "DE PERE, WI \u2014 Rep. Tony Wied (WI-08) is inviting middle and high school students from Wisconsin's 8th Congressional District to participate in the 2026 Congressional App Challenge.\n\n\"In an ever-changing technological world, it is essential that American youth become involved in the innovation,\" said Rep. Wied. \"The Congressional App Challenge provides students from across Northeast Wisconsin with a unique opportunity to showcase their STEM skills and put their creativity to work. I encourage all eligible students to participate, and I look forward to seeing what they are able to create.\"\n\nThe Congressional App Challenge is the official STEM competition of the U.S. House of Representatives. It\u2019s open to middle school and high school students of all coding skills in the 8th Congressional District and is a great opportunity for educators to encourage critical thinking and creativity.\n\nHow the Challenge Works\n\nThere are no limits to what students can create. Any app coded after October 30, 2025, is eligible. Examples of eligible apps include:\n\nMobile apps\n\nDesktop applications\n\nWearable tech apps\n\nProgrammed robotics projects\n\nGames with coded logic\n\nThe winning app in each district will be featured on the House.gov website and the CongressionalAppChallenge.us website. The winning app in each district will also be able to receive a copyright fee waiver.", 1, "2026-06-27T21:44:12Z", "2026-06-27T22:11:26Z"], ["https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/2026/06/10/sen-johnson-leads-senate-passage-of-national-sarcoma-awareness-month-resolution/", "Sen. Johnson Leads Senate Passage of National Sarcoma Awareness Month Resolution", "2026-06-10", "2026", "2026-06", "Republican", "Senate", "WI", "Ron Johnson", "J000293", "www.ronjohnson.senate.gov", "ronjohnson", "https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/category/press-releases/", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2014 On Tuesday, the Senate passed U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson\u2019s (R-Wis.) resolution designating July as National Sarcoma Awareness Month. This resolution raises awareness of sarcoma, a form of cancer, and honors the life of Melissa Locke and the thousands of other Americans who are affected by this disease.\n\n\u201cI am pleased that my resolution passed the Senate in honor of Melissa Locke and the countless other Americans who have struggled with the life-threatening disease sarcoma. I hope we can continue to increase awareness of this complex form of cancer that is diagnosed thousands of times each year,\u201d said Sen. Johnson.\n\nSen. Johnson with Melissa and Brendan Locke\n\nSen. Johnson is joined on the resolution by U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.).\n\nThe full text of the resolution can be found here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-06-18T06:41:00Z", "2026-06-18T06:43:25Z"], ["https://fitzgerald.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-fitzgerald-chairs-judiciary-subcommittee-hearing-sports-broadcasting-act", "Rep. Fitzgerald Chairs Judiciary Subcommittee Hearing on Sports Broadcasting Act as Rising Streaming Costs Are Hurting Consumers", "2026-06-10", "2026", "2026-06", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Scott Fitzgerald", "F000471", "fitzgerald.house.gov", "fitzgerald", "https://fitzgerald.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, DC \u2013 Today, Congressman Scott Fitzgerald (WI-05), who serves as Chairman of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Administrative State, Regulatory Reform, and Antitrust, held a hearing entitled, \u201cExamining the Sports Broadcasting Act.\u201d Rep. Fitzgerald issued the following statement about the hearing:\n\n\u201cWhen the Sports Broadcasting Act was enacted in 1961, the rationale was simple: Congress believed that joint television agreements would help make games more widely available to the public, preserve the competitive balance among different teams, and keep the professional sports leagues financially viable. Sixty-five years later, it\u2019s fair for this body to ask whether the professional sports leagues have kept up their end of the bargain. In my opinion, they have not, and sports fans are paying the price.\n\n\u201cSince 2021, the NFL and other professional sports leagues have stretched the bounds of their antitrust exemption to sign exclusive distribution agreements with streaming platforms, including Amazon Prime, Netflix, Peacock, and ESPN.\n\n\u201cConsumers who wish to follow their favorite teams increasingly find themselves paying for multiple services, navigating fragmented viewing arrangements, and facing higher overall costs. According to Fox News, access to all NFL games during the 2025 season cost the average sports fan at least $575, or upwards of $800 for those without existing subscriptions. Likewise, watching all in-market MLB games can cost consumers upwards of $500 annually, according to the news site Kiplinger.\n\n\u201cIn 2024, a jury found the NFL guilty of violating antitrust law for colluding to limit consumer choice and charge supracompetitive prices for access to games through its Sunday Ticket platform. The jury awarded the plaintiffs more than $14 billion in damages. This ruling is currently on appeal, but regardless of the litigation's final outcome, the allegations themselves reflect a broader reality: the NFL has used its unique ability to coordinate among otherwise competing clubs to maximize revenue rather than expand consumer access.\n\n\u201cThe Sports Broadcasting Act was enacted to expand access to sports broadcasting, not to facilitate exclusive streaming arrangements that force fans to pay more for less. In my view, the NFL has lost sight of the original purpose of the legislation.\n\n\u201cToday, we had a constructive debate about what reforms Congress should consider to ensure the marketplace works for consumers.\u201d\n\nWatch Congressman Fitzgerald's opening statement from the hearing:\n\nBackground: This hearing examined the Sports Broadcasting Act of 1961 and its effect on the modern broadcast market for major sports leagues. It also explored how the distribution of professional sports has evolved since the Sports Broadcasting Act was first enacted sixty-five years ago. Additionally, the hearing evaluated the extent to which the antitrust exemption created by the Sports Broadcasting Act has been used by professional sports leagues in ways that harm consumers, and it discussed potential legislative reforms to address those concerns.\n\n###", 1, "2026-06-27T21:44:12Z", "2026-06-27T22:11:26Z"], ["https://vanorden.house.gov/media/press-releases/van-orden-joins-president-trump-signing-secure-america-act", "Van Orden Joins President Trump for Signing of Secure America Act", "2026-06-10", "2026", "2026-06", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Derrick Van Orden", "V000135", "vanorden.house.gov", "vanorden", "https://vanorden.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Today, Congressman Derrick Van Orden joined Donald Trump for the signing of the Secure America Act. The Secure America Act provides full funding for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and U.S. Customs and Border Protection through the remainder of President Trump\u2019s term.\n\nYesterday, Van Orden joined his Republican colleagues in voting to fully fund the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).\n\n\u201cI will always back the men and women in law enforcement who work tirelessly to keep this nation safe. The Secure America Act ensures they have the resources they need to do their jobs and keep Americans safe. I was proud to stand with President Trump in support of a policy that puts American safety and sovereignty first,\u201d said Van Orden.", 1, "2026-06-27T21:44:12Z", "2026-06-27T22:11:26Z"], ["https://fitzgerald.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-fitzgerald-votes-pass-secure-america-act-fully-fund-ice-and-cbp", "Rep. Fitzgerald Votes to Pass the Secure America Act to Fully Fund ICE and CBP", "2026-06-09", "2026", "2026-06", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Scott Fitzgerald", "F000471", "fitzgerald.house.gov", "fitzgerald", "https://fitzgerald.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, DC \u2013 Congressman Scott Fitzgerald (WI-05) issued the following statement after voting to pass S. 2, the Secure America Act.\n\n\u201cToday, I was proud to vote to fully fund the Department of Homeland Security, including ICE and CBP, through the reconciliation 2.0 process,\u201d said Congressman Fitzgerald. \u201cRepublicans will never back down when it comes to border security. Democrats, on the other hand, have repeatedly voted against funding for ICE and CBP. Let us not forget that they shut down the entire Department of Homeland Security earlier this year because they refused to support the agencies responsible for enforcing our immigration laws. The partisan games officially end today with the passage of the Secure America Act, which secures long-term funding for ICE and CBP to ensure they have the resources they need to protect the American people.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-06-27T21:44:12Z", "2026-06-27T22:11:26Z"], ["https://vanorden.house.gov/media/press-releases/icymi-van-orden-joins-president-trump-historic-coal-announcement-19-million", "ICYMI: Van Orden Joins President Trump for Historic Coal Announcement, $19 MILLION to Modernize Wisconsin Coal", "2026-06-09", "2026", "2026-06", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Derrick Van Orden", "V000135", "vanorden.house.gov", "vanorden", "https://vanorden.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Last Thursday, Congressman Derrick Van Orden joined President Donald Trump in the Oval Office as the President announced a $700M investment for America's coal industry and America's energy future.\n\nPresident Trump's announcements will support and create more than 14,000 jobs across the coal, construction, rail, maritime, and energy sectors while helping save American consumers an estimated $50 billion in future electricity generation costs.\n\nPRESIDENT TRUMP AND VAN ORDEN DELIVER \u2013\n\n\u2022 $425M in Defense Production Act funding to support 13 coal-fired power plants across the country, including a facility in Wisconsin.\n\n\u2022 $75M to support construction of a new coal export terminal, creating more than 1,400 jobs and expanding markets for American energy.\n\n\u2022 $185M in Department of Energy funding to build two new coal plants and restart another facility, marking the first new coal plant construction in the United States since 2013.\n\nA key part of the announcement included a major investment in Wisconsin's energy infrastructure. Through the Reliable, Economical, and Local Advancement in Modernized Coal (RECLAIM-C) initiative, Alliant Energy's Columbia Energy Center in Columbia County will receive $19 million in Department of Energy funding as part of a $48.5 million modernization project.\n\n\"President Trump is proving once again that America doesn't have to choose between economic growth and energy security,\" said Congressman Derrick Van Orden. \"These investments will protect jobs, strengthen our electrical grid, lower costs for families, and help ensure Wisconsin workers remain at the forefront of America's energy future.\"\n\nThe announcement is expected to help preserve thousands of existing coal jobs while supporting power plant workers, miners, railroad employees, manufacturers, and energy producers across the country.\n\n###", 1, "2026-06-27T21:44:12Z", "2026-06-27T22:11:26Z"], ["https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/2026/06/08/sen-johnson-introduces-right-to-try-for-individualized-treatments-act/", "Sen. Johnson Introduces\u00a0Right to Try for Individualized Treatments Act", "2026-06-08", "2026", "2026-06", "Republican", "Senate", "WI", "Ron Johnson", "J000293", "www.ronjohnson.senate.gov", "ronjohnson", "https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/category/press-releases/", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013Today, U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) introduced the Right to Try for Individualized Treatments Act (Right to Try 2.0) to provide access to individualized, one-patient therapies that are not eligible for approval under the Food and Drug Administration\u2019s (FDA) regulatory regime. Right to Try 2.0 builds on the Right to Try Act of 2017 to create a pathway for patients with life-threatening or severely debilitating conditions to receive unique, patient-specific therapies that cannot undergo Phase I trials and may lack any commercial regulatory path.\n\nRight to Try 2.0 is voluntary for all involved parties. To partake in such treatments, patients must have considered all approved treatment options, in addition to obtaining a physician recommendation. Manufacturers are not obligated to provide treatments and physicians are not required to recommend such treatments. Manufacturers will receive coverage for direct costs but cannot profit from the unapproved treatment.\n\n\u201cI championed Right to Try to provide hope and freedom to those with terminal illnesses by giving them access to experimental treatments without waiting for full FDA approval. The original Right to Try Act was about giving terminal patients a fighting chance by cutting through red tape. Right to Try 2.0 builds on that success and would provide access to individualized, rare disease and one-patient therapies that the current regulatory environment has yet to accommodate. This is about medical freedom and putting doctors and patients at the top of the treatment pyramid,\u201d Sen. Johnson said.\n\n\u201cWhen someone is fighting for their life, the last thing they need is the government standing in their way. We are entering a new era of medicine where breakthroughs in genomics and precision therapies can create treatments designed specifically for an individual patient, but our regulatory system was built for a different time and simply hasn\u2019t kept up. This legislation makes sure patients have a clear, durable path to pursue individualized treatments when all other options have failed,\u201d Rep. Harshbarger said.\n\nU.S. Rep. Harshbarger (R-Tenn.) and U.S. Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) introduced companion legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives.\n\nRead more about Sen. Johnson\u2019s work on Right to Try here.\n\nFull text of the legislation can be found here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-06-18T06:41:00Z", "2026-06-18T06:43:25Z"], ["https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/2026/06/05/video-release-sen-johnson-holds-hearing-on-the-mechanisms-of-the-covid-19-injections-causing-cancer-and-attacks-on-scientific-publications-and-research/", "***VIDEO RELEASE*** Sen. Johnson Holds Hearing on\u00a0the Mechanisms of the COVID-19 Injections Causing Cancer and Attacks on Scientific Publications and Research", "2026-06-05", "2026", "2026-06", "Republican", "Senate", "WI", "Ron Johnson", "J000293", "www.ronjohnson.senate.gov", "ronjohnson", "https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/category/press-releases/", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 On Wednesday, U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), chairman of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, held a hearing titled, \u201cPlausible Mechanisms of COVID-19 Injections Causing Cancer and Attacks on Scientific Publications and Research.\u201d The seven witnesses testified in the following order:\n\nAngus Dalgleish, M.D.\n\nProfessor Emeritus of Oncology; City St. George\u2019s, University of London\n\nWafik El-Deiry, M.D., PH.D.\n\nDirector; Legorreta Cancer Center, Brown University\n\nSaskia Mostert, M.D., PH.D.\n\nSabine Hazan, M.D.\n\nChief Executive Officer, ProgenaBiome\n\nAseem Malhotra, M.D.\n\nConsultant Cardiologist; HUM2N Clinic, London\n\nJulie Gralow, M.D.\n\nChief Medical Officer; American Society of Clinical Oncology\n\nTamika Felder\n\nCancer Survivor\n\nThe hearing exposed the corruption facing the field of scientific research and why the public remains unaware of the medical dangers, like cancer, connected to the COVID injection.\n\n\u201cThe testimony [of] today\u2019s hearing raises the question of whether Big Pharma might also be funding individuals who troll scientific research that runs counter to its goals and narratives. It should come as no surprise, therefore, that during the pandemic, treatment alternatives using cheap and safe generic drugs were not only suppressed but actively sabotaged in favor of a liability-free and highly profitable experimental gene therapy\u2026 The fact that all the institutions that benefit from Big Pharma\u2019s largesse actively push the experimental gene therapy is also the reason they are now working so hard to suppress the reality of COVID mRNA injection injuries,\u201d Sen. Johnson opened.\n\n\u201cBig Pharma has spent billions on TV ads to capture the media and as a result, the narrative. Prior to 1997, there was serious journalism covering suspected vaccine injuries. In 1979, Mike Wallace reported on CBS\u2019s 60 Minutes about swine flu vaccine injuries \u2026 They pulled the swine flu vaccine after about 25 to 30 deaths \u2026 We have over 39,000 deaths right now associated with the COVID injection worldwide,\u201d Sen. Johnson said.\n\n\u201cI think the number one job of RFK Jr. is to restore integrity to science. And that\u2019s the main purpose of this hearing: to just show that there\u2019s been corruption. It\u2019s not good \u2026 Don\u2019t try and destroy people\u2019s lives when they disagree. If there\u2019s a one-word definition of science, I think it\u2019s skepticism. It\u2019s what\u2019s driven science throughout history. You need the skeptic \u2026 Give that person a shot without just going to destroy them. And that\u2019s what we\u2019ve seen. Too many people [were] destroyed during COVID,\u201d Sen. Johnson concluded.\n\nThe hearing was a continuation of Sen. Johnson\u2019s investigative efforts to expose how Biden health officials downplayed and ignored significant safety signals for adverse events associated with the COVID-19 injections.\n\nWatch the full video of the hearing here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-06-18T06:41:00Z", "2026-06-18T06:43:25Z"], ["https://fitzgerald.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-fitzgerald-votes-pass-legislation-stopping-child-care-fraud-scams", "Rep. Fitzgerald Votes to Pass Legislation Stopping Child Care Fraud Scams", "2026-06-05", "2026", "2026-06", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Scott Fitzgerald", "F000471", "fitzgerald.house.gov", "fitzgerald", "https://fitzgerald.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, DC \u2013 Congressman Scott Fitzgerald (WI-05) issued the following statement after voting to pass H.R. 7726, the Stop Child Care Scams Act of 2026.\n\n\u201cChild care assistance programs are intended to support working families, not fraudsters exploiting the system,\u201d said Congressman Fitzgerald. \u201cThis legislation strengthens oversight and increases accountability for states that fail to address fraud, and helps ensure taxpayer dollars actually reach the families these programs were designed to serve. Americans deserve confidence that the waste, fraud, and abuse that has been exposed within these programs is stopped.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-06-27T21:44:12Z", "2026-06-27T22:11:26Z"], ["https://fitzgerald.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-fitzgerald-votes-pass-legislation-supporting-american-agriculture-and", "Rep. Fitzgerald Votes to Pass Legislation Supporting American Agriculture and National Security", "2026-06-05", "2026", "2026-06", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Scott Fitzgerald", "F000471", "fitzgerald.house.gov", "fitzgerald", "https://fitzgerald.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, DC \u2013 Congressman Scott Fitzgerald (WI-05) issued the following statement after voting to pass H.R. 8646, the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2027.\n\n\u201cAmerica\u2019s food security is national security, and this bill puts farmers, ranchers, and rural communities first,\u201d said Congressman Fitzgerald. \u201cNot only does this legislation strengthen our food supply chain, but it also invests in rural infrastructure, agricultural research, and food safety inspections that protect American producers and consumers alike. It also takes critical steps to crack down on foreign influence in U.S. agriculture and strengthens oversight of foreign-owned farmland to protect against threats from adversarial nations like China.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-06-27T21:44:12Z", "2026-06-27T22:11:26Z"], ["https://grothman.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=5224", "Grothman's State Emissions Authority Act Considered in House Energy and Commerce Committee", "2026-06-04", "2026", "2026-06", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Glenn Grothman", "G000576", "grothman.house.gov", "grothman", "https://grothman.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27", "scraper", "Congressman Glenn Grothman\u2019s (R-WI) State Emissions Authority Act, legislation to remove burdensome federal vehicle emissions testing requirements and restore state authority, was considered by the House Energy and Commerce\u2019s Environment Subcommittee today.\n\nFor decades, the Clean Air Act has required certain states to operate vehicle emissions testing programs under federal mandates based on standards developed long before modern advances in vehicle technology. Grothman's legislation would give states greater flexibility by eliminating these Clean Air Act requirements, which impose unnecessary costs and administrative burdens on drivers, businesses, and state governments.\n\n\"Federal emissions testing mandates were enacted decades ago to address challenges that have since been addressed through technological innovation and cleaner vehicles,\" said Congressman Grothman. \"Yet, federal law continues to require many states, including Wisconsin, to maintain costly testing programs that place unnecessary burdens on drivers and businesses. My bill restores flexibility to the states, reduces unnecessary costs, and updates federal law to reflect the realities of today's vehicles. I am pleased to see the Energy and Commerce Committee consider this legislation.\"\n\n\u201cThe State Emissions Authority Act is a timely update to current federal requirements. It empowers states, aligns with modern vehicle technology, and reduces unnecessary costs for drivers and businesses.\u201d \u2013 Debbie Sparks, Executive Director of the National Motor Freight Traffic Association\n\n\"The State Emissions Authority Act restores a basic principle: states, not Washington, should decide whether vehicle emissions-testing programs make sense for their residents. These federal mandates impose real costs on families, small businesses, and state governments, even as vehicle technology has changed and states are fully capable of making these decisions for themselves. This bill ends the one-size-fits-all federal requirement and returns that authority to the states.\u201d - Jason Hayes, Director of Energy and Environment at the America First Policy Institute\n\n\u201cStates are spending much-needed taxpayer dollars on vehicle inspection programs that are often a waste of time and money. Cars rarely fail the emissions tests. The federal government should stop forcing these inspection requirements onto states. Let states decide if such programs make sense. And make no mistake, states have every reason to figure out how best to meet the stringent federal air quality standards. If inspections make sense, then states will keep them. If not, then states can identify better and different ways to improve air quality. The State Emissions Authority Act addresses this one-size-fits-all and outdated federal mandate.\u201d - Daren Bakst, Competitive Enterprise Institute\u2019s Director of the Center for Energy and Environment\n\n\u201cAs air quality continues to improve across the country, allowing states more flexibility to meet ambient air quality standards is appropriate and acknowledges that new vehicle technologies will continue to provide lasting air quality benefits.\u201d \u2013 The American Trucking Association\n\nBackground Information\n\nCongressman Grothman introduced the State Emissions Authority Act to amend the Clean Air Act and eliminate federal mandates requiring states to operate vehicle inspection and maintenance (I/M) programs, commonly known as emissions testing.\n\nThese requirements were established in the 1970s and 1990s, before major improvements in vehicle technology, cleaner fuels, and modern emissions-control systems. As vehicle emissions have declined significantly over the past several decades, many states and drivers continue to face the costs and inconveniences associated with federally mandated testing programs.\n\nThe State Emissions Authority Act would:\n\nEliminate federal facility compliance requirements tied to state inspection programs.\n\nRemove Clean Air Act provisions requiring vehicle inspection and maintenance programs in ozone nonattainment areas.\n\nRepeal statutory language requiring inspection programs within the Ozone Transport Region.\n\nThe legislation is supported by the America First Policy Institute, American Trucking Associations, Competitive Enterprise Institute, National Motor Freight Traffic Association, and Truckload Carriers Association.\n\nThe State Emissions Authority Act was highlighted by the House Energy and Commerce Environment Subcommittee on June 3, 2026.\n\n-30-\n\nU.S. Rep. Glenn Grothman (R-Glenbeulah) proudly serves the people of Wisconsin\u2019s 6th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives.", 1, "2026-06-06T06:16:30Z", "2026-06-06T06:17:47Z"], ["https://fitzgerald.house.gov/media/press-releases/fitzgerald-moolenaar-and-issa-patent-bill", "Fitzgerald, Moolenaar, and Issa Introduce Legislation to Prohibit Adversarial Chinese Patents", "2026-06-04", "2026", "2026-06", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Scott Fitzgerald", "F000471", "fitzgerald.house.gov", "fitzgerald", "https://fitzgerald.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, DC \u2013 Today, Congressman Scott Fitzgerald (WI-05) introduced two pieces of legislation aimed at countering China\u2019s influence on the U.S. patent system: the Prohibiting Adversarial Patents Act and the Foreign Adversary Patent Disclosure Act.\n\nThe Prohibiting Adversarial Patents Act, introduced alongside Chairman of the Select Committee on China John Moolenaar (MI-02) and Chairman of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property, Artificial Intelligence, and the Internet Darrell Issa (CA-50), would prohibit the issuance of a U.S. patent to any person or entity who is identified to be a threat to U.S. national security pursuant to the Non-SDN CMIC List, the 1260H List, or the FCC\u2019s Section 2 List. Any patent previously issued to companies on these lists would be unenforceable. This bill would also restrict such entities from participating in any expedited patent examination programs, including the USPTO\u2019s Patent Prosecution Highway program.\n\nHuawei\u2014which has close ties with the Chinese government\u2014ranked fourth in number of patents granted in the U.S. in 2025, despite its ban in U.S. communications infrastructure. ZTE, meanwhile, ranked fifth in number of U.S. patents related to 5G technology in 2024. These companies not only can bypass their ban by signing licensing agreements for its patents (Huawei reported more than $630 million in patent licensing revenue in 2025), but can also assert their patents in U.S. courts against American companies.\n\n\u201cThe Chinese Communist Party seeks out U.S. patents not because it believes in the right to own one\u2019s intellectual property, but because stealing American innovation is part of its economic plan,\u201d said Select Committee Chairman John Moolenaar. \u201cThis legislation strengthens our laws against the CCP\u2019s attempts to use lawfare to flood our judiciary with bogus patent lawsuits. No country abuses our open society and our legal system more than China, and that must be stopped.\u201d\n\n\u201cToday, there is no greater threat to America\u2019s economy, national security, or technological leadership than the Chinese Communist Party\u2019s relentless effort to gain advantage over the United States by any means necessary \u2014 both legal and illegal,\u201d said Chairman Issa. \u201cFor too long, companies tied to the CCP have been allowed to benefit from the protections of America\u2019s patent system while actively undermining our interests. This legislation ensures that entities posing a threat to our national security cannot exploit the very intellectual property protections that were designed to reward innovation and strengthen America.\u201d\n\n\u201cWe commend Congressman Fitzgerald, and Chairmen Issa and Moolenaar for their steadfast leadership in defending American businesses and U.S. economic security,\u201d said the High Tech Inventors Alliance (HTIA). \u201cFor too long, the U.S. has allowed entities identified as national security threats to amass and weaponize U.S. patents against critical domestic industries such as semiconductor manufacturing, digital infrastructure, and artificial intelligence. This legislation will help prevent foreign interests from abusing the U.S. patent system and using it as a tool for economic warfare against America.\u201d\n\nCongressman Fitzgerald also introduced the Foreign Adversary Patent Disclosure Act, which requires patent applicants to disclose the identity of each person with an ownership interest in the claimed invention who, in the previous five years: was employed by an entity owned or controlled by a foreign adversary; received funding from a state-affiliated research fund or talent recruitment program associated with a foreign adversary; or received any other financial incentive from a foreign adversary. The bill defines \u201cforeign adversary\u201d as the People\u2019s Republic of China (PRC), Cuba, Iran, the Democratic People\u2019s Republic of Korea (i.e. \u201cNorth Korea\u201d), or the Russian Federation.\n\nAccording to data from the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), China has filed more patent applications than any other country over the last decade, with more than 1.8 million patents filed in 2024. Similarly, in 2024, nearly 55% of all U.S. patent applications were filed by foreign residents, namely China, which filed a record 49,000 applications. Most of these patents are funded, wholly or in-part, by the Chinese Communist Party through its Made in China 2025 plan.\n\n\u201cThe Chinese Communist Party has spent years exploiting the American economy to advance its own technological and military ambitions,\u201d said Congressman Fitzgerald. \u201cThe Prohibiting Adversarial Patents Act closes the door on hostile foreign entities using our patent system to gain economic leverage and undermine our national security, and the Foreign Adversary Patent Disclosure Act brings much-needed transparency to foreign-backed influence in America\u2019s innovation pipeline.\u201d\n\nThese bills are part of a broader legislative effort by Rep. Fitzgerald to counter China\u2019s growing economic and strategic influence.\n\n###", 1, "2026-06-27T21:44:12Z", "2026-06-27T22:11:26Z"], ["https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/2026/06/03/media-advisory-chairman-johnson-to-hold-hearing-plausible-mechanisms-of-covid-19-injections-causing-cancer-and-attacks-on-scientific-publications-and-researchmedia-advisory/", "***MEDIA ADVISORY*** Chairman Johnson to Hold Hearing:\u00a0Plausible Mechanisms of COVID-19 Injections Causing Cancer and Attacks on Scientific Publications and Research", "2026-06-03", "2026", "2026-06", "Republican", "Senate", "WI", "Ron Johnson", "J000293", "www.ronjohnson.senate.gov", "ronjohnson", "https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/category/press-releases/", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 Today, U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), Chairman of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, will hold a hearing entitled \u201cPlausible Mechanisms of COVID-19 Injections Causing Cancer and Attacks on Scientific Publications and Research.\u201d\n\nWHAT: The Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations will hear from seven witnesses.\n\nWHEN: Wednesday, June 3, 2026, at 2:30 p.m. ET\n\nWHERE: Dirksen Senate Office Building, SD-342\n\nWATCH: The hearing will be livestreamed on Sen. Johnson\u2019s X account, Rumble, and the Subcommittee\u2019s website.\n\nWITNESSES:\n\nAngus Dalgleish, M.D.\n\nProfessor Emeritus of Oncology; City St. George\u2019s, University of London\n\nWafik El-Deiry, M.D., PH.D.\n\nDirector; Legorreta Cancer Center; Brown University\n\nSaskia Mostert, M.D., PH.D.\n\nSabine Hazan, M.D.\n\nChief Executive Officer; ProgenaBiome\n\nAseem Malhorta, M.D.\n\nConsultant Cardiologist; HUM2N Clinic, London\n\nJulie Gralow, M.D.\n\nChief Medical Officer; American Society of Clinical Oncology\n\nTamika Felder\n\nCancer Survivor\n\n###", 1, "2026-06-18T06:41:00Z", "2026-06-18T06:43:25Z"], ["https://vanorden.house.gov/media/press-releases/van-orden-commander-chief-must-retain-ability-act-decisively", "Van Orden: The Commander-in-Chief Must Retain the Ability to Act Decisively", "2026-06-03", "2026", "2026-06", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Derrick Van Orden", "V000135", "vanorden.house.gov", "vanorden", "https://vanorden.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Congressman Derrick Van Orden a member of the House Armed Services Committee and a retired U.S. Navy SEAL with 26 years of service and multiple combat deployments across the Middle East, including service in every country Iran has attacked or destabilized through its terror network, released the following statement regarding the War Powers Resolution that passed the House today.\n\n\u201cThis was a foolish, politically driven vote that would restrict the Commander-in-Chief\u2019s ability, regardless of their political party, to exercise their Constitutionally enumerated authority as explicitly stated in Article II, Sec II.\n\nThe Constitution designates the President as Commander-in-Chief for a reason. President Trump acted fully within its constitutional authority and in accordance with the War Powers Resolution of 1973. Limiting a President\u2019s ability to respond to threats makes our nation weaker.\n\nIf Congress wants to debate military strategy, are they also prepared to dictate deployment schedules, operational timelines, and rules of engagement from the House floor? That is not how our military operates, and it is not how we keep Americans safe.\n\nOur adversaries are watching. Sending a message that partisan politics can override the Commander-in-Chief\u2019s ability to act decisively undermines deterrence and emboldens those who wish to do harm to the United States and our allies.\n\nI voted against this resolution because America needs strength, not political theater masquerading as national security policy.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-06-27T21:44:12Z", "2026-06-27T22:11:26Z"], ["https://fitzgerald.house.gov/media/press-releases/train-bridge-acts", "Fitzgerald and Nunn Introduce TRAIN and BRIDGE Acts to Counter China\u2019s Belt and Road Initiative and Economic Coercion", "2026-06-02", "2026", "2026-06", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Scott Fitzgerald", "F000471", "fitzgerald.house.gov", "fitzgerald", "https://fitzgerald.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, DC \u2013 Today, Congressman Scott Fitzgerald (WI-05) introduced two pieces of legislation focused on countering China alongside Congressman Zach Nunn (IA-03): the Thwarting Regional Adversary Investments Now (TRAIN) Act and the Build Responsible Infrastructure Development for the Global Economy (BRIDGE) Act.\n\nThe TRAIN Act directs the State Department to help non-adversarial partner governments analyze and mitigate legal and financial risks before accepting investment or lending from China or other foreign adversaries.\n\nThis effort comes as China continues to use the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) to expand its economic and strategic influence through infrastructure lending, investment agreements, and long-term financing relationships with developing countries. Since BRI\u2019s launch, more than 150 countries and 32 international organizations have signed cooperation documents with China, including countries across sub-Saharan Africa, Europe and Central Asia, and East Asia and the Pacific. The scale of BRI activity has continued to grow, with 2025 engagement reaching an estimated $213.5 billion in construction contracts and investments, and cumulative BRI engagement approaching $1.4 trillion since 2013.\n\nThe BRIDGE Act establishes it is U.S. policy to counter efforts by the People\u2019s Republic of China (PRC) and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to build an integrated economic and political order under Beijing\u2019s leadership that threatens U.S. national security, foreign policy, and economic interests. The bill requires the Secretary of State, in coordination with the Secretary of Commerce, the CEO of the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation, and other relevant agencies, to submit a report to Congress within 180 days assessing the scope of PRC and CCP efforts to use BRI to undermine the U.S.-led international order.\n\nWhile the United States has taken steps to counter BRI through initiatives such as the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment, the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation, and broader economic statecraft tools, the federal government still lacks a single, integrated, government-wide strategy focused specifically on countering BRI.\n\n\u201cChina has turned the Belt and Road Initiative into a weapon of economic coercion, building leverage through debt, controlling critical infrastructure, and pulling countries deeper into Beijing\u2019s orbit,\u201d said Rep. Fitzgerald. \u201cThe TRAIN Act helps countries avoid walking into those traps in the first place, and the BRIDGE Act ensures the United States is better positioned to address this challenge.\u201d\n\n\u201cChina has spent decades buying up the ports, power grids, and trade routes of developing nations, trapping them in debt and rigging the global market in their favor,\u201d said Rep. Nunn. \u201cThat hits Iowa directly: our farmers and manufacturers compete to feed and supply the world, and they can't win on a field Beijing is tilting in their own favor. Our bills would give the United States a coordinated, whole-of-government strategy to counter China's invest-to-control strategy of economic coercion, help partner nations walk away from a bad deal with Beijing, and keep the playing field fair for Iowa.\u201d\n\nThese bills are part of a broader legislative effort by Rep. Fitzgerald to counter China\u2019s growing economic and strategic influence, with additional measures expected to be introduced in the coming days.\n\n###", 1, "2026-06-27T21:44:12Z", "2026-06-27T22:11:26Z"], ["https://wied.house.gov/media/press-releases/wied-leads-bipartisan-letter-urging-federal-assistance-wisconsin-flooding", "Wied Leads Bipartisan Letter Urging Federal Assistance for Wisconsin Flooding", "2026-05-28", "2026", "2026-05", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Tony Wied", "W000829", "wied.house.gov", "wied", "https://wied.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, DC \u2014 Today, Congressman Tony Wied (WI-08) led members of the Wisconsin Congressional delegation in sending a bipartisan letter to President Donald J. Trump in support of the State of Wisconsin\u2019s request for a Major Disaster Declaration and to stress the need for federal assistance for impacted residents.\n\n\u201cWe write in strong support of the State of Wisconsin\u2019s request for a Major Disaster Declaration, and subsequent requests for Individual and Public Assistance following several rounds of severe storms in April, which resulted in widespread flooding and damage throughout the state. This delegation is committed to working with your administration, FEMA, and Wisconsin Emergency Management to guarantee that Wisconsin's residents and communities get the assistance they need. We thank you for your timely consideration of this urgent request.\u201d\n\nBackground: In April, communities across Wisconsin experienced heavy rainfall and severe weather over multiple days, causing multiple rivers to flood their banks and destroy homes and businesses alike. On Wednesday, April 29th, Governor Evers requested FEMA\u2019s assistance with a Joint Preliminary Damage Assessment (JPDA), and on Thursday, April 30th, FEMA responded. Following the JPDA, Governor Tony Evers requested a Major Disaster Declaration. In total, over 1,500 residential structures were damaged across 19 counties and the Oneida Nation, resulting in nearly $10 million in costs. Public infrastructure damage is currently estimated at over $17 million, easily exceeding the State\u2019s per capita indicator.\n\nSenator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Representatives Bryan Steil (WI-01), Mark Pocan (WI-02), Derrick Van Orden (WI-03), Gwen Moore (WI-04), Scott Fitzgerald (WI-05), Glenn Grothman (WI-06), and Tom Tiffany (WI-07) joined Rep. Wied in making this request.", 1, "2026-06-27T21:44:12Z", "2026-06-27T22:21:02Z"], ["https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/2026/05/26/video-release-sen-johnson-holds-hearing-on-biden-health-officials-failure-to-detect-covid-19-vaccine-safety-signals/", "***VIDEO RELEASE*** Sen. Johnson Holds Hearing on Biden Health Officials\u2019 Failure to Detect COVID-19 Vaccine Safety Signals", "2026-05-26", "2026", "2026-05", "Republican", "Senate", "WI", "Ron Johnson", "J000293", "www.ronjohnson.senate.gov", "ronjohnson", "https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/category/press-releases/", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 On Wednesday, U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), chairman of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, held a hearing titled, \u201cUnmasked: How Biden Health Officials Purposely Turned a Blind Eye Toward COVID-19 Vaccine Safety Signals.\u201d\n\nIn conjunction with the hearing, the chairman released an interim Majority Staff Report, along with approximately 600 pages of records detailing how beginning in early 2021, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) officials became aware of a new, \u201cstate of the art\u201d data mining method that could better detect statistically significant safety signals for adverse events associated with the COVID-19 vaccines. Rather than adopt the \u201cstate of the art\u201d method, Biden health officials continued to employ their older data mining method with known limitations that prevented FDA from detecting adverse events.\n\n\u201cPeter Marks, with the knowledge that he was treating vaccine injuries, and they weren\u2019t mild injuries. These were life-threatening injuries. These are total disability\u2013type of injuries. So, he knew it. He was treating them. He knew that his safety surveillance system was masking these signals \u2026. They were pleading with the officials at FDA, NIH, that knew they were severely injured by the vaccine, counting on them to make that public, to study their results so that others could get treated. To this day, they have not done that,\u201d Sen. Johnson said.\n\n\u201cWe\u2019ve got a real big problem in this country about vaccine-injury deniers. Again, these vaccine injuries are real, but it\u2019s being denied. And you know, Mr. Science himself, accused a lot of people of being science deniers. I\u2019ll accuse people of being vaccine-injury deniers,\u201d Sen. Johnson continued.\n\n\u201cNobody that pushed these things wants to admit they\u2019re wrong. The advice they gave might have resulted in somebody\u2019s death or permanent disability. That\u2019s what we\u2019re faced with. That\u2019s why we have this massive vaccine- and injection-injury denying going on in this country. And I can tell you, from my standpoint, I\u2019m not giving up \u2026 I\u2019m not caving to the ridicule and vilification,\u201d Sen. Johnson concluded.\n\nWatch the full video of the hearing here.\n\nThe interim PSI Majority Staff Report can be found here.\n\nThe records the senator released contain minimal redactions for personally identifiable information which was one of the categories of redactions requested by HHS. The records are linked below:\n\nPart 1\n\nPart 2\n\nPart 3\n\nExcel Documents\n\n###", 1, "2026-06-18T06:41:00Z", "2026-06-18T06:43:25Z"], ["https://vanorden.house.gov/media/press-releases/van-orden-warns-iranian-mullahs-window-opportunity-rapidly-closing", "Van Orden Warns Iranian Mullahs: \u201cWindow Of Opportunity Is Rapidly Closing\u201d", "2026-05-26", "2026", "2026-05", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Derrick Van Orden", "V000135", "vanorden.house.gov", "vanorden", "https://vanorden.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Congressman Derrick Van Orden, a member of the House Armed Services Committee and a retired U.S. Navy SEAL with 26 years of service and multiple combat deployments across the Middle East, including service in every country Iran has attacked or destabilized through its terror network, joined Fox News\u2019s Fox & Friends to discuss President Donald Trump\u2019s ultimatum to Iran amid ongoing nuclear negotiations and recent U.S. self-defense strikes targeting Iranian threats in the region.\n\nWATCH FULL INTERVIEW: FOX & FRIENDS INTERVIEW\n\nVan Orden issued a direct warning to Iran\u2019s leadership and emphasized the consequences of decades of Iran-backed terrorism targeting Americans and U.S. allies.\n\n\u201cThe Iranian mullahs have to understand that their window of opportunity is rapidly closing\u2026 And I have the utmost confidence in President Trump to make sure that the interests of the United States and the world writ large are taken care of.\n\n\u201cHow many thousands of American families were grieving over a tombstone yesterday because of the Iranians? This regime must never have a nuclear weapon.\u201d\n\nIn a post on X, Rep. Van Orden, a retired Navy SEAL who served for 26 years, also spoke personally about the cost of Iran-backed terror attacks on American servicemembers.\n\n\u201cI spent 26 years as a Navy SEAL. I\u2019ve buried too many brothers because of Iran-backed terror to have a damn ounce of sympathy for the Iranian regime. This regime has American blood on its hands. Iran must NEVER obtain a nuclear weapon. Ever.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-06-27T21:44:12Z", "2026-06-27T22:21:02Z"], ["https://grothman.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=5208", "Grothman Introduces OPT Fair Tax Act to End Tax Loophole Favoring Foreign Workers Over American Graduates", "2026-05-21", "2026", "2026-05", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Glenn Grothman", "G000576", "grothman.house.gov", "grothman", "https://grothman.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27", "scraper", "Today, Congressman Glenn Grothman (R-WI) introduced the OPT Fair Tax Act, legislation that will close a perverse loophole that harms American workers.\n\nUnder current law, foreign workers in the Optional Practical Training (OPT) program are exempt from paying Social Security and Medicare payroll taxes, creating an incentive to hire these foreign workers over American citizens. The OPT Fair Tax Act will ensure that OPT employment is treated the same as other employment under federal payroll tax law.\n\nSenator Tom Cotton (R-AR) introduced companion legislation in the Senate earlier this Congress.\n\n\u201cAmericans should not be put at a disadvantage because Washington created a loophole that favors hiring foreign workers over qualified U.S. citizens,\u201d said Congressman Glenn Grothman. \u201cRight now, the federal government has created a financial incentive to hire foreign workers over Americans. As a result, too many young Americans graduating from our colleges and universities are forced to compete against a system that tilts the playing field against them. Congress should be focused on opening doors for young Americans, helping U.S. graduates find good-paying jobs, and ensuring employers are encouraged to hire Americans first, not creating incentives for companies to bypass American talent.\u201d\n\n\u201cOur tax code shouldn\u2019t incentivize businesses to hire foreign workers. By ending the FICA tax exemption, we will put American workers first.\u201d - Senator Cotton\n\n\u201cThe OPT Fair Tax Act stands to raise $32 billion while bringing fairness to the OPT program. The tax code shouldn\u2019t create incentives for businesses to prefer hiring OPT participants over Americans.\" - Jeremy Neufeld, Director of Immigration Policy at the Institute for Progress\n\nBackground Information\n\nThe Optional Practical Training (OPT) program allows certain foreign students on F-1 visas to work in the United States after completing their studies. Current law exempts many OPT workers and their employers from paying Social Security and Medicare payroll taxes under the Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA).\n\nThis tax exemption creates a financial incentive for employers to hire OPT workers over American graduates because employers can avoid payroll taxes that would otherwise apply to U.S. workers performing similar jobs. The advantage is especially significant among recent bachelor\u2019s and master\u2019s degree graduates participating in the program.\n\nBetween Fiscal Years 2017 and 2022, approximately 330,000 students participated in OPT annually, including more than 215,000 master\u2019s degree students. In addition to disadvantaging American workers, the exemption reduces funding for Social Security and Medicare. A January 2026 analysis estimated that eliminating the OPT payroll tax exemption would increase federal revenue by between $27 billion and $36 billion over ten years.\n\nThe OPT Fair Tax Act amends Section 3121(b)(19) of the Internal Revenue Code and Section 210(a)(19) of the Social Security Act to clarify that F-1 visa holders participating in OPT are not exempt from Social Security and Medicare payroll taxes. Both OPT workers and their employers would therefore pay the same payroll taxes paid by American workers and businesses.\n\nRead the Fox News exclusive HERE\n\n-30-", 1, "2026-05-22T06:27:39Z", "2026-05-22T06:29:18Z"], ["https://fitzgerald.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-fitzgerald-statement-passage-21st-century-road-housing-act-lower-housing", "Rep. Fitzgerald Statement on Passage of 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act to Lower Housing Costs and Boost Supply", "2026-05-20", "2026", "2026-05", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Scott Fitzgerald", "F000471", "fitzgerald.house.gov", "fitzgerald", "https://fitzgerald.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, DC \u2013 Congressman Scott Fitzgerald (WI-05) issued the following statement in response to the House passage of the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act.\n\n\u201cSolving America\u2019s housing shortage starts with increasing supply and cutting the red tape that makes it harder to build,\u201d said Congressman Fitzgerald. \u201cThis legislation takes important steps to modernize HUD programs, improve access to financing, and eliminate federal barriers that slow housing construction so developers and rural banks can deliver more housing for hardworking Americans. I\u2019m proud to support a bill that will help lower housing costs nationwide.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-06-27T21:44:12Z", "2026-06-27T22:21:02Z"], ["https://vanorden.house.gov/media/press-releases/van-orden-praises-workforce-pell-grant-rule-win-wisconsin-workers", "Van Orden Praises Workforce Pell Grant Rule as Win for Wisconsin Workers", "2026-05-18", "2026", "2026-05", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Derrick Van Orden", "V000135", "vanorden.house.gov", "vanorden", "https://vanorden.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2014 Congressman Derrick Van Orden today praised the U.S. Department of Education\u2019s final rule implementing the Workforce Pell Grant program, following Education Secretary Linda McMahon\u2019s visit Friday to Western Technical College in La Crosse, Wisconsin.\n\nBeginning July 1, 2026, the program will allow Pell Grants to fund short-term, high-quality training programs as short as eight weeks, preparing students for in-demand careers in manufacturing, healthcare, construction, and the skilled trades.\n\nThe initiative, created under President Trump\u2019s Working Families Tax Cuts (OBBBA), is designed to strengthen workforce pipelines and give students faster, more affordable pathways into good-paying jobs. Van Orden was a leading advocate for including workforce training flexibility in the legislation and fought to ensure these skills-based programs were eligible for Pell Grant funding.\n\n\u201cWisconsin is built on skilled, hardworking people who keep our communities running,\u201d said Van Orden. \u201cWe should be encouraging more young people to pursue skilled trades where they can earn strong wages without being buried in student debt. Not every student needs a four-year degree, and yet too many are pushed into expensive programs that don\u2019t match today\u2019s job market. We should empower the next generation to pursue these careers with pride, earn a good living, support a family, and stay rooted in the communities they call home.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-06-27T21:44:12Z", "2026-06-27T22:21:02Z"], ["https://fitzgerald.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-fitzgerald-votes-support-veterans-military-families-and-strengthen", "Rep. Fitzgerald Votes to Support Veterans, Military Families, and Strengthen Military Readiness", "2026-05-15", "2026", "2026-05", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Scott Fitzgerald", "F000471", "fitzgerald.house.gov", "fitzgerald", "https://fitzgerald.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, DC \u2013 Congressman Scott Fitzgerald (WI-05) issued the following statement after voting to pass H.R. 8469, the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2027.\n\n\u201cAmerica\u2019s veterans and servicemembers deserve a system that delivers timely, high-quality care and strong benefits they have earned through their service to our nation. This legislation fully funds critical VA health care and benefits programs, expands support for mental health services, and continues strengthening the infrastructure veterans rely on every day.\n\n\u201cThis bill also recognizes the needs of military families by investing in improved housing and childcare facilities that directly affect daily quality of life. At the same time, it strengthens military readiness by funding key construction projects to ensure our forces remain equipped and prepared as we navigate global threats.\n\n\u201cI was proud to support this measure because it reflects House Republicans\u2019 deep commitment to those who selflessly serve our nation. The long-term strength of our military community is critical to the success of the United States.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-06-27T21:44:12Z", "2026-06-27T22:21:02Z"], ["https://grothman.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=5202", "Grothman Introduces Bill to Protect Employment Opportunities for Adults with Disabilities", "2026-05-14", "2026", "2026-05", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Glenn Grothman", "G000576", "grothman.house.gov", "grothman", "https://grothman.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27", "scraper", "Congressman Glenn Grothman introduced the Restoration of Employment Choice for Adults with Disabilities Act, legislation aimed at protecting work opportunities and expanding employment choice for adults with disabilities.\n\nThe bill would remove burdensome federal barriers that currently prevent many adults with disabilities from accessing workplace environments that best fit their individual needs, abilities, and long-term success at facilities like Green Valley Enterprises in Beaver Dam, WI., and Opportunities Inc in Fort Atkinson, WI.\n\nThe following organizations have endorsed the Restoration of Employment Choice for Adults with Disabilities Act: A-Team Wisconsin, A-Team USA, MARC, Inc., The Westmoreland County Blind Association, Industrial Opportunities, Inc., Grand Traverse Industries, The Brookwood Community, VARC, Pantheon Industries, New Hope Center, Disability Service Provider Network-WI\n\n\u201cToo often, Washington policymakers focus only on wages and ignore the broader benefits that meaningful work provides for individuals with disabilities,\u201d said Congressman Grothman. \u201cFor many families, these workplaces offer stability, community, training, routine, transportation assistance, and other support services that are incredibly valuable. These workplace settings provide a level of support and opportunity that has become harder to access because of bureaucratic red tape. In some cases, individuals working in these settings may also earn more overall than they would in other employment environment. Adults with disabilities deserve the freedom to choose the workplace environment that works best for them without unnecessary government obstacles standing in the way.\u201d\n\n\u201cYoung people with disabilities deserve access to work programs that help bring them satisfaction, purpose, and dignity. I am proud to support the Restoration of Employment Choice for Adults with Disabilities which breaks down barriers preventing these individuals from participating in work that builds confidence, leads to positive outcomes, and fosters independence.\u201d - Congressman Burgess Owens\n\n\u201cThe Restoration of Employment Choice for Adults with Disabilities will ensure individuals have a CHOICE in the service that helps ensure a career pathway to employment. Young adults with a disability have limited opportunity after high school graduation. Many ages 18-24 are left at home and become disenfranchised and isolated from the world of work. This bill will allow individuals the ability to continue to train and mature with the goal of gaining community integrated employment when the time is right.\u201d - Barb LeDuc, President/CEO Opportunities, Inc.\n\n\u201cThis bill is very much needed for individuals with Special Needs in order to provide them the same opportunities that individuals without a disability have to obtain a Job. Having criteria based on the age of an individual to obtain a job, is concerning and should not be permissible. The enactment of this bill would allow those with Special Needs to obtain a Job of their CHOICE, regardless of their age. Allow the individuals to make their OWN decision!!!\u201d \u2013 Timothy P. Miller, Executive Director at Westmoreland County Blind Association\n\n\u201cAt KANDU, we fight every day for the right of individuals with disabilities to have choice, purpose, dignity, and meaningful opportunities. Every person deserves the chance to contribute in a way that matches their abilities, goals, and comfort level \u2014 and no one should lose that right because someone else decides what is best for them. We will continue to stand up for the voices, rights, and value of the individuals we proudly serve.\u201d \u2013 Kathy J. Hansen, Executive Director at KANDU Industries\n\n\u201cThrough my work at KANDU Industries, I have seen firsthand that meaningful employment is not one-size-fits-all. Individuals with disabilities deserve the opportunity to choose employment pathways that match their unique abilities, support needs, and goals while experiencing the dignity, confidence, and sense of purpose that meaningful work provides.\u201d \u2014 Linda Diedrich, Marketing Director, KANDU Industries\n\n\u201cMy name is Christopher Wilson and I work at Kandu. I know friends from Special Olympics that cannot work at Kandu because they are not old enough. This makes me sad. I like it there.\u201d - Christopher Wilson, KANDU Industries\n\n\"When there is a pause in the use of skill sets, those abilities can decline significantly over time or even be lost entirely. When we invest in the individual momentum of the people we love, serve, and support, we advocate for their continued success. I believe that by amending this bill\u2019s age qualifier, we can meet the needs of today\u2019s consumer market at a pivotal moment and further support the highest long-term potential of each individual.\" - Madison Vander Loop, New Hope Inc.\n\n\u201cEvery person deserves the opportunity to build confidence, independence, and meaningful work skills at their own pace. Lowering the age from 24 to 18 for sheltered workshop and pre vocational services in Wisconsin would allow young adults with disabilities to access the support they need during an important transition into adulthood. While community employment is a great goal, not everyone is immediately ready for a competitive job setting after high school. Some individuals benefit from pre-vocational environments where they can safely learn communication, task completion, time management, social interaction, and coping skills before entering the community workforce. Waiting until age 24 can leave individuals without the structured support they need to grow, succeed, and work toward meaningful employment opportunities that match their abilities, strengths, and personal goals.\u201d - Amber Svoboda, Guardian at Meraki Guardianship Services Inc\n\n\u201cI enjoy making money at CRI, mowing lawns, and helping with the summer rest area program. CRI has helped me become a better worker and learn new skills.\u201d - Anthony Sobieski\n\n\u201cCRI helps me get into the workforce and builds confidence. CRI makes me look forward to the future.\u201d - Ryan McCulley\n\n\u201cI like everything about CRI and all the different people I get to work with. I enjoy coming and being part of the team.\u201d - William Goodwillie\n\nBackground Information\n\nIn 2014, Congress passed the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), which amended the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 to place additional restrictions on employment arrangements authorized under Section 14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act.\n\nWhile these changes were intended to encourage competitive integrated employment opportunities, the law has created significant barriers for many individuals with disabilities seeking employment options that align with their personal needs and capabilities.\n\nUnder current law, individuals under the age of 24 must complete a series of federally mandated requirements before they are permitted to work in a Section 14(c) employment setting. These requirements can delay or prevent access to meaningful work opportunities and force individuals into employment situations that may not be appropriate for them before they are allowed to pursue alternatives that better support their success and well-being.\n\nMany Section 14(c) providers also offer additional services and support beyond wages, including job training, transportation assistance, social engagement opportunities, supervision, and continuity of care that families rely upon.\n\nThe Restoration of Employment Choice for Adults with Disabilities Act would:\n\nLower the applicable age threshold in Section 511 of the Rehabilitation Act from 24 to 18, ensuring adult individuals with disabilities are not subjected to unnecessary federal barriers when making employment decisions.\n\nUpdate counseling requirements to ensure employers can continue compensating employees under a Section 14(c) certificate even if a state fails to provide required counseling services.\n\n-30-\n\nU.S. Rep. Glenn Grothman (R-Glenbeulah) proudly serves the people of Wisconsin\u2019s 6th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives.", 1, "2026-05-15T06:17:41Z", "2026-05-15T06:18:51Z"], ["https://fitzgerald.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-fitzgeralds-keeping-violent-offenders-our-streets-act-passes-house-0", "Rep. Fitzgerald\u2019s Keeping Violent Offenders Off Our Streets Act Passes House of Representatives", "2026-05-14", "2026", "2026-05", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Scott Fitzgerald", "F000471", "fitzgerald.house.gov", "fitzgerald", "https://fitzgerald.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, DC \u2013 Congressman Scott Fitzgerald\u2019s (WI-05) Keeping Violent Offenders Off Our Streets Act, legislation aimed at combating radical bail policies by subjecting bail bonds to insurance fraud laws, passed the House of Representatives today. Specifically, the bill defines bail bonds as insurance products, which subjects them to federal insurance fraud laws and allows states to enact licensing requirements for corporate, for-profit, and non-profit entities that post bail on behalf of defendants.\n\n\u201cCommunities across the country have suffered the consequences of reckless soft-on-crime policies that put dangerous offenders back on the streets,\u201d said Congressman Fitzgerald. \u201cThe Keeping Violent Offenders Off Our Streets Act restores accountability to the bail process by ensuring left-wing organizations that post bail for violent criminals are subject to federal insurance laws and criminal fraud statutes. Public safety should always come first, and this legislation is key in protecting Americans and restoring common sense to our bail system. I thank my colleagues for their support of this bill, and I\u2019ll continue fighting to ensure tragedies like the 2021 Waukesha Christmas parade attack are never repeated.\u201d\n\nBACKGROUND: This week the House is recognizing Police Week as it considers a series of measures aimed at strengthening support for law enforcement and improving public safety. The Keeping Violent Offenders Off Our Streets Act was among the legislation considered as part of this important effort.\n\nThis bill addresses concerns surrounding charitable bail funds, which are organizations that use money from donations to help pay cash bail for defendants. These charitable funds are a small part of the larger movement to significantly reform or eliminate the cash bail system. Charitable bail funds regularly post bail for individuals charged with violent felonies and previous convictions.\n\nFor example, a CNN investigation in 2023 into charitable bail funds found that in Indiana from 2019 to 2021, \u201c24 percent of the roughly 1,000 defendants cut loose by The Bail Project \u2013 among the largest charitable bail groups in the United States \u2013 had been charged with a crime of violence; 35 percent were facing felony charges and had a previous charge of at least one crime of violence.\u201d Adding even more cause for concern, according to CNN, at least nine individuals who were released by a bail charity were subsequently arrested for murder.\n\n###", 1, "2026-06-27T06:16:17Z", "2026-06-27T06:17:30Z"], ["https://steil.house.gov/media/press-releases/steil-introduces-resolution-to-recognize-survivors-of-scams-and-prevent-future-scams", "Steil Introduces Resolution to Recognize Survivors of Scams and Prevent Future Scams", "2026-05-14", "2026", "2026-05", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Bryan Steil", "S001213", "steil.house.gov", "steil", "https://steil.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Congressmen Bryan Steil (WI-01), Josh Harder (CA-09), Dan Meuser (PA-09), Jamie Raskin (MD-08), Zach Nunn (IA-03), Jefferson Shreve (IN-06), and Gabe Amo (RI-01) this week introduced a resolution to designate May 14th as National Scam Survivor Day.\n\n\u201cEach year, scammers exploit millions of Americans and defraud them of their hard-earned savings,\" said Steil. \"I commend every American who speaks out to raise awareness after being victimized by scammers. By sharing their experiences, scam survivors help break the stigma scam victims can face while ensuring our communities have the tools to identify, disarm, and report emerging scams. I will continue working to prevent families and seniors from falling victim to scams.\"\n\nThe National Scam Survivor Day resolution encourages scam survivors to tell their stories combat the stigma that may prevent individuals from seeking the guidance and assistance they deserve. Additionally, the legislation urges a collaborative approach to support scam survivors and prevent future scams among government, the private sector, and nonprofit organizations.\n\n\u201cScams are more than just an annoying robocall \u2013 these organized attacks rob working families of their hard-earned savings and financial stability,\u201d said Harder. \u201cCracking down on these criminals starts with raising awareness of the nationwide scam crisis, and I'm proud to support designating May 14 as National Scam Survivor Day. Bringing our community together around prevention will lead to more arrests, fewer robocalls, and less financial theft, and I look forward to working across the aisle to get this bill signed into law.\u201d\n\n\"As Subcommittee Chairman on Oversight and Investigations, I am working with the Trump Administration, law enforcement, and the private sector to stop financial fraud and scams before they start,\" said Meuser. \"Scammers stole more than $21 billion from hardworking Americans in 2025, targeting seniors, veterans, small business owners, and young adults. National Scam Survivor Day is about supporting victims, raising awareness, and educating consumers as scammers and fraudsters become increasingly sophisticated. Thank you to Rep. Steil for once again leading this important resolution.\"\n\n\u201cMillions of Americans have lost hundreds of billions of dollars at the hands of hucksters, fraudsters and rip-off artists,\u201d said Raskin. \u201cBy designating May 14, 2026, as National Scam Survivor Day, we remind our neighbors that there\u2019s no shame in reporting these terrible crimes, and we put scammers everywhere on notice that we\u2019ll never stop pursuing justice and accountability. I want to thank my constituent\u2014Judith Boivin of Rockville\u2014for bravely sharing her story with me and for working to help others avoid what she has endured at the hands of criminal scammers.\u201d\n\n\u201cA central Iowa man spent months building what he believed was a genuine online relationship, only to lose $164,000 to fraud. A woman from Des Moines fell victim to a romance scam and lost $15,000. These are just two of the stories behind the $96 million Iowans lost to financial fraud in 2025,\u201d said Nunn. \u201cIowans shouldn\u2019t have to worry about scammers robbing them of their life savings through fake investment schemes and online fraud. On National Scam Survivor\u2019s Day, I\u2019m proud my bipartisan GUARD Act is moving forward to give law enforcement stronger tools to track down criminals, crack down on fraud, and protect Iowans\u2019 hard-earned money.\u201d\n\n\u201cScams devastate families, drain savings, and leave survivors feeling like they did something wrong,\u201d said Shreve. \u201cAs Chair of the Stop Scams Caucus, I\u2019m pleased to cosponsor this resolution designating May 14 as National Scam Survivor Day. When survivors come forward, they help break the stigma surrounding these crimes and remind other victims that they are not to blame. I\u2019ll keep working across the aisle to ensure these bad actors face real consequences.\u201d\n\n\u201cScammers don\u2019t care if you\u2019re a Democrat or a Republican \u2014 they just want to steal your money and exploit your trust. That\u2019s why I\u2019m proud to support designating May 14th as National Scam Survivor Day, to stand with the millions of Americans targeted by scams, raise awareness, and reduce the stigma that can discourage people from reporting these crimes,\u201d said Amo. \u201cTogether, we can stop fraudsters from scamming Americans out of their hard-earned dollars.\u201d\n\nThis resolution is supported by the International Better Business Bureau.\n\nOriginal cosponsors of this resolution include Representatives Josh Harder (CA-09), Dan Meuser (PA-09), Jamie Raskin (MD-08), Zach Nunn (IA-03), Jefferson Shreve (IN-06), and Gabe Amo (RI-01)\n\nCLICK HERE to read the resolution.\n\n###", 1, "2026-06-27T21:44:12Z", "2026-06-27T22:21:02Z"], ["https://tiffany.house.gov/media/press-releases/tiffany-announces-winners-2026-congressional-art-competition", "Tiffany Announces Winners of the 2026 Congressional Art Competition", "2026-05-14", "2026", "2026-05", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Thomas P. Tiffany", "T000165", "tiffany.house.gov", "tiffany", "https://tiffany.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WAUSAU, WI \u2013 Today, Congressman Tom Tiffany (WI-07) announced the winners of Wisconsin's Seventh District 2026 Congressional Art Competition. Since 1982, the Congressional Art Competition has created a unique opportunity for young artists to have their work displayed in the U.S. Capitol Building. This year\u2019s theme was: A day in the life of Wisconsin.\n\n\u201cIt is my pleasure to congratulate the winners of the 2026 Congressional Art Competition, and thank all those who participated. The young artistic talent in Wisconsin\u2019s Seventh District never ceases to amaze me. I want to extend a special shoutout to this year\u2019s first-place winner for depicting one of Wisconsin\u2019s great wonders, the Apostle Islands,\u201d said Congressman Tiffany.\n\nFirst Place Winner\n\nName: Ayasha Bowman\n\nSchool: Wausau East High School\n\nTitle: Apostle Islands\n\nMedium: Charcoal on Paper\n\nSecond Place Winner\n\nName: Brooklyn Weiler\n\nSchool: Auburndale High School\n\nTitle: Green Pastures, Little Footsteps\n\nMedium: Oil Paint\n\nThird Place Winner\n\nName: Nevaeh Utyro\n\nSchool: Superior High School\n\nTitle: Sitting Bear\n\nMedium: Watercolor\n\nHonorable Mention\n\nName: Alison Iaffaldano\n\nSchool: Wausau West High School\n\nTitle: Patchwork\n\nMedium: Acrylic Paint\n\nHonorable Mention\n\nName: Sophia Garcia Carranza\n\nSchool: Wausau East High School\n\nTitle: Wyalusing Overlook\n\nMedium: Charcoal\n\nThe first-place winner's artwork will be displayed in the Cannon Tunnel of the U.S. Capitol for one year. The Cannon Tunnel is the most highly traveled walkway between the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Capitol. The second-place winner's artwork will be displayed in my Washington, DC office, and the third-place winner's artwork will be displayed in my Wausau office.", 1, "2026-06-27T21:44:12Z", "2026-06-27T22:21:02Z"], ["https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/2026/05/12/psi-chairman-johnson-to-secretary-kennedy-hhs-must-speed-up-production-of-relevant-records-on-covid-19-vaccines/", "PSI Chairman Johnson to Secretary Kennedy: HHS Must Speed Up Production of Relevant Records on COVID-19 Vaccines", "2026-05-12", "2026", "2026-05", "Republican", "Senate", "WI", "Ron Johnson", "J000293", "www.ronjohnson.senate.gov", "ronjohnson", "https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/category/press-releases/", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 Yesterday, U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), chairman of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations (\u201cPSI\u201d or \u201cthe Subcommittee\u201d), sent Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (\u201cHHS\u201d), a letter calling for the immediate production of records relating to pediatric deaths following COVID-19 vaccination.\n\nIn response to Chairman Johnson\u2019s December 15, 2025 letter about an internal Food and Drug Administration (\u201cFDA\u201d) document acknowledging that the COVID-19 vaccines led to the death of at least 10 children, HHS produced another internal memorandum containing more information about pediatric deaths.\n\nThis December 5, 2025 FDA memorandum described 96 pediatric deaths following COVID-19 vaccination, some of which were labeled as \u201cpossibly\u201d or \u201cprobably\u201d related to the vaccine.\n\nGiven that HHS produced this document four months after Chairman Johnson\u2019s initial request, he called on Secretary Kennedy to immediately provide the Subcommittee with the remaining responsive records.\n\n\u201cWe must speed up the discovery process. As a result, I am requesting, at your earliest convenience, a meeting with you and the officials within HHS that can discuss how to make that happen,\u201d Chairman Johnson wrote.\n\n\u201cThe public deserves complete transparency about the safety of the COVID-19 vaccines. HHS must ensure that there is no delay in achieving that objective,\u201d Chairman Johnson concluded.\n\nThis recent letter to HHS follows a series of revelations uncovered by Chairman Johnson\u2019s Subcommittee relating to the Biden administration\u2019s failure to warn the public about the safety risks associated with the COVID-19 vaccines, including myocarditis and ischemic stroke. Nearly two weeks ago, Chairman Johnson held a hearing and issued an interim Majority staff report showing that Biden health officials knew their COVID-19 vaccine safety analytic system was insufficient and they refused to implement a superior, updated system that could better detect safety signals for vaccine adverse events.\n\nIn addition to uncovering the Biden administration\u2019s efforts to downplay and ignore serious COVID-19 vaccine adverse events, to date, Chairman Johnson has released over 5,000 pages of HHS records supporting the Subcommittee\u2019s findings.\n\nRead more about the chairman\u2019s letter in Catherine Herridge\u2019s reporting here.\n\nFull text of the letter to HHS can be found here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-06-18T06:41:00Z", "2026-06-18T06:43:25Z"], ["https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/2026/5/psi-chairman-johnson-to-secretary-kennedy-hhs-must-speed-up-production-of-relevant-records-on-covid-19-vaccines", "PSI Chairman Johnson to Secretary Kennedy: HHS Must Speed Up Production of Relevant Records on COVID-19 Vaccines", "2026-05-12", "2026", "2026-05", "Republican", "Senate", "WI", "Ron Johnson", "J000293", "www.ronjohnson.senate.gov", "ronjohnson", "https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 Yesterday, U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), chairman of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations (\u201cPSI\u201d or \u201cthe Subcommittee\u201d), sent Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (\u201cHHS\u201d), a letter calling for the immediate production of records relating to pediatric deaths following COVID-19 vaccination.\n\nIn response to Chairman Johnson\u2019s December 15, 2025 letter about an internal Food and Drug Administration (\u201cFDA\u201d) document acknowledging that the COVID-19 vaccines led to the death of at least 10 children, HHS produced another internal memorandum containing more information about pediatric deaths.\n\nThis December 5, 2025 FDA memorandum described 96 pediatric deaths following COVID-19 vaccination, some of which were labeled as \u201cpossibly\u201d or \u201cprobably\u201d related to the vaccine.\n\nGiven that HHS produced this document four months after Chairman Johnson\u2019s initial request, he called on Secretary Kennedy to immediately provide the Subcommittee with the remaining responsive records.\n\n\u201cWe must speed up the discovery process. As a result, I am requesting, at your earliest convenience, a meeting with you and the officials within HHS that can discuss how to make that happen,\u201d Chairman Johnson wrote.\n\n\u201cThe public deserves complete transparency about the safety of the COVID-19 vaccines. HHS must ensure that there is no delay in achieving that objective,\u201d Chairman Johnson concluded.\n\nThis recent letter to HHS follows a series of revelations uncovered by Chairman Johnson\u2019s Subcommittee relating to the Biden administration\u2019s failure to warn the public about the safety risks associated with the COVID-19 vaccines, including myocarditis and ischemic stroke. Nearly two weeks ago, Chairman Johnson held a hearing and issued an interim Majority staff report showing that Biden health officials knew their COVID-19 vaccine safety analytic system was insufficient and they refused to implement a superior, updated system that could better detect safety signals for vaccine adverse events.\n\nIn addition to uncovering the Biden administration\u2019s efforts to downplay and ignore serious COVID-19 vaccine adverse events, to date, Chairman Johnson has released over 5,000 pages of HHS records supporting the Subcommittee\u2019s findings.\n\nRead more about the chairman\u2019s letter in Catherine Herridge\u2019s reporting here.\n\nFull text of the letter to HHS can be found here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-05-13T06:12:22Z", "2026-05-13T06:13:52Z"], ["https://steil.house.gov/media/press-releases/steil-introduces-comprehensive-campaign-finance-reforms", "Steil Introduces Comprehensive Campaign Finance Reforms", "2026-05-11", "2026", "2026-05", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Bryan Steil", "S001213", "steil.house.gov", "steil", "https://steil.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Today, Committee on House Administration Chairman Bryan Steil (WI-01) introduced the Campaign Finance Transparency Act and the Preventing Foreign Interference in American Elections Act. Together, these comprehensive campaign finance reforms will increase transparency and ensure fraudulent and foreign donations cannot influence political campaigns, individual candidates, or electoral outcomes.\n\nBoth bills will be marked up by the Committee on House Administration later this week.\n\n\u201cMy investigation into ActBlue has demonstrated that the current campaign finance laws weren\u2019t drafted for the modern era we live in. The major gaps we\u2019ve uncovered are being exploited by fraudsters and foreign nationals to make illegal political donations. For example, right now an individual could make a fraudulent donation online in someone else\u2019s name and avoid getting caught. That\u2019s an unacceptable vulnerability that bad actors are taking advantage of,\u201d said Chairman Steil. \u201cWe must increase transparency and update the rules to reflect the technological advances of the 21st century.\u201d\n\nThe Campaign Finance Transparency Act will:\n\nRequire the name on a credit or debit card to match the name of the donor\n\nRemove the de minimis reporting threshold for donors\n\nRequire political contributions via credit or debit card to include CVV/CVC number and billing ZIP code\n\nRequire document verification for donors without U.S. mailing addresses\n\nProhibit contributions via gift cards\n\nProhibit knowingly directing, helping, or assisting any person in making a contribution in the name of another person\n\nRequire suspected straw donations schemes to be reported to the Federal Election Commission\n\nThe Preventing Foreign Interference in American Elections Act will:\n\nProhibit foreign nationals from donating for specified election-related activities, including:\n\nVoter registration drives;\n\nBallot harvesting;\n\nVoter research and polling;\n\nGet Out the Vote initiatives;\n\nAdministration of elections by state or local officials (i.e. Zuckerbucks);\n\nProhibit aiding or facilitating assistance to foreign nationals in making campaign contributions;\n\nPrevent federal agencies from collecting or disclosing tax-exempt donor information, subject to specified exceptions (e.g. IRS, House/Senate lobbying disclosures, in certain situations).\n\nTo read the Campaign Finance Transparency Act click here.", 1, "2026-06-27T21:44:12Z", "2026-06-27T22:21:02Z"], ["https://steil.house.gov/media/press-releases/steil-announces-2026-congressional-art-competition-winner-isabella-rotizza-from-westosha-central-high-school", "Steil Announces 2026 Congressional Art Competition Winner: Isabella Rotizza from Westosha Central High School", "2026-05-04", "2026", "2026-05", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Bryan Steil", "S001213", "steil.house.gov", "steil", "https://steil.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Racine, WI \u2013 Today, Congressman Bryan Steil (WI-01) announced Isabella Rotizza as the winner of the 2026 Congressional Art Competition for Wisconsin's First Congressional District.\n\nWINNER: Beauty Doesn't Have to Have Color by Isabella Rotizza\n\nIsabella Rotizza and her piece, Beauty Doesn't Have to Have Color, is the winner of the 2026 Congressional Art Competition. Isabella is a 10th grade student at Westosha Central High School in Salem Lakes, where she is taught by Ms. Carina Rook.\n\n\u201cCongratulations, Isabella, on winning the 2026 Congressional Art Competition! The First Congressional District is home to so many talented young artists and each year I am impressed by the creativity and skill demonstrated in our community. Beauty Doesn't Have to Have Color captures the talent of Wisconsin\u2019s next generation and the impact art teachers have on students across our state,\u201d said Steil. \u201cI look forward to seeing Isabella's work displayed in the U.S. Capitol.\u201d", 1, "2026-06-27T21:44:12Z", "2026-06-27T22:21:02Z"], ["https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/2026/5/video-release-sen-johnson-holds-hearing-on-biden-health-officials-failure-to-detect-covid-19-vaccine-safety-signals", "***VIDEO RELEASE*** Sen. Johnson Holds Hearing on Biden Health Officials\u2019 Failure to Detect COVID-19 Vaccine Safety Signals", "2026-05-01", "2026", "2026-05", "Republican", "Senate", "WI", "Ron Johnson", "J000293", "www.ronjohnson.senate.gov", "ronjohnson", "https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 On Wednesday, U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), chairman of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, held a hearing titled, \u201cUnmasked: How Biden Health Officials Purposely Turned a Blind Eye Toward COVID-19 Vaccine Safety Signals.\u201d\n\nIn conjunction with the hearing, the chairman released an interim Majority Staff Report, along with approximately 600 pages of records detailing how beginning in early 2021, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) officials became aware of a new, \u201cstate of the art\u201d data mining method that could better detect statistically significant safety signals for adverse events associated with the COVID-19 vaccines. Rather than adopt the \u201cstate of the art\u201d method, Biden health officials continued to employ their older data mining method with known limitations that prevented FDA from detecting adverse events.\n\n\u201cPeter Marks, with the knowledge that he was treating vaccine injuries, and they weren\u2019t mild injuries. These were life-threatening injuries. These are total disability\u2013type of injuries. So, he knew it. He was treating them. He knew that his safety surveillance system was masking these signals .... They were pleading with the officials at FDA, NIH, that knew they were severely injured by the vaccine, counting on them to make that public, to study their results so that others could get treated. To this day, they have not done that,\u201d Sen. Johnson said.\n\n\u201cWe've got a real big problem in this country about vaccine-injury deniers. Again, these vaccine injuries are real, but it\u2019s being denied. And you know, Mr. Science himself, accused a lot of people of being science deniers. I\u2019ll accuse people of being vaccine-injury deniers,\u201d Sen. Johnson continued.\n\n\u201cNobody that pushed these things wants to admit they\u2019re wrong. The advice they gave might have resulted in somebody\u2019s death or permanent disability. That\u2019s what we\u2019re faced with. That\u2019s why we have this massive vaccine- and injection-injury denying going on in this country. And I can tell you, from my standpoint, I\u2019m not giving up \u2026 I\u2019m not caving to the ridicule and vilification,\u201d Sen. Johnson concluded.\n\nWatch the full video of the hearing here.\n\nThe interim PSI Majority Staff Report can be found here.\n\nThe records the senator released contain minimal redactions for personally identifiable information which was one of the categories of redactions requested by HHS. The records are linked below:\n\nPart 1\n\nPart 2\n\nPart 3\n\nExcel Documents\n\n###", 1, "2026-05-02T05:53:08Z", "2026-05-02T05:54:44Z"], ["https://wied.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-wied-leads-letter-fema-urging-swift-action-coordination-state", "Rep. Wied Leads Letter to FEMA Urging Swift Action in Coordination with the State", "2026-05-01", "2026", "2026-05", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Tony Wied", "W000829", "wied.house.gov", "wied", "https://wied.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, DC \u2014 Today, Rep. Tony Wied (WI-08) led Reps. Bryan Steil (WI-01), Derrick Van Orden (WI-03), Scott Fitzgerald (WI-05), Glenn Grothman (WI-06), and Tom Tiffany (WI-07) in sending a letter to Acting Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator Karen Evans thanking the agency for its swift response to the State\u2019s request for a Joint Preliminary Damage Assessment and urging the agency to act swiftly and in coordination with Wisconsin Emergency Management (WEM).\n\n\u201cWe write to express our thanks for your agency's prompt response to the State of Wisconsin\u2019s request for FEMA to conduct a Joint Preliminary Damage Assessment (JPDA) with WEM in order to determine whether the damage meets the thresholds for a Presidential Major Disaster Declaration,\u201d said the Congressmen. \u201cWe value FEMA's ongoing collaboration with Wisconsin and look forward to working with your agency as relief efforts progress. We remain committed to partnering with you at every stage of this effort to guarantee that Wisconsin's residents and communities get the assistance they need.\u201d\n\nLast month, communities across Wisconsin, particularly in the Northeast, experienced historic flooding that caused severe damage to public and private property. On Wednesday, April 29th, Governor Evers requested FEMA\u2019s assistance with a JDPA, and on Thursday, April 30th, FEMA quickly responded.\n\nCompleting this assessment is the next step to secure federal assistance for families and communities impacted by the recent storms and flooding across the state, which have overwhelmed local emergency management agencies. FEMA has announced that these assessments will begin on Monday, May 4th, in collaboration with state officials.", 1, "2026-06-27T21:44:12Z", "2026-06-27T22:21:02Z"], ["https://grothman.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=5170", "Grothman\u2019s Federal Fraud Prevention Workforce Training Act Advances Through Committee", "2026-04-30", "2026", "2026-04", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Glenn Grothman", "G000576", "grothman.house.gov", "grothman", "https://grothman.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27", "scraper", "Congressman Glenn Grothman\u2019s (R-WI) Federal Fraud Prevention Workforce Training Act, legislation to strengthen oversight and combat fraud across federal programs, advanced through the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, marking a key step toward protecting taxpayer dollars.\n\n\u201cWe should remember this day because fraud continues to be a problem, but we are working to implement stronger oversight at every level. This bill is a common sense and bipartisan effort to strengthen oversight and protect taxpayer dollars. We are ensuring employees have the tools and resources they need to identify fraud. The bill requires Treasury to establish a government wide anti-fraud training program so staff can see the danger before it makes the newspaper,\u201d said Rep. Grothman.\n\n\u201cBillions of taxpayer dollars are lost every year to increasingly sophisticated fraud schemes. Unfortunately, federal agencies working to safeguard these funds are often outmatched by the increasing sophistication of fraudsters and criminals. The Federal Fraud Prevention Workforce Training Act recognizes this growing challenge and helps fortify the financial defenses of our federal programs against bad actors. It requires a government-wide anti-fraud training program for agency officials, like grant managers and auditors, so they are adequately trained on best practices for preventing and addressing fraud in agency programs. I thank my colleague, Mr. Grothman for introducing this important legislation,\u201d said Chairman Comer.\n\n-30-", 1, "2026-05-01T06:06:26Z", "2026-05-01T06:08:22Z"], ["https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/2026/04/30/sens-johnson-baldwin-recommend-u-s-attorney-candidates-to-the-white-house-for-wisconsins-eastern-and-western-districts/", "Sens. Johnson, Baldwin Recommend U.S. Attorney Candidates to the White House for Wisconsin\u2019s Eastern and Western Districts", "2026-04-30", "2026", "2026-04", "Republican", "Senate", "WI", "Ron Johnson", "J000293", "www.ronjohnson.senate.gov", "ronjohnson", "https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/category/press-releases/", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 On Wednesday, U.S. Senators Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) and Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) sent a letter to the White House to recommend two Wisconsinites for consideration to be U.S. attorney for the Eastern and Western Districts of Wisconsin.\n\nThe candidates, Peter Smyczek and Chadwick Elgersma, were recommended to the senators by the bipartisan Wisconsin Federal Nominating Commission that was established to provide recommendations for nominations during the 119th Congress for United States attorneys and federal judicial positions.\n\n\u201cI appreciate the hard work and dedication of Brad Schimel, who continues to serve the people of Wisconsin and remains fully committed to his role as first assistant U.S. attorney in the Eastern District of Wisconsin,\u201d said Sen. Johnson. \u201cMy bipartisan nominating commission with Sen. Baldwin submitted two well-qualified U.S. attorneys for the President\u2019s consideration. Peter Smyczek and Chadwick Elgersma will apply the rule of law and serve the people of Wisconsin\u2019s Eastern and Western districts well.\u201d\n\n\u201cThis is proof that the hard work of this commission and finding common ground can work,\u201d said Sen. Baldwin. \u201cThe candidates that the commission put forward appear well qualified, to have relevant experience, and committed to delivering justice impartially, and I support them moving through the next stage of the nomination process. Wisconsinites want these top law enforcement officials to work for them and uphold the constitution without fear or favor, and I will vet these candidates to ensure they meet that criteria and do right by Wisconsin families.\u201d\n\nThe full text of the Wisconsin Senators\u2019 letter of recommendation to the White House can be found here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-06-18T06:41:00Z", "2026-06-18T06:43:25Z"], ["https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/2026/4/sens-johnson-baldwin-recommend-u-s-attorney-candidates-to-the-white-house-for-wisconsin-s-eastern-and-western-districts", "Sens. Johnson, Baldwin Recommend U.S. Attorney Candidates to the White House for Wisconsin\u2019s Eastern and Western Districts", "2026-04-30", "2026", "2026-04", "Republican", "Senate", "WI", "Ron Johnson", "J000293", "www.ronjohnson.senate.gov", "ronjohnson", "https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 On Wednesday, U.S. Senators Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) and Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) sent a letter to the White House to recommend two Wisconsinites for consideration to be U.S. attorney for the Eastern and Western Districts of Wisconsin.\n\nThe candidates, Peter Smyczek and Chadwick Elgersma, were recommended to the senators by the bipartisan Wisconsin Federal Nominating Commission that was established to provide recommendations for nominations during the 119th Congress for United States attorneys and federal judicial positions.\n\n\u201cI appreciate the hard work and dedication of Brad Schimel, who continues to serve the people of Wisconsin and remains fully committed to his role as first assistant U.S. attorney in the Eastern District of Wisconsin,\u201d said Sen. Johnson. \u201cMy bipartisan nominating commission with Sen. Baldwin submitted two well-qualified U.S. attorneys for the President\u2019s consideration. Peter Smyczek and Chadwick Elgersma will apply the rule of law and serve the people of Wisconsin\u2019s Eastern and Western districts well.\u201d\n\n\u201cThis is proof that the hard work of this commission and finding common ground can work,\u201d said Sen. Baldwin. \u201cThe candidates that the commission put forward appear well qualified, to have relevant experience, and committed to delivering justice impartially, and I support them moving through the next stage of the nomination process. Wisconsinites want these top law enforcement officials to work for them and uphold the constitution without fear or favor, and I will vet these candidates to ensure they meet that criteria and do right by Wisconsin families.\u201d\n\nThe full text of the Wisconsin Senators\u2019 letter of recommendation to the White House can be found here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-05-01T06:06:26Z", "2026-05-01T06:08:22Z"], ["https://fitzgerald.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-fitzgerald-statement-house-passage-farm-bill", "Rep. Fitzgerald Statement on House Passage of the Farm Bill", "2026-04-30", "2026", "2026-04", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Scott Fitzgerald", "F000471", "fitzgerald.house.gov", "fitzgerald", "https://fitzgerald.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, DC \u2013 Congressman Scott Fitzgerald (WI-05) issued the following statement after voting to pass H.R. 7567, the Farm, Food, and National Security Act.\n\n\u201cThis legislation delivers the certainty Wisconsin farmers have been asking for. For too long, our producers have been expected to feed America while operating under outdated, short-term program extensions. A five-year farm bill gives rural communities the stability needed to plan, invest, and keep their operations strong for generations to come.\n\n\u201cIn America\u2019s Dairyland, this bill makes meaningful improvements by promoting transparency in milk pricing and updating critical safety nets. These reforms will ensure farmers are paid fairly and can better navigate swings in the market. This stability does not just support farmers. It protects the entire dairy supply chain and the rural communities who depend on it.\n\n\u201cThis bill also supports Wisconsin\u2019s broader agricultural economy by expanding access to credit, investing in conservation for working lands, and promoting American products in global markets. It includes commonsense provisions I have supported, like strengthening training opportunities for veterans entering agriculture and improving pricing systems for dairy producers.\n\n\u201cAt its core, this bill is about supporting America\u2019s farmers who are the backbone of this country. It prioritizes our economic security, food security, and national security.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-06-25T06:30:03Z", "2026-06-25T06:31:21Z"], ["https://steil.house.gov/media/press-releases/racine-vietnam-war-veteran-sister-linda-mcclenahan-awarded-veteran-of-the-year", "Racine Vietnam War\u00a0Veteran Sister Linda McClenahan Awarded\u00a0Veteran\u00a0of\u00a0the\u00a0Year", "2026-04-30", "2026", "2026-04", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Bryan Steil", "S001213", "steil.house.gov", "steil", "https://steil.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "RACINE, WI \u2013 Congressman Bryan Steil (WI-01) announced Racine veteran Sister Linda \u201cSister Sarge\u201d McClenahan as the recipient of the First Congressional District\u2019s 2025 Veteran of the Year Award.\n\nFirst Congressional District 2026 Veteran of the Year Award Winner: Linda McClenahan\n\nSgt. McClenahan, nicknamed \u201cSister Sarge,\u201d grew up in California, and planned to join a convent upon graduating high school in 1967. After her brother was drafted into the Marines she felt called to serve in a different way: by enlisting in the Army. Sgt. McClenahan joined the Women\u2019s Army Corp and after basic training, shipped out to Vietnam as a communications operator. She quickly rose to the rank of Sergeant and was assigned to the 1st Signal Brigade in Long Binh.\n\nShe returned from Vietnam in 1970 and served another 6 years in the Army Reserves before she would join the Racine Dominican Sisters in 1992. Sgt. McClenahan later began treatment for her own PTSD and saw the need for help that a new generation of veterans needed. She would go on to obtain a master's degree in counseling from UW-Whitewater & has been organizing and leading retreats focused on PTSD for veterans for nearly two decades.\n\n\u201cWe are grateful to the brave men and women who have served our country and protected our liberties and freedoms. It is my honor to present Sergeant McClenahan with the Veteran of the Year Award. Her dedication to her country and community truly exemplifies what it means to serve,\" said Steil.\n\nBackground:\n\nThe recipient of this award was nominated by Wisconsin residents and selected by Wisconsin\u2019s First Congressional District\u2019s Veterans Advisory Board by reviewing the following criteria:\n\nSERVICE: Demonstrate a commitment to service in their community. This could be through advocacy, community projects, an act of heroism, or other actions.\n\nEXCELLENCE: Provide an example of how this veteran exudes a spirit of excellence.\n\nDEDICATION: Have a dedication to supporting their fellow veterans and building bridges between veterans and our greater Southeast Wisconsin community.\n\nNominees had to be a veteran of one of the five Armed Forces of the United States, including Reserve or National Guard, or United States Merchant Marines. All nominees had to supply a DD-214 and live within Wisconsin's First Congressional District.\n\nMore Photos from the event are featured below:", 1, "2026-06-27T21:44:12Z", "2026-06-27T22:19:40Z"], ["https://wied.house.gov/media/press-releases/house-passes-farm-bill-rep-wieds-amendments-included", "House Passes Farm Bill with Rep. Wied's Amendments Included", "2026-04-30", "2026", "2026-04", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Tony Wied", "W000829", "wied.house.gov", "wied", "https://wied.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2014 Earlier today, Congressman Tony Wied (WI-08) voted to pass the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026, better known as the Farm Bill.\n\n\u201cFor years, our farmers have asked Congress to pass a new Farm Bill, and I was proud to join my colleagues in the House to do just that,\u201d said Congressman Wied. \u201cThis bill is the result of extensive bipartisan work and stakeholder input and will invest in rural communities, prioritize American commodities, restore regulatory certainty, and finally put the 'farm' back in Farm Bill. We are providing Wisconsin farmers with the tools they need to thrive for years to come. Now it is time for the Senate to finish the job and get this to President Trump\u2019s desk.\u201d\n\nBackground: Since the first farm bill was passed in 1933, it has been an essential driver of American agriculture. Much has changed since the first bill was passed, with science, technology, and innovation allowing our country to produce the safest, most abundant, and most affordable food supply in the world. The new challenges and opportunities our producers face require new policy, and the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026 rises to meet the occasion. This bill builds on the historic ag investments made last summer in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. The last Farm Bill was passed in 2018. Although it was intended to cover only a 5-year period, Congress failed to bring the new bill to the floor in 2024, leaving American farmers with uncertainty and subject to outdated policies. Today, the House approved the bill and sent it to the Senate for final passage.\n\nCongressman Wied is proud to have introduced three bipartisan Amendments that were included in the final bill.", 1, "2026-06-27T21:44:12Z", "2026-06-27T22:19:40Z"], ["https://fitzgerald.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-fitzgerald-statement-house-passage-fy26-senate-budget-resolution-kicking", "Rep. Fitzgerald Statement on House Passage of FY26 Senate Budget Resolution Kicking off Reconciliation 2.0 to Fund DHS", "2026-04-29", "2026", "2026-04", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Scott Fitzgerald", "F000471", "fitzgerald.house.gov", "fitzgerald", "https://fitzgerald.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, DC \u2013 Congressman Scott Fitzgerald (WI-05) issued the following statement in response to the House passage of the FY26 Senate Budget Resolution.\n\n\u201cHouse Republicans are taking action to fully fund ICE and Border Patrol, despite Democrats holding these critical border security agencies hostage,\u201d said Congressman Fitzgerald. \u201cBy passing the FY26 Senate Budget Resolution, we are advancing the reconciliation process once again to restore fiscal discipline, secure our homeland, and bring greater accountability to how Washington spends taxpayer dollars.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-06-11T06:38:38Z", "2026-06-11T06:41:07Z"], ["https://fitzgerald.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-fitzgerald-statement-passage-three-year-fisa-reauthorization", "Rep. Fitzgerald Statement on Passage of Three-Year FISA Reauthorization", "2026-04-29", "2026", "2026-04", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Scott Fitzgerald", "F000471", "fitzgerald.house.gov", "fitzgerald", "https://fitzgerald.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, DC \u2013 Congressman Scott Fitzgerald (WI-05) issued the following statement after voting to pass S. 1318, legislation reauthorizing FISA Section 702 for three years.\n\n\u201cFISA Section 702 is a critical intelligence tool that gives our national security professionals the information they need to make real-time decisions to keep Americans safe.\n\n\u201cAfter serious abuses of this authority, Congress took action to restore accountability through the Reforming Intelligence and Securing America Act (RISAA). Those reforms put stronger guardrails in place, increased oversight, and have already led to a significant drop in improper queries.\n\n\u201cThe bill we passed today also includes new, critical reforms to build on the reforms in RISAA, including enhanced criminal penalties for knowingly and willingly violating query procedures, a U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) audit of targeting procedures under Section 702, and more. I\u2019m also pleased this bill includes a ban on a central bank digital currency. A government-controlled digital dollar is a direct threat to privacy, financial freedom, and the American way of life.\n\n\u201cWith those safeguards now in place and working as intended, along with these additional added reforms, this three-year reauthorization ensures our intelligence community can continue to protect Americans while maintaining the guardrails already in place to prevent future misuse of this authority.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-06-10T06:36:00Z", "2026-06-10T06:37:32Z"], ["https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/2026/04/29/media-advisory-psi-chairman-johnson-releases-report-will-hold-hearing-on-biden-health-officials-failure-to-detect-covid-19-vaccine-safety-signals/", "***MEDIA ADVISORY*** PSI Chairman Johnson Releases Report; Will Hold Hearing on Biden Health Officials\u2019 Failure to Detect COVID-19 Vaccine Safety Signals", "2026-04-29", "2026", "2026-04", "Republican", "Senate", "WI", "Ron Johnson", "J000293", "www.ronjohnson.senate.gov", "ronjohnson", "https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/category/press-releases/", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 Today, U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), chairman of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, will hold a hearing entitled, \u201cUnmasked: How Biden Health Officials Purposely Turned a Blind Eye Toward COVID-19 Vaccine Safety Signals.\u201d\n\nIn conjunction with the hearing, the chairman released an interim Majority Staff Report, along with approximately 600 pages of records detailing how in early 2021, Food and Drug Administration (\u201cFDA\u201d) officials became aware of a new, \u201cstate of the art\u201d data mining method that could better detect statistically significant safety signals for adverse events associated with the COVID-19 vaccines. Rather than adopt the \u201cstate of the art\u201d method, Biden health officials continued to employ their older data mining method with known limitations that prevented FDA from detecting adverse events.\n\nKey findings from the report include:\n\nIn 2021, Dr. Ana Szarfman, who at the time was a senior medical officer and safety data mining developer at FDA and helped develop the FDA\u2019s data mining system, made senior FDA officials \u2014 including Dr. Peter Marks, who led the FDA\u2019s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research \u2014 aware of a \u201csuperior\u201d data mining method that could adjust for \u201cmasking,\u201d a known limitation of the FDA\u2019s current data mining system that hid signals for adverse events. However, senior FDA officials chose not to utilize this more effective methodology.\n\nBetween March 2021 and July 2021, Dr. Szarfman shared analyses of COVID-19 vaccine adverse event reports using the more effective methodology with FDA officials that, unsurprisingly, detected far more statistically significant safety signals for adverse events associated with COVID-19 vaccines.\n\nOne analysis identified \u201c49 examples of extreme masking,\u201d including approximately 25 statistically significant safety signals for adverse events that were not previously detected, such as sudden cardiac death, Bell\u2019s palsy, and pulmonary infarction.\n\nOther analyses Dr. Szarfman shared identified statistically significant safety signals with higher values for adverse events, including acute myocardial infarction associated with the Moderna and Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines, non-site specific embolism and thrombosis associated with the Janssen and Pfizer vaccines, and death and sudden death associated with the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines.\n\nFDA officials appear to have been more concerned with Dr. Szarfman\u2019s efforts than the alarming findings, with Dr. Peter Marks warning Dr. Patrizia Cavazzoni, the then-Director of the FDA\u2019s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, that Dr. Szarfman\u2019s data mining could \u201ccreate erroneous conflicts that feed in to anti-vaccination rhetoric.\u201d FDA officials eventually directed Dr. Szarfman to \u201chold off on creating and sending data mining reports and analyses.\u201d\n\nIn 2022, FDA and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (\u201cCDC\u201d) officials discussed limiting the distribution of FDA\u2019s weekly data mining reports on COVID-19 vaccines with one CDC official writing, \u201cI think that because of the FOIAs [Freedom of Information Act requests] we may have asked FDA to stop sending these weekly data mining outputs.\u201d\n\nThe hearing will be livestreamed on Sen. Johnson\u2019s X account, Rumble, and Subcommittee\u2019s website.\n\nThe interim PSI Majority Staff Report can be found here.\n\nThe records the chairman is releasing today contain minimal redactions for personally identifiable information which was one of the categories of redactions requested by HHS. The records are linked below:\n\nPart 1\n\nPart 2\n\nPart 3\n\nExcel Documents\n\n###", 1, "2026-06-18T06:41:00Z", "2026-06-18T06:43:25Z"], ["https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/2026/4/media-advisory-psi-chairman-johnson-releases-report-will-hold-hearing-on-biden-health-officials-failure-to-detect-covid-19-vaccine-safety-signals", "***MEDIA ADVISORY*** PSI Chairman Johnson Releases Report; Will Hold Hearing on Biden Health Officials\u2019 Failure to Detect COVID-19 Vaccine Safety Signals", "2026-04-29", "2026", "2026-04", "Republican", "Senate", "WI", "Ron Johnson", "J000293", "www.ronjohnson.senate.gov", "ronjohnson", "https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 Today, U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), chairman of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, will hold a hearing entitled, \u201cUnmasked: How Biden Health Officials Purposely Turned a Blind Eye Toward COVID-19 Vaccine Safety Signals.\u201d\n\nIn conjunction with the hearing, the chairman released an interim Majority Staff Report, along with approximately 600 pages of records detailing how in early 2021, Food and Drug Administration (\u201cFDA\u201d) officials became aware of a new, \u201cstate of the art\u201d data mining method that could better detect statistically significant safety signals for adverse events associated with the COVID-19 vaccines. Rather than adopt the \u201cstate of the art\u201d method, Biden health officials continued to employ their older data mining method with known limitations that prevented FDA from detecting adverse events.\n\nKey findings from the report include:\n\nIn 2021, Dr. Ana Szarfman, who at the time was a senior medical officer and safety data mining developer at FDA and helped develop the FDA\u2019s data mining system, made senior FDA officials \u2014 including Dr. Peter Marks, who led the FDA\u2019s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research \u2014 aware of a \u201csuperior\u201d data mining method that could adjust for \u201cmasking,\u201d a known limitation of the FDA\u2019s current data mining system that hid signals for adverse events. However, senior FDA officials chose not to utilize this more effective methodology.\n\nBetween March 2021 and July 2021, Dr. Szarfman shared analyses of COVID-19 vaccine adverse event reports using the more effective methodology with FDA officials that, unsurprisingly, detected far more statistically significant safety signals for adverse events associated with COVID-19 vaccines.\n\nOne analysis identified \u201c49 examples of extreme masking,\u201d including approximately 25 statistically significant safety signals for adverse events that were not previously detected, such as sudden cardiac death, Bell\u2019s palsy, and pulmonary infarction.\n\nOther analyses Dr. Szarfman shared identified statistically significant safety signals with higher values for adverse events, including acute myocardial infarction associated with the Moderna and Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines, non-site specific embolism and thrombosis associated with the Janssen and Pfizer vaccines, and death and sudden death associated with the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines.\n\nFDA officials appear to have been more concerned with Dr. Szarfman\u2019s efforts than the alarming findings, with Dr. Peter Marks warning Dr. Patrizia Cavazzoni, the then-Director of the FDA\u2019s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, that Dr. Szarfman\u2019s data mining could \u201ccreate erroneous conflicts that feed in to anti-vaccination rhetoric.\u201d FDA officials eventually directed Dr. Szarfman to \u201chold off on creating and sending data mining reports and analyses.\u201d\n\nIn 2022, FDA and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (\u201cCDC\u201d) officials discussed limiting the distribution of FDA\u2019s weekly data mining reports on COVID-19 vaccines with one CDC official writing, \u201cI think that because of the FOIAs [Freedom of Information Act requests] we may have asked FDA to stop sending these weekly data mining outputs.\u201d\n\nThe hearing will be livestreamed on Sen. Johnson\u2019s X account, Rumble, and Subcommittee\u2019s website.\n\nThe interim PSI Majority Staff Report can be found here.\n\nThe records the chairman is releasing today contain minimal redactions for personally identifiable information which was one of the categories of redactions requested by HHS. The records are linked below:\n\nPart 1\n\nPart 2\n\nPart 3\n\nExcel Documents\n\n###", 1, "2026-04-30T06:05:15Z", "2026-04-30T06:07:09Z"], ["https://grothman.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=5169", "Grothman Introduces the Ending Discrimination in Government Contracts Act", "2026-04-27", "2026", "2026-04", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Glenn Grothman", "G000576", "grothman.house.gov", "grothman", "https://grothman.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27", "scraper", "Today, Congressman Glenn Grothman (R-WI) introduced the Ending Discrimination in Government Contracting Act to stop federal agencies from violating the Constitution by awarding contracts based on recipients\u2019 race or sex. Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) has introduced the Senate companion of the bill.\n\n\u201cCompanies in my district have lost out on contracts despite offering higher quality products at a lower cost to the taxpayer. That\u2019s not just unfair, it\u2019s wasteful,\u201d said Congressman Glenn Grothman. \u201cI was proud to introduce the Ending Discrimination in Government Contracting Act because preferences in government contracting based on race or sex are fundamentally unfair, costly, and out of step with what most Americans believe. Contracts should be awarded based on merit, not race or gender, as the Constitution guarantees equal protection for all. For too long, federal contracting has relied on race- and sex-based mandates that drive up costs and undermine confidence in the system. Our bill restores accountability, reduces waste, and ensures contracts are awarded based on merit.\u201d\n\n\u201cUnconstitutional discrimination disguised as \u2018DEI\u2019 has infected our federal government,\u201d said Senator Mike Lee. \u201cAwarding government contracts based on race and sex is, simply put, racist and sexist. These policies defy our founding values and waste taxpayer dollars on subpar projects. My bill will end discrimination in government contracting to restore merit-based partnerships, ensuring contractors, businesses, and workers are evaluated not by the color of their skin or gender, but their ability to serve the American people.\u201d\n\n\"For decades, Pacific Legal Foundation has fought to ensure that government treats every American equally under the law. Pacific Legal Foundation applauds Senator Mike Lee and Representative Glenn Grothman for introducing The Ending Discrimination in Government Contracting Act which would end the consideration of race, ethnicity, or sex in federal contracting decisions. After the Supreme Court\u2019s landmark ruling in Students for Fair Admissions, the legal foundation for these unjust preferences has crumbled. Congress should finish the job.\u201d \u2014 Glenn Roper, Senior Attorney in Equality & Opportunity, Pacific Legal Foundation\n\n\"Race- and sex-based contracting costs taxpayers billions of dollars, endangers the security of our troops, and inhibits the construction and repair of our nation's infrastructure. Senator Lee and Congressman Grothman's bill takes the important step of ending these unconstitutional practices and returning federal contracting to more merit-based principles, in which Americans, regardless of race or sex, are treated equally.\" \u2013 Judge Glock, Director of Research and Senior Fellow, Manhattan Institute\n\n\"Since the Supreme Court found racial preferences in college admissions to be unconstitutional, there has been a swirling debate in legal and policy circles about what this means outside the educational space. The equal-protection logic of Harvard v. SFFA inextricably applies to the employment space, which is why we\u2019ve seen a spate of lawsuits and corporations reevaluating their DEI policies. One of the least headline-grabbing areas where identity-based preferences make their pernicious presence felt is in government contracting, which requires federal legislation to fix. The Ending Discrimination in Government Contracting Act is exactly what\u2019s needed to reform this often byzantine space and ensure that taxpayers aren\u2019t funding contracts based on identity-based spoils.\" \u2013 Ilya Shapiro, Director of Constitutional Studies and Senior Fellow, Manhattan Institute\n\n\"It's time to end race- and gender-based preferences in government contracting. This bill from Senator Lee and Congressman Grothman will help dismantle the ideology of left-wing identity politics and replace it with the principle of colorblind, equal treatment under the law.\" \u2013 Chris Rufo, Senior Fellow, Manhattan Institute\n\nBackground Information\n\nSince the 1970s, the federal government has expanded an ever-growing web of DEI requirements, mandates, and quotas for government contracts. Federal agencies are currently obligated to grant a certain number of government contracts to companies based on the race, ethnicity, or sex of company owners or employees. This system intentionally awards work based on immutable characteristics rather than ability to execute a job effectively. These practices are incompatible with the Constitution and frequently result in incomplete projects that exceed projected budgets, wasting taxpayer dollars.\n\nOn March 26, 2026, President Trump issued Executive Order 14398 to address DEI discrimination by federal contractors. This move was part of a larger effort by the Administration and congressional Republicans to end DEI practices throughout the country. Legislation is necessary to codify this initiative.\n\nSenator Lee\u2019s Ending Discrimination in Government Contracting Act underscores a shift away from unjust DEI hiring and contracting practices and towards a system that prioritizes fairness, efficiency and equal treatment under the law. As America begins to celebrate its 250th anniversary, this legislation is a timely emphasis on our founding principle that \u201call men are created equal.\u201d\n\nThe Ending Discrimination in Government Contracting Act:\n\nEliminates existing quotas, mandates, and programs that provide government contracting opportunities to companies based on the race and/or sex of the company\u2019s owner;\n\nEliminates certain federal DEI programs like the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise and the Minority Business Development Act of 2021;\n\nRepeals DEI preferences for Department of Transportation grants;\n\nEliminates discriminatory federal reporting requirements on small businesses;\n\nRequires federal agencies to rescind any rules or regulations requiring agencies to provide preference to contractors based on their race or sex, and;\n\nPrevents federal agencies from reissuing similar rules and regulations in the future.\n\nRetains support for small businesses generally and does not prohibit federal agencies from prioritizing rural or veteran-owned businesses when issuing government contracts.\n\nRead exclusive coverage by Breitbart News here.\n\n-30-", 1, "2026-04-28T06:05:12Z", "2026-04-28T06:07:17Z"]], "truncated": false, "filtered_table_rows_count": 189, "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": "2026"}}, "facet_results": {"party": {"name": "party", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/press/releases.json?party=Republican&state=WI&year=2026", "results": [{"value": "Republican", "label": "Republican", "count": 189, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?state=WI&year=2026", "selected": true}], "truncated": false}, "chamber": {"name": "chamber", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/press/releases.json?party=Republican&state=WI&year=2026", "results": [{"value": "House", "label": "House", "count": 145, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?party=Republican&state=WI&year=2026&chamber=House", "selected": false}, {"value": "Senate", "label": "Senate", "count": 44, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?party=Republican&state=WI&year=2026&chamber=Senate", "selected": false}], "truncated": false}, "state": {"name": "state", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/press/releases.json?party=Republican&state=WI&year=2026", "results": [{"value": "WI", "label": "WI", "count": 189, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?party=Republican&year=2026", "selected": true}], "truncated": false}, "year": {"name": "year", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/press/releases.json?party=Republican&state=WI&year=2026", "results": [{"value": "2026", "label": "2026", "count": 189, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?party=Republican&state=WI", "selected": true}], "truncated": false}}, "suggested_facets": [], "next": "2026-04-27,https~3A~2F~2Fgrothman~2Ehouse~2Egov~2Fnews~2Fdocumentsingle~2Easpx~3FDocumentID~3D5169", "next_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?party=Republican&state=WI&year=2026&_next=2026-04-27%2Chttps~3A~2F~2Fgrothman~2Ehouse~2Egov~2Fnews~2Fdocumentsingle~2Easpx~3FDocumentID~3D5169&_sort_desc=date", "private": false, "allow_execute_sql": true, "query_ms": 447.69925670698285, "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"}