url,title,date,year,month,party,chamber,state,member_name,bioguide_id,domain,scraper,source,date_source,text,has_text,collected_at,updated_at
https://jasonsmith.house.gov/2025/12/31/smith-delivers-rural-health-funding-for-missouri-communities/,Smith Delivers Rural Health Funding for Missouri Communities,2025-12-31,2025,2025-12,Republican,House,MO,Jason Smith,S001195,jasonsmith.house.gov,jasonsmith,https://jasonsmith.house.gov/category/press_release/,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. –The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has announced a $216,276,818 grant to the state of Missouri to expand access to health care in rural communities from the Rural Health Transformation Program that was created as part of the One, Big, Beautiful Bill that Congressman Jason Smith (MO-08) co-authored. Since passage of the Bill, Congressman Smith (MO-08) personally contacted both HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Mehmet Oz to ensure rural communities in Missouri receive desperately needed funding, particularly in southeast and south-central Missouri.

Congressman Smith said, “Access to care is the biggest issue facing working families in Missouri, which is why I made funding rural health care such a top priority in the One, Big, Beautiful Bill. The Rural Health Transformation Program is a foundational piece of a broader Republican effort to prioritize working families in rural communities across the country. Sixty million Americans — roughly 20 percent of our nation’s population — live in rural communities that lack sufficient access to quality, affordable health care. This funding will help fund greatly expanded health care access, better training and retention for health professionals, and new innovations to fight the chronic disease epidemic. This effort will dramatically improve the delivery of health care in rural communities that currently suffer from a disproportionate level of mortality when compared to their urban counterparts — including heightened cancer and maternal mortality rates, alongside the closure of hospitals like the twelve that have shut down in Missouri over the past decade. I applaud the Trump Administration for recognizing this once in a generation opportunity to strengthen the health and well-being of America’s rural communities. Now I will work hand-in-hand with our state’s leaders to ensure this funding is used to create sustainable, long-lasting changes that improve the quality of life for Missouri residents through improved health access.”

Congressman Smith, alongside members of the Missouri delegation, sent a letter to Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe, Missouri Department of Social Services Director Jessica Bax, and Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services Director Sarah Willson highlighting the importance of the RHTP program to Missouri’s rural communities and asking officials to incorporate key policies in their application.",1,2026-04-04T05:28:40Z,2026-04-04T05:30:10Z
https://burlison.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-eric-burlison-outlines-legislative-wins-and-next-priorities-oan,Rep. Eric Burlison Outlines Legislative Wins and Next Priorities on OAN,2025-12-30,2025,2025-12,Republican,House,MO,Eric Burlison,B001316,burlison.house.gov,burlison,https://burlison.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"Washington, D.C. — Rep. Eric Burlison (MO-07) appeared on One America News Network to reflect on the 2025 session and preview the policy priorities Republicans must advance in the second half of the 119th Congress.

Watch the full interview here.

Burlison highlighted key outcomes from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, noting that Congress enacted meaningful spending reductions, including defunding NPR and PBS. He also pointed to a significant Second Amendment tax relief provision, permanent extensions of major tax reforms, the elimination of taxes on tips and overtime, and the codification of more than three dozen Trump administration executive actions focused on deregulation and domestic energy production.

Burlison noted that these reforms are beginning to show positive economic effects, while emphasizing that additional work remains.

Looking ahead, Burlison stressed the need for another reconciliation bill to address unresolved priorities, particularly healthcare and election integrity. He explained that rejecting a temporary extension of enhanced COVID-era Obamacare subsidies was an important step toward creating the leverage necessary for meaningful reform.

Burlison outlined clear expectations for any reconciliation legislation, including significant healthcare reform that expands patient choice, increases transparency, and lowers costs without adding to the national debt. He emphasized giving individuals greater control over insurance options, provider networks, and alternative care models such as direct primary care.

“We have to set the marker early and be clear about our expectations,” Burlison said. “Reconciliation must deliver real reform, not more spending layered onto a broken system.”

Burlison also addressed recent comments from Democrats suggesting another government shutdown, noting that many Democrats remember the consequences of the last shutdown, which brought the country within days of crippling TSA operations and airport travel. He emphasized that continuing to advance appropriations bills would reduce the impact of any shutdown effort and remove it as a political weapon.

The interview concluded with Burlison reaffirming his commitment to fiscal responsibility, healthcare reform, and restoring accountability as Congress enters the next phase of the legislative session.",1,2026-04-04T05:28:40Z,2026-04-04T05:30:10Z
https://burlison.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-burlison-issues-statement-chiefs-move-kansas,Rep. Burlison Issues Statement on Chiefs' Move to Kansas,2025-12-22,2025,2025-12,Republican,House,MO,Eric Burlison,B001316,burlison.house.gov,burlison,https://burlison.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"Washington, D.C. — Today, Rep. Eric Burlison issued the following statement regarding the Kansas City Chiefs' decision to relocate operations to Kansas:

""The Kansas City Chiefs have built a proud and lasting legacy in Missouri, anchored by Arrowhead Stadium and generations of loyal fans.

This is a sad day for Missouri and for free-market capitalism.

Cronyism has won the day. It should be illegal to tax citizens and use their money to subsidize privately-owned businesses. NFL owners use leverage aggressively, and the reality is that Kansans will now be forced to foot the bill for a stadium that benefits a multibillion-dollar franchise.

In the process, many Missouri-based fans are being taken for granted. It is also worth noting that Missouri’s largest cities continue to dwindle under long-standing Democratic control and have repeatedly lost major professional sports franchises.

That record deserves serious reflection.

The way forward for Missouri is simple: keep taxes low for all, cut regulations, grow the economy and population—and then the teams will come knocking.""

###",1,2026-04-04T05:28:40Z,2026-04-04T05:30:10Z
https://graves.house.gov/media/press-releases/graves-announces-nominations-us-military-service-academies,Graves Announces Nominations to U.S. Military Service Academies,2025-12-19,2025,2025-12,Republican,House,MO,Sam Graves,G000546,graves.house.gov,graves,https://graves.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"KANSAS CITY, MO – U.S. Representative Sam Graves (MO-06) has announced United States Military Service Academy nominations for students in Missouri’s Sixth Congressional District. Each year, Members of Congress are tasked with selecting qualified students from their respective districts to attend one of America’s prestigious military academies.

“One of the greatest honors I have as the Congressman for North Missouri is nominating highly qualified students to our nation’s military service academies,” said Rep. Graves, who notified each student by phone of their nomination. “These young men and women are among the best and brightest. They’ve gone above and beyond in their academics and have already demonstrated outstanding leadership in their school and communities. They will undoubtedly make North Missouri proud.”

The following students from across North Missouri received nominations from Congressman Graves:

Beau Blomme – U.S. Naval Academy, U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (Park Hill High School)

Jarett Brooner – U.S. Military Academy, U.S. Naval Academy, U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (Savannah High School)

Zechariah Compton – U.S. Air Force Academy (Savannah High School)

Leona Dalakishvili – U.S. Air Force Academy (Park Hill South High School)

Landon Frazier - U.S. Military Academy (Smithville High School)

Gable Gross – U.S. Air Force Academy (St. Pius X Catholic High School)

Lauren Haley-Clark - U.S. Military Academy, U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (Mark Twain High School)

Avery Janiak - U.S. Naval Academy (Kearney High School)

Benjamin Jaster – U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (Maryville High School)

Madison Laffey – U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (Kearney High School)

Andrew Lager – U.S. Military Academy, U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (Jefferson C-123 in Conception Junction)

Jaxon Limle – U.S. Naval Academy (St. Joseph Central High School)

Ashton Lovegreen - U.S. Naval Academy (Palmyra R-1 High School)

Kaleb Miller - U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (Liberty High School)

Noah Rees - U.S. Air Force Academy (West Platte High School)

Jackson Rotterman - U.S. Air Force Academy (St. Pius X Catholic High School)

Wyatt Tuley - U.S. Air Force Academy, U.S. Military Academy (Marion County R-II High School)

Kirstin Young - U.S. Air Force Academy (Kirksville High School)

The nomination system is a very competitive process. Various military service academies hold extremely selective admission standards. To help in the nomination process, Rep. Graves created an Academy Nominations Review Board. The board, made up of military service academy graduates, veterans and citizens of the Sixth District, interviewed and reviewed all applicants before making final recommendations to Rep. Graves.

Students interested in being appointed to a military service academy in the future are encouraged to learn more, particularly early in their high school career, by contacting Graves’ district office in Kansas City or by visiting graves.house.gov.

###",1,2026-05-19T06:31:01Z,2026-05-19T06:32:40Z
https://onder.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-onder-applauds-trump-administrations-announcement-sex-rejecting,Congressman Onder Applauds Trump Administration’s Announcement on Sex-Rejecting Procedures,2025-12-18,2025,2025-12,Republican,House,MO,"Robert F. Onder, Jr.",O000177,onder.house.gov,onder,https://onder.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"(Washington, D.C.) – Today, Rep. Bob Onder, M.D. (MO-03) attended a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announcement of regulatory actions to end the practice of providing irreversible transgender surgeries and prescriptions to children. These actions were directed by President Trump’s January 28, 2025, Executive Order 14187, “Protecting Children from Chemical and Surgical Mutilation.”

The executive order also required HHS to review and publish all available clinical evidence through a Gender Dysphoria Report, which exposed the alarming lack of clinical evidence to support these interventions, and documented serious risks and harms. Additionally, the order directed the Department of Justice to transmit legislation to Congress to permanently prohibit these procedures. Rep. Onder introduced that legislation—H.R. 5483, the Chloe Cole Act—with Senator Marsha Blackburn introducing the Senate companion.

“The dark days of subjecting children like Chloe Cole to irreversible harm that they cannot consent to are over. Secretary Kennedy’s announcement today will protect children, their families, and the majority of doctors who want to uphold their promise to ‘do no harm’. I thank President Trump and Secretary Kennedy for their leadership on this crucial issue. The Administration is banning all hospitals, clinics, and providers that accept federal funding from performing these experimental and dangerous procedures on children. This will effectively end the practice of chemical and surgical mutilation in the United States,” Congressman Onder said.

Background Information

According to Secretary Kennedy’s announcement, HHS intends to:

Prohibit hospitals from providing transgender surgeries or prescriptions to minors

Prevent taxpayer dollars from supporting transgender medical interventions on minors by prohibiting Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) from funding these procedures on minors

Warn sellers and manufacturers of breast binders they must immediately end the illegal marketing of these products to minors

Allow medical providers who do not want to participate in transgender surgeries or prescriptions the option to decline to participate by reversing the Biden administration’s attempt to include gender dysphoria within the definition of a disability

Issue a public health message to inform health care providers, families, and policymakers that current evidence does not support claims that puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and surgeries are safe and effective treatments for pediatric gender dysphoria.

When used long term in healthy children, puberty blockers can cause splintered bones and osteoporosis. When cross-sex hormones follow puberty blockers, the child can be left permanently infertile and can be more likely to experience cardiovascular disease and metabolic disorders. We know that these procedures cause serious, permanent damage and provide little psychological benefit. Political pressures have infiltrated medical society leadership, who have chosen to disregard evidence-based medicine and stifle concerns from physician members. Both the Endocrine Society and American Academy of Pediatrics adopted so-called “Gender Affirming Care” without allowing debate or a vote by their membership. In fact, physician members of both organizations have petitioned their leadership for the opportunity to discuss their concerns, but both have refused to allow such debate. Whistleblower doctors and nurses have shared that parents and children are usually uninformed of the long-term health risks, and that many gender clinics intentionally refuse to track negative outcomes or provide support to children who are unhappy with the outcomes of their hormone intervention.",1,2026-06-05T06:35:23Z,2026-06-05T06:36:42Z
https://onder.house.gov/media/press-releases/senate-passes-rotor-act-strengthen-aviation-safety,The Senate Passes ROTOR Act to Strengthen Aviation Safety,2025-12-18,2025,2025-12,Republican,House,MO,"Robert F. Onder, Jr.",O000177,onder.house.gov,onder,https://onder.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

December 18, 2025

Contact: Brooke Morgan

(Washington, D.C.) – Congressman Bob Onder (R-MO) is leading the House companion to the Rotorcraft Operations Transparency and Oversight Reform (ROTOR) Act, which has just passed the United States Senate. Working alongside Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX), the legislation strengthens aviation safety and oversight. Rep. Onder, a licensed pilot, serves on the Aviation Subcommittee of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.

The ROTOR Act will eliminate a loophole that allows military aircraft to operate without Automatic Dependent Surveillance – Broadcast (ADS-B) Out transmitting – a technology that broadcasts an aircraft’s precise location. It requires all aircraft operating in high-risk and high-volume airspace to use ADS-B In to enhance pilots’ visualization. In addition, the bill requires safety reviews at all major and mid-sized airports, strengthens coordination and information sharing between the FAA and the Department of Defense, and calls for The Army Inspector General to audit Army aviation operations, particularly around the National Capital Region.

“The collision that occurred in January over the skies of our nation’s capital was a horrific tragedy. Sixty-seven lives were lost, with no survivors. My heart goes out to every family who lost a loved one, and to the first responders who confronted unimaginable devastation,” said Congressman Bob Onder.

“That tragedy made clear that serious gaps exist in our aviation oversight—gaps that demand action. I’m encouraged and grateful that the Senate has now passed Senator Cruz’s ROTOR Act, which takes an important step forward by closing loopholes that allow government and military aircraft to operate without broadcasting their location and by requiring modern, reliable tracking technology on all aircraft.

“This is commonsense, responsible legislation, and it reflects our obligation to protect the American people. I’m thrilled to see this bill advance in the Senate, and I’m proud to be leading the fight in the House to get it across the finish line.”

Upon passage, Sen. Cruz said, “This bill will be a fitting way to honor the lives of those lost nearly one year ago over the Potomac River. The goal of the victims’ families is to ensure no one else endures a similar avoidable, completely unnecessary, tragedy. The ROTOR Act will save lives.”

-30-

Background Information

On January 29, 2025, American Airlines Flight 5342 was approaching Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport when air traffic controllers asked the pilots if they could redirect to land on a shorter runway. The pilots confirmed they could.

Nearby, an Army Black Hawk helicopter was conducting its annual proficiency training. Less than 30 seconds before the two aircraft collided, a controller radioed the Black Hawk to ask whether it had the incoming flight in sight. Moments later, the collision occurred and there were no survivors.

One of the passengers on board was from the St. Louis region - a woman named Asra Hussain. The entire St. Louis community stands with her family as they grieve this unimaginable loss. We mourn with them, and we honor Asra, a Missourian, a newlywed, a daughter, and a friend.

At a three-day hearing in July, the National Transportation Safety Board revealed a critical detail: the Army Black Hawk had not broadcast its location via ADS-B for 730 days prior to the crash. Without this tracking data, the helicopter was effectively invisible to other aircraft, leaving both flight crews without situational awareness.

The ADS-B system provides more accurate and continuous information than traditional radar, transmitting an aircraft’s location, speed, altitude, and other critical data in real time.

The ROTOR Act is H.R. 6222 in the House of Representatives and S. 2503 in the Senate.",1,2026-06-27T06:16:17Z,2026-06-27T06:17:30Z
https://onder.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-onders-self-insurance-protection-act-passes-house,Rep. Onder’s Self-Insurance Protection Act Passes the House,2025-12-17,2025,2025-12,Republican,House,MO,"Robert F. Onder, Jr.",O000177,onder.house.gov,onder,https://onder.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"Contact: Brooke Morgan (Washington, D.C.) – Tonight, the House passed H.R. 6703, the Lower Health Care Premiums for All Americans Act, which includes Congressman Bob Onder’s bill, H.R. 2571, the Self-Insurance Protection Act. This legislation ensures that employers who choose to self-insure retain access to a critical financial tool—stop-loss insurance.

“Americans deserve autonomy in their health coverage decisions, and small businesses should have the flexibility to choose a health plan that best meets the needs of their employees. As a physician, I’ve seen firsthand how greater competition and choice can drive down costs. The Self-Insurance Protection Act ensures that businesses, large and small, can provide the right health care coverage for their workers without unnecessary government interference,” said Congressman Onder.

“At a time when health care costs are on the rise, we need to give businesses more tools to control their costs, not fewer. Unfortunately, Democrat-led states are intent on saddling self-insured health plans that use reinsurance to insulate themselves from unexpected high claims with more regulations by subjecting them to state health insurance law. This legislation confirms the obvious – reinsurance is different from health insurance and should not be regulated as such. Millions of Americans depend on self-insured employer-sponsored health plans. The Self-Insurance Protection Act will defend their access to high quality and affordable health care,” said Education and Workforce Committee Chairman, Rep. Walberg.

-30-

Link to the full bill text for H.R. 2571 HERE

Link to the full bill text for H.R.6703 HERE

Background Information

Many employers choose to self-insure by covering their employees’ medical costs directly—either by paying providers or reimbursing employees as claims arise. In many cases, self-insured employers work with third-party administrators to manage provider networks and claims processing.

To manage financial risk, many self-insured employers rely on stop-loss insurance, which provides protection against unexpectedly high or catastrophic medical claims. Stop-loss coverage is a critical tool that enables employers, particularly small and mid-sized businesses, to offer health benefits while maintaining financial stability.

Despite its importance, stop-loss insurance has faced increasing scrutiny at the state level. New York currently prohibits stop-loss coverage for businesses with fewer than 100 employees, and other states have considered similar restrictions. While stop-loss insurance has traditionally been regulated by states and not at the federal level, the Obama administration signaled interest in redefining certain stop-loss policies as traditional health insurance. In 2014, the Department of Labor issued guidance stating that state laws regulating stop-loss insurance would not be preempted by ERISA, opening the door for states to restrict or prohibit its use.

H.R. 2571, the Self-Insurance Protection Act, amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) to:

Clarify that federal regulators may not classify stop-loss insurance as traditional health insurance; and

Affirm that ERISA preempts state laws that attempt to block self-insurance by regulating or prohibiting stop-loss coverage.

This legislation ensures that businesses, especially small employers, retain the flexibility to offer health coverage without unnecessary government interference.",1,2026-06-05T06:35:23Z,2026-06-05T06:36:42Z
https://onder.house.gov/media/press-releases/senate-advances-onders-churchill-museum-legislation,Senate Advances Onder’s Churchill Museum Legislation,2025-12-17,2025,2025-12,Republican,House,MO,"Robert F. Onder, Jr.",O000177,onder.house.gov,onder,https://onder.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"Contact: Brooke Morgan (Washington, D.C.) –The Senate unanimously passed the National Historical Park and National Historic Landmark Establishment and Boundary Adjustments Act of 2025, which included Senator Josh Hawley’s (R-MO) companion to Rep. Onder’s H.R. 1945, the America’s National Churchill Museum National Historic Landmark Act. This bill formally designates America’s National Churchill Museum as a National Historic Landmark, recognizing its exceptional historical significance.

“Sir Winston Churchill inspired generations of leaders through his resilience, determination, and resolve. I am proud to lead America’s National Churchill Museum National Historic Landmark Act in the House, which designates America’s National Churchill Museum at Westminster College as a National Historic Landmark. With the Senate’s passage of this legislation, we are taking important steps to ensure Churchill’s legacy continues to inspire future leaders right here in Missouri,” said Congressman Bob Onder.

“Missouri is home of Winston Churchill’s ‘Iron Curtain’ speech that marked the beginning of the Cold War,” said Senator Hawley. “I’m proud to have shepherded this legislation through the Senate to rightfully commemorate Missouri’s friendship with one of the greatest leaders in world history.”

-30-

Background Information

Located on the campus of Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri, the National Churchill Museum holds a unique place in world history. On March 5, 1946, it was there that Sir Winston Churchill delivered his famous “Sinews of Peace” address—known to history as the Iron Curtain speech—declaring, “From Stettin in the Baltic to Trieste in the Adriatic, an iron curtain has descended across the continent.”

At this site, standing alongside President Harry Truman, Churchill warned of the growing division across Europe, a moment many historians mark as the beginning of the Cold War and a defining chapter of the 20th century.

To honor the legacy of Churchill’s visit, Westminster College undertook a remarkable effort in the 1960s to relocate the 17th-century Church of St. Mary Aldermanbury from London to Fulton, stone by stone. Reconstruction was completed in 1969, and the church now serves as the home of America’s National Churchill Museum.

Nearly 80 years later, this historic site continues to educate visitors about leadership, freedom, and the importance of understanding our nation’s history.

The America’s National Churchill Museum National Historic Landmark Act:

● Directs the Secretary of the Interior to designate America’s National Churchill Museum in Fulton, Missouri as a National Historic Landmark, recognizing its exceptional historical significance.

● Requires the National Park Service to conduct a Special Resource Study to evaluate future designation opportunities for the site.

This legislation ensures that some of the most consequential moments in modern history are preserved, honored, and shared with generations to come.",1,2026-05-21T06:28:16Z,2026-05-21T06:29:43Z
https://burlison.house.gov/media/press-releases/burlison-lee-reintroduce-legislation-protect-vehicle-data-and-personal-privacy,"Burlison, Lee Reintroduce Legislation to Protect Vehicle Data and Personal Privacy",2025-12-16,2025,2025-12,Republican,House,MO,Eric Burlison,B001316,burlison.house.gov,burlison,https://burlison.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"Washington, D.C. — Rep. Eric Burlison (R-MO-07) reintroduced the Auto Data Privacy and Autonomy Act, legislation to stop the unchecked collection, sale, and exploitation of personal data generated by modern vehicles. Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) introduced companion legislation in the Senate.

As vehicles become increasingly connected, manufacturers now collect detailed and highly sensitive information, including location data, driving behavior, and biometric identifiers. Much of this data is gathered and monetized without clear disclosure or meaningful consent, leaving Americans exposed to surveillance, data brokers, and foreign adversaries.

The Auto Data Privacy and Autonomy Act establishes firm protections to ensure vehicle owners control their personal data and decide how it is used, shared, or deleted.

“Auto manufacturers have quietly turned cars into data-harvesting machines,” Burlison said. “Drivers are being tracked, and their personal information is monetized with little transparency or consent. Your data should never be treated as a corporate asset or an open target for bad actors.”

“Carmakers are collecting and selling personal data from millions of American drivers,” said Senator Lee. “Your morning drive to work, your GPS location, and your driving habits could be sold to insurance companies, or even to international adversaries like China. Drivers deserve ownership of their data, so the Auto Data Privacy and Autonomy Act will enable them to see, delete, and opt out of having their privacy violated in the drive-through line.”

Key provisions include:

Data ownership and consent: Prohibits manufacturers from accessing or selling vehicle data without explicit, written consent from the owner.

Limits on data sharing: Restricts disclosure to narrow circumstances such as emergencies or valid court orders.

National security protections: Bars data transfers to entities tied to foreign adversaries

Consumer access and deletion: Requires manufacturers to provide owners free access to their vehicle data and the ability to delete it.

A 2023 Mozilla Foundation study found that 92 percent of car brands give drivers little or no control over their personal data. Industry projections estimate vehicle data monetization could reach as much as $750 billion by 2030, creating powerful incentives for invasive data practices that undermine privacy.

“This bill draws a clear line,” Burlison said. “Personal data belongs to the individual. Not to automakers. Not to data brokers. Not to foreign governments.”

Bill Text Attached.

Organizational Support:

Richard Ward, Executive Director of AVOA

""We are excited about the reintroduction of the Auto Data Privacy and Autonomy (ADPA) Act, legislation aimed at ensuring that vehicle data remains with the vehicle owner, not the manufacturers. Motor vehicle fleet owners and operators provide a wide range of essential mobility services. Yet manufacturers are increasingly limiting access to vehicle-generated data, undermining the property rights of consumers and fleet operators alike. Vehicle owners must have access to and control over their vehicle-generated data, which is critical for privacy, safety, innovation, and fair market competition. This legislation represents a significant win for privacy, competition, and consumer choice. We look forward to working with Congress to protect American drivers.""",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:09:11Z
https://onder.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-onders-bill-increase-transparency-higher-education-costs-passes-committee,Rep. Onder’s Bill to Increase Transparency in Higher Education Costs Passes Committee,2025-12-16,2025,2025-12,Republican,House,MO,"Robert F. Onder, Jr.",O000177,onder.house.gov,onder,https://onder.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"Contact: Brooke Morgan

(Washington, D.C.) – Congressman Bob Onder (R-MO) joined Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02) and Congresswoman Lori Trahan (MA-03) in sponsoring H.R. 6498, the Student Financial Clarity Act. The bipartisan legislation passed out of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce on December 11, 2025, and now awaits consideration on the House floor.

H.R. 6498 will increase price transparency for American students as they navigate higher education opportunities, improve the Universal Net Price Calculator, and bolster the College Scorecard to provide additional information about specific programs of study.

“I am proud to join Congressman Guthrie in leading the Student Financial Clarity Act. With the cost of higher education continuing to rise, it is crucial that we help students thrive by creating transparency around institutions, programs, and costs. This is exactly what the Student Financial Clarity Act will accomplish. By creating an accurate Universal Net Price Calculator, this bill will empower students to compare universities and programs to help identify the best option not only for their educational future but also for their financial future,” said Congressman Bob Onder.

“Today, America’s young people face the daunting task of navigating an increasingly complex higher education landscape. As a result of the skyrocketing cost of education, Americans now owe nearly $1.8 trillion in student loans,” said Congressman Guthrie. “My Student Financial Clarity Act would allow students to easily access information about the costs and outcomes at institutions and individual programs so they can evaluate the program that is best suited for their academic interests and financial means. This bill will bring much-needed clarity for the American student.”

“Too many college degree programs overpromise and underdeliver. In a time of declining trust in postsecondary education, now more than ever students deserve transparency so they know whether a program is worth the investment of their time and money. This bill is another strong step toward promoting sensible borrowing, driving down costs, and ending the hidden expenses that mire borrowers in student loan debt,” said Education and Workforce Committee Chairman Tim Walberg (R-MI).

“Families deserve clear, accessible information when making one of the biggest financial decisions of their lives,” said Congresswoman Trahan. “The Student Financial Clarity Act builds on years of work to strengthen Net Price Calculators and expands those reforms through a modernized College Scorecard with transparency on costs, aid, and student outcomes broken down by institution and program. This bill delivers on the simple idea that every student should know what they are paying for and what they can expect in return. I’m proud to introduce this bipartisan legislation to help students and parents navigate the path to higher education with confidence.”

-30-

Link to the bill text can be found HERE

Link to the Markup:Markup of H.R. 6392, H.R. 6472, H.R. 6498, and H.R. 6502

Background Information

The Student Financial Clarity Act builds upon Guthrie’s Net Price Calculator Improvement Act, which he introduced in the last three sessions of Congress to establish a Universal Net Price Calculator.

Since 2008, Congress has required institutions of higher education to provide Net Price Calculator tools on their websites as a part of the Higher Education Opportunity Act. However, this tool has been implemented inconsistently, resulting in students experiencing difficulty in accessing important information when making the most crucial decisions of their academic careers.

If enacted, the Student Financial Clarity Act would:",1,2026-04-16T05:48:36Z,2026-04-16T05:50:08Z
https://www.hawley.senate.gov/senate-unanimously-passes-hawley-bill-to-make-missouri-churchill-museum-a-national-historic-landmark/,Senate Unanimously Passes Hawley Bill to Make Missouri Churchill Museum a National Historic Landmark,2025-12-16,2025,2025-12,Republican,Senate,MO,Josh Hawley,H001089,www.hawley.senate.gov,hawley,https://www.hawley.senate.gov/press-releases/page/,scraper,"WASHINGTON — Today, the United States Senate unanimously passed Senator Josh Hawley’s (R-Mo). legislation to designate America’s National Churchill Museum as a National Historic Landmark.

“Missouri is home of Winston Churchill’s ‘Iron Curtain’ speech that marked the beginning of the Cold War,” said Senator Hawley. “I’m proud to have shepherded this legislation through the Senate to rightfully commemorate Missouri’s friendship with one of the greatest leaders in world history.”

The museum is located on the Westminster College campus in Fulton, Missouri. On March 5, 1946, Winston Churchill joined President Harry S. Truman to speak at the Missouri college. It was at this site that Churchill famously described the state of foreign affairs in Europe by saying, “From Stettin in the Baltic, to Trieste in the Adriatic, an iron curtain has descended across the continent.” In the 1960s to honor the 20th anniversary of Churchill’s visit, Westminster College imported a 17th-century church from London to Fulton. The church of St. Mary Aldermanbury was moved stone-by-stone to Westminster’s campus. Reconstruction was completed in 1969 and is today’s location of the museum.

The legislation will:",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:09:11Z
https://jasonsmith.house.gov/2025/12/15/smith-works-to-reauthorize-secure-rural-schools-program-fights-for-rural-county-schools/,"Smith Works to Reauthorize Secure Rural Schools Program, Fights for Rural County Schools",2025-12-15,2025,2025-12,Republican,House,MO,Jason Smith,S001195,jasonsmith.house.gov,jasonsmith,https://jasonsmith.house.gov/category/press_release/,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Jason Smith (MO-08) issued the following statement celebrating the passage of the Secure Rural Schools Reauthorization Act of 2025, bipartisan legislation to renew critical funding for rural counties in southeast Missouri and school districts across the country.

Congressman Smith said, “Communities across southeast Missouri have felt the strain since the Secure Rural Schools program expired in September 2023, leaving our counties and schools without the financial certainty they rely on. When so much of our land is federally owned, rural areas can’t depend on a traditional tax base to fund classrooms, maintain roads, or support first responders. Reauthorizing this program restores the stability our communities deserve and ensures that our students and families aren’t left behind because of federal land ownership. This is a major win for our schools, our infrastructure, and the long-term strength of our rural counties.”

The Secure Rural Schools (SRS) program was created in 2000 to help rural counties offset lost revenue from declining timber harvests on federal land. Historically, counties containing national forest land received a portion of timber receipts to fund essential services like public education, road maintenance, emergency response, and law enforcement. As timber revenue dropped, many communities struggled to maintain these services. SRS provides stable, annual payments to ensure rural counties can continue supporting students, teachers, and first responders. Reauthorizing the program ensures predictable funding so rural communities can plan budgets, maintain infrastructure, and provide critical services without interruption.",1,2026-04-04T05:28:40Z,2026-04-04T05:30:10Z
https://wagner.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/capital-markets-chair-wagner-chairman-hill-applaud-trump,"Capital Markets Chair Wagner, Chairman Hill Applaud Trump Administration’s Move to Increase Transparency and Accountability in Proxy Advisory Process",2025-12-12,2025,2025-12,Republican,House,MO,Ann Wagner,W000812,wagner.house.gov,wagner,https://wagner.house.gov/media-center/press-releases,scraper,"Washington, D.C. – Today, House Committee on Financial Services Chairman Rep. French Hill (AR-02) and Subcommittee on Capital Markets Chair Ann Wagner (MO-02) released the following statement supporting the Trump Administration’s decision to advance reforms that strengthen transparency and accountability in the proxy advisory process.

Chairman Hill and Subcommittee Chair Wagner: “For too long, a small number of firms have held disproportionate influence over corporate governance decisions that impact millions of investors. These reforms will help ensure shareholder voting is fair, well-informed, and focused on maximizing value for all investors. Strengthening oversight of proxy advisers and reinforcing fiduciary accountability in proxy voting will enhance the integrity of our capital markets and increase investor confidence. We look forward to working with the Trump Administration and regulators to ensure these reforms are implemented effectively, protect investors, and promote transparent corporate governance.”",1,2026-04-04T05:28:40Z,2026-04-04T05:30:10Z
https://burlison.house.gov/media/press-releases/burlison-secures-major-win-house-passes-permit-act,Burlison Secures Major Win as House Passes PERMIT Act,2025-12-11,2025,2025-12,Republican,House,MO,Eric Burlison,B001316,burlison.house.gov,burlison,https://burlison.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"Washington, D.C. – Today, the House of Representatives passed the Promoting Efficient Review for Modern Infrastructure Today (PERMIT) Act, a major permitting reform package that includes Congressman Eric Burlison’s (MO-07) Judicial Review Timeline Clarity Act.

The Judicial Review Timeline Clarity Act establishes a firm 60-day deadline to file legal challenges against permits issued under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act. By preventing lawsuits from being filed months or even years after a project has already begun, the reform brings much-needed certainty to builders, local governments, energy producers, and agriculture.

“For too long, environmental activists have weaponized the courts to delay critical projects and drive up costs for our communities,” said Rep. Burlison. “My reform puts a stop to these last-minute lawsuits. With a clear 60-day deadline, we can finally give project sponsors the confidence to build, grow, and move America forward. I’m proud to deliver this win as part of the PERMIT Act.”

Section 404 permits are essential for infrastructure, pipelines, agriculture, mining, and construction projects that require placement of fill material into waters of the United States. The Judicial Review Timeline Clarity Act ensures that any legal challenges to those permits must be filed promptly, reducing costly delays and allowing projects to stay on schedule.

The PERMIT Act now moves to the Senate for further consideration.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:09:11Z
https://wagner.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/wagners-bipartisan-capital-formation-package-passes-house,Wagner's Bipartisan Capital Formation Package Passes House,2025-12-11,2025,2025-12,Republican,House,MO,Ann Wagner,W000812,wagner.house.gov,wagner,https://wagner.house.gov/media-center/press-releases,scraper,"Washington, D.C. - Today, the Incentivizing New Ventures and Economic Strength Through Capital Formation (INVEST) Act passed the U.S. House of Representatives by 302 to 123. Led by Capital Markets Subcommittee Chairman Ann Wagner (R-MO), House Committee on Financial Services Chairman French Hill (R-AR), Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-NY), and Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ), the INVEST Act will cut red tape in Washington, empower entrepreneurs and small businesses, and provide Americans with the opportunity to more freely invest.

Chair Wagner said, “I work every day to ensure that Americans across the nation, especially in our heartland, can better save for their future, build, and innovate. As Chair of the Capital Markets Subcommittee, I have worked with all of my colleagues to craft vital policies that strengthen our markets so they can continue to be the strongest in the world and support Main Street investors who are saving for important goals like home ownership, a child’s education, or their own retirement. The INVEST Act will supercharge our economy, provide stability for investors, and help small business owners grow and create jobs in communities around the nation. For too long, capital has been concentrated largely in the coastal regions, leaving out critical regions like the great Midwest. The INVEST Act will alleviate that imbalance and support growth in our neighborhoods in Missouri and beyond. It will invest in our community, in our jobs, and in our future. I thank my colleagues for their strong support of my legislation and look forward to the Senate quickly taking action.”

Chairman Hill said, “Today, we ensured the American Dream remains within reach for every family and community across our nation. I applaud the House’s passage of the INVEST Act, which will keep our economy the envy of the world and secure a brighter future for generations to come. Through this bipartisan package, we expanded access to investment capital for new and expanding businesses; provided new investment options for investors and retirement plans; and lowered the costs for companies seeking to go public. I commend Subcommittee Chair Ann Wagner for her tremendous work in leading this legislation that will benefit all Americans in a profound way and am eager for INVEST to be signed into law.”

Rep. Meeks said, “Across our country, hardworking families are invested in the stock market to build a future. These are the everyday Americans who rely on strong, fair, and accessible markets. Today, with the House’s passage of this bipartisan INVEST Act, we took a major step forward. This bill strengthens our markets, expands opportunities for small businesses, and gives millions of Americans a greater chance to grow their retirement savings and achieve real financial security. At a time when families feel the squeeze of rising costs, this legislation is an opportunity to strengthen the financial future of every American household. I look forward to the INVEST Act becoming law so we can see real progress in closing the financial wealth gap in this country.”

Rep. Gottheimer added, “The bipartisan INVEST Act takes vital steps to give Jersey small businesses and start-ups the resources they need to grow and thrive, which is becoming increasingly important as costs continue to surge. This bill also includes my bipartisan legislation, the Senior Security Act, to protect our vulnerable seniors from fraudsters who seek to take financial advantage of them. Millions of seniors across the country, including my own mother, have been the victims of financial scams, and this bipartisan legislation will help protect our seniors from having their hard-earned retirement savings stolen right out from under them.""

Click here for the Rules Committee Print of the INVEST Act.

Click here for a one-pager.

Click here for a section-by-section.

Click here for a three-pager.

Click here to read Chairman Hill’s letter to the editor in the Wall Street Journal.

Further Background on the Committee’s work on capital formation legislation:",1,2026-04-04T05:28:40Z,2026-04-04T05:30:10Z
https://burlison.house.gov/media/press-releases/burlison-opens-hearing-technology-lowering-cost-healthcare,Burlison Opens Hearing on Technology Lowering the Cost of Healthcare,2025-12-10,2025,2025-12,Republican,House,MO,Eric Burlison,B001316,burlison.house.gov,burlison,https://burlison.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON—Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Energy Policy, and Regulatory Affairs Chairman Eric Burlison (R-Mo.) delivered opening remarks at today’s joint subcommittee hearing on “Lowering the Cost of Healthcare: Technology’s Role in Driving Affordability.” In his remarks, Subcommittee Chairman Burlison noted how the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and the Biden administration’s regulatory agenda have made health care more unaffordable for Americans and highlighted how different technologies, like 3D printing and telehealth, have already improved the efficiency of healthcare.

WATCH: Subcommittee Chairman Burlison's opening remarks

Welcome to this joint hearing of the Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Energy Policy, and Regulatory Affairs, and the Subcommittee on Health Care and Financial Services.

Today we are here to explore how innovative technology in the health care sector can help lower Americans’ health care costs.

Health care costs in the United States have long been on the rise, but recent Democrat policies and the radical Biden Administration’s regulatory agenda have made health care costs in America even worse.

The Inflation Reduction Act or IRA, signed into law by the Biden Administration in 2022, was passed under the guise of lowering health care costs for working Americans.

These two subcommittees recently held a joint hearing on the ballooning costs and market-distorting policies included in the IRA.

Today, we have another opportunity to take a hard look at the consequences of policies that not only fail to accomplish their intended goals but place an undue regulatory burden on Americans.

Business owners in our country put their livelihoods on the line to develop breakthrough technologies to reinvent the healthcare industry, but are forced constantly to navigate the regulatory obstacles put in place by Democrat administrations.

The money spent on legal fees and administrative procedures could be reinvested to further improve technologies that doctors and other medical providers can use to improve patient experiences, save lives, and bring families together.

Congress must give private sector innovators the space and resources they need to develop these technologies.

We have already begun to see the tremendous capabilities of artificial intelligence to help lower costs in our everyday lives.

If that power were harnessed in the health care sector, resources could be more effectively deployed to help patients get better.

In addition, lower costs would save the federal government and taxpayers a lot of money in federal health care programs.

For example, patients can use wearable technology to monitor their health.

These devices assist doctors and researchers with realistic data on their patient’s day to day in real-time.

3D printing can create personalized medical devices for individual patients.

Investment in this printing technology has led to the development of customized prosthetics, implants, and surgical tools.

Telehealth improves the efficiency of health care by allowing medical providers to serve patients on a live virtual call.

Telehealth saves time and helps patients connect to their doctors, especially in rural areas with few medical facilities.

These kinds of technologies are revolutionary, but if innovators cannot afford to develop more of them because of expensive barriers put in place by the Biden Administration and the Inflation Reduction Act, the American people will miss out on cutting-edge medical care that could improve patient outcomes.

Earlier this year, President Trump signed the One Big, Beautiful Bill into law. That bill gives over $50 billion to rural hospitals to ensure their continued operation and development of medical technology.

Since entering office, President Trump has taken decisive action aimed at reversing innovation-stifling, Biden-era policies in artificial intelligence, promoting transparent drug pricing, and eliminating the “Biden Pill Penalty.”

Our expert panel of witnesses, including a fellow Missourian and medical technology business owner, will provide testimony on this important issue.

I thank all the witnesses for being here today, and I look forward to our discussion.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:09:11Z
https://graves.house.gov/media/press-releases/graves-co-leads-legislation-provide-permanent-federal-tuition-assistance-drill,Graves Co-Leads Legislation to Provide Permanent Federal Tuition Assistance for Drill Status Guard Members of the Air National Guard,2025-12-10,2025,2025-12,Republican,House,MO,Sam Graves,G000546,graves.house.gov,graves,https://graves.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, DC – Congressmen Sam Graves (MO-06), Brad Finstad (MN-01), and Eric Sorenson (IL-17), introduced the Air Guard Standardizing Tuition Assistance to Unify the Services (STATUS) Act, bipartisan legislation that requires the Secretary of the Air Force to provide a permanent federal tuition assistance program for drill status guard (DSG) members of the Air National Guard (ANG).

This tuition assistance program would be consistent with the program already available to the Army National Guard. The legislation is supported by the National Guard Association of the United States (NGAUS).

""The Air GuardSTATUS Act is about finally closing a gap that should’ve never existed. It gives Air National Guard members the same federal tuition assistance the Army National Guard already receives, helping recruit, retain, and take care of the Airmen who keep our communities and our country safe. We value their service and investing in their education is one of the clearest ways to show it,” said Rep. Graves.

“I’m proud to join Reps. Sorensen and Graves in introducing the Air Guard STATUS Act, which will deliver much needed educational assistance to the brave men and women serving in the Air National Guard and create parity with the benefits afforded to the Army National Guard. This legislation will ensure deserved benefits and recognition reach all DSG members of the National Guard who have answered the call to serve our great nation,” said Rep. Finstad.

“Our Airmen proudly serve our communities and our country, and they should have equal access to education benefits no matter where they live,” said Congressman Sorensen. “I am proud to stand alongside Reps. Finstad and Graves to make sure we invest in our Air National Guard members across the country.”",1,2026-04-30T06:05:15Z,2026-04-30T06:07:09Z
https://graves.house.gov/media/press-releases/graves-delivers-wins-north-missouri-defense-bill,Graves Delivers Wins for North Missouri in Defense Bill,2025-12-10,2025,2025-12,Republican,House,MO,Sam Graves,G000546,graves.house.gov,graves,https://graves.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"Image

December 10, 2025

WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Sam Graves (MO-06), a senior member of the House Armed Services Committee, delivered important wins for North Missouri in the Fiscal Year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act, which passed the House today. The bill supports our troops at home and abroad, their families, and their mission in keeping our country safe.

“We have to ensure our military remains the most lethal, most effective fighting force in the world,” said Graves. “To do that, we have to give our troops the tools they need to fight and win—while supporting them and their families at home and abroad. I’m proud to have worked in the House Armed Services Committee to ensure this year’s defense bill does just that, while also supporting the vital mission of the 139th Airlift Wing in St. Joseph and good-paying skilled jobs at the Lake City Army Ammunition Plant in Independence.”

Wins for North Missouri:

$200 million for procuring 2 C-130Js for Air National Guard

Extends C-130 fleet protections through FY28, including the minimum inventory requirement and the prohibition on reducing Air National Guard C-130 aircraft.

Requires annual reports through FY28 on Air Force C-130 inventory, planned retirements, modernization and recapitalization efforts, and basing plans for fielding C-130Js for Air National Guard

Fosters development of a Domestic Operations Tactics Training Center for C-130J aircrews at Rosecrans, building on the 139th Airlift Wing’s expertise in responding to domestic disasters and training crews in advanced airlift tactics.

Encourages the expansion of C-130J simulator training, including training at the 139th Airlift Wing.

Highlights the strategic warfighting training done at the Advanced Airlift Tactics Center at Rosecrans.

$15.5 million to partner with the private sector and academic institutions like the University of Missouri – Kansas City to develop and demonstrate technologies needed for the domestic production of critical materials from domestic mineral sources.

Nearly $700 million for small arms ammunition produced or will be produced at Lake City Army Ammunition Plant

Another $1 billion for small arms facilities modernization, including Lake City Army Ammunition Plant

Wins for Missouri:

Prohibits the Air Force from reducing the A-10 fleet below 93 primary mission aircraft in FY26, and requires a briefing on plans to fully divest the A-10 before FY29.

Ensures there’s a plan to recapitalize the 442nd Fighter Wing at Whiteman Air Force Base

Protect Fort Leonard Wood’s Military Treatment Facility (MTF) by extending the freeze on cutting medical billets to 10 years and requiring a full-year notice with stricter oversight before DoD can reduce or change any MTF services.

$2.59 billion for procurement of B-21 long-range bombers, which will be based at Whiteman Air Force Base

$407 million to manufacture MQ-25 Stingrays in St. Louis

$576 million to modernize and sustain F/A-18E/Fs and EA-18Gs in St. Louis

$50.6 million to produce the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet in St. Louis

$33 million for military construction at Whiteman Air Force Base to support the B-21 bomber

$132.6 million for the Joint Assault Bridge, made in Bridgeton

Wins for Our Troops:

Delivers a hard-earned 3.8 percent pay raise for our servicemembers and expands military bonuses and special pay.

Increases the Family Separation Allowance for deployed servicemembers

Authorizes $1.5 billion for new construction of barracks and family housing.

Mandates a plan to meet the government’s unfulfilled legal obligations on health, safety, and environmental hazards in military housing.

Requires an independent evaluation of military housing conditions

The FY2026 NDAA now heads to the Senate for final passage before it can be signed into law by President Trump.

###",1,2026-05-06T06:05:57Z,2026-05-06T06:07:49Z
https://wagner.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/wagner-votes-strengthen-national-security-support-missouri-defense,"Wagner Votes to Strengthen National Security, Support Missouri Defense Priorities",2025-12-10,2025,2025-12,Republican,House,MO,Ann Wagner,W000812,wagner.house.gov,wagner,https://wagner.house.gov/media-center/press-releases,scraper,"Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Ann Wagner (R-MO) released the following statement after she voted in support of the National Defense Authorization Act:

“Our adversaries have made it clear they intend to exert their own reckless influence around the globe at the expense of our nation’s safety and security. The stability of our world and the safety of Americans here at home and worldwide depends on our military being an effective deterrent to dictators who seek to expand their power at all costs. I voted in support of today’s National Defense Authorization Act to support our military at a critical time in history and bolster our national security, deter destructive nations like China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea, and ensure America’s military remains the strongest in the world.

“Today’s NDAA will bring significant investments to the major St. Louis-area programs to the tune of $4 billion, including $2.6 billion for the F-47 fighter jet, $460 million for MQ-25 Stingray refueling drone procurement, $400 million for F-18 modifications and sustainment, $372 million for F-15 procurement, and $187 million for JDAM procurement.

“This bill also increases much-needed resources for our troops, including a pay raise for all service members and new barracks and family housing to support the family members who sacrifice when their spouse and parents are away fighting for our freedoms. The NDAA also expands access to sexual assault forensic kits and programs to prevent and punish sexual misconduct.

“This vote authorizes $2.7 billion to bolster our defense capabilities in the Indo-Pacific to prevent China from growing its already dangerously expansive influence. We also fought to include important funding to support our greatest ally in the Middle East, Israel, in the form of $70 million in anti-drone initiatives and full funding for joint U.S.-Israel defense programs like the Iron Dome and David’s Sling. And in another win for our area and the Bosnian-American community, I’m happy to say this bill codifies important sanctions to promote peace in the Western Balkans, language I have championed through my bill to protect Bosnia’s Dayton Peace Agreement.”",1,2026-04-04T05:28:40Z,2026-04-04T05:30:10Z
https://www.hawley.senate.gov/hawley-bill-to-protect-children-from-ai-chatbots-gains-new-cosponsors/,Hawley Bill to Protect Children from AI Chatbots Gains New Cosponsors,2025-12-10,2025,2025-12,Republican,Senate,MO,Josh Hawley,H001089,www.hawley.senate.gov,hawley,https://www.hawley.senate.gov/press-releases/page/,scraper,"WASHINGTON — Today, U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) announced additional cosponsors for the GUARD Act, his bipartisan legislation that would protect children from predatory AI chatbots. In addition to the GUARD Act’s original cosponsors Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Katie Britt (R-Ala.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and Mark Warner (D-Va.), Senator Hawley secured additional support for the GUARD Act from Senators Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Mike Lee (R- Utah) and Peter Welch (D-Vt.).

Senator Hawley’s GUARD Act would ban AI companions for minors, mandate that AI chatbots disclose its non-human status, and create new crimes for companies that make AI for minors that solicit or produce sexual content. The legislation is gaining traction in the Senate as a bipartisan coalition works to protect the most vulnerable.

“AI chatbots are killing our kids. I’m thankful to see this issue gaining bipartisan momentum in the Senate,” said Senator Hawley. “We must unite to ensure our children are protected from predatory AI chatbots.”

“It’s too easy for our children to gain access to AI bots that produce horrific content,” said Senator Cotton. “Our bill will require companies to use proper age verification to ensure minors don’t have access to AI-generated explicit content.”

“AI chatbots with no safeguards pose real harm to our children. Parents should not have to wonder whether a digital tool in their home is manipulating or endangering their kids,” said Senator Lankford. “The GUARD Act sets firm safety standards and prevents companies from giving minors access to unsafe AI systems. Families deserve that level of protection.”

“AI chatbots can act like online predators, luring our kids into mental health issues and exploitation,” said Senator Lee. “Parents want better tools and fewer threats to their families, and kids deserve protection from AI-perpetrated harm. The GUARD Act would criminalize targeting minors with fake AI companions and hold big tech accountable for lying to our children.”

“Nearly three-quarters of all young people in our country are now turning to unregulated AI chatbots, with alarming consequences—in some cases, even encouraging kids to engage in behavior that can hurt themselves and others. And Big Tech isn’t doing enough to address it,” said Senator Welch. “The safety of our children must always come first. This commonsense, bipartisan legislation will hold Big Tech accountable and protect kids across the country from predatory chatbots.”

In October, Senator Hawley hosted a press conference highlighting the tragic stories of children who received guidance from AI chatbots on how to harm themselves or end their life. Hawley was joined by the GUARD Act’s initial cosponsors: Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Katie Britt (R-Ala.), and Chris Murphy (D-Conn.).

The GUARD Act has also received broad support from advocacy organizations, including the Rape, Abuse, & Incest National Network, the National Center on Sexual Exploitation, the National Parents Union, the Family Research Council, and more.

The GUARD Act would:

Ban AI companies from providing AI companions to minors.

Mandate that AI companions disclose their non-human status and lack of professional credentials for all users

Create new crimes for companies which knowingly make available to minors AI companions that solicit or produce sexual content",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:09:11Z
https://www.hawley.senate.gov/hawley-demands-answers-from-fda-following-reports-agency-delayed-review-of-mifepristone/,Hawley Demands Answers from FDA Following Reports Agency Delayed Review of Mifepristone,2025-12-10,2025,2025-12,Republican,Senate,MO,Josh Hawley,H001089,www.hawley.senate.gov,hawley,https://www.hawley.senate.gov/press-releases/page/,scraper,"WASHINGTON — Today, U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) sent a letter to Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Marty Makary following reports that he ordered the agency to delay a review of the chemical abortion drug mifepristone.

Senator Hawley wrote, “Six months ago, you told me you were “committed to conducting a review of mifepristone,” the chemical abortion drug. You repeated this commitment to state attorneys general and other members of Congress. Yet according to news reports yesterday, you have ordered this promised safety review delayed until after the midterms. Indeed, it is unclear whether you are conducting an independent safety review at all.”

“This is totally unacceptable. I cannot emphasize enough the danger of playing politics with women’s health. In President Trump’s first term, HHS required an in-person visit with a licensed physician before dispensing the chemical abortion drug. The safety rules also required in-person dispensing of the drug in a clinical setting. But Joe Biden removed those guardrails,” Senator Hawley continued. “The safety regulations from President Trump’s first term should be reinstated. But you have not done so. And news reports indicate you are attempting to sideline any review of mifepristone safety.”

Senator Hawley first sent a letter to Commissioner Makary after he stated the FDA had “no plans to take action” on mifepristone. In his response, Makary assured Senator Hawley that he was “committed to conducting a review of mifepristone.” Months later, the FDA inexplicably approved a new generic abortion drug. Senator Hawley sent Commissioner Makary another letter in October, questioning the timing of that decision after Makary committed to conducting a full review of the chemical abortion drug.

Read the full letter here or below.

Dr. Marty Makary

Commissioner

U.S. Food and Drug Administration

10903 New Hampshire Avenue

Silver Spring, MD 20993

Commissioner Makary:

Six months ago, you told me you were “committed to conducting a review of mifepristone,” the chemical abortion drug. You repeated this commitment to state attorneys general and other members of Congress. Yet according to news reports yesterday, you have ordered this promised safety review delayed until after the midterms. Indeed, it is unclear whether you are conducting an independent safety review at all.

This is totally unacceptable. I cannot emphasize enough the danger of playing politics with women’s health. In President Trump’s first term, HHS required an in-person visit with a licensed physician before dispensing the chemical abortion drug. The safety rules also required in-person dispensing of the drug in a clinical setting. But Joe Biden removed those guardrails. Now, new studies from more than 865,000 insurance claims report that nearly 11% of women using mifepristone suffer a serious adverse health event—like sepsis or hemorrhaging—within 45 days. That is 22 times the likelihood of risk currently listed on mifepristone’s “black box” warning. The safety regulations from President Trump’s first term should be reinstated.

But you have not done so. And news reports indicate you are attempting to sideline any review of mifepristone safety. In fact, you have repeatedly wavered in public on whether you are conducting a safety review at all. On April 24, you told an interviewer you had “no plans to take action” on mifepristone. You wrote to me on June 2, however, that you were “committed to conducting a review of mifepristone.” Then, a few months later, you reversed course again and inexplicably approved a new generic abortion drug, with no meaningful safety guardrails or conditions. Despite your claims to the contrary, that approval was in no way compelled by law.

Yesterday, in response to the latest reports, you said, “There has been an ongoing review of mifepristone. It’s actually required as part of a policy called REMS.” But that is not what you promised. You promised a new and comprehensive study taking account of all available safety data, not the standard monitoring FDA already performs for countless drugs.

There are more abortions in America now than when Roe was still law. And this is largely because of the chemical abortion drug and its generics, like the one you approved. Chemical abortions account for almost 70 percent of all abortions nationwide. The science is clear. The chemical abortion drug is not safe.

It is time for direct answers about what, precisely, FDA is doing. Please answer the following questions by no later than Monday, December 15, 2025:

Is the FDA conducting a comprehensive safety review of mifepristone separate from the REMS process?

a. When did it begin?

b. Please provide a specific timeline for its completion.

If you are conducting a comprehensive safety review, did you order it to be delayed?

a. Why?

b. Until when?

Does the FDA have any plans to update the Mifepristone Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS) to restore basic safety guardrails from President Trump’s first term, such as in-person dispensing?

I await your responses.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:09:11Z
https://graves.house.gov/media/press-releases/graves-secures-funding-sullivan-county-memorial-hospital,Graves Secures Funding for Sullivan County Memorial Hospital,2025-12-08,2025,2025-12,Republican,House,MO,Sam Graves,G000546,graves.house.gov,graves,https://graves.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Sam Graves (MO-06) announced that he secured $4,000,000 for the Sullivan County Memorial Hospital building project in the Fiscal Year 2026 Agriculture appropriations bill signed into law last month.

“Our rural hospitals are critical to North Missouri,” Rep. Sam Graves said. “Sullivan County Memorial Hospital plays a vital role in ensuring that there is quick access to life-saving care when folks need it most. This new hospital facility will go a long way towards ensuring there is access to quality care in the area for many years to come. I’m thrilled to secure this funding to help move this rural hospital project forward.”

Sullivan County Memorial Hospital CEO Martha Gragg said, “On behalf of the Board of Trustees and entire staff of Sullivan County Memorial Hospital, we are grateful and thank the leadership of Congressman Sam Graves and his staff in attaining this funding for our new critical access hospital and rural health clinic. This commitment marks a pivotal moment, helping to ensure the future of essential primary and specialty healthcare in Sullivan County and continue to be a key economic driver that has contributed to the county for the past 72 years.”

The Sullivan County Memorial Hospital project will construct a new 16-bed critical access hospital and rural health clinic to replace the current 72-year-old facility.",1,2026-04-23T05:48:52Z,2026-04-23T05:50:10Z
https://jasonsmith.house.gov/2025/12/08/smith-commends-president-trumps-aid-package-for-farmers-highlights-agriculture-wins-secured-in-the-working-families-tax-cuts/,"Smith Commends President Trump’s Aid Package for Farmers, Highlights Agriculture Wins Secured in the Working Families Tax Cuts",2025-12-08,2025,2025-12,Republican,House,MO,Jason Smith,S001195,jasonsmith.house.gov,jasonsmith,https://jasonsmith.house.gov/category/press_release/,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Jason Smith (MO-08) issued the following statement regarding President Trump’s announcement that the U.S. Department of Agriculture would make $12 billion available in one-time bridge payments to American farmers to help struggling farm families.

Congressman Smith said, “After four years of being ignored by the Biden administration, I commend President Trump for taking action to help Missouri’s farm families who are hurting. This aid package will provide much-needed relief to row crop producers ahead of next year’s planting season, and be a critical lifeline for farmers who were at a critical juncture for their ability to continue with their livelihood.

“Farmers are still struggling beyond what this package alone can address, however. Low crop prices, export drops, and high input costs continue to weigh heavily on producers in the Missouri Delta—which is why the agriculture investments secured in the Working Families Tax Cuts were so essential.

“The Working Families Tax Cuts provided the largest investment in American Farmers in a generation: $56 billion for Title I farm programs, $6 billion for Title XI crop insurance, and doubling the funding for MAP and FMD to strengthen exports and restore a true agricultural trade surplus. These investments clearly show our farmers are the backbone of rural America and the foundation of our nation’s food supply. As these measures move forward, I will continue fighting to ensure our producers get the resources they need to thrive for generations to come.”",1,2026-03-31T05:33:41Z,2026-03-31T05:34:51Z
https://burlison.house.gov/media/press-releases/burlison-and-grothman-announce-hearing-technology-lowering-cost-healthcare,Burlison and Grothman Announce Hearing on Technology Lowering the Cost of Healthcare,2025-12-05,2025,2025-12,Republican,House,MO,Eric Burlison,B001316,burlison.house.gov,burlison,https://burlison.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON—Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Energy Policy, and Regulatory Affairs Chairman Eric Burlison (R-Mo.) and Subcommittee on Health Care and Financial Services Chairman Glenn Grothman (R-Wis.) today announced a hearing titled “Lowering the Cost of Healthcare: Technology’s Role in Driving Affordability.” During the hearing, members will examine the main causes of rising healthcare costs in the United States, including burdensome regulations from the Biden administration, and analyze how medical technology innovations can help alleviate this problem.

“Overbearing regulations and exorbitant costs should not get in the way of Americans accessing essential healthcare for themselves and their families. Private sector technological innovation can help lower the cost of healthcare and alleviate the burdens many Americans face by implementing automated systems that improve efficiency, reduce errors, and enhance preventative care. We look forward to hearing from experts about new breakthroughs in medical technology and explore the ways that Congress can help lower healthcare costs for Americans across the country,” said the lawmakers.

WHAT: Hearing titled “Lowering the Cost of Healthcare: Technology’s Role in Driving Affordability”

DATE: Wednesday, December 10, 2025

TIME: 9:00 A.M. CT

LOCATION: HVC-210, U.S. Capitol Visitors Center

WITNESSES:

Mr. Brian Whorley, Chief Executive Officer, Paytient Technologies, Inc.

Dr. Darius Lakdawalla, Quintiles Chair in Pharmaceutical Development and Regulatory Innovation, University of Southern California

Dr. Ziad Obermeyer, Blue Cross of California Distinguished Associate Professor, Health Policy and Management, University of California-Berkeley

Mr. Chris Jacobs, Founder, Juniper Research Group",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:09:11Z
https://jasonsmith.house.gov/2025/12/05/congressman-jason-smith-highlights-southeast-missouri-residents-heartbreaking-story-pledges-to-hold-organ-procurement-organizations-accountable/,"Congressman Jason Smith Highlights Southeast Missouri Resident’s Heartbreaking Story, Pledges to Hold Organ Procurement Organizations Accountable",2025-12-05,2025,2025-12,Republican,House,MO,Jason Smith,S001195,jasonsmith.house.gov,jasonsmith,https://jasonsmith.house.gov/category/press_release/,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Jason Smith (MO-08), chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, held an Oversight subcommittee hearing on organ procurement organizations (OPOs) this week and called Heather Knuckles from Southeast Missouri to share her heartbreaking story that shows why these organizations are in desperate need of reform. During the hearing, Heather spoke about how she watched her mother die shortly after receiving a liver that was infected with cancer while a former OPO employee pulled back the curtain on an instance where an OPO tried to procure organs from a patient who regained consciousness.

The hearing comes amidst a months-long Committee investigation led by Congressman Smith into questionable practices by tax-exempt OPOs that has revealed troubling clinical practices, misuse of taxpayer dollars, and questionable financial practices. In addition to life-threatening failures, investigations have unveiled instances of waste, fraud, and abuse by OPOs across the country. Worse, the Committee’s investigation found that 18 of the 21 most profitable OPOs fall in the lowest-performing tiers, as established by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). The hearing took place one day before the deadline the Committee set for another OPO, the New Jersey Sharing Network, to produce key documents and schedule transcribed interviews.

Missouri Woman: My Mother Received a Cancer-Ridden Liver That Shortened Her Life

Heather Knuckles from Southeast Missouri shared the tragic story of her mother’s kidney and liver transplant. Because of a mistake during donor screening, her mother received a liver with advanced cancer and a kidney with a cyst. Her mother’s quick decline and eventual passing three months later was a source of tragedy for her family. Sadly, other families have experienced similar tragedies during the organ donation process that put the patient’s life in danger.

Heather Knuckles, daughter of organ recipient: “On October 30, 2022, my mother underwent the liver and kidney transplant at Barnes Hospital in St. Louis with organs procured by Mid-America Transplant…On November 3, transplant surgeons informed us that the donor liver contained high-grade metastatic cancer that was not reported on the donor records from UNOS [United Network for Organ Sharing], but was discovered by the transplant hospital…Our dreams were shattered. Fear and sadness washed over my mother’s face. She was re-listed for transplant. Surgeons decided to not replace the donor kidney, even though its condition was questionable due to a large cyst at the time of transplant. My mother underwent a second liver transplant on November 8, 2022. She was extremely fragile. Afterwards, she hallucinated for days and suffered delirium. Occasionally, her wrists were restrained for safety. This was heartbreaking. By late November, she was transferred to the St. Louis Rehab Institute, and she remained unable to walk and was jaundiced…

“The transplant surgeon informed my father and I that based on the appearance of a CT scan and fluid testing the liver was cancerous. This confirmed the doctor’s earlier suspicion that the cancer was transplanted from the first liver…Following the passing of my mother, we suffered nearly three years as this horrific ordeal was ignored.”

Former OPO Employee Calls for Congress to Build Public Trust in Organ Procurement System

Recent misdeeds by OPOs have damaged public trust in a vital system that thousands of families rely on each year. As a result, organ donors are removing their names from donation lists, potentially denying Americans the organs they desperately need. A former OPO employee highlighted the need for Congress to improve transparency, accountability, and informed consent for donors as means to restore public trust.

Rep. Jason Smith (MO-08), Chairman of the Ways and Means Committee: “What sort of reforms would further improve OPOs so folks are willing to donate and participate freely in the system?”

Nyckolleta Martin, former Kentucky OPO employee: “…I think this has to start from regaining public trust, and the only way to do that is to have transparency and accountability, and for Congress to continue working with other legislative bodies and law enforcement specifically to make sure that these people are held accountability for what they’ve done, so that it doesn’t happen in the future. Then, we can show the public that we see the problems, and we’re working on them. The public should have more informed consent. They should truly understand what they’re signing up for when they sign up to be an organ donor, because organ donation is so important, and we need it so badly. Thousands of people are dying, but also thousands of people are taking their name off the organ donation registry, so we have to fix that.”

Expert: Reports Show Some OPOs Have Wrongfully Interfered with Determination of Death

Federal investigations have uncovered evidence of certain OPOs interfering with the determination of death for organ donors, even though hospitals hold that responsibility. An incorrect determination contributes to the wrongful recovery of organs, as shown in a Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) report.

Rep. David Schweikert (AZ-01): “In the hierarchy of a decision if someone has passed away…it is the hospital that makes that decision, correct?”

Jennifer Erickson, organ donation policy expert: “It is the hospital that declares death. One of the things that has come out through the HRSA’s detailed report about Network for Hope and KODA [Kentucky Organ Donor Affiliates] in Kentucky is that often OPO staff get involved in that decision-making process in ways that they should not.”

Former OPO Employee: Stories of Organ Harvesting on People Who Have Regained Consciousness Indicates National Pattern

Some of the most shocking stories from OPOs are attempts at organ recovery even when potential donors regain consciousness. The Committee’s investigation into the New Jersey Sharing Network revealed an instance of the OPO proceeding with organ recovery from a patient who reanimated during the recovery process. A former OPO employee from Kentucky shared a similar story of her former employer proceeding with the organ recovery process even though the patient met the OPO’s own criteria for showing signs of life.

Nyckolleta Martin, former Kentucky OPO employee: “In 2021, T.J. Hoover was brought to the hospital in cardiac arrest…T.J. had remained unresponsive for several days, regaining consciousness during his cardiac catheterization. Immediately upon waking, he was paralyzed and sedated. Hospital staff described the situation as inhumane and akin to human euthanasia. The cardiologist present advised T.J. should have never been given a grave prognosis with no meaningful recovery, given his reflexes present. Despite being alert to these concerns, the OPO staff returned T.J. to the ICU without performing the required neurological exam that should have been repeated. Even more alarming, and to the best of my knowledge, the family was never informed that T.J. had regained consciousness and had shown meaningful emotion and purposeful movement. Under my former employer’s own protocol at that time, the case should have been halted immediately once neurological function improved. The failure to do so represents a profound breach of medical standards and ethical responsibility…

“This experience resonated when I read this committee’s letter to the New Jersey Sharing Network. The parallels between those whistleblower allegations and my own are unmistakable patterns of concerning organ recovery practices, document destruction, and retaliation against those reporting legitimate concerns, highlighting systemic failures that demand urgent accountability and reform.”

Taxpayers Are on the Hook for Botched Organ Procurements

The Ways and Means Committee has highlighted instances of OPOs overbilling Medicare for costs that do not qualify for reimbursement such as executive compensation, lobbying, meals, and entertainment. Medicare reimbursements to OPOs, including those with documented issues or whistleblower complaints, means taxpayers indirectly pay for unethical or life-threatening behavior.",1,2026-06-27T21:44:12Z,2026-06-27T22:31:39Z
https://jasonsmith.house.gov/2025/12/05/smith-praises-cms-approval-of-rural-emergency-hospital-status-for-pemiscot-memorial-hospital/,Smith Praises CMS Approval of Rural Emergency Hospital Status for Pemiscot Memorial Hospital,2025-12-05,2025,2025-12,Republican,House,MO,Jason Smith,S001195,jasonsmith.house.gov,jasonsmith,https://jasonsmith.house.gov/category/press_release/,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Jason Smith (MO-08) issued the following statement after the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) approved Pemiscot Memorial Hospital for Rural Emergency Hospital (REH) status and confirmed that the facility will receive approximately two million dollars in backpay:

Congressman Smith said, “Thousands of families in rural communities in both Pemiscot and Dunklin counties rely on Pemiscot Memorial Hospital for emergency care, primary care, and for the peace of mind that comes from knowing help is nearby when they need it most. I applaud Administrator Mehmet Oz and CMS for officially granting the hospital REH status and approving nearly two million dollars in backpay. Throughout this process, my staff and I have continued to engage directly with CMS to advocate for Pemiscot Memorial Hospital and preserve the last remaining source of emergency medicine in Missouri’s Bootheel. REH status is a lifeline for rural hospitals like Pemiscot Memorial that have struggled for years to keep their doors open, and this decision ensures the facility will be able to serve the people of southeast Missouri for years to come.

“I will continue to support rural hospitals in southeast Missouri and ensure that federal agencies understand the unique challenges faced by our rural communities. This approval is a major win for every family who depends on this hospital.”

The Rural Emergency Hospital (REH) designation is a federal classification for rural facilities created by Congress in 2020 to preserve access to essential health care in rural communities like Pemiscot County that are at risk of losing their local hospital. Unlike most hospitals, REHs receive sustained Medicare investment so that they can provide 24/7 emergency care, observation services, and outpatient treatment. This designation will ensure that Pemiscot Memorial Hospital can continue to deliver critical, life-saving care to patients locally without them having to travel long distances to receive it.",1,2026-06-27T21:44:12Z,2026-06-27T22:31:39Z
https://burlison.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-eric-burlison-announces-new-healthcare-plan-solve-affordability-crisis,Rep. Eric Burlison Announces New Healthcare Plan to Solve Affordability Crisis,2025-12-04,2025,2025-12,Republican,House,MO,Eric Burlison,B001316,burlison.house.gov,burlison,https://burlison.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"Washington, D.C. — Congressman Eric Burlison (MO-07) today announced his vision for a new, patient-centered healthcare framework, MAHA, a two-part plan designed to lower costs, expand choice, and return control to American families.

“For too long, families have been stuck with a system that is too expensive, too regulated, and too unresponsive to patient needs,” said Rep. Burlison. “MAHA is a straightforward approach to make healthcare affordable again by empowering patients—not bureaucracies.”

The MAHA framework consists of two components:

MAHA Insurance promotes competition, flexibility, and true price transparency in the insurance market.

MAHA Accounts strengthen patient control and purchasing power.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:09:11Z
https://www.hawley.senate.gov/hawley-secures-40-5-million-in-additional-funding-for-cleanup-of-coldwater-creek/,Hawley Secures $40.5 Million in Additional Funding for Cleanup of Coldwater Creek,2025-12-04,2025,2025-12,Republican,Senate,MO,Josh Hawley,H001089,www.hawley.senate.gov,hawley,https://www.hawley.senate.gov/press-releases/page/,scraper,"WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) announced that the Army Corps of Engineers has committed to provide $40.5 million in additional funding devoted to the cleanup of Coldwater Creek and related sites in the St. Louis region. The funds will be used for remediation activities under the Formerly Utilized Sites Remedial Action Program (FUSRAP) to clean up radioactive waste dating from the Manhattan Project.

Senator Hawley has consistently advocated on behalf of the Coldwater Creek community. In March, Senator Hawley secured a pledge from EPA administrator, Lee Zeldin, to clean up radioactive waste during Administrator Zeldin’s visit to St. Louis. In April, Senator Hawley applauded the EPA for expediting their plan to clean up the West Lake Landfill and Coldwater Creek. And in July, President Trump signed Senator Hawley’s expanded Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA) into law as part of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:09:11Z
https://wagner.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/wagner-bill-combat-chinas-aggression-support-independent-taiwan-signed,"Wagner Bill to Combat China’s Aggression, Support an Independent Taiwan Signed into Law",2025-12-03,2025,2025-12,Republican,House,MO,Ann Wagner,W000812,wagner.house.gov,wagner,https://wagner.house.gov/media-center/press-releases,scraper,"Washington, D.C. - Congresswoman Ann Wagner (R-MO) released the following statement after President Donald Trump signed into law her Taiwan Assurance Implementation Act:

“The world is on fire, and the People’s Republic of China has made it clear they have their sights set on exerting even more power over Taiwan and the Indo-Pacific. The United States stands with Taiwan, and we will not allow China to destabilize the world even more than they already have. My Taiwan Assurance Implementation Act asserts American superiority at a critical time in history and is a strong step forward in our unwavering support for Taiwan as they push back against the CCP aggression and influence campaigns. This law strengthens our own national security and will help us prevent China from expanding their dangerous foothold in the region and globally.”

Background

The Taiwan Assurance Implementation Act would require the Department of State to conduct periodic reviews of its guidelines for U.S. engagement with Taiwan. These regular reviews and updates must:",1,2026-04-04T05:28:40Z,2026-04-04T05:30:10Z
https://www.hawley.senate.gov/hawley-announces-no-taxes-on-healthcare-legislation-to-lower-costs/,Hawley Announces ‘No Taxes on Healthcare’ Legislation to Lower Costs,2025-12-03,2025,2025-12,Republican,Senate,MO,Josh Hawley,H001089,www.hawley.senate.gov,hawley,https://www.hawley.senate.gov/press-releases/page/,scraper,"WASHINGTON — Today, U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) announced the No Taxes on Healthcare Act to provide relief for American families from out-of-control medical costs that have skyrocketed in recent years.

Studies estimate that nearly 41 percent of adults in the United States have some form of debt stemming from medical expenses. In the last year alone, a recent Gallup report found that 31 million Americans borrowed money to pay for healthcare. But under the current tax system, only itemizing taxpayers—those who do not take the standard deduction—can use medical costs to reduce their tax burden, and only then for expenses that exceed 7.5 percent of income. That means 90 percent of American families get zero tax relief for healthcare costs. This tax deduction should be reformed and expanded.

Senator Hawley’s new proposal offers a straightforward solution to begin addressing the rising cost of healthcare: no taxes on healthcare costs. Using a similar mechanism as President Trump’s “no tax on tips” and “no tax on overtime” policies, this legislation can wipe out federal income taxes for families who experience high health costs.

The No Taxes on Healthcare Act would:",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:09:11Z
https://wagner.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/capital-markets-subcommittee-chairman-wagner-chairman-hill-and-reps,"Capital Markets Subcommittee Chairman Wagner, Chairman Hill, and Reps. Meeks and Gottheimer Unveil Bipartisan Capital Formation Package",2025-12-02,2025,2025-12,Republican,House,MO,Ann Wagner,W000812,wagner.house.gov,wagner,https://wagner.house.gov/media-center/press-releases,scraper,"Washington, D.C. – Today, House Committee on Financial Services Chairman French Hill (R-AR), Capital Markets Subcommittee Chairman Ann Wagner (R-MO), Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-NY), and Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) unveiled the INVEST Act.

Next week, the House of Representatives will consider the INVEST Act. This bill includes more than 20 bipartisan bills that advanced out of the Committee. The INVEST Act will cut Washington red tape, empower small businesses and entrepreneurs, and give Americans more freedom to invest.

Chairman Wagner said, “The House Financial Services Committee gets things done – full stop – and this package is a direct result of my mission in the Committee to advance policies that help American capital formation. The package of bills introduced today is the result of many months and years of my work with colleagues, engaging with stakeholders, holding hearings, and negotiating provisions to support Main Street investors and their families. As Chair of the Subcommittee on Capital Markets, I have worked with colleagues on both sides of the aisle who understand our public markets are the best in the world. I have made it my legislative priority to maintain that number one status, and ensure American financial markets grow stronger year over year so Main Street investors can continue to grow their portfolios and save for the future. The bills in the package introduced today support that priority, create even more opportunities for investors, and provide small businesses greater access to capital so they can keep building. Thank you to Chairman Hill for all of his work with us to make sure we get this package to the House Floor and across the finish line.”

Chairman Hill said, “The INVEST Act is about renewing the promise of American opportunity. For too long, outdated regulations have stood between our entrepreneurs and the capital they need to innovate and grow. Our bill puts the full power of America’s capital markets back to work for the people by modernizing rules, expanding access, and eliminating unnecessary burdens on small businesses. I commend Capital Markets Subcommittee Chairman Ann Wagner on her outstanding leadership on this bill that will positively impact all Americans and look forward to our package moving to the House Floor for a vote.”

Rep. Meeks said, “Today, more than half of American households have exposure to the stock market, not as day-traders or large-scale market players, but as teachers, firefighters, nurses, and workers saving for the future through mutual funds, pensions, and retirement plans like 401(k)s and IRAs. Strengthening our capital markets is about improving the financial security of millions of Americans who rely on these investments for long-term stability. This capital formation package expands opportunities for entrepreneurs, and for workers to grow their retirement savings and build real economic resilience. I appreciate the bipartisan collaboration that made this package possible, and I look forward to continuing this important work on behalf of the American people. At a time when families are feeling the pressures of rising costs, these reforms are a meaningful step toward addressing the affordability crisis and empowering people to secure their financial futures.”",1,2026-04-04T05:28:40Z,2026-04-04T05:30:10Z
https://wagner.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/house-passes-wagners-trafficking-survivors-relief-act,House Passes Wagner’s Trafficking Survivors Relief Act,2025-12-02,2025,2025-12,Republican,House,MO,Ann Wagner,W000812,wagner.house.gov,wagner,https://wagner.house.gov/media-center/press-releases,scraper,"Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Ann Wagner (R-MO) released the following statement after the U.S. House of Representatives passed her bipartisan Trafficking Survivors Relief Act, legislation co-led by Rep. Russell Fry (R-SC) and Rep. Hank Johnson (D-GA) and co-sponsored by Rep. Ted Lieu (D-CA). This bill provides federal criminal record relief to survivors of human trafficking who committed non-violent offenses as a direct result of their exploitation.

“Victims of human trafficking are often revictimized by their traffickers who coerce them into committing crimes against their will, making it that much harder to escape from their abuse,” said Congresswoman Wagner. “This can leave them with a criminal record that follows them for the rest of their lives. The Trafficking Survivors Relief Act would help survivors break that cycle of exploitation so they can reenter the working world and access critical support services. Survivors of trafficking need every tool we can give them as they seek to find justice and hold the perpetrators accountable. I’ve been proud to champion the Trafficking Survivors Relief Act over multiple Congresses, and I look forward to the Senate taking up this bill so we can send it to the President’s desk.”

“I’m proud to see the House pass my bill, the Trafficking Survivors Relief Act, which delivers relief to trafficking survivors and their families,” said Congressman Fry. “Victims of human trafficking are often forced into criminal activity, leaving them with federal records that follow them for life. That means they can’t get a job, secure housing, or meet basic needs—all because of crimes they were coerced into committing. This legislation breaks that cycle and gives survivors the chance to move forward.”

“Survivors of human trafficking deserve justice and compassion, not criminalization,” said Congressman Lieu. “For too long, survivors have faced criminal charges because of crimes they were forced to commit while being trafficked, making it harder for them to obtain housing, jobs, and the chance to rebuild their lives. I am pleased that the House passed our bipartisan legislation to provide much-needed relief to trafficking survivors. I urge my Senate colleagues to pass this bill.”

""The American Hotel & Lodging Association applauds the passage of the Trafficking Survivors Relief Act,” said President and CEO of AHLA Rosanna Maietta. “The hotel industry stands firmly behind Representative Fry's efforts to ensure that our nation's response to human trafficking includes meaningful support for those who have endured unimaginable harm. Through the work of the AHLA Foundation, we have long been committed to elevating the visibility of this issue and uplifting survivors through investments in support to help them move forward. The Trafficking Survivors Relief Act is a vital step which allows survivors to truly heal and build independent lives.""

Background

Human trafficking remains a widespread crisis across our country. Traffickers often force or coerce their victims into committing crimes such as financial fraud, drug-related offenses, and identity theft. As a result, many trafficking survivors face arrest, conviction, and incarceration—often without recognition of their victim status.

At the outset of a prosecution, this legislation establishes an affirmative defense to provide survivors with the opportunity to defend against only those charges that arose directly from their trafficking victimization. It also provides critical relief for survivors who have already been convicted as a result of their trafficking victimization through vacatur, expungement, and sentencing mitigation.

Specifically, for a court to grant a motion to vacate a conviction or expunge an arrest, a defendant must show by a preponderance of the evidence that the offense was committed as a direct result of having been a victim of trafficking. Additionally, the defendant must establish, by clear and convincing evidence, that the defendant was a victim of human trafficking at the time the offense was committed.

The bill only allows for non-violent offenses that were committed as a direct result of trafficking to be eligible for vacatur and expungement. Additionally, this bill clarifies that any crimes eligible for expungement are crimes that do not involve a child as a victim.",1,2026-04-04T05:28:40Z,2026-04-04T05:30:10Z
https://www.hawley.senate.gov/hawley-introduces-bill-to-mandate-vetting-of-all-afghan-evacuees-after-deadly-attack-on-dc-national-guard/,Hawley Introduces Bill to Mandate Vetting of All Afghan Evacuees after Deadly Attack on DC National Guard,2025-12-02,2025,2025-12,Republican,Senate,MO,Josh Hawley,H001089,www.hawley.senate.gov,hawley,https://www.hawley.senate.gov/press-releases/page/,scraper,"WASHINGTON — Today, U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) reintroduced the Afghanistan Vetting and Accountability Act, a bill to strengthen vetting procedures for Afghans who were evacuated to the United States following Joe Biden’s botched withdrawal from Afghanistan. In the wake of the deadly attack on the National Guard by one of these evacuees, Senator Hawley’s bill would require in-person interviews and vetting of all Afghan evacuees.

“Joe Biden didn’t just botch our withdrawal from Afghanistan, he put Americans at risk by allowing tens of thousands of refugees into our country without proper vetting,” Senator Hawley said. “My bill is going to codify into law what President Trump started: we’re going to protect our heroes and ensure anyone allowed into our country is not a threat to our own citizens.”

President Trump has rightly taken steps to correct the egregious failures of his predecessor. Building on its earlier actions to limit the entry of Afghan nationals, the Trump Administration recently moved to strengthen vetting standards for nationals from Afghanistan and other high-risk countries. Senator Hawley’s Afghanistan Vetting and Accountability Act, which he first introduced after the fall of Kabul, supports the Trump Administration’s efforts by codifying a requirement for comprehensive vetting of all Afghan evacuees.

The Afghanistan Vetting and Accountability Act would:

Require the Department of Homeland Security to verify the personal and biometric information of individuals evacuated from Afghanistan following the fall of Kabul in 2021 and require in-person vetting interviews.

Direct the Secretary of Homeland Security to submit a vetting certification and quarterly report to Congress on the list of evacuees. This quarterly report will include any known criminal records and the current vetting status of Afghan evacuees.

Prohibit Afghan evacuees who have not been properly vetted from receiving any federal benefits.

As early as 2021, Senator Hawley exposed how the Biden Administration failed to vet ten of thousands of Afghan refugees after the botched withdrawal from Afghanistan. He first introduced legislation to mandate full vetting of Afghan refugees in 2022.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:09:11Z
https://wagner.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/wagner-legislation-support-small-businesses-and-entrepreneurs,Wagner Legislation to Support Small Businesses and Entrepreneurs Overwhelmingly Passes House,2025-12-01,2025,2025-12,Republican,House,MO,Ann Wagner,W000812,wagner.house.gov,wagner,https://wagner.house.gov/media-center/press-releases,scraper,"Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Ann Wagner (R-MO), Chair of the Financial Services Subcommittee on Capital Markets, released the following statement after the U.S. House of Representatives passed her Developing and Empowering our Aspiring Leaders (DEAL) Act:

“My bipartisan DEAL Act will ensure the United States remains the most entrepreneurial country in the world, where the next great companies are founded and funded. Small businesses are the engine of our American economy, and the entrepreneurs leading these companies are building something new, taking real risks, and driving growth in communities across the nation. Too often, they can’t get a fair shot at investment due to an extreme geographic imbalance in our capital markets that funnels money to just a handful of coastal cities, bypassing entire regions that are home to aspiring innovators and entrepreneurs.

“I introduced the DEAL Act as a targeted, forward-looking effort to modernize outdated rules and channel investment to where it is needed most, especially our local economies right here in the greater St. Louis region and across the Midwest and South. This vital legislation ensures our policies are helping capital move efficiently and effectively—not just to the coasts, but to brilliant businessmen and women across America, empowering those taking risks to build something new and helping good ideas grow into great companies.”",1,2026-04-04T05:28:40Z,2026-04-04T05:30:10Z
https://wagner.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/wagner-applauds-dol-decision-drop-fiduciary-case-following-her-years,Wagner Applauds DOL Decision to Drop Fiduciary Case Following Her Years of Advocacy,2025-11-26,2025,2025-11,Republican,House,MO,Ann Wagner,W000812,wagner.house.gov,wagner,https://wagner.house.gov/media-center/press-releases,scraper,"Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Wagner (R-MO), Chair of the Financial Services Subcommittee on Capital Markets, released the following statement after the Department of Labor moved to dismiss its appeal in the Fifth Circuit Court that was defending the Biden Labor Department’s 2023 Fiduciary Rule:

“This is great news for Main Street investors and families looking to save for retirement! I have been proud to lead the charge against this completely reckless rulemaking since I first came to Congress. The so-called Fiduciary Rule was overly burdensome and reduced economic choices for consumers at a time when Missourians need and deserve greater options as they save for important moments in their lives.

“This has been a long and arduous fight, but we have finally achieved victory for the American people. Over the years, and as Chair of the Financial Services Subcommittee on Capital Markets, I have made it my mission to rally my colleagues in Congress and stand up to President Obama and President Biden as they decreed that their Labor Departments know better than you. This rule was a misguided, big-government attempt to dictate your personal financial choices, and I am glad this comes immediately after I filed an Amicus Brief with the Court asking them to strike down this rule. Make no mistake, this is a victory for American families across the country.”

Background

Congresswoman Wagner has been the leader in Congress fighting against this Fiduciary Rule. These efforts include multiple public statements over the years beginning in the Obama Administration as well as the below actions challenging this misguided rule.

Amicus Brief challenging the Biden Fiduciary rule

Letter to Department of Labor detailing major concerns

Holding DOL Deputy Secretary Julie Su to task

Supporting Trump Administration Regulation Best Interest Rule

Inclusion of language stopping the Fiduciary Rule from being implemented in FY18 Appropriations legislation

Introduction and Committee passage of the PASS Act

Introduction and passage of H.J. Res. 88, Protecting Access to Affordable Retirement Advice

Letter to DOL Secretary Tom Perez",1,2026-04-04T05:28:40Z,2026-04-04T05:30:10Z
https://wagner.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/wagner-leads-amicus-brief-challenging-biden-department-labors-harmful,Wagner Leads Amicus Brief Challenging the Biden Department of Labor’s Harmful Fiduciary Rule,2025-11-24,2025,2025-11,Republican,House,MO,Ann Wagner,W000812,wagner.house.gov,wagner,https://wagner.house.gov/media-center/press-releases,scraper,"Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Ann Wagner (R-MO), Chair of the Financial Services Subcommittee on Capital Markets, released the following statement after she submitted an amicus brief supporting the American Council of Life Insurers, the Financial Services Institute, and the Federation of Americans for Consumer Choice in their case before the Fifth Circuit Court challenging the Biden Department of Labor’s 2023 Fiduciary Rule:

“As Chair of the Capital Markets Subcommittee, I have made it a priority to ensure families and workers have greater access to quality investment advice so they can responsibly save for their retirement and secure their future. As part of these efforts, I have fought the Biden Labor Department’s misguided Fiduciary Rule that severely limits access to financial advice for millions of Americans. If implemented, this irresponsible rule would usurp Congress’s authority and undermine the important work we have done over the past five years to support Main Street investors and their families. People deserve to have robust choices when they are looking to save for retirement, not an artificially constrained market due to an overbearing federal government. Critically, this rule lacks the clear congressional authorization it needs for a regulatory change of this magnitude, and the Fifth Circuit should recognize that fact in their ruling.”",1,2026-04-04T05:28:40Z,2026-04-04T05:30:10Z
https://jasonsmith.house.gov/2025/11/24/congressman-jason-smith-provides-strong-endorsement-of-missouris-rural-health-fund-application/,Congressman Jason Smith Provides Strong Endorsement of Missouri’s Rural Health Fund Application,2025-11-24,2025,2025-11,Republican,House,MO,Jason Smith,S001195,jasonsmith.house.gov,jasonsmith,https://jasonsmith.house.gov/category/press_release/,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Jason Smith (MO-08), Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, expressed his wholehearted support for Missouri’s application for Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) funding in a letter to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Mehmet Oz.

The Rural Health Transformation Program is a historic $50 billion investment in rural health included in Republicans’ working families tax cuts, which Congressman Smith coauthored and ushered through Congress earlier this year. The fund is designed to supercharge access to health care infrastructure and delivery in rural communities, incentivizing states to create real solutions for their rural communities and ensure they are sustainable for future generations.

Congressman Smith wrote, “Missouri is the definitive example of the rural setting my Republican colleagues and I had in mind when we crafted the RHTP, with 40 percent of Missourians living in rural areas, many of those in the southeast Missouri communities I represent. In its application for RHTP funds, Missouri proposes to fight chronic disease and coordinate patient care through an innovative model which will foster sustainable investments in rural care delivery, deploy cutting-edge technology to improve care coordination, provide broader telehealth access, and hold providers accountable for better managing patients’ health. This model has already proven successful as a pilot project in my own congressional district, and I write today to strongly endorse Missouri’s application and ask that you give it full consideration.”

“Missouri’s RHTP application is focused on coordinated care, harnessing technology, and reducing chronic disease, all goals that are in lockstep with the priorities you and President Trump have emphasized through the program, and goals that will serve rural Missouri. On behalf of the hundreds of thousands of southeast Missourians I represent and the millions of rural Missourians statewide, I wholeheartedly endorse Missouri’s RHTP application and look forward to its implementation,” the letter continues.",1,2026-06-27T21:44:12Z,2026-06-27T22:31:22Z
https://wagner.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/wagner-statement-department-educations-misguided-announcement-classify,Wagner Statement on the Department of Education’s Misguided Announcement to Classify Graduate Nursing Degrees on a Lower Level,2025-11-23,2025,2025-11,Republican,House,MO,Ann Wagner,W000812,wagner.house.gov,wagner,https://wagner.house.gov/media-center/press-releases,scraper,"Washington, D.C. - Congresswoman Ann Wagner (R-MO) released the following statement after the Department of Education announced it will be classifying graduate nursing degrees on a lower level than other medical degrees in the federal student loan system:

“Nurses are the backbone of our healthcare system and we rely on them to help provide quality patient care at a time when many are at their most vulnerable. I strongly disagree with the Department of Education’s recent changes classifying graduate nursing degrees on a lower footing than other medical degrees and will be making it clear to the Administration that these changes are unacceptable and should be immediately reversed.

“Education costs are through the roof. We all agree that loan caps for many graduate degrees are a vital method to reform the federal student loan system and rein in inflated tuitions, but they should be appropriately implemented for specific graduate degrees that make sense. Nurses should be on level footing with other medical degrees, not on a lower level.

“Nurses are often the first point of contact for patients in need of care, and they keep our medical system running day in and day out. We should be recognizing the absolutely critical role nurses play in the medical field and incentivizing them to pursue opportunities to advance their careers.”",1,2026-03-31T05:33:41Z,2026-03-31T05:34:51Z
https://wagner.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/wagner-hosts-postmaster-general-meeting-accountability-transparency,"Wagner Hosts Postmaster General for Meeting on Accountability, Transparency on Mail Delivery Issues",2025-11-21,2025,2025-11,Republican,House,MO,Ann Wagner,W000812,wagner.house.gov,wagner,https://wagner.house.gov/media-center/press-releases,scraper,"Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Ann Wagner (R-MO) released the following statement after she brought in U.S. Postmaster General David Steiner to speak to a Missouri and Illinois-area Congressional delegation on recent delivery issues in our community:

“I have long been committed to holding the United States Postal Service (USPS) accountable for the appalling mail delivery issues that have affected so many families, businesses, and communities in Missouri's 2nd District and our greater St. Louis area.

“Missourians need and deserve a functional Postal Service. But for the last several years—dating back to at least 2022—severe dysfunction has plagued service in our area, due to systemic problems, inefficiencies, and major adverse events like mercury spills and the bankruptcy of a major contractor. USPS’s failure to quickly address these problems and restore timely, accurate, and efficient service in the Saint Louis area has harmed our community. From missing wedding invitations and family gifts to critical items like utility bills, Social Security checks, prescription medications, and, most importantly, absentee ballots that ensure your vote is counted, these failures have gone on far too long.

“I first sent a letter to former-Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, in February 2024, highlighting a local veteran, who missed a medical appointment due to late mail and demanding a remedy to staffing shortages. I then followed up with a September 2024 letter, joined by my Missouri colleagues, raising concerns over late absentee ballots in the August primary. Together, we led the call for the USPS Office of Inspector General to conduct an audit of our region’s postal operations to determine the cause of unsustainably inconsistent mail delivery. Then again in April 2025, my Missouri colleagues and I sent yet another letter to ensure a proper audit of the St. Louis region was carried out. This work led to yesterday’s long overdue meeting with Postmaster General Steiner that was bipartisan and included my colleagues from throughout Missouri and Illinois.

“We presented a united front to tackle the systemic issues directly affecting our constituents—from everyday mail delays disrupting lives to election failures undermining democracy. The meeting included a robust question-and-answer session where we pressed for specifics on audit findings and future reforms.

“During the discussion, the Postmaster General was forthright, acknowledging ‘embarrassing’ service failures, particularly in the middle of the country. I was pleased to hear that he monitors service standards reports regularly and has noticed unacceptably bad performance in our region. It was encouraging to hear there have been vast improvements in average delivery times, but work is still ongoing to resolve the remaining severe delays.

“Momentum is building toward real change. Service is stabilizing, but I am not satisfied yet. I will continue to work to ensure your mail is delivered on time and that the United States Postal Service is transparent and accountable to our community.”

Background

The August 2025 OIG audit exposed deep-rooted inefficiencies, including:

A record backlog of over 2.5 million delayed mail pieces—the largest in USPS audit history—worsened by management instructing employees to hide delays in data systems.

Chronic staffing vacancies, unchecked truancy, and inadequate supervision, leading to operational breakdowns.

Incomplete maintenance and poor compliance, causing 40% of outbound trucks to be late or canceled due to shortages and congestion.

A complete failure of management to identify issues or enforce procedures, risking security for items like registered mail.

These failures culminated during Franklin County's April 2025 municipal election, where 350 absentee ballots arrived too late to be counted—some as late as August 20—disenfranchising Missourians who relied on the USPS to uphold their Constitutional right to vote.

In response, Rep. Wagner led a bipartisan, bicameral letter, in September 2025 demanding a meeting with new Postmaster General Steiner to discuss action plans for OIG recommendations, delay resolutions, election integrity, community impacts, leadership reforms, transparency, and personnel accountability.

Meeting Takeaways

Key improvements discussed include:

October metrics showing 86% of First-Class Mail being delivered on time.

Enhanced customer service protocols.

Best practices for absentee ballots to improve tracking and coordination.

Personnel and leadership changes, including new positions filled by proven managers from around the country.

Full staffing at facilities with pending Inspector General verification.

Infrastructure upgrades for two core facilities over 3-5 years and expanding another facility by 60% to handle 400,000 packages daily, as well as the installation of a new scanning machine to cut manual sorting in half.

Relieving congestion in the St. Louis area by diverting cross-country mail from St. Louis to a new, larger Olathe, Kansas facility (near Kansas City) as of November 15, shifting mail to air transport, and redirecting major customers temporarily.

The Postmaster General reported that service metrics are improving, with a focus on making the system more resilient. And we secured a pledge from the Postmaster General to provide a written update after the holiday peak season, including an honest assessment of progress and remaining needs.

Congresswoman Wagner’s office will continue monitoring progress intently, especially during the holidays, and push for full accountability to prevent future disruptions. This includes regular follow-ups with the USPS, working closely with the Missouri delegation on oversight, and advocating for sustained implementation of the OIG recommendations. We will schedule additional meetings as needed and ensure transparency remains a priority to rebuild public trust.

For real-time updates on service performance, you can visit the USPS public-facing transparency portal, where you can check your mail metrics by ZIP code and mail type.

Constituents experiencing issues should contact Rep. Wagner’s Ballwin office at (636) 779-5449 or on her website Wagner.House.Gov.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T19:52:45Z
https://onder.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-onder-introduces-house-companion-sen-cruzs-rotor-act,Rep. Onder Introduces House Companion to Sen. Cruz’s ROTOR Act,2025-11-20,2025,2025-11,Republican,House,MO,"Robert F. Onder, Jr.",O000177,onder.house.gov,onder,https://onder.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"Contact: Brooke Morgan

(Washington, D.C.) – Congressman Bob Onder (R-MO) joins Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) to introduce the House companion of the Rotorcraft Operations Transparency and Oversight Reform (ROTOR) Act to strengthen aviation safety. Rep. Onder is a pilot serving on the Aviation Subcommittee of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.

The ROTOR Act eliminates a loophole that allowed most military aircraft to operate without Automatic Dependent Surveillance – Broadcast (ADS-B) Out transmitting – a technology that broadcasts an aircraft’s precise location. It requires all aircraft operating in high-risk and high-volume airspace to use ADS-B In to enhance pilots' visualization. In addition, the bill requires safety reviews at all major and mid-sized airports, strengthens coordination and information sharing between the FAA and the Department of Defense, and calls for The Army Inspector General to audit Army aviation operations, particularly around the National Capital Region.

“The collision that occurred in January over the skies of our nation's capital was a horrific tragedy. Sixty-seven lives were taken, with no survivors. My heart goes out to every family who lost a loved one, and to the first responders who confronted unimaginable devastation,” said Congressman Bob Onder

“This tragedy made it clear that serious gaps exist in our aviation oversight - gaps that demand action. Senator Cruz’s ROTOR Act takes a critical step forward by closing loopholes that allow government and military aircraft to operate without broadcasting their location, and by requiring modern, reliable tracking technology on all aircraft.

“This is commonsense, responsible legislation, and it reflects our duty to protect the American people. The ROTOR Act is necessary, and I am proud to be leading this fight in the House.”

“I am grateful to Rep. Onder for working to make this bipartisan legislation also bicameral. ROTOR takes commonsense steps to implement lessons learned from this year’s fatal DCA, protect innocent lives in American skies, and improve aviation safety,” said Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Transportation and Science ""As Pentagon data shows a dramatic increase in US military aviation mishaps, this legislation – which eliminates a loophole that allowed most military aircraft to operate without location broadcasting – is more urgent than ever. We must honor the victims of the DCA crash by taking steps to prevent future tragedies.”

Transport Workers Union of America International President John Samuelsen: “What happened in DC is a terrible tragedy. Ending the loophole that enabled military aircraft to fly without having their location transmitted and requiring all aircraft to install location transmission technology by 2031 is a commonsense, bipartisan, bicameral solution.""

Eric Fanning, President and CEO of the Aerospace Industries Association -“The Aerospace Industries Association applauds Representative Onder for taking decisive action to strengthen safety in America’s skies by introducing the ROTOR Act in the House of Representatives. AIA supports the bill's objectives and looks forward to working with the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee to further strengthen key provisions championed by Senators Cruz and Cantwell as the legislation advances. AIA remains committed to collaborating with Congress, the FAA, and industry partners to move reforms like these forward and deliver a safer airspace for all.""

American Airlines - “We continue to mourn the lives lost in the tragic accident involving Flight 5342 and we are grateful for Representatives Onder and Beyer, Senators Cruz and Cantwell, Secretary Duffy, Members of Congress, and everyone involved for their work to make aviation and our national airspace even safer. American Airlines stands in strong support of the bipartisan ROTOR Act.""

Dr. Hassan Shahidi, President and CEO of Flight Safety Foundation - ""The Foundation applauds your leadership on this issue and the bipartisan approach to this important aviation safety legislation. Aviation’s safety record is remarkable, but as traffic grows and operations become more complex, we must continue reducing risk with proven technologies, rigorous oversight, and effective civil-military coordination. The ROTOR Act does exactly that. The Foundation also recognizes the families affected by the Flight 5342 tragedy near DCA and shares their resolve to learn every lesson that can be drawn from that accident and implement the fixes that prevent recurrence. As we mark our 80th year of advancing global aviation safety, Flight Safety Foundation stands ready to support Congress and all stakeholders to ensure that aviation remains the safest form of travel. Thank you for your leadership and for the opportunity to support this important legislation.""

The Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association (AMFA) is an official endorser of the ROTOR Act.

-30-

Link to the full text of the bill: ONDER_023_xml.pdf

Background Information

On January 29, 2025, American Airlines Flight 5342 was approaching Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport when air traffic controllers asked the pilots if they could redirect to land on a shorter runway. The pilots confirmed they could.

Nearby, an Army Black Hawk helicopter was conducting its annual proficiency training. Less than 30 seconds before the two aircraft collided, a controller radioed the Black Hawk to ask whether it had the incoming flight in sight. Moments later, the collision occurred and there were no survivors.

One of the passengers on board was from the St. Louis region - a woman named Asra Hussain. The entire St. Louis community stands with her family as they grieve this unimaginable loss. We mourn with them, and we honor Asra, a Missourian, a newlywed, a daughter, and a friend.

At a three-day hearing in July, the National Transportation Safety Board revealed a critical detail: the Army Black Hawk had not broadcast its location via ADS-B for 730 days prior to the crash. Without this tracking data, the helicopter was effectively invisible to other aircraft, leaving both flight crews without situational awareness.

The ADS-B system provides more accurate and continuous information than traditional radar, transmitting an aircraft’s location, speed, altitude, and other critical data in real time.",1,2026-04-04T05:28:40Z,2026-04-04T05:30:10Z
https://onder.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-bob-onder-introduces-endorsement-transparency-act,Congressman Bob Onder Introduces the Endorsement Transparency Act,2025-11-19,2025,2025-11,Republican,House,MO,"Robert F. Onder, Jr.",O000177,onder.house.gov,onder,https://onder.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"Contact: Brooke Morgan

(Washington, D.C.) – Today, Congressman Bob Onder (MO-03) introduced the Endorsement Transparency Act, which bans labor unions from endorsing a presidential candidate unless the union polls its members. The Endorsement Transparency Act ensures that union leaders can’t make unilateral endorsement decisions that counter the will of their members.

“The Endorsement Transparency Act is an important first step towards restoring accountability amongst union leaders”, said Congressman Bob Onder.

“In the 2024 presidential election, the Teamsters withheld an endorsement for either candidate after internal polling showed that 60 percent of their members supported President Trump over Vice President Harris. At the same time, the United Auto Workers endorsed Vice President Harris despite a significant portion of their rank-and-file backing President Trump.

“This is unacceptable. Labor unions exist to serve their members, not to serve the political interests of their leadership.

“This is part of a broader pattern within today’s Democrat Party - leadership that is more focused on advancing political agendas and personal interest over the well-being of the people they claim to represent.”

-30-

Link to the full text of the bill: Endorsement Transparency Act_ONDER.pdf

Background Information

The International Brotherhood of Teamsters has long been aligned with Democrat candidates, endorsing figures such as Hillary Clinton in 2016 and Joe Biden in 2020. Sean O’Brien was elected General President of the 1.3-million-member union in November 2021, ushering in a new chapter of leadership marked by both internal debate and heightened national attention.

In the 2024 presidential cycle, the union broke from decades of precedent by declining to endorse either major party candidate. Internal polling released by the Teamsters showed overwhelming rank-and-file support for former President Donald Trump over Vice President Kamala Harris. An electronic survey recorded Trump leading 59.6% to 34%, while a phone poll showed a similar margin of 58% to 31%.

O’Brien characterized the union’s endorsement review as “the most inclusive, democratic, and transparent Presidential endorsement process in the history of our 121-year-old organization,” emphasizing that any decision would be guided by the membership. Ultimately, the union chose not to issue an endorsement, while openly acknowledging the strong pro-Trump sentiment among its members.

During this same period, O’Brien alleged that Vice President Harris personally pressured the union for an endorsement, recounting a tense meeting in which she urged the Teamsters to “get on board.”",1,2026-04-04T05:28:40Z,2026-04-04T05:30:10Z
https://wagner.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/wagner-leads-regional-delegation-meeting-us-postmaster-general,Wagner Leads Regional Delegation Meeting with U.S. Postmaster General,2025-11-18,2025,2025-11,Republican,House,MO,Ann Wagner,W000812,wagner.house.gov,wagner,https://wagner.house.gov/media-center/press-releases,scraper,"Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Ann Wagner (R-MO) released the following statement after she hosted U.S. Postmaster General David Steiner in Washington, D.C. to address the recent audit of St. Louis-area Postal Services facilities and get answers to the numerous severe breakdowns in the local mail system:

“Missouri has been plagued with missing mail, slow delivery, and an abject failure by the United States Postal Service to address the ongoing questions from my constituents about the Postal Service’s incompetency. Families rely on efficient and effective mail service to access lifesaving medications, Social Security checks, election ballots, or even a letter from a loved one. The lack of answers over the years has been unacceptable, and that’s why it was so important to have this conversation with Postmaster General Steiner today to understand his plan to address these challenges, fix the unprecedented mail delays, and help us build the public’s trust in this essential service.

“I have to reiterate, the problems our community has had with the Postal Service are major, lifechanging issues. Seniors rely on the timely, consistent delivery of their medications, and voters deserve to have confidence their ballots won’t get lost. Just this year in Franklin County, hundreds of ballots were delivered after the election due to the processing delays. This is beyond unacceptable and disenfranchises voters who are trying to make their voices heard.

“I worked with my colleagues over the past two years to engage with local officials and get to the root causes of these issues so we can get the USPS back on track and ensure Missouri families can trust their service. Throughout these efforts, I learned the Post Office had tried to avoid any accountability for their actions and blamed outside individuals for their own missteps, a complete dereliction of their duty to the public. Make no mistake, that stops now, and those responsible will be held accountable.

“It’s my hope that today’s meeting will be a critical milestone in our efforts and will represent a change for the better. The longstanding issues in the St. Louis area must finally be addressed, and transparency and accountability must be at the core of any future reforms.”",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T19:52:45Z
https://wagner.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/wagner-votes-release-epstein-files-support-victims-trafficking,"Wagner Votes to Release Epstein Files, Support Victims of Trafficking",2025-11-18,2025,2025-11,Republican,House,MO,Ann Wagner,W000812,wagner.house.gov,wagner,https://wagner.house.gov/media-center/press-releases,scraper,"Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Ann Wagner (R-MO) released the following statement after she voted to release files associated with Jeffrey Epstein’s horrific crimes:

“Jeffrey Epstein was an evil man, full stop, and I hope he is rotting in Hell for what he did to all those girls. I have said from day one I support releasing any files related to Jeffrey Epstein as part of our efforts to hold him and any his associates accountable for their horrific crimes, as long as the privacy of the victims is protected. Over the past several months, my colleagues on the Oversight Committee have carefully released tens of thousands of files, and today’s vote will support those ongoing efforts to hold accountable the criminal associates of Jeffrey Epstein, bring light to the evil deeds of the powerful men and women involved, and help the innocent victims find the justice they deserve.”",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T19:52:45Z
https://graves.house.gov/media/press-releases/graves-applauds-trump-administrations-action-provide-clarity-waters-united,Graves Applauds Trump Administration’s Action to Provide Clarity on Waters of the United States,2025-11-17,2025,2025-11,Republican,House,MO,Sam Graves,G000546,graves.house.gov,graves,https://graves.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Sam Graves (MO-06), Chairman of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, today commended the Trump Administration for its proposed rule to define Waters of the United States (WOTUS) under the Clean Water Act (CWA) in a manner that will provide much needed clarity and regulatory certainty for farmers, businesses, infrastructure builders, and communities throughout the United States.

The Administration’s WOTUS rule, developed by the Environmental Protection Agency and the United States Army Corps of Engineers, aligns with the Supreme Court’s 2023 Sackett decision, which appropriately recognized that there are reasonable limits to the federal government’s regulatory authority under the CWA. Today’s announcement follows previous efforts by the Biden Administration to dramatically expand federal regulatory power under the law, and it provides much-needed durability to defining what waters are and are not subject to federal regulation under the CWA.

###",1,2026-04-14T05:46:13Z,2026-04-14T05:48:07Z
https://burlison.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-burlison-urges-ncaa-approve-missouri-state-postseason-waiver-1,Rep. Burlison Urges NCAA to Approve Missouri State Postseason Waiver,2025-11-14,2025,2025-11,Republican,House,MO,Eric Burlison,B001316,burlison.house.gov,burlison,https://burlison.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"Missouri State University’s football program has already earned six wins in its first FBS season, meeting the standard for postseason eligibility. Rep. Eric Burlison is urging the NCAA to grant the Bears a waiver so these student-athletes can compete in a bowl game they have earned. Read the full letter below.

November 14, 2025

Dear President Baker and Members of the NCAA Board of Governors,

I write in strong support of Missouri State University’s request for a Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) postseason waiver.

Missouri State University’s football program has earned six wins in its first FBS season, fulfilled all academic and competition standards, and proven it belongs at the FBS level. Under standard NCAA rules, this record would secure postseason eligibility.

The only obstacle to Missouri State University’s eligibility is a transition policy that no longer reflects the realities of modern college athletics. Today’s landscape of widespread realignment and growing competition makes this restriction outdated. Missouri State University has already satisfied every core FBS requirement, including scheduling, scholarships, and facilities. Rapid program growth is evident: Football revenue has doubled, and game attendance has risen nearly 40 percent compared to last year.

The NCAA has a clear precedent of allowing transitioning teams to participate in bowls when there are open slots. With 82 postseason slots available this season, Missouri State University deserves equal consideration. These student-athletes have earned their opportunity on the field and should not be sidelined by an outdated rule alone.

I respectfully urge the NCAA to approve Missouri State University’s petition and allow these athletes to compete in the postseason they have rightfully earned.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Sincerely,

Eric Burlison

Member of Congress",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T19:52:45Z
https://onder.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-onder-statement-government-reopening,Rep. Onder Statement on the Government Reopening,2025-11-13,2025,2025-11,Republican,House,MO,"Robert F. Onder, Jr.",O000177,onder.house.gov,onder,https://onder.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"Contact: Brooke Morgan

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Congressman Bob Onder (MO-03) released the following statement after voting to pass the clean, Continuing Resolution (CR) to fund the government and end the longest government shutdown in American history.

""I'm Congressman Bob Onder, representing Missouri's Third Congressional District. The longest government shutdown in our nation's history has finally come to an end. Thanks to strong Republican leadership, the Senate voted to reopen the government and put America First.

The American people deserve accountability and leadership, and that takes decisive action to protect their livelihoods. 750,000 Americans went without paychecks. Our TSA agents worked without pay. Families faced uncertainty about their SNAP benefits. It was long past time to act, to pass this funding bill, and to end the shutdown.

I'm grateful to be back in Washington, fighting for Missourians; to strengthen our economy, secure our nation's borders, protect women's sports, and honor our first responders.

As your Congressman, I voted to fund the government on September 19th, and I voted again tonight to do the same. I would have voted every single day since this shutdown began if given the opportunity, just as my Republican colleagues in the Senate did repeatedly. Today, I was proud to stand alongside my colleagues to put America First.

As Speaker Johnson stated, there will be ""long days and long nights"" ahead on Capitol Hill, and he's right. Thank you, and may God bless you, and may God bless the great state of Missouri.""

Watch Congressman Bob Onder's recorded statement below.",1,2026-04-04T05:28:40Z,2026-04-04T05:30:10Z
https://graves.house.gov/media/press-releases/graves-statement-ending-schumers-shutdown,Graves Statement on Ending Schumer's Shutdown,2025-11-12,2025,2025-11,Republican,House,MO,Sam Graves,G000546,graves.house.gov,graves,https://graves.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, DC – Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Sam Graves (MO-06) statement on the House’s approval of legislation to end the federal government shutdown:",1,2026-04-04T05:28:40Z,2026-04-04T05:30:10Z
https://wagner.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/wagner-statement-end-government-shutdown,Wagner Statement on the End of the Government Shutdown,2025-11-12,2025,2025-11,Republican,House,MO,Ann Wagner,W000812,wagner.house.gov,wagner,https://wagner.house.gov/media-center/press-releases,scraper,"Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Ann Wagner (R-MO) released the following statement on the end of the government shutdown:

“I just voted to reopen the government, a vote that includes full-year funding for veteran’s healthcare and the VA. It includes billions of dollars for SNAP, billions of dollars for food stamps and the National School Lunch Program, and billions of dollars for the Women, Infants, and Children program. It’s sad that so many Democrats couldn’t bring themselves to vote for such a good, simple bill that keeps families fed and safe.

“Senate Democrats never should have put the American people through this reckless government shutdown in the first place. This was all political. They wanted to use the suffering of the American people as leverage, but thank God it’s now coming to an end so Missouri families and workers across the country can finally have certainty and stability in their lives.”",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T19:52:45Z
https://www.hawley.senate.gov/hawley-warner-to-introduce-bipartisan-legislation-revealing-number-of-jobs-lost-to-ai/,"Hawley, Warner to Introduce Bipartisan Legislation Revealing Number of Jobs Lost to AI",2025-11-05,2025,2025-11,Republican,Senate,MO,Josh Hawley,H001089,www.hawley.senate.gov,hawley,https://www.hawley.senate.gov/press-releases/page/,scraper,"WASHINGTON — Today, U.S. Senators Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) and Mark Warner (D-Va.) announced they will introduce the AI-Related Job Impacts Clarity Act. This legislation would require major companies and federal agencies to report AI related layoffs to the Department of Labor to be compiled into a publicly available report.

“Artificial intelligence is already replacing American workers, and experts project AI could drive unemployment up to 10-20% in the next five years,” said Senator Hawley. “The American people need to have an accurate understanding of how AI is affecting our workforce, so we can ensure that AI works for the people, not the other way around.”

“Good policy starts with good data. This bipartisan legislation will finally give us a clear picture of AI’s impact on the workforce – what jobs are being eliminated, which workers are being retrained, and where new opportunities are emerging. Armed with this information, we can make sure AI drives opportunity instead of leaving workers behind, ” said Senator Warner.

The AI-Related Job Impacts Clarity Act would:

Require major companies and federal agencies to quarterly report AI-related job effects –including layoffs and job displacement – to the Department of Labor (DOL).

Require the DOL to compile data on AI-related job effects and publish a report to Congress and the public.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T19:52:45Z
https://www.hawley.senate.gov/hawley-urges-boeing-to-negotiate-with-missouri-workers-on-strike/,Hawley Urges Boeing to Negotiate with Missouri Workers on Strike,2025-11-04,2025,2025-11,Republican,Senate,MO,Josh Hawley,H001089,www.hawley.senate.gov,hawley,https://www.hawley.senate.gov/press-releases/page/,scraper,"WASHINGTON — Today, U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) sent a letter to Boeing’s President and CEO Kelly Ortberg, urging him to negotiate in good faith with Boeing’s 3,300 machinists currently on strike in St. Louis.

Senator Hawley wrote, “As you know, these nearly 3,300 machinists have been on strike for fourteen weeks. That’s fourteen weeks without a paycheck and access to healthcare. A few weeks ago, I heard from Joshua Arnold—a decade-plus Boeing Defense shop steward, Army veteran, and father—when he testified before a Senate committee. He reported that, because of Boeing’s refusal to offer the machinists a contract that mirrors their value to the company, he and his fellow machinists have been without a paycheck for over three months. Further, some of the out-of-work machinists, who cannot readily obtain health insurance through a spouse’s plan, are forced to pay insurance rates in the thousands per month. This is unacceptable.”

Senator Hawley concluded, “Just last year, Boeing and machinists in Seattle agreed to a beneficial contract after those machinists were on strike for 53 days. It is my understanding that Boeing’s offers to the St. Louis machinists have not contained similar terms. There exists a precedent for offering a better deal, and I urge you to finalize a reasonable agreement as soon as possible. These workers help produce our Nation’s most crucial, most advanced, and most expensive defense tools. And since your company receives billions in government contracts, it is incumbent upon you to do the right thing.”

Read the full letter here or below.

November 4, 2025

Kelly Ortberg

President and Chief Executive Officer

Boeing

929 Long Bridge Drive

Arlington, VA 22202

Dear Mr. Ortberg:

I write to request that Boeing negotiate in good faith with the nearly 3,300 Boeing Defense machinists currently on strike in the St. Louis, Missouri area. I also urge you, as President of Boeing, to quickly reach an agreement that the IAM 837 machinists can afford to accept.

As you know, these nearly 3,300 machinists have been on strike for fourteen weeks. That’s fourteen weeks without a paycheck and access to healthcare. A few weeks ago, I heard from Joshua Arnold—a decade-plus Boeing Defense shop steward, Army veteran, and father—when he testified before a Senate committee. He reported that, because of Boeing’s refusal to offer the machinists a contract that mirrors their value to the company, he and his fellow machinists have been without a paycheck for over three months. Further, some of the out-of-work machinists, who cannot readily obtain health insurance through a spouse’s plan, are forced to pay insurance rates in the thousands per month. This is unacceptable.

Just last year, Boeing and machinists in Seattle agreed to a beneficial contract after those machinists were on strike for 53 days. It is my understanding that Boeing’s offers to the St. Louis machinists have not contained similar terms. There exists a precedent for offering a better deal, and I urge you to finalize a reasonable agreement as soon as possible. These workers help produce our Nation’s most crucial, most advanced, and most expensive defense tools. And since your company receives billions in government contracts, it is incumbent upon you to do the right thing.

It is time to get a deal done. Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Sincerely,",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T19:52:45Z
https://jasonsmith.house.gov/2025/10/29/smith-calls-on-trump-administration-to-reverse-plan-to-expand-argentine-beef-imports/,Smith Calls on Trump Administration to Reverse Plan to Expand Argentine Beef Imports,2025-10-29,2025,2025-10,Republican,House,MO,Jason Smith,S001195,jasonsmith.house.gov,jasonsmith,https://jasonsmith.house.gov/category/press_release/,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Jason Smith (MO-08), Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, joined Congressman Greg Steube (FL-17) and other Republican Members of the Committee in writing to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Brooke Rollins and U.S. Trade Representative Ambassador Jamieson Greer expressing concern over a recently announced plan to expand imports of Argentine beef into the United States.

Congressman Smith stated, “While I agree with the president that, despite lower inflation, the cost of food is still too high for many working families, I strongly disagree with the idea that purchasing beef from Argentina will have a meaningful impact on prices at the store. In recent days, I have heard from countless cattle farmers in Missouri who have expressed concerns that they are being unfairly blamed for the high cost of beef when the Biden administration’s disastrous economic policies are still having huge impacts on their operations. I completely agree with them. I commend the Trump Administration for its work to open new markets for American cattle farmers. Just this weekend President Trump announced deals with several critical trading partners in Southeast Asia. These countries have historically maintained high tariffs on U.S. beef and thanks to President Trump’s efforts, US ranchers now have access to their markets. These deals only reenforce my opposition to any plans to purchase beef from foreign countries tariff free – particularly when those same nations do not give our own farmers equal access. America First means American Beef.”

In their letter, Congressman Smith and the lawmakers write, “While we share the Administration’s goal of lowering costs for consumers, we are concerned that granting additional market access to Argentina – already one of our largest beef suppliers – will undermine American cattle producers, weaken our position in ongoing trade negotiations, and reintroduce avoidable animal-health risks. On average, Argentina exports over $200 million of beef annually to the U.S. while purchasing less than $2 million of U.S. beef in return. This persistent imbalance, combined with Argentina’s continued tariffs on U.S. beef and its documented history of foot-and-mouth disease, raises serious questions about reciprocity, safety, and long-term fairness.”

While acknowledging concern with the importation of Argentine beef, the letter also highlights the Trump Administration’s continued leadership in supporting America’s farmers, ranchers, and agricultural producers, stating, “The Administration’s efforts to expand small and medium size processing capacity, open additional grazing lands, enforce country of origin rules for usage of ‘Product of USA’ labels, and strengthen the USDA’s remote grading program represent meaningful progress toward ensuring that the United States remains the world’s leading supplier of safe, high-quality beef. These actions have reinforced confidence in rural America and underscored the Trump Administration’s commitment to revitalizing domestic agriculture.”",1,2026-06-27T21:44:12Z,2026-06-27T22:31:14Z
https://www.hawley.senate.gov/hawley-introduces-bipartisan-bill-protecting-children-from-ai-chatbots-with-parents-colleagues/,"Hawley Introduces Bipartisan Bill Protecting Children from AI Chatbots with Parents, Colleagues",2025-10-28,2025,2025-10,Republican,Senate,MO,Josh Hawley,H001089,www.hawley.senate.gov,hawley,https://www.hawley.senate.gov/press-releases/page/,scraper,"WASHINGTON — Today, U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) held a press conference introducing bipartisan legislation to protect children from AI chatbots, the GUARD Act. He was joined by cosponsors of the bill, Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Katie Britt (R-Ala.), Mark Warner (D-Vir.), and Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) as they made the case for the GUARD Act. This legislation would ban AI companions for minors, mandate AI chatbots disclose its non-human status, and create new crimes for companies who make AI for minors that solicits or produces sexual content.

In attendance at the press conference were parents whose children tragically committed suicide or self-harm at the direct prompting of AI chatbots, as well as supporting advocates and organizations.

“AI chatbots pose a serious threat to our kids. More than seventy percent of American children are now using these AI products. Chatbots develop relationships with kids using fake empathy and are encouraging suicide. We in Congress have a moral duty to enact bright-line rules to prevent further harm from this new technology,” Senator Hawley said. “I’m proud to introduce this bipartisan legislation with tremendous support from parents and survivors that will ensure our kids are protected online.”

“In their race to the bottom, AI companies are pushing treacherous chatbots at kids and looking away when their products cause sexual abuse, or coerce them into self-harm or suicide. Our legislation imposes strict safeguards against exploitative or manipulative AI, backed by tough enforcement with criminal and civil penalties. Big Tech has betrayed any claim that we should trust companies to do the right thing on their own when they consistently put profit first ahead of child safety,” said Senator Blumenthal.

“In recent months, we have seen multiple alarming incidents involving chatbots—from encouraging suicide to engaging in sensual conversations with minors—that should give every American pause. It is our job in Congress to do everything we can to protect our children as we navigate the new reality of living in a world where AI is increasingly integrated into our lives. This legislation is a critical first step toward doing just that,” said Senator Britt.

Senator Murphy said, “You can’t overstate the harm these AI companion chatbots pose to our kids. Nearly 70 percent of teenagers are turning to chatbots as a substitute for friendship, making them more isolated and disconnected, but what’s even scarier are the stories of chatbots encouraging young people to hurt themselves or others. Big Tech companies are fighting regulation because they want to maximize their profits by addicting our kids to their technology, no matter the cost. Our bill forces these greedy AI companies to take responsibility and implement common sense protections to keep kids from accessing these dangerous chatbots and holds those companies criminally accountable when their product pushes minors to self-harm.

“It’s alarming to see AI chatbots contributing to incidents of self-harm among young people,” said Senator Warner. “Congress and the tech industry can’t afford to wait until more kids are hurt or more lives are lost. This bipartisan legislation will make sure clear guardrails are in place to protect kids from manipulative or dangerous chatbot interactions.”

VP of Public Policy at Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN), Stefan Turkheimer shared, “Right now, children are allowed, and even encouraged, by tech companies to engage with AI chatbots that are mimicking affection, manipulating them, and making them vulnerable to predators on and offline. The GUARD Act will finally ensure tech companies prioritize kids’ safety instead of profits.”

The GUARD Act would:",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T19:32:54Z
https://www.hawley.senate.gov/hawley-op-ed-no-american-should-go-to-bed-hungry/,Hawley Op-Ed: No American Should Go to Bed Hungry,2025-10-28,2025,2025-10,Republican,Senate,MO,Josh Hawley,H001089,www.hawley.senate.gov,hawley,https://www.hawley.senate.gov/press-releases/page/,scraper,"WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) penned the following op-ed on his legislation to fund food benefits that are set to run out on November 1 due to the ongoing government shutdown. Read the full op-ed here or below.

The federal government has been shut down for 28 days and counting. That’s 28 days too long and already the second-longest federal shutdown ever. Saturday will be another grim milestone. That is the day about 42 million Americans will lose federal food assistance.

Congress must not let that happen. America is a great and wealthy nation, and our most important wealth is our generosity of spirit. We help those in need. We provide for the widow and the orphan. Love of neighbor is part of who we are. The Scripture’s injunction to “remember the poor” is a principle Americans have lived by. It’s time Congress does the same.

The government shutdown has already touched countless lives, and not for the better. Key services have been curtailed and hundreds of thousands of federal employees — from air traffic controllers to Capitol Police officers — are working without pay. But letting federal food assistance lapse would introduce an entirely new stage of suffering. The best solution would be to pass a clean funding bill to reopen the government in its entirety, but if that can’t be done, Congress at the very least needs to pass my bill to ensure food assistance continues uninterrupted.

Millions of Americans rely on food assistance just to get by. The program often known as food stamps — officially it’s now called the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP — is a lifeline that permits the needy to purchase basic food items at the grocery store. Last year, SNAP enrollees hit about 42 million. That’s over 12 percent of the American population.

We’re not talking about high earners who don’t really need the assistance. SNAP broadly limits assistance to those who make 130 percent of the poverty line and below. These days, that’s folks who earn about $42,000 or less for a family of four. For these good people, food assistance is not an optional extra. They need it to feed their children.

The millions of Americans who receive food assistance include young parents raising children, men and women with disabilities, families suffering from temporary job loss and workers who have fallen on hard times. Among SNAP’s many beneficiaries are veterans. Approximately 1.2 million of our warriors receive food assistance.

Surely it is not hard to understand why SNAP is so essential to so many. The American economy has not been kind to working people in recent years. What cost $100 five years ago costs $125 today. So if you’re not earning 25 percent more than you were five years ago, you’re getting poorer. That’s most families in America. And nowhere do they feel it more than at the grocery store.

But nobody in America, this richest of nations, should go to bed hungry, and certainly no child. We have a proud tradition of helping those in need. The federal government stood up the first food stamp program in the 1930s, during the Great Depression. In 1960, while touring impoverished West Virginia, then-Senator John F. Kennedy promised, “We will see to it that every American is fed and fed right.” A year after his assassination, Congress wrote the Food Stamp Act into law.

Federal food benefits, distributed in partnership with the states, have grown to be one of our most vital forms of aid. My constituents in Missouri will tell you. A few days ago, a retired teacher from southwest Missouri wrote me about her four grandchildren. They rely on SNAP to buy groceries. Upon hearing that assistance may soon be unavailable, one of the children asked her: “Grandma, what will we do? How will we eat?”

Another Missourian relayed a similar story. She had to take time off from work for medical reasons, and now she and her husband, who is disabled, rely on SNAP for groceries. She wrote me: “I understand getting rid of the SNAP program for those who are doing fraud or giving it to illegal aliens. But what about those who need it? Why is the government hurting the honest SNAP people?” A third letter, from a wife in mid-Missouri whose husband has suffered brain damage, said simply of food stamps, “We would not eat without them.”

There is no reason any of these residents of my state — or any other American who qualifies for food assistance — should go hungry. We can afford to provide the help. Preventing debilitating poverty through the food program costs only about a tenth of our annual defense budget. Of course, aid should be limited to those who truly need it. But there is no cause, and no excuse, to deny aid to the poor entirely.

Congress can still pass legislation during a shutdown, and it should pass my bill to keep SNAP benefits going. Last I checked, members of Congress are still getting paid. Republicans blame Democrats, and Democrats blame Republicans, but all these people have food to spare. One suspects that if senators couldn’t buy groceries, the government would never close down again.

But this isn’t about politics at all in the end. It’s about who we are. The character of a nation is revealed not in quarterly profits or C.E.O. pay, but in how it treats the small and forgotten — the last, the least, the lost. America is a great nation precisely because we have loved our neighbors as ourselves. Congress should live up to that legacy now.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T19:32:54Z
https://www.hawley.senate.gov/new-hawley-bill-to-protect-snap-benefits-during-shutdown-gains-cosponsors/,New Hawley Bill to Protect SNAP Benefits During Shutdown Gains Cosponsors,2025-10-24,2025,2025-10,Republican,Senate,MO,Josh Hawley,H001089,www.hawley.senate.gov,hawley,https://www.hawley.senate.gov/press-releases/page/,scraper,"WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) filed legislation this week to ensure food stamps will continue to be funded despite the ongoing government shutdown. Today, he has secured support from Senators James Lankford (R-Okla.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska.) for his Keep SNAP Funded Act. The legislation is circulating in the Senate as several states report pending shortfalls in the SNAP program due to the shutdown.

“Needy families in Missouri should not be going hungry because a bunch of politicians in DC can’t figure out how to open the government,” said Senator Hawley. “650,000 people in Missouri depend on help when it comes to the price of food and groceries. I don’t want to see these folks go without food. I hope everybody will support this legislation.”

“The Trump Administration has tried to shield the American people from the harmful effects of this Democrat shutdown. But as the shutdown drags on, the reality is the only way to guarantee paychecks for federal employees, keep America’s skies safe for travelers, and ensure critical safety-net programs remain available for Oklahomans in need is to reopen the government. Under President Biden, this same type of clean continuing resolution passed on a bipartisan basis thirteen times. Now, under President Trump, it’s exceptionally disappointing to see Democrats choosing politics over paychecks and the most vulnerable,” Senator Lankford said.

“Roughly one in 10 Tennesseans receive SNAP benefits for food assistance, and they shouldn’t have to worry about where their next meal will come from because the Democrats are holding government funding hostage to appease their far-left base,” said Senator Blackburn. “Our Keep SNAP Funded Act would ensure Tennesseans do not miss a meal during the Democrats’ shutdown.”

“No American should face hunger because of partisan brinkmanship in Washington. SNAP is a lifeline for more than 170,000 Mainers, including 50,000 children and 73,000 older adults, who rely on this critical nutrition assistance,” said Senator Collins. “As Congress works to resolve the needless and reckless government shutdown, passing this legislation to ensure that SNAP payments continue without interruption is a top priority.”",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T19:32:54Z
https://graves.house.gov/media/press-releases/graves-blasts-schumer-using-air-traffic-controllers-political-pawns-government,Graves Blasts Schumer for Using Air Traffic Controllers as Political Pawns in Government Shutdown,2025-10-23,2025,2025-10,Republican,House,MO,Sam Graves,G000546,graves.house.gov,graves,https://graves.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"Image

October 23, 2025

WASHINGTON, DC – Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Sam Graves (R-MO) joined Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA), Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA), Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-MN), House Republican Conference Chairwoman Lisa McClain (R-MI), and Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy today at a press conference to discuss the impacts of the government shutdown on our aviation system and the more than 13,000 air traffic controllers currently working without pay.

Image

Chairman Graves took the opportunity to praise air traffic controllers for continuing to do their job despite the uncertainty surrounding their next paycheck: “They’re showing up for work, they’re doing the job, and they’re making sure that our skies stay safe.” Speaking about the shutdown and Senator Chuck Schumer, Graves said, “It’s unfortunate that he’s weaponizing the air traffic controllers,” and stressed that neither controllers nor their families should be used as political bargaining chips.

Chairman Graves’ full remarks from today’s press conference are available here.

Image

Speaker Mike Johnson addressed reports that air traffic controllers are taking on second jobs to make ends meet during the government shutdown: “Air traffic controllers, some people call the policemen of our skies, they have been showing up at work without pay. And, news reports have suggested that these men and women are seeking outside employment just to keep their families afloat.”

Secretary Duffy assured the public that it is still safe to fly and that the Administration’s efforts to modernize the air traffic control system, for which the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee provided a down payment of $12.5 billion in H.R. 1, is still progressing during the shutdown. However, he noted that the shutdown has the potential to negatively impact the recruitment of new air traffic controllers, as recruits are witnessing controllers go without pay. Hiring new air traffic controllers has been a priority for the Trump Administration as they work to address the current controller shortage. Secretary Duffy spoke about effects of the shutdown on new recruits saying, “They’re thinking about leaving the [FAA] Academy, smart young men and women, because they don’t want to work for a system that won’t pay them.”

Chairman Graves joined Secretary Duffy and House Republican Leadership in urging liberals in the Senate to pass a clear continuing resolution – which the House did weeks ago – and vote to reopen the government.

###",1,2026-04-04T05:28:40Z,2026-04-04T05:30:10Z
https://www.hawley.senate.gov/hawley-to-introduce-legislation-to-guarantee-direct-payments-for-farmers-ranchers-using-tariff-funds/,Hawley to Introduce Legislation to Guarantee Direct Payments for Farmers & Ranchers Using Tariff Funds,2025-10-23,2025,2025-10,Republican,Senate,MO,Josh Hawley,H001089,www.hawley.senate.gov,hawley,https://www.hawley.senate.gov/press-releases/page/,scraper,"WASHINGTON — Today, Senator Josh Hawley announced he will introduce legislation, the Support Our Farmers and Ranchers Act of 2025, to deliver direct payments for farmers and ranchers using revenue collected from President Trump’s tariffs.

The program will use billions in tariff money to provide congressional authorization for the Trump Administration’s plans to deliver relief for farmers and ranchers after several years of high input costs and low profitability margins. During his first term, President Trump provided tens of billions in a relief program to account for market conditions. Senator Hawley’s Support Our Farmers and Ranchers Act would permit the Trump Administration to immediately proceed with a similar relief program for this year.

The Support Our Farmers and Ranchers Act of 2025 would:",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T19:32:54Z
https://www.hawley.senate.gov/hawley-introduces-legislation-to-fund-food-stamps-and-farm-programs-during-government-shutdown/,Hawley Introduces Legislation to Fund Food Stamps and Farm Programs During Government Shutdown,2025-10-22,2025,2025-10,Republican,Senate,MO,Josh Hawley,H001089,www.hawley.senate.gov,hawley,https://www.hawley.senate.gov/press-releases/page/,scraper,"WASHINGTON — Yesterday, U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) introduced two bills to reinstate Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits and critical farm programs during the government shutdown.

“Since the Democrats refuse to fund the government, I’m introducing legislation to reinstate food stamps and farm programs immediately,” said Senator Hawley.“Missourians shouldn’t go hungry because of the Left’s incompetence. Our kids deserve to eat.”

More than 650,000 Missourians stand to lose their access to food benefits next month because Democrats refuse to fund the government. The vast majority of those Missourians are families with children.

The Keep SNAP Funded Act would ensure full funding for the SNAP program during the government shutdown. Under the bill, Congress would appropriate the necessary funding to provide uninterrupted SNAP benefits, retroactive to the start of the shutdown.

The Fund Farm Programs Act would reopen all Farm Service Agency (FSA) Offices and ensure resumed services for all FSA programs that farmers rely on. The USDA will be appropriated the necessary funding to provide resumed services for farmers through FSA offices, retroactive to the start of the shutdown.

Read the full bill text for the Keep SNAP Funded Act here.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T19:32:54Z
https://www.hawley.senate.gov/hawley-doubles-down-on-surging-data-center-concerns-in-response-to-state-legislator/,Hawley Doubles Down on Data Center Concerns in Response to State Legislator,2025-10-17,2025,2025-10,Republican,Senate,MO,Josh Hawley,H001089,www.hawley.senate.gov,hawley,https://www.hawley.senate.gov/press-releases/page/,scraper,"WASHINGTON — Today, Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) responded to Cindy O’Laughlin, President Pro Tempore of the Missouri State Senate, after she wrote aletter to Senator Hawley calling his concerns for Missourians’ rising utility costs “misleading.”

He shot back at O’Laughlin, saying she “told me to stop asking questions about data centers and higher electricity rates. Not a chance.”",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T19:32:54Z
https://www.hawley.senate.gov/hawley-introduces-bill-banning-abortion-and-gender-transitions-for-minors-on-the-healthcare-exchanges/,Hawley Introduces Bill Banning Abortion and Gender-Transitions for Minors on the Healthcare Exchanges,2025-10-15,2025,2025-10,Republican,Senate,MO,Josh Hawley,H001089,www.hawley.senate.gov,hawley,https://www.hawley.senate.gov/press-releases/page/,scraper,"WASHINGTON — Today, Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) introduced the Prohibiting Abortion & Transgender Procedures on the Exchanges Act, which would prohibit Exchanges from offering health plans that provide coverage of abortion or gender transition procedures or drugs for minor children.

“It’s time to ban abortion and gender-transition procedures for minors on the healthcare exchanges. No more loopholes,” said Senator Hawley.

The Prohibiting Abortion & Transgender Procedures on the Exchanges Act would:

Write Hyde language directly into the federal coverage terms of health plans, and prohibit Exchanges from offering any health plans that provide coverage of abortion, except for in cases of rape or incest, or if the mother’s life is at risk.

Prohibit Exchanges from offering any health plans that provide coverage of gender transition procedures or drugs for minor children.

This bill is supported by Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T19:32:54Z
https://www.hawley.senate.gov/hawley-sends-letter-to-ameren-demanding-answers-on-utility-bill-increases-data-center-deals-and-power-shut-offs/,"Hawley Sends Letter to Ameren Demanding Answers on Utility Bill Increases, Data Center Deals, and Power Shut-offs",2025-10-15,2025,2025-10,Republican,Senate,MO,Josh Hawley,H001089,www.hawley.senate.gov,hawley,https://www.hawley.senate.gov/press-releases/page/,scraper,"Today, U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) sent a letter to Ameren Corporation President and CEO Martin Lyons calling out Ameren for reportedly pursuing expensive corporate projects while thousands of Missourians experience rate hikes and power shut-offs.

Senator Hawley wrote, “Families across Missouri are struggling to pay their bills. But I am concerned Ameren is seeking dramatic rate increases in order to supply massive data centers and industrial users. Recent reporting indicates that Ameren cut electricity to thousands of Missouri households in September while simultaneously pursuing lucrative arrangements with corporate users.”

He continued, “​Missourians deserve affordable and reliable electricity. They should not be forced to subsidize corporate projects while struggling to keep their lights on.”

Hawley requested communications regarding Ameren’s rate increases, power disconnections, data-center expansion, as well as cost allocation and prioritization.

Read the full letter here or below.

Mr. Martin J. Lyons

President and Chief Executive Officer

Ameren Corporation

1901 Chouteau Avenue

St. Louis, MO 63103

Dear Mr. Lyons,

​Families across Missouri are struggling to pay their bills. But I am concerned Ameren is seeking dramatic rate increases in order to supply massive data centers and industrial users. Recent reporting indicates that Ameren cut electricity to thousands of Missouri households in September while simultaneously pursuing lucrative arrangements with corporate users.

​I am writing to ask for answers:

Rate Increases. Ameren’s current request before the Missouri Public Service Commission would raise electric bills for residential customers by roughly fifteen percent—a staggering increase for families already squeezed by inflation. Please explain in detail the justification for this increase, including how Ameren has calculated its projected revenue requirement and profit margin. Is any of this requested increase due to the considerable power demands from new data centers?

Disconnections. According to public filings, Ameren disconnected power to tens of thousands of households this year for nonpayment. How does Ameren evaluate the impact of these shutoffs on vulnerable customers, and what steps, if any, has the company taken to prevent disconnections in extreme weather conditions?

Data-Center Expansion. Ameren’s recent agreements to provide hundreds of megawatts of power to new data centers raise serious concerns about cross-subsidization. Has Ameren analyzed how these industrial contracts will affect residential prices? If so, please produce that analysis.

Cost Allocation and Prioritization. What measures has Ameren adopted to ensure that the cost of new infrastructure for large industrial users will not be passed on to residential ratepayers? Has Ameren considered prioritizing rate stability for households before approving discounted contracts for data-center clients?

Missourians deserve affordable and reliable electricity. They should not be forced to subsidize corporate projects while struggling to keep their lights on. I look forward to your responses by October 29, 2025. Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Sincerely,",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T19:32:54Z
https://wagner.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/wagner-statement-hostage-release,Wagner Statement on Hostage Release,2025-10-13,2025,2025-10,Republican,House,MO,Ann Wagner,W000812,wagner.house.gov,wagner,https://wagner.house.gov/media-center/press-releases,scraper,"Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Ann Wagner (R-MO), Co-Chair of the Abraham Accords Caucus, released the following statement on the release of hostages from Gaza:

“It has been two long years since these hostages were ripped away from their families in the midst of the brutal Hamas terror attack. That’s two years of not knowing when, or if, they would ever see their loved ones again. I am so incredibly grateful to see these innocents going home today, and my heart goes out to the families of the hostages who were killed in captivity in the furtherance of Hamas’s depraved anti-Semitic ideology.

“I’m hopeful today marks a turning point towards a more peaceful, just, and prosperous Middle East. Thank you to President Trump and his Administration for their strength and unparalleled diplomacy that made this miraculous day a reality.”",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T19:32:54Z
https://www.hawley.senate.gov/hawley-secures-wins-for-missouri-in-senate-defense-bill/,Hawley Secures Wins for Missouri in Senate Defense Bill,2025-10-09,2025,2025-10,Republican,Senate,MO,Josh Hawley,H001089,www.hawley.senate.gov,hawley,https://www.hawley.senate.gov/press-releases/page/,scraper,"Today, U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) issued the following statement on the passage of the Senate’s National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026 (FY2026 NDAA):

“Tonight the Senate has adopted my legislation protecting Ft. Leonard Wood’s vital hospital from being downgraded or closed. This is a huge win for Missouri. The defense bill passed tonight also enacts President Trump’s national security priorities, gives our troops a 3.8% pay raise, and makes needed defense investments across Missouri,” said Senator Hawley.

Wins for Missouri in the FY2026 NDAA include:",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T19:32:54Z
https://wagner.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/wagner-applauds-historic-middle-east-peace-deal,Wagner Applauds Historic Middle East Peace Deal,2025-10-08,2025,2025-10,Republican,House,MO,Ann Wagner,W000812,wagner.house.gov,wagner,https://wagner.house.gov/media-center/press-releases,scraper,"Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Ann Wagner (R-MO), Co-Chair of the House Abraham Accords Caucus, released the following statement on the historic peace deal between Israel and Hamas:

“Thank you to President Trump and Secretary Rubio for this incredible achievement that is the first step towards peace in the Middle East! This is a huge victory that will pave the way towards lasting stability and prosperity in the region. After months of hard work and tough diplomacy, innocent hostages will at last return to their families and countless lives will be saved.

“The past two years of war were a direct result of Hamas’s unprovoked, brutal attack on Israel. The Hamas terrorist network has been utterly eviscerated, a necessary action that has opened the door to lasting peace. A deradicalized Gaza is necessary for this war to end, and I am ready to work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle in the Abraham Accords Caucus to help lay the groundwork and fully implement the President’s peace plan so that Israel can look forward to a future of sustained peace, prosperity, and friendship with its Arab neighbors.”",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T19:32:54Z
https://www.hawley.senate.gov/hawley-secures-commitment-from-trump-doj-to-investigate-biden-fbi-spying-on-him-calls-for-special-prosecutor/,"Hawley Secures Commitment from Trump DOJ to Investigate Biden FBI Spying on Him, Calls for Special Prosecutor",2025-10-07,2025,2025-10,Republican,Senate,MO,Josh Hawley,H001089,www.hawley.senate.gov,hawley,https://www.hawley.senate.gov/press-releases/page/,scraper,"Today, in a Senate Judiciary hearing, U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) secured a commitment from Attorney General Pam Bondi that her Department of Justice (DOJ) would fully investigate how Joe Biden weaponized his DOJ to track Senator Hawley’s personal communications and access his confidential phone records. Biden’s special prosecutor Jack Smith also spied on seven other Republican members of Congress.

Senator Hawley lamented Biden’s weaponization of government against conservatives and what it means for the country, saying, “I’ve heard over and over from my Democrat colleagues, concerns about targeting political enemies, and they’ve accused you of all manner of things, and the current president… I’ve heard them say that ‘Joe Biden never targeted his political enemies. Joe Biden never directed his attorney general to target his political opponents.’ That’s interesting, because I could have sworn that yesterday we learned that the FBI tapped my phone… tapped Lindsey Graham’s phone, tapped Marsha Blackburn’s phone, tapped five other phones of United States senators.”

Senator Hawley asked Attorney General Bondi, “What was going on here? Who ordered this? Who ordered the tapping of the phones of United States Senators?”

“We will be looking at all aspects of this, and I have talked to Director Patel at length about this,” Attorney General Bondi answered.

Senator Hawley also reminded Attorney General Bondi of the litany of abuses that Biden’s DOJ committed against everyday Americans, including pro-lifers, parents at school board meetings, and 92 conservative advocacy organizations like Charlie Kirk’s Turning Point USA.

“So here you have an administration that is activating the FBI against its political opponents and tapping the phones of United States senators…. This is what was happening under Joe Biden… the political opponents of the president at the time, targeted, prosecuted. Pro-lifers, targeted, prosecuted. Catholics, targeted, prosecuted. 92 conservative organizations put under surveillance, targeted for potential prosecution. Gee, I don’t know. Would you call that an example of weaponization, Attorney General Bondi?”

Bondi replied, “Senator Hawley, that is the ultimate weaponization, and weaponization under Donald Trump has ended… No longer will parents be targeted. No longer will parents who care about whether their elementary school children have to read a transgender book be targeted… People can worship freely, whether they’re Catholics, at synagogues, or Muslims, everyone can worship freely. That was the ultimate weaponization. They were targeting Catholics – no longer. They have been targeting so many American citizens throughout this country. And Senator Hawley, you have been a champion of this, and thank you for being a champion of that. But under Donald Trump’s watch, it has ended.”

Senator Hawley called for congressional hearings, full-scale investigations, and prosecutions, saying, “Madam Attorney General, I think we need a special prosecutor to be appointed whose sole responsibility will be to get to the bottom of what has happened in every instance that I have just named. I think we need to know exactly who approved the wiretaps on United States Senators. Who knew about it, what agents were involved at DOJ or the FBI? I think we need to know exactly who signed off on the Catholic memo, the spying memo, who was involved with it… who terrorized pro-lifers and tried to intimidate them. I think we need to know. And this committee needs to do oversight hearings. We need to have thorough hearings into what has happened these last four years and this abuse that has now just been uncovered, because we have to ensure that it stops.”",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T19:32:54Z
https://www.hawley.senate.gov/abuse-of-power-beyond-watergate-hawley-reacts-to-new-reporting-that-biden-fbi-spied-on-him-other-republican-lawmakers/,"‘Abuse of Power Beyond Watergate’: Hawley Reacts to New Reporting that Biden FBI Spied on Him, Other Republican Lawmakers",2025-10-06,2025,2025-10,Republican,Senate,MO,Josh Hawley,H001089,www.hawley.senate.gov,hawley,https://www.hawley.senate.gov/press-releases/page/,scraper,"Today, U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) released the following statement following explosive new reporting, revealing that President Joe Biden’s Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) spied on Republican senators and a representative—going so far as to tap the lawmakers’ private communications and phone calls.

The organized spying campaign was part of the Biden-era “Arctic Frost” investigation.

The FBI targeted the following Members of Congress:",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T19:32:54Z
https://www.hawley.senate.gov/hawley-urges-fda-to-explain-concerning-approval-of-abortion-drug/,Hawley Urges FDA to Explain Concerning Approval of Abortion Drug,2025-10-03,2025,2025-10,Republican,Senate,MO,Josh Hawley,H001089,www.hawley.senate.gov,hawley,https://www.hawley.senate.gov/press-releases/page/,scraper,"Today, U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) sent a letter to Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Marty Makary following his agency’s alarming approval of a new generic version of the chemical abortion drug mifepristone.

Senator Hawley wrote, “I write with grave concern regarding your agency’s surprise approval of a new generic abortion drug. This decision appears to ignore the science while advancing a highly questionable ideological agenda. And I fear this decision may render moot your promise to conduct a safety review of mifepristone. I request your immediate assistance in explaining your agency’s decision.”

He continued, “As you know, recent data shows that nearly 11% of women who use the chemical abortion drug, mifepristone, experience a serious adverse health event—like sepsis or hemorrhaging—within 45 days. That is an adverse-event rate at least 22 times greater than currently disclosed on the FDA-approved drug label. In light of this data, your agency has committed to a thorough safety review of mifepristone and existing regulations… But this week, before any such review has been completed, your Food and Drug Administration approved a new generic abortion drug developed by Evita Solutions, LLC. This is a company with highly ideological, even extreme, views on gender and abortion.”

Senator Hawley concluded, “The timing of your agency’s approval raises further questions. FDA is supposed to be conducting a review of the safety regulations around mifepristone. But because this new generic has been approved before any changes to those safety protocols, this drug may be exempted from any new safety standards imposed on mifepristone in the future. That would render your safety review toothless and irrelevant. I invite you to explain your decision.”

Senator Hawley asked FDA Commissioner Makary to answer the following questions by no later than October 10, 2025:

Were you personally involved in the approval process of ANDA 216616? What was the nature of your involvement?

Please describe the timeline of ANDA 216616 submission and approval.

Please describe the scope and nature of the FDA’s therapeutic equivalence evaluation for ANDA 216616, including whether your bioequivalence review evaluated the risk of increased adverse events.

Please explain how the FDA considered the aforementioned new data on mifepristone safety in its approval.

Did your agency consider Evita Solutions’s stated goals and mission in its approval?

Because this approval preceded the safety review and any updated Mifepristone Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS), will the new generic now be allowed to remain on the market without immediately complying with any new safety standards?

Read the full letter here or below.

Dr. Marty Makary

Commissioner

U.S. Food and Drug Administration

10903 New Hampshire Avenue

Silver Spring, MD 20993

Commissioner Makary:

I write with grave concern regarding your agency’s surprise approval of a new generic abortion drug. This decision appears to ignore the science while advancing a highly questionable ideological agenda. And I fear this decision may render moot your promise to conduct a safety review of mifepristone. I request your immediate assistance in explaining your agency’s decision.

As you know, recent data shows that nearly 11% of women who use the chemical abortion drug, mifepristone, experience a serious adverse health event—like sepsis or hemorrhaging—within 45 days. That is an adverse-event rate at least 22 times greater than currently disclosed on the FDA-approved drug label.[1] In light of this data, your agency has committed to a thorough safety review of mifepristone and existing regulations. In your letter to me of June 2, 2025, you stated that you were “committed to conducting a review of mifepristone.”

But this week, before any such review has been completed, your Food and Drug Administration approved a new generic abortion drug developed by Evita Solutions, LLC. This is a company with highly ideological, even extreme, views on gender and abortion. The company’s website declares its mission is to “normalize abortion.” The company decries regulations protecting life and maternal safety as “unnecessary restrictions.” Moreover, the company appears not to recognize distinctions between men and women. Its website states: “Evita Solutions believes all people should have access to . . . abortion care, regardless of their race, sex, gender, age, sexuality, income, or where they live” (emphasis added). The company conspicuously refuses to use the word “woman” on its website. This is a woke corporation that clearly seeks to promote a woke ideological agenda.

The timing of your agency’s approval raises further questions. FDA is supposed to be conducting a review of the safety regulations around mifepristone. But because this new generic has been approved before any changes to those safety protocols, this drug may be exempted from any new safety standards imposed on mifepristone in the future. That would render your safety review toothless and irrelevant.

I invite you to explain your decision. Please answer the following questions by no later than October 10, 2025:

1. Were you personally involved in the approval process of ANDA 216616? What was the nature of your involvement?

2. Please describe the timeline of ANDA 216616 submission and approval.

3. Please describe the scope and nature of the FDA’s therapeutic equivalence evaluation for ANDA 216616, including whether your bioequivalence review evaluated the risk of increased adverse events.

4. Please explain how the FDA considered the aforementioned new data on mifepristone safety in its approval.

5. Did your agency consider Evita Solutions’s stated goals and mission in its approval?

6. Because this approval preceded the safety review and any updated Mifepristone Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS), will the new generic now be allowed to remain on the market without immediately complying with any new safety standards?",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T19:32:54Z
https://burlison.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-burlison-offices-remain-open-serve-constituents-during-government-shutdown,Rep. Burlison: Offices Remain Open to Serve Constituents During Government Shutdown,2025-10-01,2025,2025-10,Republican,House,MO,Eric Burlison,B001316,burlison.house.gov,burlison,https://burlison.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON – Following the shutdown of the federal government due to Senate Democrats’ refusal to negotiate responsibly, Representative Eric Burlison (MO-07) reminded constituents that his offices will remain fully operational to provide assistance.

“House Republicans passed a clean continuing resolution to keep the government open,” said Rep. Burlison. “Democrats refused to negotiate in good faith and demanded $1.4 trillion in spending that includes benefits for illegal aliens, subsidies for abortion, and rolling back the taxpayer savings from rescissions we achieved this year. Their actions put partisan politics above our troops and everyday Americans, and they’re deliberately trying to undo the conservative wins we’ve fought for under President Trump.”

Despite the shutdown, many essential services continue, including Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. Impacts vary by agency. Visit the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) website for the most up-to-date information.

“My offices in Washington, Springfield, and Joplin will remain open to help constituents with any federal services or questions during this period,” Burlison said.

Constituent Office Locations:

Washington, D.C. Office

1108 Longworth House Office Building

Washington, DC 20515

Phone: (202) 225-6536

Springfield District Office

3232 E. Ridgeview St.

Springfield, MO 65804

Phone: (417) 889-1800

Joplin District Office

2727 E. 32nd Street, Suite 2

Joplin, MO 64804

Phone: (417) 781-1041

Constituents are encouraged to contact any of these offices directly for assistance during the government shutdown.

###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T19:32:54Z
https://graves.house.gov/media/press-releases/graves-condemns-schumers-government-shutdown,Graves Condemns Schumer’s Government Shutdown,2025-10-01,2025,2025-10,Republican,House,MO,Sam Graves,G000546,graves.house.gov,graves,https://graves.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"“It’s critical we keep the government open and continue paying our troops, air traffic controllers, Border Patrol agents, and other essential government employees who work to keep us safe every day,“ said Graves. “Chuck Schumer and his pals need to stop playing games and start doing what’s right for the American people. I can’t believe they can sit there with a straight face and demand things like ‘free’ healthcare for illegal immigrants—paid for with your hard-earned tax dollars—in exchange for keeping the government open. This needs to end today.”",1,2026-04-04T05:28:40Z,2026-04-04T05:30:10Z
https://wagner.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/wagner-slams-democrats-shutting-down-government,Wagner Slams Democrats for Shutting Down Government,2025-10-01,2025,2025-10,Republican,House,MO,Ann Wagner,W000812,wagner.house.gov,wagner,https://wagner.house.gov/media-center/press-releases,scraper,"Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Ann Wagner (R-MO) released the following statement after Democrats shut down the U.S. Government:

“A government shutdown is a complete waste of taxpayer dollars, it is bad governance, and it hurts our economy and workers. Yet Democrats just voted to block a clean government funding bill because they want to spend $1.5 trillion more of your money. This is a shocking dereliction of duty by the Democrats, who supported thirteen clean temporary funding bills under the previous Administration.

“House Republicans did our job and passed a clean bill that pays our troops, Border Patrol, Air Traffic Controllers, and so many more federal workers, with absolutely zero partisan policies attached. We voted to continue food inspections, continue processing new applications for Social Security and Medicare, and other critical services, but Democrats are holding the federal government hostage for their radically liberal pet projects.

“The American people do not support shutting down the government for $1.5 trillion of out-of-touch liberal policies like free healthcare for illegal immigrants. Senator Chuck Schumer needs to stop trying to appease his far-left, radical base, support the clean bill, and reopen the government.”",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T19:32:54Z
https://www.hawley.senate.gov/icymi-hawley-accuses-airline-execs-of-using-predatory-fees-harassing-passengers-to-increase-profits/,"ICYMI: Hawley Accuses Airline Execs of Using Predatory Fees, Harassing Passengers to Increase Profits",2025-10-01,2025,2025-10,Republican,Senate,MO,Josh Hawley,H001089,www.hawley.senate.gov,hawley,https://www.hawley.senate.gov/press-releases/page/,scraper,"U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) confronted airline executives for implementing predatory fees to increase profit margins by extracting every last penny from travelers.

Senator Hawley accused Frontier Airlines CEO, Barry Biffle, of paying his employees to harass customers over the carry-on bag policy saying, “About nine months ago, your chief commercial officer testified to me that Frontier pays its gate agents bounties to stop paying customers from carrying bags onto the plane. Is this still happening?”

Mr. Biffle replied, “Not at the rate it was . . . We do offer incentives and commissions, to stop people who didn’t pay.”

Senator Hawley responded, “You’re still paying them money to harass customers from bringing bags onto the airline by saying it was too big or doesn’t fit in a little box, or whatever the case may be, you’re still doing it . . . This has gotta be the only business in the world I have heard of that pays your people to harass your own customers.”

Senator Hawley turned to Allegiant Airlines CEO, Greg Anderson, to ask if his company charges families with children under the age of 13 fees to sit together saying, “Your airline apparently, is charging additional fees. I just want to know, are you still doing that?”

“You’re not wrong,” Mr. Anderson replied. “There are some technology issues that we’re working through. We transformed our system, but we will look into this.”

Senator Hawley continued to question the airline executives about how they are implementing AI to increase profit margins and the unfair practice of dynamic seat pricing.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T19:32:54Z
https://www.hawley.senate.gov/hawley-durbin-introduce-legislation-empowering-americans-to-bring-liability-claims-against-ai-companies/,"Hawley, Durbin Introduce Legislation Empowering Americans to Bring Liability Claims Against AI Companies",2025-09-30,2025,2025-09,Republican,Senate,MO,Josh Hawley,H001089,www.hawley.senate.gov,hawley,https://www.hawley.senate.gov/press-releases/page/,scraper,"U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) joined Senator Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) in introducing the Aligning Incentives for Leadership, Excellence, and Advancement in Development (AI LEAD) Act. This legislation would classify AI systems as products, allowing for liability claims when an AI system causes harm.

“When a defective toy car breaks and injures a child, parents can sue the maker. Why should AI be treated any differently? This bipartisan legislation would apply products liability law to Big Tech’s AI, so parents—and any consumer—can sue when AI products harm them or their children,” Senator Hawley said.

“Democrats and Republicans don’t agree on much these days, but we’ve struck a remarkable bipartisan note in protecting children online. Big Tech’s time to police itself is over. Kids and adults across the country are turning to AI chatbots for advice and information, but greedy tech companies have designed these products to protect their own bottom line—not users’ safety,” said Senator Durbin. “By opening the courtroom and allowing victims to sue, our bill will force AI companies to develop their products with safety in mind. Our message to AI companies is clear: keep innovating, but do it responsibly. I thank Senator Hawley for joining me in introducing this bipartisan bill, and I look forward to passing it into law.”

The AI Lead Act would:

Classify AI systems as products, allowing for product liability claims to be brought against companies if their AI system causes harm.

Incentivize AI companies to design their systems safely rather than rushing AI systems to market.

Hold AI companies accountable without stifling innovation by allowing for the continued development of beneficial AI systems.

Senators Hawley and Durbin continue to work to hold Big Tech accountable. In June, they advanced their STOP CSAM Act unanimously through a Senate Judiciary Committee markup. The STOP CSAM Act would crack down on the proliferation of online child sexual abuse material (CSAM) by allowing victims to sue companies that host it.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T19:10:29Z
https://www.hawley.senate.gov/hawley-requests-information-on-missouri-tornado-relief-after-reported-delays/,Hawley Requests Information on Missouri Tornado Relief After Reported Delays,2025-09-30,2025,2025-09,Republican,Senate,MO,Josh Hawley,H001089,www.hawley.senate.gov,hawley,https://www.hawley.senate.gov/press-releases/page/,scraper,"U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) Chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on Disaster Management, sent a letter to the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Acting Administrator David Richardson following reports of delays in FEMA’s response to the May 16, 2025 Missouri tornadoes.

Senator Hawley wrote, “I write regarding the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s response to the May 16, 2025 tornadoes in Missouri. St. Louis city officials have reported delays in the distribution of federal assistance. As you know, the President approved a major disaster declaration for the St. Louis region on June 9. Some reports indicate that various aspects of the approved aid, however, have yet to arrive.”

He continued, “As Chair of the Subcommittee on Disaster Management, I request your help in gathering relevant information. You will agree, I know, that residents of disaster areas should receive approved federal assistance in a timely manner to ensure a swift recovery.”

Senator Hawley concluded the letter by requesting specific information on FEMA’s response to the St. Louis tornadoes.

Read the full letter here or below.

September 29, 2025

David Richardson

Acting Administrator

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)

500 C St., S.W.

Washington, DC 20472

Dear Acting Administrator Richardson:

I write regarding the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s response to the May 16, 2025 tornadoes in Missouri. St. Louis city officials have reported delays in the distribution of federal assistance. As you know, the President approved a major disaster declaration for the St. Louis region on June 9. Some reports indicate that various aspects of the approved aid, however, have yet to arrive.

As Chair of the Subcommittee on Disaster Management, I request your help in gathering relevant information. You will agree, I know, that residents of disaster areas should receive approved federal assistance in a timely manner to ensure a swift recovery. Please provide the following information to the Subcommittee no later than October 6, 2025:

How much FEMA aid has been provided to St. Louis to date pursuant to the June 2025 disaster declaration? How much aid remains to be provided? Please break down this information by specific recovery program.

How many FEMA personnel were deployed to assist with recovery efforts in St. Louis? What were their specific roles?

Has FEMA provided door-to-door services to help affected St. Louis residents apply for assistance? If not, why not?

Has FEMA closed disaster-recovery facilities in St. Louis at which residents can apply for financial assistance? How long were these facilities operational?

How is FEMA working to expedite deployment of federal resources to disaster areas, both in Missouri and in other affected regions?

I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T19:10:29Z
https://www.hawley.senate.gov/watch-hawley-grills-former-biden-advisor-over-defund-the-police-advocacy-and-gender-lunacy/,WATCH: Hawley Grills Former Biden Advisor Over Defund the Police Advocacy and Gender Lunacy,2025-09-30,2025,2025-09,Republican,Senate,MO,Josh Hawley,H001089,www.hawley.senate.gov,hawley,https://www.hawley.senate.gov/press-releases/page/,scraper,"This morning, U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) questioned Gregory Jackson, Jr.—former President Joe Biden’s Deputy Director of Gun Violence Prevention—for advocating to defund the police and invest in “safe-spaces” for “two-spirit” individuals.

“Mr. Jackson, Do you renounce the report that you authored as executive director?” Senator Hawley asked. “This is your report, ‘A Policymaker’s Playbook To Reduce Gun Violence Without Policing Communities’ Community Justice Action Fund, copyright 2023, when you were executive director. Now you say you don’t know anything about it… just like the Democrats who all of a sudden say, ‘Oh, we’re all for the police.’ They’ve been advocating defunding them for years,” Senator Hawley said.

Gregory Jackson replied, “You’ve never seen me advocate for that directly. What you’ve see me advocate for is a comprehensive approach to reducing violence and we’ve recognized that law enforcement is a part of the ecosystem the entire time.”

“This is so typical of what the Democrats do now. After your policies have transparently failed… now, you say you’ve never heard of defunding the police.” Senator Hawley responded, “Let me ask about something else you say… ‘Instead of funding the police, here’s what we ought to invest in. We need to invest in programs that acknowledge the need for safe-space initiatives led by lesbian, gay, bisexual, two-spirit, trans and gender non-conforming people.’ What’s two-spirit?”

Gregory Jackson replied, “Well, look I don’t know exactly. You guys are pulling some interesting quotes here.”

Senator Hawley concluded, “The answer is, you don’t have any solutions. You want to invest in gobbledygook and take away money from police officers who actually keep our community safe and when you’re called on the record, you deny it. It’s all there in black and white… you are leading this committee astray and frankly, sir, your policies are absurd.”",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T19:10:29Z
https://www.hawley.senate.gov/hawley-blumenthal-introduce-bipartisan-ai-evaluation-legislation-to-put-americans-first/,"Hawley, Blumenthal Introduce Bipartisan AI Evaluation Legislation to Put Americans First",2025-09-29,2025,2025-09,Republican,Senate,MO,Josh Hawley,H001089,www.hawley.senate.gov,hawley,https://www.hawley.senate.gov/press-releases/page/,scraper,"Today, U.S. Senators Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Ill.) introduced bipartisan legislation to create a risk evaluation program within the Department of Energy (DOE) dedicated to tracking AI safety concerns related to Americans’ national security, civil liberties, and labor protections. The program would ensure real transparency by requiring developers of advanced AI systems to submit product information to the DOE before deploying their new technology.

“As Big Tech companies continue to develop new generations of artificial intelligence, the wide-ranging risks of their technology continue to grow unchecked and underreported. Simply stated, Congress must not allow our national security, civil liberties, and labor protections to take a back seat to AI. This bipartisan legislation would guarantee common-sense testing and oversight of the most advanced AI systems, so Congress and the American people can be better informed about potential risks,” said Senator Hawley.

“AI companies have rushed to market with products that are unsafe for the public and often lack basic due diligence and testing. Our legislation would ensure that a federal entity is on the lookout, scrutinizing these AI models for threats to infrastructure, labor markets, and civil liberties—conducting vital research and providing the public with the information necessary to benefit from AI promises, while avoiding many of its pitfalls,” said Senator Blumenthal.

The Artificial Intelligence Risk Evaluation Act would:

Establish an “Advanced Artificial Intelligence Evaluation Program” within the DOE to evaluate advanced AI systems and collect data on the likelihood of adverse AI incidents, such as loss-of-control scenarios and weaponization by adversaries.

Require developers of advanced AI systems to participate in the program, including a duty to provide information regarding the AI system upon request.

Prohibit an advanced AI system from being deployed until the developer has complied with program requirements.

Require the Secretary of Energy to annually report to Congress with a recommended plan for federal oversight of advanced AI systems based on the program’s results.

In July, Senators Hawley and Blumenthal introduced bipartisan legislation to protect consumers’ data rights and hold Big Tech companies accountable for illegally pirating creators’ copyrighted works to train their AI models.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T19:10:29Z
https://burlison.house.gov/media/press-releases/burlison-statement-indictment-former-fbi-director-james-comey,Burlison Statement on Indictment of Former FBI Director James Comey,2025-09-25,2025,2025-09,Republican,House,MO,Eric Burlison,B001316,burlison.house.gov,burlison,https://burlison.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"Washington, D.C. — Former FBI Director James Comey was indicted by a federal grand jury on two counts: making false statements within the jurisdiction of the legislative branch and obstruction of a congressional proceeding.

The indictment alleges that Comey obstructed a congressional investigation into the disclosure of sensitive information, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1505. It further alleges that Comey made a false statement when he testified that he did not authorize someone at the FBI to serve as an anonymous source—an assertion the indictment states was untrue.

Comey is expected to surrender on Friday, September 26, with an arraignment scheduled for 10:00 a.m. on October 9 in Courtroom 600 of the U.S. District Court in Alexandria, before Judge Michael S. Nachmanoff.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T19:10:29Z
https://graves.house.gov/media/press-releases/graves-missouri-lawmakers-champion-rural-health-unlocking-access-quality-care,"Graves, Missouri Lawmakers Champion Rural Health, Unlocking Access to Quality Care for Rural Communities",2025-09-23,2025,2025-09,Republican,House,MO,Sam Graves,G000546,graves.house.gov,graves,https://graves.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, DC – Congressional Republicans and President Trump recently delivered critical resources to rural communities in Missouri and across the United States that have long struggled to establish access to basic health care services. Under the new tax cuts for working families law, a $50 billion Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) was created to help expand access to care in rural communities. States can apply for funding to help improve and sustain access to quality health care services and care delivery systems for such communities while recruiting and retaining a rural clinical workforce.

In a letter sent to Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe, Missouri Department of Social Services Director Jessica Bax, and Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services Director Sarah Willson highlighting the RHTP program as a critical lifeline for rural Missouri and calling on officials to incorporate key policies in their application for RHTP resources, Congressman Sam Graves (MO-06), Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith (MO-08) and members of the Missouri congressional delegation detail the immense health care challenges facing such communities:

“For the 20 percent of Americans – 60 million in total – that live in rural communities, insufficient access to health care is a daily crisis and contributes to worse health outcomes. These patients are often forced to drive an hour or more for basic medical services and face critical barriers when trying to receive specialized services such as oncology or maternity and obstetric care. The inability to directly and efficiently access care is devastating to rural communities across the country. It is unsurprising that rural patient cancer mortality is 13 percent higher than that of urban patients; that rural maternal mortality is twice as high as urban maternal mortality; and that rural mortality overall is 43 percent higher than urban mortality across natural causes. Access challenges are worsened when rural communities lose these critical service lines, or worse, their entire hospital facilities. Missouri has had 12 rural hospitals close in the past decade, reducing access to care for thousands of Missourians. Nationwide, nearly 200 rural hospitals have closed in that timeframe, while more than 100 rural hospitals have stopped providing maternity services in just the last five years. Nearly 400 rural hospitals have stopped providing chemotherapy services since 2014. We are committed to identifying the root causes of rural America’s health care access problem and engaging in meaningful solutions, such as the RHTP, to improve health care for the 60 million American families that need it most.”

Read the full letter from members of Missouri’s Congressional delegation here.

###",1,2026-04-04T05:28:40Z,2026-04-04T05:30:10Z
https://wagner.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/missouri-lawmakers-champion-rural-health-unlocking-access-quality-care,"Missouri Lawmakers Champion Rural Health, Unlocking Access to Quality Care for Rural Communities",2025-09-23,2025,2025-09,Republican,House,MO,Ann Wagner,W000812,wagner.house.gov,wagner,https://wagner.house.gov/media-center/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON D.C. – Congressional Republicans and President Trump recently delivered critical resources to rural communities in Missouri and across the United States that have long struggled to establish access to basic health care services. Under the new tax cuts for working families law, a $50 billion Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) was created to help expand access to care in rural communities. States can apply for funding to help improve and sustain access to quality health care services and care delivery systems for such communities while recruiting and retaining a rural clinical workforce.

In a letter sent to Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe, Missouri Department of Social Services Director Jessica Bax, and Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services Director Sarah Willson highlighting the RHTP program as a critical lifeline for rural Missouri and calling on officials to incorporate key policies in their application for RHTP resources, Congresswoman Ann Wagner and members of the Missouri congressional delegation detail the immense health care challenges facing such communities:

“The [OBBB’s Rural Health Transformation Program] RHTP makes a critical, timely investment in America’s rural communities, like those in Missouri. Under this program, rural health providers will see $50 billion in investments over the next five years, with half of this funding allotted to states directly and half to be awarded to states that submit a comprehensive application to make improvements in rural health through meaningful investments such as: promoting sustainable access to high quality rural health care services, recruiting and retaining rural clinical workforce, and rightsizing health care delivery systems to meet the needs of each community. Congress intentionally drafted this program to provide a federal-state partnership that ensures every dollar benefits the rural communities that need it most. Accordingly, we are sharing the following principles that will best improve access to rural health care in rural Missouri and demonstrate responsiveness to CMS’ Notice of Funding Opportunity, and we request you to incorporate them in your forthcoming RHTP application. We stand ready to work with you on the application process to guarantee the most success, support, and resources for Missourians.”",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T19:10:29Z
https://jasonsmith.house.gov/2025/09/23/missouri-lawmakers-champion-rural-health-unlocking-access-to-quality-care-for-rural-communities/,"Missouri Lawmakers Champion Rural Health, Unlocking Access to Quality Care for Rural Communities",2025-09-23,2025,2025-09,Republican,House,MO,Jason Smith,S001195,jasonsmith.house.gov,jasonsmith,https://jasonsmith.house.gov/category/press_release/,scraper,"WASHINGTON D.C. – Congressional Republicans and President Trump recently delivered critical resources to rural communities in Missouri and across the United States that have long struggled to establish access to basic health care services. Under the new tax cuts for working families law, a $50 billion Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) was created to help expand access to care in rural communities. States can apply for funding to help improve and sustain access to quality health care services and care delivery systems for such communities while recruiting and retaining a rural clinical workforce.

In a letter sent to Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe, Missouri Department of Social Services Director Jessica Bax, and Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services Director Sarah Willson highlighting the RHTP program as a critical lifeline for rural Missouri and calling on officials to incorporate key policies in their application for RHTP resources, Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith (MO-08) and members of the Missouri congressional delegation detail the immense health care challenges facing such communities:

“For the 20 percent of Americans – 60 million in total – that live in rural communities, insufficient access to health care is a daily crisis and contributes to worse health outcomes. These patients are often forced to drive an hour or more for basic medical services and face critical barriers when trying to receive specialized services such as oncology or maternity and obstetric care. The inability to directly and efficiently access care is devastating to rural communities across the country. It is unsurprising that rural patient cancer mortality is 13 percent higher than that of urban patients; that rural maternal mortality is twice as high as urban maternal mortality; and that rural mortality overall is 43 percent higher than urban mortality across natural causes. Access challenges are worsened when rural communities lose these critical service lines, or worse, their entire hospital facilities. Missouri has had 12 rural hospitals close in the past decade, reducing access to care for thousands of Missourians. Nationwide, nearly 200 rural hospitals have closed in that timeframe, while more than 100 rural hospitals have stopped providing maternity services in just the last five years. Nearly 400 rural hospitals have stopped providing chemotherapy services since 2014. We are committed to identifying the root causes of rural America’s health care access problem and engaging in meaningful solutions, such as the RHTP, to improve health care for the 60 million American families that need it most.”

The letter from members of Missouri’s Congressional delegation follows a letter sent by Ways and Means Committee Chairman Smith to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Mehmet Oz calling on the Trump Administration to ensure that RHTP funding goes toward truly rural communities and to monitor the use of these critical resources to serve the needs of those populations most deserving and most in need of support.

Read the full letter from members of Missouri’s Congressional delegation here.",1,2026-06-27T21:44:12Z,2026-06-27T22:31:09Z
https://graves.house.gov/media/press-releases/chairman-graves-welcomes-kcpd-chief-graves-t-i-roundtable-improving-safety-us,Chairman Graves Welcomes KCPD Chief Graves to T & I Roundtable on Improving Safety on U.S. Transit Systems,2025-09-19,2025,2025-09,Republican,House,MO,Sam Graves,G000546,graves.house.gov,graves,https://graves.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, DC – Leaders of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, the Republican Conference, and the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) joined in calling for improving the safety of America’s public transportation systems, following a roundtable meeting on the issue today held by T&I’s Subcommittee on Highways and Transit.

Graves invited Kansas City Chief of Police Stacey Graves to participate in today’s bipartisan closed-door roundtable discussion with transit and law enforcement officials and stakeholders.

Graves continued, “The next surface transportation reauthorization bill that our committee is currently developing will seek to make federal transit programs work for the traveling public, transit system workers, and taxpayers who expect their tax dollars to be spent wisely for the public good. Fortunately, the Trump Administration, Secretary Duffy, and FTA Administrator Molinaro are also making safety on our transit systems a top priority of the Federal Transit Administration’s. I look forward to working with them, my committee colleagues, the stakeholders at today’s roundtable, and others to bolster the safety of our publicly funded transit systems. I also want to thank Kansas City Police Chief Stacey Graves for participating in today’s roundtable and providing the Committee with an invaluable law enforcement perspective on this important public safety issue.”

Congressman David Rouzer (R-NC), Chairman of the Highways and Transit Subcommittee of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, led the discussion on the need to identify actionable solutions to improve safety on publicly funded transportation systems and restore the public’s trust in transit.

“The recent deadly stabbing of Iryna Zarutska on Charlotte’s light rail is a stark reminder safety must be at the center of our national transit conversation,” said Highways and Transit Subcommittee Chairman David Rouzer (R-NC). “While law enforcement and the justice system have their obligations to keep the public safe and ensure that justice prevails, Congress has an obligation to address any shortcomings that threaten public safety and implement appropriate measures of deterrence and prevention. This roundtable was an essential step in ensuring every rider can feel safe when they step onto public transit. By bringing together transit leaders and law enforcement, we’re focused on real, actionable solutions to protect riders, strengthen community confidence, and uphold the fundamental promise of safe, accessible public transportation systems for all Americans.”

“It was impossible not to think of the safety of my own daughter when watching the video of Iryna Zarutka’s brutal murder,” said House Republican Conference Chairwoman Lisa McClain (R-MI). “No parent should have to fear for their child’s safety on a city bus or train. I stand with Chairman Graves, Chairman Rouzer, and the Trump Administration as they move fast to crack down on crime, secure our transit systems, and restore law and order so American families can travel without fear.”

“As President Trump and Secretary Duffy have made clear, the safety of American families, including those relying on our transit systems to provide for their families, pursue an education, and make those important medical appointments, is a top priority for this Administration. FTA will continue to hold our transit partners and their leaders accountable until we see significant progress in the experience our commuters and transit workers are living through in our major cities. We’ve been given a mandate to clean up our buses and subways and we will deliver for the moms, dads, and children relying on these public services,” said Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Administrator Marcus Molinaro, who participated in today’s roundtable.

According to the Congressional Research Service (CRS), crime on public transportation systems has been generally worse since the COVID-19 pandemic. Compared to the five years prior to the pandemic, the average number of homicides on transit systems more than doubled in the five-year period between 2020 and 2024. Over the same period, assaults on transit systems increased by 80 percent. Recently, on August 22, 2025, Iryna Zarutska was murdered on the light rail system in Charlotte.

The T&I Committee and the Highways and Transit Subcommittee are in the ongoing process of developing a major bipartisan surface transportation reauthorization bill for this Congress; this bill will provide funding authorizations and policy changes for federal highways, transit, and other surface transportation programs. The current surface transportation authorization expires on September 30, 2026. One of the chairmen’s goals for the transit portion of the reauthorization bill will be to make transit work for communities of all sizes by ensuring that transit services are safe and reliable. Criminal activity on transit systems can undermine public confidence, decrease ridership, and damage the effectiveness and sustainability of those systems.

Transit and law enforcement officials and stakeholders who participated in today’s roundtable:

Federal Transit Administration Administrator Marcus Molinaro

American Public Transportation Association (APTA) President and Chief Executive Officer Paul P. Skoutelas

Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) General Manager and Chief Executive Officer Randy Clarke

Kansas City, Missouri Police Chief Stacey Graves

Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO President Greg Regan",1,2026-04-04T05:28:40Z,2026-04-04T05:30:10Z
https://burlison.house.gov/media/press-releases/hearing-wrap-expanded-school-choice-boosts-american-students-academic-0,Hearing Wrap Up: Expanded School Choice Boosts American Students’ Academic Performance,2025-09-18,2025,2025-09,Republican,House,MO,Eric Burlison,B001316,burlison.house.gov,burlison,https://burlison.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON—Today, the Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Energy Policy, and Regulatory Affairs held a hearing on “Opening Doors to Opportunity: The Promise of Expanded School Choice and Alternatives to Four-Year College Degrees.” During the hearing, members examined the benefits of expanded school choice programs and students’ academic performances. Members also assessed the current state of post-secondary education institutions that fail to produce college graduates who are prepared to meet the U.S. economy’s needs.

Key Takeaways:

American K-12 education had been declining for decades before the expansion of school choice programs among U.S. states, which have improved student academic performance and lifetime outcomes, all while lowering costs for taxpayers.

Shaka Mitchell, Senior Fellow at the American Federation for Children, testified that “[The] evidence is clear school choice improves outcomes for students who participate and for those who remain in traditional public schools. In fact, 27 out of 30 studies have shown positive or neutral effects on the achievement of students who stay in their local public schools. Perhaps the most striking data comes from Ohio’s Ed Choice program. Students in that program were not just more likely to graduate high school, they were 32 percent more likely to enroll in college and 60 percent more likely to earn a bachelor’s degree than their peers. For the lowest income students, the effect was even greater. They were 175 percent more likely to graduate from college. These aren’t incremental gains. These are life changing outcomes. And behind every statistic is a student.”

Rachel Greszler, Fellow at the Economic Policy Innovation Center at The Heritage Foundation, testified that “Florida and Arizona have led the way in demonstrating school choice success. And now, as more states are following suit. We’re seeing increasing numbers: Half of U.S. students are eligible for some form of private choice program. Also, over just the past two years, a majority of states have passed laws limiting cell phone use in schools. When students aren’t glued to screens, they learn better, they feel safer, and they can become more conscientious. In Alabama, the West Alabama Partnership brings schools and employers together. Ninth graders are required to attend a Worlds of Work career expo, and seniors can attend these expos and leave with a guaranteed job after graduation.”

Post-secondary education institutions are failing to produce college graduates who meet the U.S. economy’s needs, instead creating millions of young Americans with decades of student debt many of whom are in jobs which do not require a bachelor’s degree. Alternative secondary and higher education programs provide early career learning, income, and futures absent of student debt. The employment needs of the dynamic U.S. economy are simply not being met by mass adherence to four-year degrees.

Dr. Cody Hirschi, Superintendent of the Reeds Spring School District, testified that “[In the Reeds Spring School District], students build homes, repair cars, and serve in nursing homes and on ambulances, among several other real world learning opportunities. Each program is guided by an advisory team of experts working in our community in those related fields. Not only do our students gain incredible experience, but they are also earning industry recognized credentials, growing from 28 earned when I arrived to 226 earned last year, 88 percent of our students who attend table rock career center and are in an internship have a positive placement in a career path in the related field or post-secondary institution offered to them through our portrait of a graduate framework. We emphasize durable skills such as communication, critical thinking, adaptability, integrity, perseverance, and emotional resilience. We are implementing student pathways, strength-based assessments, and competency-based learning, giving students voice and agency in their education.”

Todd Dillender, Chief Operating Officer of Caliber Collision, testified that “Tech Forest estimates we need nearly 100,000 new technicians between 2024 and 2028. And the reality is, our traditional pipelines, high school and trade school graduates simply aren’t producing enough people to keep up. This shortage ripples across the economy. When repairs are delayed, costs rise. Insurers feel it, consumers feel it, and road safety is at risk. And the challenge is only growing. Vehicles are more complex than ever, with advanced safety systems that must be calibrated and tested before they go back on the road.”

Ms. Greszler testified that “Washington has poured hundreds of billions of dollars into federal higher education subsidies. They’ve created a near monopoly on student lending. But instead of better outcomes for students, they face higher tuition, ballooning debt, and too many degrees that don’t pay off. More than a third of undergraduate programs today have a negative return on investment, and only 60 percent of students who enter a college graduate with a degree within six years. Meanwhile, red tape is holding back proven alternatives like apprenticeships. A Harvard study found that we could be using apprenticeships to fill three times as many occupations, and eight times as many job openings.”

The One Big Beautiful Bill creates new investment in students across the U.S. and boosts academic opportunities for students across economic backgrounds.

Ms. Greszler testified that “We need more of these bridges from education to work. Congress has already taken significant steps in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, expanding 529 accounts, creating workforce Pell grants, limiting federal subsidies for low value degrees, and imposing work requirements in SNAP and Medicaid. But more can be done. Policymakers should expand apprenticeships, phase down federal subsidies that fuel higher tuition, replace failed federal job training programs with employer led initiatives, and make welfare more work oriented.”

Member Highlights:

Subcommittee Chairman Eric Burlison (R-Mo.) asked about students’ lack of preparedness for careers post-college.

Subcommittee Chairman Burlison: “The research that was quoted earlier suggests that one out of every two college graduates in the United States is working, is employed, in a job that does not require a degree. With that, is it fair to say that the post-education, you know, post-secondary education system is not meeting students’ needs?”

Ms. Greszler: “I think in many instances it is not. And that’s due to this massive amount of subsidies that are pushing too many people into college, four-year degrees, and also graduate degrees, but also a lack of awareness about what is the outcome of those degrees. And that’s why I think it’s been a good thing that congress has instituted those restrictions, so that funding [is] not going to go to programs that don’t produce an outcome of earnings that are higher than a high school graduate. And that’s exactly what we need more of, is more of these market-based solutions. But we’re lacking that with the enormous amount of federal money that is in higher education.”

Rep. Clay Higgins (R-La.) inquired about the success rates of students if the U.S. increased options for alternative pathways in education and careers.

Rep. Higgins: “We got so wise at the federal level and so unionized throughout our education system that we decided ‘that’s it, you have to have a four-year degree.’ It’s going to cost more and more and more. Now we’re crippling young Americans with debt for degrees that they don’t use. And in many cases, when they do get their degree, they come out of school after interviewing for a job with somebody that never went to college because that’s going to be their supervisor. So, we have to address this. We have to train our young people. Mr. Mitchell, if we shifted back to the way we did things before, what would happen for young Americans in our country?”

Mr. Mitchell: “Thank you, Congressman, for the question and for, you know, the information about what our education system used to set our children up for. And I think you are right to acknowledge that we have become too fixated on four-year college degrees today. One of the things that I believe school choice actually helps with, is showing families that there’s a menu of options for their students, because what we know, and I know this as a parent of three girls, there is range diversity. Even among the daughters in my own household, they have different have different affinities and talents and skills. It would be crazy to think that the exact same path is going to work for each one of them. So we’ve got to have an environment where we are allowing families to access a pathway that best meets the needs of their unique children. For some kids, that’s going to be college. For some, it can be career. Maybe getting into the trades of some of the other witnesses up here have discussed graduating high school with, um, certifications that allow you to get right into the workforce is a tremendous thing, and [it] means that you don’t have to go into debt pursuing a degree that you may not be interested in in the first place. And choice really opens up the aperture widens the aperture so that families have options.”

Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) asked if graduates of four-year college programs are more focused on pushing political agendas than they are developing real world skills.

Rep. Boebert: “Mr. Mitchell, would you say that today’s four-year colleges are more focused on, pushing political agendas than preparing our students for real world, marketable skills?”

Mr. Mitchell: “I think, unfortunately, what you see across the educational spectrum is that much of education, whether or not that’s K-12 or even at the higher [education] level, it’s not yielding the results for students that they need to be productive citizens, right? So, the [National Assessment of Education Progress] scores that were just released show that our graduating seniors are performing academically at the lowest levels in history. Now, many of those are matriculating still into colleges. And we’ve got to ask the question, ‘where did all of that money get used?’ Because the dollars have been, you know, have increased over time. The academic results are decreasing over time. And as we’ve heard from other members of this panel today, kids are leaving with more debt than they are opportunity. And so, we’ve got to ask some really hard questions, I think, about the entire education system and how we give families and kids more options.”

Rep. Boebert: “Yes. And would you say that many of today’s college graduates are more ideologically rigid than they are job ready after leaving?”

Mr. Mitchell: “Yeah. One of the things that is really interesting, some research [that] comes out of the University of Arkansas shows that students who participate in choice programs when they are in K-12 are actually more civically engaged, right? They have greater exposure to civil discourse, for instance, which we are in dire need of, especially on campus. And so, I’m hopeful that as we increase choice among K-12 students, that those young adults will be more prepared to engage with the world, to engage even with others who have different views from themselves in a civil manner.”",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T19:10:29Z
https://burlison.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-eric-burlison-host-manufacturing-tour-joplin,Rep. Eric Burlison to Host Manufacturing Tour in Joplin,2025-09-18,2025,2025-09,Republican,House,MO,Eric Burlison,B001316,burlison.house.gov,burlison,https://burlison.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"JOPLIN, MO – Congressman Eric Burlison (MO-07) will host a Manufacturing Tour and Debriefing on Friday, September 26, 2025, at Missouri Southern State University’s Ron Richard Athletic Center (Building 42). Members of the media are invited to attend a lunch and debriefing session, followed by media availability for interviews.

The event will highlight ongoing efforts to strengthen domestic manufacturing, promote pro-growth policies, and gather insights from industry leaders and stakeholders across Missouri’s 7th Congressional District.

MEDIA DETAILS

Date: Friday, September 26, 2025

Location: Ron Richard Athletic Center (Building 42), Missouri Southern State University, 3950 E. Newman Rd., Joplin, MO 64801 (Located directly north of Fred G. Hughes Stadium at the intersection of Newman & Duquesne Roads)

SCHEDULE

12:00 – 12:45 PM | Lunch & Debriefing

12:45 – 1:15 PM | Rep. Burlison Media Availability

MEDIA CONTACT

Nate Lucas (nate.lucas@mail.house.gov)

Noah Snelson (noah.snelson@mail.house.gov)

###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T19:10:29Z
https://onder.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-bob-onder-introduced-chloe-cole-act-which-was-transmitted-congress,"Congressman Bob Onder introduced the Chloe Cole Act, which was transmitted to Congress by the Department of Justice.",2025-09-18,2025,2025-09,Republican,House,MO,"Robert F. Onder, Jr.",O000177,onder.house.gov,onder,https://onder.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 18, 2025

Contact: Tom Mitchell

Washington — Today, Congressman Bob Onder introduced the Chloe Cole Act, which was transmitted to Congress by the Department of Justice. Congressman Onder will serve as the House sponsor of this legislation, which was commissioned by President Trump’s Executive Order 14187.

Tennessee Senator Marsha Blackburn will serve as the sponsor in the United States Senate.

""As a member of Congress, a doctor, a parent, and an American, I am committed to protecting our nation’s children. That’s why I am proud to introduce the Chloe Cole Act, a landmark bill that will put a permanent stop to one of the most dangerous and barbaric medical procedures in modern history,"" said Congressman Bob Onder.

“The Department of Justice has heard from far too many families who have been devastated by mutilative medical procedures that fly in the face of basic biology,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “While we continue our ongoing legal battle to protect children, we appreciate Senator Marsha Blackburn and Congressman Bob Onder who are working diligently alongside us to end these abusive procedures once and for all.”

“Puberty blockers, cross sex hormones, and surgical procedures left me with lasting damage when I was still a child. The damage done to my body is in many ways irreparable, and seeking restoration has been nearly impossible. Physicians who engage in chemical or surgical mutilation of children must face consequences. I’m proud to lend my name to this bill and help others whose lives have been forever altered due to these barbaric treatments,” said Chloe Cole.

“No child should be pushed into irreversible chemical and surgical mutilation under the guise of so-called ‘gender-affirming care,” said Senator Blackburn. “The Chloe Cole Act would put a stop to this barbaric abuse of children and give those who have suffered the consequences of these harmful procedures the chance to fight back.”

“The American College of Pediatricians has been sounding the alarm on the harms of puberty blockers, hormones and surgeries for minors who have gender dysphoria. We applaud the Chloe Cole Act and are pleased to see legislation that will prevent this irreversible damage. This Act will protect American youth from being gaslit into a lifetime of chronic illness and painful regret. Children deserve the best evidence-based medical care, not interventions driven by ideology,” said Dr. Jill Simons, Executive Director of the American College of Pediatricians.

The practice of medicine shouldn’t be politicized. Providing puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones and sex-trait surgeries to children on a mass scale is a practice that is not rooted in science or supported by peer-reviewed research. That is why European countries – including Sweden, Finland, and England – banned this practice as soon as it was discovered that it was causing more harm than good.

The claim that these procedures decrease suicidality or gender dysphoria is based on one faulty study that has never been able to be replicated. To achieve the desired outcome, the study dropped subjects who experienced unsuccessful results, including one that passed away. A 2022 follow up study of the participants found that 44% of females and 35% of males regretted losing their fertility, and 20% reported a change in their gender identity over time.

When used long term in healthy children, puberty blockers can cause splintered bones and osteoporosis. When cross-sex hormones follow puberty blockers, the child can be left permanently infertile and can be more likely to experience cardiovascular disease and metabolic disorders. We know that these procedures cause serious, permanent damage and provide little psychological benefit.

Political pressures have infiltrated medical society leadership, who have chosen to disregard evidence-based medicine and stifle concerns from physician members. Both the Endocrine Society and American Academy of Pediatrics adopted so-called “Gender Affirming Care” without allowing debate or a vote by their membership. In fact, physician members of both organizations have petitioned their leadership for the opportunity to discuss their concerns, but both have refused to allow such debate.

Whistleblower doctors and nurses have shared that parents and children are usually uninformed of the long-term health risks, and that many gender clinics intentionally refuse to track negative outcomes or provide support to children who are unhappy with the outcomes of their hormone intervention.

Across the country, radical ideologies have crept into our healthcare system, preying on vulnerable children and pressuring families into life-altering, irreversible procedures that mutilate healthy bodies under the false banner of ""gender-affirming care."" These practices aren’t medicine, they’re exploitation. They are rooted in political ideology, not science.

They are driven by profit and the bottom line of the transgender industrial complex, not compassion.

This legislation was inspired by courageous young women like Chloe Cole, who underwent a double mastectomy at just 15 years old — only to regret it deeply by 16. Chloe is one of thousands of children misled by dangerous medical experimentation disguised as care. These children are sterilized, scarred, and left to carry the emotional and physical burden for a lifetime, while activists and practitioners get rich.

Between 2019 and 2023 alone, over 14,000 children were prescribed puberty blockers or cross-sex hormones—and more than 5,700 were subjected to surgical procedures like mastectomies or genital reassignment. This is state-sanctioned child abuse, and it must end now.

In January, President Donald Trump signed Executive Order 14187, directing our government to stand up for these victims and to give them legal recourse.

This bill would:

Prohibit physicians, clinics, and hospitals from participating in chemical or surgical mutilation of minors;

Define sex as a biological reality, not a political label;

Establish a private right of action, allowing victims and their families to seek civil damages against those who harmed them;

And extend the statute of limitations to ensure that survivors have ample time to pursue justice, even decades later.

No parent should be told they must choose between “affirming” dangerous treatments or losing custody. And no doctor should escape accountability for permanently mutilating a healthy child.

This bill is simple: protect children, punish abusers, and ensure that victims can seek justice.

The Chloe Cole Act will end these horrific experiments on children and hold those profiting from the transgender industrial complex accountable. I call on my colleagues in Congress, regardless of party, to stand with our children and with the truth. Let’s put an end to this nightmare and restore sanity and safety to American healthcare.

Original House co-sponsors include:

Representatives Buddy Carter (GA-01), Greg Murphy (NC-03), Rich McCormick (GA-07), Chuck Fleischmann (TN-03), Randy Weber (TX-14), Barry Moore (AL-01), Jim Baird (IN-04), Brandon Gill (TX-26), John Rose (TN-06), Riley Moore (WV-02), Dave Taylor (OH-02), Mike Simpson (ID-02), Sheri Biggs (SC-03), Dan Crenshaw (TX-02), Andy Harris (MD-01), Pat Harrigan (NC-10), Robert Aderholt (AL-04), Andy Ogles (TN-05), Mike Collins (GA-10)",1,2026-04-04T05:28:40Z,2026-04-04T05:30:10Z
https://www.hawley.senate.gov/hawley-expands-investigation-demands-documents-from-big-tech-on-ai-chatbot-policies-after-hearing/,"Hawley Expands Investigation, Demands Documents from Big Tech on AI Chatbot Policies after Hearing",2025-09-18,2025,2025-09,Republican,Senate,MO,Josh Hawley,H001089,www.hawley.senate.gov,hawley,https://www.hawley.senate.gov/press-releases/page/,scraper,"Following an explosive Senate Judiciary Committee Subcommittee on Crime and Counterterrorism hearing that exposed the harm AI chatbots have caused to children, U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) issued document requests to Character.AI, Google, Meta, OpenAI, and Snap Inc. demanding they turn over all communications related to their AI chatbot policies.

In the letters, Senator Hawley, who chairs the committee, noted the testimony of several parents who lost their children to suicide at the hands of AI chatbots.

Senator Hawley wrote, “There is increasing evidence that AI chatbots pose a grave harm to children. And your company’s products are responsible. More than seventy percent of American children are now using AI chatbots, which exposes minors to a host of concerning material and mental health risks. In many cases, it appears that proper safeguards or parental controls are either nonexistent or unworkable. Last month, the Senate Judiciary Committee Subcommittee on Crime and Counterterrorism initiated an investigation into these harms concerning Meta products. Recent testimony has expanded the investigation’s scope, and the Subcommittee expects your full cooperation.”

He continued, “Three parents testified before the Subcommittee on harms experienced by their children who used chatbot products. Their testimony offered a visceral picture into a disturbing new reality: AI chatbots that mock a child’s faith, urge them to cut their own bodies, expose them to sex abuse material, and even groom them to suicide. This is no accident. These harms are the predictable result of the same playbook that many tech corporations used with respect to social media: maximize engagement at the expense of child safety.”

Senator Hawley concluded, “Please produce all documents and information specified in the annex no later than October 17, 2025. If you believe any materials contain proprietary or confidential information, you may confer with Subcommittee staff on an appropriate confidentiality agreement. But let me be clear: children are dead. Families are broken. Congress will not look the other way.”

Senator Hawley launched an investigation into Meta last month after disturbing reports exposed the company’s AI chatbots for engaging children in “romantic” and “sensual” online exchanges. Senator Hawley probed how Meta—as well as other tech companies across the generative AI space, including OpenAI’s ChatGPT—have been misleading Congress and parents on the policies behind their chatbots.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg turned down the opportunity to testify, and his response to Senator Hawley’s original demand for Meta’s communications and AI chatbot policies is due Friday, September 19. Senator Hawley has introduced legislation that would crack down on the proliferation of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) online by allowing victims to sue companies that host it.

Read the full letter below.

September 18, 2025

There is increasing evidence that AI chatbots pose a grave harm to children. And your company’s products are responsible. More than seventy percent of American children are now using AI chatbots, which exposes minors to a host of concerning material and mental health risks. In many cases, it appears that proper safeguards or parental controls are either nonexistent or unworkable. Last month, the Senate Judiciary Committee Subcommittee on Crime and Counterterrorism initiated an investigation into these harms concerning Meta products. Recent testimony has expanded the investigation’s scope, and the Subcommittee expects your full cooperation.

This week, three parents testified before the Subcommittee on harms experienced by their children who used chatbot products. Their testimony offered a visceral picture into a disturbing new reality: AI chatbots that mock a child’s faith, urge them to cut their own bodies, expose them to sex abuse material, and even groom them to suicide. This is no accident. These harms are the predictable result of the same playbook that many tech corporations used with respect to social media: maximize engagement at the expense of child safety.

Expert testimony at the hearing confirmed what these parents already knew: this is a widespread and systemic problem. Chatbots are engineered to keep children engaged at all costs, simulating friendship, sycophantically validating children’s darkest thoughts, isolating them from friends and families, all to draw kids deeper into addiction. The result is predictable: systems that isolate children, encourage self-harm, and even encourage suicides. This appears to be a business model that sacrifices children for engagement.

The hearing was a critical stage in the Subcommittee’s investigation. It confirmed the urgency of the threat and clarified what specific evidence is necessary for Congress to take appropriate remedial action. Accordingly, since your company has deployed chatbot products broadly available to children, I am attaching an annex containing comprehensive data requests.

Please produce all documents and information specified in the annex no later than October 17, 2025. If you believe any materials contain proprietary or confidential information, you may confer with Subcommittee staff on an appropriate confidentiality agreement. But let me be clear: children are dead. Families are broken. Congress will not look the other way.

Sincerely,",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T19:10:29Z
https://burlison.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-burlison-opens-hearing-school-choice-expansion,Rep. Burlison Opens Hearing on School Choice Expansion,2025-09-17,2025,2025-09,Republican,House,MO,Eric Burlison,B001316,burlison.house.gov,burlison,https://burlison.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON—Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Energy Policy, and Regulatory Affairs Chairman Eric Burlison (R-Mo.) delivered opening remarks at today’s hearing on “Opening Doors to Opportunity: The Promise of Expanded School Choice and Alternatives to Four-Year College Degrees.” In his opening remarks, Subcommittee Chairman Burlison noted the decline in American education prior to the expansion of school choice programs and the failure of post-secondary education institutions to prepare college graduates for meeting the needs of the U.S. economy. Subcommittee Chairman Burlison also highlighted the benefits of school choice programs on academic success and how school choice provided through the One Big Beautiful Bill saves American taxpayers money.

WATCH: Rep. Burlison's Opening Remarks

Below are Subcommittee Chairman Burlison’s prepared remarks:

Plato once said, “The direction in which education starts a man will determine his future in life.”

That is a truth that echoes across the millennia for men and women today: education is the foundation of a flourishing society and individual. And yet, in America today, our educational foundation has seen cracks and has been crumbling for years.

That jeopardizes American prosperity.

For 25 years, reading and math proficiency have flatlined. Our children are not flourishing—they are falling behind.

Meanwhile, the bureaucratic behemoth of traditional K-12 education has only grown larger, measuring its success less by learning outcomes and overall flourishment and more by one narrow metric: college admissions.

For many decades, college has been thought of as the key to success in America—college degrees guaranteed high paying, comfortable jobs.

But the promise of college as a guaranteed path to prosperity is now waning. Half of the undergraduate class of 2023 now works in jobs that don’t even require a degree.

Entry-level white-collar positions are disappearing as our economy changes and the use of artificial intelligence rises. The U.S. faces an unprecedented surplus of college graduates—many buried in debt for decades, many holding degrees of little value in the marketplace.

At the same time, our economy is starved for what higher education refuses to supply: manufacturing technicians, skilled tradesmen and tradeswomen, engineers, and workers who can build and maintain the backbone of America.

It’s time we reevaluate our education system.

Fortunately, President Trump and Congressional Republicans have made considerable efforts to challenge the traditional model.

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act signed into law earlier this year incentivizes the funding of scholarships and offers an opportunity for parents to send their children to the best schools.

School choice is not a theory. It is freedom. It is competition. It is accountability. It is vital to the economic future of our country. It should be as American as apple pie and baseball.

And alternative choices are not just needed at the K-12 level. They are also needed at the post-secondary level.

Recent reporting from the Department of Labor highlights that, in the trades, the average salary after completion of an apprenticeship is $11,000 more than that of recent college graduates.

Careers in the trades, as we will hear from our witnesses today, are vital, offer high paying jobs, and provide ample opportunities across our nation.

Education and training programs are vital to prepare young people to take advantage of these opportunities. They pass on critical learning that upholds and strengthens businesses and local economies.

America needs more post-secondary educational alternatives to prepare young people for these rewarding careers—alternatives that offer clear-cut and viable opportunities compared to underperforming 4-year college programs.

America’s youth and families deserve—and America’s economy demands—educational and career training choices that better fit students’, families’ and communities’ needs.

###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T19:10:29Z
https://www.hawley.senate.gov/icymi-chairman-hawley-exposes-ai-chatbots-for-harming-children/,ICYMI: Chairman Hawley Exposes AI Chatbots for Harming Children,2025-09-17,2025,2025-09,Republican,Senate,MO,Josh Hawley,H001089,www.hawley.senate.gov,hawley,https://www.hawley.senate.gov/press-releases/page/,scraper,"‘Every Parent’s Worst Nightmare’

U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Counterterrorism, held a hearing to expose the growing harms to children posed by online chatbots like Character.AI, OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Meta.

The hearing featured new testimony from parents of chatbot victims as well as AI safety experts and psychologists—one of whom recently issued a health advisory for AI chatbots.

One mother testifying under the alias ‘Jane Doe’ stated during her opening testimony, “Character.AI was marketed in the Apple Store as ‘fun and safe’ with an age rating of 12 plus. My son downloaded the app, and within months, he went from being happy, social teenager to somebody I didn’t even recognize… My son developed abuse-like behaviors and paranoia, daily panic attacks, isolation, self harm and homicidal thoughts. He stopped eating and bathing. He lost 20 pounds. He withdrew from our family… And one day he cut his arm open with a knife in front of his siblings and me. I had no idea the psychological harm an AI chatbot could do until I saw it in my son and I saw his light turn dark.”

Senator Hawley concluded the hearing by saying, “If we’ve learned anything today it’s that these companies cannot be trusted with this power. They cannot be trusted with this profit. They cannot be trusted to do the right thing. They’re not doing the right thing. They are literally taking the lives of our kids. There is nothing they will not do for profit and for power… I’ve introduced legislation that would allow every victim and every parent of a victim to be able to go to court and sue these companies, because it is my firm belief that until they are subject to a jury, they are not going to change their ways. And it is past time that they changed their ways. We cannot go on like this.”

Following testimony, Senator Hawley doubled down on his invitation to Zuckerberg, daring him to answer to the witnesses’ damning accusations.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T19:10:29Z
https://wagner.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/wagner-legislation-protect-seniors-financial-exploitation-unanimously,Wagner Legislation to Protect Seniors from Financial Exploitation Unanimously Approved by House Financial Services Committee,2025-09-16,2025,2025-09,Republican,House,MO,Ann Wagner,W000812,wagner.house.gov,wagner,https://wagner.house.gov/media-center/press-releases,scraper,"Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Ann Wagner (R-MO), Chair of the House Financial Services Subcommittee on Capital Markets, released the following statement after her Financial Exploitation Prevention Act was unanimously approved by the Financial Services Committee:

“We are facing a growing crisis that is often hidden in plain sight: the financial exploitation of our most vulnerable citizens. This issue affects millions, robbing them of their life savings and sense of security. For too long, the financial industry has been limited in its ability to combat this insidious crime. My Financial Exploitation Prevention Act empowers the people who are in the best position to intervene and stop financial abuse before it’s too late. Crucially, it allows financial institutions to temporarily delay a transaction if they have a reasonable belief that it is the result of financial exploitation. Tools like this will help better protect those who are 65 or older, as well as those with mental or physical impairments who are unable to protect their own interests. I am grateful the full Committee passed this legislation today, and I look forward to the House as a whole taking this up.”

Background

The Financial Exploitation Prevention Act would give the financial industry better tools to address suspected financial exploitation and abuse of seniors and those with mental and physical disabilities. First, the bill requires the Securities and Exchange Commission to report to Congress on recommendations for legislative and regulatory changes on how to combat financial exploitation of seniors and vulnerable adults. Second, the bill permits a registered open-end investment company or transfer agent for that company, including mutual funds, to better protect seniors by delaying the redemption period of any redeemable security if it was reasonably believed that such redemption was requested through the financial exploitation of a security holder who is a senior or an individual unable to protect their own interests.

Seniors aged 65 and over will make up 18% of the U.S. population by 2030. As more investors age into retirement, their risk of exploitation increases. According to a 2023 AARP report, Americans age 60 and older lose an estimated $28.3 billion annually due to financial exploitation.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T19:10:29Z
https://www.hawley.senate.gov/hawley-secures-commitment-from-fbi-director-patel-to-investigate-anti-christian-violence-ai-chatbots/,Hawley Secures Commitment from FBI Director Patel to Investigate Anti-Christian Violence & AI Chatbots,2025-09-16,2025,2025-09,Republican,Senate,MO,Josh Hawley,H001089,www.hawley.senate.gov,hawley,https://www.hawley.senate.gov/press-releases/page/,scraper,"Today, U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) secured a commitment from FBI Director Kash Patel to further investigate the harms of AI chatbots and anti-Christian violence in the wake of Charlie Kirk’s assassination.

“I want to start by talking to you about the tide of violence that we have seen, ideological violence against people of faith, particularly Christians,” Senator Hawley said. “Is the FBI investigating the Kirk assassination as part of this broader pattern of anti-religious, anti-Christian violence?”

FBI Director Patel responded, “We are investigating Charlie’s assassination fully and completely and running out every lead related to any allegation of broader violence, and we’re producing results… Unfortunately, it has been leaked that there was a Discord chat, and for those unfamiliar with it, it’s a gaming chat room online that the suspect participated in… and we’re also going to be investigating anyone and everyone involved in that Discord chat.”

Senator Hawley then asked, “I see the public reports that the Discord thread had as many as 20 additional users. It sounds like you’re trying to run down all of that to see if that’s accurate, who else may have been on that thread, is that fair to say?”

Director Patel revealed, “It’s a lot more than that and we’re running them all down.”

Turning to the broader question of anti-religious violence, Senator Hawley asked,“What is the FBI doing to take on this rising tide of violence that seems to be motivated by anti-religious hatred?”

Director Patel replied, “Publicly, I can tell you we have five hate crime investigations with anti-Catholic bias ongoing currently… any ideologically based attack against any faith, as a man of faith myself, will not be tolerated and the full resource the FBI are committed to all of it.”

Senator Hawley also asked about anti-religious investigations at the FBI under the previous administration saying, “Sadly, as you know, the FBI, when it comes to anti-religious animus, has been part of the problem before you got to this agency… How is it that the Federal Bureau of Investigation came to be recruiting informants in Christian churches in this country?”

Director Patel responded, “We made adjustments and permanent fixes to ensure that sources are not put into houses of worship unless there is an actual ongoing criminal or international terrorism threat… There have been terminations related to this, and resignations.”

Senator Hawley went on to question Director Patel on the threat AI chatbots pose to minors saying, “Are you investigating any cases of AI generated child sex abuse material?”

FBI Director Patel responded, “We are investigating dozens of those matters because let me just say this, as far as the FBI is concerned, generative AI that produces CSAM, Child Sexual Abuse material, under our investigative authorities is treated as equally as if it were actual Child Sexual Abuse material. There’s no difference for me or the FBI on this.”

Senator Hawley, Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Counterterrorism, will expand on Patel’s comment regarding AI chatbots during his hearing to examine the growing harms online chatbots have posed to users, specifically children, across Big Tech platforms. The hearing will feature new testimony from parents of chatbot victims as well as AI safety experts and psychologists—one of whom recently issued a health advisory for AI chatbots.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T19:10:29Z
https://www.hawley.senate.gov/hawley-proposes-fort-leonard-wood-as-potential-ice-agent-training-facility/,Hawley Proposes Fort Leonard Wood As Potential ICE Agent Training Facility,2025-09-15,2025,2025-09,Republican,Senate,MO,Josh Hawley,H001089,www.hawley.senate.gov,hawley,https://www.hawley.senate.gov/press-releases/page/,scraper,"U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) sent a letter to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem, promoting Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri as a potential training spot for new Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents.

Senator Hawley wrote, “My state is grateful for your efforts to reverse the lawless open borders policy of the previous administration. A central part of these efforts has been the recruitment of thousands of additional Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers. To facilitate the swift and effective training of these officers, I wanted to note the potential benefits of utilizing Fort Leonard Wood, a major Army installation in my state.”

He continued, “Fort Leonard Wood is currently a critical hub for military law enforcement training—housing both the U.S. Army Military Police School (USAMPS) and the Marine Corps Police Academy (MCPA)—and has a long history of supporting other federal law enforcement training efforts. The installation is able to accommodate sudden surges in its on-base population, and it currently has extra capacity to host additional missions due to the Army Transformation Initiative (ATI).”

Senator Hawley concluded, “Put simply, Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri has the infrastructure, experience, and space to support the rapid expansion of ICE’s critical immigration enforcement workforce.”

Read the full letter here or below.

September 12, 2025

Honorable Kristi Noem

Secretary of Homeland Security

U.S. Department of Homeland Security

2707 Martin Luther King Jr Ave SE

Washington, D.C. 20528

Acting Director Todd Lyons

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement

500 12th St. SW

Washington, D.C. 20536

Secretary Noem and Acting Director Lyons,

Thank you for your tireless work to secure America’s borders and enforce our immigration laws. My state is grateful for your efforts to reverse the lawless open borders policy of the previous administration.

A central part of these efforts has been the recruitment of thousands of additional Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers. To facilitate the swift and effective training of these officers, I wanted to note the potential benefits of utilizing Fort Leonard Wood, a major Army installation in my state. Fort Leonard Wood is currently a critical hub for military law enforcement training—housing both the U.S. Army Military Police School (USAMPS) and the Marine Corps Police Academy (MCPA)—and has a long history of supporting other federal law enforcement training efforts. The installation is able to accommodate sudden surges in its on-base population, and it currently has extra capacity to host additional missions due to the Army Transformation Initiative (ATI).

Put simply, Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri has the infrastructure, experience, and space to support the rapid expansion of ICE’s critical immigration enforcement workforce. Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Sincerely,

Josh Hawley

United States Senator",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T19:10:29Z
https://burlison.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-burlison-announces-hearing-reversing-decline-american-education-system,Rep. Burlison Announces Hearing on Reversing the Decline of the American Education System,2025-09-12,2025,2025-09,Republican,House,MO,Eric Burlison,B001316,burlison.house.gov,burlison,https://burlison.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON––Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Energy Policy, and Regulatory Affairs Chairman Eric Burlison (R-Mo.) today announced a hearing titled “Opening Doors to Opportunity: The Promise of Expanded School Choice and Alternatives to Four-Year College Degrees.” American K-12 education had been declining for decades before the expansion of school choice programs that increased students’ performance and outcomes and lowered costs for taxpayers. During the hearing, members will examine the benefits of expanded school choice programs and assess the current state of post-secondary education institutions that fail to produce college graduates prepared to fill the United States economy’s needs. Members will also examine new educational opportunities created under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.

“K-12 school choice programs have yielded significant improvements to students’ quality of life, academic performance, and life outcomes when compared to traditional educational model counterparts. The expansion of school choice programs through the One Big Beautiful Bill Act and Money Accounts for Growth and Advancement have given American students more opportunities to pursue alternative track programs that can help meet employment deficits in the economy. I look forward to hearing from experts on how Congress can facilitate the expansion of school choice programs that provide alternatives to failing post-secondary education institutions and have been saving American taxpayers money,” said Subcommittee Chairman Burlison.

WHAT: Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Energy Policy, and Regulatory Affairs hearing titled “Opening Doors to Opportunity: The Promise of Expanded School Choice and Alternatives to Four-Year College Degrees”

DATE: Wednesday, September 17, 2025

TIME: 10:00 a.m. ET

LOCATION: 2247 Rayburn House Office Building

WITNESSES:

Rachel Greszler, Economic Policy Innovation Center, The Heritage Foundation

Rebecca Friedrichs, founder, For Kids & Country

Nicole (Nicky) Neily, Parents Defending Education

Dr. Cody Hirschi, Superintendent, Reeds Spring School District",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T19:10:29Z
https://www.hawley.senate.gov/icymi-chairman-hawley-sounds-the-alarm-on-americas-fire-truck-crisis/,ICYMI: Chairman Hawley Sounds the Alarm on America’s Fire Truck Crisis,2025-09-12,2025,2025-09,Republican,Senate,MO,Josh Hawley,H001089,www.hawley.senate.gov,hawley,https://www.hawley.senate.gov/press-releases/page/,scraper,"Chairman Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) and Ranking Member Andy Kim (D-N.J.) held a hearing in the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Subcommittee on Disaster Management that revealed private equity’s role in the growing equipment crisis facing fire departments across the country. The hearing featured fire chiefs, union presidents, and industry leaders alike.

For the better part of 20 years, private-equity firms have made a business out of buying up independent firetruck manufacturers—to the point where just three major companies command 70-80 percent of the entire fire apparatus market.

“Your profits have grown five times over the last five years to 250 million dollars, but nobody can get their equipment,” the Senator said to an executive of the REV Group, a company formed by a private-equity firm in 2006.

“Before, a new fire engine order took between six months and a year, standard, to get delivered. Today, those orders take two years on the low end, four years on the high end,” Senator Hawley explained, pointing to corporate manufacturers’ anticompetitive practices as reason for the egregious delivery delays over the past five years.

Kansas City’s Fire Chief Dennis Rubin testified that his department was forced to improvise for months in Chevy Suburbans with firefighting equipment tossed in the trunks due to fire engine delivery delays.

“I just want to say to our corporate friends, you know, you don’t have to wait for prosecution, or for a study, or for anything else to do the right thing,” Senator Hawley urged industry witnesses. ” . . . In the meantime, I hope that we’ll see some action on the part of this body and the FTC and anybody else who has a piece of it to make sure that this industry begins to function again for the people of this country and the firefighters who keep it safe,” he concluded.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T19:10:29Z
https://burlison.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-burlison-mourns-tragic-assassination-charlie-kirk,Rep. Burlison Mourns the Tragic Assassination of Charlie Kirk,2025-09-11,2025,2025-09,Republican,House,MO,Eric Burlison,B001316,burlison.house.gov,burlison,https://burlison.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"Charlie Kirk, 31, was tragically shot and killed at a Utah Valley University event.

Rep. Burlison issued the following statement:

“Charlie Kirk was instrumental in leading the conservative youth movement across our country. He led the charge across college campuses, defending individual liberties and teaching a generation of young people how to think for themselves. Charlie was the man in the arena, fighting back against the deranged indoctrination in education that has corrupted so many of our institutions. We are praying for Charlie, his wife, and his two children. This tragedy is a painful reminder of the evil that exists in our world. This kind of violence must never be tolerated.”",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T19:10:29Z
https://onder.house.gov/media/press-releases/onders-bill-hr-3424-shared-property-agency-collaboration-and-engagement-space,"Onder’s Bill, H.R. 3424 - the Shared Property Agency Collaboration and Engagement (SPACE) Act of 2025 - Passes the House",2025-09-10,2025,2025-09,Republican,House,MO,"Robert F. Onder, Jr.",O000177,onder.house.gov,onder,https://onder.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"Contact: Brooke Morgan

Washington, D.C. — Congressman Bob Onder's bill, H.R. 3424, the Shared Property Agency and Collaboration and Engagement Act of 2025 (SPACE) Act has passed out of the House of Representatives. The SPACE Act requires the Administrator of the General Services Administration (GSA) to collaborate with tenants of federally leased spaces to identify and overcome concerns among the different federal agencies around shared-space arrangements.

The SPACE Act will:

Facilitate the expanded use of space-sharing or collocating between different Federal Agencies that are located in the same general area.

Identify how special-use spaces can be used to improve space-sharing or collocating.

Establish measurable objectives to quantify the success of shared-space arrangements among Federal agencies.

Congressman Onder said, “This will ensure government efficiency and save taxpayers’ hard-earned money. When I came to D.C. I was shocked to learn that many federal buildings throughout our country are nowhere near full or are sitting empty. Agencies often fail to share space and have large vacancies, even though they are only blocks from each other. The SPACE Act will require GSA to work with our Federal Agencies to address concerns about shared-space arrangements. In the long-term, this will save Americans money by consolidating the number of buildings our government owns, maintains, and pays for. Streamlining our government and saving taxpayer dollars are two of the major reasons I came to Washington, so I’m proud to champion this important reform.”

“Congressman Onder’s SPACE Act will help save taxpayer dollars by helping identify opportunities for federal agencies to increase the use of shared-space arrangements, building upon the public building reforms this committee continues to push for. I want to thank Dr. Onder for his leadership on this important bill that will help ensure the federal real estate portfolio is right-sized,” said Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Sam Graves.

###",1,2026-04-04T05:28:40Z,2026-04-04T05:30:10Z
https://wagner.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/wagner-votes-restore-peace-through-strength-bolster-national-security,"Wagner Votes to Restore Peace Through Strength, Bolster National Security, Secure Our Border",2025-09-10,2025,2025-09,Republican,House,MO,Ann Wagner,W000812,wagner.house.gov,wagner,https://wagner.house.gov/media-center/press-releases,scraper,"Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Ann Wagner (R-MO) released the following statement after she voted in support of the FY2026 National Defense Authorization Act:

“This week's National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) advances my commitment to President Trump’s peace through strength agenda and restores American superiority worldwide. The new Axis of Evil that is China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea continues to threaten global stability and American lives, and these adversaries must be deterred. My vote on this legislation does just that by rebuilding a lethal fighting force that can better confront these bad actors and protect our national security. The NDAA secures our border by supporting the fight against drug trafficking to the tune of $900 million, including $398 million for DoD support of Counter Narcotics operations. This legislation supports our servicemen and women and their families with a much-needed raise that honors our commitment to their patriotism and many sacrifices in on behalf of our nation. It also requires a sexual assault nurse examiner at all military medical facilities.

“We also fought to include critical funding for initiatives that will protect American communities from the threat of enemy attack, such as the cutting-edge Golden Dome missile defense system. Also included is funding for the Pacific Deterrence Initiative that will further our military posture in the Indo-Pacific and blunt China’s ongoing aggression, and unprecedented support to help Israel address ongoing terrorist threats like Hezbollah and Hamas while stopping Iran from gaining a larger foothold in the Middle East.

“Our St. Louis region is well-represented in the NDAA, and I fought to include critical programs from our area such as 21 F-15EX tactical fighter aircraft, 14 T-7A trainer aircraft, and full funding for the Air Force’s F-47 and Navy’s F/A-XX 6th Generation Aircraft programs as well as for the Navy’s MQ-25 unmanned carrier-launched aircraft. Also authorized is over $15 billion to restore our munitions stockpile, including JDAMs made here in Missouri.”",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T19:10:29Z
https://www.hawley.senate.gov/hawley-introduces-legislation-to-display-national-motto-in-god-we-trust-on-all-federal-buildings/,Hawley Introduces Legislation to Display National Motto ‘In God We Trust’ on All Federal Buildings,2025-09-09,2025,2025-09,Republican,Senate,MO,Josh Hawley,H001089,www.hawley.senate.gov,hawley,https://www.hawley.senate.gov/press-releases/page/,scraper,"Today, U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) introduced the In God We Trust Act, which would require the General Services Administration (GSA) to display the national motto on all federal buildings in the United States. The legislation comes alongside the launch of President Trump’s ‘America Prays’ initiative.

“Our national motto goes all the way back to the days of President Lincoln. Congress adopted ‘In God We Trust’ as our national motto in 1956 during the rise of atheist communism, and it remains our national motto today,” said Senator Hawley. “The In God We Trust Act will ensure that the federal government—as well as the American people for whom it works—never forgets the ultimate source of the liberty and prosperity this country enjoys. As the United States prepares to celebrate its 250th birthday, this bill would restore faith to its rightful place in the halls of government.”

Senator Hawley previously offered this idea in his 2024 National Conservatism Conference speech, when he declared it was time to “take the trans flags down from our public buildings and inscribe instead, on every building owned or operated by the federal government, our national motto: In God We Trust.”

If passed, the legislation would give GSA one year to inscribe or display in a place of prominence the national motto of the United States in all federal buildings.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T19:10:29Z
https://www.hawley.senate.gov/senator-hawley-applauds-confirmation-of-four-outstanding-missouri-judges/,Senator Hawley Applauds Confirmation of Four Outstanding Missouri Judges,2025-09-09,2025,2025-09,Republican,Senate,MO,Josh Hawley,H001089,www.hawley.senate.gov,hawley,https://www.hawley.senate.gov/press-releases/page/,scraper,"Today, U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) applauded the confirmation of Missouri’s four district court nominees to the federal bench.

“Today is a big day for Missouri as we confirm the last of our four outstanding district court judges to the federal bench,” said Senator Hawley. “These incredible individuals will uphold the Constitution and the rule of law in Missouri. Missourians are grateful to President Trump for putting constitutionalist judges on the bench.”

The Senate confirmed the following nominees:

Joshua M. Divine, to be United States District Judge for the Eastern and Western Districts of Missouri;

Maria A. Lanahan, to be United States District Judge for the Eastern District of Missouri;

Zachary M. Bluestone, to be United States District Judge for the Eastern District of Missouri; and

Cristian M. Stevens, to be United States District Judge for the Eastern District of Missouri",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T19:10:29Z
https://www.hawley.senate.gov/hawley-calls-for-investigation-into-unsafe-unsanitary-conditions-reported-by-missouri-tenants/,"Hawley Calls for Investigation into Unsafe, Unsanitary Conditions Reported by Missouri Tenants",2025-09-08,2025,2025-09,Republican,Senate,MO,Josh Hawley,H001089,www.hawley.senate.gov,hawley,https://www.hawley.senate.gov/press-releases/page/,scraper,"U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) sent a letter to Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Scott Turner, calling for an investigation into the unsafe and unsanitary conditions reported by tenants living at the Villas of Autumn Bend (the “Villas”) in Blue Springs, Mo.

“[Tenants] cited sewage overflows, mold, and dirty ventilation systems, among other conditions. Upon invitation by tenants, my staff visited the Villas and confirmed that many units had visible mold infestations, unsanitary ventilation systems, broken plumbing, and sewage backups,” Senator Hawley wrote.

“The tenants of the Villas of Autumn Bend deserve to live in conditions that meet the basic standards guaranteed by federal law,” the Senator insisted.

Senator Hawley has previously introduced legislation that would coordinate actions of federal and local housing authorities to crack down on landlords who fail to uphold basic living standards for their tenants.

Read the full letter here or below.

September 8, 2025

Scott Turner

Secretary of Housing and Urban Development

451 Seventh Street SW

Washington, DC 20410

Bruce Ladd

Deputy Regional Administrator

Department of Housing and Urban Development

400 State Avenue

Room 200

Kansas City, KS 66101

Secretary Turner:

I write to raise concerns about clear and ongoing noncompliance with HUD regulations at the Villas of Autumn Bend (the “Villas”) in Blue Springs, Missouri—a HUD-subsidized property managed by Dalmark Group.

Tenants from this property have contacted my Kansas City office multiple times with reports of unsafe and unsanitary conditions in and around their units. They cited sewage overflows, mold, and dirty ventilation systems, among other conditions. Upon invitation by tenants, my staff visited the Villas and confirmed that many units had visible mold infestations, unsanitary ventilation systems, broken plumbing, and sewage backups. One tenant had an independent firm perform a mold inspection, which indicated the presence of mold on unit surfaces and in the air.

Given the volume and credibility of these reports, as well as my staff’s observations, I am seriously concerned that the Villas is violating federal requirements for safe and sanitary HUD housing. See 24 C.F.R. § 5.703 (National standards for the condition of HUD housing). I request that your agency promptly investigate this property, review its compliance status, and take appropriate enforcement actions if violations are confirmed. Please provide my office with an update on what actions have been taken regarding the unsafe conditions at the Villas by October 8, 2025.

The tenants of the Villas of Autumn Bend deserve to live in conditions that meet the basic standards guaranteed by federal law. I appreciate your commitment to safe and sanitary housing for Americans, and I look forward to continuing to work with you on this issue.

Sincerely,",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T19:10:29Z
https://www.hawley.senate.gov/icymi-senator-hawley-warns-ai-threatens-the-working-man-at-natcon5/,ICYMI: Senator Hawley Warns ‘AI Threatens the Working Man’ at NatCon5,2025-09-08,2025,2025-09,Republican,Senate,MO,Josh Hawley,H001089,www.hawley.senate.gov,hawley,https://www.hawley.senate.gov/press-releases/page/,scraper,"U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) delivered a speech at the National Conservatism Conference addressing the threat posed by transhumanism. Rather than using advanced technologies like artificial intelligence to ‘transcend’ the human condition, subvert traditional values, and concentrate power among a small elite—as the transhumanist ideology seeks to do—Senator Hawley laid out a vision that centers on the interests of working Americans.

Senator Hawley stated, “America is a nation founded on the idea of the common man. The American republic is premised on his worth and his liberty. But the transhumanist ideal rejects the common man’s worth. And artificial intelligence threatens the common man’s liberty. To state it in the clearest terms, then: Americanism and the transhumanist revolution cannot coexist. And it is our job to see that Americanism wins.”

He continued, “And the problem with the AI ‘revolution’ as it’s currently going is that it only entrenches the power of the people … who are already the most powerful in the world. Imagine a future—a not too-distant future—where AI is deployed across the economy, across the country. We are well on the way to this future now. And we are told by AI boosters of the remarkable efficiencies it will bring. The papers written in seconds. The contracts drafted instantly. The algorithms that write themselves. Productivity like we’ve never seen. But here’s the flip side: millions of Americans out of work. That’s not any conspiracy theory, by the way. That’s what the tech titans openly tell us. One CEO recently predicted half of entry-level, white-collar jobs could be gone in the next five years. Half.”

He added, “Ultimately, when it comes to guardrails, protecting our children should be our lodestar. You may have seen recently how Meta green-lit its own chatbots to have sensual conversations with children—yes, you heard me right. Meta’s own internal documents permitted lurid conversations that no parent would ever contemplate. And most tragically, ChatGPT recently encouraged a troubled teenager to commit suicide—even providing detailed instructions on how to do it. We absolutely must require and enforce rigorous technical standards to bar inappropriate or harmful interactions with minors. And we should think seriously about age verification for chatbots and agents. We don’t let kids drive or drink or do a thousand other harmful things. The same standards should apply to AI.”

Senator Hawley concluded, “We are, when all is said and done, creatures—not gods. And that is a good thing. Our frailties teach us humility. Our shortcomings instruct us in perseverance. Our suffering gives us compassion for those who suffer. Our limits make us something better than powerful. They make us good. And they keep us free. Because there is only one God, we allow no man or class of men to rule over us. We rule ourselves, together, as equals. That is—and always has been—the American way.”",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T19:10:29Z
https://burlison.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-burlison-introduces-train-crew-choice-act-block-fras-union-driven-mandate,Rep. Burlison Introduces Train Crew Choice Act to Block FRA’s Union-Driven Mandate,2025-09-05,2025,2025-09,Republican,House,MO,Eric Burlison,B001316,burlison.house.gov,burlison,https://burlison.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"Congressman Eric Burlison (R-MO-07) introduced the Train Crew Choice Act, legislation to nullify the Biden-Harris administration’s Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) rule requiring all freight trains to operate with at least two crew members on board at all times.

“This bill is about stopping union bosses from using Washington to get what they can’t win at the bargaining table,” said Congressman Burlison. “Previously, in 2019, the FRA concluded that ‘accident/incident data does not support a train crew staffing regulation.’ Yet the Biden-Harris administration went ahead with this mandate, which burdens small railroads with increased costs with no benefit except inflating union membership.”

The Train Crew Choice Act repeals the FRA’s two-person crew rule and restores flexibility for railroads to make staffing decisions based on safety, technology, and efficiency.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T19:10:29Z
https://burlison.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-burlison-introduces-uap-disclosure-act-2025-amendment-ndaa,Rep. Burlison Introduces UAP Disclosure Act of 2025 as Amendment to NDAA,2025-08-29,2025,2025-08,Republican,House,MO,Eric Burlison,B001316,burlison.house.gov,burlison,https://burlison.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"Washington, D.C. – Congressman Eric Burlison (MO-07) announced today that he has submitted the Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP) Disclosure Act of 2025 as amendment to the FY 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) to increase transparency on government records related to UAP.

“For too long, Americans have been left in the dark about UAP,” said Rep. Burlison. “This amendment ensures these records are preserved, reviewed, and responsibly released to the public. Sunlight is the best disinfectant, and the American people deserve the truth.”

If adopted, the amendment will:

Prohibit the destruction or alteration of UAP records.

Create a UAP Records Collection at the National Archives to preserve and make available all relevant government records.

Establish an independent UAP Records Review Board to oversee the review and declassification process.

Require public disclosure of UAP records within 25 years unless the President certifies a clear national security reason for delay.

Provide ongoing congressional oversight to ensure accountability.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-07T14:57:50Z
https://graves.house.gov/media/press-releases/graves-presents-service-medals-wwii-veterans-family,Graves Presents Service Medals to WWII Veteran's Family,2025-08-28,2025,2025-08,Republican,House,MO,Sam Graves,G000546,graves.house.gov,graves,https://graves.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"KANSAS CITY, MO — Congressman Sam Graves (MO-06) presented military service medals that he was able to recover to the family of a Northwest Missouri veteran. Graves presented medals to the family of William Edgar Taul for his role in WWII. Mr. Taul served in the US Army, beginning in 1944. His military service records were lost in a fire at the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis in 1973. However, Graves was able to obtain several medals for his service.

“I’m grateful for all of our veterans in North Missouri,"" said Graves. “It’s an honor to be able to present these medals to Mr. Taul’s family so they can always remember his service to our nation.""",1,2026-04-04T05:28:40Z,2026-04-04T05:30:10Z