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://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases/sens-markey-schumer-sanders-demand-transparency-on-cdcs-delay-of-covid-19-vaccines-for-children-highlighting-concerning-pattern-of-trump-administration-undermining-americans-faith-in-vaccines,"Sens. Markey, Schumer, Sanders Demand Transparency on CDC’s Delay of COVID-19 Vaccines for Children, Highlighting Concerning Pattern of Trump Administration Undermining Americans’ Faith in Vaccines",2026-09-29,2026,2026-09,Democrat,Senate,MA,Edward J. Markey,M000133,www.markey.senate.gov,markey,https://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"Letter Text (PDF) Washington (September 29, 2026) - Senator Edward J. Markey, top Democrat on the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Subcommittee on Primary Health and Retirement Security, Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), and Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee Ranking Member Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) today wrote to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Erica Schwartz and Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Robert F. Kennedy Jr., calling for answers on the CDC’s month-long delay in making COVID-19 vaccines available through the Vaccines for Children (VFC) program. As of September 23, CDC notified states and local partners that the vaccine ordering portal is open—nearly a month after the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) approved this season’s vaccines, and during which the CDC offered no explanation for the delay. Concerningly, this delay follows a pattern of decisions by this Administration to undermine Americans’ faith in and access to vaccines. The lawmakers demand an immediate public accounting of this delay, confirmation that the distribution will proceed without further interruption, and full explanation of what caused millions of low-income and uninsured children to wait for vaccines, heading into the fall respiratory illness season. The lawmakers wrote, “The delays appear to be the latest in a pattern of eroding vaccine access under this Administration. In May 2025, Secretary Kennedy announced that the CDC would no longer recommend the COVID vaccine for healthy children. In August 2026, President Trump signed an executive order directing the splitting of the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine into separate shots without scientific justification. Secretary Kennedy has also continued to champion unfounded vaccine skepticism in public forums, including delivering the keynote address this month at a conference hosted by Children’s Health Defense, the anti-vaccine organization he helped found and previously led. Given this record, we are gravely concerned that this delay reflects the same hostility to vaccinations—whether through deliberate obstruction or negligence—rather than an administrative hiccup.” The lawmakers continued, “Every child deserves protection from dangerous preventable diseases, regardless of insurance status or their family’s income. Thus far, CDC has yet to offer the public any reasonable justification for a month-long delay in making vaccines accessible through the VFC program. Any delay in the program’s operation, particularly one that coincides with this Administration’s broader repudiation of vaccines, creates an unacceptable disparity that may lead to illness or even death. With children’s health on the line, we will not accept silence as a substitute for accountability.” The lawmakers request answers to the following questions by October 9, 2026: Why did CDC take nearly four weeks after FDA approval to open ordering? Please provide a timeline comparing this year's procurement and ordering schedule to the previous three years. Has any political appointee at HHS or CDC—including the Secretary or his direct reports—delayed, paused, or otherwise intervened in the vaccine procurement or ordering process for the VFC program? If so, identify who and describe the nature of the intervention. Please provide any relevant internal communications. How and when did CDC communicate this delay and its resolution to state health departments and immunization managers? Senator Markey has been a fierce opponent of the Trump administration’s Make America Sick Agenda. In March, Senator Markey led the Massachusetts congressional delegation in demanding answers from the National Institutes of Health on clinical trial disruptions and cancelations. In March, Senator Markey and Dr. Rochelle Walensky, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director under President Joe Biden, published an op-ed in Newsweek titled, “America Is Getting Sicker, Not Healthier, Under Trump and RFK Jr.” Senator Markey and Dr. Walensky detail the damage that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has done to Massachusetts’ and the country’s health infrastructure as he has sown seeds of distrust in medicine and science, particularly vaccines, and taken a sledgehammer to life-saving research at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and other health and research institutions. In February, Senator Markey released a statement following the release of documents indicating that Kennedy traveled to Samoa in 2019 to promote unscientific claims about vaccine safety. Kennedy’s visit preceded a measles outbreak in Samoa that killed 83 people, mostly young children. In August, Senator Markey released another statement following the release of new documents that revealed Kennedy traveled to Samoa in 2019 to promote disinformation about the measles vaccine. Senator Markey questioned the then-nominee at his January 30, 2025, confirmation hearing, where Kennedy lied to Senator Markey and Congress during his confirmation process; he said his trip to Samoa had “nothing to do with vaccines.” In September 2025, Senator Markey called for Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to resign in response to RFK Jr.’s irresponsible anti-vaccine rhetoric and dangerous public health policies. Senator Markey also released a tracker featuring a comprehensive list of Kennedy's dangerous actions since he was confirmed as HHS Secretary in February 2025. Senator Markey opposed Kennedy’s nomination to be HHS Secretary. ###",1,2026-09-30T10:57:52Z,2026-09-30T10:59:04Z https://neal.house.gov/2026/09/28/neal-statement-on-trumps-china-capitulation/,Neal Statement on Trump’s China Capitulation,2026-09-28,2026,2026-09,Democrat,House,MA,Richard E. Neal,N000015,neal.house.gov,neal,https://neal.house.gov/category/press-releases/,scraper,"SPRINGFIELD, MA— Ways and Means Committee Ranking Member Richard E. Neal (D-MA) released the following statement after the Trump Administration announced its intention to lower tariffs on China: “By every measure, President Trump’s trade war with the world has failed. Coupled with his war of choice with Iran that has sent fuel prices to historically high levels, Trump has brought nothing but higher costs for families, less opportunity for workers, chaos for small business owners, and fractured partnerships abroad. Desperate for a way out of his abysmal economic record, Trump is again selling out American workers and businesses by cowering to China when they’ve done nothing to address their manipulative trade and market behavior. “This capitulation comes as he unjustifiably doubles down on his trade war with our most important trading partners. Treating the world’s greatest trade cheat with kid gloves while socking our allies with more job-killing, price-hiking tariffs isn’t a strategy. It’s more weakness that families can’t afford. Enough of the red-carpet rollouts and backroom deals, it’s beyond time to return to sensible trade policy that actually delivers for the American people.” ###",1,2026-09-29T11:07:12Z,2026-09-29T11:08:49Z https://pressley.house.gov/2026/09/28/pressley-wu-announce-lawsuit-against-trump-administration-to-protect-20-million-federal-grant-for-roxburys-street-improvements/,"Pressley, Wu Announce Lawsuit Against Trump Administration to Protect $20 Million Federal Grant for Roxbury’s Street Improvements",2026-09-28,2026,2026-09,Democrat,House,MA,Ayanna Pressley,P000617,pressley.house.gov,pressley,https://pressley.house.gov/news/,scraper,"City Argues that the USDOT Illegally Withdrew Funds for Safety, Transit, Accessibility, and Traffic Flow Improvements to Melnea Cass Boulevard, Malcolm X Boulevard, and Warren Street in Roxbury BOSTON, MA – Today, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) and Mayor Michelle Wu announced that the City of Boston is filing a lawsuit challenging the Trump Administration’s unlawful withdrawal of a $20 million federal grant for critical street infrastructure improvements along three major corridors in Roxbury. In 2022, Rep. Pressley helped deliver these investments which would fund safety, transit, accessibility, and traffic flow improvements to essential roadways in Roxbury. The grant, awarded to the City in 2022 under the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) Grant Program, would fund the Roxbury Resilient Corridors project, including state of good repair, safety, transit, accessibility, and traffic flow improvements to Melnea Cass Boulevard, Malcolm X Boulevard, and Warren Street. “These funds are an essential investment in Roxbury and the unlawful cancellation of this grant is more evidence of Sean Duffy and Donald Trump’s contempt for the people we serve,” said Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07).“Our shared constituents should be able to get where they need to go and public transit is a public good. The law is on our side here and this lawsuit is a critical step in defense of this project that our office fought hard to secure funding for. There was no good reason to rescind these funds – DOT should reverse course so we can move this project forward, improve the daily lives of commuters, and enhance the climate resilience of at-risk communities—just as Congress intended.” “We’re fighting for every dollar of investment to improve quality of life for Roxbury residents, commuters, and businesses,” said Mayor Michelle Wu. “Boston earned this competitive grant to meet community needs and address long-needed infrastructure upgrades. The City of Boston will continue to fight back against lawless federal attacks, and we urge the court to reverse the Trump administration’s illegal actions and restore these critical funds for Roxbury.” The lawsuit seeks to reverse the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) September 2025 decision to cancel the City’s $20 million grant award. In abruptly withdrawing the award, the City argues that DOT acted against the instruction of Congress, which created the grant program. In its letter cancelling the grant, DOT cited just one reason: the project included a small amount of money for electric vehicle charging (less than 1% of the project costs), which DOT had encouraged the City to include, yet DOT revoked the entire grant on that sole basis. “For decades, Roxbury has waited for significant investments to improve our roads and sidewalks, add more trees and public spaces, and keep our families safe. These federal funds are critical in delivering much needed improvements, making it easier for everyone but especially our kids and elders to breathe clean air and get to where they need to safely in their community,” said Rev. Willie Bodrick, II, senior pastor of Twelfth Baptist Church and president & CEO of The American City Coalition. “I’m thankful to Mayor Wu and the City of Boston for standing up for our residents and look forward to continued partnership to ensure Roxbury receives this significant federal investment.” The City’s lawsuit argues that DOT’s overtly political decision was illegal. Congress created the RAISE program with the explicit goal of making transportation and environmental investments in historically underserved communities. The Roxbury Resilient Corridors project was designed to do just that, bringing needed upgrades, safety, traffic management, and quality of life improvements to some of Roxbury’s busiest corridors. “Boston lost a $20 million infrastructure grant over electric vehicle chargers that represented a fraction of 1% of the funding—infrastructure the federal government itself encouraged,” said Toby Merrill, litigation director at Public Rights Project. “That decision is arbitrary and unlawful. Federal agencies can’t rewrite Congress’s rules or their commitments to cities to fit changing political priorities, especially when residents pay the price. Public Rights Project is proud to represent Boston as it stands up for its residents.” “For six decades, Madison Park Development Corporation has invested in the people and families who make Roxbury the vibrant community it is today. This $20 million investment is about more than roads and infrastructure—it is about safer streets for our children, more accessible sidewalks for our seniors and families, better transit for our workers, and a neighborhood that receives the investment it deserves,” said Monica Dean, CEO of Madison Park Development Corporation. “We thank Mayor Wu, Congresswoman Pressley, and our federal, state, and local partners for standing with Roxbury and fighting to ensure that commitments made to our community are honored.” “Years ago, I volunteered to work with the City of Boston, and saw acres and acres of land that were cleared for highways and not for the benefit of Roxbury residents and the neighborhood. I agree with Representative Pressley and Mayor Wu’s efforts to restore funding for the Roxbury Resilient Corridors Project,” said Norman Stembridge, co-chair of the Roxbury Strategic Master Plan Oversight Committee (RSMPOC). The City’s lawsuit, City of Boston v. Duffy, was filed in the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts, Docket No. 1:26-cv-14419. The City is represented by attorneys from the City of Boston Law Department and pro bono counsel from Public Rights Project. Rep. Pressley has been advocating for federal funding to support the Roxbury Resiliency Corridors Project and submitted a letter of support for the project to DOT in April 2022. In September 2025, Rep. Pressley vehemently condemned the Trump administration’s cancellation of this essential federal grant. More information about the Roxbury Resiliency Corridors Project and the benefits it would bring is available here. In July 2025, Congresswoman Pressley and Senator Markey re-introduced the Freedom to Move Act, their legislation to support state and local efforts to establish public transportation as a public good through fare-free services. In August 2025, Rep. Pressley, Sen. Markey, and Mayor Wu announced their continued efforts to implement fare-free public transportation in Boston and across the Commonwealth. In August 2026, Rep. Pressley and Sen. Markey released a new report, Making Transit Free, Frequent, and Reliable: Massachusetts shows the need for federal investment in fare-free transit, detailing the need for increased federal investments in fare-free transit. In December 2025, Rep. Pressley led 14 colleagues in sending a letter to House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chair Sam Graves and Ranking Member Rick Larsen urging they prioritize affordability, accessibility, and sustainability in crafting the Surface Transportation Reauthorization bill—including by investing in fare-free transit. These priorities reflect the mission of the Future of Transportation Caucus, which reimagines America’s transportation systems to center equity, access, and sustainability. In October 2019, Rep. Pressley founded the Future of Transportation Caucus, a Congressional caucus focused on centering equity, access, and sustainability in our transportation systems. Rep. Pressley also co-chairs the Congressional Bike Caucus. ###",1,2026-09-29T11:07:12Z,2026-09-29T11:08:49Z https://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases/as-gas-prices-remain-high-due-to-illegal-war-in-iran-senator-markey-slams-trump-for-rollback-of-fuel-economy-standards-that-save-money-lower-emissions,"As Gas Prices Remain High Due to Illegal War in Iran, Senator Markey Slams Trump for Rollback of Fuel Economy Standards That Save Money, Lower Emissions",2026-09-28,2026,2026-09,Democrat,Senate,MA,Edward J. Markey,M000133,www.markey.senate.gov,markey,https://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"Washington (September 28, 2026) - Senator Edward J. Markey, a senior member of the Environment and Public Works Committee, today released the following statement after President Donald Trump announced new Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards, under which automakers will only have to achieve an average fleetwide fuel economy standard of 34.5 miles per gallon by 2031. This is more than thirty percent lower than the previous standards, which required manufacturers to achieve an average fleetwide fuel economy of 50.4 miles per gallon by 2031—a standard that would have continued to save drivers money, given drivers more fuel-efficient choices at the dealership, and cut our national dependence on globally priced oil. “Strong fuel economy standards mean that Americans spend less at the gas pump, our country imports less foreign oil, drivers can choose better options at the dealership, and we are better protected from pollution, price spikes, and climate change,” said Senator Markey. “Trump’s economic and foreign policy crises are already leaving families underwater from rising gas prices—and by attacking fuel economy standards, he’s also setting fire to the lifeboat.” Senator Markey has been a fuel economy champion since standards were enabled by the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, which included fuel economy language co-authored by then-Rep. Markey. That law included Markey’s language that said the standard must be at least 35 mpg by 2020, and that the “maximum feasible standard” must be set every year. In June, Senator Markey introduced the Gas Money Saved Act, legislation that would require the Department of Transportation (DOT) to examine whether it can strengthen CAFE standards during periods of skyrocketing gas prices. The legislation would also reinstate the penalties for automakers that fail to produce fuel-efficient vehicles as options for American drivers, which were removed as part of the giveaways to corporations and the super-rich in the Republicans’ Big Ugly Bill in 2025. In February, Senator Markey and Congresswoman Doris Matsui (CA-07) led 78 lawmakers in a letter to the Administration calling on it to withdraw its proposed rollback of fuel economy standards. ###",1,2026-09-29T11:07:12Z,2026-09-29T11:08:49Z https://pressley.house.gov/2026/09/28/pressley-schakowsky-booker-colleagues-reintroduce-abortion-is-health-care-everywhere-act-to-repeal-harmful-helms-amendment/,"Pressley, Schakowsky, Booker, Colleagues Reintroduce Abortion is Health Care Everywhere Act to Repeal Harmful Helms Amendment",2026-09-28,2026,2026-09,Democrat,House,MA,Ayanna Pressley,P000617,pressley.house.gov,pressley,https://pressley.house.gov/news/,scraper,"On International Safe Abortion Day, Lawmakers Renew Effort to Expand Access to Abortion Care Around the World Bill Text (PDF) BOSTON – Today, on International Safe Abortion Day, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) – alongside Representatives Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), Diana DeGette (CO-01), Norma Torres (CA-35), Marilyn Strickland (WA-10) and Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) – reintroduced the Abortion is Health Care Everywhere Act, legislation that would repeal the harmful Helms Amendment and ensure U.S. foreign assistance can support comprehensive reproductive health care, including abortion care. More than 80 House Members have joined the effort. “For decades, the reproductive health of millions of people—especially those in developing nations—has suffered as a result of the Helms Amendment barring U.S. foreign assistance from going to NGOs and clinics that provide abortion care,” said Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley, Co-Chair of the House Reproductive Freedom Caucus. “U.S. foreign aid to support health care in other countries falls desperately short by excluding reproductive health, and reinforces the criminalization and stigmatization of abortion care and reproductive health at home and abroad. This Administration’s cruel approach to gutting foreign aid has cost people around the globe their lives. The United States must reverse course, reinvest in foreign aid, and treat reproductive care as essential care.” “Abortion is health care, no matter where you live. For nearly 50 years, the racist, harmful Helms Amendment has blocked U.S. foreign assistance from supporting abortion care, even where abortion is legal. That is wrong,” said Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky. “Today, on International Safe Abortion Day and every day, we must stand with people around the world who deserve the freedom to make their own decisions about their bodies and their futures. The Abortion is Health Care Everywhere Act will repeal Helms and help make reproductive health care accessible to everyone, everywhere.” “For more than 50 years, the Helms Amendment has restricted the use of U.S. foreign assistance for abortion care, with real consequences for women around the world,” said Senator Cory Booker. “Women are turned away from safe care and denied information and counseling about their options. Providers are forced to treat abortion differently from other essential health services. That is not a policy grounded in science, compassion, or dignity. The Abortion Is Health Care Everywhere Act would end these restrictions and make clear that U.S. global health assistance can support comprehensive reproductive health care, including safe abortion care.” “The right to decide what is best for your body, health and family should not be dictated by borders,” said Congresswoman Diana DeGette, Co-Chair of the Reproductive Freedom Caucus. “The Helms Amendment is a draconian policy that has blocked access to essential health care for far too long. It’s time that Congress acts and ensures that no matter what community she calls home, every woman can access the full range of health care she needs — including abortion care.” “Health care should not depend on your ZIP code, your income, or the country you call home,” said Congresswoman Norma Torres. “For more than 50 years, the Helms Amendment has denied people around the world access to comprehensive reproductive health care. The Abortion is Health Care Everywhere Act is important because every woman deserves the freedom to make decisions about her own body, health, and future.” “As MAGA extremists unleash their assault on women’s rights, it is imperative to ensure reproductive health care for all,” said Congresswoman Marilyn Strickland. “The Helms Amendment makes it impossible for millions of women across the globe to seek reproductive care – including routine preventative screenings – barring economic mobility and worsening the maternal health crisis. I am introducing the Abortion is Health Care Everywhere Act with Representative Schakowsky and over 80 of my colleagues today to repeal Helms, ensure equality, and continue the fight for women’s rights worldwide.” The Abortion is Health Care Everywhere Act would repeal the Helms Amendment and replace it with language authorizing U.S. foreign assistance for comprehensive reproductive health care services, including abortion services, training, and equipment. The legislation is endorsed by leading reproductive health, global health, and human rights organizations. Text of the bill can be accessed here. “With the Trump Administration undermining foreign aid for sexual and reproductive health care, the stakes couldn’t be higher. Repealing the Helms Amendment, which has long prohibited U.S. support for abortion services around the world, is a critical step toward ensuring people everywhere can access safe abortion care,” said Kelly Baden, Vice President of US Policy & Communications, Guttmacher Institute. “We thank Sen. Booker, Rep. Schakowsky and their co-leads for introducing the Abortion Is Health Care Everywhere Act. Guttmacher’s research makes the impact clear: ending Helms and supporting health care systems around the globe would avert 19 million unsafe abortions and 17,000 maternal deaths annually.” “For more than 50 years, the Helms Amendment has denied people around the world reproductive freedom. It undermines global health and human rights. It’s an archaic remnant of U.S. abortion politics that has always been completely divorced from the reality of the lives of the people it harms,” said Brian Dixon, Sr. Vice President, Population Connection Action Fund. “It’s long past time to repeal this disgraceful law and we are grateful to Senator Booker and Congresswoman Schakowsky for introducing this important legislation. We look forward to its passage.” “Everyone deserves to be able to get the healthcare they need when they need it,” said Alexis McGill Johnson, President and CEO, Planned Parenthood Federation of America. “For over 50 years, the Helms Amendment has put safe abortion care out of reach for people around the world served by U.S. foreign assistance, including global health, gender-based violence, and humanitarian programs. As we continue to fight back against abortion bans and restrictions in the U.S., we must also work to expand access and eliminate barriers abroad. We’re thankful to Rep. Schakowsky, Sen. Booker, and their co-leads for their leadership in expanding access to essential healthcare.” “Comprehensive abortion care is health care. That is not a political assertion, it is a public health reality,” said Nabeeha Kazi Hutchins, President and CEO, PAI. “When safe abortion care is not available, abortions do not stop. They become more dangerous, contributing to preventable maternal death and morbidity. For more than 50 years, the Helms Amendment has restricted U.S. foreign assistance for this care, putting women’s health and lives at risk. U.S. global health policy should be grounded in evidence and focused on preventing needless maternal deaths and illness. It’s time for Congress to pass the Abortion is Health Care Everywhere Act and repeal Helms.” The Helms Amendment was first enacted in 1973 and restricts U.S. foreign assistance from being used for abortion as a method of family planning. In her time serving in Congress, Rep. Pressley has fought persistently to protect and advance reproductive justice and ensure fundamental life-saving reproductive health care for all. In September 2026, Rep. Pressley reintroduced the Affordability is Access Act, would require insurers to fully cover over-the-counter birth control without any fees or out-of-pocket costs In July 2026, alongside Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR), House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), Whip Katherine Clark (D-MA), and Representatives Frank Pallone Jr. (D-NJ), Diana DeGette (D-CO), and Jamie Raskin (D-MD), led more than 250 Senate and House Democrats in filing an amicus brief to the Fifth Circuit in Louisiana v. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) focused on pushing back against Louisiana’s attempt to reinstate the in-person dispensing requirement for mifepristone. In July 2026, in recognition of the 250th anniversary of American independence and the work still to be done to create a nation that lives up to the founding ideals of liberty and justice for all, Rep. Pressley, alongside Representatives Lateefah Simon and Sydney Kamlager-Dove, introduced the America 250 Reproductive Justice Resolution. In June 2026, in marking the fourth anniversary of the devastating Dobbs decision, Rep. Pressley uplifted and engaged families impacted by Republicans attacks on abortion care and issued a call to action to restore and expand access to abortion care, birth control, IVF, and true reproductive freedom. In June 2026, during a speech on the House floor, Rep. Pressley commanded a moment of silence to honor those who have died because they were denied essential abortion care. In June 2026, Rep. Pressley led a press conference with House Democratic Leadership to mark the fourth anniversary of the devastating Supreme Court Dobbs decision and offer her vision of seeing true reproductive justice realized and essential reproductive healthcare protected and expanded. In June 2026, Rep. Pressley joined impacted individuals and abortion storytellers to initiate a powerful day of action for the fourth anniversary of the devastating Dobbs decision, offering a message of resilient community support and a commitment to ensure abortion care is treated as the fundamental human right it is. Video is available here. On the anniversary of the Dobbs decision, Rep. Pressley introduced the Abortion Justice Act, sweeping, intersectional legislation to address access to abortion care and put forth a comprehensive vision of a just America where abortion care is readily available—without stigma, shame or systemic barriers—for all who seek it, regardless of zip code, immigration status, income, or background. Rep. Pressley is a lead co-sponsor of the Women’s Health Protection Act (WHPA), bicameral federal legislation to guarantee equal access to abortion care, everywhere. Rep. Pressley is also a lead co-sponsor of the EACH Act, bold legislation to repeal the Hyde Amendment and help guarantee abortion coverage—regardless of how a patient gets their health insurance. Shortly before the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade, Rep. Pressley led a group of her Black women colleagues in writing to President Biden urging him to declare a public health emergency amid the unprecedented threats to abortion rights nationwide. Rep. Pressley condemned the Supreme Court’s leaked draft opinion to overturn Roe v. Wade., and implored the Senate to protect abortion rights and slammed the white supremacist roots of anti-abortion efforts. Rep. Pressley has been outspoken in demanding justice for Adriana Smith, a 30-year-old pregnant mother who was declared brain dead in February and was forced to remain on life support due to Georgia’s abortion ban. In June 2025, Rep. Pressley delivered an impassioned floor speech in which she underscored that Adriana’s case is far too common in the unjust history of denying Black women their dignity, humanity, and right to bodily autonomy – and that GOP abortion bans such as Georgia’s deepen this pain and bar critical healthcare freedom. Rep. Pressley issued a statement after Adriana’s infant son Chance was delivered via emergency Cesarean section and Adriana was taken off life support. In May 2026, Pressley and her colleagues led 250 House and Senate Democrats in filing an amicus brief to the Supreme Court urging them to overturn a Fifth Circuit decision that would upend the FDA approval process and restrict access to mifepristone. On August 18, 2025, Rep. Pressley issued a statement applauding the passage of the updated Shield Act in Massachusetts, signed into law by Governor Maura Healey this month. The expanded Shield Act strengthens legal protections for people seeking reproductive and gender-affirming care in Massachusetts. On July 3, 2025, Rep. Pressley issued a statement on the final passage of Republicans’ Big, Ugly Bill that will rip healthcare and food assistance away from millions of people, including in Massachusetts, push reproductive healthcare further out of reach nationwide, and fuel Trump’s unlawful mass deportation agenda. On July 1, 2025, Rep. Pressley filed an amendment to Republicans’ Big, Ugly Bill to protect and expand reproductive healthcare. On June 26, 2025, Rep. Pressley issued a statement on the harmful Medina v. Planned Parenthood ruling, the Supreme Court’s decision to allow South Carolina to bar Medicaid patients from receiving healthcare services at Planned Parenthood. On June 24, 2025, Rep. Pressley joined House Democratic Leadership for a press conference to mark the somber anniversary and renew her calls for comprehensive legislation to protect abortion care and expand access to reproductive healthcare. On June 23, 2025, Rep. Pressley and the women of the Massachusetts delegation, Whip Katherine Clark (MA-05), Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), and Rep. Lori Trahan (MA-03) joined Planned Parenthood Advocacy Fund of Massachusetts President Dominique Lee for a press conference in solidarity with Planned Parenthood as they collectively fight to stop Republicans’ latest attack on reproductive freedom in the GOP’s Big, Ugly Bill. In June 2025, Rep. Pressley demanded justice for Adriana Smith, a 30-year-old pregnant mother who was declared brain dead in February and was forced to remain on life support due to Georgia’s abortion ban. On May 29, 2025, Rep. Pressley reintroduced a resolution demanding equitable access to reproductive and sexual healthcare for people with disabilities, and designating a day in May as “Disability Reproductive Equity Day.” On May 21, 2025, Rep. Pressley delivered a powerful speech on the House Floor in which she slammed Republicans’ reconciliation bill that would slash Medicaid, which is necessary to ensuring safe, healthy reproductive care and maternal health nationwide. On April 3, 2025, Rep. Pressley, alongside Reps. DeGette, Chu, Leger Fernández, Fletcher, Davids, Williams, sent a letter signed by 162 Members urging Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to restore all appropriated funding for Title X providers and coordinate an urgent meeting on the matter. On April 2, 2025, Rep. Pressley rallied with Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA), colleagues, and advocates outside the U.S. Supreme Court for Medicaid patients’ ability to access routine care at Planned Parenthood health centers. On March 5, 2025, Rep. Pressley and the Reproductive Freedom Caucus issued a statement condemning Donald Trump’s plans to drop the U.S. government’s case against Idaho’s violation of Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTALA) protections for emergency abortion care. In January 2025, Rep. Pressley gave an impassioned speech condemning H.R. 21, Republicans’ cruel anti-abortion bill that criminalizes providers and denies families care. In January 2025, Rep. Pressley was announced as Co-Chair of the Reproductive Freedom Caucus for the 119th Congress. In October 2024, Rep. Pressley issued a statement on Josseli Barnica, who died on Sept. 3, 2021 after being denied emergency abortion care in Texas as she suffered a miscarriage. In September 2024, in a House Democratic Steering and Policy Committee Hearing, Rep. Pressley highlighted the harmful and deadly impact of abortion bans in America to date, and outlined in detail the shameful circumstances under which Amber Nicole Thurman died after being denied necessary abortion care in Georgia. In May 2024, Rep. Pressley issued a statement on a Louisiana bill that would classify medication abortion drugs mifepristone and misoprostol as controlled substances. In April 2024, at a House Oversight Committee hearing, Rep. Pressley played “Fact or Fiction” with Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Robert Califf to emphasize the safety and efficacy of medication abortion drug mifepristone. Shortly before the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade, Rep. Pressley led a group of her Black women colleagues in writing to President Biden urging him to declare a public health emergency amid the unprecedented threats to abortion rights nationwide. Rep. Pressley condemned the Supreme Court’s leaked draft opinion to overturn Roe v. Wade., and implored the Senate to protect abortion rights and slammed the white supremacist roots of anti-abortion efforts. In August 2023, Rep. Pressley issued a statement on the Fifth Circuit Court decision in Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine v. FDA. In July 2023, Rep. Pressley, alongside Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Rep. Cori Bush (MO-01), and Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), reintroduced the Reproductive Health Care Accessibility Act, legislation to help people with disabilities—who face discrimination and extra barriers when seeking care—get better access to reproductive health care and the informed care they need to control their own reproductive lives. In July 2023, Rep. Pressley applauded the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) approval of over-the-counter birth control. In May 2023, Rep. Pressley applauded the FDA Advisory Committee’s unanimous, 17-0 vote to recommend the approval of the first-ever application for over-the-counter birth control. She and Senator Murray also held a press conference applauding the decision and urging the FDA to approval over-the-counter birth control without delay. In May 2023, Rep. Pressley, along with Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14) and Ami Bera, MD (CA-06) and Senators Mazie Hirono (D-HI) and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), reintroduced their bicameral Affordability is Access Act to ensure that once the FDA determines an over-the-counter birth control option to be safe, insurers fully cover over-the-counter birth control without any fees or out-of-pocket costs. In April 2023, Rep. Pressley issued a statement condemning the Texas court ruling on mifepristone, and discussed the Texas case in a recent floor speech in which she affirmed medication abortion as routine medical care and access to mifepristone as essential. She later joined Governor Maura Healey, Senator Elizabth Warren (D-MA), and local leaders in announcing action to protect Mifepristone in Massachusetts. In March 2023, Rep. Pressley, along with Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Reps. Schakowsky, Lee, DeGette, Torres and Strickland, reintroduced the Abortion is Healthcare Everywhere Act harmful and discriminatory Helms Amendment and expand abortion access globally. In March 2023, Rep. Pressley and Senator Hirono led their colleagues in reintroducing a bicameral congressional resolution honoring abortion providers and clinic staff. In March 2023, Rep. Pressley delivered a speech in which she discussed the pending court case in Texas, which aims to restrict access to medication abortion across the entire nation. In her remarks, Rep. Pressley affirmed medication abortion as routine medical care, and accessibility to the abortion pill mifepristone as essential. In September 2021, Rep. Pressley issued a statement condemning the Supreme Court’s inaction on SB-8, Texas’ restrictive abortion law. Later that month, she participated in a House Oversight Committee hearing to examine the threat posed by abortion bans and underscored the urgency of the Senate passing the Women’s Health Protection Act. In April 2021, Rep. Pressley, along with Congresswomen Barbara Lee (CA-13), Diana DeGette (CO-01) and Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), led a group of 131 Democratic members in reintroducing the Equal Access to Abortion Coverage in Health Insurance Act or the EACH Act, which would repeal the Hyde Amendment and ensure that all people, regardless of income, insurance or zip code, can make personal reproductive health care decisions without interference from politicians. She re-Introduced the legislation In January 2023. Rep. Pressley has led calls in Congress for the FDA to remove medically unnecessary restrictions on the medication abortion drug mifepristone, and applauded the FDA’s action in January 2023 to allow retail pharmacies to dispense abortion medication pills. As Chair of the Pro-Choice Caucus’s Abortion Rights and Access Task Force, Congresswoman Pressley led the fight to repeal the Hyde Amendments from annual Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies appropriations bills and in July 2020 published a Medium post on the importance of doing so. She applauded the removal of the Hyde Amendment in President Biden’s FY2022 budget. In May 2020, she led more than 155 Members of Congress in calling on House Democratic leadership to ensure that any future COVID-19 relief packages rejected Republican efforts to use the public health crisis to diminish abortion access. In August 2021, Rep. Pressley, Oversight Chairwoman Carolyn Maloney, and Pro-Choice Caucus Co-Chairs Reps. Diana DeGette and Barbara Lee led more than 70 of their House Democratic colleagues in introducing a resolution in support of equitable, science-based policies governing access to medication abortion care. In January 2023, Rep. Pressley introduced a resolution to condemn all forms of political violence in the U.S., regardless of its target or intent. That same day, she delivered a powerful speech on the House floor slamming Republicans’ harmful, misleading anti-abortion resolution. In September 2022, Rep. Pressley hosted U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra at the Codman Square Health Center in Dorchester for a convening on their work to address the Black maternal health crisis and the criminalization of abortion care in states across the nation following the harmful U.S. Supreme Court decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health. In May 2019, she led more than 100 colleagues in introducing H.Con.Res.40, a resolution reaffirming the House of Representative’s support for Roe v. Wade. In June 2019, Rep. Pressley introduced H.R. 3296, the Affordability is Access Act, to make oral contraception available without a prescription. In September 2016, as a member of the Boston City Council, Pressley championed a resolution calling on Congress and President Obama to repeal the Hyde Amendment and reinstate insurance coverage for abortion services. ###",1,2026-09-30T10:57:52Z,2026-09-30T10:59:04Z https://trahan.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=3852,"Trahan, Pappas Lead Bipartisan Calls for RFK Jr. to Distribute Energy Assistance Funding Amid Rising Heating Costs",2026-09-25,2026,2026-09,Democrat,House,MA,Lori Trahan,T000482,trahan.house.gov,trahan,https://trahan.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27,scraper,"Today, Congresswoman Lori Trahan (MA-03), a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, and Congressman Chris Pappas (NH-01), led dozens of colleagues in a letter to U.S Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. demanding that funding from the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) be distributed to states no later than November 1, 2026, as required by the Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act for FY 2027, in preparation for the coming colder season. “With a history of repeated funding delays by HHS to states, we are especially concerned for households facing high energy prices this winter who rely on LIHEAP. We appreciate the agency’s responsiveness to Congressional requests for expeditious LIHEAP fund releases over Fiscal Year 2026, but with households facing skyrocketing high energy costs, it is of the utmost importance that the agency ensures funds are released on time and without congressional intervention through Fiscal Year 2027,” the lawmakers wrote. Since February, crude oil prices have significantly increased, topping significantly more than $100 per barrel at its peaks in April 2026 and recently on September 15, 2026. These price spikes impact home heating oil prices especially, as it is refined from crude oil. While states do what they can to protect households with utility shutoff moratoriums throughout the coldest months out of the year, these moratoriums do not protect households who rely on home heating oil and face large upfront costs early in the season to fill their home heating oil tank,” the lawmakers continued.” The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) helps low-income Americans pay for heating or cooling bills as well as receive emergency services during an energy crisis. During the winter season, home heating can average $2,300. Since the start of the Iran war, energy bills have risen for families across America. In the Commonwealth, home heating oil prices jumped nearly 75% from a year ago. Over the past year, Massachusetts has received $163,276,528 in LIHEAP funding, including $6,492,479 from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The letter sent today requests that funding for the upcoming fiscal year, which starts on October 1st, be released expeditiously. The LIHEAP program has historically been underfunded, with just 20 percent of eligible households currently receiving assistance through the program each year on average. Despite a temporary increase in funding in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the program still hasn’t met the need in states across the country. In 2023, Trahan spearheaded an effort to increase federal LIHEAP funding.",1,2026-09-26T09:43:57Z,2026-09-26T09:44:55Z https://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases/sen-markey-and-reps-jayapal-larsen-announce-legislation-to-expand-workforce-opportunities-for-communities-impacted-by-substance-use,"Sen. Markey and Reps. Jayapal, Larsen Announce Legislation to Expand Workforce Opportunities for Communities Impacted by Substance Use",2026-09-25,2026,2026-09,Democrat,Senate,MA,Edward J. Markey,M000133,www.markey.senate.gov,markey,https://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"Bill Text (PDF) Washington (September 25, 2026) - In recognition of National Recovery Month, Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, today announced the reintroduction of the Workforce Opportunities for Communities in Recovery Act, legislation that would strengthen and expand grants for community partnerships that promote employment opportunities for workers in recovery and support communities affected by widespread substance use. Representatives Pramila Jayapal (WA-07) and Rick Larsen (WA-02) lead the legislation in the House of Representatives. “For National Recovery Month, we celebrate those working to achieve and maintain recovery from addiction, and everyone who helped them along the way. Especially as families struggle to get ahead, it’s more important than ever that we help people in recovery overcome barriers to employment,” said Senator Markey. “This legislation will strengthen community partnerships that connect people with good jobs, peer support, and mentorship, supporting lasting recovery and helping communities heal.” “Addiction and substance use are deeply tied to economic instability and the shortage of behavioral health professionals,” said Congresswoman Jayapal. “Our bill takes these issues head on by investing in local organizations that help those affected by substance use gain employment and empower more people to pursue the behavioral health field. By promoting economic stability and increasing the number of healthcare specialists, we can get to the root of the substance abuse crisis and help communities across the country.” “The opioid epidemic continues to devastate communities in Northwest Washington,” said Rep. Larsen. “This legislation would break down barriers to employment for people in recovery and fund local organizations to address the nationwide behavioral health workforce shortage. I will keep working to get this bill over the finish line and to regain momentum in the fight against the opioid crisis.” “Substance use disorder has become a far too common barrier to employment,” said Cole Angley, Massachusetts Workforce Association’s Executive Director. “The Workforce Opportunities for Communities in Recovery Act filed by Sen. Markey builds upon a successful model and puts the necessary tools in the hands of workforce development professionals to help address these barriers with impacted job-seekers across Massachusetts and the nation.” The legislation would reauthorize, strengthen, and expand a pilot grant program first authorized under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act and later extended through the 2018 SUPPORT Act. The pilot grants have funded community partnerships that promote employment for individuals affected by substance use and those interested in professions that address the impacts of substance use across the country. The Workforce Opportunities for Communities in Recovery Act would authorize $187.5 million to continue this lifesaving and community-strengthening work. The legislation was first introduced by Senator Markey and Representatives Jayapal and Larsen in July 2024. Senator Markey has been supportive of increasing access to substance use disorder treatments such as methadone, as well as harm reduction tools. In June 2026, Senator Markey introduced the Modernizing Opioid Treatment Access Act 2.0 to improve access to treatment for opioid use disorder. In May 2026, Senator Markey wrote to Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of SAMHSA Christopher Carroll, urging the agency to reverse new guidance barring grant recipients from purchasing and distributing life-saving tools, such as fentanyl test strips, for people with substance use disorders. ###",1,2026-09-26T09:43:57Z,2026-09-26T09:44:55Z https://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases/senators-markey-and-merkley-lead-colleagues-to-demand-trump-administration-abandon-reckless-saudi-nuclear-deal,Senators Markey and Merkley Lead Colleagues to Demand Trump Administration Abandon Reckless Saudi Nuclear Deal,2026-09-25,2026,2026-09,Democrat,Senate,MA,Edward J. Markey,M000133,www.markey.senate.gov,markey,https://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"Trump deal caves to Saudi demands, fails “Gold Standard” test Letter Text (PDF) Washington (September 25, 2026) - Senators Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), co-chairs of the bicameral Nuclear Weapons and Arms Control Working Group, today sent a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio demanding that the Trump administration abandon its reckless nuclear deal with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which fails the Gold Standard nonproliferation test by surrendering two key conditions: the strictest inspection standards under the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)’s Additional Protocol and denying Saudi Arabia the means to produce weapons-grade nuclear materials through uranium enrichment and/or plutonium reprocessing. The letter was signed by Senators Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.). As a U.S. Senator, Marco Rubio was among the most consistent voices warning about the dangers of giving Saudi Arabia, whose leaders have repeatedly threatened to pursue nuclear weapons, access to sensitive nuclear technology without proper safeguards. In the letter, the senators wrote, “With this deal, the Trump Administration is departing from precedent, adopting looser restrictions, and caving to Saudi demands by agreeing to a process that is all but certain to allow Riyadh to acquire the means to enrich uranium and possibly develop nuclear weapons. If the Administration is serious about preventing that outcome, it should require Riyadh to meet the Gold Standard. And likewise, if Saudi Arabia genuinely has no intention of pursuing a nuclear weapon, it should have little objection to accepting the same commitments that the UAE and other states have made: implementing an Additional Protocol and banning enrichment and reprocessing.” The senators continued, “Although not included in the agreement, media reports have suggested that the Saudi government would not have access to a U.S.-supplied and operated enrichment plant on Saudi soil. While there is no evidence that Saudi officials have agreed to such a ‘black box’ arrangement, if implemented, it would just raise additional concerns. It would be difficult to prevent the Kingdom from spying on a facility built on its soil and thus from gleaning sensitive information. A hypothetical black box arrangement could also commit the United States to far more than a commercial transaction. Sensitive American enrichment technology and the American personnel operating it would sit on Saudi soil, in a region at war and with the possibility of instability within the Kingdom itself. Given that an attack on the black box would be an attack on U.S. equities, we would be obliged to defend the facility. This would constitute a security guarantee by another name; an open-ended commitment to the defense of Saudi Arabia that Congress has not debated.” The senators concluded, “President Trump launched an unconstitutional war against Iran claiming it was necessary to stop Tehran from enriching uranium. Yet, his Administration is now seeking to give Saudi Arabia access to the very technologies it says Iran must never possess. That hypocrisy undermines any chance of reaching a durable agreement with Iran. If Saudi Arabia can enrich uranium without the strongest inspections, Tehran will demand the same treatment. President Trump is weakening his own negotiating position while increasing the odds of regional nuclear proliferation.” On September 16, Senators Markey and Merkley led a bipartisan group of Senators to press the Trump administration to declassify and publicly release the two side letters accompanying the proposed U.S.-Saudi civil nuclear cooperation agreement, referred to as a “123 agreement.” As a founder of the national Nuclear Freeze movement, Senator Markey has long been the Congressional leader on ending the proliferation of nuclear weapons. On August 26, Senator Markey urged Congress to reject the Trump-Saudi nuclear deal after the Trump administration sent to Congress a nuclear cooperation agreement with Saudi Arabia that would open the door to providing the Kingdom with the means to produce nuclear weapons materials but would not require the most stringent safeguards against the development of those weapons. On July 31, Senators Markey and Merkley, along with Representatives John Garamendi (CA-08) and Don Beyer (VA-08), co-chairs of the Nuclear Weapons and Arms Control Working Group, published an opinion piece slamming Trump’s Saudi nuclear deal, citing then-Senator Marco Rubio’s understanding that handing nuclear weapons to Saudi Arabia would be disastrous. On March 25, Senators Markey and Merkley reintroduced the No Nuclear Weapons for Saudi Arabia Act, legislation that would mandate that any nuclear cooperation agreement with Saudi Arabia can go into effect only if it receives the affirmative vote of Congress. On March 18, Senator Markey led his colleagues in writing to Secretary Rubio demanding the Trump administration must meet the “gold standard” of nuclear non-proliferation protections by denying Saudi Arabia the means to produce weapons-grade uranium and plutonium, materials that could be used in a nuclear bomb. In November 2025, Senator Markey and Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20) wrote to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, urging the Trump administration to include the strongest possible “gold standard” nonproliferation measures in any nuclear cooperation agreement with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to foreclose any pathway to a nuclear weapon. In November 2024, Senator Markey wrote to the Biden administration seeking answers about any agreement that would normalize relations between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Israel in exchange for civil nuclear energy cooperation and a U.S. defense commitment to the Kingdom. As far back as 2017, Senator Markey pressed the first Trump administration on the status of all current and ongoing discussions between the United States and other countries, including Saudi Arabia, on 123 agreements after it was reported that former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn was peddling a plan to build nuclear reactors throughout the Middle East. ###",1,2026-09-26T09:43:57Z,2026-09-26T09:44:55Z https://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases/sens-markey-merkley-and-reps-jayapal-tlaib-pressley-reintroduce-legislation-to-halt-government-use-of-facial-recognition-and-other-biometric-technology,"Sens. Markey, Merkley and Reps. Jayapal, Tlaib, Pressley Reintroduce Legislation to Halt Government Use of Facial Recognition and Other Biometric Technology",2026-09-25,2026,2026-09,Democrat,Senate,MA,Edward J. Markey,M000133,www.markey.senate.gov,markey,https://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"Bill Text (PDF) Washington (September 25, 2026) - Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), member of the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, Senator Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), and Representatives Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), and Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), announced the reintroduction of the Facial Recognition and Biometric Technology Moratorium Act, legislation to prohibit the government from using facial recognition and other biometric technologies. The legislation responds to the federal government’s growing use of biometric recognition technology, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP) mobile facial recognition app, which has been used to target immigrants and intimidate communities across the country. Research shows that nearly half of U.S. adults’ faces are already stored in facial recognition databases, and that Black, Brown, and Asian individuals are up to 100 times more likely to be misidentified by a facial recognition algorithm than white men. “Facial recognition and other biometric technologies in the hands of government agencies have become tools of authoritarianism. Agencies such as ICE and CBP are using this technology to track, target, intimidate and surveil communities across the country,”said Senator Markey. “Black and Brown communities — already subject to the most aggressive policing and immigration enforcement — are disproportionately affected and more likely to be wrongly flagged, detained, or targeted by a faulty facial recognition match. We must stop the Trump administration’s growing web of surveillance technology, and that starts with a moratorium on dangerous, discriminatory biometric recognition.” “Every American who values their right to privacy, stands against discrimination, and believes people are innocent until proven guilty should be concerned about facial recognition technology fueling a national surveillance state,” said Senator Merkley. “Enacting a federal moratorium on this technology is critical to ensuring we can rein in inappropriate surveillance and protect our communities’ fundamental right to privacy.” “We have to stop the constant, nonconsensual state of surveillance that we live in, and that starts with placing a moratorium on our government’s use of facial recognition technology,” said Congresswoman Jayapal. “Black and Brown people are more likely to be misidentified and wrongfully put in jail because of this unregulated technology, and our government has used it to unjustly target protestors and immigrants. Putting the brakes on this technology is necessary to protect civil rights and ensure public safety.” “Facial recognition technology is racist, misidentifying Black, Brown, and Asian residents and pinning them as suspects in crimes they did not commit,” said Representative Tlaib. “When such flawed and biased technology is used to invade our privacy, we are all less safe. I'm proud to reintroduce this bill that will ban facial recognition technology and protect all our civil liberties.” The Facial Recognition and Biometric Technology Moratorium Act would: Place a prohibition on the use of facial recognition technology by federal entities, which can only be lifted with an act of Congress; Place a prohibition on the use of other biometric technologies, including voice recognition, gate recognition, and recognition of other immutable physical characteristics, by federal entities, which can only be lifted with an act of Congress; Condition federal grant funding to state and local entities, including law enforcement, on those entities enacting their own moratoria on the use of facial recognition and biometric technology; Prohibit the use of federal dollars for biometric surveillance systems; Prohibit the use of information collected via biometric technology in violation of the Act in any judicial proceedings; Provide a private right of action for individuals whose biometric data is used in violation of the Act and allow for enforcement by state Attorneys General; and Allow states and localities to enact their own laws regarding the use of facial recognition and biometric technologies. “Face surveillance is one of the most intrusive surveillance technologies. It’s past time for the federal government to end its use. Face surveillance in the hands of the government is a fundamentally harmful technology, even under strict regulations or if the technology was 100% accurate. We thank the authors of this bill for their leadership in ending the federal government’s use of this dangerous and invasive technology,” said India McKinney, Director of Federal Affairs at Electronic Frontier Foundation. “We can no longer afford to ignore the very real harms of AI surveillance technologies, including facial recognition. We have seen how ICE and other federal agencies utilize facial recognition to abuse immigrants, Black and Brown communities, and people participating in protests and other First Amendment protected actions. There is no more excuse for inaction or justification for allowing the continued use of this surveillance technology - the time to pass this legislation is now,” said Caitlin Seeley George (she/her), Campaigns and Managing Director at Fight for the Future. “Facial recognition poses a significant threat to our privacy and our democracy. The technology has been shown to be biased, inaccurate, and disproportionally harmful to people of color. Even 100% accurate facial recognition poses considerable threats to our privacy and civil liberties. The Facial Recognition and Biometric Technology Moratorium Act takes the right approach on this urgent issue, effectively banning its current use and ensuring Congress will give careful consideration to if and how the technology can be used in the future. EPIC is proud to support it,” said Jeramie D. Scott, Director of Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC)’s Surveillance Oversight Program. “The rapid adoption of powerful surveillance tech by our federal government benefits companies that amass billions in profits through contracts with law enforcement agencies, at the expense of our civil rights. This bill by Senator Markey couldn’t be more timely. Not only does this bill disrupt the money flow for surveillance profiteers; it prevents the use of one of the most invasive forms of surveillance and grants users a private right of action, urgently needed as we still lack federal data privacy protections and a prohibition on law enforcement purchases of sensitive data. We’ve seen how dangerous these tools can be and how easily bad actors can weaponize them against any person or community. Without proper guardrails or consideration for how our privacy will be protected, surveillance tech becomes a tool of oppression, not safety. We are proud to endorse this bill and appreciate Senator Markey’s continued leadership in this area,” said Amanda Beckham, Government Relations Director at Free Press. “Right now, just walking down the street could allow you to be detected by AI-powered cameras and put into a database. Sen. Markey’s Facial Recognition and Biometric Technology Moratorium Act is a critically needed safeguard against a surveillance apocalypse where the government and unaccountable corporations can collect and store your face and voice,” said Hajar Hammado, Senior Policy Advisor at Demand Progress. “Facial recognition technology threatens the privacy and security of all Americans. Every member of Congress who cares about invasive surveillance must support this bill.” “We should all be free to move freely in our communities -- drive to work, walk our neighborhoods, travel to see family -- without constant monitoring. ICE officers and other federal agents are out in our neighborhoods targeting Black and Brown people because of the color of our skin and scanning our faces without consent to fuel a cruel mass deportation machine. They're using the very same facial recognition technologies that regularly misidentify people of color, leading to unjust arrests and detainment. Senator Markey’s Facial Recognition and Biometric Technology Moratorium Act would put a stop to this racist invasion of privacy,” said Alejandra Montoya-Boyer, Vice President of The Leadership Conference’s Center for Civil Rights and Technology. The Facial Recognition and Biometric Technology Moratorium Act is cosponsored in the Senate by Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), and in the House of Representatives by Representatives Greg Casar (TX-35), Judy Chu (CA-28), Jim McGovern (MA-02), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-At Large), Delia Ramirez (IL-03), and Jan Schakowsky (IL-09). This legislation is endorsed by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), Fight for the Future, Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, Color of Change, Access Now, Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC), Free Press, Demand Progress, and UnidosUS. ###",1,2026-09-26T09:43:57Z,2026-09-26T09:44:55Z https://moulton.house.gov/news/press-releases/moulton-announces-honorees-11th-annual-peter-j-gomes-service-award,Moulton Announces Honorees for the 11th Annual Peter J. Gomes Service Award,2026-09-24,2026,2026-09,Democrat,House,MA,Seth Moulton,M001196,moulton.house.gov,moulton,https://moulton.house.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"Honorees from Gloucester, Saugus, Lynn, Amesbury, and Salem will be honored at an awards ceremony on Tuesday, September 29, 2026. SALEM, MA - Congressman Seth Moulton (MA-06) has selected five honorees for the 11th annual Peter J. Gomes Service Award. Created in 2016 by Congressman Moulton, the award recognizes the volunteer work and community contributions of constituents across Massachusetts’ 6th District. The five honorees will be honored at a public awards ceremony on Tuesday, September 29 at 6:00 PM in Salem. These five members of our community demonstrate the integrity, compassion, and commitment to community that were characterized by the Congressman’s late mentor, Reverend Professor Peter J. Gomes. The late Reverend Professor Gomes was a Christian minister who served for nearly forty years in The Memorial Church of Harvard University. As a preacher, teacher, and leader, he influenced many with his wit and wisdom and, above all, with his commitment to service. Reverend Professor Gomes was Congressman Moulton’s mentor and friend, ultimately inspiring him to serve in the Marines and later to run for Congress. The award honors volunteers who demonstrate a similar level of commitment to service and community. This year’s honorees are: Prataap Patrose - Gloucester, MA Prataap is the Co-founder and President of the 100 Trees Project, a nonprofit advancing environmental equity in Gloucester, Rockport and across Cape Ann. Since 2020, he has spearheaded volunteer-driven tree planting initiatives targeting urban heat islands in public housing, parks, and thoroughfares. Partnering with local municipalities and community groups, Prataap works to transform underserved public spaces into cooler, healthier, and more resilient environments. Lorraine Sanborn - Saugus, MA Lorraine has dedicated herself to teaching English to immigrants and helping them build community. Since 2014, she has volunteered with Catholic Charities Boston's language programs in Salem and Lynn, delivering weekly lessons to nonnative speakers. Through her compassion and commitment, Lorraine creates a welcoming environment that empowers her students with the skills, confidence, and sense of belonging needed to thrive both inside and outside the classroom. BG (MA)(Ret) Andrea Gayle-Bennett - Lynn, MA Brigadier General Gayle-Bennett serves as the Adjutant for Lynn-Swampscott Disabled American Veterans Chapter #64, continuing her dedication to veterans across her district following her post-retirement promotion to Brigadier General by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. She connects local veterans with housing, food, and peer support while advocating alongside community leaders. By organizing social events and building reliable support networks, she works to reduce isolation and enhance the quality of life for disabled veterans. Jo Hamel - Amesbury, MA Jo founded Caiden’s Crusaders in honor of her grandson to support families facing childhood cancer across the 6th District. The volunteer-run nonprofit provides direct financial assistance to help families direct their focus to their child's care. Through local raffles and fundraisers, Jo mobilizes a strong community network that ensures no family has to navigate childhood cancer alone. Pam Kentley - Salem, MA Pam serves as Vice President of the Woman’s Friend Society, overseeing Salem's historic Emmerton House to provide affordable housing for working women and students. She actively coordinates events, hosts fundraisers, and supports residents daily to build a strong community of women. Beyond her work with the Society, Pam volunteers with local food banks and cat rescue efforts to improve quality of life across Salem. Award Ceremony Details: Date: Tuesday, September 29, 2026 Time: 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM Location: St. Joseph Hall, Second Floor, 160 Derby Street, Salem, MA 01970 Members of the public with questions about the Gomes Award should reach out to Sam.Scherkenbach@mail.house.gov ###",1,2026-09-25T10:04:52Z,2026-09-25T10:05:46Z https://trahan.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=3850,"Trahan, Lofgren Introduce the bipartisan American Leadership in Fusion Act",2026-09-24,2026,2026-09,Democrat,House,MA,Lori Trahan,T000482,trahan.house.gov,trahan,https://trahan.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27,scraper,"Today, Congresswoman Lori Trahan (D-MA-03), Co-Chair of the bipartisan Congressional Fusion Energy Caucus, joined Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren (D-CA-18), Ranking Member of the House Science, Space, and Technology, as original co-sponsor of the American Leadership in Fusion Act. The legislation would provide $10 billion in direct investments to accelerate the commercialization of fusion energy. “At a time when families across the country are struggling with rising energy costs, fusion energy offers the promise of delivering clean, reliable, and affordable power. However, turning that promise into reality requires sustained investment and commitment,” said Congresswoman Trahan. “This legislation will help accelerate the commercialization of fusion energy and strengthen America’s position as a global leader in this critical technology. By investing in the scientists, researchers, and companies developing the next generation of energy technology here in the United States, we can advance our clean energy goals, create good-paying jobs, and strengthen our energy independence. America has always been at its best when we lead the world in innovation, and fusion is our opportunity to lead once again.” Specifically, the American Leadership in Fusion Act’s invests: $3.8 billion to build major new test facilities to address fusion materials and fuel cycle challenges. $3 billion in forward funding for a new milestone-based demonstration program for fusion. $2 billion for the current milestone-based development program for fusion. $800 million for fusion materials and fuel cycle research and development. $300 million to build and operate small and mid-sized test facilities to address research priorities identified in the 2026 DOE Fusion Science & Technology Roadmap. $100 million for R&D, demonstration, and commercial application activities to establish reliable supply chains for critical fusion energy technologies. In addition to Trahan and Lofgren, the bill is co-sponsored by Representatives Jay Obernolte (R-CA-23), Don Beyer(D-VA-08), and James Gallagher (R-CA-01). Last year, Trahan, Beyer, and Obernolte introduced bipartisan legislation to formally establish the Office of Fusion in the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). U.S. Senators Alex Padilla (D-CA) and John Cornyn (R-TX) introduced companion legislation in the Senate. In 2024, Congresswoman Trahan’sFusion Energy Act was signed into law as part of the Fire Grants and Safety Act. The law streamlines the creation of clear federal regulations to support the development of commercial fusion facilities by codifying the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s regulatory authority over commercial fusion energy systems. ###",1,2026-09-25T10:04:52Z,2026-09-25T10:05:46Z https://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases/as-ai-agents-carry-out-attacks-senator-markey-introduces-legislation-establishing-independent-body-to-investigate-cyber-hacks-assisted-by-artificial-intelligence,"As AI Agents Carry Out Attacks, Senator Markey Introduces Legislation Establishing Independent Body to Investigate Cyber Hacks Assisted by Artificial Intelligence",2026-09-24,2026,2026-09,Democrat,Senate,MA,Edward J. Markey,M000133,www.markey.senate.gov,markey,https://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"Bill Text (PDF) Washington (September 24, 2026) - Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), member of the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, today introduced the Cybersecurity and AI Board of Investigations Act, legislation that would establish an independent board to investigate major cybersecurity incidents impacting critical infrastructure, including those enabled by artificial intelligence (AI). This bill establishes the Cybersecurity and AI Board of Investigations with subpoena authority, akin to the National Transportation Safety Board, to demand answers from companies and government agencies involved in major cybersecurity incidents and to deliver clear assessments of cyber threats and measures to prevent such threats. “Despite the unprecedented depth and scale of recent AI-enabled cyber attacks, the public is learning critical details piecemeal,” said Senator Markey. “Building stronger defenses requires a full accounting of what goes wrong, and we cannot depend on companies with little incentive to disclose their failures to give us one. We need the Cybersecurity and AI Board of Investigations to get to the bottom of major incidents and give companies and the government the critical information necessary to build resilience and better secure our economy and our country.” With the advancement and increasing accessibility of AI, bad actors can increase the volume and sophistication of attacks targeting our economic and national security. AI agents are now carrying out attacks without human initiation or oversight — in one incident this July, OpenAI’s AI agents circumvented a testing environment leading to a cyberattack on Hugging Face. Although OpenAI granted independent researchers access to assess the incident, the limited scope of access, data, and time provided to researchers prevented them from completing a full evaluation—including an assessment of OpenAI’s own safeguards. The Cybersecurity and AI Board of Investigations Act responds to these trends by granting the Board subpoena power, strengthening federal cybersecurity infrastructure to conduct post-incident investigations and advance learning in information security for public and private institutions. Specifically, the Cybersecurity and AI Board of Investigations Act would: Establish the Cybersecurity and AI Board of Investigations as a non-regulatory investigative board tasked with developing an authoritative account of major cybersecurity incidents; Provide the Board subpoena power to ensure access to all relevant information and evidence needed to investigate incidents fully; Require public reporting on investigations, which would include recommendations for action by relevant institutions, including federal agencies and industry. Senator Markey has long worked to shore up American cyber defenses and protect consumers from increasingly complex cybersecurity threats. In 2024, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voted to adopt the Cyber Trust Mark program, a voluntary cybersecurity certification program for consumer devices aligned with Senator Markey’s Cyber Shield Act. In July 2026, the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works advanced Senator Markey’s Water Intelligence, Security, and Cyber Threat Protection Act, legislation to provide additional cybersecurity resources to clean water and wastewater utilities, as part of the bipartisan Water Resources Development Act of 2026. ###",1,2026-09-25T10:04:52Z,2026-09-25T10:05:46Z https://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases/markey-ocasio-cortez-reintroduce-civilian-climate-corps-for-jobs-and-justice-to-rebuild-america,"Markey, Ocasio-Cortez Reintroduce Civilian Climate Corps for Jobs and Justice to Rebuild America",2026-09-24,2026,2026-09,Democrat,Senate,MA,Edward J. Markey,M000133,www.markey.senate.gov,markey,https://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"Bill Text (PDF) | One Pager (PDF) Washington (September 24, 2026) - Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14) today reintroduced the Civilian Climate Corps for Jobs and Justice Act, legislation that would establish a Civilian Climate Corps (CCC), administered by the Corporation for National and Community Service within AmeriCorps, which follows in the footsteps of the New Deal-era Civilian Conservation Corps, with important equitable updates. The CCC would provide good-paying service opportunities to a diverse group of 1.5 million Americans over five years to complete clean energy, climate resilience, environmental remediation, conservation, and sustainable infrastructure projects, while providing transformational educational benefits and career pathways in good union jobs. “As Americans face frequent extreme weather disasters, a job market disrupted by the expansion of artificial intelligence, and other economic challenges, the Civilian Climate Corps presents an opportunity to support meaningful job opportunities and efforts to combat the climate crisis,” said Senator Markey. “I am proud to work with Representative Ocasio-Cortez to continue to fight for this program, which would provide an opportunity for more than a million Americans—especially young people—from every walk of life to earn a good wage while serving their communities and working toward a climate-resilient future.” “The impacts of the climate crisis are being felt across our country, with extreme weather events taking lives and causing billions in devastating losses. We need a massive public investment to combat the toll of wildfires, floods, and hurricanes. That is why I am proud to reintroduce the Civilian Climate Corps for Jobs and Justice Act alongside Senator Ed Markey, which puts 1.5 million people to work forging climate-resilient communities. The urgency of this moment requires us to respond with robust and reliable solutions,” said Representative Ocasio-Cortez. The Civilian Climate Corps for Jobs and Justice Act is cosponsored in the Senate by Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Bernard Sanders (I-Vt.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), and in the House of Representatives by Representatives Jared Huffman (CA-02), Ro Khanna (CA-17), Kevin Mullin (CA-15), Lateefah Simon (CA-12), Maxwell Frost (FL-10), Melanie Stansbury (NM-01), Nydia Velázquez (NY-07), Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), Jim McGovern (MA-02), Greg Casar (TX-35), Steve Cohen (TN-09), Nanette Barragán (CA-44), Raja Krishnamoorthi (IL-08), Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12), Adelita Grijalva (AZ-07), Maxine Dexter (OR-03), Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Ritchie Torres (NY-15), Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), Frederica S. Wilson (FL-24), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-At Large), Jerrold Nadler (NY-12), Lloyd Doggett (TX-37), Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), Ilhan Omar (MN-05), Jill Tokuda (HI-02), Paul Tonko (NY-20), Shri Thanedar (MI-13), Emanuel Cleaver (MO-05), Debbie Dingell (MI-06), Becca Balint (VT-At Large), Summer Lee (PA-12), Salud Carbajal (CA-24), Jamie Raskin (MD-08), and Jasmine Crockett (TX-30). Senator Markey and Representative Ocasio-Cortez first introduced the Civilian Climate Corps for Jobs and Justice Act in April 2021. This CCC proposal, and others like it, inspired the Biden administration to launch the American Climate Corps in 2023. Trump dismantled the American Climate Corps on his first day back in office. This legislation is endorsed by: AFSCME; Appalachian Mountain Club; Evergreen Action; Food & Water Watch; the Forum for Youth Investment; Grid Alternatives; Indivisible; Louisiana Green Corps; Partnership for the Civilian Climate Corps; SEIU; Sierra Club; Sunrise Movement; Union of Concerned Scientists; United Electrical, Radio, and Machine Workers of America (UE); WE ACT for Environmental Justice. “America’s workforce has tremendous potential to fight climate change and build a safer future. The Civilian Climate Corps for Jobs and Justice Act will help unlock that potential by creating pathways to good-paying jobs to boost our economy while building pollution-free communities across the country,” said Evergreen Action Executive Director Lena Moffitt. “With the support of this legislation, the next generation of the energy and climate workforce will have the skills they need to withstand climate disasters and to lead the clean energy transition.” “Young people are desperate for good-paying, meaningful jobs that allow us to build a future worth living in. We’ve spent a summer choking on wildfire smoke and watching our communities flood, while housing and food become increasingly unaffordable. Now, as AI threatens to upend entire industries, young people are spending years in college preparing for jobs that may not even exist. We need jobs that provide stability, purpose, and a livable future. We need a Civilian Climate Corps, now,” said Aru Shiney-Ajay, Executive Director of the Sunrise Movement. “This is timely legislation as communities across the nation are struggling with worsening climate impacts and rising energy costs and urgently need policymakers to help protect them by boosting resilience and clean energy. Investing in a civilian climate corps is a huge opportunity to create good paying jobs with on-the-job training while advancing the solutions frontline communities need and deserve,” said Rachel Cleetus, Interim Program Director for Climate & Energy at the Union of Concerned Scientists. ###",1,2026-09-25T10:04:52Z,2026-09-25T10:05:46Z https://pressley.house.gov/2026/09/24/pressley-murray-colleagues-reintroduce-bill-to-expand-coverage-of-birth-control-and-sound-alarm-on-trumps-relentless-attacks-on-contraception-family-planning/,"Pressley, Murray, Colleagues Reintroduce Bill to Expand Coverage of Birth Control and Sound Alarm on Trump’s Relentless Attacks on Contraception & Family Planning",2026-09-24,2026,2026-09,Democrat,House,MA,Ayanna Pressley,P000617,pressley.house.gov,pressley,https://pressley.house.gov/news/,scraper,"Bill Text (PDF) BOSTON – Today, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), alongside Senators Patty Murray (D-WA), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) and Representatives Ami Bera (D-CA) and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), reintroduced the bicameral Affordability is Access Act. The Affordability is Access Act would require insurers to fully cover over-the-counter birth control without any fees or out-of-pocket costs, once it’s FDA-approved. The legislation also includes a new provision to require health insurance to cover every FDA-approved contraceptive drug or drug-led combination product without cost sharing unless the health plan also covers a therapeutically equivalent generic without cost sharing—this would significantly eliminate barriers that some patients face in accessing contraceptives prescribed by their provider. This reintroduction comes as the Trump administration continues their senseless attacks on reproductive care, family planning, and contraception. “While Trump and his Republican co-conspirators attack our bodily autonomy and make life less affordable, we’re fighting hard to protect reproductive freedom, lower costs, and ensure contraceptives are affordable nationwide,” said Rep. Pressley. “Our bill would make over-the-counter birth control accessible to all who need it, without the burden of prescriptions or out-of-pocket costs. Reproductive justice means protecting and expanding reproductive healthcare, and I’m proud to partner with Senators Murray, Cortez Masto, and Hirono, alongside Reps. Bera and Ocasio-Cortez, and our colleagues to make that a reality for all.” “I am proud to reintroduce the Affordability is Access Act alongside Representative Ayanna Pressley and Senator Patty Murray, which will make birth control widely accessible and affordable without a prescription,” said Rep Ocasio-Cortez. “As this administration continues to attack bodily autonomy, we will continue to fight to ensure that people everywhere have access to reproductive care.” “When it comes to birth control, the challenge we face isn’t just to stop Trump from setting up new barriers. We have to tear down the barriers that have been standing for far too long—like cost,” said Senator Murray. “We have to put forward our own vision for the future—not just reject Trump’s far-right dystopia. That’s why we are re-introducing the Affordability is Access Act. This bill would require insurance to fully cover safe, over-the-counter birth control for patients. And this year we made a big update: our bill will also make sure all other FDA-approved forms of contraception are covered for patients. No fees. No hurdles. No out-of-pocket costs. This is especially important because, as of March 2024, there is an over-the counter birth control pill that women can buy at pharmacies and grocery stores. Trump has made his vision painfully clear, he wants to take women’s rights away, he wants to set birth control on fire. Well, this bill is our vision as Democrats. We want to protect women’s rights. And we want to protect your birth control.” “As the Trump regime continues to attack reproductive freedom, fighting for contraception access has never been more important,” said Senator Hirono. “FDA approval of over-the-counter birth control is a major step forward, but approval alone does not guarantee access. By requiring insurance companies to cover over-the-counter contraception at no cost and without a prescription, this legislation will help to ensure women nationwide have the power to control their bodies and their lives.” “Congress must pass the Affordability is Access Act to expand Americans’ reproductive freedoms even as this Administration tries to shrink them,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “Birth control has helped thousands of Nevadans and millions of Americans live healthy lives. It’s past time we made sure every woman who wants it has an affordable over-the-counter option they can buy.” “Birth control is essential healthcare that everyone, no matter their insurance or income, should be able to get when they need it,” said Alexis McGill Johnson, president and CEO, Planned Parenthood Federation of America. “This act is a crucial first step in removing cost barriers and expanding access to contraception. As anti-reproductive health lawmakers continue to do everything in their power to restrict access to care, we’re grateful to Sen. Murray for reintroducing this bill.” “Contraception is a fundamental part of reproductive health care and autonomy— it gives people the power to shape their own futures,” said Daria Neal, Senior Director of Policy and Advocacy at the Center for Reproductive Rights. “Everyone who needs contraception should be able to access and afford it. Yet the Trump Administration has repeatedly put that access at risk, from subverting the federal family planning program and ending teen pregnancy prevention grants, to letting millions of dollars in taxpayer-funded contraceptives go to waste overseas. We’re grateful to Senator Murray and her colleagues for standing up for reproductive rights and supporting this critically important legislation.” “With the sudden termination of AccessMatters’ teen pregnancy prevention initiative, over 2,500 adolescents in Philadelphia immediately lost access to everything this program provided over the last three years – including evidence-based education programming, parent workshops, connections to local healthcare providers, assistance setting up medical appointments and accessing contraceptives, and leadership opportunities for the Youth Advisory Board,” said Audrey Ann Ross, Senior Manager of Communications and Policy at AccessMatters. “This loss of access coupled with the shifts in Title X program priorities further underscore the need for policies that support access to contraceptives and sexual and reproductive health care and information. We urge Congress to pass policies like the Affordability in Access Act and to also demand that HHS immediately restore this funding so that adolescents nationwide can continue benefitting from these programs.” Full text of the Affordability is Access Act is available here. Under the Affordable Care Act, all private health insurance plans are required to fully cover — without copays or out-of-pocket costs — prescribed U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved, granted, or cleared methods of contraception. The Affordability is Access Act would change this to apply to over-the-counter birth control that women can get without a prescription. The Affordability is Access Act would also maintain the FDA’s sole authority to determine the safety and efficacy of drugs and make them available over the counter without a prescription, and ensure retailers provide contraception without a prescription. The legislation states that any retailer that stocks contraception that the FDA has approved, granted, or cleared without a prescription may not interfere with a consumer’s access to or purchase of such contraception. The House bill is co-sponsored by Reps. Barragan, Brown, Brownley, Carbajal, Carter (LA), Casten, Chu, Clarke, Conaway, Crockett, Friedman, Garcia (IL), Goldman (NY), Gomez, Johnson (GA), Lee (PA), McClellan, McIver, Meng, Mullin, Norton, Pingree, Quigley, Scanlon, Stansbury, Tlaib, Tokuda, Torres (NY), Underwood, Watson Coleman, Williams (GA), and Wilson (FL). The Senate bill is co-sponsored by Senators Murray (D-WA), Cortez Masto (D-NV), Hirono (D-HI), Baldwin (D-WI), Bennet (D-CO), Blumenthal (D-CT), Booker (D-NJ), Cantwell (D-WA), Duckworth (D-IL), Fetterman (D-PA), Gallego (D-AZ), Gillibrand (D-NY), Hassan (D-NH), Heinrich (D-NM), Hickenlooper (D-CO), Kaine (D-VA), Klobuchar (D-MN), Markey (D-MA), Merkley (D-OR), Padilla (D-CA), Reed (D-RI), Rosen (D-NV), Sanders (D-VT), Schatz (D-HI), Schiff (D-CA), Shaheen (D-NH), Smith (D-MN), Van Hollen (D-MD), Warner (D-VA), Warren (D-MA), Whitehouse (D-RI), and Wyden (D-OR). The bill is endorsed by: Contraceptive Access Initiative (CAI), National Family Planning & Reproductive Health Association (NFPRHA), American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, Upstream USA, Reproductive Health Access Project, Physicians for Reproductive Health, National Partnership for Women & Families, Healthy Teen Network, Jacobs Institute of Women’s Health, Reproductive Freedom for All, Power to Decide, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, The Center for Biological Diversity, National Council of Jewish Women, Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine, National Women’s Law Center Action Fund, National Latina Institute for Reproductive Justice, Advocates for Youth, In Our Own Voice: National Black Women’s Reproductive Justice Agenda, AIDS United, National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum, National Network of Abortion Funds, Center for Reproductive Rights, National Organization for Women (NOW), Religious Community for Reproductive Choice, The Guttmacher Institute, Population Connection Action Fund, American College of Nurse Mid-Wives, and Ibis Reproductive Health. In her time serving in Congress, Rep. Pressley has fought persistently to protect and advance reproductive justice and ensure fundamental life-saving reproductive health care for all. In July 2026, alongside Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR), House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), Whip Katherine Clark (D-MA), and Representatives Frank Pallone Jr. (D-NJ), Diana DeGette (D-CO), and Jamie Raskin (D-MD), led more than 250 Senate and House Democrats in filing an amicus brief to the Fifth Circuit in Louisiana v. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) focused on pushing back against Louisiana’s attempt to reinstate the in-person dispensing requirement for mifepristone. In July 2026, in recognition of the 250th anniversary of American independence and the work still to be done to create a nation that lives up to the founding ideals of liberty and justice for all, Rep. Pressley, alongside Representatives Lateefah Simon and Sydney Kamlager-Dove, introduced the America 250 Reproductive Justice Resolution. In June 2026, in marking the fourth anniversary of the devastating Dobbs decision, Rep. Pressley uplifted and engaged families impacted by Republicans attacks on abortion care and issued a call to action to restore and expand access to abortion care, birth control, IVF, and true reproductive freedom. In June 2026, during a speech on the House floor, Rep. Pressley commanded a moment of silence to honor those who have died because they were denied essential abortion care. In June 2026, Rep. Pressley led a press conference with House Democratic Leadership to mark the fourth anniversary of the devastating Supreme Court Dobbs decision and offer her vision of seeing true reproductive justice realized and essential reproductive healthcare protected and expanded. In June 2026, Rep. Pressley joined impacted individuals and abortion storytellers to initiate a powerful day of action for the fourth anniversary of the devastating Dobbs decision, offering a message of resilient community support and a commitment to ensure abortion care is treated as the fundamental human right it is. Video is available here. On the anniversary of the Dobbs decision, Rep. Pressley introduced the Abortion Justice Act, sweeping, intersectional legislation to address access to abortion care and put forth a comprehensive vision of a just America where abortion care is readily available—without stigma, shame or systemic barriers—for all who seek it, regardless of zip code, immigration status, income, or background. Rep. Pressley is a lead co-sponsor of the Women’s Health Protection Act (WHPA), bicameral federal legislation to guarantee equal access to abortion care, everywhere. Rep. Pressley is also a lead co-sponsor of the EACH Act, bold legislation to repeal the Hyde Amendment and help guarantee abortion coverage—regardless of how a patient gets their health insurance. Shortly before the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade, Rep. Pressley led a group of her Black women colleagues in writing to President Biden urging him to declare a public health emergency amid the unprecedented threats to abortion rights nationwide. Rep. Pressley condemned the Supreme Court’s leaked draft opinion to overturn Roe v. Wade., and implored the Senate to protect abortion rights and slammed the white supremacist roots of anti-abortion efforts. Rep. Pressley has been outspoken in demanding justice for Adriana Smith, a 30-year-old pregnant mother who was declared brain dead in February and was forced to remain on life support due to Georgia’s abortion ban. In June 2025, Rep. Pressley delivered an impassioned floor speech in which she underscored that Adriana’s case is far too common in the unjust history of denying Black women their dignity, humanity, and right to bodily autonomy – and that GOP abortion bans such as Georgia’s deepen this pain and bar critical healthcare freedom. Rep. Pressley issued a statement after Adriana’s infant son Chance was delivered via emergency Cesarean section and Adriana was taken off life support. In May 2026, Pressley and her colleagues led 250 House and Senate Democrats in filing an amicus brief to the Supreme Court urging them to overturn a Fifth Circuit decision that would upend the FDA approval process and restrict access to mifepristone. On August 18, 2025, Rep. Pressley issued a statement applauding the passage of the updated Shield Act in Massachusetts, signed into law by Governor Maura Healey this month. The expanded Shield Act strengthens legal protections for people seeking reproductive and gender-affirming care in Massachusetts. On July 3, 2025, Rep. Pressley issued a statement on the final passage of Republicans’ Big, Ugly Bill that will rip healthcare and food assistance away from millions of people, including in Massachusetts, push reproductive healthcare further out of reach nationwide, and fuel Trump’s unlawful mass deportation agenda. On July 1, 2025, Rep. Pressley filed an amendment to Republicans’ Big, Ugly Bill to protect and expand reproductive healthcare. On June 26, 2025, Rep. Pressley issued a statement on the harmful Medina v. Planned Parenthood ruling, the Supreme Court’s decision to allow South Carolina to bar Medicaid patients from receiving healthcare services at Planned Parenthood. On June 24, 2025, Rep. Pressley joined House Democratic Leadership for a press conference to mark the somber anniversary and renew her calls for comprehensive legislation to protect abortion care and expand access to reproductive healthcare. On June 23, 2025, Rep. Pressley and the women of the Massachusetts delegation, Whip Katherine Clark (MA-05), Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), and Rep. Lori Trahan (MA-03) joined Planned Parenthood Advocacy Fund of Massachusetts President Dominique Lee for a press conference in solidarity with Planned Parenthood as they collectively fight to stop Republicans’ latest attack on reproductive freedom in the GOP’s Big, Ugly Bill. In June 2025, Rep. Pressley demanded justice for Adriana Smith, a 30-year-old pregnant mother who was declared brain dead in February and was forced to remain on life support due to Georgia’s abortion ban. On May 29, 2025, Rep. Pressley reintroduced a resolution demanding equitable access to reproductive and sexual healthcare for people with disabilities, and designating a day in May as “Disability Reproductive Equity Day.” On May 21, 2025, Rep. Pressley delivered a powerful speech on the House Floor in which she slammed Republicans’ reconciliation bill that would slash Medicaid, which is necessary to ensuring safe, healthy reproductive care and maternal health nationwide. On April 3, 2025, Rep. Pressley, alongside Reps. DeGette, Chu, Leger Fernández, Fletcher, Davids, Williams, sent a letter signed by 162 Members urging Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to restore all appropriated funding for Title X providers and coordinate an urgent meeting on the matter. On April 2, 2025, Rep. Pressley rallied with Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA), colleagues, and advocates outside the U.S. Supreme Court for Medicaid patients’ ability to access routine care at Planned Parenthood health centers. On March 5, 2025, Rep. Pressley and the Reproductive Freedom Caucus issued a statement condemning Donald Trump’s plans to drop the U.S. government’s case against Idaho’s violation of Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTALA) protections for emergency abortion care. In January 2025, Rep. Pressley gave an impassioned speech condemning H.R. 21, Republicans’ cruel anti-abortion bill that criminalizes providers and denies families care. In January 2025, Rep. Pressley was announced as Co-Chair of the Reproductive Freedom Caucus for the 119th Congress. In October 2024, Rep. Pressley issued a statement on Josseli Barnica, who died on Sept. 3, 2021 after being denied emergency abortion care in Texas as she suffered a miscarriage. In September 2024, in a House Democratic Steering and Policy Committee Hearing, Rep. Pressley highlighted the harmful and deadly impact of abortion bans in America to date, and outlined in detail the shameful circumstances under which Amber Nicole Thurman died after being denied necessary abortion care in Georgia. In May 2024, Rep. Pressley issued a statement on a Louisiana bill that would classify medication abortion drugs mifepristone and misoprostol as controlled substances. In April 2024, at a House Oversight Committee hearing, Rep. Pressley played “Fact or Fiction” with Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Robert Califf to emphasize the safety and efficacy of medication abortion drug mifepristone. Shortly before the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade, Rep. Pressley led a group of her Black women colleagues in writing to President Biden urging him to declare a public health emergency amid the unprecedented threats to abortion rights nationwide. Rep. Pressley condemned the Supreme Court’s leaked draft opinion to overturn Roe v. Wade., and implored the Senate to protect abortion rights and slammed the white supremacist roots of anti-abortion efforts. In August 2023, Rep. Pressley issued a statement on the Fifth Circuit Court decision in Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine v. FDA. In July 2023, Rep. Pressley, alongside Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Rep. Cori Bush (MO-01), and Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), reintroduced the Reproductive Health Care Accessibility Act, legislation to help people with disabilities—who face discrimination and extra barriers when seeking care—get better access to reproductive health care and the informed care they need to control their own reproductive lives. In July 2023, Rep. Pressley applauded the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) approval of over-the-counter birth control. In May 2023, Rep. Pressley applauded the FDA Advisory Committee’s unanimous, 17-0 vote to recommend the approval of the first-ever application for over-the-counter birth control. She and Senator Murray also held a press conference applauding the decision and urging the FDA to approval over-the-counter birth control without delay. In May 2023, Rep. Pressley, along with Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14) and Ami Bera, MD (CA-06) and Senators Mazie Hirono (D-HI) and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), reintroduced their bicameral Affordability is Access Act to ensure that once the FDA determines an over-the-counter birth control option to be safe, insurers fully cover over-the-counter birth control without any fees or out-of-pocket costs. In April 2023, Rep. Pressley issued a statement condemning the Texas court ruling on mifepristone, and discussed the Texas case in a recent floor speech in which she affirmed medication abortion as routine medical care and access to mifepristone as essential. She later joined Governor Maura Healey, Senator Elizabth Warren (D-MA), and local leaders in announcing action to protect Mifepristone in Massachusetts. In March 2023, Rep. Pressley, along with Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Reps. Schakowsky, Lee, DeGette, Torres and Strickland, reintroduced the Abortion is Healthcare Everywhere Act harmful and discriminatory Helms Amendment and expand abortion access globally. In March 2023, Rep. Pressley and Senator Hirono led their colleagues in reintroducing a bicameral congressional resolution honoring abortion providers and clinic staff. In March 2023, Rep. Pressley delivered a speech in which she discussed the pending court case in Texas, which aims to restrict access to medication abortion across the entire nation. In her remarks, Rep. Pressley affirmed medication abortion as routine medical care, and accessibility to the abortion pill mifepristone as essential. In September 2021, Rep. Pressley issued a statement condemning the Supreme Court’s inaction on SB-8, Texas’ restrictive abortion law. Later that month, she participated in a House Oversight Committee hearing to examine the threat posed by abortion bans and underscored the urgency of the Senate passing the Women’s Health Protection Act. In April 2021, Rep. Pressley, along with Congresswomen Barbara Lee (CA-13), Diana DeGette (CO-01) and Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), led a group of 131 Democratic members in reintroducing the Equal Access to Abortion Coverage in Health Insurance Act or the EACH Act, which would repeal the Hyde Amendment and ensure that all people, regardless of income, insurance or zip code, can make personal reproductive health care decisions without interference from politicians. She re-Introduced the legislation In January 2023. Rep. Pressley has led calls in Congress for the FDA to remove medically unnecessary restrictions on the medication abortion drug mifepristone, and applauded the FDA’s action in January 2023 to allow retail pharmacies to dispense abortion medication pills. As Chair of the Pro-Choice Caucus’s Abortion Rights and Access Task Force, Congresswoman Pressley led the fight to repeal the Hyde Amendments from annual Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies appropriations bills and in July 2020 published a Medium post on the importance of doing so. She applauded the removal of the Hyde Amendment in President Biden’s FY2022 budget. In May 2020, she led more than 155 Members of Congress in calling on House Democratic leadership to ensure that any future COVID-19 relief packages rejected Republican efforts to use the public health crisis to diminish abortion access. In August 2021, Rep. Pressley, Oversight Chairwoman Carolyn Maloney, and Pro-Choice Caucus Co-Chairs Reps. Diana DeGette and Barbara Lee led more than 70 of their House Democratic colleagues in introducing a resolution in support of equitable, science-based policies governing access to medication abortion care. In January 2023, Rep. Pressley introduced a resolution to condemn all forms of political violence in the U.S., regardless of its target or intent. That same day, she delivered a powerful speech on the House floor slamming Republicans’ harmful, misleading anti-abortion resolution. In September 2022, Rep. Pressley hosted U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra at the Codman Square Health Center in Dorchester for a convening on their work to address the Black maternal health crisis and the criminalization of abortion care in states across the nation following the harmful U.S. Supreme Court decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health. In May 2019, she led more than 100 colleagues in introducing H.Con.Res.40, a resolution reaffirming the House of Representative’s support for Roe v. Wade. In June 2019, Rep. Pressley introduced H.R. 3296, the Affordability is Access Act, to make oral contraception available without a prescription. In September 2016, as a member of the Boston City Council, Pressley championed a resolution calling on Congress and President Obama to repeal the Hyde Amendment and reinstate insurance coverage for abortion services. ###",1,2026-09-29T11:07:12Z,2026-09-29T11:08:49Z https://mcgovern.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=400462,"McGovern, Ramirez lead 17 Members of Congress in asking Secretary Rubio to support international investigation of massacre of Honduran peasant farmworkers",2026-09-23,2026,2026-09,Democrat,House,MA,James P. McGovern,M000312,mcgovern.house.gov,mcgovern,https://mcgovern.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx,scraper,"WASHINGTON—Today, Congressman James P. McGovern (D-MA), Ranking Member of the House Rules Committee and Co-Chair of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, along with Representative Delia Ramirez (D-IL) and 15 other House Members sent a letter urging Secretary of State Marco Rubio to advocate with the government of Honduras for justice for the victims of a May 2026 massacre of peasant farmworkers and for a just resolution of land disputes. “Peace, stability, the rule of law, respect for human rights, and sustainable economic development in Honduras are firmly in the strategic interests of the United States,” wrote Representatives McGovern, Ramirez, and the other Members of Congress. “Violence, corruption, and impunity undermine regional stability, facilitate the expansion of criminal activity, and contribute to the conditions that drive migration.” The letter notes that the massacre in Rigores in the Lower Aguán region of Honduras comes in the context of the new Law for the Strengthening and Protection of the Agroindustrial Sector, Energy, Tourism, Livestock, and Small Agricultural Producers in Honduras that appears to favor agricultural conglomerates at the expense of small-scale farmers, jeopardizing their access to arable land and sustainable work. In the letter, the Members of Congress affirm they “believe that the United States government must support meaningful action to prevent further violence and promote accountability,” and ask that the State Department make the following requests of the Honduran government: Establish, in coordination with the UN, an international investigative commission, with the participation of local and national stakeholders, to identify all those responsible for the Rigores massacre at every level; Provide the Public Prosecutor’s Office with the resources and political will necessary to dismantle criminal organizations operating in the Lower Aguán region and ensure that all forms of collaboration, protection, or collusion involving state agents are identified, investigated, and prosecuted; and Pursue comprehensive and sustainable solutions to land and territorial struggles that address their structural and historical causes, uphold the rule of law, and contribute to a more just and equitable future for all Hondurans. The 15 other members who signed the letter include Representatives Greg Casar (D-TX), Veronica Escobar (D-TX), Jesús G. ""Chuy"" García (D-IL), Jonathan Jackson (D-IL), Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), Henry C. “Hank” Johnson, Jr. (D-GA), Marcy Kaptur (D-OH), Summer Lee (D-PA), Ilhan Omar (D-MN), Mike Quigley (D-IL), Jamie Raskin (D-MD), Janice Schakowsky (D-IL), Lateefah Simon (D-CA), Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) and Paul Tonko (D-NY). The full text of the letter is available here. A Spanish translation of the letter is available here.",1,2026-09-24T09:44:48Z,2026-09-24T09:45:52Z https://pressley.house.gov/2026/09/23/ahead-of-xi-visit-pressley-renews-calls-for-tariff-exemption-on-essential-baby-products/,"Ahead of Xi Visit, Pressley Renews Calls for Tariff Exemption on Essential Baby Products",2026-09-23,2026,2026-09,Democrat,House,MA,Ayanna Pressley,P000617,pressley.house.gov,pressley,https://pressley.house.gov/news/,scraper,"Pressley Has Repeatedly Pressed Trump Admin. to Support an Exemption, Highlighting Harmful Impact on Families with Babies and Young Children Treasury and Trump Have Said Exemption Was “Under Consideration,” and Bessent Affirmed That Last Week After Questioning from Pressley BOSTON – Today, ahead of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to the United States, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), a member of the House Financial Services Committee, renewed her calls for the Trump Administration to support an exemption to tariffs on baby products and other items that parents need to care for their kids, such as car seats. Congresswoman Pressley has repeatedly pressed Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to support an exemption, highlighting the harmful impact of Trump’s tariffs on families with young children. Last week, during questioning from Congresswoman Pressley, Secretary Bessent told the Congresswoman to “watch this space after President Xi’s visit.” “Donald Trump’s reckless and chaotic tariff policy is continuing to wreak havoc on our economy, and families with young children are no exception. With the cost of essential baby products like car seats, strollers, and highchairs skyrocketing due to Trump’s tariffs, it’s time for the Trump Administration to stop hurting America’s families and create an exemption for these essential goods,” said Congresswoman Pressley in a statement. “We don’t need any more lip service from this Administration—we need action.” In a May 2025 House Financial Services Committee hearing, after sharp questioning from Congresswoman Pressley, Secretary Bessent conceded that such an exemption was “under consideration,” which was later reaffirmed by President Trump. In February 2026, Congresswoman Pressley demanded Secretary Bessent commit to his prior support for exempting baby products from Trump’s tariffs. In April 2025, Congresswoman Pressley joined 45 colleagues in sending a Congressional letter to the Trump Administration imploring them to end tariffs on essential baby goods. ###",1,2026-09-25T10:04:52Z,2026-09-25T10:05:46Z https://neal.house.gov/2026/09/22/neal-statement-on-trumps-latest-health-care-sabotage/,Neal Statement on Trump’s Latest Health Care Sabotage,2026-09-22,2026,2026-09,Democrat,House,MA,Richard E. Neal,N000015,neal.house.gov,neal,https://neal.house.gov/category/press-releases/,scraper,"WASHINGTON, DC— Ways and Means Committee Ranking Member Richard E. Neal (D-MA) released the following statement after the Trump Administration announced plans to strip hundreds of thousands of enrollees from the Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplace: “Republicans have already created the worst health care crisis ever, but every decision by the Trump Administration is designed to keep making it worse. As if making coverage harder to access through skyrocketing premiums and more red tape wasn’t painful enough, they’re doubling down to take it away entirely. “People don’t stop getting sick when Republicans rip coverage from them. More people will avoid care for as long as possible, show up in emergency rooms, and go into medical debt. That’s an outcome that only strains the system further and raises costs for everyone. It’s clear that the president is perfectly comfortable with that, so long as those at the top can keep cashing in.” ###",1,2026-09-26T09:43:57Z,2026-09-26T09:44:55Z https://lynch.house.gov/2026/9/rep-stephen-f-lynch-to-host-service-academy-day-on-october-4,Rep. Stephen F. Lynch to Host Service Academy Day on October 4,2026-09-21,2026,2026-09,Democrat,House,MA,Stephen F. Lynch,L000562,lynch.house.gov,lynch,https://lynch.house.gov/press-releases,scraper,"Boston, MA - On Sunday, October 4th, 2026, Congressman Stephen F. Lynch (MA-08) will host an information session at East Middle School in Braintree, MA for all high school students interested in applying to one of the United States Service Academies. All students and their families are welcome to attend. WHEN: Sunday, October 4th, 2026, 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM WHERE: East Middle School, 305 River Steet, Braintree, MA 02184",1,2026-09-22T09:42:49Z,2026-09-22T09:44:35Z https://mcgovern.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=400458,McGovern & Malliotakis Applaud Passage of Bipartisan Medically Tailored Meals Bill from Ways & Means Committee,2026-09-21,2026,2026-09,Democrat,House,MA,James P. McGovern,M000312,mcgovern.house.gov,mcgovern,https://mcgovern.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx,scraper,"For seniors living with chronic illnesses, access to nutritious food tailored to their medical needs can help them manage their conditions and improve their health. Similar programs have already shown promise in Massachusetts and across the country by providing meals designed by registered dietitians for patients with conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and kidney disease. The legislation creates a 6-year Medicare pilot program at 40 hospitals to deliver medically tailored meals, in partnership with trusted community-based providers, for Medicare beneficiaries who live at home and have a diet-impacted disease like diabetes or heart failure after they leave the hospital. The meals are medically tailored, meaning they are designed by nutritionists to accommodate the specific health needs of a patient. The legislation is budget neutral with no additional cost to taxpayers. ""For years, I’ve traveled across Massachusetts and the country learning from experts about how we can help improve nutrition and health outcomes. Incredible providers like Community Servings in Boston, God’s Love We Deliver in New York City, and many others from coast to coast have taught me about the life-saving benefits of Medically Tailored Meals (MTMs),” said Rep. McGovern. “You can’t be healthy if you’re hungry—and that’s why I'm proud to author this legislation with Rep. Malliotakis to improve health outcomes, reduce hospital visits, and save billions of dollars in healthcare spending. It’s a big step forward in our fight for a country where no one goes to bed hungry and everyone has access to the affordable, quality healthcare they deserve.” “I’m pleased to see our bipartisan Medically Tailored Home-Delivered Meals Program Pilot Act pass the Ways and Means Committee to help seniors who have difficulty shopping or cooking on their own receive healthy meals,” said Rep. Malliotakis. ""For seniors living with serious chronic illnesses, access to nutritious meals tailored to their medical needs can help them better manage their conditions, stay healthier at home and avoid unnecessary hospital visits. This pilot will allow us to measure the results and determine how we can improve outcomes for seniors while potentially lowering healthcare costs for taxpayers.” Now that the legislation has been approved by the committee, it can advance to the House floor for a vote. Both lawmakers will continue working to get the bill across the finish line and signed into law before the end of the year.",1,2026-09-22T09:42:49Z,2026-09-22T09:44:35Z https://mcgovern.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=400457,"McGovern, Merkley, Duckworth, Walkinshaw Urge Trump Administration: Do Not Deport People Back to Persecution and Torture in China",2026-09-18,2026,2026-09,Democrat,House,MA,James P. McGovern,M000312,mcgovern.house.gov,mcgovern,https://mcgovern.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx,scraper,"Lawmakers Make Letter Public So Attorneys Can Use It to Support At-Risk Uyghur, Hong Konger, Tibetan and Chinese Asylum Seekers Held in ICE Detention WASHINGTON—Yesterday, Representative James P. McGovern (D-MA), Ranking Member of the House Rules Committee and the Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC), along with Senators Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Representative James R. Walkinshaw (D-VA), sent a letter to Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin and Secretary of State Marco Rubio calling on the Trump Administration to protect people who have fled repression in China and could face persecution or torture if they are sent back. McGovern, Merkley, Duckworth, and Walkinshaw all serve on the CECC—a congressional commission that monitors and documents human rights violations in the People’s Republic of China (PRC). In the letter, the lawmakers called on the U.S. government to stop the practice of detaining at-risk individuals, release those currently in detention, prohibit them from being deported to the PRC, and give fair and timely consideration of their applications for asylum. “Many people who have fled persecution in the PRC come to the United States with an expectation that they can find refuge,” the Members wrote. “They should be given every opportunity to apply for asylum if they have not yet done so and given fair and timely consideration of such application for asylum or other protection. Under no circumstances should at-risk individuals be deported to the PRC.” The Members also made the letter public so immigration attorneys and advocates can use it in cases involving Uyghurs, Hong Kongers, Tibetans and others who fear persecution if returned to China. “There are likely many more detainees at ICE facilities, perhaps lacking representation, who fear deportation to a country run by a government that seeks to do them harm,” the Members continued. “There are perhaps others who have already been sent back to the PRC who are now experiencing persecution, torture or worse. Thus, we see value in making this letter and its message public.” The letter notes that the U.S. government deporting an individual to a country where their life or freedom would be threatened (also known as “refoulement”) would violate both United States and international law, and would also be a betrayal of that promise by then-Senator Marco Rubio to provide refuge to those subject to the repression of the Chinese Communist Party, when he introduced the Hong Kong Safe Harbor Act and the Uyghur Human Rights Protection Act. The full text of the letter is available here.",1,2026-09-19T09:11:33Z,2026-09-19T09:12:45Z https://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases/as-home-heating-season-approaches-senator-markey-joins-colleagues-to-urge-trump-admin-to-swiftly-release-liheap-funding,"As Home-Heating Season Approaches, Senator Markey Joins Colleagues to Urge Trump Admin to Swiftly Release LIHEAP Funding",2026-09-18,2026,2026-09,Democrat,Senate,MA,Edward J. Markey,M000133,www.markey.senate.gov,markey,https://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"Letter Text (PDF) Washington (September 18, 2026) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) this week joined Senators Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) in a bipartisan push for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to release funds for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) as swiftly and at the highest level possible. Appropriators worked on a bipartisan basis to make roughly $4 billion in federal LIHEAP funds available for the coming year. The senators call on HHS to swiftly distribute LIHEAP aid before winter home-heating bills arrive in order to help states and eligible households manage their energy costs. LIHEAP provides financial assistance to income-eligible homeowners and renters to help with energy bills and for reconnection of energy service. The program is targeted to assist vulnerable households facing high energy burdens—the share of a household’s income that goes toward their energy bills. Low-income homes generally spend the biggest percentage of their income on utility bills. However, factors such as income, weather, housing stock, fuel type, and energy-efficiency can all impact a household’s energy burden. “As you know, the Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act for Fiscal Year 2027 (P.L. 119-103) requires the Department of Health and Human Services to distribute no less than 90 percent of its total LIHEAP allotment by November 1, 2026. Given the extraordinary pressure consumers will face this winter, we ask that you make this distribution well before the deadline,” the 31 U.S. Senators wrote. In addition to Senators Markey, Reed, Collins, and Murkowski, the letter was signed by Senators Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Chris Coons (D-Del), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Angus King (I-Maine), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-N.M.), Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.). The bipartisan group of Senators say the federal government should put preparation ahead of politics and ensure LIHEAP funding is allocated in a timely manner to keep vulnerable citizens safe and warm during winter by helping low-income households and seniors on fixed incomes pay their energy bills. The program also helps reduce energy costs through improved energy efficiency initiatives. Nationwide, an estimated 6 million households received assistance with heating and cooling costs through LIHEAP over the last year. And more households may need heating assistance this winter as temperatures drop and the cost of oil, gas, propane, and other residential fuels rise. States and tribes typically receive their LIHEAP allocations from HHS by early November. Eligibility for LIHEAP is based on income, family size, and the availability of resources. While eligibility varies by state, most applicants must have a household income below 150 percent of the federal poverty guideline or 60 percent of the state median income. LIHEAP applications are open for all income-eligible households. Senior citizens and those receiving Social Security Disability or SSI benefits are encouraged to apply as early as possible, but applications will be open to everyone through spring of 2027 — or until the funding is exhausted. To find your state agency, visit HHS’s LIHEAP State Map of Contacts. ###",1,2026-09-19T09:11:33Z,2026-09-19T09:12:45Z https://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases/sen-markey-leader-schumer-rep-cohen-reintroduce-legislation-to-give-airline-passengers-right-to-cash-refunds-for-significant-flight-delays-cancellations,"Sen. Markey, Leader Schumer, Rep. Cohen Reintroduce Legislation to Give Airline Passengers Right to Cash Refunds for Significant Flight Delays, Cancellations",2026-09-18,2026,2026-09,Democrat,Senate,MA,Edward J. Markey,M000133,www.markey.senate.gov,markey,https://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"Bill Text (PDF) Washington (September 18, 2026) - Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), member of the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), and Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09), this week reintroduced the Cash Refunds for Flight Cancellations Act, legislation that would require major airlines to give passengers a cash refund if the airline cancels or significantly delays their flight, and creates a new right for consumers to receive a cash refund if the passenger cancels their flight up to 48 hours ahead of the flight’s scheduled departure. Senator Markey fought hard to ensure the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024 included several provisions requiring airlines to provide refunds to consumers when delays or cancellations are the fault of the airline. The law also required that vouchers offered in lieu of a refund be valid for at least five years. The Cash Refunds for Flight Cancellations Act reaffirms and builds on these important provisions. “For too long, passengers have been told to cover the cost of the airlines’ mistakes, while also paying exorbitant fees for carry-on bags or seat selection. No more,” said Senator Markey. “In 2023, the Biden administration took one step forward and adopted my rule to compensate passengers for flight delays and cancellations, but the Trump administration took three steps back and pandered to the airline CEO billionaires. It’s time to make the refunds permanent and stop airlines from soaring away with travelers’ hard-earned cash.” “When travelers pay for a ticket, they deserve the basic guarantee that if the airline fails to deliver the flight they paid for, they can get their hard-earned cash back,” said Leader Schumer. “The Trump administration has repeatedly put airlines’ profits over the pocket books of American passengers, leaving families holding the bag by rolling back commonsense consumer protections. If an airline cancels your flight or significantly delays your trip, you should get your money back—end of story.” “The flying public doesn’t want credits when the airlines cancel their flights, especially after already benefiting from a multibillion-dollar bailout from American taxpayers. Passengers deserve cash refunds,” said Congressman Cohen. “Travel plans can change last minute, often for reasons outside of our control,” said John Breyault, Vice President of Public Policy, Telecommunications, and Fraud at National Consumers League. “Meanwhile, airlines make more than a billion dollars each year in cancellation fees alone. NCL is proud to support Senator Markey’s continued work to protect consumers from being locked into non-refundable itineraries.” “For far too many years, airline passengers have been in the dark about their right to refunds when flights are disrupted,”said William J. McGee, Senior Fellow for Aviation & Travel at American Economic Liberties Project. “Sen. Markey was a tireless advocate who led the charge against U.S. airlines refusing to pay refunds during the early and dark days of the Covid-19 pandemic. This legislation will close a few loopholes, such as requiring that passengers be informed of their rights prior to booking and ensuring that any credits or vouchers will not expire. At long last, it's time for air travelers to be fully informed and fully protected when their itineraries are interrupted.” The legislation is cosponsored by Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) Senator Markey is a longtime advocate for aviation consumer rights. In December 2025, Senators Markey, Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) introduced the Flight Delay and Cancellation Compensation Act, legislation that would protect passengers by requiring airlines to provide cash compensation and free rebooking for passengers facing significant delays or cancellations caused by the airline. In October 2025, Senators Markey, Ranking Member Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Senator Blumenthal, and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) led their colleagues in sending a letterto U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Secretary Sean Duffy, urging the agency to reconsider its decision to roll back consumer protections for airline passengers that built on the bipartisan Federal Aviation Administration Reauthorization Act. ###",1,2026-09-19T09:11:33Z,2026-09-19T09:12:45Z https://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases/sen-markey-rep-cohen-reintroduces-legislation-to-stop-bloated-airline-fees-and-expand-passenger-protections,"Sen. Markey, Rep. Cohen Reintroduces Legislation to Stop Bloated Airline Fees and Expand Passenger Protections",2026-09-18,2026,2026-09,Democrat,Senate,MA,Edward J. Markey,M000133,www.markey.senate.gov,markey,https://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"Bill Text (PDF) Washington (September 18, 2026) - Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), member of the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, this week reintroduced the Forbidding Airlines from Imposing Ridiculous (FAIR) Fees Act, legislation that would require the Department of Transportation (DOT) to set a rule preventing airlines from setting bloated fees that far exceed the costs incurred by the airlines. Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) leads the legislation in the House of Representatives. “It’s outrageous that travelers have to pay a small fortune in fees for a carry-on bag or to sit with their children, when the true cost to the airlines is far less than what they charge in hidden fees,” said Senator Markey. “As airlines take their ridiculous fees to new heights, I’m proud to reintroduce the FAIR Fees Act, an important step to slash excessive airline fees, enact cost-saving protections, and put consumers first instead of airline CEO billionaires.” “Air travelers frequently tell me about unreasonable fees for schedule changes or baggage fees that appear out of line with the likely true cost to the airlines for providing these services. It’s well past time we have an objective assessment of these fees with the expectation that they will either be justified as reasonable or reduced or eliminated,” said Congressman Cohen. “The process of buying a plane ticket has become bloated with hidden fees at every turn,” said John Breyault, Vice President of Public Policy, Telecommunications, and Fraud at National Consumers League. “Many of these charges are inflated beyond any tangible cost associated with providing the service and exist solely to pad carriers’ earnings. The FAIR Fees Act would significantly rein in this practice and protect consumers from incessant nickel and diming.” “We all know air travelers are subject to severe sticker shock when junk fees are added to base fares,” said William J. McGee, Senior Fellow for Aviation & Travel at American Economic Liberties Project. “But there are also problems with many of the fees themselves, because some services don't incur costs to the airlines. Boarding earlier? Sitting in a window rather than a middle seat? Gaining access to overhead bins? None of this affects an airline's bottom line, but passengers can wind up paying hundreds of dollars more. I testified alongside airline CEOs who were unable to even guess the internal cost of passengers canceling flights, yet that cost for consumers can be $150. This legislation will ensure that--finally--airline fees are both reasonable and in proportion to the costs incurred.” The legislation is cosponsored by Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Ruben Gallego (D-N.M), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.). Senator Markey is a longtime advocate for aviation consumer rights. In December 2025, Senators Markey, Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) introduced the Flight Delay and Cancellation Compensation Act, legislation that would protect passengers by requiring airlines to provide cash compensation and free rebooking for passengers facing significant delays or cancellations caused by the airline. In October 2025, Senators Markey, Ranking Member Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), led 14 of their colleagues in sending a letter to U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Secretary Sean Duffy, urging the DOT to reconsider its decision to roll back consumer protections for airline passengers that built on the bipartisan FAA Reauthorization Act. ###",1,2026-09-19T09:11:33Z,2026-09-19T09:12:45Z https://neal.house.gov/2026/09/18/neal-larson-davis-demand-bisignano-answer-for-social-security-staffing-crisis/,"Neal, Larson, Davis Demand Bisignano Answer for Social Security Staffing Crisis",2026-09-18,2026,2026-09,Democrat,House,MA,Richard E. Neal,N000015,neal.house.gov,neal,https://neal.house.gov/category/press-releases/,scraper,"WASHINGTON, DC— Ways and Means Committee Ranking Member Richard E. Neal (D-MA), alongside Social Security Subcommittee Ranking Member John B. Larson (D-CT) and Worker and Family Support Subcommittee Ranking Member Danny K. Davis (D-IL), wrote today to Social Security Administration (SSA) Commissioner Frank J. Bisignano, to demand he answer for the staffing crisis taking hold at SSA after delivering seemingly contradictory testimony before the Ways and Means Committee earlier this year. During his testimony, Commissioner Bisignano asserted that SSA has “the right amount of staff in the right places,” that they’ve “reduced workload in field offices by the equivalent of 600 work years,” and that “we committed to never close a field office.” However, reports by the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) Council 220, representing approximately 25,000 SSA employees, contradict him. The union told Congress that severely understaffed field offices are operating as “ghost offices” and record-low morale have created the worst staffing crisis in SSA’s history. The union noted that the Administration has forced out roughly one in seven SSA employees nationwide. “During the hearing, you testified that you are delivering ‘the best all-around performance ever at the Social Security Administration,’” the Democratic lawmakers wrote. “Unfortunately, the experience on the ground as reported by our constituents and as highlighted by AFGE Council 220 in its statement contradicts this testimony.” The lawmakers requested Commissioner Bisignano answer by October 2, 2026, for the crisis afoot amidst an effort to “trample on the rights of unionized employees.” The questions probe the changes in SSA’s workplace policy, criteria used to reassign employees and its effect on customer service, and canceling of previously agreed upon employee accommodations. The Democrats demanded to know what notice is given to SSA employees regarding changes to their employment, and what steps are taken to ensure reasonable accommodation and Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) requests. Read the full letter to Commissioner Bisignano HERE. ###",1,2026-09-26T09:43:57Z,2026-09-26T09:44:55Z https://katherineclark.house.gov/2026/09/17/whip-clark-democrats-will-put-people-first-in-the-peoples-house/,Whip Clark: Democrats Will Put “People First in the People’s House”,2026-09-17,2026,2026-09,Democrat,House,MA,Katherine M. Clark,C001101,katherineclark.house.gov,clark,https://katherineclark.house.gov/newsroom/,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Democratic Whip Katherine Clark (MA-5) joined Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (NY-8) and Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar (CA-33) for a press availability on House Democrats’ fight for an affordable America and Republicans’ refusal to lower costs for working families. Below are excerpts of her remarks: On Republicans Making Life More Expensive: “We have 47 days ’til we have a referendum on 47’s economic failure. “There were two fundamental promises made by the Republican Party and Donald Trump: ‘We’ll bring down costs on day one’ and ‘no new wars.’ Both of those promises have been broken. And what are we seeing across this country? Families who are struggling. “The metaphors I hear all the time have to do with drowning. ‘I can’t keep my head above water. We’re drowning in our bills. We are treading water and not making it.’ Americans can’t work any harder. They need a government that is working for them. That is the promise of the Democratic Caucus. “We see your family, and we are going to fight for you. We’re going to fight to lower those costs. Of groceries, of housing, of childcare and elder care. We’re going to make sure that when you need a doctor, you can afford to go to one, and it can be close by to where you live. “As the Leader said, there is a cost-of-living price paid for corruption. And we are going to hold them accountable. What we have seen is a bargain that always puts the American people last. “They stripped away healthcare to the tune of $1 trillion. And then they said, ‘Corporations and the very wealthiest people in this country, they will benefit.’ And what have we seen? Healthcare costs skyrocket. In one third of all our counties, there are no OB/GYNs or a safe place to have a baby. And the cost of having a baby continues to go out of reach. The cost of having a baby in this country! “And corporate tax revenues have fallen by 25% — that’s $96 billion — while the American people are working at multiple jobs just trying to get by. That is a bargain that we are not going to stand for, and we are going to put the people first back in the People’s House come January.” On the Devastating Impacts of Trump’s War in Iran: “Just this morning, I met with farmers. The cost of diesel fuel that is directly related to this war in Iran is going to further drive farmers out of business and grocery prices even higher. “We are seeing now, sort of, the end of oil reserves. Prices going up — $0.26 at a pump in a 24-hour period. This is so unsustainable. “And [Republicans] are not being transparent about, not only the real costs, but what is happening in our bases and the cost of this war now and to keep it going, and the long-term costs of rebuilding what we have lost. “So, all of this ends up on people’s kitchen tables. They don’t have different silos they can go to to pay for different budgets. It all comes out of their paycheck, and they are not making it. “This corruption, the pay for play, the ineptitude of the Department of Defense — starting with Pete Hegseth — is all coming home to American families and creating anxiety and fear that they’re simply not going to be able to provide for their children.” On the GOP’s Refusal to Address AI Safety: “Right now with AI, we have two things going on: We want to be the leaders in innovation in the world and take the promise of this technology to do amazing things, but we know we have to protect jobs, child safety. We have very real concerns that we have many legislative proposals [for]. But at this moment, we have an industry — OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, Meta — all speaking with one voice [and saying] that there is a problem, that there is a true threat to a global existence. It is a true threat that we have to solve globally. “And what we have is a Speaker of the House who says, ‘They can work that out for themselves.’ “This is not a Republican or Democratic issue. This is an American issue. And it is a global issue. “As the Leader said, what we are lacking is the leadership from this president to do that. This isn’t about bolstering up the corporations that he’s invested in, his personal enrichment. If there is a fundamental safety issue, let’s address it. Let’s come together and make sure that we can harness the power of this innovation. But also address the safety issue that we are getting warnings about. “That should be a top priority that we are working on right now. And so that we can continue and work with global partners who are also developing this technology together on some fundamental guardrails to ensure safety of AI as we move forward. “And what are we seeing instead? We’re going to go home. We’re going to go home and not deal with this issue. We’ve seen this before. When they are pressed on issues, whether it’s Epstein or a fundamental safety issue around AI, the answer is to retreat and not take it on. “We will be pushing for this answer that we need. It is not partisan. Let’s meet this moment of safety for the American people who want to benefit from AI, but are worried about what it might do to their privacy, to their kids, and to future jobs.” Watch the full press availability, HERE. View photos, HERE. ###",1,2026-09-18T09:27:43Z,2026-09-18T09:29:09Z https://pressley.house.gov/2026/09/17/news-with-unemployment-rising-under-trump-pressley-renews-call-for-federal-job-guarantee/,"NEWS: With Unemployment Rising Under Trump, Pressley Renews Call for Federal Job Guarantee",2026-09-17,2026,2026-09,Democrat,House,MA,Ayanna Pressley,P000617,pressley.house.gov,pressley,https://pressley.house.gov/news/,scraper,"Historic Resolution Follows in Footsteps of Civil Rights Leaders Coretta Scott King, Economist Sadie Alexander, and Others Job Guarantee Would Provide Critical Safety Net, Good-Paying Union Jobs, and Close Income Gap Resolution Text (PDF) | Resolution Summary (PDF) WASHINGTON – Today, with unemployment surging under Donald Trump, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), a member of the House Financial Services Committee, reintroduced her historic resolution calling for a federal job guarantee. The resolution, which builds on the legacy and work of Black women in the civil rights movement, would help the United States achieve the promise of full employment, establish a more resilient and inclusive economy, and begin to close racial and gender income gaps. Congresswoman Pressley has consistently called for the Federal Reserve to enforce its dual mandate for maximum employment and address the crisis of Black unemployment, particularly Black women’s unemployment. “With Black folks being pushed out of the workforce and unemployment rates at their highest since the COVID-19 pandemic, we need a Federal Job Guarantee now more than ever,” said Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley. “A federal job guarantee is a central and unfulfilled demand of the civil rights movement and I’m proud to stand on the shoulders of civil rights icons like Coretta Scott King and Sadie Alexander to keep pushing for this historic resolution, which would support working families of every background, help America reach full employment, and help achieve long-term economic security for all.” A federal job guarantee would provide every person with an enforceable legal right to a quality job. Extending beyond a project-based approach, the resolution calls for the creation of federal jobs that meet long-neglected community, physical and human infrastructure needs, such as delivering quality care for children and seniors, building and sustaining 21st century transit systems, strengthening neighborhoods, and protecting the environment. Funded by the federal government and implemented locally in partnership with communities, the program would provide public jobs for all adults seeking employment. By ensuring everyone has access to a good job with dignified wages, safe working conditions, health care and other benefits—including full worker rights and union protections—a federal job guarantee would set a new standard for quality jobs, pressuring low-wage employers to increase wages and benefits. It would create a pathway to stable employment and begin to close the gaping income and wealth gap for Black, Latinx, and Indigenous workers who continue to face discrimination and are often the “first ones fired, last ones hired” during economic crises. It would also ensure economic inclusion for those experiencing discrimination in the labor market, including people with disabilities, transgender people, caregivers, and people with criminal records or involvement with the criminal legal system. A permanent job guarantee would operate as an automatic stabilizer, maintaining consumer spending and protecting us from prolonged recessions and jobless recoveries — making the economy more resilient as well as more inclusive. “We applaud Congresswoman Pressley for her steadfast commitment to justice and advancing policies that invest in people. This federal job guarantee resolution recognizes and promotes the infrastructure to put our most productive resources to work for a greener, more just and inclusive economy that works for us all,” said Dr. Darrick Hamilton, Founding Director of the Institute on Race, Power, and Political Economy at The New School. “Workers in the U.S. are experiencing unprecedented times: an affordability crisis compounded by record long-term unemployment, disproportionate job losses for Black women, and increasing structural barriers especially impacting younger, older, and immigrant workers. Huge swaths of the American workforce are also not being paid a living wage, especially those in jobs that have been historically undervalued such as care and domestic work,” said Elyse Shaw, Director of Education, Labor and Worker Justice at the Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP). “We applaud Congresswoman Pressley for introducing the Federal Jobs Guarantee resolution, which calls for proactive policies that address the systemic and discriminatory barriers limiting many workers’ access to quality jobs and careers as well as robust worker protections for all.” A copy of the resolution can be found here and a summary is here. Rep. Pressley first introduced the historic resolution in February 2021. Following introduction. Pressley questioned Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell in a House Financial Services Committee hearing about the need for a federal job guarantee to help the United States achieve full employment. In September 2021, she published an op-ed in The Nation outlining the civil rights history of the Federal Job Guarantee and discussed the urgent need to establish one. Rep. Pressley has repeatedly sounded the alarm on the rising number of Black women forced out of the workforce in the United States, called on the Federal Reserve to take action, and convened impacted women and economists to renew those calls. The Federal Reserve responded to the Congresswoman’s letter in October, and Rep. Pressley pushed for further action demanding a briefing for members of the Congressional Black Caucus on how the Fed is responding to this crisis. ###",1,2026-09-18T09:27:43Z,2026-09-18T09:29:09Z https://trahan.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=3849,Trahan Secures $180 Million Authorization for MA-03 Sewage System Upgrades,2026-09-17,2026,2026-09,Democrat,House,MA,Lori Trahan,T000482,trahan.house.gov,trahan,https://trahan.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27,scraper,"Yesterday, Congresswoman Lori Trahan (MA-03) voted to advance the bipartisan 2026 Water Resources Development Act (WRDA), reauthorizing federal investments in water infrastructure projects across the country and in Massachusetts. The legislation authorized $180 million in federal funding for communities in the Third District, including $90 million split equally among Fitchburg, Lawrence, and Methuen, plus $90 million for Lowell and Haverhill. Compared to 2024 funding levels, this legislation would increase Lowell’s authorization from $30 million to $40 million and Haverhill’s from $30 million to $50 million. The additional funding could help address Haverhill’s combined sewer system challenges in the wake of this summer’s main sewer failure. “For too long, Washington has passed the buck on costly water upgrades to communities like ours that can't afford them. The result is decades of delay while sewage spills into our rivers every heavy storm. Families deserve better,” said Congresswoman Trahan. “This authorization puts real support within reach for our gateway cities. I look forward to partnering with our local, state, and federal leaders to turn this authorization into real dollars for our communities.” Reauthorized by Congress every two years, the Water Resources Development Act provides an opportunity to ensure federal investments in local water infrastructure and development projects reflect the needs of communities. Lowell alone has invested over $150 million in CSO projects that have reduced the annual volume of overflows from the Lowell system and drastically reduced street flooding. Many older cities, including communities across Massachusetts, were built with combined sewer systems. During heavy rain or snowmelt, these systems can become overwhelmed, causing untreated wastewater and stormwater to flow directly into rivers and other waterways. These combined sewer overflows (CSOs) are a major source of water pollution in cities with aging water infrastructure. Following July’s main sewer line failure in Haverhill, Trahan partnered with Senators Edward J. Markey (D-MA) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) to introduce the Water Emergency and Technical Assistance Act to authorize emergency assistance and grants during clean water and drinking water infrastructure crises. The legislation would create a new emergency grant program under the Clean Water Act, funded at $50 million annually, to help communities respond immediately to failures in their wastewater systems, including combined sewer overflows and other critical system failures that threaten public health. Since arriving in Congress in 2019, Trahan has successfully fought to increase WRDA funding for MA-03 and address combined sewer overflow (CSO) problems in the district. In 2022, Trahan secured over $100 million in WRDA investments for the district. This year’s WRDA increases on previous authorization to reflect the current needs of cities and towns in MA-03. The 2026 WRDA now moves to the Senate. Once law, the community authorizations will be eligible for funding through the appropriations process. ###",1,2026-09-18T09:27:43Z,2026-09-18T09:29:09Z https://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases/senator-markey-and-senator-budd-introduce-bipartisan-resolution-condemning-chinas-wrongful-detention-of-american-academics-including-massachusetts-constituent-dr-youlin-chen,"Senator Markey and Senator Budd Introduce Bipartisan Resolution Condemning China’s Wrongful Detention of American Academics, Including Massachusetts Constituent Dr. Youlin Chen",2026-09-17,2026,2026-09,Democrat,Senate,MA,Edward J. Markey,M000133,www.markey.senate.gov,markey,https://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"Resolution Text (PDF) Washington (September 17, 2026) - Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Senator Ted Budd (R-N.C.), along with Senator John Curtis (R-Utah) and Senator Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), today introduced a bipartisan resolution that condemns the People’s Republic of China’s repeated pattern of arbitrary or wrongful detention of American academics and urges the United States government to prioritize the safe return of all United States citizens wrongfully detained in China, including Massachusetts resident and academic Dr. Youlin Chen, and American scholar Min Zin. Congressman Stephen Lynch (MA-08) and Congressman John Moolenaar, Chairman of the House Select Committee on China (MI-02), led a companion resolution in the House of Representatives. The resolution expresses that the Senate: Condemns the People’s Republic of China’s repeated pattern of arbitrary or wrongful detention of United States citizens. Urges the United States government to make the safe return of United States citizens detained in China a top priority, including the return of Dr. Chen and Min Zin. Urges the Secretary of State to use all available tools to press for the release of all United States nationals being unlawfully or wrongfully detained in the People’s Republic of China. “The wrongful detainment of innocent civilians is never justifiable and should always be condemned in the strongest possible terms. We owe it to the American people to stand up and speak out when our citizens are wrongfully detained in foreign prisons. It is my hope that this bipartisan resolution from the United States Congress will bring increased attention to the unjust detention of Dr. Youlin Chen and Min Zin and force the Chinese government to do the right thing and release them immediately. I am praying for Dr. Chen, Mr. Zin, and their families today,” said Senator Markey. “The Chinese Communist Party’s pattern of unjustly detaining innocent Americans on baseless allegations cannot carry on unchecked. It is long past time for the CCP to return American academics Dr. Youlin Chen and Mr. Min Zin home to their loved ones and end the targeting of American citizens. I am proud to stand with Senator Markey and my colleagues, as a bipartisan front, against these escalatory actions,” said Senator Budd. “China’s repeated and cruel pattern of wrongful detentions of American citizens, leaving some without access to legal counsel, is nothing short of an affront to the rule of law and infringes on their rights and freedoms. The U.S. government must redouble its efforts to ensure U.S. citizens unjustly detained abroad, like Min Zin and Dr. Chen, return safely back home to their loved ones,” said Senator Schiff. Congressman Lynch said: “I am proud to join my colleagues in introducing a bipartisan and bicameral Resolution denouncing China’s use of arbitrary and unlawful arrests of U.S. citizens. Dr. Youlin Chen, a good man and respected seismologist and geophysicist who has made Boston his home, was arbitrarily arrested on fabricated ‘espionage’ charges nearly two years ago. Similarly, Min Zin, a Myanmar scholar and executive director of the Myanmar Institute for Strategic and Policy Studies, has not been heard from his family since he was detained in June for ‘espionage and endangering national security.’ Ironically, these two men were in China to engage in academic exchanges that benefit both our countries. They were doing honest and noble work and should never have been detained. “These men are being held under brutal and inhumane conditions, with no access to their families and limited access, if any, to legal counsel. There has yet to be any evidence presented to justify these charges, much less an opportunity to prove their innocence. “My office has been communicating with the family of Dr. Chen and Min Zin, and we will continue to work with our Republican colleagues in the House and Senate to bring these men home to their families. President Trump must use his upcoming meeting with President Xi to demand that China release every unlawfully detained American. The reprehensible use of our citizens as diplomatic bargaining chips is not new for the Xi government, and Congress must continue to press for the release of every American that China is unlawfully detaining.” “The Chinese Communist Party has unjustly detained Americans for years, holding them as hostages to bully and coerce our government. The wrongful detentions of Youlin Chen and Min Zin are especially egregious as they were lured to China under the false pretense of academic research. American professors and researchers must realize the CCP is not interested in an open exchange of ideas. They should reconsider any collaborations with China as well as any travel to the country,” said Chairman John Moolenaar of the Select Committee on China. “No American should ever be used as a political bargaining chip. The Chinese Communist Party’s ongoing pattern of arbitrarily detaining U.S. citizens, including scholars like Min Zin and Dr. Chen, is an egregious abuse of human rights and direct security threat,” said Congresswoman Kim. “As Chairwoman of the House Foreign Affairs East Asia and Pacific Subcommittee, I’m proud to join this bipartisan, bicameral resolution to send an unmistakable message: Congress stands united against CCP repression, and we will not rest until every wrongfully detained American is brought safely home.” The PRC has a long history of detaining U.S. citizens under dubious circumstances. Most recently, on November 5, 2024, the Government of the PRC arrested Dr. Youlin Chen, a United States citizen, who has conducted transparent and open-source seismological research in cooperation with academics in the PRC. Despite high level engagement between the United States and the People’s Republic of China, the Government of the PRC has held him on baseless espionage charges for more than 600 days without a trial or access to his family. In addition, Dr. Chen was deprived of access to his lawyer for the first 434 days of his ongoing detention. In July, Senator Markey released a statement on the wrongful detention of Dr. Chen. On June 3, 2026, authorities of the PRC detained another United States citizen, Min Zin (executive director of a Myanmar-focused policy think tank), at the Kunming Changshui International Airport after he was invited to attend an academic event at a university in Yunnan province in the PRC. Min Zin remains in detention without access to legal counsel. ###",1,2026-09-18T09:27:43Z,2026-09-18T09:29:09Z https://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases/senator-markey-introduces-joint-resolution-of-disapproval-on-us-weapons-sales-to-saudi-arabia,Senator Markey Introduces Joint Resolution of Disapproval on U.S. Weapons Sales to Saudi Arabia,2026-09-17,2026,2026-09,Democrat,Senate,MA,Edward J. Markey,M000133,www.markey.senate.gov,markey,https://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"Resolution Text (PDF) Washington (September 17, 2026) - Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Senator Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), co-chairs of the bicameral Nuclear Weapons and Arms Control Working Group, along with Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), this week introduced a joint resolution of disapproval (JRD) for the Trump administration’s proposed sale of conventional weapons to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The weapons include thousands of joint direct attack munitions (JDAMs) and five thousand 2,000-pound bombs. Separately, the Trump administration recently submitted an agreement on U.S.-Saudi nuclear cooperation to Congress—as is required by law—but has classified two important side letters, which is unprecedented. Because the side letters affect the obligations and operation of the underlying agreement, Congress and the public cannot fully assess what the United States and Saudi Arabia have agreed to without seeing them. On September 16, Senators Markey and Merkley led a bipartisan group of senators to press the Trump administration to declassify and publicly release the two side letters accompanying the proposed U.S.-Saudi civil nuclear cooperation agreement, referred to as a “123 agreement.” “The United States must not send thousands of conventional weapons to Saudi Arabia or allow it to develop a nuclear program. I am deeply concerned by the Kingdom’s human rights abuses, the security of the region as the war in Iran rages on, and the proxy war that is escalating between Iran and Saudi Arabia in Yemen. Further escalation in the Saudi-Iran proxy war will worsen an already dire humanitarian catastrophe in Yemen and risks setting off a nuclear arms race between Iran and Saudi Arabia,” said Senator Markey. As a founder of the national Nuclear Freeze movement, Senator Markey has long been the Congressional leader on ending the proliferation of nuclear weapons. On July 31, Senators Markey and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) along with Representatives John Garamendi (CA-08) and Don Beyer (VA-08), co-chairs of the Nuclear Weapons and Arms Control Working Group, published an opinion piece slamming Trump’s Saudi nuclear deal, citing then-Senator Marco Rubio’s understanding that handing nuclear weapons to Saudi Arabia would be disastrous. On March 25, Senators Markey and Merkley reintroduced the No Nuclear Weapons for Saudi Arabia Act, legislation that would mandate that any nuclear cooperation agreement with Saudi Arabia can go into effect only if it receives the affirmative vote of Congress. On March 18, Senator Markey led his colleagues in writing to Secretary Rubio demanding the Trump administration must meet the “gold standard” of nuclear non-proliferation protections by denying Saudi Arabia the means to produce weapons-grade uranium and plutonium, materials that could be used in a nuclear bomb. In November 2025, Senator Markey and Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20) wrote to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, urging the Trump administration to include the strongest possible “gold standard” nonproliferation measures in any nuclear cooperation agreement with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to foreclose any pathway to a nuclear weapon. As far back as 2017, Senator Markey pressed the first Trump administration on the status of all current and ongoing discussions between the United States and other countries, including Saudi Arabia, on 123 agreements after it was reported that former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn was peddling a plan to build nuclear reactors throughout the Middle East. ###",1,2026-09-18T09:27:43Z,2026-09-18T09:29:09Z https://pressley.house.gov/2026/09/16/pressley-bill-to-support-renters-passes-out-of-committee-by-a-vote-of-47-2/,Pressley Bill to Support Renters Passes Out of Committee by a Vote of 47-2,2026-09-16,2026,2026-09,Democrat,House,MA,Ayanna Pressley,P000617,pressley.house.gov,pressley,https://pressley.house.gov/news/,scraper,"Transcript: Pressley Bill to Support Renters Passes Out of Committee by a Vote of 47-2 House Financial Services Committee September 16, 2026 Thank you. My bill, the Eviction Helpline Act, creates a seven-year pilot program at the Department of Housing and Urban Development to create and promote a national hotline for people facing eviction. I want to thank Chairman Hill for including this legislation in today’s markup, and Ranking Member Waters for her continued support and partnership over the years on this priority. In my district, the Massachusetts Seventh, and throughout the nation, evictions can be destabilizing life events. Evictions impact everyone: children, women, people of color, veterans, and the elderly. Pregnant women facing low birth weights due to housing instability, children in school at increased risk of illness due to unhealthy living conditions, parents missing work to negotiate with their landlord in the court hallway, and even our elders who are part of the growing gray wave simply because they cannot find an affordable place to live. Housing is a human right. It is health. It is dignity. It is stability and community. Every single person needs access to a quality home that they can actually afford. No matter if you are a Republican or Democrat, you likely know someone that struggled with paying rent because a corporation hiked up the cost unfairly. A 2024 Federal Reserve report found that corporate investors increased rates 60% higher than the average rate. That’s why this eviction hotline is so important—so that these families know they are not fighting alone and can know their rights as tenants and get help even before an eviction is filed. I serve as Vice-Chair of the Renters Caucus, which I like to think of as the Pathway to Homeownership Caucus. Renting is an essential part of the housing journey for millions of adults throughout the country and my bill, the Eviction Helpline Act, can help tenants achieve their dream of homeownership. This national hotline serves as a one-stop shop to ensure people know what resources are available to help them, so that an eviction does not become a stain on their future tenant screening reports or credit history. As the daughter of a tenants’ rights organizer, this bill is near and dear to my heart, and I have been fighting for this type of eviction-related assistance since I was first elected to Congress and introduced the HELP Act to support renters. This bill, the Eviction Helpline Act, is important for families—whether they are in red or blue states, whether they are white or Black, young or old. As housing prices continue to climb, renters desperately need a place they can turn to, to know their rights and know what local and federal resources may already be available to them to help. Thank you again for considering this bill today. I urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan priority. Please vote yes. I yield back.",1,2026-09-17T09:52:05Z,2026-09-17T09:53:00Z https://trahan.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=3847,"Trahan, Beyer Lead Bipartisan Push for House Leaders to Act Immediately on Artificial Intelligence",2026-09-16,2026,2026-09,Democrat,House,MA,Lori Trahan,T000482,trahan.house.gov,trahan,https://trahan.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27,scraper,"Today, Congresswoman Lori Trahan (D-MA-03), a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, and Congressman Don Beyer (D-VA-07), a member of the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee, led a bipartisan group of 10 congressional leaders on Artificial Intelligence (AI) in pressing House leadership to take immediate, urgent action to address risks posed by this rapidly advancing technology. The push came in the wake of the OpenAI agent cyberattacks on Hugging Face and subsequent warnings from leaders and researchers at prominent AI companies about the societal and existential risks posed by unrestrained advances in the technology. In addition to Trahan and Beyer, the letter was signed by Representatives Jay Obernolte (R-CA-33), Ted Lieu (D-CA-36), Scott Franklin (R-FL-18), Sara Jacobs (D-CA-53), Gabe Amo (D-RI-01), Valerie Foushee (D-NC-04), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA-01), and Veronica Escobar (D-TX-16). “We call for your joint leadership on an urgent Congressional response to recent incidents involving advanced artificial intelligence (AI) models that have profound implications for economic and national security. Congress has a singular opportunity to respond swiftly and effectively to these warning shots before true catastrophes occur,” the lawmakers wrote. “Congress must urgently advance legislation to mitigate the risk of more serious incidents, especially those that could threaten critical infrastructure, our financial system, and other institutions that every American depends on.” “The House of Representatives could and should immediately take up legislation that would strengthen AI oversight, security, and transparency. There currently exist dozens of bipartisan bills that committees of jurisdiction have reported. Members of both parties have also worked in recent months to fast-track bipartisan legislation that is ready to be considered by committees of jurisdiction. We believe these bills should be carefully and urgently advanced through the legislative process,” the lawmakers continued. A copy of the letter sent today can be accessed HERE. In July, Trahan and Obernolte introduced the FRONTIER Act, bipartisan legislation that would set the first federal safety rules for the most powerful AI systems, requiring the companies that build them to be transparent about the risks, submit to independent safety reviews, and report dangerous incidents to the government. The proposal has been endorsed by a broad coalition of independent AI safety organizations, industry stakeholders, and others. ###",1,2026-09-17T09:52:05Z,2026-09-17T09:53:00Z https://trahan.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=3848,Trahan Votes to Protect Ratepayers from Data Center Price Hikes,2026-09-16,2026,2026-09,Democrat,House,MA,Lori Trahan,T000482,trahan.house.gov,trahan,https://trahan.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27,scraper,"Today, Congresswoman Lori Trahan (MA-03), a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, voted to pass the bipartisan Ratepayer Protection Act, legislation that gives state utility regulators clear standards to make sure large-load customers, including new data centers or information storage facilities, pay for the infrastructure they need. It requires companies to cover the full cost of any additional grid upgrades over time and provide financial guarantees, protecting ratepayers if a data center scales back its operations or shuts down entirely. Trahan also helped pass the legislation when it was considered in the Energy and Commerce Committee in July. “Families are being squeezed by rising costs across the board. The last thing they need is a data center driving up their utility bills and making it even harder to make ends meet,” said Congresswoman Trahan. “The Ratepayer Protection Act says that if you build a data center, you pay for the data center, including the infrastructure and utility costs that too often get passed onto residents. Communities across the country have made it clear they aren’t going to tolerate these facilities driving up their utility costs and impacting their quality of life. Congress should build on this progress by codifying Governor Healey’s effort to ensure communities have a real say in if and when these facilities.” Large scale data centers or information storage facilities that use 100 megawatts or more require extensive cooling systems that are necessary to keep servers from overheating. These cooling systems can account for as much as 40% of a data center's total electricity use. These data centers can use even more electricity during summer months or during heat waves where electric grids are already under strain and electricity is under more demand. Recent studies examining the impact of growing data center demand found that wholesale electricity prices increased by 6% to 29% on average nationwide, with increases of up to 57% in the regions most affected, compared with projected prices without that growth in demand. “Right now, families across our country are afraid to open up their electric bills. The number keeps climbing, and their paycheck isn't keeping pace. They're doing the math at the kitchen table, wondering what they might have to cut next just to keep the lights on. That fear is real, and too many families have stopped believing that anyone in Washington is listening,” Congresswoman Trahan said when the bill was marked up in the Energy and Commerce Committee in July. The Ratepayer Protection Act now moves to the Senate for consideration. ###",1,2026-09-17T09:52:05Z,2026-09-17T09:53:00Z https://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases/markey-merkley-bipartisan-group-of-senators-trump-administration-must-release-all-documents-from-us-saudi-nuclear-deal,"Markey, Merkley, Bipartisan Group of Senators: Trump Administration Must Release All Documents from U.S.-Saudi Nuclear Deal",2026-09-16,2026,2026-09,Democrat,Senate,MA,Edward J. Markey,M000133,www.markey.senate.gov,markey,https://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"Letter Text (PDF) Washington (September 16, 2026) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Senator Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), co-chairs of the bicameral Nuclear Weapons and Arms Control Working Group, today led a bipartisan group of Senators to press the Trump administration to declassify and publicly release the two side letters accompanying the proposed U.S.-Saudi civil nuclear cooperation agreement, referred to as a “123 agreement.” The Trump administration recently submitted the 123 agreement to Congress—as is required by law—but while the agreement references the side letters, the letters themselves are classified at the lowest possible level, which is unprecedented. Because the side letters affect the obligations and operation of the underlying agreement, Congress and the public cannot fully assess what the United States and Saudi Arabia have agreed to without seeing them. “Congress has a statutory responsibility under Section 123 of the Atomic Energy Act to review the proposed nuclear deal, which seeks to facilitate nuclear cooperation with significant implications for U.S. national security interests. Access to the full text is required for the Senate and the public to have a clear understanding of the commitments being made on the nation’s behalf and those being made by Saudi Arabia to the United States,” wrote the bipartisan group of Senators in a letter to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright. “The side letters affect the obligations and operations of the underlying agreement and cannot be viewed in isolation from it; the President’s own transmission letter to Congress states that the agreement “…was concluded with two accompanying side letters.” Their public release would also allow civil society, independent experts, and other affected stakeholders to scrutinize the deal.” They emphasized, “Transparency and open debate are cornerstones of our democracy. Congress and the American public must have a meaningful opportunity to review and debate the key components of the U.S.-Saudi nuclear deal before it potentially enters into force. To that end, we call on you to declassify and release the two side letters without delay.” Joining Senators Markey and Merkley in signing the letter were Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), John Kennedy (R-La.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Rand Paul (R-K.Y.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.). As co-chairs of the bicameral Nuclear Weapons and Arms Control Working Group, Markey and Merkley have raised concerns about the proposed details of the U.S.-Saudi nuclear deal. ###",1,2026-09-17T09:52:05Z,2026-09-17T09:53:00Z https://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases/sens-markey-and-cruz-applaud-house-passage-of-legislation-to-keep-am-radio-in-new-vehicles,Sens. Markey and Cruz Applaud House Passage of Legislation to Keep AM Radio in New Vehicles,2026-09-16,2026,2026-09,Democrat,Senate,MA,Edward J. Markey,M000133,www.markey.senate.gov,markey,https://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"Washington (September 16, 2026) - Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), member of the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, and Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Chairman of the Commerce Committee, today celebrated the House of Representatives’ passage of the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act, bipartisan and bicameral legislation that would require automakers to include AM broadcast radio in their new vehicles at no additional charge. House passage comes after Senators Markey and Cruz secured 60 cosponsors in the Senate earlier this year. “This vote sends a clear message to car manufacturers that AM Radio is a lifeline that must be protected in new vehicles. From emergency response to sports, entertainment, and news, AM radio is an essential communication tool for tens of millions of Americans. It is now time for the Senate to pass the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act and for this legislation to become law so AM radio remains a trusted and essential resource for commuters and communities across the country.” In April 2025, Senators Markey and Cruz celebrated securing a filibuster-proof 60 Senate cosponsors for the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act. The legislation passed through the Senate Commerce Committee in February 2025. ###",1,2026-09-17T09:52:05Z,2026-09-17T09:53:00Z https://neal.house.gov/2026/09/16/neal-on-the-house-floor-the-american-people-cant-afford-congress-to-hand-trump-more-tariff-power/,Neal on the House Floor: The American People Can’t Afford Congress to Hand Trump More Tariff Power,2026-09-16,2026,2026-09,Democrat,House,MA,Richard E. Neal,N000015,neal.house.gov,neal,https://neal.house.gov/category/press-releases/,scraper,"WATCH HERE (As prepared for delivery) M/ Speaker, I rise today not only because I’m concerned about what this bill would do to the people but also because of what a stain it will be on this institution. My Republican colleagues on the Ways and Means Committee don’t even see the surrender of our constitutional authority as enough of a threat to participate in this debate. This is not the time to bury one’s head in the sand and hope for the best. You cannot look at this president and conclude that he won’t abuse any new tariff authority. We had to fight all the way to the Supreme Court to constrain his IEEPA tariffs. We know very clearly what happens when this President is handed unchecked power, and the American people know it too. He weaponized tariffs. He threatened allies. He started petty trade wars. All while forcing the people to “hang in there” as prices have skyrocketed. And stunningly, Republicans have looked at that record and decided, yet again, to forfeit the prerogative of Congress and hand Trump even more power. This bill is a tariff tyrant’s fantasy come true. This bill hands this Administration the ability to put up to 100 percent tariffs on any good, using whatever rationale he wants, on any country this Administration wishes to target. And from what we’ve seen recently, it’s clear this president has all the incentive to let Russia off the hook and punish our allies to extort whatever concessions he fancies at a given time. He conveniently exempted Russia last year from his “Liberation Day” tariffs. And now look what he is doing to Canada – 50% tariffs on our closest ally because their Prime Minister stood up to the illegal tariffs that the Supreme Court struck down. Look how he threatened Brazil and Greenland. This president is hellbent on using his presidency to amass more power to enrich himself on the backs of you and me. Using data from the Yale Budget Lab, this bill could raise the cost to the average American household by over $8,000 a year. So, I ask my colleagues: can families in your district afford that? We can stand with Ukraine. We can punish Putin. This bill does neither of those things. And we can impose tough sanctions on Russia without writing President Trump another blank check to raise costs on the people. Congress has a job to do. Do it. Don’t give it away. I yield back. ###",1,2026-09-26T09:43:57Z,2026-09-26T09:44:55Z https://neal.house.gov/2026/09/16/neal-opening-statement-at-full-committee-markup/,Neal Opening Statement at Full Committee Markup,2026-09-16,2026,2026-09,Democrat,House,MA,Richard E. Neal,N000015,neal.house.gov,neal,https://neal.house.gov/category/press-releases/,scraper,"(As prepared for delivery) Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Families have had it with the harm of Republican leadership and the broken promises of a President who only looks out for himself. Since January of last year, House Republicans in this Committee and this Congress have surrendered their responsibility as an equal branch of government, twisting themselves into an arm of the White House and allowing President Trump to walk all over them, seize their power, and force them to advance dangerous policies that are hurting their constituents. We just watched the price of record-high diesel climb even higher. Major retailers are being forced to ration oil sales because of how Trump is squeezing them. Inflation, fueled by Trump’s war and tariffs, continues to wipe out wage gains and send consumer sentiment to the pits. And yet, as we sit here for the last meeting of Committee business for at least seven weeks, Republicans still haven’t put anything in front of us to put a stop to the economic fallout. The cost of their inaction grows by the day. Stunningly, Republicans have looked at this reality, yet again decided to forfeit the prerogative of the Committee, and move forward with legislation to supercharge the president’s tariff authority. Raising tariffs up to 100%! And more than $8,000 in higher costs to the average household according to analysis from the Yale Budget Lab. To my colleagues, can families in your district afford that? It’s not that the opportunities to bring relief haven’t been there. Republicans have been given chance after chance to work with Democrats to turn off the tariffs, end Trump’s war, and lower health care costs. They’ve turned away every time. Now, the people are living with the consequences: record high prices at the gas pump, in the doctor’s office, at the grocery store, and everywhere else they turn. Meanwhile, the President is nearly $5 billion richer and let Russian oligarchs bankroll his son’s wedding. Americans aren’t asking for much, and it’s outrageous Republicans have let it get this bad. All they want is for their wages to start keeping up with prices again. Manufacturers, farmers, and ranchers want markets where they can compete. Were any Republicans here even consulted on the President’s latest bribe? Instead of doing the hard work of governing, this President can only provide gimmicks. It’s a lot easier to dangle a fake check in front of Americans and hope it numbs the pain long enough to get through November. We’ve seen this playbook before. Trump promised $2,000 tariff dividends. Then it was the $5,000 DOGE checks. And the $1,000 meant to paper over rising health care costs. How many times do Republicans think they can make these promises without delivering? Republicans have had the power to make life easier and more affordable. Instead, families are paying more, opportunities are shrinking, and wages aren’t keeping up. Families want something different, and Democrats are fighting for a path that puts their needs first. One where making their lives better matters more than ballrooms, helipads, wars, and the President’s own pocket. ###",1,2026-09-26T09:43:57Z,2026-09-26T09:44:55Z https://neal.house.gov/2026/09/16/neal-statement-on-sanctions-bill-vote/,Neal Statement on Sanctions Bill Vote,2026-09-16,2026,2026-09,Democrat,House,MA,Richard E. Neal,N000015,neal.house.gov,neal,https://neal.house.gov/category/press-releases/,scraper,"Neal Statement on Trump’s Latest Health Care Sabotage WASHINGTON, DC— Ways and Means Committee Ranking Member Richard E. Neal (D-MA) released the following statement... Neal, Larson, Davis Demand Bisignano Answer for Social Security Staffing Crisis WASHINGTON, DC— Ways and Means Committee Ranking Member Richard E. Neal (D-MA), alongside Social Security... Neal Opening Statement at Full Committee Markup (As prepared for delivery) Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Families have had it with the harm of Republican... Neal on the House Floor: The American People Can’t Afford Congress to Hand Trump More Tariff Power WATCH HERE (As prepared for delivery) M/ Speaker, I rise today not only because I’m concerned about what this bill... Neal, Meeks, Beyer Statement on Russia Sanctions Legislation WASHINGTON, DC— Ways and Means Committee Ranking Member Richard E. Neal (D-MA), House Foreign Affairs Committee... Neal Makes Sixth Stop on “Landmark Laws, Local Investments” Tour with Visit to Southbridge Southbridge, MA — Today, Congressman Richard E. Neal joined Southbridge Town Manager Jack Jovan and town... Neal Statement on August 2026 Jobs Report SPRINGFIELD, MA— Ways and Means Committee Ranking Member Richard E. Neal (D-MA) released the following... Neal Statement on Trump Administration’s Racist Weaponization of the IRS SPRINGFIELD, MA— Ways and Means Committee Ranking Member Richard E. Neal (D-MA) released the following... Neal Statement at Full Committee Hearing on Critical Resources and Supply Chains (As submitted for the record) President Trump has spent his term running the economy into the ground. Despite...",1,2026-09-26T09:43:57Z,2026-09-26T09:44:55Z https://auchincloss.house.gov/media/press-releases/reps-auchincloss-houchin-introduce-bipartisan-16-and-up-social-media-act-to-keep-kids-under-16-off-addictive-social-media-platforms,"Reps. Auchincloss, Houchin Introduce Bipartisan 16 & Up Social Media Act to Keep Kids Under 16 Off Addictive Social Media Platforms",2026-09-15,2026,2026-09,Democrat,House,MA,Jake Auchincloss,A000148,auchincloss.house.gov,auchincloss,https://auchincloss.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Georgina.Burros@mail.house.gov (Auchincloss) Washington, D.C. — Congressman Jake Auchincloss (D-MA) and Congresswoman Erin Houchin (R-IN), co-chairs of the bipartisan Kids Online Safety Caucus, introduced the 16 & Up Social Media Act to establish a national age standard of 16 for social media platforms. Social media companies are the merchants and miners of digital dopamine, spending hundreds of billions of dollars annually to manipulate, monetize, and attention-frack America’s youth. Platforms built on infinite scroll, autoplay, push alerts, and personalized feeds are designed to keep users hooked. Children are the least equipped to resist these algorithms, as their prefrontal cortices — which are vital for controlling behavior — remain underdeveloped. The 16 & Up Social Media Act sets and enforces a minimum age of 16 for social media use, protecting children from these addictive platforms. The 16 & Up Social Media Act: Sets a national age standard of 16: Prohibits covered social media platforms from allowing users under 16 to create or maintain accounts. Focuses on design features: Applies strictly to platforms that use engagement-driven design features (like infinite scroll and personalized feeds) to target users. It does not regulate content. Ensures privacy and accountability: Mandates the deletion of children's data upon account termination and requires platforms to implement a clear, five-day appeals process for any account closures. “Social media corporations addict children for profit,” said Rep. Auchincloss. “The exploitation must stop. Our kids deserve their childhoods back.” “Every parent knows the feeling of watching a child disappear into a screen,” said Rep. Houchin. “These platforms were engineered by the smartest people in the world to hold attention, and they are winning that fight against our kids. Studies show that sixteen is the right line. This bill draws it clearly, applies it to every platform that uses these addictive features, and puts real enforcement behind it. Kids get their childhood back, and parents get a bright line they can rely on.” “Children's wellbeing is shaped by technologies that were designed for addiction yet face almost no oversight,” said Jonathan Haidt, Social Psychologist, NYU Stern School of Business, and author of The Anxious Generation. “This is not a parenting problem. It is a structural problem, and it demands a structural response. The goal is to stop addictive design entirely. Until then, gaining access to platforms with manipulative, unsafe design needs age minimums. The 16 & Up Social Media Act delivers exactly that.”",1,2026-09-16T09:43:13Z,2026-09-16T09:44:22Z https://keating.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/keating-report-reveals-trump-admins-corrupt-policies-bosnia-and,KEATING REPORT REVEALS TRUMP ADMIN’S CORRUPT POLICIES IN BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA,2026-09-15,2026,2026-09,Democrat,House,MA,William R. Keating,K000375,keating.house.gov,keating,https://keating.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Subcommittee on Europe Ranking Member Bill Keating (MA-09) released an oversight report entitled “Pay for Play in the Balkans: How the Trump Administration’s Bosnia Policy Enriches the President’s Personal Allies and Shortchanges the American People.” This report, the result of almost a yearlong investigation, demonstrates how the Trump administration’s decisions to delist Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik and facilitate the concession for the Southern Interconnection Gas Pipeline have made millions for Trump’s friends while undermining U.S. interests in the Balkans. “President Trump has fostered an environment of corruption in the White House that is spilling over into his dealings around the world. In Bosnia, I believe the Trump administration’s decisions regarding Milorad Dodik and the Southern Interconnection Gas Pipeline have furthered this corruption and enabled the president’s cronies to profit millions. Meanwhile, the administration has disregarded the Dayton Peace Accords and upended 30 years of U.S. policy in Bosnia,” said Ranking Member Keating. “This report represents one part of House Democrats’ efforts to conduct meaningful oversight of the Trump administration’s corrupt policies and fight back against this administration’s dangerous and damaging foreign policy, something Republicans, who control both chambers, have neglected over the past 18 months.” The full report, which outlines 1) the delisting of Dodik, 2) the concession for the Southern Interconnection Gas Pipeline, and 3) the impact of these decisions on the issue of state property, can be found here. House Foreign Affairs Committee Ranking Member Gregory W. Meeks (NY-05), as well as Europe Subcommittee Democrats Dina Titus (NV-01), Jim Costa (CA-21), Gabe Amo (RI-01), Julie Johnson (TX-32), and Sarah McBride (DE-AL) also joined the report.",1,2026-09-16T09:43:13Z,2026-09-16T09:44:22Z https://moulton.house.gov/news/press-releases/house-passes-moultons-war-powers-resolution-reclaim-congressional-authority,House Passes Moulton’s War Powers Resolution to Reclaim Congressional Authority to Declare War,2026-09-15,2026,2026-09,Democrat,House,MA,Seth Moulton,M001196,moulton.house.gov,moulton,https://moulton.house.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. House of Representatives tonight passed Congressman Seth Moulton's (MA-06) War Powers Resolution, voting 220-204 to reclaim Congress’s authority to end Donald Trump’s war with Iran. The resolution was cosponsored by 14 House Democrats, including 13 Democratic veterans, reflecting deep concern within the ranks of those who have served about a war that Congress never authorized. The resolution's passage comes six months after Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth declared a ""capital V military victory"" in Iran, a claim undercut by continued American casualties, an Iran-controlled Strait of Hormuz, rising gas prices, and a nuclear program that remains intact. Eighteen U.S. servicemembers have been killed and American military installations have come under direct attack since the conflict began, at a cost exceeding $38 billion according to an estimate today by the Congressional Budget Office. ""By the Trump Administration's own metrics, Iran is winning and America is losing,” said Congressman Moulton. “Tonight, Congress did its job under the Constitution and said enough is enough. People at home are hurting because of skyrocketing costs, and our troops’ lives are in danger in a war that never should have happened. We will keep the pressure up until Trump folds."" The other 14 House Democrats cosponsoring the resolution are: Reps. Jake Auchincloss (MA-4), Salud Carbajal (CA-24), Jason Crow (CO-6), Jared Golden (ME-2), Maggie Goodlander (NH-2), Chrissy Houlahan (PA-6), Ted Lieu (CA-36), Jimmy Panetta (CA-19), Mike Quigley (IL-5), Pat Ryan (NY-18), Bobby Scott (VA-3), Mike Thompson (CA-4), Derek Tran (CA-45), and Eugene Vindman (VA-7). ###",1,2026-09-16T09:43:13Z,2026-09-16T09:44:22Z https://pressley.house.gov/2026/09/15/pressley-unveils-first-of-its-kind-bill-to-establish-financial-relief-for-epstein-survivors-survivors-of-sexual-violence/,Pressley Unveils First-Of-Its-Kind Bill to Establish Financial Relief for Epstein Survivors & Survivors of Sexual Violence,2026-09-15,2026,2026-09,Democrat,House,MA,Ayanna Pressley,P000617,pressley.house.gov,pressley,https://pressley.house.gov/news/,scraper,"Legislation Addresses Financial Burden for Survivors Whose Rights Were Violated by Federal Gov’t, Including Lost Income, Medical Costs, Housing Stability, Trauma As a Survivor of Sexual Abuse, Pressley Has Led Calls for Accountability, Highlighted Economic & Emotional Harm Borne by Epstein Survivors Bill Text | Bill Summary | Press Conference | Photos WASHINGTON – Today, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), alongside Congresswomen Teresa Leger Fernández (D-NM) and Deborah Ross (D-NC) introduced the Survivors’ Rights Restitution Act, first-of-its-kind legislation that would create a restitution fund in the judicial branch for survivors of sexual violence whose rights were violated by the federal government, including all survivors of abuse by Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. Congresswoman Pressley announced this historic proposal alongside survivors and survivors’ rights advocates at a press conference on Capitol Hill. As a survivor of sexual abuse herself, Congresswoman Pressley has been a dedicated advocate for survivors’ justice and recently discussed the long-lasting economic and emotional harms that Epstein survivors continue to carry while rarely seeing meaningful accountability. The Survivors’ Rights Restitution Act would create a historic investment to support survivors of sexual violence and hold the federal government accountable when it fails to protect survivors’ rights under the Crime Victims’ Rights Act. The estimated lifetime cost of rape is $122,461 per victim. This legislation would address the burden survivors carry, including significant long-term economic and non-economic impacts of sexual violence, from lost income and medical costs to housing instability and enduring trauma. “The financial, physical, and emotional trauma that survivors of sexual violence carry is a lifetime sentence,” said Congresswoman Pressley. “By no choice of their own, survivors can incur debilitating costs due to medical needs, lost income, housing instability, and mental health support. Far too often, the federal government has been complicit and failed to meet its moral and legal obligation to fight for accountability and relieve this economic burden—our bill would change that by holding our government, abusers, and their co-conspirators to account and helping our survivors get on a pathway to healing. The ignored burden that survivors carry is a stain in our legal system and must be addressed immediately.” “Survivors should never have to pay the price when our government fails to protect them,” said Congresswoman Teresa Leger Fernández. “For too long, survivors of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell’s horrific abuse were denied justice while powerful people were protected. That failure has real costs: lost wages, medical bills, housing instability, and trauma that can last a lifetime. We cannot undo the harm, but we can make sure survivors are not left to carry the burden alone. The Survivors’ Rights Restitution Act gives survivors that path to restitution.” “Far too often, we have seen our government fail survivors of sexual violence who have risked everything to come forward,” said Congresswoman Deborah Ross. “Trauma is often just one part of the burden survivors carry, and it is often compounded by lost income, housing insecurity, and economic hardship. We have seen this play out in the administration’s treatment of survivors of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell’s abuse, who have been dismissed and demonized. Now more than ever, we must ensure all survivors receive the justice they deserve. I am proud to introduce this bill to establish a first-of-its-kind economic relief fund for survivors of sexual violence.” According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, there are tens of thousands of rape and sexual assault victimizations annually, amounting to 23 violent victimizations for every 1,000 people in 2024. Despite its prevalence, approximately two out of three sexual assaults go unreported. When a survivor takes action to report the crime, the Crime Victims’ Rights Act grants them specific protections, including the right to timely and accurate notice of any release of the accused. However, the Jeffrey Epstein sweetheart deal is proof that these rights are not always enforced. Furthermore, there is no relief for survivors when their victims’ rights are violated. To support survivors of sexual violence and empower survivors who choose to come forward, the Survivors’ Rights Restitution Act would: Establish the Survivors’ Rights Restitution Program to provide compensation to eligible victims for harm and losses. Create an independent Office of Special Adjudicators for Survivors Restitution within the U.S. Court of Federal Claims to review petitions and determine awards through a streamlined, non-adversarial, and trauma-informed process. Establish the Survivors Rights Restitution Fund within the Department of the Treasury to finance awards through federal forfeiture proceeds tied to trafficking and sexual exploitation offenses, voluntary contributions, and authorized appropriations. The bill is cosponsored by: Reps. Yassamin Ansari, Becca Balint, Joyce Beatty, Wesley Bell, Brendan Boyle, Salud Carbajal, André Carson, Yvette Clarke, Lou Correa, Jim Costa, Madeleine Dean, Maxine Dexter, Debbie Dingell, Maxwell Frost, Robert Garcia, Jesús “Chuy” Garcia, Sylvia Garcia, Adelita Grijalva, Hank Johnson, Sydney Kamlager-Dove, Summer Lee, Stephen Lynch, Sarah McBride, Jennifer McClellan, LaMonica McIver, Christian Menefee, Kweisi Mfume, Gwen Moore, Eleanor Holmes Norton, Chellie Pingree, Mike Quigley, Delia Ramirez, Emily Randall, Andrea Salinas, Lateefah Simon, Melanie Stansbury, Shri Thanedar, Rashida Tlaib, Paul Tonko, James Walkinshaw, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, and Frederica Wilson. This bill is endorsed by: Democratic Women’s Caucus; World Without Exploitation; me too. International; Women’s HQ; UltraViolet Action; National Alliance to End Sexual Violence; Safe Exit Initiative; RIA, Inc.; National Alliance to End Sexual Violence; Sexual Violence Prevention Association (SVPA); My Life My Choice; National Network to End Domestic Violence; National Women’s Law Center Action Fund; Boston Area Rape Crisis Center; Survivor Justice Network; Equal Rights Advocates; Sexual Violence Prevention Association (SVPA); Victim Rights Law Center; Them Apples Music; Justice for Migrant Women; Esperanza United; National Women’s Political Caucus; Feminist Majority; Legal Momentum, the Women’s Legal Defense & Education Fund; South Asian SOAR. “Sex trafficking survivors are often asked to take enormous risks to report their abuse and cooperate with the justice system, only to find that the same institutions demanding their trust can fail to protect their rights,” said Becca Zipkin, Vice President of Policy and Programs, World Without Exploitation. “Survivors of Jeffrey Epstein experienced that failure in one of the most public cases imaginable, but they are far from alone. At World Without Exploitation, we work alongside survivors who know that justice must include changing the systems that allow exploitation to flourish and holding institutions accountable when they fail the people they are supposed to protect. The Survivors’ Rights Restitution Act is an important step toward that goal by giving survivors a meaningful path to redress when the federal government violates their rights. It also recognizes something survivors have long told us — economic justice is survivor justice.” “As a survivor who has worked alongside thousands of survivors I’m clear that the full story of what it actually takes to survive is not often told. Alongside the mental, physical and emotional toll of the violence that we endured is the financial burden of untangling the web that the trauma creates to try and find our way back to ourselves – there is an actual cost to that work and it’s rare that we have support footing that bill. This country and our government has to ask itself what does it owe survivors? Rep. Pressley is doing her part to begin answering that question,” said Tarana Burke, Co-Founder and Chief Vision Officer, Me Too “Survivors have been paying the price for their assault for far too long,” said Liz Speakman, Executive Director, Boston Area Rape Crisis Center. “We know that money is not what heals trauma but it goes a long way to providing the space, time and resources to make the path a little easier.” “Survivors should not have to spend decades paying for crimes committed against us. When institutions fail us, that failure becomes generational trauma. We deserve privacy, dignity, and restitution—not someday, but now. Congresswoman Pressley’s bill gives survivors a path forward,” said Dani Bensky, survivor and advocate. “As a survivor of Jeffrey Epstein’s crimes, I am heartened by the introduction of the Survivors’ Rights Restitution Act of 2026. This vital legislation not only acknowledges our trauma but also provides a pathway to justice with meaningful compensation. It’s time for Congress to act swiftly, reinforcing that survivors deserve to be heard, believed, and supported in our healing journey,” said Lara Blume McGee, Survivor and CEO of Team Up World. Text of the bill can be accessed here and a bill summary is available here. Video from the press conference can be accessed here, and photos can be accessed here. As a survivor of sexual abuse herself, Congresswoman Pressley has led Democrats on the House Oversight Committee calling for a full, public Oversight hearing to prioritize the individuals who survived the horrific abuse perpetrated by Jeffrey Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell, and their associates, and whose firsthand accounts may not be sufficiently represented in the Department of Justice’s records. Rep. Pressley has led the demand for a hearing with survivors as the Committee has continued its investigation and after the Congresswoman successfully helped pass a motion by Ranking Member Robert Garcia and Congresswoman Summer Lee to force the Committee to subpoena the Epstein files. In May 2026, Congresswoman Pressley and House Oversight Committee Democrats held a field hearing in Palm Beach on the Epstein investigation and centering survivors’ experience. Rep. Pressley discussed the long-lasting economic and emotional harms that survivors continue to carry while rarely seeing meaningful accountability. Following the hearing, Rep. Pressley made an impassioned call for accountability, healing, and restorative justice for survivors of Jeffrey Epstein’s abuse. In recent interviews, Rep. Pressley described why her work to subpoena the Epstein files is deeply personal to her. Throughout her time in Congress, serving on the Boston City Council, and her entire life, Rep. Pressley has been a champion for justice for survivors of sexual violence and reproductive freedom. In May 2026, Pressley and House Oversight Committee Democrats held a field hearing in Palm Beach on the Epstein investigation. Rep. Pressley discussed the long-lasting economic and emotional harms that survivors continue to carry while rarely seeing meaningful accountability. Following the hearing, Rep. Pressley made an impassioned call for accountability, healing, and restorative justice for survivors of Jeffrey Epstein’s abuse. In April 2026, Pressley joined Ranking Member Robert Garcia and Oversight Democrats in filing a resolution to hold former Attorney General Pam Bondi in civil contempt of Congress after she failed to appear for her legally-binding, bipartisan subpoena to be deposed on the Epstein investigation and the White House’s cover-up of the Epstein files. Less than an hour later, Republicans announced a date for Bondi’s appearance before the committee. In April 2026, Pressley issued a statement after First Lady Melania Trump echoed Congresswoman Pressley’s longstanding calls for a Congressional hearing that centers survivors of Jeffrey Epstein’s abuse. In March 2026, Pressley delivered an impassioned speech for survivors of sexual violence and trauma—including for activists with the farm workers’ movement, including Dolores Huerta, who shared their stories publicly earlier this month. In February 2026, Pressley joined survivors of Epstein’s abuse and members of the Democratic Women’s Caucus to demand transparency, accountability, and healing for survivors. Rep. Pressley condemned the botched, partial release of the Epstein files by Trump’s Department of Justice that exposed the identities of survivors while redacting alleged abusers’ names. In December 2025, Pressley condemned the Trump Admin after Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche confirmed that the Department of Justice will fail to release all of the Epstein files to the public by the legal deadline set by the Epstein Files Transparency Act, the law that was forced through by House Democrats and signed into law by President Trump in November. In November 2025, Pressley applauded the House vote to release the Epstein files and renewed her push for Congressional action and accountability. In September 2025, Pressley held a media availability with Ranking Member Robert Garcia and Committee Democrats following a closed-door Oversight Committee roundtable with survivors of unconscionable exploitation and abuse perpetrated by Jeffrey Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell, and their co-conspirators. In September 2025, in response to pressure from Rep. Pressley, the House Oversight Committee held a closed-door roundtable with survivors of the unconscionable exploitation by Jeffrey Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell, and their co-conspirators. In August 2025, Pressley reintroduced the Protections and Transparency in the Workplace Act to combat sexual harassment and discrimination in the workplace. In August 2025, Pressley led committee Democrats in calling for a Congressional hearing to prioritize the individuals who survived the horrific abuse associated with by Jeffrey Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell, and their associates, and whose firsthand accounts may not be sufficiently represented in the Department of Justice’s records. In August 2025, Pressley issued a statement after Chairman James Comer issued a subpoena to the Department of Justice (DOJ) to release files relating to child sex trafficker and Trump’s longtime friend Jeffrey Epstein. This action came after Rep. Pressley successfully helped pass a motion by Congresswoman Summer Lee and Ranking Member Robert Garcia to force the Committee to subpoena the Epstein files. In July 2025, Pressley in an interview described why her work to subpoena the Epstein files is deeply personal to her. In July 2025, Pressley joined the successful effort to pass a motion by Congresswoman Summer Lee and Ranking Member Robert Garcia to force the Committee to subpoena the Epstein files. In July 2024, Rep. Pressley reintroduced the Bringing an End to Harassment by Enhancing Accountability and Rejecting Discrimination (BE HEARD) in the Workplace Act of 2024. In June 2024, Rep. Pressley renewed her calls for accountability and survivor-focused solutions following the damning reports of a toxic work environment at the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC). In June 2024, Rep. Pressley also sent a letter to the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) requesting information about the botched closure of FCI Dublin, abuse of women while they were being transferred to other facilities, and BOP’s management of investigations into the staff sexual misconduct and abuse at FCI Dublin and other federal BOP facilities. Rep. Pressley is also a lead co-sponsor of H.R. 5388, legislation that would prevent the Secretary of Education from rolling back Title IX protections for survivors, as well as H.Res. 560, a resolution calling for an impeachment inquiry into Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, following reporting on new allegations of sexual misconduct committed by the Associate Justice. In April 2019, following the passage of the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2019, Rep. Pressley issued a statement honoring her mother, Sandra Pressley, a survivor of domestic violence. Rep. Pressley is also the lead co-sponsor of an amendment to the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) that would establish the first-ever grant program dedicated to supporting LGBTQ+ survivors of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking, which passed the House of Representatives in March 2021. ###",1,2026-09-16T09:43:13Z,2026-09-16T09:44:22Z https://pressley.house.gov/2026/09/15/watch-pressley-blasts-treasury-secretary-over-trumps-affordability-crisis-skyrocketing-costs-for-families/,"WATCH: Pressley Blasts Treasury Secretary Over Trump’s Affordability Crisis, Skyrocketing Costs for Families",2026-09-15,2026,2026-09,Democrat,House,MA,Ayanna Pressley,P000617,pressley.house.gov,pressley,https://pressley.house.gov/news/,scraper,"Transcript: Pressley Blasts Treasury Secretary Over Trump’s Affordability Crisis, Skyrocketing Costs for Families House Financial Services Committee September 15, 2026 REP. PRESSLEY: Mr. Secretary, I want to continue where we left off the last time you testified before this committee. As you know, hundreds of thousands of Black workers have been pushed out of the workforce, and unemployment rates over the last year haven’t been this high since the COVID-19 pandemic. To put it simply, more people are out of work now than they were before Trump took office in 2025. Secretary Bessent, in February, you testified under oath that you would analyze Black unemployment data and report back on its impacts to the financial stability of the U.S. economy. Have you begun working on this report yet? SEC. BESSENT: I will check with my staff. I have not seen it. REP. PRESSLEY: Can you make a commitment to honor what you said on the record under oath? SEC. BESSENT: Of course. REP. PRESSLEY: Okay. And when can I expect that report? SEC. BESSENT: I will check with my staff, and they will communicate to you a date certain. REP. PRESSLEY: Secretary Bessent, let me be frank here. Something that is having this sort of impact. At one point, there were 300,000 Black women who have been pushed out of the workforce, most of them from the federal government, devastating many black families, in that 80% of those families, Black women, are the primary breadwinner. So this is something of great consequence. I have to also say, again being frank, that you’re on thin ice with me because you sat here in the midst of the tariffs conversation, and I asked for you to be a partner in pushing for an exemption of baby products, and you told me that I had a partner in you in that advocacy, and nothing came of that. So twice you’ve come before this committee made a commitment under oath, and you’ve not followed up. SEC. BESSENT: I would say watch this space after President Xi’s visit. REP. PRESSLEY: Okay, I don’t know what that means, but people are struggling. You’ve made commitments. You haven’t kept any of them, and it’s outrageous. Moving on, I have a lot of ground to cover, and I have too much of my time. [cross talk] Secretary Bessent, when—reclaiming my time. When Donald Trump launched the unnecessary and unconstitutional war with Iran, how long did he say that would last? SEC. BESSENT: I don’t recall. REP. PRESSLEY: I’ll jog your memory. Four to five weeks. It’s been six months. So he lied, and we’re all paying the cost. Since the war started, gas prices are up 52 percent. Yes or no? Are you aware of that? SEC. BESSENT: Gas prices— REP. PRESSLEY: Gas prices are up 52 percent since the war started. Are you aware of this issue? Yes or no? SEC. BESSENT: From what to what? I think that’s not a good number. REP. PRESSLEY: Okay, I’m going to take that as a yes. You’re playing like you don’t know, but you know. Okay, Secretary Bessent. Working people—reclaiming my time. Secretary Bessent, working people are paying more for utilities now than they were five years ago. More than 20% more. Are you aware of that? SEC. BESSENT: I am aware of that. REP. PRESSLEY: Okay, moving on. Secretary Bessent, people are also paying over three times more on health insurance. Have you heard about this issue? Yes or no? SEC. BESSENT: I am aware that— REP. PRESSLEY: Yes or no? Are you aware? SEC. BESSENT: You can ask— REP. PRESSLEY: Stop filibustering. And stop acting like you don’t know what the facts are. Moving on. Secretary Bessent, the Joint Economic Committee found that tariffs cost families on average $1,700. Have you heard about this issue? SEC. BESSENT: I have not. REP. PRESSLEY: You heard about this issue. Your boss, Donald Trump, said that he was going to give people, or he would reimburse them. He would send them a check for the cost of these tariffs, and he hasn’t done that because he lies on everything. SEC. BESSENT: Well, the Democratic— REP. PRESSLEY: Moving on. You know about these issues, and I’m questioning your integrity. You know about this. [cross talk] CHAIR: Ms. Pressley is recognized. Ms. Pressley is recognized. REP. PRESSLEY: Thank you. Mr. Secretary, you know about these issues. The American people are suffering. You know better. You go on television and you say that Trump’s economic agenda is a great comeback, and that makes me question not only your integrity, but if you’re operating in the same reality as the people whom you are accountable to. And you are enabling him, and it’s shameful. Secretary Bessent, the families in my district and across this country are struggling to afford a home, buy food, raise their kids, pay these high utility bills, and they deserve a government that’s going to make their life easier, not harder. But that’s exactly what is happening on your watch. As the Secretary of Treasury, you’re responsible for overseeing all of our economy. You don’t have anyone else to blame but yourself and Donald Trump. And it is shameful that you’re being an accessory to this and being complicit to this. You are a smart man, and you know better. I yield back. — Last year, following Rep. Pressley’s questioning, Secretary Bessent conceded the Treasury Department would consider exempting essential baby care products from tariffs, which was later reaffirmed by President Trump.",1,2026-09-16T09:43:13Z,2026-09-16T09:44:22Z https://moulton.house.gov/news/press-releases/moulton-delivers-opening-remarks-select-committee-china-hearing-human-rights,Moulton Delivers Opening Remarks at Select Committee on China Hearing on Human Rights in China Ahead of Xi’s Visit to Washington,2026-09-15,2026,2026-09,Democrat,House,MA,Seth Moulton,M001196,moulton.house.gov,moulton,https://moulton.house.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, DC—Today, Congressman Seth Moulton (MA-06) delivered opening remarks at the House Select Committee on China hearing examining human rights in the People’s Republic of China ahead of President Trump’s upcoming summit with Xi Jinping in Washington. The hearing focused on U.S. policy responses to the Chinese government's oppression of Uyghur and Tibetan populations, crackdown on Hong Kong, and broader civil rights restrictions. Congressman Moulton’s opening remarks as delivered are below: “Serving on the Select Committee on China – the full name of the committee is the Select Committee on Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party. “The verb there is competition. And the competition between the United States and China is not just for economic dominance or military dominance; it's for leadership, and it comes down to not just which country is stronger, but which country has the values that the rest of the world wants to follow. “That's really what's at stake: who will lead the world, not just from power, but values. “China under Xi Jinping has spent the past decade and a half systematically eroding the rights of everyone living in China. For most of that time, the United States has pushed back in a strongly bipartisan manner. “We engaged on the genocide of Uyghurs in one of the most effective pieces of legislating the U.S. Congress has ever done on a human rights issue with the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act. “And then under this presidency, we stopped trying. This administration has canceled dozens of grant programs supporting civil society, pro-democracy programming, and independent journalism that were actively undermining the CCP's efforts to suppress independent thought in China. “This administration is uniquely good at shooting themselves in the foot. But the decision to gut the U.S. Agency for Global Media was, even for them, a historically tragic decision. “This is an institution that, for a very small amount of money, dramatically shaped the world's information environment in ways that align with both U.S. values and the truth. “My colleagues on the Select Committee have often heard me harp on the fact that while ‘competition’ is the verb and the title, the first order of business in our relationship with China today is deterrence. It's to prevent a war, a war that Xi Jinping has made very clear he is ready and willing to start. “We think about deterrence usually in just military terms, but if you ask the Pentagon about deterrence, they'll tell you that there are four elements: there's military, economic, diplomatic, and information. “We understand the importance of military power. We understand the importance of economic power. But in that information realm, we have to tell our story. We can't cut off the very organisms of our government that are designed to do that and tell a better story, not just to the world but to the people in China today. “And on diplomacy, that brings us back to where I began: the question of moral leadership. Who will be the next great superpower leader of the world? The question, not just of power, but of values. This administration seems to throw those values out the window. It's critical we get them back. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.” ###",1,2026-09-17T09:52:05Z,2026-09-17T09:53:00Z https://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases/senator-markey-statement-on-epas-repeal-of-power-plant-greenhouse-gas-emission-standards-and-proposal-to-abdicate-responsibility-for-addressing-the-danger-of-climate-change-from-the-power-sector,Senator Markey Statement on EPA’s Repeal of Power Plant Greenhouse Gas Emission Standards and Proposal to Abdicate Responsibility for Addressing the Danger of Climate Change from the Power Sector,2026-09-14,2026,2026-09,Democrat,Senate,MA,Edward J. Markey,M000133,www.markey.senate.gov,markey,https://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"Washington (September 14, 2026) - Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), a member of the Environment and Public Works Committee and a co-chair of the Senate Environmental Justice Caucus, today released the following statement after the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized its repeal of the 2024 greenhouse gas emission standards for existing coal-fired and new natural gas-fired power plants and announced that it no longer plans to regulate greenhouse gas pollution from power plants, a major driver of climate change. “By rejecting the EPA’s responsibility to regulate climate change caused by greenhouse gas pollution from power plants, Trump and Zeldin are defying the laws of this country, the laws of physics, and the law of common sense. Their Polluters First Agenda passes the very real costs of a more dangerous environment and a more extreme climate onto working families. This is a slap in the face to anyone who has lost their home to wildfires or was washed out by an extreme storm. It is a slap in the face to parents who want their kids to breathe clean air, not suffer from asthma or heat stroke. And it is a slap in the face to anyone who put trust into the Environmental Protection Agency to uphold its mission to protect human health and the environment, not protect corporate polluter profits. We don’t need dirty power when we have the solutions and can get cheap, clean megawatts on the grid, and we don’t need dirty politicians overruling the scientific necessity of action.” This move follows the Trump EPA’s elimination of the Endangerment Finding, the determination that affirms the scientific risks of climate change and requires federal action to protect Americans from harm. The Trump EPA has also eliminated greenhouse gas emission standards for cars and trucks and slashed protections against mercury, soot, and other dangerous emissions from the power sector. In addition to specific rollbacks of statutorily-required protections, the EPA has also stopped accounting for the public health benefits of regulatory action—valuing human health at zero, compared to compliance costs for profitable polluting industries. In April 2024, the Biden administration finalized standards to reduce pollution from fossil fuel-fired power plants, which are the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions from the energy sector in the United States. If it were a country, the American power sector would be the fifth-largest emitter of climate pollution in the world. ###",1,2026-09-15T09:50:21Z,2026-09-15T09:52:05Z https://neal.house.gov/2026/09/11/neal-meeks-beyer-statement-on-russia-sanctions-legislation/,"Neal, Meeks, Beyer Statement on Russia Sanctions Legislation",2026-09-11,2026,2026-09,Democrat,House,MA,Richard E. Neal,N000015,neal.house.gov,neal,https://neal.house.gov/category/press-releases/,scraper,"WASHINGTON, DC— Ways and Means Committee Ranking Member Richard E. Neal (D-MA), House Foreign Affairs Committee Ranking Member Gregory Meeks (D-NY), and Senior House Democrat of Congress’ Joint Economic Committee Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA) released the following statement after Republican leadership scheduled the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act for a vote in the House next week: “House Democrats are rock solid in our support for Ukraine, but the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act would do more harm than good. This bill would dramatically expand presidential tariff authorities while failing to mandate sanctions on Russia, both of which are unacceptable. These flaws would raise Americans’ prices while undermining support for Ukraine in the long term. “We continue to seek bicameral, bipartisan negotiations to craft a bill that can win strong support in both chambers and deliver on our promise to Ukraine. In the meantime, the President has ample authority to expand sanctions on those fueling Russia’s war machine, including those targeted by this bill, and we renew our call on him to do so without further delay.” ###",1,2026-09-26T09:43:57Z,2026-09-26T09:44:55Z https://pressley.house.gov/2026/09/10/breaking-pressley-leads-nearly-60-lawmakers-demanding-investigation-into-black-people-found-hanging-invokes-legacy-of-lynching-in-america/,"BREAKING: Pressley Leads Nearly 60 Lawmakers Demanding Investigation into Black People Found Hanging, Invokes Legacy of Lynching in America",2026-09-10,2026,2026-09,Democrat,House,MA,Ayanna Pressley,P000617,pressley.house.gov,pressley,https://pressley.house.gov/news/,scraper,"Letter Comes Amidst Alarming Spike in Possible Modern-Day Lynchings “Inaction by the federal government is tantamount to complicity. This is part of the legacy of racial terror in the United States, and this neglect has long-term consequences.” Text of Letter (PDF) BOSTON – Today, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) led 59 colleagues in writing to the Department of Justice (DOJ) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) demanding a thorough, transparent, and comprehensive federal investigation into the numerous incidents of Black people found hanging across the country. The Congresswoman’s letter follows a series of deaths which raise suspicion of foul play given the role of lynching in American history. The growing number of Black people found hanging in public is a national crisis. A recent report documented more than 70 modern-day lynchings in the United States between 2000 and 2025. In 2026 alone, there have already been at least 10 reported hangings of Black people. They were as young as 18 years old and lived in different parts of the country, including Mississippi, Michigan, and New York. Many families have publicly questioned the conclusions of local and state investigations. “Inaction by the federal government is tantamount to complicity. This is part of the legacy of racial terror in the United States, and this neglect has long-term consequences,” the lawmakers continued. “Not only are innocent lives lost, but lynching inflicts deep traumatic and psychological wounds on family members, neighbors, and the entire Black community.” “Congress enacted the Emmett Till Antilynching Act in 2022 to ensure the DOJ and FBI are empowered to fully investigate suspicious deaths and hold individuals accountable,” the lawmakers continued. “It is incumbent upon you to do just that.” This letter demands a thorough, transparent, and comprehensive federal investigation into every hanging death of a Black individual across the United States. At a minimum, each investigation, with permission of the decedents’ families, should include an independent autopsy, an audit of local and state law enforcement investigations, review of physical and testimonial evidence, and a final report submitted to Congress explaining the agency’s findings. The letter also calls for robust data collection that tracks the hanging deaths of Black people in a transparent and systematic manner. Joining Congresswoman Pressley in sending the letter are Representatives Alma Adams, Yassamin Ansari, Becca Balint, Nanette Diaz Barragán, Joyce Beatty, Wesley Bell, Sanford Bishop, Everton Blair, Brendan Boyle, Shontel Brown, Janelle Bynum, André Carson, Troy Carter, Yvette Clarke, Jasmine Crockett, Mark DeSaulnier, Sarah Elfreth, Jesús “Chuy” García, Sylvia García, Jimmy Gomez, Al Green, Adelita Grijalva, Jahana Hayes, Glenn Ivey, Jonathan Jackson, Henry C. “Hank” Johnson, Sydney Kamlager-Dove, Robin Kelly, Ro Khanna, Raja Krishnamoorthi, Summer Lee, Jennifer McClellan, LaMonica McIver, Gregory Meeks, Analilia Mejía, Christian Menefee, Kweisi Mfume, Eleanor Holmes Norton, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Frank Pallone Jr., Mark Pocan, Stacey Plaskett, Delia Ramírez, Terri Sewell, Lateefah Simon, Haley Stevens, Marilyn Strickland, Shri Thanedar, Bennie Thompson, Rashida Tlaib, Ritchie Torres, Lauren Underwood, Nydia M. Velázquez, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Maxine Waters, Bonnie Watson Coleman, Nikema Williams, and Frederica Wilson. Full text of the letter is available here. ###",1,2026-09-11T09:25:29Z,2026-09-11T09:27:08Z https://trahan.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=3845,Trahan Tours New Dracut Housing Project Made Possible by Significant Federal Investments,2026-09-10,2026,2026-09,Democrat,House,MA,Lori Trahan,T000482,trahan.house.gov,trahan,https://trahan.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27,scraper,"Today, Congresswoman Lori Trahan (MA-03) toured The Avenue at Greenmont, a new housing development in Dracut featuring 56 newly built apartment homes designed for adults aged 62 and older and non-elderly individuals with disabilities. All units are fully affordable to households earning at or below 60% of the Area Median Income (AMI). The project was made possible in part through nearly $7 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds, awarded by the Massachusetts Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities (EOHLC) through its Community-Based Housing program. “These 56 homes show what's possible when private partners and every level of government row in the same direction,” said Congresswoman Trahan. “Federal resources like ARPA dollars and Low-Income Housing Tax Credits helped make The Avenue at Greenmont a reality, but we can't stop here. We must continue advancing commonsense legislation like the recently passed 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act so more families can afford a home of their own.” The project also received $3 million from the Town of Dracut's Community Preservation Act, $1.4 million from EOHLC's Housing Stabilization Fund, $825,000 in federal HOME funds, $630,000 through the state's MassWorks program, more than $5.5 million in Massachusetts Housing Tax Credits, and nearly $11.4 million in federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credits. The United States continues to face a severe affordable housing and homelessness crisis. According to experts, the U.S. has an estimated shortage of 3.7 million to 5.5 million homes for rent and purchase. The lack of housing, along with other factors, is driving up costs and making housing the single largest expense for Americans across the country. According to a recent poll, half of Massachusetts residents say housing is unaffordable for their household, making it the single biggest financial pressure point. In 2021, Trahan supported passage of the American Rescue Plan Act to respond directly to the challenges created and worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic. The law invested billions of dollars to expand affordable housing and support Americans experiencing or at risk of homelessness. In Massachusetts, EOHLC put those federal dollars to work through programs like Community-Based Housing, which helped make The Avenue at Greenmont possible. Earlier this year, Trahan supported passage of the bipartisan 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act. The new law, which took effect despite President Donald Trump’s refusal to sign it, makes it easier to build new homes, expand financing opportunities for housing, and provide new protections for renters. The bipartisan legislation also reduces unnecessary regulatory barriers to new home construction, authorizes the use of federal funds to support the development of affordable housing, and establishes a maximum limit for affordable rents. ###",1,2026-09-11T09:25:29Z,2026-09-11T09:27:08Z https://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases/senator-markey-statement-ahead-of-25th-anniversary-of-9/11-terror-attacks,Senator Markey Statement Ahead of 25th Anniversary of 9/11 Terror Attacks,2026-09-10,2026,2026-09,Democrat,Senate,MA,Edward J. Markey,M000133,www.markey.senate.gov,markey,https://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"Senator’s FASTER Act would ensure airline security fees bolster aviation safety Markey is author of mandate in law passed after 9/11 that requires screening of all cargo on passenger plans before being loaded onboard Washington (September 10, 2026) - Ahead of the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), a member of the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, released the following statement honoring the victims and calling for passage of his Funding for Aviation Screeners and Threat Elimination Restoration (FASTER) Act to bolster funding for the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and its workforce, ensuring that the agency has the necessary funds and resources to secure America’s air travelers and pay its dedicated Transportation Security Officers (TSO), and invest in twenty-first century security technology. In 2013, Congress began diverting one-third of the revenue collected from an airline passenger security fee—known as the September 11 Security Fee, as it was established after the September 11 terrorist attacks—to pay for unrelated government spending; each year, this diverted funding totals over $1 billion. The FASTER Act would eliminate this diversion, ensure passenger security fees go solely toward aviation security, and prevent Congress from raiding the funds in the future. The legislation would also give TSA access to September 11 Security Fee revenue during a lapse in appropriations. “Everyone in this country felt unspeakable loss that tragic day 25 years ago, with a direct and profound impact on victims’ families in Massachusetts. The planes took off from Logan Airport in Boston with hundreds of passengers and crewmembers, and our communities were forever changed. We honor the memory of the nearly 3,000 people we lost on 9/11, remember the strength and resilience of the American people after the attacks, and recommit to ensuring that the scale and horror of such a tragedy never occurs again,” said Senator Markey. “The TSA must be able to rely on regular funding just as traveling Americans rely on the TSA to keep them safe. We must pass the FASTER Act to ensure funds from the September 11 Security Fee are delivered to TSA without delay. We have made great progress towards a safer America, but there is more work to be done.” The FASTER Act is endorsed by American Federation of Government Employees AFL-CIO Council 100, the Air Line Pilots Association, Airports Council International-North America, American Association of Airport Executives, the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, U.S. Travel, and the Global Business Travel Association. Senator Markey is a former senior member of the House Homeland Security Committee and author of a mandate in the law passed after 9/11 that requires screening of all cargo on passenger plans before being loaded onboard. ###",1,2026-09-11T09:25:29Z,2026-09-11T09:27:08Z https://mcgovern.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=400455,"McGovern, Warren, Pressley Tout Historic New Law to Combat High Cost of Housing in America",2026-09-09,2026,2026-09,Democrat,House,MA,James P. McGovern,M000312,mcgovern.house.gov,mcgovern,https://mcgovern.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx,scraper,"WORCESTER – Yesterday, Congressman Jim McGovern (MA-02), Ranking Member of the House Rules Committee and Co-Chair of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, alongside Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) visited the Worcester YMCA to discuss the historic 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act and how the new law will make it easier to build new housing, lower housing costs, and—for the first time ever—counter private equity from buying single-family homes. The lawmakers also discussed the development of Grandfamily Villages, an effort by Senior Connection to provide affordable housing for seniors and their families in Worcester. They heard from families and community leaders about what more can be done to address the housing crisis in Massachusetts. “The ROAD to Housing Act is a big deal for communities across the country,” said Congressman McGovern. “Everywhere I go, I hear from families struggling to find housing they can afford. I’m grateful to Senator Warren for her leadership in getting this important legislation passed. This is going to make a real difference for people across the Commonwealth and throughout the country. I’m also proud to be working alongside amazing partners like Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley on our Grandfamily Housing Act to make sure grandparents raising grandchildren have the support they need. These grandparents stepped up for their families, and we need to step up for them, too. That’s what the Grandfamily Village is all about, and I’ll keep fighting to get projects like this across the finish line.” “America is in a housing crisis, and it’s hitting families hard here in Massachusetts. I’m proud to have worked with Congresswoman Pressley and Congressman McGovern to pass the biggest housing bill in decades into law,” said Senator Warren. “This new law will help lower housing costs and for the first time ever stop private equity from buying up single family homes. Thanks to the leadership of Congresswoman Pressley, the new law also includes an Innovation Fund which will help our state build more housing and upgrade our infrastructure. This is one step forward. We have much more work to do to lower costs for Massachusetts families.” “I’m proud to work with Senator Warren and Ranking Member Waters to deliver this historic housing package to support safe, stable, and accessible housing for families in Massachusetts and throughout the country,” said Congresswoman Pressley. “The ROAD to Housing Act and my four bills within it will bring essential relief to Americans struggling amid Trump’s housing and affordability crises—and I’ll keep pushing to pass our Grandfamily Housing Act without delay. Every individual, family, and grandfamily deserves a place of refuge, rest, and peace. It’s time that we treat housing like human right that it is.” Other participants of the roundtable included: State Senator Robyn Kennedy, State Representative David LeBoeuf, Worcester City Manager Eric Batista, Moses Dixon, President & CEO, Senior Connection, Joanne Calista, CEO, Center for Health Impact, and several grandparents raising their grandchildren. McGovern has worked for years to support grandparents raising grandchildren and address the unique housing challenges facing grandfamilies. He recently secured $1.2 million in federal funding for a Grandparents Raising Grandkids Resource Center in Worcester to help connect grandparent-led households throughout central Massachusetts with housing, transportation, health, food, education and other services. In 2018, his bipartisan Supporting Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Act was signed into law, creating a federal advisory council to identify and share resources for grandparents and other relatives raising children. In 2019, after McGovern and Pressley held a roundtable in Worcester to hear directly from grandparents about the challenges they face, the lawmakers introduced the Grandfamily Housing Act, which would help grandfamilies access safe, affordable and age-appropriate housing and supportive services. They reintroduced the legislation in 2021, and it passed the House in 2022. McGovern and Pressley introduced the latest version, H.R. 5916, the Grandfamily Housing Act of 2025, in November 2025. ###",1,2026-09-10T09:25:58Z,2026-09-10T09:27:09Z https://pressley.house.gov/2026/09/09/in-worcester-pressley-warren-mcgovern-tout-historic-law-to-tackle-housing-crisis-build-safe-affordable-housing/,"In Worcester, Pressley, Warren, McGovern Tout Historic Law to Tackle Housing Crisis, Build Safe, Affordable Housing",2026-09-09,2026,2026-09,Democrat,House,MA,Ayanna Pressley,P000617,pressley.house.gov,pressley,https://pressley.house.gov/news/,scraper,"Pressley-Led Bills Will Address Bias in Home Appraisals, Expand Affordable Housing, Strengthen Oversight of Corporate Landlords, and Help Families Reach Financial Stability Pressley-McGovern Grandfamily Housing Act Would Help Grandparents Raising Children Access Safe, Affordable, Age-Appropriate Housing Photos (Dropbox) WORCESTER – Today, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), a member of the House Financial Services Committee, Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), and Congressman James P. McGovern (MA-02), alongside Massachusetts families and community leaders,visited the Worcester YMCA to discuss the historic 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act and how the new law will make it easier to build new housing, lower housing costs, and—for the first time ever—counter private equity from buying single-family homes. The lawmakers also discussed the development of Grandfamily Villages, an effort by Senior Connection to provide affordable housing for seniors and their families in Worcester. They heard from families and community leaders about what more can be done to address the housing crisis in Massachusetts. “I’m proud to work with Senator Warren and Ranking Member Waters to deliver this historic housing package to support safe, stable, and accessible housing for families in Massachusetts and throughout the country,” said Congresswoman Pressley. “The ROAD to Housing Act and my four bills within it will bring essential relief to Americans struggling amid Trump’s housing and affordability crises—and I’ll keep pushing to pass our Grandfamily Housing Act without delay. Every individual, family, and grandfamily deserves a place of refuge, rest, and peace. It’s time that we treat housing like human right that it is.” “America is in a housing crisis, and it’s hitting families hard here in Massachusetts. I’m proud to have worked with Congresswoman Pressley and Congressman McGovern to pass the biggest housing bill in decades into law,” said Senator Warren. “This new law will help lower housing costs and for the first time ever stop private equity from buying up single family homes. Thanks to the leadership of Congresswoman Pressley, the new law also includes an Innovation Fund which will help our state build more housing and upgrade our infrastructure. This is one step forward. We have much more work to do to lower costs for Massachusetts families.” “The ROAD to Housing Act is a big deal for communities across the country,” said Congressman McGovern. “Everywhere I go, I hear from families struggling to find housing they can afford. I’m grateful to Senator Warren for her leadership in getting this important legislation passed. This is going to make a real difference for people across the Commonwealth and throughout the country. I’m also proud to be working alongside amazing partners like Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley on our Grandfamily Housing Act to make sure grandparents raising grandchildren have the support they need. These grandparents stepped up for their families, and we need to step up for them, too. That’s what the Grandfamily Village is all about, and I’ll keep fighting to get projects like this across the finish line.” Photo Credit: Office of Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley Other participants of the roundtable included: State Senator Robyn Kennedy, State Representative David LeBoeuf, Worcester City Manager Eric Batista, Doreen Goodrich, District Director, State Senator Mike Moore, Moses Dixon, President & CEO, Senior Connection, Joanne Calista, CEO, Center for Health Impact, and several grandparents raising their grandchildren. The 21st Century Road to Housing Act passed Congress in June 2026 and included four bills led by Congresswoman Pressley that would address the housing crisis and increase pathways to equitable and affordable housing. The bills will address bias in home valuations, expand affordable housing, strengthen oversight of corporate landlords, and help families reach financial stability. The bill became law despite Donald Trump’s refusal to sign it. Congresswoman Pressley and Congressman McGovern are also the lead sponsors of the Grandfamily Housing Act, which would help grandparents raising their grandchildren access safe, affordable and appropriate housing. Photos from the event are available here. Rep. Pressley’s four bills in the housing package include: The Appraisal Modernization Act. This bill would promote equity and combat systemic bias in the home appraisal process that has disadvantaged many current and aspiring homeowners—especially homeowners of color. The Innovation Fund Act. This bill would establish a grant program to reward communities that are taking innovative steps to increase housing supply. The Renter Resource Center Act. This bill would protect renters and strengthen oversight of corporations by creating a database of institutional investors that buy single-family homes, requiring HUD to provide resources to renters, and more. Helping More Families Save Act. This bill would help families receiving federal housing assistance achieve financial independence as a pathway to wealth building by modernizing and expanding HUD’s Family Self-Sufficiency (FSS) program. Following Trump’s refusal to sign the package into law without advancing his voter suppression bill, Rep. Pressley joined lawmakers in demanding Trump support the housing package and the essential, expanded access to housing it would deliver for Americans. In January 2026, Rep. Pressley, alongside Congresswomen Yassamin Ansari (AZ-03) and Ilhan Omar (MN-05) held the Congressional Progressive Caucus’ (CPC) Lowering Costs Taskforce’s first shadow hearing, titled “Building the New American Dream: Lowering Housing Costs for All.” The shadow hearing brought together housing experts and CPC Members to advance solutions to lower costs by building more affordable, public, and market-rate housing; cracking down on corporate and landlord greed; and expanding federal assistance for low-income families. As a Member of the Subcommittee on Housing and Insurance of the House Financial Services Committee (FSC), Rep. Pressley has consistently advocated for policies that affirm housing as a human right and center the dignity and humanity of all people. In May 2026, during Fair Housing and Second Chance Month, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) and Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib (MI-12) reintroduced the Housing for Formerly Incarcerated Reentry and Stable Tenancy (Housing FIRST) Act of 2026, bold legislation to help people who are formerly incarcerated and those with criminal histories access safe and stable housing. The bill would advance housing justice and help disrupt the prison-to-homelessness pipeline by removing unjust barriers to housing and limit tenant screening criteria for criminal records in background checks. In April 2026, Rep. Pressley along with Rep. DeLauro and Rep. Gomez, founder and co-chair of Congressional Renters Caucus, introduced the Housing Emergencies Lifeline Program (HELP) Act to protect tenants facing illegal evictions, crack down on credit reporting of evictions, and more. In March 2026, Rep. Pressley joined Financial Services Committee Democrats in a comment letter condemning HUD’s proposed mixed-status families rule, which would increase evictions, separate families, and increase homelessness across the country. In December 2025, Rep. Pressley convened local advocates and community partners to sound the alarm on the housing crisis created by Donald Trump. In December 2025, Rep. Pressley underscored the need to support grandfamily and kinship households, which are vital to preventing homelessness and keeping families and communities whole. In November 2025, Rep. Pressley joined House Financial Services Committee Ranking Member Maxine Waters (CA-35) and 52 colleagues in sending a letter to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Scott Turner, calling on him to rescind a recent HUD decision to slash essential Continuum of Care (CoC) program funding. In November 2025, Rep. Pressley introduced the Appraisal Modernization Act, legislation to promote equity and combat systemic bias in the home appraisal process that has disadvantaged many current and aspiring homeowners—especially homeowners of color. In May 2025, Rep, Pressley, along with Representatives Delia C. Ramirez (IL-03), Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), Jimmy Gomez (CA-34), and Greg Casar (TX-35), reintroduced the Tenants’ Right to Organize Act, legislation to protect the power of tenants, including those with federal vouchers, to organize. In June 2024, Rep. Pressley, along with Representatives Maxine Waters (CA-43) and Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), re-introduced the Tenant Empowerment Act, bold legislation to strengthen HUD tenant protections and provide renters with the tools necessary to improve the quality of their homes. In March 2024, Rep. Pressley, along with Mayor Wu, visited Roxbury to celebrate the $1,000,000 in federal funding she secured to provide emergency childcare support for families experiencing homelessness in the City of Boston. In March 2024, Rep. Pressley, along with Senators Warren and Markey, applauded the final passage of $850,000 in federal community project funding for The Pryde, an affordable housing development for LGBTQ+ seniors in Hyde Park. In March 2024, Rep. Pressley urged Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell to cut interest rates to boost home affordability and construction of affordable housing. In January 2024, Rep. Pressley, during a House Financial Services Committee Hearing, highlighted the growing housing crisis and how appraisal bias and discriminatory tenant screening practices exacerbate the racial wealth and homeownership gaps, especially for Black communities. In January 2024, Rep. Pressley celebrated the $2.4 million in federal funding she secured to support the community-led transformation of the Clarendon Hill housing community, an ethnically, linguistically and economically diverse neighborhood in Somerville. In December 2023, Rep. Pressley requested the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to provide data on housing needs for Medicaid beneficiaries and feedback on challenges the agency is having in covering housing support for people requiring home and community-based services (HCBS). In July 2023, Rep. Pressley, along with Chairwoman Rosa DeLauro (CT-03) and Congresswoman Cori Bush (MO-01), reintroduced the Housing Emergencies Lifeline Program (HELP) Act, critical legislation to provide much-needed assistance to those facing eviction amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. In September 2021, Rep. Pressley joined Rep. Bush and Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) in introducing the Keeping Renters Safe Act of 2021 to enact an urgently needed nationwide eviction moratorium. On July 2021, ahead of the expiration of the previous CDC eviction moratorium, Reps. Pressley, Bush, Gomez and their progressive colleagues sent a letter renewing their calls for President Biden and CDC Director Rochelle Walensky to extend the federal eviction moratorium and prevent the historic and deadly wave of evictions that would occur if the government failed to do so. On July 30, 2021, Rep. Pressley joined House Financial Services Committee Chairwoman Maxine Waters (D-CA) in introducing the Protecting Renters from Evictions Act of 2021, legislation to extend the eviction moratorium through the end of the year. In June 2021, Rep. Pressley, along with Reps. Gomez and Bush, led over 40 of their colleagues on a letter urging President Biden and CDC Director Walensky to extend and strengthen the moratorium for the duration of the public health crisis. In June 2021, Congresswoman Pressley, along with Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN), re-introduced the Rent and Mortgage Cancellation Act, a bill to institute a nationwide cancellation of rents and home mortgage payments through the duration of the coronavirus pandemic. On May 18, 2021, Reps. Bush and Pressley sent a letter to the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), calling on the CDC to strengthen and extend the federal moratorium on evictions, ensuring families can remain safely in their homes for the duration of the COVID-19 global health emergency. On July 28, 2020, Rep. Pressley, Rep. DeLauro and Sen. Harris introduced the Housing Emergencies Lifeline Program (HELP) Act to provide much-needed, layered assistance to those facing eviction amid the COVID-19 pandemic. On July 24, 2020, in a Financial Services Committee hearing, Rep. Pressley discussed the unprecedented financial cliff facing millions of renters and homeowners, the economic consequences of millions losing their homes, including the ability to return to work, and why funding for legal representation is so critical. On May 11, 2020, Reps. Tlaib, and Joe Neguse (D-CO) urge House and Senate leadership to include $11.5 billion in funding for Emergency Solutions Grants (ESG) in the next relief package to aid the nation’s homeless population who are experiencing heightened vulnerability during the COVID-19 pandemic. On April 10, 2020, Rep. Pressley urged Congressional leadership to prioritize recurring monthly cash payments to those most at-risk during the COVID-19 crisis. This funding would allow people to cover all their bills, including rent. On April 17, 2020, Reps. Pressley, Ilhan Omar (D-MN) and colleagues introduce the Rent and Mortgage Cancellation Act, a bill to institute a nationwide cancellation of rents and home mortgage payments through the duration of the coronavirus pandemic. On March 23, 2020, Reps. Pressley and Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) introduced the Public Health Emergency Shelter Act of 2020, legislation to provide critical funding to states and local governments responding to the needs of families and individuals experiencing homelessness during the COVID-19 crisis. This legislation was included and passed through the HEROES Act and H.R. 7301, the Emergency Housing Protections and Relief Act of 2020. On March 19, 2020, Rep. Pressley, along with progressive lawmakers and organizations, introduced the Housing is a Human Right Act to authorize more than $200 billion in federal spending over 10 years for crucial housing infrastructure and reduce homelessness. On March 18, 2020, Reps. Pressley, Katie Porter (D-CA) and Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Jeff Merkley (D-OR) wrote to HUD calling for a moratorium on evicting renters during the coronavirus pandemic. In July 2019, Rep. Pressley announced legislation that would prohibit the use of biometric recognition technology in most public and assisted housing units funded by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), protecting tenants from biased surveillance technology. In November 2019, Rep. Pressley and Rep. Tlaib wrote to HUD blasting the agency for ignoring low-income tenants seeking to save their homes. ###",1,2026-09-10T09:25:58Z,2026-09-10T09:27:09Z https://pressley.house.gov/2026/09/09/rep-pressley-urges-extension-of-el-salvador-tps-to-save-lives/,Rep. Pressley Urges Extension of El Salvador TPS to Save Lives,2026-09-09,2026,2026-09,Democrat,House,MA,Ayanna Pressley,P000617,pressley.house.gov,pressley,https://pressley.house.gov/news/,scraper,"“The termination of Temporary Protected Status for El Salvador would devastate communities, hurt our local and state economies, and spread fear to the nearly 170,00 Salvadoran TPS holders who call this country home. “I’m proud to represent such a rich, vibrant Salvadoran diaspora community in the Massachusetts 7th. Salvadoran TPS holders are our neighbors. They have been here for decades. Their contributions are felt daily across our district, and they deserve to remain here with their families. “Unless the Trump Administration reverses course, our neighbors will be at risk of being uprooted from their community despite having done nothing wrong. Their children, many of whom are U.S. citizens, could be displaced to a country they’ve never set foot in. As ICE continues to terrorize our neighborhoods, the termination of TPS would only destabilize our communities and leave entire families at risk of harm, trauma, and separation. We cannot allow that to happen. “To the Salvadoran TPS holders that call the Massachusetts 7th home: your humanity, dignity, and lives matter. You deserve to work, to contribute, to take care of your families, and to thrive in the country you call home. Please know that my office is here to help and that this Congresswoman has your back. The Trump Administration must extend TPS for El Salvador without delay, and we must ensure a pathway to permanent residency and protect our Salvadoran neighbors in perpetuity.”",1,2026-09-10T09:25:58Z,2026-09-10T09:27:09Z https://trahan.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=3844,"Trahan, Warren Statement Following Burlington ICE Facility Site Visit",2026-09-09,2026,2026-09,Democrat,House,MA,Lori Trahan,T000482,trahan.house.gov,trahan,https://trahan.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27,scraper,"Today, Congresswoman Lori Trahan (MA-03) and U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) released the following statement following a congressional oversight visit to Burlington ICE facility yesterday, where dozens of individuals have been detained: “Today we exercised our constitutional duty to conduct unannounced Congressional oversight of an ICE facility. Immigration attorneys and community advocates have shared deeply concerning testimonies with our offices of individuals being detained by ICE for multiple days without access to adequate food, medical care, or sleeping conditions. During the hour-long inspection of the Burlington facility, we witnessed over a dozen individuals held for processing, questioned ICE on our constituents’ concerns, and pressed for humane treatment of those in custody. We’ll continue showing up and fighting for transparency, decency, and accountability.” ###",1,2026-09-10T09:25:58Z,2026-09-10T09:27:09Z https://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases/senator-markey-statement-on-temporary-protected-status-designation-for-el-salvador,Senator Markey Statement on Temporary Protected Status Designation for El Salvador,2026-09-09,2026,2026-09,Democrat,Senate,MA,Edward J. Markey,M000133,www.markey.senate.gov,markey,https://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"Massachusetts is home to more than 7,000 Salvadoran TPS holders Washington (September 9, 2026) — Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) released the following statement today after the Trump administration temporarily kept in place Temporary Protected Status (TPS) designation for El Salvador despite planning to end protections today. El Salvador continues to face severe environmental and humanitarian challenges, including an ongoing drought and recurring extreme weather and flooding, as well as other political conditions that make terminating protections cruel and potentially life threatening. The vast majority of Salvadoran TPS holders have children born in the United States. “The Trump administration may have given El Salvador TPS holders a temporary reprieve but given its repeated attacks on TPS holders from other countries — who have legally lived, worked, and built their lives here for decades — agonizing uncertainty remains for Salvadorans. Congress must pass the SECURE Act to provide a permanent pathway to citizenship for TPS holders. We bear a fierce responsibility to protect children, keep families safely together, and defeat Trump’s relentless assault on our neighbors and loved ones.” Senator Markey is a co-sponsor of the Safe Environment from Countries Under Repression and Emergency (SECURE) Act, which would provide qualified TPS and Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) recipients a path to legal permanent residency. ###",1,2026-09-10T09:25:58Z,2026-09-10T09:27:09Z https://pressley.house.gov/2026/09/08/news-pressley-thanks-outgoing-smithsonian-secretary-lonnie-bunch-slams-trumps-fascist-assault-on-museums/,"NEWS: Pressley Thanks Outgoing Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie Bunch, Slams Trump’s Fascist Assault on Museums",2026-09-08,2026,2026-09,Democrat,House,MA,Ayanna Pressley,P000617,pressley.house.gov,pressley,https://pressley.house.gov/news/,scraper,"Pressley Has Fought to Protect Black History Against Trump’s Crusade to Whitewash Museums; Demanded Investigation Into Trump’s Attack on Smithsonian Pressley Has Drawn Parallels Between Trump’s Attempt Remove Museum Exhibits to Nazi Germany Destroying Jewish Art WASHINGTON – Today, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) issued the following statement thanking outgoing Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie Bunch III and slamming the Trump Administration’s ongoing fascist assault on American museums. Secretary Bunch announced that he would step down from his role at the end of this year. Congresswoman Pressley has led efforts in Congress to protect Black history against Trump’s crusade to whitewash American museums and has demanded an investigation into Trump’s attack on the Smithsonian. In a July committee hearing, the Congresswoman highlighted Trump’s attempts to erase, whitewash, and rewrite American history, through his attacks on Smithsonian museums and cultural institutions. “Secretary Lonnie Bunch III spent his career making sure America tells the full truth about itself. I am deeply grateful for his extraordinary leadership, his stewardship of American history, and his unwavering defense of our stories during an unprecedented, anti-Black, and fascist assault from the highest levels of power. “I was honored to meet with Secretary Bunch last year to discuss his work and how we can push back against the Trump Administration’s attacks on the Smithsonian’s independence and its mission to tell the full, complicated, and beautiful story of America. It is a shame that he is stepping down at a moment when Black America and Black history are under attack by an occupant of the Oval Office hell bent on erasing, whitewashing, and rewriting our shared history to push a false narrative about our country. “While Secretary Bunch’s resignation is a loss for the Smithsonian and our country, his work must continue. I wish him the very best in his future endeavors, and I will not stop fighting to protect our museums, defend the truth, and preserve our history for generations to come.” Rep. Pressley has been a leading voice in defending diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility, protecting Black history, and pushing back against Republicans’ efforts to deny intellectual freedom—whether by banning books or threatening museums. Rep. Pressley has also led on securing critical funding for museums, arts, and humanities. In 2022, she secured $207 million in federal funding for both the National Endowment for the Humanities and the National Endowment of the Arts, which has supported communities, schools, and small businesses throughout the Massachusetts 7th Congressional district. She also secured $2,505,000 for the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom program in the National Parks Service Operations. Rep. Pressley has advocated for support for museums across the country that are dedicated to archiving, researching, and preserving the African American experience, such as the National Museum of African American History and Culture. In FY26, she secured $6 million for the Museum Grants for African American History and Culture—including $500,000 for Boston’s Museum of African American History—which will provide such museums the resources they need to build on their work and continue to make history more accessible to the public. In February 2026, Rep. Pressley led 52 of her colleagues in introducing a resolution to honor Black history museums and cultural institutions in their telling of our accurate, shared American history and protect these institutions from erasure, whitewashing, and funding cuts. In August 2025, Rep. Pressley condemned Trump’s attempt to politicize, editorialize, and whitewash exhibits at Smithsonian museums—particularly museums and exhibits with diverse and factual presentations of American history. In May 2025, Rep. Pressley, alongside Congressman Paul Tonko (NY-20), Co-Chair of the Congressional Museum Caucus, led 69 of their colleagues on a letter to the Inspector General of the Smithsonian Institution demanding an investigation on the impact of Donald Trump’s harmful Executive Order attacking Smithsonian museums – namely, the American Art Museum, the American Women’s History Museum, and the National Museum of African American History and Culture – attempting to erase histories of marginalized communities. A copy of the letter is available here. In May 2025, Rep. Pressley convened a roundtable and press conference at the Museum of African American History in Boston to uplift the vital role of museums in preserving our shared history amid Donald Trump’s attack on cultural institutions and his attempts to erase the documented histories of marginalized communities. In April 2025, Rep. Pressley delivered a floor speech slamming Trump’s attack on Smithsonian museums and affirming that Black history is American history. ###",1,2026-09-09T09:27:09Z,2026-09-09T09:29:04Z https://trahan.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=3843,Trahan Joins Over 250 Current & Former Members of Congress Urging Supreme Court to Block Trump’s Executive Order Limiting Mail Voting,2026-09-08,2026,2026-09,Democrat,House,MA,Lori Trahan,T000482,trahan.house.gov,trahan,https://trahan.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27,scraper,"Today, Congresswoman Lori Trahan (MA-03) joined a bipartisan effort to challenge President Donald Trump’s efforts to limit mail-in voting. The court filing questions the legality of Donald Trump’s Executive Order seeking to exert federal control over mail-in ballots ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. “As current and former legislators, amici took an oath to uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States—including its guarantee of the separation of powers. Amici have a particular interest in defending the institutional role of the Legislative Branch under Article I of the Constitution and in vindicating the long-settled principle that the Constitution commits ultimate regulatory authority over federal elections to Congress. The Constitution does not contemplate the Executive Branch acting unilaterally to assert power over federal elections. Yet that is what the Order and Final Rule do,” the lawmakers wrote. Te group, made up of a bipartisan, bicameral coalition of 261 lawmakers, filed an amicus brief to the Supreme Court of the United States in the matter of United States Postal Service, et al., v. State of California, et al., a lawsuit brought by a coalition of State Attorneys General against the U.S. Postal Service. The court case challenges a Final Rule issued by the USPS pursuant to Trump’s directive that imposes unconstitutional and unworkable restrictions on mail-in voting, including requiring states to provide a “citizenship verification list” and attempting to give USPS control over who can vote by mail. The amici also pointed to a recent federal court ruling blocking the USPS from implementing its newly finalized mail ballot rule for the midterm elections, saying the agency lacked the authority to implement the rule and that its actions are “substantively unconstitutional and contrary to law.” “The district court correctly concluded that Appellees are likely to succeed on the merits of their claims that USPS lacked authority to issue the Final Rule, that the Final Rule unconstitutionally imposes mail-ballot requirements on the States, and that the Final Rule unconstitutionally bars non-compliant State and local election officials from using the USPS to mail ballots at all,” the lawmakers continued. The group concluded by asserting states’ power to administer elections and Congress’s power to make or alter rules regulating elections, which the Supreme Court itself has described as an “override” authority. The president’s illegal incursion on this authority is an attempt to disenfranchise people who depend on mail-in ballots to vote. The lawmakers concluded: “The integrity of our constitutional system depends on each branch keeping to its assigned role. The Framers set up a two-part system that gave the States default authority to regulate federal elections subject to Congress’s authority to override the States. The Framers did not provide the President with any authority to interfere in that system, nor has Congress imbued the Executive Branch with any such authority by statute.” In the court filing, the amici curiae argue that Trump’s Executive Order 14399, “Ensuring Citizenship Verification and Integrity in Federal Elections,” violates the separation of powers and usurps congressional authorities outlined in Article I of the U.S. Constitution, which gives the states and Congress exclusive authority over election administration. One-third of Americans are expected to vote by mail in the upcoming midterm elections, a voting practice Donald Trump himself used as recently as August 2026, when the president voted in Florida’s Republican primary. Trahan has been a fierce voice against Donald Trump’s attack on mail-in voting. In 2025, she led calls against the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, which requires voters to provide a birth certificate, naturalization papers, or passport matching their current name to vote in a federal election. Since arriving to Congress, Trahan has championed legislation to make voting more accessible for all Americans, including co-sponsoring the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act and securing House passage of proposals to enhance ballot access for the families of servicemembers and prohibit the agents of foreign governments from exercising influence over the drawing of new congressional districts. Click HERE to view the full brief. ###",1,2026-09-09T09:27:09Z,2026-09-09T09:29:04Z https://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases/markey-joins-padilla-schumer-all-senate-democrats-to-urge-supreme-court-to-block-postal-service-rule-limiting-mail-in-voting,"Markey Joins Padilla, Schumer, All Senate Democrats to Urge Supreme Court to Block Postal Service Rule Limiting Mail-In Voting",2026-09-08,2026,2026-09,Democrat,Senate,MA,Edward J. Markey,M000133,www.markey.senate.gov,markey,https://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"261 Members and former Members file bicameral, bipartisan brief as court order barring Postal Service rule limiting mail voting is being challenged by Trump’s DOJ Washington (September 8, 2026) — Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) today joined Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Senate Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), and Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Ranking Member Gary Peters (D-Mich.), along with Representative Joe Morelle (NY-25), Ranking Member of the Committee on House Administration, and Co-Chairs of the House Democrats’ Litigation Task Force Oversight Ranking Member Robert Garcia (CA-42), Assistant Leader Joe Neguse (CO-02), and Judiciary Ranking Member Jamie Raskin (MD-08), in leading a bicameral amicus brief challenging the legality of President Trump’s Executive Order and U.S. Postal Service rule seeking to exert control over mail-in ballots ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. The amicus brief was also joined by the entire Senate Democratic Caucus. The group, made up of a bipartisan, bicameral coalition of 261 lawmakers and former lawmakers, filed an amicus brief with the U.S. Supreme Court in the matter of State of California, et al. v. United States Postal Service, et al., a lawsuit brought by a coalition of State Attorneys General against the U.S. Postal Service (USPS). The court case challenges a final rule issued by the USPS pursuant to Trump’s directive that imposes unconstitutional and unworkable restrictions on mail-in voting, including requiring states to provide a “citizenship verification list” and attempting to give USPS control over who can vote by mail. Nearly one-third of Americans have voted by mail in recent elections — a voting practice Trump himself used as recently as August 2026, when he voted in Florida’s Republican primary. In the court filing, the amici curiae argue that Trump’s Executive Order 4399 and USPS’s final rule violate the separation of powers and usurp congressional authorities outlined in Article I of the U.S. Constitution, which gives the States and Congress exclusive authority over election administration. “As current and former legislators, amici took an oath to uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States — including its guarantee of the separation of powers,” wrote the lawmakers. “Amici have a particular interest in defending the institutional role of the Legislative Branch under Article I of the Constitution and in vindicating the long-settled principle that the Constitution commits ultimate regulatory authority over federal elections to Congress. The Constitution does not contemplate the Executive Branch acting unilaterally to assert power over federal elections. Yet that is what the Order and Final Rule do.” The amici also pointed to a recent federal court ruling blocking the USPS from implementing its newly finalized mail ballot rule for the midterm elections, saying the agency lacked the authority to implement the rule and that its actions are “substantively unconstitutional and contrary to law.” “The district court correctly concluded that Appellees are likely to succeed on the merits of their claims that USPS lacked authority to issue the Final Rule, that the Final Rule unconstitutionally imposes mail-ballot requirements on the States, and that the Final Rule unconstitutionally bars non-compliant State and local election officials from using the USPS to mail ballots at all,” wrote the lawmakers. The lawmakers concluded by asserting States’ power to administer elections and Congress’s power to make or alter rules regulating elections, which the Supreme Court itself has described as an “override” authority. Trump’s illegal incursion on this authority is an attempt to disenfranchise people who depend on mail-in ballots to vote. “The integrity of our constitutional system depends on each branch keeping to its assigned role,” concluded the lawmakers. “The Framers set up a two-part system that gave the States default authority to regulate federal elections subject to Congress’s authority to override the States. The Framers did not provide the President with any authority to interfere in that system, nor has Congress subsequently imbued the President or the Executive Branch with any such authority by statute.” The full brief is available here. ###",1,2026-09-09T09:27:09Z,2026-09-09T09:29:04Z https://neal.house.gov/2026/09/08/neal-makes-sixth-stop-on-landmark-laws-local-investments-tour-with-visit-to-southbridge/,"Neal Makes Sixth Stop on “Landmark Laws, Local Investments” Tour with Visit to Southbridge",2026-09-08,2026,2026-09,Democrat,House,MA,Richard E. Neal,N000015,neal.house.gov,neal,https://neal.house.gov/category/press-releases/,scraper,"Southbridge, MA — Today, Congressman Richard E. Neal joined Southbridge Town Manager Jack Jovan and town officials to highlight the impact of federal investments made possible by the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). More than $1.5 billion has been invested across the First Congressional District. In Southbridge, $18.2 million was invested in projects and initiatives, with funding streams including: $11.5 million in ARPA funding, consisting of $5 million in Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery funding and $6.5 million in Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Funding $6.7 million in funding from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the Inflation Reduction Act “I am delighted to join with Town Manager Jack Jovan, members of the Town Council, and local residents to highlight the Town’s superb work in putting these once-in-a-generation investments to good use. Based on what we saw here today, I am pleased to see another community in the First District that benefited from these landmark laws and put these funds to work for its residents,” said Congressman Neal. “Whether it’s investing in the Town’s infrastructure, supporting food assistance and workforce development programs, or providing a lifeline for small businesses, the Town seized the opportunity to both address immediate needs and make investments for the future. It’s important that we take the time to show the public how these federal dollars were put to use and allow the public to judge for themselves the impact of these investments. That’s what this tour is all about.” As a result of the ARPA, the Town of Southbridge was able to pursue more than 60 different initiatives that invested in the Town’s infrastructure, public schools, and local services, and provided critical support to small businesses and nonprofit organizations. Among these initiatives are: $150,000 for the United Way of South Central Massachusetts Southbridge Resident Community Assistance Program $100,000 for the YMCA, including $50,000 for the YMCA “What’s for Dinner” food assistance program through the Southbridge Community Center, and $50,000 for the YMCA workplace development program for teens $300,000 for small businesses in the downtown district $250,000 for infrastructure improvements on West Street $29,490 for lights at the softball field $31,120 for playground equipment at Henry Street Playground $194,219 for a new DPW loader $27,925 for the Southbridge Senior Center catering services $270,723 for a new DPW hotbox for road repairs and paving $39,029 for a new generator at the Southbridge Community Center $44,972 for design and building phases of a new broadband network at the Jacob Edwards Library $50,000 for a feasibility study of the Quinebaug Valley Rail Trail. This project also received a $2.6 million grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration, which was funded by the American Rescue Plan, ultimately supporting completion of the project. “The Town of Southbridge was fortunate to receive ARPA funding, and we have worked to use those resources in a thoughtful and responsible manner. These funds allowed us to respond to immediate needs while also investing in infrastructure, public safety, economic development, municipal facilities, and projects that will benefit Southbridge well beyond the life of the ARPA program,” said Southbridge Town Manager Jack Jovan. “The Rail Trail is a particularly good example of the value of strategic investment. The ARPA-funded feasibility work helped position the Town to pursue significant outside funding and ultimately deliver a major community asset. The Town appreciates the work of the Town Council, department heads, municipal employees, community organizations, and residents who contributed to the successful implementation of these projects. The Town remains committed to responsible stewardship of public funds and to making investments that strengthen Southbridge’s infrastructure, services, economic vitality, and quality of life.” In addition to the ARPA, MassDOT has received $6.7 million from the IIJA for intersection improvements at Central, Foster, Hook, and Hamilton Streets. This is in addition to a $7.8 million Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) grant that Southbridge was awarded in FY24 for the reconstruction of Hamilton Street. As a major cut-through in the Town, this street will greatly benefit from added lighting and crosswalks to increase safety, drainage, improved traffic flow, new sidewalks, and paving. The IIJA increased funding for the RAISE Grant Program in FY24, awarding $1.8 billion to projects across the country and enabling communities like Southbridge to finally secure the necessary funding after years of pursuing this investment. ###",1,2026-09-26T09:43:57Z,2026-09-26T09:44:55Z https://mcgovern.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=400453,McGovern Introduces Big Tech Accountability Act to Protect Americans’ Privacy and Hold Tech Giants Accountable,2026-09-04,2026,2026-09,Democrat,House,MA,James P. McGovern,M000312,mcgovern.house.gov,mcgovern,https://mcgovern.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx,scraper,"WASHINGTON—Today, Representative James P. McGovern (D-MA) introduced the Big Tech Accountability Act to protect Americans’ online privacy and personal autonomy and hold powerful technology corporations accountable for the harms caused by their platforms. “Big Tech companies have an enormous amount of power over what we see, what we share, and what happens to our personal information—and for too long, the rules governing that power simply haven’t kept pace,” said Congressman McGovern. “These platforms should not get a free pass to exploit people’s private data or design systems that knowingly push dangerous content because outrage and division are good for business. This bill is an effort to put some reasonable guardrails in place, give people more control over their own information, and make sure enormously powerful corporations can be held accountable for the choices they make.” A handful of Big Tech corporations have enormous influence over how Americans communicate, consume information, and participate in public life. At the same time, their business models rely heavily on collecting and monetizing personal data and using algorithms designed to keep users engaged—often by promoting increasingly inflammatory or sensational content. The Big Tech Accountability Act provides a framework for addressing both concerns: protecting Americans from the commercial exploitation of their personal information while establishing greater accountability when technology companies actively target and amplify fraudulent disinformation, threats, or criminal violence. The bill is backed by Free Speech For People, a national nonpartisan nonprofit organization that works to limit the influence of money in politics and protect our democracy. “By protecting the biggest social media companies from accountability, current federal law allows them to profit with impunity from amplifying threats of violence and disinformation and exploiting personal information,” said Ben Clements, Chairman and Senior Legal Advisor of Free Speech For People. “While this model has made billions for the world’s largest corporations and their owners, it has come at a grave cost to our democracy, to the ability of government to function in the 21st Century, and to the dignity, safety, and privacy of our people. By subjecting the big social media companies to the same accountability that applies to the rest of us, the Big Tech Accountability Act is a long overdue step toward putting people, not corporations and billionaires, first.” The Big Tech Accountability Act would establish stronger protections for Americans’ personal information and limit the ability of technology companies to exploit that information for profit. It would also create greater accountability when social media companies actively target and amplify fraudulent disinformation, threats, or criminal violence through their algorithms. Bill text is available here. ###",1,2026-09-05T08:49:07Z,2026-09-05T08:50:44Z https://trahan.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=3838,"Trahan, Bacon Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Support 988 Call Centers",2026-09-04,2026,2026-09,Democrat,House,MA,Lori Trahan,T000482,trahan.house.gov,trahan,https://trahan.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27,scraper,"Today, Congresswoman Lori Trahan (D-MA-03), Co-Chair of the Bipartisan Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Task Force, and Congressman Don Bacon (R-NE-02) introduced the bipartisan 988 Call Center Improvement Act. The legislation would authorize $441 million in federal funding for technology and support staff for the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, including licensed mental health professionals and training in evidence-based interventions. “Every call to 988 is an act of courage made in a moment of crisis,” said Congresswoman Trahan. “Making sure the people answering those calls have what they need to help is the least we can do. This bill is one piece of the puzzle, not the whole thing. That’s wh I am working alongside my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support 988 services across the board, so no call goes unanswered and no center is left without what it needs.” “When someone calls 988 during a mental health crisis, they should be able to quickly reach trained professionals who can connect them with the care they need,” said Congressman Bacon. “The 988 Call Center Improvement Act will strengthen local call centers by improving technology, supporting trained staff and expanding follow-up services so more people receive timely, effective help. I’m pleased to join Rep. Trahan on this bipartisan legislation to strengthen our mental health crisis response system.” Specifically, the 988 Call Center Improvement Act would: Invest in technology necessary to expand capacity and increase local response rates; Provide follow-up and follow-through services so that individuals are effectively engaged with local behavioral health crisis options; Support staff, including licensed mental health professionals and peer support workers; Train staff and volunteers in providing evidence-based interventions, including for high-risk populations. The 988 Call Center Improvement Act was included as part of the 988 Implementation Act, acomprehensive legislative package of bipartisan bills led by Trahan, Congresswoman Doris Matsui (D-CA-07), and Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA-01) to address gaps in care for individuals experiencing mental health crises. The broader bipartisan package would strengthen federal funding for 988 regional and local call centers to deliver timely, 24/7 response to callers while expanding community-based and mobile crisis response and increasing awareness of 988 services. Since being sworn into Congress in 2019, Trahan has led efforts to expand access to quality mental health care and improve the resources and support of those in need of care. In 2022, President Joe Bidensigned into law Trahan’s Garrett Lee Smith (GLS) Memorial Reauthorization Act, which reauthorized and strengthening community-based youth and young adult suicide prevention efforts. Earlier this year,she led a bipartisan group of 100 House members demanding the Trump administration reverse its decision to terminate thousands of Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration grants that fund local mental health and addiction prevention, treatment, and recovery programs across the country. This past May, Trahan introduced the bipartisanCampus Lifeline Act of 2026, legislation aiming to expand awareness and access to the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline for students and young adults. Full text of the 988 Call Center Improvement Act can be found HERE. ###",1,2026-09-09T09:27:09Z,2026-09-09T09:29:04Z https://neal.house.gov/2026/09/04/neal-statement-on-august-2026-jobs-report/,Neal Statement on August 2026 Jobs Report,2026-09-04,2026,2026-09,Democrat,House,MA,Richard E. Neal,N000015,neal.house.gov,neal,https://neal.house.gov/category/press-releases/,scraper,"SPRINGFIELD, MA— Ways and Means Committee Ranking Member Richard E. Neal (D-MA) released the following statement after the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released the August 2026 jobs report: “Republicans looked at your out-of-control prices, including the most expensive August at the gas pump and for diesel on record, and decided to give up and go home. They have offered nothing for workers as paychecks still can’t keep up with the President’s inflation, and families are forced to run up their credit cards and drain their savings at record rates to stay afloat. In fact, the White House’s message is to be grateful that things aren’t even worse. The people deserve leaders who don’t ask less of them but more of themselves. “Trump and House Republicans made this economy too difficult to get by in, never mind get ahead. But for them, crushing you is worth it so long as those at the top can keep cashing in.” ###",1,2026-09-26T09:43:57Z,2026-09-26T09:44:55Z https://pressley.house.gov/2026/09/03/video-pressley-mourns-pierre-damas-bel-haitian-tps-holder-and-student-athlete-who-died-of-suicide/,"VIDEO: Pressley Mourns Pierre Damas Bel, Haitian TPS Holder and Student Athlete Who Died of Suicide",2026-09-03,2026,2026-09,Democrat,House,MA,Ayanna Pressley,P000617,pressley.house.gov,pressley,https://pressley.house.gov/news/,scraper,"Transcript: Pressley Mourns Pierre Damas Bel, Haitian TPS Holder and Student Athlete Who Died of Suicide U.S. House of Representatives September 3, 2026 Mr. Speaker, I rise for the family and loved ones of Pierre Damas Bel, a beloved son and brother, 20-year-old college student and Haitian immigrant with Temporary Protected Status. He found joy on the soccer field and dreamed of studying medicine until the Trump administration forced an ankle monitor, really a shackle, on him and threatened his deportation. Trump’s termination of Haiti TPS robbed this young man of his humanity, stripped him of his dignity, and inflicted mental trauma that became too much for him to bear. He simply could not go on. Trump’s cruel attacks on our Haitian neighbors certainly will take a toll on our economy and our national security, but also a psychological and emotional toll. Mr. Speaker, no parent should lose their child, no sibling, their older brother. Yet Trump is traumatizing communities in every corner of our country. Pierre should be alive today, falling in love, playing soccer, on path to becoming a doctor. We honor his memory by doing everything we can to save lives and extend TPS for Haiti. The House has already passed our legislation to do just that, and the Senate must follow suit without delay. Pierre’s father’s last words to him were, “Pierre, come home.” Because of the cruelty, anti-blackness, and anti-immigrant policies of this administration, which I consider to be un-American, sadly, Pierre never will make it home. Rest in eternal peace. —",1,2026-09-04T09:19:37Z,2026-09-04T09:20:58Z https://trahan.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=3834,Trahan Announces Over $2 Million in Federal Funding for Local Community Colleges,2026-09-03,2026,2026-09,Democrat,House,MA,Lori Trahan,T000482,trahan.house.gov,trahan,https://trahan.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27,scraper,"Today, Congresswoman Lori Trahan (MA-03) announced $2,023,573 in new federal funding for three community colleges across the Third District. The money comes from three U.S. Department of Education programs that help first-generation, low-income, and nontraditional students get to college, stay enrolled, and graduate. “For so many students, community college is where a bigger future begins. It's the first person in a family to earn a degree, the parent going back to school, the worker learning a new trade. This funding helps more of them finish what they started,” said Congresswoman Trahan. “I'll always fight for federal investments in our schools and community colleges, because every degree earned here changes a family's story for good.” The institutions receiving federal funding include: Mount Wachusett Community College: $1,158,572 Northern Essex Community College: $453,065 Middlesex Community College: $411,936 Mount Wachusett Community College (MWCC) was awarded a total of $1,158,572 from three different federal programs. Specifically, the school received $468,572 through the Student Support Services Program to provide opportunities for academic development, assist students with basic college requirements, and motivate students toward successful completion of their postsecondary education. It also received $410,000 from the Talent Search Program, which provides grants to increase the number of youth from disadvantaged backgrounds who complete high school and enroll in and complete their postsecondary education. MWCC was also awarded $280,000 through the Educational Opportunity Centers Program to increase the number of adult participants who enroll in postsecondary education. “TRIO Student Support Services has been an important part of Mount Wachusett Community College for nearly five decades, providing students with the guidance, resources, and encouragement they need to reach their goals,” said Mount Wachusett Community College President James Vander Hooven. “This continued federal investment allows us to build on that legacy, helping more students overcome barriers, complete their education, and create new opportunities for themselves and their families. We are thankful for Congresswoman Trahan's continued partnership and advocacy.” Northern Essex Community College (NECC) was awarded $453,065 through the Student Support Services Program, which the school plans to use to support its PACE program, which helps students develop three skills necessary to complete their degrees, succeed in the workforce, or transfer to a four-year institution to complete their bachelor’s degree. Founded in 1980, NECC’s PACE program serves more than 250 students annually. “NECC’s PACE program has supported thousands of Merrimack Valley students over the past 40 years,” said Northern Essex Community College President Lane Glenn. “We know funding like this can’t always be guaranteed, and so are grateful for Congresswoman Trahan’s advocacy for our region’s students.” Middlesex Community College was awarded $411,936 through the Talent Search Program. This grant continues the institution’s Talent Search Program work with Lowell Public School students at Lowell High School and two middle schools, a partnership dating back to 1989. The new five-year grant will allow the program to serve 824 LPS students annually. “Thank you to the U.S. Department of Education for its generous funding of our TRIO Talent Search Program,” said Middlesex Community College president Phil Sisson. “At MCC, we meet learners of all ages where they are, including students who take our classes at their high schools. Combined with our strong partnerships with local schools and organizations, this funding strengthens our ability to guide students on their paths from high school to MCC to the student’s transfer institution to successful and stable jobs in the workforce. As Congresswoman Trahan is acutely aware, in our program, students who would not otherwise have the opportunity will gain access to robust and comprehensive resources, support systems, and education that will help them reach their goals and improve their lives.” Since taking office in 2019, Trahan has been a fierce advocate for community colleges, vocational schools, and workforce development in the region. As the only Massachusetts member of Congress serving on the House Education and Labor Committee during the 116th Congress, she helped craft the College Affordability Act to crack down on predatory for-profit colleges and ensure students can spend less while earning a meaningful degree. In December 2025, the House Education and the Workforce Committee passed Trahan’s bipartisan Student Financial Clarity Act to help students and parents seeking higher education understand the true cost of their degree program. ###",1,2026-09-04T09:19:37Z,2026-09-04T09:20:58Z https://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases/senators-markey-blumenthal-representatives-schakowsky-mullin-press-consumer-product-safety-commission-to-halt-sweeping-and-invasive-data-collection-on-emergency-department-patients,"Senators Markey, Blumenthal, Representatives Schakowsky, Mullin Press Consumer Product Safety Commission to Halt Sweeping and Invasive Data Collection on Emergency Department Patients",2026-09-03,2026,2026-09,Democrat,Senate,MA,Edward J. Markey,M000133,www.markey.senate.gov,markey,https://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"Letter Text (PDF) Boston (September 3, 2026) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), top Democrat on the Primary Health and Retirement Security Subcommittee of the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee and member of the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, along with Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), and Representatives Jan Schakowsky (IL-09) and Kevin Mullin (CA-15), today wrote to Peter Feldman, Acting Chairman of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), calling on the Commission to immediately suspend efforts to pressure some of the nation’s largest hospital systems to hand over the detailed, personally identifiable medical records of every patient who visits their emergency departments. Recent reporting has revealed that the Commission is directing hospitals to transmit sensitive records—including patient names, birthdates, addresses, and diagnoses—to its private contractor as part of changes to the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS). For decades, hospitals across the country have voluntarily participated in NEISS to report injuries involving consumer products, such as kitchen appliances and toys, to help identify products with a pattern of injuring consumers. But now, the Commission is amassing an unprecedented trove of identifiable health data of emergency department patients, regardless of whether an injury involved a consumer product. This sweeping data collection initiative is particularly alarming considering the Trump administration’s broader pattern of amassing Americans’ sensitive data and repurposing it to advance political priorities. In the letter, the lawmakers raised concerns regarding the necessity and legality of this initiative, the adequacy of its privacy protections, and the purposes to which this trove of sensitive data may ultimately be put. Cosigners of the letter include Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisc.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), and Representatives Debbie Dingell (MI-06), Nanette Barragán (CA-44), and Kelly Morrison (MN-03). In the letter, the lawmakers wrote, “The Commission is advancing this effort amid a broader pattern of the Trump administration seeking unprecedented access to Americans’ private data. From the Office of Personnel Management’s demand for federal workers’ health information to the Department of Health and Human Services sharing Medicaid enrollee data with the Department of Homeland Security, this administration has repeatedly sought to collect sensitive data from everyday Americans without a semblance of transparency.” The lawmakers continued, “Against that backdrop, creating a federal repository of identifiable medical records—with no evidence of any limits on how that data may be used, shared, or repurposed—is deeply alarming. Such data collection could easily discourage people in need from seeking care at an emergency department or from being transparent with their medical providers out of fear of federal surveillance or inappropriate use of their information. Even if the Commission uses these records solely to advance consumer protection, creating a federal database of identifiable medical records gives an administration that has repeatedly sought access Americans’ sensitive data another powerful tool for surveillance and misuse.” ###",1,2026-09-04T09:19:37Z,2026-09-04T09:20:58Z https://katherineclark.house.gov/2026/09/03/npr-tributes-to-gloria-steinem-are-flooding-in-from-hollywood-to-capitol-hill/,"NPR: Tributes to Gloria Steinem are flooding in, from Hollywood to Capitol Hill",2026-09-03,2026,2026-09,Democrat,House,MA,Katherine M. Clark,C001101,katherineclark.house.gov,clark,https://katherineclark.house.gov/newsroom/,scraper,"Journalist and activist Gloria Steinem dedicated her life to fighting for women’s rights, from reproductive freedom to workplace equality. Now, after her death at age 92, notable figures from politics to pop culture are offering their remembrances — and personal thanks — to the feminist icon. They’re also vowing to continue her work. “She pushed open doors not just for herself, but for literally millions of women behind her,” former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton — the first female presidential nominee of a major U.S. political party — wrote in a lengthy Facebook tribute. Clinton was one of many women in national politics sharing their praise and gratitude for Steinem. Others include former first lady Jill Biden, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and House Minority whip Katherine Clark, who said she hung a pair of photos of Steinem and Dorothy Pitman Hughes on her office wall the day she moved in. “She wasn’t going to be an astronaut, but my goodness, she made it possible for Sally Ride to be an astronaut,” Clinton wrote. “She wasn’t going to play college sports, but she stood behind the women in Congress who passed Title IX and opened up opportunities in sports and academics for girls. And she wasn’t on the Supreme Court when Roe v. Wade was decided, but her voice and her activism was behind that advancement for women’s rights.” Steinem emerged in the 1960s as a leading face of second-wave feminism. That role was firmly cemented the following decade, when she co-founded both the National Women’s Political Caucus and Ms. magazine. Steinem helped normalize conversations about workplace sexism, bursting onto the scene in 1963 with an exposé about her undercover stint as a waitress at Hugh Hefner’s New York Playboy Club, and abortion, after sharing her experience getting one abroad in the 1950s. She is credited with helping increase the number of women in elected office and bringing feminism into the mainstream at a time when the law kept women from obtaining credit cards and bank accounts in their own names. After her death on Wednesday, younger generations of high-profile women took to social media to honor and thank Steinem. Many of their stories were personal. Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, wrote about working with Steinem to mobilize young voters, making public appearances at interviews and award ceremonies. “But privately, she was even better than you would imagine- spending Thanksgiving with our family, introducing me to one of my best friends (forever the champion of female friendship), loving our children with her whole heart, counseling me during hard times, and giving extraordinary advice and perspective with a cup of tea and an unrivaled cheekiness and wit,” she wrote, alongside photos including one of Steinem with her young son. Actress Julianne Moore wrote on Instagram that the time she spent studying Steinem — to play her in the 2020 film The Glorias — was “one of the most edifying of my life.” “Everything I watched, everything I read, everything I observed about her gave me a template for how I wanted to behave,” Moore wrote. “Her honesty, her tolerance, her patience, and her insistence on humanism and inclusion as she moved through the world offers us all a moral roadmap.” It wasn’t just women sharing acknowledgments and anecdotes. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-VT., paid tribute, as did former and current New York City mayors Mike Bloomberg and Zohran Mamdani (Steinem called the city home for more than six decades). Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Mass., wrote that he first met Steinem while working with Sen. George McGovern (no relation) in the 1970s. “Later, when I first thought about running for office, she met with me, listened to what I had to say, and told me to run even if the establishment wrote me off,” he added. “She was a bright light to the very end and never stopped fighting for what she believed in.” Scores of cultural figures — from Oprah Winfrey to Paris Hilton to Stacey Abrams to Billie Jean King — shared heartfelt messages and posts about what Steinem meant to them, and the importance of continuing her work. Several peeled back the curtain on their longtime friendships. In a lengthy Instagram post, actress and writer Lena Dunham said she first met Steinem as a “lost twenty something,” and gratefully received her advice over the years on “everything from men (can be fun, aren’t required) to activism (it’s a marathon, not a race.).” She said she was one of many such lucky beneficiaries. “You weren’t just generous with your life force, your vision or your intellect: you were generous with your time, your laughter and even your jewelry (like the time I admired your silver vulva ring and you plucked it off your hand and placed it on mine.),” Dunham wrote. British actress and activist Jameela Jamil, who called Steinem “a guiding light for me,” wrote about an evening several months ago where the two sat in Steinem’s apartment talking about the world and “our adventures together over the years.” Jamil said Steinem was worried about the state of the world, women and reproductive rights. Steinem saw the Supreme Court affirm the right to abortion in Roe v. Wade in 1973 and decades later, overturn it, in 2022. She said Steinem told her about her plans, “92 and still fighting.” “I feel such pain that she left in a moment where it appears the rights she fought for us to have are being rolled back,” Jamil wrote. “She expressed disbelief to me as to how fast the pendulum is swinging back. And it lit a fire in me, to make sure her work and the work of the incredible women before her and around her, was not in vain.” Steinem told NPR after the reversal of Roe that she didn’t feel her life’s work was being stripped down — and never doubted that the fight would continue. “I think it’s important to connect the ancient to the new, because otherwise we don’t understand the strong thread of patriarchy and racism that has been with us and continues to be with us,” she said. Steinem’s second memoir, An Unexpected Life, is set for release later this month. —",1,2026-09-05T08:49:07Z,2026-09-05T08:50:44Z https://trahan.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=3836,Trahan Introduces Bipartisan Legislation to Improve 988 Services,2026-09-03,2026,2026-09,Democrat,House,MA,Lori Trahan,T000482,trahan.house.gov,trahan,https://trahan.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27,scraper,"Today, Congresswoman Lori Trahan (D-MA-03), Co-Chair of the Bipartisan Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Task Force, introduced the bipartisan 988 Implementation Act, a comprehensive bipartisan legislative package that will provide states with federal funding and resources to build a crisis response infrastructure behind the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. The legislative package is also co-led by Congresswoman Doris Matsui (D-CA-07) and Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA-01). “Calling 988 takes courage, and answering takes patience and care. Our job is to support both,” said Congresswoman Trahan. “We all know someone who has struggled with mental health or substance use and wished there was more help within reach. This bill delivers it, with a faster response, a real place to turn, and trained professionals ready to pick up the phone.” “When someone reaches out for help in a moment of crisis, we have a responsibility to make sure help is there,” said Congresswoman Matsui. “988 has become a lifesaving resource for millions of Americans, but answering the call cannot be where our responsibility ends. We built a national front door to crisis care with 988. Now we need to strengthen what comes next by expanding mobile crisis response, increasing access to immediate community-based care, and connecting people to the treatment and support they need.” “Everyday, millions of Americans face mental challenges and are unsure where to go for help,” said Congressman Fitzpatrick. “The 988 hotline streamlines resources for those in need, as part of a network of over 200 local crisis centers, yet only thirteen-percent of adults are aware of this critical resource. I am proud to join a bipartisan group of colleagues in introducing the 988 Implementation Act to build upon the critical progress we have made, and further ensure that our communities are properly equipped with crisis-response services.” As America’s mental health crisis worsens, 988 has spent the past four years demonstrating the lifesaving power of connecting people in crisis with the right help at the right time. A study published this year by the Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA) found that suicide deaths among children and young adults fell 11% below projected levels following the launch of 988, the largest declines were seen in states where 988 use increased most. The 988 Implementation Act will help address those gaps in access to care by: Strengthening federal funding for 988 regional and local call centers to deliver timely, 24/7 response to callers; Expanding community-based and mobile crisis response so trained behavioral health professionals can reach someone who needs in-person support; Improving access and affordability by requiring health insurance plans to cover crisis services; Growing crisis workforce development with more funding for training and scholarship opportunities; Increasing awareness of 988 through a national suicide prevention and crisis services campaign. Trahan, Matsui and Fitzpatrick are joined by original cosponsors Representatives Nanette Barragán (D-CA-44), Troy Carter (D-LA-02), Seth Moulton (D-MA-06), Dan Goldman (D-NY-10), Don Beyer (D-VA-08), Jennifer McClellan (D-VA-04), and Becca Balint (D-VT-AL). Since being sworn into Congress in 2019, Trahan has led efforts to expand access to quality mental health care and improve the resources and support of those in need of care. In 2022, President Joe Biden signed Trahan’s Garrett Lee Smith (GLS) Memorial Reauthorization Act which ensured the continuation and strengthening of community-based youth and young adult suicide prevention efforts. Earlier this year, she spearheaded a bipartisan group of 100 House members demanding the Trump administration reverse its decision to terminate thousands of Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration grants that fund local mental health and addiction prevention, treatment, and recovery programs across the country. This past May, Trahan led the bipartisan introduction of the Campus Lifeline Act of 2026, legislation aiming to expand awareness and access to the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline for students and young adults. Full text of the 988 Implementation Act can be found HERE. ###",1,2026-09-05T08:49:07Z,2026-09-05T08:50:44Z https://neal.house.gov/2026/09/03/neal-statement-on-trump-administrations-racist-weaponization-of-the-irs/,Neal Statement on Trump Administration’s Racist Weaponization of the IRS,2026-09-03,2026,2026-09,Democrat,House,MA,Richard E. Neal,N000015,neal.house.gov,neal,https://neal.house.gov/category/press-releases/,scraper,"SPRINGFIELD, MA— Ways and Means Committee Ranking Member Richard E. Neal (D-MA) released the following statement after the Trump Administration issued proposed regulations that strip the tax-exempt status of schools who don’t conform to their extreme agenda: “Trump’s desperate strong-arming of anyone who refuses to conform to his racist agenda reeks of weakness in the worst way, with those with the least paying the price. He is once again weaponizing the government to punch down and attack minority students, their families, and the schools expanding opportunities to build more financially stable futures. “This isn’t about ‘fairness,’ it’s about the President targeting anyone who stands in the way of his campaign to roll back the clock on civil rights progress that generations of Americans have fought and bled for. To punish private institutions for seeking to diversify their campuses is an affront to true, meaningful equal opportunity. For Republicans, there’s never a problem giving those at the top every advantage money can buy. But when it comes to communities that have been denied opportunities for generations, they are being told to work harder and accept less. Democrats will not stand for this unlawful, gross abuse of power and will fight until these racist attacks are put to a stop once and for all.” ###",1,2026-09-26T09:43:57Z,2026-09-26T09:44:55Z https://pressley.house.gov/2026/09/02/pressley-in-hearing-trump-accounts-fail-at-closing-wealth-gap-and-addressing-affordability-crisis/,Pressley in Hearing: Trump Accounts Fail at Closing Wealth Gap and Addressing Affordability Crisis,2026-09-02,2026,2026-09,Democrat,House,MA,Ayanna Pressley,P000617,pressley.house.gov,pressley,https://pressley.house.gov/news/,scraper,"Transcript: Rep. Pressley Questions Experts on Baby Bonds and Trump Accounts House Financial Services Committee September 2, 2026 REP. PRESSLEY: Thank you, Mr. Chair. I represent the Massachusetts 7th Congressional District, beautiful, diverse district, also deeply unequal. In fact, in a three-mile radius from Cambridge, home to Harvard and MIT, to Roxbury’s Nubian Square, the Blackest part of my district, life expectancy drops by 23 years, and median household income by $50,000. A new report by the Boston Federal Reserve finds that Black families have $7,800 in net wealth, and on average, compared to white families who have an average $549,000 in median net wealth. Over a third of the people in my state cannot cover a $400 emergency, and over a third of the people in Boston, my district, have zero retirement savings. My constituents sent me to Congress, and I ran to confront these disparities head-on and to close the racial wealth gap. That’s why I was happy to partner with our witness today, Dr. Hamilton, and Senator Booker, to introduce the American Opportunity Accounts Act to create a federal baby bonds program. Now, Trump took this idea, entitled it after himself—he likes to name everything after himself—Trump accounts, and unfortunately watered it down so that the benefits are no longer targeted to the communities who need it most. What was once a bold proposal to ensure that every child, regardless of geography, race, and family income, could prosper is ostensibly now just a tax haven for Trump and his cronies, but we can fix this. Dr. Hamilton, currently, parents of newborns and young kids have to apply to set up a Trump Account, but our bill for Baby Bonds would allow for automatic enrollment. Which approach is better for actually helping working families and investing in all of our children? DR. DARRICK HAMILTON: Without a doubt, having access more universal should be the point. REP. PRESSLEY: Okay, Dr. Hamilton, what about the fact that Trump Accounts gives a one-time payment of $1,000 to rich and poor children equally, rather than our ongoing approach of investments to our most vulnerable babies, does that make economic sense for addressing intergenerational poverty? DR. HAMILTON: It does not. It becomes inflationary, and then here’s the bigger point: the main mechanism to grow the Trump Accounts is a tax-preferred savings mechanism for those people with resources to save in the first place. It ignores the fact that we have an affordability crisis, and the reasons that parents don’t offer resources to their children isn’t a lack of love—it’s a lack of resource. REP. PRESSLEY: Would it be fair to say that the very gaps that we aim to close could be deepened? DR. HAMILTON: They will grow. They will grow. That’s right. And unfortunately, it’s part of a pattern in the ways in which we use our tax code in general. We subsidize the savings of people that have savings to begin with. One quick statistic is that 80% of Americans don’t engage in active savings, again, not because they’re financially illiterate. They don’t have resources to save. The ways in which they grow their wealth is passively, which is why you have that great bill to promote an authentic Baby Bonds program. REP. PRESSLEY: Thank you, Dr. Hamilton. Trump Accounts also punish low-income households by actually kicking them off of public benefits, but our Baby Bonds bill would ensure these assets don’t count against eligibility. I’m losing my time here, but why should the Trump Administration adopt our approach? DR. HAMILTON: Well, it is correct because it is progressively seeding resources so that we can offer everybody the access to wealth to grow their account. The real quick good news is that we have a new interest in now seeding intergenerational mobility for all our people, so we can get it right. REP. PRESSLEY: Thank you, Doctor. Every child deserves an opportunity to grow and thrive and prosper, but our economy is stacked in favor of the ultra-rich. Trump Accounts, as currently implemented, actually makes the problem worse, and that’s what we would expect from an Administration that is getting richer while working families by the hour are getting poorer. So I am pushing for the adoption of our Baby Bonds bill, the American Opportunity Accounts Act. We need real investments to break the cycle of intergenerational poverty, close the racial wealth gap, and create an economy that works for everyone.",1,2026-09-03T09:29:33Z,2026-09-03T09:31:32Z https://pressley.house.gov/2026/09/02/watch-pressley-honors-celtics-great-jaylen-brown-on-house-floor/,WATCH: Pressley Honors Celtics Great Jaylen Brown on House Floor,2026-09-02,2026,2026-09,Democrat,House,MA,Ayanna Pressley,P000617,pressley.house.gov,pressley,https://pressley.house.gov/news/,scraper,"Transcript: Pressley Honors Celtics Legend Jaylen Brown on House Floor U.S. House of Representatives September 2, 2026 Mr. Speaker, I rise to celebrate the contributions of NBA Finals MVP Jaylen Brown to the City of Boston, on and off the court. Born in Marietta, Georgia and drafted number 3 overall by the Celtics from the University of California Berkeley, Jaylen embraced our community and the City of Boston from the day he arrived in 2016. Fiercely competitive on the basketball court, never missing the playoffs in his ten seasons with the Celtics, he has been equally driven to uplift those around him through mentorship and his non-profit, Boston Xchange, which seeks to build wealth in communities of color, as well as his 7uice Foundation, connecting young people in and around Boston with opportunities. In 2022, just before the Celtics turned their season around and made it all the way to the NBA finals, Jaylen stated simply, “The energy is about to shift.” Well, Mr. Speaker, thanks to the example, impact, and influence of this brilliant and proud Black man, the energy has shifted in Boston. Jaylen delivered Banner 18—the most in NBA history. His legacy as an advocate, truth-teller, community builder, justice-seeker, and champion will endure. Job well done, Jaylen. We thank you. Your faith, consistency, and hard work has certainly paid off. I yield.",1,2026-09-03T09:29:33Z,2026-09-03T09:31:32Z https://neal.house.gov/2026/09/02/neal-statement-at-full-committee-hearing-on-critical-resources-and-supply-chains/,Neal Statement at Full Committee Hearing on Critical Resources and Supply Chains,2026-09-02,2026,2026-09,Democrat,House,MA,Richard E. Neal,N000015,neal.house.gov,neal,https://neal.house.gov/category/press-releases/,scraper,"(As submitted for the record) President Trump has spent his term running the economy into the ground. Despite bold promises to deliver for the people on lower prices and abundant jobs and opportunity, he has brought the opposite. He abandoned his promises to chase a relentless campaign of war, chaos, and self-enrichment. All the American people have been left with are out-of-control prices and jobs that are either too hard to find or can’t keep up with the growing costs of the President’s failures. We’re six months into the President’s war of choice in Iran. While he struggles to find a way out of what he once promised was only going to be a four-to-five-week excursion, families are watching him botch every negotiation along the way as their costs soar. Gas is up 38 percent in just 6 months! Back home, he’s throwing American cattle ranchers under the bus with the tariff chaos he created, which has beef prices on track to rise nearly 10% this year. And while he plays nice with China, the greatest trade cheat in the world, he’s reignited feuds with our closest allies, stooping so low that he’s more focused on renaming lakes than answering for the 75,000 manufacturing jobs he’s lost since retaking office. The President’s trade agenda is a humiliating failure, and American workers, businesses, and families are paying the price. Yet astonishingly, some in Congress are willing to look at that reality and decide now is the time embolden Trump with new tariff powers. He’s proven that he will abuse whatever trade authority he has. He’s only concerned with pursuing vengeance against our trading partners and improving his bottom line. The topic of today’s hearing is critical minerals. What you won’t hear from Republicans is any question about the President’s efforts to leverage these markets to benefit his own pocket. Or about how his family or that of the Commerce secretary stood to benefit from billion-dollar mining deals struck by Trump himself. Everywhere you look, the stench of Trump’s corruption is there, making his life easier and yours harder. Even more troubling is how my Republican colleagues have allowed themselves to become powerless, looking on as this Committee’s constitutional authority is repeatedly ignored and abused. Trade policy fueled by grievance and retaliation is no way to govern. It is beyond time that we dust off this nonsense and craft a trade agenda that serves the people. I yield back. ###",1,2026-09-26T09:43:57Z,2026-09-26T09:44:55Z https://pressley.house.gov/2026/09/01/pressley-slams-gop-attacks-on-birthright-citizenship-harm-of-great-replacement-theory/,"Pressley Slams GOP Attacks on Birthright Citizenship, Harm of ‘Great Replacement Theory’",2026-09-01,2026,2026-09,Democrat,House,MA,Ayanna Pressley,P000617,pressley.house.gov,pressley,https://pressley.house.gov/news/,scraper,"Transcript: Pressley Slams GOP Attacks on Birthright Citizenship, Harm of ‘Great Replacement Theory’ House Oversight Committee Task Force on Defending Constitutional Rights and Exposing Institutional Abuses September 1, 2026 REP. PRESSLEY: Today’s hearing is yet another assault on our democracy and our constitution. Now, Trump tried to dismantle the 14th Amendment through executive order, but even the conservatives on the Supreme Court said that it was wrong, that he was wrong. And now Republicans in Congress are trying to do exactly that. They aren’t just attacking birthright citizenship. They’re attacking Black Americans, my ancestors, who built this country but were denied the fruits of their labor, and Black folks would still be denied citizenship, but for the 14th Amendment. They are attacking women. As Co-Chair of the Reproductive Freedom Caucus, it’s abundantly clear to me the Republicans want to continue surveying women’s bodies and end the freedom of movement for pregnant people. They are attacking immigrants. Changing birthright citizenship is the next step from their Project 2025 playbook after the mass deportations of people who have been legally working, living, contributing to the United States for decades. The chair of this task force, Congressman Gill, recently introduced a bill that would label undocumented immigrants and others as quote, unquote “invaders.” That word is not merely inflammatory. That’s more than a dog whistle. Hell, that’s a bullhorn. It’s more than just a wink and a nod to what the bill’s true motivation is. Dr. Camarota—yes or no—are you familiar with the Great Replacement theory? DR. CAMAROTA: I certainly read an article. I read an article or two about it, so I don’t know exactly— REP. PRESSLEY: Well, let me elucidate, let me elucidate you and the public watching at home, because it’s foundational to what’s happening here. The Great Replacement theory is a conspiracy that falsely claims that white people are being deliberately replaced by immigrants and people of color. It is a far-right white supremacist ideology that far too many Republicans believe is real. In fact, in 2017 in Charlottesville at the Unite the Right rally, when people were brandishing those tiki torches, that’s what they were saying: “You will not replace us.” So it often relies on invasion rhetoric to advance that narrative by portraying Black and brown families as an invading force rather than as human beings and people that are entitled to dignity. A parent crossing a border becomes the enemy. A pregnant woman becomes a threat. A child born in the United States becomes proof of a takeover. The consequences of this rhetoric have been deadly. In 2018, a gunman who embraced anti-Semitic replacement rhetoric murdered 11 worshippers at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh. In 2019, the El Paso shooter killed 23 people and described his attack as a response to a supposed “Hispanic invasion of Texas”. In 2022, in Buffalo, New York, a shooter motivated by replacement ideology killed ten Black Americans while they shopped for groceries. Republicans have the choice. You could focus on healing and uniting our communities, but you are hell-bent on division and hate. As my colleague made clear, we all understand that birth tourism is illegal. It is wrong and it is rare. That is not really what today’s hearing is about. What this is about is a strategy to codify the Great Replacement theory in law, to further codify white supremacy, and to weaponize the entire federal government in pursuance of it. And that is the fact of the matter. And I refuse to let that happen.",1,2026-09-02T09:19:58Z,2026-09-02T09:20:51Z https://moulton.house.gov/news/press-releases/newsletter-moulton-minutes-august-edition,Newsletter: Moulton Minutes: August Edition,2026-08-31,2026,2026-08,Democrat,House,MA,Seth Moulton,M001196,moulton.house.gov,moulton,https://moulton.house.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"Dear Friend, As August wraps up, I wanted to share a few things my team and I have been working on both in Washington and back home in Massachusetts. A lot of this work comes back to one thing: making Massachusetts more affordable. That means lowering costs, shortening time spent on commutes, and making it easier for people to build a life here. Holding ICE accountable Back home, I made my third unannounced oversight visit to the ICE facility in Burlington. Unfortunately, the basic problems still remain. I was kept waiting for more than 30 minutes before being allowed inside, while my team watched several vans leave the property. What I saw once I was allowed inside the facility reinforced what I’ve said since my first visit in 2019: this is no place for human habitation. Enforcing our immigration laws should never come at the cost of due process and basic human dignity. People in government custody need access to their families and lawyers, and I’ll keep pressing ICE until they finally improve the poor conditions at Burlington. Standing up for veterans Congresswoman Houlahan and I sent a letter to Secretary of Veterans Affairs Doug Collins demanding that the VA restore dedicated LGBTQIA+ veteran care infrastructure. An estimated one million LGBTQIA+ Americans have served or are serving in our military, many during periods when they faced discrimination simply for who they are. Stripping away these dedicated roles and support networks creates confusion, fosters fear of discrimination, and risks driving vulnerable veterans away from critical medical and mental health services. They kept their promise to our country. We need to keep ours to them. And that’s why we are taking action. That same commitment to our veterans brought me back to Home Base in Charlestown, where I toured their National Center of Excellence and saw firsthand the innovative mental health care they provide to veterans, service members, and military families. Home Base is doing extraordinary work filling gaps in care, from treating PTSD to supporting military families, often when the traditional system falls short. I’m proud to work alongside them as we push for better mental health care and make sure every veteran can get the support they’ve earned. Making our streets safer I reintroduced my Building Safer Streets Act to update the outdated federal standards that help determine how our roads are designed. For too long, we’ve built streets around moving cars quickly instead of getting everyone home safely. This legislation was inspired by Sidney Mae Olson, a five-year-old from Andover who was killed by a tractor-trailer in 2023 while crossing with the walk signal. Sidney’s parents have turned an unimaginable loss into a campaign to make our streets safer for other families, and I’m proud to work alongside them in this effort.. More than 100 Americans die in traffic crashes every day. We can and should design our streets to be safer and smarter, and this legislation will help accomplish that. No one should be able to profit from classified information This month I also introduced bipartisan legislation, No Insider Trading on National Security Act of 2026with Representatives George Whitesides and Don Bacon to investigate potential insider trading tied to national security information. Prediction markets have created a troubling new opportunity for people with sensitive information inside our government to make money betting on military operations. Our bill directs the Defense Department Inspector General to investigate trading surrounding Operation Epic Fury and recommend safeguards to prevent abuse in the future. It’s time to build the North South Rail Link Finally, we got some exciting news about a project I’ve been fighting for for years. A new Harvard Kennedy School analysis found that a fully-built North South Rail Link could generate an estimated $38 billion in benefits for Massachusetts. The idea is pretty simple: connect North Station and South Station so our commuter rail system finally functions as one network. The study found the project would lead to faster commutes, dramatically shorter waits for trains, access to tens of thousands more jobs, and new housing opportunities. For decades, people have treated the North South Rail Link as a nice idea for some distant future. We now have strong evidence that it’s an economic investment Massachusetts needs today. Celebrating Seniors My team was honored to join the Beverly Council on Aging and the City of Beverly for this year’s Senior Day in the Park. It was a wonderful opportunity to connect with seniors and celebrate this year’s Senior of the Year, Ms. Gail Dionne. My team celebrated this year’s Salem Senior Day with the City of Salem’s Council on Aging! We were proud to recognize Martha Bagby, Luisa Espinal, and Elwena Tungol for their important contributions in our community. Salem is stronger for their kindness and generosity, and we were grateful for the opportunity to honor them. There’s more work ahead here though. Massachusetts is still too expensive, and too many families are feeling squeezed financially. I’ll keep fighting for practical solutions that lower costs and make life a little easier for everyone. Thank you, as always, for the privilege of representing you.",1,2026-09-01T09:48:49Z,2026-09-01T09:49:51Z https://pressley.house.gov/2026/08/31/haiti-caucus-co-chairs-pressley-and-clarke-condemn-deportation-and-dehumanization-of-haitian-nationals/,Haiti Caucus Co-Chairs Pressley and Clarke Condemn Deportation and Dehumanization of Haitian Nationals,2026-08-31,2026,2026-08,Democrat,House,MA,Ayanna Pressley,P000617,pressley.house.gov,pressley,https://pressley.house.gov/news/,scraper,"Over 350,000 Haitian Nationals at Risk of Job Loss and Deportation “There is no excuse for treating our neighbors with such contempt…We call upon the Senate to immediately take the long overdue step of passing our legislation to restore TPS for Haiti. The lives of Haitians and Americans alike are at stake.” WASHINGTON – Today, Congresswomen Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) and Yvette D. Clarke (NY-09), Co-Chairs of the House Haiti Caucus, issued the following statement: “Today, thousands of Haitians are in chains because Donald Trump decided their lives are a crime. They broke no laws, yet that did not stop the Trump Administration from forcing them into the grips of Haiti’s violent gangs and instability. The Trump Administration has declared Haiti unsafe to travel to, and in recent days alone, gang massacres have left dozens dead, more have been kidnapped, and some of the Haitians this administration deported have already been killed. “The American people are sickened by the suffering and blatant targeting this administration has inflicted upon thousands of Haitian nationals, who contribute to our communities and whose Temporary Protected Status (TPS) was unjustly taken away. Instead of listening to the American people, the Trump Administration has doubled down on its cruelty. There is no excuse for treating our neighbors with such contempt. “The deportations of Haitian TPS holders may have only started weeks ago, but the vicious dehumanization of their communities began long before. Cruelty to Haitians is a policy choice. Congress has the power to stop it. We call upon the Senate to immediately take the long overdue step of passing our legislation to restore TPS for Haiti. The lives of Haitians and Americans alike are at stake.” Congresswoman Pressley serves as Co-Chair for the House Haiti Caucus and represents one of the largest Haitian diaspora communities in the country. Residents of the 7th Congressional District of Massachusetts can contact Congresswoman Pressley’s office for assistance. Please visit Pressley.House.Gov/TemporaryProtectedStatus for resources and more information. Congresswoman Pressley has been a leading voice in Congress pushing back against Trump’s threats to terminate Temporary Protected Status for Haitians. She has stood in vigorous defense for Haitian communities and all immigrant neighbors amid Trump and ICE’s attacks against immigrant communities. In April 2026, Rep. Pressley secured a major victory in the House of Representatives, passing critical legislation to extend Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haiti by a vote of 224-204. The effort, which Congresswoman Pressley championed through a bipartisan discharge petition, is a watershed moment in her years-long advocacy for Haitian communities and immigrant families and marks an essential step forward in the fight to defend Haitian nationals from deportation. In August 2026, Rep. Pressley issued a statement denouncing the termination of TPS for Haiti and Syria and standing in vigorous support of TPS holders and their families. In July 2026, Rep. Pressley alongside Congresswoman Laura Gillen, urged Senators to support legislation to extend Haiti TPS and protect the lives and livelihoods of Haitians and Americans alike. In June 2026, Rep. Pressley commended Senators Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), along with Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and 16 other Senate colleagues, for introducing legislation to designate Haiti for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) in the Senate. In June 2026, Rep. Pressley denounced the Supreme Court’s devastating ruling to allow Trump’s attempt to terminate Temporary Protected Status for Haitians and Syrians. In June 2026, Rep. Pressley held a press conference outside of the Supreme Court with Senator Markey, other lawmakers, advocates, and impacted community members to highlight the catastrophic impact the termination of TPS would have on our communities, businesses, schools, care economy, and more. In May 2026, Rep. Pressley, Senator Warren, and Senator Markey released a new investigative report revealing how President Trump’s attempts to end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haiti would devastate the health care, elder care, and disability care workforce, harm patients, and hurt communities. In April 2026, Rep. Pressley held a press conference alongside colleagues and a coalition of seniors, care workers, advocates, and allies to demand the Supreme Court defend Temporary Protected Status (TPS). In April 2026, Rep. Pressley, alongside Rep. Wasserman Schultz and Senators Ed Markey and Chris Van Hollen, led 26 Senators and 157 Representatives in filing an amicus brief in the U.S. Supreme Court in Miot v. Trump, a consolidated case challenging the Trump administration’s unlawful termination of Haiti and Syria Temporary Protected Status (TPS). On March 28, 2026, Rep. Pressley’s discharge petition to force a House vote on extending Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haiti successfully met the 218-signature threshold to move forward with bipartisan support. In March 2026, Rep. Pressley joined Haitian faith leaders and advocates to urge the Supreme Court to affirm the lower courts’ rulings that deemed Trump’s push to terminate Haiti TPS unlawful. In February 2026, Rep. Pressley applauded a federal judge’s ruling to temporarily block Trump’s move to terminate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitians. Ending TPS for Haitians would leave over 350,000 Haitian nationals at risk of deportation, many of whom reside in the Massachusetts 7th congressional district. In January 2026, Congresswoman Pressley, alongside Senator Markey, held a field hearing on the importance of extending Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haiti. She documented this testimony in the legislative record. Footage from the hearing is available here and photos here. In January 2026, Rep. Pressley also organized a press conference in D.C. in January to sound the alarm on the harm of terminating TPS for Haiti on seniors and the U.S. care economy. On June 28, 2025, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) issued the following statement condemning the Trump Administration’s abominable termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haiti effective September 2nd, 2025. On June 5, 2025, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) and Yvette D. Clarke (NY-09) issued the following statement on Donald Trump’s executive order that bans citizens of 12 countries, including Haiti, from traveling to the United States, and places partial restrictions on citizens of seven more nations. On March 18, 2025, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), Congresswoman Yvette Clarke (NY-09), and Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) led 62 of their colleagues in the House and 23 of their colleagues in the Senate in a letter to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem demanding the Trump Administration redesignate and extend Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haiti, which the administration recently canceled on questionable legal authority. On February 20, 2025, Congresswomen Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), Yvette Clarke (NY-12), and Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (FL-20) issued the following statement condemning the Trump Administration’s decision to end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haiti. On April 23, 2024, Rep. Pressley, alongside Co-Chairs Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke (NY-09) and Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (FL-20), led a group of 50 lawmakers urging the Biden Administration to redesignate Haiti for Temporary Protected Status (TPS), pause on deportations back to Haiti, extend humanitarian parole to any Haitians currently detained in Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s detention centers, end detention of Haitian migrants intercepted at sea, and provide additional humanitarian assistance for Haiti. On April 18, 2024, Rep. Pressley and Haiti Caucus Co-Chairs led a letter to House Ways and Means Committee leadership emphasizing support for the early renewal of the Haitian Hemispheric Opportunity through Partnership Encouragement (HOPE) and the Haiti Economic Lift Program (HELP) Acts, commonly known as HOPE/HELP. On April 12, 2024, Rep. Pressley joined Haitian-led activists, organizations, and a directly impacted person in Haiti for a press call urging federal action to address the worsening humanitarian crisis in Haiti. On March 27, 2024, Rep. Pressley joined Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and her colleagues on the Massachusetts congressional delegation in urging the Biden Administration to expedite visa processing for Haitians, particularly for relatives of U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents. On March 12, 2024, Rep. Pressley and Haiti Caucus Co-Chairs Reps. Cherfilus McCormick and Yvette Clarke issued a statement on the resignation of Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry. On March 6, 2024, Rep. Pressley issued a statement on the recent jailbreak and State of Emergency in Haiti. On December 8, 2023, Rep. Pressley and Congresswoman Yvette Clarke urged the U.S. Department of State to withdraw U.S. support for an armed foreign intervention in Haiti and encourage negotiations for a Haitian-led democratic political transition. On December 6, 2022, Rep. Pressley issued a statement applauding the Biden Administration’s extension and re-designation of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haiti. On December 1, 2022, Rep. Pressley, Rep. Cori Bush, and Rep. Mondaire Jones led 14 of their colleagues on a letter to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas urging the Department to extend and redesignate Haiti for Temporary Protected Status (TPS). On August 17, 2022, Rep. Pressley, along with Haiti Caucus Co-Chairs Reps. Val Demings, Yvette Clarke, and Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (FL-20), called on President Biden to appoint a new Special Envoy to Haiti, a position that has remained unfilled since September 2021. On May 31, 2022, Rep. Pressley and Reverend Dieufort Fleurissaint, chair of Haitian Americans United, published an op-ed in the Bay State Banner in which they called on the Biden administration to withdraw support for de facto ruler of Haiti, Ariel Henry, and instead support an inclusive, civil society-led process to restore stability and democracy on the island. On May 26, 2022, Rep. Pressley, along with Representatives Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), Andy Levin (MI-09), Jim McGovern (MA-02), and Frederica Wilson (FL-24), led a letter to United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Administrator Power urging her to act to ensure food security in Haiti. In February 2022, Reps. Pressley, Judy Chu (CA-27), and Nydia Velázquez (NY-07) led 33 other House Democrats on a letter to CDC Director Walensky demanding answers about the agency’s justification for treating asylum seekers as a unique public health threat, how these expulsions are being coordinated, how asylum seekers being returned to dangerous situations are being cared for, and more. Days later, Rep. Pressley once again called on the Biden Administration to reverse the Title 42 Order and other anti-Black immigration policies. On March 16, 2022, Rep. Pressley and Rep. Mondaire Jones called on Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Rochelle Walensky to fully end Title 42, cease deportations of people to Haiti and affirm their legal and fundamental human right to seek asylum. On February 16, 2022, Rep. Pressley joined Congresswoman Cori Bush (MO-01), Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ), and 100 House and Senate colleagues in urging President Biden to reverse inhumane immigration policies – such as Title 42, originally introduced under the Trump Administration – that continue to disproportionately harm Black migrants. On February 14, 2022, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), alongside Representatives Judy Chu (CA-27) and Nydia Velázquez (NY-07), led 33 other House Democrats on a letter to Rochelle Walensky, Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, demanding answers about the agency’s justification for treating asylum seekers as a unique public health threat, how these expulsions are being coordinated, how asylum seekers being returned to dangerous situations are being cared for, and more. In April 2022, she joined her colleagues at a press conference reaffirming her support for President Biden’s decision to end Title 42. Full video of her remarks at the press conference is available here. Rep. Pressley applauded the Biden Administration’s end of Title 42 in a statement in April 2022. In September 2022, Rep. Pressley and Rep. Velázquez led 54 of their colleagues on a letter calling on the Biden Administration to immediately halt deportations to Haiti and provide humanitarian parole protections for those seeking asylum. The lawmakers’ letter followed the Administration’s resumption of deportation flights to Haiti as thousands of Haitian migrants continue to await an opportunity to make an asylum claim at the border. In September 2022, Rep. Pressley joined her colleagues on the House Oversight Committee in demanding answers regarding the inhumane treatment of migrants in Del Rio, Texas, by Border Patrol agents on horseback and pushing to Biden Administration to end the ongoing use and weaponization of Title 42. On July 7, 2022, Rep. Pressley and Haiti Caucus Co-Chairs Reps. Andy Levin (MI-09), Val Demings (FL-10) and Yvette D. Clarke (NY-09) released a statement marking the one-year anniversary of the assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse. On November 21, 2021, Rep. Pressley and Senator Elizabeth Warren led the Massachusetts congressional delegation on a letter to the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) calling on them to coordinate with the government agencies of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to assist newly arrived families from Haiti. On October 18, 2021, Rep. Pressley, and Haiti Caucus Co-Chairs Reps. Val Demings (FL-10), Yvette Clarke (NY-09), and Andy Levin (MI-09) issued a statement following the kidnapping of American and Canadian missionaries in Haiti. On October 18, 2021, Rep. Pressley issued a statement on the civil rights complaint filed by Haitian families demanding a federal investigation into the heinous actions perpetrated by federal officials at the border. On October 22, 2021, Rep. Pressley, along with Oversight Chairwoman Carolyn B. Maloney, Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Civil Liberties Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD), and Reps. Rashida Tlaib (MI-13), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), and Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL), sent a letter to Troy A. Miller, the Acting Administrator of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), demanding a briefing and answers regarding press reports of the inhumane treatment of migrants in Del Rio, Texas, by Border Patrol agents on horseback. On September 17, 2021, Rep. Pressley and Congresswoman Nydia M. Velázquez (NY-07) led 52 of their colleagues calling on the Biden Administration to immediately halt deportations to Haiti and take urgent action to address the concerns of the Haitian Diaspora after a 7.2 magnitude earthquake devastated Haiti. On August 14, 2021, Rep. Pressley Yvette Clarke (NY-09), Andy Levin (MI-09) and Val Demings (FL-10) and Mondaire Jones (NY-17) released a statement regarding the recent earthquake in Haiti. On July 14, 2021, Rep. Pressley and Haiti Caucus Co-Chairs Reps. Yvette Clarke (NY-09), Andy Levin (MI-09) and Val Demings (FL-10) sent a letter to U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas calling on him to take a series of steps to support the Haitian diaspora amid ongoing political turmoil in Haiti. In July 2021, the Reps. Pressley, Clarke, Demings and Levin issued a statement condemning the assassination of President Moïse and calling for swift and decisive action to bring political stability and peace to Haiti and the Haitian people. In May 2021, on Haitian Flag Day, Reps. Pressley, Levin, Clarke and Demings announced the formation of the House Haiti Caucus, a Congressional caucus dedicated to pursuing a just foreign policy that puts the needs and aspirations of the Haitian people first. ###",1,2026-09-01T09:48:49Z,2026-09-01T09:49:51Z https://trahan.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=3833,"Trahan, Fitzpatrick, Pettersen Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Recognize Overdose Awareness Day",2026-08-31,2026,2026-08,Democrat,House,MA,Lori Trahan,T000482,trahan.house.gov,trahan,https://trahan.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27,scraper,"Today, Bipartisan Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Task Force Co-Chairs Congresswoman Lori Trahan (D-MA-03), Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA-01) and Congresswoman Brittany Pettersen (D-CO-07) introduced bipartisan legislation legislation to commemorate Overdose Awareness Day, a solemn day to honor those who have lost their lives to overdoses, destigmatize addiction and seeking treatment, and combat the addiction crisis. “Far too many families in the Commonwealth and across our country know the devastating pain of losing a loved one to an overdose. This bipartisan legislation aims to ensure every person affected by addiction knows that they are not alone,” said Congresswoman Trahan, a member of the House Energy & Commerce Committee’s Health Subcommittee. “Addiction doesn’t check party affiliation or nationality. It strikes in silence and no family should be forced to fight it alone. By formally recognizing Overdose Awareness Day, we remember the lives lost to addiction and honor the families and communities impacted by this crisis. We must continue working to reduce stigma and expand access to lifesaving treatment and care.” “Much of what guides my work in Congress on addiction and recovery has been shaped by sitting across the table from families whose lives have been forever altered by this crisis, and by working alongside the first responders, treatment providers, advocates, and community leaders who devote themselves every day to saving lives and helping people rebuild theirs,” said Congressman Fitzpatrick. “There is no single policy that will solve this crisis, and no place for partisanship when lives are at stake. But together, we can continue to make meaningful progress by strengthening prevention, expanding education and awareness, improving access to treatment and sustained recovery, and confronting the deadly threat of illicit fentanyl. With this resolution, we remember those we have lost, stand with the families who carry their absence, and renew our resolve to prevent the next loss.” “Far too many American families, including my own, have felt the devastating impacts of the opioid epidemic. In the fight to save my mom’s life, I saw firsthand how broken our health care system was. But my mom was one of the lucky ones because after 30 years of struggling, she finally had access to the critical care she needed. Unfortunately, far too many people never get that same chance,” said Congresswoman Pettersen. “Deaths from overdoses are preventable. The greatest barrier people face to treatment is the stigma that surrounds this medical disease. That’s why passing this resolution is an important step toward confronting the misunderstanding surrounding this crisis. Addiction isn’t a moral failing; it is a medical condition. I’m proud of the work I did in the legislature to expand access to lifesaving care, but Congress must take urgent action to prevent more families from unnecessarily losing a parent, a sibling, or a child to this disease.” In addition to formally recognizing Overdose Awareness Day in the United States, the bipartisan legislation introduced today commits Congress to advancing and passing bipartisan policies that reduce the stigma surrounding substance use disorders and overdoses and underscores Congress’ commitment to working with states and local governments, nongovernmental organizations, healthcare providers, patients, and families to support a comprehensive system that promotes prevention, treatment, harm reduction, and recovery from opioid use disorder. In 2025, nearly 70,000 Americans lost their lives to a drug overdose, a decrease of almost 14% from the 81,313 deaths estimated in 2024. It was the third straight annual drop, making it the longest decline in decades and a return to pre-COVID-19 levels. However, fentanyl and other illicit synthetic opioids continue to fuel the overdose epidemic. In April, Trahan partnered with Representatives Fitzpatrick and Pettersen to introduce bipartisan legislation recognizing National Fentanyl Awareness Day in order to increase awareness about the growing threat of counterfeit fentanyl pills and their devastating impact on families and young people across the United States. Since coming to Congress in 2019, Trahan has led multiple efforts to combat the addiction crisis in Massachusetts and across the country. Trahan has used her position on the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Health Subcommittee to introduce and successfully pass addiction legislation, including her bipartisan Medication Access and Training Expansion (MATE) Act. In 2022, Trahan secured $1.65 million in federal funding to support the creation of the Middlesex County Restoration Center, an effort led by Middlesex County Sheriff Peter J. Koutoujian to create greater opportunities to divert individuals battling addiction and behavioral health conditions away from jails and emergency rooms and to immediate treatment. In 2024, Trahan also introduced bipartisan legislation to commemorate Overdose Awareness Day to honor those who have lost their lives to overdoses, destigmatize addiction and seek treatment, and combat the addiction crisis. ###",1,2026-09-01T09:48:49Z,2026-09-01T09:49:51Z https://katherineclark.house.gov/2026/08/28/save-the-alewife-brook-a-federal-partnership-for-a-cleaner-safer-alewife/,"Save the Alewife Brook: A Federal Partnership for a Cleaner, Safer Alewife.",2026-08-28,2026,2026-08,Democrat,House,MA,Katherine M. Clark,C001101,katherineclark.house.gov,clark,https://katherineclark.house.gov/newsroom/,scraper,"Today was a milestone for Alewife Brook. Congresswoman Katherine Clark met at the Brook with Save the Alewife Brook and our state and local delegation to see the sewage, sediment, and flooding crisis for herself. We talked with her about engaging the Army Corps of Engineers for a project to dredge, dechannelize, and restore Alewife Brook. “Protecting our environment means protecting our neighbors. I’m grateful for the incredible advocates at Save the Alewife Brook for their continued work to eliminate sewage pollution, safeguard our local ecosystem, and build the cleaner future our kids deserve. I’m looking forward to partnering with them and with leaders at every level of government to keep moving the ball forward.” Democratic Whip Katherine Clark (MA‑5) Joining the Congresswoman at the Brook were State Senator Pat Jehlen and State Representatives Christine Barber, Dave Rogers, Sean Garballey, and Steve Owens. From the Town of Arlington, we were joined by Town Manager Jim Feeney and Select Board members Diane Mahon and Steve DeCourcey. Save the Alewife Brook was represented by steering committee members Kristin Anderson, Gene Benson, Ann McDonald, George Laite, and Mike Lonetto. Why this visit matters A portion of the Alewife Brook is confined to a 27-foot-wide concrete channel that receives untreated sewage from six active Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) outfalls. In 2021, MWRA, Cambridge, and Somerville dumped 51 million gallons of untreated sewage into the Brook. The Brook has accumulated 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 feet of contaminated sediment and, according to the 2024 Inter-Fluve Sediment Study, will lose its remaining capacity as sediment continues to fill in. The public health toll is already severe. During CSO discharges, E. coli levels in Alewife Brook reach roughly 950 times the EPA safe standard. A Boston University School of Public Health study found that even living near CSOs can increase the risk of illness serious enough to require an ER visit. Roughly 5,000 residents of Arlington, Cambridge, and Belmont, many in Environmental Justice neighborhoods, live in the Alewife Brook 100‑year floodplain. —",1,2026-09-01T09:48:49Z,2026-09-01T09:49:51Z https://trahan.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=3831,ICYMI: Public Knowledge Calls the FRONTIER Act “the best proposal (so far)” for Reining In Frontier AI,2026-08-28,2026,2026-08,Democrat,House,MA,Lori Trahan,T000482,trahan.house.gov,trahan,https://trahan.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27,scraper,"In a new analysis, the consumer advocacy group Public Knowledge backed Congresswoman Lori Trahan (D-MA-03) and Congressman Jay Obernolte’s (R-CA-23) Frontier Risk Oversight, National Transparency, Independent Evaluation, and Reporting (FRONTIER) Act, calling it the strongest proposal yet to manage the risks of the most powerful AI systems. “The frontier needs real rules, not voluntary guardrails. That requires binding legal regimes for evaluating and managing the risks from frontier models: as they are being developed, before they are deployed, and after they are in widespread use,” wrote Nicholas Garcia, Senior Policy Counsel at Public Knowledge. “The best proposal (so far) to move past frameworks, lists of principles, or nibbling at the edges of this challenge is the ‘Frontier Risk Oversight, National Transparency, Independent Evaluation, and Reporting (FRONTIER) Act’ from Representatives Jay Obernolte and Lori Trahan.” “For years, Public Knowledge has been one of the most serious and principled voices fighting to protect the public from the risks posed by cutting edge technologies. When they engaged in the discussion draft process, we took their criticisms seriously and worked with them to address their concerns,” said Congresswoman Trahan. “That kind of rigorous, good-faith feedback is a big reason the FRONTIER Act is the strongest frontier AI safety legislation ever introduced. Public Knowledge’s support is critical as we work to broaden the coalition backing this bipartisan bill and push for its consideration. We’re in a race against the clock right now, and Congress needs to act before the next major incident.” The FRONTIER Act would establish a tiered, risk-based national framework for overseeing the most advanced AI models. It requires the largest developers to publish their safety frameworks, submit to independent third-party audits and verification, and report critical safety incidents to a new Under Secretary of Commerce for AI Security. The bill is an updated version of the Commerce-focused portions of Trahan and Obernolte's Great American AI Act (GAAIA) discussion draft. The sponsors reworked it over seven weeks of stakeholder feedback, narrowing its preemption of state law and sharpening its auditing and reporting provisions. Public Knowledge's endorsement marks a notable evolution. When the sponsors released the GAAIA discussion draft in June, Public Knowledge opposed it, warning that its preemption clause reached too far and would lock states out of even light-touch AI transparency and evaluation rules. At the same time, the group made clear it was ready to work with the sponsors to get the policy right. Trahan and Obernolte took that feedback and rewrote the bill. When they introduced the FRONTIER Act in July, the preemption had been narrowed to cover only the catastrophic-risk issues the federal framework itself addresses, leaving state authority over child safety, privacy, consumer protection, and procurement intact. That change answered Public Knowledge's central concern, and the group now backs the bill. Public Knowledge joins a broad, bipartisan coalition of AI policy experts and organizations that have praised the FRONTIER Act as the strongest federal AI safety proposal introduced to date. Read the full analysis HERE. ###",1,2026-09-01T09:48:49Z,2026-09-01T09:49:51Z https://moulton.house.gov/news/press-releases/moulton-visits-home-base-national-center-excellence-highlight-veterans-mental,Moulton Visits Home Base National Center of Excellence to Highlight Veterans’ Mental Healthcare Innovation,2026-08-27,2026,2026-08,Democrat,House,MA,Seth Moulton,M001196,moulton.house.gov,moulton,https://moulton.house.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"CHARLESTOWN, MA—Today, Congressman Seth Moulton (MA-06) visited the Home Base National Center of Excellence to tour its state-of-the-art facilities, meet with leadership, and discuss how federal policy directly impacts mental healthcare for veterans, active-duty service members, and their families. Guided by retired Brig. Gen. Jack Hammond, Executive Director of Home Base, Congressman Moulton toured Home Base’s outpatient clinic, clinical research labs, and specialized care facilities. The visit focused on addressing the growing pressure on non-profit healthcare providers amid federal funding cuts imposed by the Trump Administration, ongoing staffing shortages at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), and the urgent need to expand high-impact, innovative treatments for trauma. ""Home Base is filling critical gaps in veteran care by eliminating barriers that too often prevent service members from getting help,"" said Congressman Seth Moulton. ""Whether it's pioneering breakthrough psychedelic research for treatment-resistant PTSD, supporting military families, or delivering care regardless of discharge status, their work sets a national standard. As we face staffing challenges and service reductions across the VA, supporting non-profit leaders like Home Base is essential to keeping our promise to those who served."" Home Base is a partnership between Mass General Brigham, the Red Sox Foundation, and the Wounded Warrior Project’s Warrior Care Network that provides clinical care, intensive treatment programs, and family support services at zero out-of-pocket cost to patients. ###",1,2026-08-28T17:11:49Z,2026-08-28T17:13:14Z https://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases/following-meta-settlement-markey-calls-on-congress-to-pass-his-coppa-20-legislation-and-the-youth-ai-privacy-act-to-hold-big-tech-accountable-for-childrens-privacy,"Following Meta Settlement, Markey Calls on Congress to Pass His COPPA 2.0 Legislation and the Youth AI Privacy Act to Hold Big Tech Accountable for Children’s Privacy",2026-08-27,2026,2026-08,Democrat,Senate,MA,Edward J. Markey,M000133,www.markey.senate.gov,markey,https://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"Meta settlement comes in part due to violations of Markey’s Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) Boston (August 27, 2026) - Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), member of the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, today called on Congress to pass his Children and Teens’ Online Privacy and Protection Act (COPPA 2.0) legislation which would update data privacy regulations for the 21st century to ensure children and teenagers are protected online, as well as his Youth AI Privacy Act, which would require AI companies to build privacy safeguards for minors into their AI chatbots in the wake of the Meta settlement with State Attorneys General to pay $18 billion, including up to $516 million to Massachusetts. Meta is now required to implement various child-safety measures on its platforms. “Big Tech’s day of reckoning is here. This settlement sends a message every boardroom in Silicon Valley should hear: our children are not collateral damage to bolster Big Tech’s bottom line. I am proud that my original law, the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act, helped hold Meta accountable, but we cannot stop here. In this emerging age of artificial intelligence, Big Tech is finding more ways to exploit our children’s data and manipulate their emotions for profit, making them and an entire generation sicker. Congress must pass my Youth AI Privacy Act to protect kids using AI chatbots and pass COPPA 2.0 to update my original law. We cannot rely on courts alone to secure strong protections for our kids’ privacy and safety — Congress must act.” In August, Senator Markey celebrated the passage of his Youth AI Privacy Act unanimously through the Senate Commerce Committee. Senator Markey’s COPPA 2.0 passed through the Senate unanimously in March 2026. Senator Markey is the original House author of the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), passed in 1998. Also in March, Senator Markey released a statement after Meta and Google were found liable in a social media addiction lawsuit. ###",1,2026-08-28T17:11:49Z,2026-08-28T17:13:14Z https://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases/markey-blunt-rochester-warren-coons-call-on-senate-leaders-to-schedule-vote-extending-haiti-tps-protections,"Markey, Blunt Rochester, Warren, Coons Call on Senate Leaders to Schedule Vote Extending Haiti TPS Protections",2026-08-27,2026,2026-08,Democrat,Senate,MA,Edward J. Markey,M000133,www.markey.senate.gov,markey,https://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"Letter Text (PDF) Washington (August 27, 2026) – Senators Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), and Chris Coons (D-Del.) today wrote to Senate Majority Leader John Thune and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer urging them to schedule a vote on H.R. 1689, a bill to designate Haiti for Temporary Protected Status (TPS), which allows nationals from designated countries facing life-threatening conditions to temporarily live and work legally in the United States. The Senators and Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) have been fighting to preserve TPS protections for more than 300,000 Haitian nationals. The House legislation passed the House of Representatives in April but was blocked by Republicans in the Senate when Senators Markey and Blunt Rochester forced a vote on the bill last month. In Haiti, political instability, widespread violence, and a serious humanitarian emergency have cut off access to hospitals, schools, and basic services. Violent armed groups now exert control over much of the capital, Port-au-Prince, restricting movement and forcing more than five million people into food insecurity. Concurrently, disasters such as earthquakes, hurricanes, and floods have devastated communities already struggling to survive. Together, these forces have shattered peace and stability for millions. In the letter, the lawmakers wrote, “TPS holders are our friends, our neighbors, and our colleagues. In cities and towns across Massachusetts and Delaware, Haitian TPS holders have lived, worked, and been valuable members of our communities for years. They deserve the stability of preserving their status, the dignity to live without fear, and the security of not being returned to danger. We strongly urge you to lead on this issue by bringing H.R. 1689 to the floor without delay when the Senate reconvenes.” Senator Markey has worked consistently to protect TPS for Haiti and support the Haitian community in Massachusetts amid the Trump administration’s attacks on TPS and Haitians. On August 6, Senator Markey released a statement blasting a lower court’s confirmation of the end of Haiti TPS. On June 25, after the U.S. Supreme Court cleared the way for the Trump administration’s termination of TPS for Haiti and Syria in the consolidated case, Mullin v. Doe, Senator Markey, alongside Representatives Pressley, Katherine Clark (MA-05), Maxwell Frost (FL-10), and Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-25) held a press conference outside the Court denouncing the decision. In April 2026, Senator Markey, Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Congresswoman Wasserman Schultz, and Congresswoman Pressley led 26 Senators and 157 Representatives in filing an amicus brief in the U.S. Supreme Court in Miot v. Trump, a consolidated case challenging the Trump administration’s unlawful termination of Haiti and Syria TPS. In September 2025, Senator Markey led an amicus brief in Miot v. Trump, the companion case to Mullin v. Doe, when the case was before the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. In February 2026, Senator Markey applauded the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia’s decision to pause the Trump administration’s termination of TPS for Haiti, which was set to expire on February 3. In March, Senator Markey welcomed the D.C. Circuit’s ruling blocking the Trump administration from immediately terminating TPS for Haiti. In January, Senator Markey and Rep. Pressley held a field hearing at Jubilee Christian Church in Mattapan to highlight the importance of extending TPS for Haiti. The lawmakers heard from panels of individuals, advocates, and community leaders impacted by the Trump administration’s decision to end Haiti TPS. ###",1,2026-08-28T17:11:49Z,2026-08-28T17:13:14Z https://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases/markey-statement-on-new-reporting-that-rfk-jr-lied-to-senator-markey-in-senate-confirmation-hearing,Markey Statement on New Reporting That RFK Jr. Lied to Senator Markey in Senate Confirmation Hearing,2026-08-27,2026,2026-08,Democrat,Senate,MA,Edward J. Markey,M000133,www.markey.senate.gov,markey,https://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"Senator Markey directly questioned RFK Jr. under oath about ties to measles outbreak in Samoa Boston (August 27, 2026) - Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), top Democrat on the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Subcommittee on Primary Health and Retirement Security, released the following statement after new reporting uncovered documents revealing that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. traveled to Samoa in 2019 to promote disinformation about the measles vaccine. Shortly after his trip, Samoa experienced a deadly outbreak of measles that killed over 80 people and has been attributed to mass vaccine disinformation. Senator Markey questioned the then-nominee at his January 30, 2025, confirmation hearing. RFK Jr. lied to Senator Markey and Congress during his confirmation process, saying his trip to Samoa had “nothing to do with vaccines.” “New documents confirm what we already knew: RFK Jr. lied to Congress. He told us his Samoa trip had nothing to do with vaccines—now this letter shows that was false, just like it was false when he denied his role in the deadly outbreak that followed. This is a pattern, not a slip. RFK Jr. has lied to the Senate, lied to the American people, and jeopardized the health of children to advance his anti-vaccine agenda. He should never have been confirmed, and he cannot be trusted to run HHS for even one more day,” said Senator Markey. Senator Markey has been a fierce opponent of the Trump administration’s Make America Sick Agenda. In March, Senator Markey and Dr. Rochelle Walensky, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director under President Joe Biden, published an op-ed in Newsweek titled, “America Is Getting Sicker, Not Healthier, Under Trump and RFK Jr.” Senator Markey and Dr. Walensky detail the damage that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has done to Massachusetts’ and the country’s health infrastructure as he has sown seeds of distrust in medicine and science, particularly vaccines, and taken a sledgehammer to life-saving research at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and other health and research institutions. In February, Senator Markey released a statement following the release of documents indicating that Kennedy traveled to Samoa in 2019 to promote unscientific claims about vaccine safety. Kennedy’s visit preceded a measles outbreak in Samoa that killed 83 people, mostly young children. In September 2025, Senator Markey called for Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to resign in response to RFK Jr.’s irresponsible anti-vaccine rhetoric and dangerous public health policies. Senator Markey also released a tracker featuring a comprehensive list of Kennedy's dangerous actions since he was confirmed as HHS Secretary in February 2025. Senator Markey opposed Kennedy’s nomination to be HHS Secretary. ###",1,2026-08-28T17:11:49Z,2026-08-28T17:13:14Z https://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases/markey-walkinshaw-amo-kelly-lead-134-colleagues-in-demanding-release-of-more-than-3-billion-in-lifesaving-global-health-funding,"Markey, Walkinshaw, Amo, Kelly, Lead 134 Colleagues in Demanding Release of More Than $3 Billion in Lifesaving Global Health Funding",2026-08-27,2026,2026-08,Democrat,Senate,MA,Edward J. Markey,M000133,www.markey.senate.gov,markey,https://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"Washington (August 27, 2026) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), along with Congressman James R. Walkinshaw (VA-11), a member of the House Oversight and Government Reform Subcommittee on Military and Foreign Affairs, Congressman Gabe Amo (RI-01), and Congresswoman Robin Kelly (IL-02) led 134 of their colleagues in calling on Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought to immediately release $7.5 billion in international affairs funding, to include more than $3 billion in congressionally appropriated global health funding before it expires on September 30, 2026. In a bicameral letter to Rubio and Vought, the lawmakers warned that approximately $7.5 billion in international affairs funding remains unobligated and at risk of expiring, including more than $3 billion intended for lifesaving global health programs. The Global Health Programs account supports efforts to combat HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, maternal and child health, malnutrition, and emerging health threats. According to the letter, OMB has notified Congress that approximately $1.35 billion is being withheld for costs associated with closing the U.S. Agency for International Development instead of being used for the critical global health programs Congress funded. The lawmakers warned that allowing the funding to expire could contribute to an estimated 121,000 deaths from tuberculosis, 47,600 deaths from malaria, and the loss of lifesaving nutrition products for 22.9 million children. “This hardship can be prevented if the Administration spends these funds as Congress directed,” the lawmakers wrote. “We call on you to immediately release the remaining lifesaving, bipartisan GHP funding before it expires on September 30, 2026.” The letter also raises concerns about proposed changes to the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, or PEPFAR, which has saved more than 26 million lives. The lawmakers warned that reducing the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s role in the program could disrupt HIV treatment, weaken global disease surveillance, and limit America’s ability to stop outbreaks abroad before they threaten communities at home. “The Department and OMB’s refusal to spend GHP funding as directed by Congress and the concerning PEPFAR implementation changes defy the law and threaten lives, internationally and in the U.S.,” the lawmakers wrote. Markey, Walkinshaw, Amo, Kelly, and their colleagues demanded answers by September 9 regarding the Administration’s plans to release the funding, the costs of terminating USAID programs, and the public-health consequences of reducing the CDC’s role in PEPFAR. The full text of the letter, including the complete list of 138 signers, is available here. ###",1,2026-09-09T09:27:09Z,2026-09-09T09:29:04Z https://katherineclark.house.gov/2026/08/26/whip-clark-on-gop-head-start-attacks-democrats-are-going-to-turn-this-ship-around/,Whip Clark on GOP Head Start Attacks: “Democrats Are Going To Turn This Ship Around”,2026-08-26,2026,2026-08,Democrat,House,MA,Katherine M. Clark,C001101,katherineclark.house.gov,clark,https://katherineclark.house.gov/newsroom/,scraper,"MALDEN, MA — Today, Democratic Whip Katherine Clark (MA-5) joined Governor Maura Healey and Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll alongside local educators, parents, and care advocates at ABCD Head Start Malden to denounce the Trump administration’s continued effort to dismantle the Head Start program and make life harder for working families. Below is a transcript of her remarks: “We all know the phrase, ‘It takes a village to raise a child.’ It takes a city like Malden. It takes a Commonwealth like Massachusetts to be able to raise our kids, have them rise to their full potential, and make sure that our working families can afford and find quality childcare just like we have in this Head Start program. “I am so proud to be here today with our incredible partners at every level of government. I want to thank Gary Christenson, and the whole mayoral staff, for the work that they do in supporting this program, Head Start, and early education across the city. [Thank you] to our State Representative delegation for all the work that you do to make sure that kids have a Head Start on their lives with full funding. And then we come to our incredible Governor and Lieutenant Governor. It is — I don’t know if you caught it in her remarks — just a handful of states have stepped up when this administration and Republicans in Congress have cut funding. We could not do this without your help. And we are so, so grateful to have a leader like Maura Healey really making sure that every single family has a fair shot at opportunity. “We’ve been in this fight for years. [Republicans] told us flat-out in Project 2025 that their objective is to dismantle the Head Start program and spend that money on tax cuts for billionaires. “And first, they tried to defund it totally. They wrote a budget that eliminated funding for Head Start in its entirety, and we beat that back. And they came back this year by trying to slowly dismantle this program. “As the Governor set out, it would increase class sizes. It would forbid the use of any language but English. It would curtail developmental screenings that are so important to make sure that when kids hit our public schools, they are ready to learn. And it would eliminate health and safety standards. “Even the Republican administration has admitted that there are risks with that, but they are willing to risk our kids in order to continue to fund the very wealthiest Americans. “As one provider in Wisconsin said, ‘It wouldn’t be Head Start anymore,’ with the changes that they are proposing. “So we are clear eyed. This is not about reform. This isn’t for the benefit of kids or parents or care workers. This is about weakening and watering down a program that serves hundreds of thousands of families across the country every day. 10,000 kids here in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. And all of this is to free up money for billionaires. “Republicans know that this is not a popular idea. They know they can’t vote to defund it outright. So this is their workaround. Well, they have dramatically underestimated the people in this room. They have dramatically underestimated the American people. Because working families know what this is about. They know who’s behind it, and they are going to hold them accountable. “And when we retake the House of Representatives this fall, Democrats are going to turn this ship around and start enacting an agenda that actually prioritizes our children and families who are working as hard as they can to meet the basic needs for their families and themselves.” To watch the press conference, click HERE. To view photos of the press conference, click HERE. ###",1,2026-08-27T16:10:01Z,2026-08-27T16:10:50Z https://moulton.house.gov/news/press-releases/moulton-bacon-whitesides-introduce-bipartisan-bill-investigate-insider-trading,"Moulton, Bacon, Whitesides Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Investigate Insider Trading Within the Department of Defense, Urges Prediction Markets to Crack Down on Harmful Practice",2026-08-26,2026,2026-08,Democrat,House,MA,Seth Moulton,M001196,moulton.house.gov,moulton,https://moulton.house.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON D.C. – Congressmen Seth Moulton (MA–06), Don Bacon (NE–02), and George Whitesides (CA–27) introduced the bipartisan No Insider Trading on National Security Act of 2026, legislation that investigates insider trading within the Department of Defense during the war in Iran. The lawmakers introduced the bill following evidence of suspicious trades being made on prediction markets duringOperation Absolute Resolve in Venezuela andOperation Epic Fury in Iran. ""While Trump's war of choice with Iran makes everyday life unaffordable for the American people, Trump and his associates are busy getting rich off of this war,” said Rep. Moulton. “The American people deserve to know how this administration uses public announcements as opportunities for market manipulation, insider trading, and self-enrichment. This legislation is the first step towards much-needed accountability from the most corrupt administration in history."" “Profiting off of events like war and human suffering by using insider information is a blatantly corrupt and unacceptable practice that cannot be allowed to continue,” said Rep. Whitesides. “We must crack down on anyone who uses private information to pad their pockets at the expense of our soldiers. This legislation will help us root out bad actors within the administration and restore sanity and trust to our government.” On prediction markets like Polymarket, the average win rate for most categories on the site is about 18 percent. For military and defense actions,that number jumps to 52 percent. One user, under the account name ""MAGA-my-man,""made close to $600,000 by betting on the timing of U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran. Another group of tradersplaced roughly $500 million on an energy market in future oil trades. Minutes later, an announcement was made postponing strikes in Iran. In April, a U.S. Army special forces soldierwas charged with making more than $400,000 betting on the ouster of Nicolas Maduro on Polymarket. The No Insider Trading on National Security Act instructs the Department of Defense’s Inspector General to investigate insider trading on both energy and prediction markets during Operation Epic Fury, assess risks posed by the potential trading, and recommend safeguards for future use. Read the full bill text here. ###",1,2026-08-27T16:10:01Z,2026-08-27T16:10:50Z https://moulton.house.gov/news/press-releases/moulton-houlahan-demand-va-restore-lgbtqia-veteran-healthcare-infrastructure-0,"Moulton, Houlahan Demand VA Restore LGBTQIA+ Veteran Healthcare Infrastructure",2026-08-26,2026,2026-08,Democrat,House,MA,Seth Moulton,M001196,moulton.house.gov,moulton,https://moulton.house.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, DC —Today, Congressman Seth Moulton (MA-06) and Congresswoman Chrissy Houlahan (PA-06) led a letter to Secretary of Veterans Affairs Doug A. Collins demanding the immediate reversal of recent Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) directives that remove dedicated LGBTQIA+ care infrastructure. The lawmakers expressed grave concern over recent administrative decisions to eliminate LGBTQIA+ Veteran Care Coordinators, dismantle specialized support networks, and restrict tailored healthcare resources, dismantling systems designed to provide inclusive medical and mental health services to those who served. “An estimated one million LGBTQ+ individuals have served or are currently serving in our nation’s military,” the lawmakers wrote. “Many of these veterans served in silence during eras of overt discrimination, including under ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,’ and historically faced significant barriers and stigma when seeking care after their service... Stripping away these dedicated roles and support networks creates confusion, fosters fear of discrimination, and risks driving vulnerable veterans away from critical medical and mental health services.” The lawmakers requested the VA take the following immediate actions: Re-establish dedicated LGBTQ+ Veteran Care Coordinator positions across all VA Health Care Systems with clear guidance to maintain specialized support services. Rescind directives that prohibit or restrict internal and external support groups, staff training, and specialized care programs for LGBTQ+ veterans. Provide a detailed response outlining the specific steps that will be taken to ensure there veterans have access to the LGBTQ+ veteran support networks. Read the full letter here. ###",1,2026-08-27T16:10:01Z,2026-08-27T16:10:50Z https://pressley.house.gov/2026/08/26/pressley-joins-tlaib-39-colleagues-demanding-release-of-sama-safi-u-s-citizen-in-israeli-military-prison/,"Pressley Joins Tlaib, 39 Colleagues Demanding Release of Sama Safi, U.S. Citizen in Israeli Military Prison",2026-08-26,2026,2026-08,Democrat,House,MA,Ayanna Pressley,P000617,pressley.house.gov,pressley,https://pressley.house.gov/news/,scraper,"“It is your responsibility to ensure the safety of all Americans abroad, with no exceptions.” Text of Letter (PDF) WASHINGTON – Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) joined Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib (MI-12) in leading 39 Members of Congress, including six Senators, in a letter to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, demanding the immediate and permanent release of U.S. citizen Sama Safi, a 20-year-old student with a severe chronic health condition, from Israeli military prison. On June 2, in the middle of the night, Sama was torn from her family’s home in the occupied West Bank as part of a series of raids targeting Birzeit University students. Congresswoman Pressley also met virtually with Sama’s parents to discuss efforts for her release, and demanded accountability from the Israeli government and for the Trump administration to secure Sama’s immediate release, continued access to medical care, and end all unjust and arbitrary detentions. “Every day that Sama remains wrongfully detained in these inhumane conditions, she is at greater risk of irreversible and life-threatening repercussions,” the lawmakers wrote to Secretary Rubio. “It is your responsibility to ensure the safety of all Americans abroad, with no exceptions. Her life is at risk on your watch. We urge you to act swiftly and use every tool at your disposal to secure the immediate release of Sama Safi so that she can receive the medical care she urgently needs and return to her family, her studies, and the life and freedom that every 20-year-old deserves.” “With every additional day that Sama is subjected to deprivation and abuse by Israel, our fear grows that her spark is being dimmed; that we are losing pieces of her health, her strength, and the vibrant, loving spirit that makes her who she is,” said Sama’s parents. “Every morning, we wake wishing this was only a nightmare, hoping to open our eyes to the sound of Sama playing music. Every waking moment, we cannot help but imagine what she must be facing alone. Yet we are holding on to hope through those who stand with us and are helping us bring Sama home. We are deeply grateful to Congresswoman Tlaib and all the signatories of this letter for standing with us in our urgent call to free Sama.” Sama has described horrific conditions and violence by guards in Israeli military detention, including frequent physical assault, gas and stun grenades thrown in overcrowded cells, and lack of food and water. Every day, thousands of Palestinians in Israeli detention are subjected to these conditions as part of what the United Nations Committee Against Torture described as “a de facto State policy of organized and widespread torture and ill-treatment.” “Such wretched conditions and treatment have caused Sama’s health to rapidly decline to dangerous levels in detention. Sama suffers from a severe and complex chronic medical condition known as Familial Mediterranean Fever (FMF), which requires regular monitoring, daily medication, and recurring specialized biologic treatment abroad,” the lawmakers wrote. “Sama has reported receiving her medication inconsistently, resulting in several missed doses. Stress positions and shackling have exacerbated her condition, causing severe rheumatoid and chest pain. Her doctors have warned that with her continued military detention and ‘being constantly exposed to conditions that exacerbate her inflammatory status, the possibility of progressive tissue injury and irreversible organ damage is our greatest concern.’” On August 17, over 100 faith-based groups wrote a letter to Secretary Rubio demanding Sama’s release. The letter was also signed by 33 Representatives: U.S. Reps. Yassamin Ansari (AZ-03), André Carson (IN-07), Greg Casar (TX–35), Joaquin Castro (TX-20), Emanuel Cleaver (MO-05), Christopher Deluzio (PA-17), Mark DeSaulnier (CA-10), Maxine Dexter (OR-03), Lloyd Doggett (TX-37), Maxwell Frost (FL-10), Jesús “Chuy” García (IL-04), Robert Garcia (CA-42), Al Green (TX-09), Adelita Grijalva (AZ-07), Jonathan Jackson (IL-01), Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Henry C. “Hank” Johnson, Jr. (GA-04), Ro Khanna (CA-17), Summer Lee (PA-12), Sam Liccardo (CA-16), Betty McCollum (MN-04), James McGovern (MA-02), Analilia Mejia (NJ-11), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), Ilhan Omar (MN-05), Delia Ramirez (IL-03), Emily Randall (WA-06), Lateefah Simon (CA-12), Paul Tonko (NY-20), Derek Tran (CA-45), Nydia Velázquez (NY-07), Maxine Waters (CA-43), and Bonnie Watson Coleman (NY-12). Six U.S. Senators also signed the letter: Senators Edward J. Markey (D-MA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Bernard Sanders (I-VT), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Peter Welch (D-VT). The letter is endorsed by 85 organizations: IMEU Policy Project, A New Policy, Action Corps, American Muslims for Palestine (AMP), Americans for Justice in Palestine Action (AJP Action), Arab American Caucus of the California Democratic Party, Arab and Muslim Ethnicities and Diasporas Studies at San Francisco State University, Arab Resource & Organizing Center Action (AROC Action), Arlington for Palestine, Beyt Tikkun Synagogue, Boston Coalition For Palestine, Brooklyn For Peace, CAIR Action, California Democrats for Justice in Palestine, Center for Constitutional Rights, Christians for a Free Palestine, Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP), Cleveland Peace Action, Codepink, Common Defense, Community Alliance for Peace and Justice, Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), Democracy for the Arab World Now (DAWN), Detroit & MI National Lawyers Guild, Disability Justice for Palestine, Doctors Against Genocide, Emgage Michigan, Friends Committee on National Legislation, Gen-Z for Change, Global Ministries of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and United Church of Christ, Hind Rajab Foundation, Historians for Peace and Democracy, IfNotNow Movement, Indiana Center for Middle East Peace, Institute for Policy Studies New Internationalism Project, Jewish Voice for Peace, Just Foreign Policy, Majdal: Arab Community Center of San Diego, MARUF CT, Massachusetts Peace Action, Methodist Federation for Social Action, Minnesota Peace Project, MPower Change Action Fund, Musicians Against Genocide, Muslim Advocates, Muslims for Just Futures, NE Oakland Indivisible, NH Peace Action, North Carolina Peace Action, Northshore For Palestine, Orange County for Justice in Palestine, Palestine House of Freedom, Palestine Legal, Palestinian House Of New England, Pax Christi New York State, Peace Action Montgomery, Peace Action New York State, Peace Action of San Mateo County, Peace Justice Sustainability NOW, Philly Neighborhood Networks, Pittsburgh Palestine Solidarity Committee, Progressive Democrats of America – Central New Mexico, Queer Folk Inc., Rabbis for Ceasefire, Rachel Corrie Foundation for Peace and Justice, ReThinking Foreign Policy, River Valley for Palestine, RootsAction, Statewide Indivisible Michigan, Stu Maismith Veterans For Peace, Syrian Community Network, Teaching Palestine: Pedagogical Praxis and the Indivisibility of Justice, The American Council for Judaism, The Justice Coalition, Transition Security Project, U.S. Palestinian Community Network (USPCN), United Methodists for Kairos Response (UMKR), US Campaign for Palestinian Rights Action, US Palestinian Council, Veterans For Peace, Veterans For Peace Chapter 74, Washington for Peace and Justice, and We the People Dissent. The full letter is accessible here. ###",1,2026-08-27T16:10:01Z,2026-08-27T16:10:50Z https://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases/senator-markey-urges-congress-to-reject-trump-saudi-nuclear-deal,Senator Markey Urges Congress to Reject Trump-Saudi Nuclear Deal,2026-08-26,2026,2026-08,Democrat,Senate,MA,Edward J. Markey,M000133,www.markey.senate.gov,markey,https://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"Markey: “This dangerous deal is the starting gun for a Middle East nuclear arms race” Boston (August 26, 2026) - Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), co-chair of the bicameral Nuclear Weapons and Arms Control Working Group, today released the following statement after the Trump administration sent to Congress a nuclear cooperation agreement with Saudi Arabia that would open the door to providing the Kingdom with the means to produce nuclear weapons materials but would not require the most stringent safeguards against the development of those weapons. Congress holds the power to block this dangerous deal. “As a U.S. Senator, Marco Rubio once understood that handing Saudi Arabia the technology to produce nuclear weapons was a terrible idea. But now, as Secretary of State, Rubio is doing exactly that, and he and Trump are pursuing the most reckless nuclear deal in U.S. history. This giveaway to Saudi Arabia is the starting gun for a Middle East nuclear arms race. Congress must reject it. “If the Trump administration wants to stop a Saudi bomb, it should require the nonproliferation Gold Standard, which would ban enrichment and reprocessing and require International Atomic Energy Agency additional protocol safeguards in Saudi Arabia. If Riyadh did not want a bomb, it would accept the Gold Standard. But the opposite is happening. “Why? Maybe we should ask Saudi ruler Mohammed bin Salman, who has said repeatedly that he wants a nuclear bomb. Or maybe we should ask Jared Kushner, who accepted a $2 billion investment from a Saudi sovereign wealth fund after leaving the White House at the end of the first Trump administration. This is not diplomacy; this is corruption at the expense of U.S. national security. Congress must stop this dangerous agreement before it triggers a new nuclear arms race in the Middle East.” As a founder of the national Nuclear Freeze movement, Senator Markey has long been the Congressional leader on ending the proliferation of nuclear weapons. On July 31, Senators Markey and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) along with Representatives John Garamendi (CA-08) and Don Beyer (VA-08), co-chairs of the Nuclear Weapons and Arms Control Working Group, published an opinion piece in MS NOW slamming Trump’s Saudi nuclear deal, citing then-Senator Marco Rubio’s understanding that handing nuclear weapons to Saudi Arabia would be disastrous. On July 26, Senator Markey decried the Trump-Saudi nuclear deal as “irresponsible and dangerous.” On March 25, Senators Markey and Merkley reintroduced the No Nuclear Weapons for Saudi Arabia Act, legislation that would mandate that any nuclear cooperation agreement with Saudi Arabia can go into effect only if it receives the affirmative vote of Congress. On March 18, Senator Markey led his colleagues in writing to Secretary Rubio demanding the Trump administration must meet the “gold standard” of nuclear non-proliferation protections by denying Saudi Arabia the means to produce weapons-grade uranium and plutonium, materials that could be used in a nuclear bomb. In January, Senator Markey wrote to President Trump urging the strongest possible non-proliferation measures in any revised nuclear cooperation agreement with South Korea. In November 2025, Senator Markey and Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20) wrote to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, urging the Trump administration to include the strongest possible “gold standard” nonproliferation measures in any nuclear cooperation agreement with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to foreclose any pathway to a nuclear weapon. In July 2025, Senator Markey introduced the Senate companion to H.Res.317, urging the United States to lead the world in halting the nuclear arms race. In November 2024, Senator Markey wrote to the Biden administration seeking answers about any agreement that would normalize relations between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Israel in exchange for civil nuclear energy cooperation and a U.S. defense commitment to the Kingdom. As far back as 2017, Senator Markey pressed the first Trump administration on the status of all current and ongoing discussions between the United States and other countries, including Saudi Arabia, on 123 agreements after it was reported that former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn was peddling a plan to build nuclear reactors throughout the Middle East. ###",1,2026-08-27T16:10:01Z,2026-08-27T16:10:50Z https://katherineclark.house.gov/2026/08/26/boston-globe-an-attack-on-families-and-kids-healey-slams-trumps-proposed-head-start-changes/,Boston Globe: ‘An attack on families and kids’: Healey slams Trump’s proposed Head Start changes,2026-08-26,2026,2026-08,Democrat,House,MA,Katherine M. Clark,C001101,katherineclark.house.gov,clark,https://katherineclark.house.gov/newsroom/,scraper,"Governor Maura Healey criticized the Trump administration’s proposal to scale back regulations for the federally funded Head Start child-care program, calling it “reckless and wrongheaded” on Wednesday. The rollback would result in more children being turned away from free child care, she said, as well as less well-trained teachers and a reduction in medical screenings, mental health services, and other support for low-income families. “This is an attack on families and kids,” she said during a press conference after touring the ABCD Head Start center in Malden Wednesday with other elected officials and early education advocates. “This seems to be all part of Donald Trump’s plan to destroy education in this country.” The proposed changes would do away with previous requirements on class size, health and developmental screenings, and home visits. Bilingual instruction would be eliminated outside of Indigenous communities, program hours could be shortened, and teaching standards for literacy, math, and social and emotional development would be dropped. Head Start facilities would have to comply with state rules, but there are few comparable state-level requirements, raising concerns that quality will suffer and fewer services will be offered to some of the country’s most vulnerable families. The federal Administration for Children and Families said the proposed rule changes would remove regulations that go beyond what the Head Start Act requires and give local providers more latitude. The program would continue to require hearing and vision screenings, family support for health, nutrition, and English proficiency, and other federally mandated provisions. “By removing hyper-specific directives on how to meet these requirements gives recipients more flexibility to design comprehensive services best suited to their community’s needs,” the agency said in a statement. Eliminating ”one-sized-fits-all federal mandates” could save as much as $2.2 billion a year and create 236,000 new slots, it said. “They are willing to risk our kids in order to continue to fund the very wealthiest Americans,” said Representative Katherine Clark, who was also at the Malden Head Start Wednesday. “This is about weakening and watering down a program that serves hundreds of thousands of families across the country every day. … to free up money for billionaires.” The administration had previously tried to freeze funding for Head Start, noting in a White House budget document reviewed by The New York Times that it would help end the “radical indoctrination of our children” in a program “riddled with social-emotional learning.” In June, a report by the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank that has advised the Trump administration on past policies, called for the administration to “sunset Head Start and deregulate the program until officials end it.” Massachusetts receives $190 million a year to serve about 10,000 children, in addition to $20 million supplemented by the state each year to boost worker wages, said Michelle Haimowitz, executive director of the Massachusetts Head Start Association. This would have a definite impact at the Head Start program in Malden, which has 13 teachers and 10 support staff serving 110 children, said director Georgette Chiasson. The state’s strict student-teacher ratios would protect instructors, she said, but the number of support staff who meet with families and provide health support and other services would have to be cut. Massachusetts has some of the highest standards for health and safety, said Amy Kershaw, the state’s Early Education and Care commissioner, but Head Start regulations go beyond what the state requires. “Our health and safety standards can’t replace what the federal government is trying to take away,” she said. The state has tried to make up for previous federal cuts to food programs and health care, but it can’t cover everything, Healey said. “It’s hard with the mounting challenges and the cuts coming out of the Trump administration and Republicans in Congress,” she said. The comment period for the proposed changes to Head Start lasts until Oct. 6, and Healey urged community members to reach out to the White House to advocate for the program. Carmen Rondash, a single parent with four children, relied on the Head Start program in Charlestown for help with child care, early-intervention checks, and other resources his family needed. “It’s a really important tool for people like me to change our lives, to empower us, and to let us build ourselves,” said Rondash, who is now on the board of directors for ABCD, one of 28 organizations in the state that administers Head Start programs. Research has shown that Head Start increases the likelihood that children will graduate from high school and attend college, but it provides much more than early childhood education, said Sharon Scott-Chandler, president of ABCD. “A child cannot learn when they are hungry,” she said. “A parent cannot always focus on their child’s education when they are worried about healthcare, housing, food, and their child’s development.” “The education and wellbeing of our most vulnerable children are key to the success of Massachusetts.” —",1,2026-08-28T17:11:49Z,2026-08-28T17:13:14Z https://katherineclark.house.gov/2026/08/26/boston-herald-gov-healey-whip-katherine-clark-call-on-trump-to-reverse-devastating-proposed-overhaul-of-head-start-program/,"Boston Herald: Gov. Healey, Whip Katherine Clark call on Trump to reverse ‘devastating’ proposed overhaul of Head Start program",2026-08-26,2026,2026-08,Democrat,House,MA,Katherine M. Clark,C001101,katherineclark.house.gov,clark,https://katherineclark.house.gov/newsroom/,scraper,"In reaction to a proposal for a major overhaul to the federal Head Start program by the Trump administration, Gov. Maura Healey and three members of the Massachusetts federal delegation are calling on the president to reverse the newly proposed standards they say will “dismantle” the program in the Bay State. The proposed changes to the program, according to the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services (HHS), would give individual states more flexibility regarding the curriculum, staff-to-student rations, and group sizes. It would also lower the cap on administrative expenses from 15% to 5% in an effort to reduce overhead costs and introduce new nutritional requirements along with baseline requirements for physical activity among students. “President Trump has repeatedly targeted Head Start, and now he is trying to dismantle it from the inside out. This proposal would strip away the standards that keep class sizes small, keep kids safe and make sure they get the services they need,” Healey said Wednesday during a press conference at ABCD Head Start in Malden. “That isn’t flexibility. It means lower-quality care and fewer supports for families. We’re urging people across Massachusetts to speak out and help us protect Head Start.” HHS says the proposed rule is projected to save U.S. taxpayers $2.2 billion while preserving or expanding up to 236,000 Head Start slots nationwide. Its the largest known reinvestment in the program since it was created 61 years ago, the Trump administration says. “Head Start began as a bold commitment to the health, dignity, and potential of every child. My uncle, Sarge Shriver, founded the program on a simple conviction: strong families, wholesome nutrition, and healthy childhood development can change the course of a child’s life,” said HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. “Today, we are returning Head Start to those roots. We are removing unnecessary bureaucracy, strengthening nutrition and physical health, trusting parents and local communities, and opening Head Start to hundreds of thousands more children. That’s how we renew the promise of Head Start for the next generation.” Healey and House Minority Whip and Congresswoman Katherine Clark say the new rule would provide no additional funding and eliminate federal standards ensuring consistent care for children in the program. “They (Republicans) told us flat out in Project 2025 that their objective is to dismantle the Head Start program and spend that money on tax cuts for billionaires. First they tried to defund it totally. They wrote a budget that eliminated funding for Head Start in its entirety, and we beat that back,” added Clark. “[The proposed rule] would increase class sizes. It would forbid the use of any language but English. It would curtail developmental screenings,” Clark continued. “Even the Republican administration has admitted that there are risks with that. But they are willing to risk our kids in order to continue to fund the very wealthiest Americans.” Head Start serves over 10,000 children in Massachusetts, providing early education, child care, health and dental screenings, developmental supports and other services for low-income families. Healey and Clark are urging Massachusetts residents, educators and providers to speak out against the proposed changes during the federal public comment period, which runs through October 6. —",1,2026-08-28T17:11:49Z,2026-08-28T17:13:14Z https://auchincloss.house.gov/media/press-releases/reps-auchincloss-newhouse-moolenaar-and-khanna-reintroduce-bipartisan-legislation-targeting-chinas-role-in-us-fentanyl-crisis,"Reps. Auchincloss, Newhouse, Moolenaar, and Khanna Reintroduce Bipartisan Legislation Targeting China’s Role in U.S. Fentanyl Crisis",2026-08-24,2026,2026-08,Democrat,House,MA,Jake Auchincloss,A000148,auchincloss.house.gov,auchincloss,https://auchincloss.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Georgina.Burros@mail.house.gov (Auchincloss) Washington, D.C. — Today, Representatives Jake Auchincloss (D-MA) and Dan Newhouse (R-WA), alongside House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Chairman John Moolenaar (R-MI) and Ranking Member Ro Khanna (D-CA), reintroduced the CCP Fentanyl Sanctions Act to hold the Chinese Community Party responsible for its role in the U.S. fentanyl crisis. After its establishment in 2024, the House Select Committee on China’s Fentanyl Policy Working Group uncovered for the first time how the CCP directly subsidizes fentanyl precursors and analogues entering North America. The CCP Fentanyl Sanctions Act strengthens sanctions on China-based and CCP-backed entities engaged in drug trafficking, by targeting the Chinese chemical manufacturers and online vendors that are profiting by poisoning the American people. As Co-Chairman of the Policy Working Group (PWG) last Congress, Auchincloss and his colleagues focused on combating the CCP’s role in the fentanyl epidemic with legislation to curtail the threat via sanctions, trade and customs enforcement, and regulatory and enforcement measures. The CCP Fentanyl Sanctions Act will address fentanyl exports from China by: Targeting the “Achilles’ heel” of fentanyl and related synthetic narcotics producers—their exposure to the U.S. banking system courtesy of their licit activity; Codifying important new authorities to address this threat while working to target those responsible for the epidemic; Codifying and building on Executive Order 14059, which established critical new sanctions authorities against actors involved in fentanyl trafficking; Expanding existing sanctions authorities to target PRC vessels or ports that knowingly or recklessly facilitate shipment/transportation of illicit synthetic narcotics, as well as PRC online marketplaces and other entities that knowingly or recklessly facilitate sale of illicit synthetic narcotics; Providing authority to restrict foreign financial institution correspondent accounts and payable-through accounts if the President determines the account has knowingly facilitated transactions on behalf of individuals engaging in synthetic narcotics trafficking. “Thousands of families in Massachusetts have been scarred by fentanyl,” said Rep. Auchincloss. “Chinese chemical manufacturers that are exporting this addictive poison to American shores should bear the full force of U.S. sanctions and anti-money-laundering measures.” “The Chinese Communist Party must be held accountable for helping manufacture the fentanyl crisis,” said Rep. Newhouse. “For too long, they have subsidized and exported illicit narcotics, and Congress must take aggressive action to counter this epidemic that’s ruining American lives and families. This bipartisan legislation is a strong step in the right direction, as it targets CCP-backed entities, like Chinese chemical companies, who continue wreaking havoc on our communities.” “The Chinese Communist Party has long had a role in facilitating the fentanyl crisis that has killed hundreds of thousands of Americans,” said Chairman Moolenaar. “The Select Committee’s groundbreaking report in 2024 showed how the CCP subsidized the production of fentanyl precursors sold to the Mexican cartels. The bipartisan legislation we are introducing today targets the entities and individuals who participated in this deadly and illicit practice. It is a crucial step toward holding them accountable for the pain they have caused American families.” “Fentanyl has devastated communities across America,” said Ranking Member Khanna. “I’m proud to join Rep. Auchincloss’s bipartisan effort to hold the networks responsible accountable. We must stop the flow of fentanyl and illicit precursors into our country and protect American families.”",1,2026-08-25T05:31:37Z,2026-08-25T05:33:09Z https://katherineclark.house.gov/2026/08/24/whip-clark-on-ms-now-democrats-are-fighting-for-an-affordable-america/,Whip Clark on MS NOW: “Democrats Are Fighting for an Affordable America”,2026-08-24,2026,2026-08,Democrat,House,MA,Katherine M. Clark,C001101,katherineclark.house.gov,clark,https://katherineclark.house.gov/newsroom/,scraper,"MALDEN, MA — Today, Democratic Whip Katherine Clark (MA-5) appeared on MS NOW’s On the Line with Alicia Menendez to discuss House Democrats’ agenda: lowering costs, protecting healthcare, and holding the crooks accountable. Below are excerpts of the conversation. On Trump’s Reckless War in Iran: “It is Americans who are paying the costs for Trump’s reckless war. All it has done is endanger our troops, cost us money for defense, and driven up the cost of gas in an environment where American families are already struggling to provide the basics. “And that’s why Democrats are fighting for a more affordable America. That’s lowering the cost of living. That’s making sure everybody can afford healthcare where and when they need it. And that’s holding corruption and the people who are perpetrating it accountable.” On Democrats’ Fight for an Affordable America: “We keep the American people the main character. That’s our focus. What they’re going through, what they’re experiencing. “When 60% of families are telling us they can’t afford the basics for their kids, for their aging parents, for themselves, then that is where our focus has to be. “That’s why, as I said, we are looking at: How can we bring down the cost of gas by ending this reckless war? How can we bring down the cost of housing and groceries? How can we make sure that we are giving families a chance to find affordable childcare? And small businesses to flourish? “We’ve seen a Trump administration that is completely cut off from what the American people need. And Republicans in Congress that are just following the Trump administration’s every whim. “This has become a administration that is focused on one thing: making Donald Trump and his family, the very, very wealthiest Americans, and their largest donors, wealthier at the expense of everyone else.” On Democrats Taking Back the House in November: “When we win the majority in November, we are still going to have a hostile White House. A White House that has turned its back on the American people and their economic needs. So, we are very clear as Democrats, we will work with anyone who’s working for the American people. “We are going to hold the crooks accountable. And so we will work with the White House — that is going to be part of our job and priorities. But, we are going to do everything we can [and] use every tool we have to make life easier and better for the American people. If the White House will join us in that, that is a win for the American people. If they won’t, we are going to continue to push and do what’s right for working people across this country who have waited far too long for this economy to work for them.” On Holding the Crooks Accountable: “This is a key piece of our work, and it’s the third prong of what we are talking about in the message we’re delivering and winning on: Reducing the cost of living. Allowing access to affordable healthcare. And making sure that we hold those who have been using this system to line their own pockets accountable. And that includes everyone from Donald Trump to Jared Kushner to anyone else who may have used taxpayer money to line their own pockets. “That’s the work we’re going to continue to do. That is why we are winning in races around the country, because the American people understand that it’s our candidates, Democratic candidates, that are fighting for them. And that’s what every single campaign comes down to: Do you see my family? Are you going to fight for me? “The answer from Democrats is ‘absolutely.’ And we are the answer to the chaos and corruption and cruelty that has become the hallmark of the Republicans in Congress and this president.” Watch the full interview, HERE. ###",1,2026-08-25T05:31:37Z,2026-08-25T05:33:09Z https://katherineclark.house.gov/2026/08/24/advocate-179-lawmakers-tell-scotus-not-to-let-taxpayer-money-accepting-religious-preschools-reject-lgbtq-families/,Advocate: 179 lawmakers tell SCOTUS not to let taxpayer money-accepting religious preschools reject LGBTQ+ families,2026-08-24,2026,2026-08,Democrat,House,MA,Katherine M. Clark,C001101,katherineclark.house.gov,clark,https://katherineclark.house.gov/newsroom/,scraper,"The Congressional Equality Caucus said Monday that 179 members of Congress, including 13 senators, had signed a brief urging the U.S. Supreme Court to preserve Colorado’s power to prevent publicly funded preschools from denying admission to children because they or their parents are LGBTQ+. The brief in St. Mary Catholic Parish v. Roy is led by U.S. Rep. Mark Takano of California, the caucus chair, with Democratic Sens. Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin and Jeff Merkley of Oregon. Its signers include Reps. Hakeem Jeffries, Katherine Clark, Pete Aguilar, Nancy Pelosi, and every Equality Caucus co-chair. “In 2020, Coloradans voted to ensure every child in the state would be able to benefit from a publicly-funded universal pre-school program, but the schools in this case want to take these funds and turn away LGBTQ+ kids and kids of LGBTQ+ parents—despite the program’s nondiscrimination policy. This is wrong,” Takano said in a statement. “Public dollars are for the good of the public, and this publicly funded program’s nondiscrimination policy reflects that.” How the preschool case reached the Supreme Court Colorado voters approved a funding source for universal preschool in 2020. The current program offers all 4-year-olds up to 15 hours of free preschool weekly in the year before kindergarten through public, private, and faith-based providers. Participating schools must provide equal enrollment opportunities regardless of characteristics including sexual orientation and gender identity. Two Catholic parishes sued alongside the Archdiocese of Denver and parents Daniel and Lisa Sheley. The schools say Catholic teaching requires them to consider the sexual orientation and gender identity of children and parents during admissions. They do not categorically exclude children with same-sex parents, the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals found, although Wellspring Catholic Academy previously denied admission to a fifth-grade applicant with same-sex parents. The Advocate reported when the case went to trial in 2024 that the parishes argued the rule could prevent them from prioritizing Catholic families and require them to admit transgender children and children with same-sex parents. Colorado maintained that Catholic preschools are treated like other providers. The schools also argue that Colorado’s matching preferences and temporary waivers for some quality standards favor secular interests while denying religious accommodations. The 10th Circuit held that neither created a comparable exception from the nondiscrimination rule. After a three-day trial, the district court denied the schools an exemption from the sexual orientation and gender identity provisions. A unanimous 10th Circuit panel affirmed that ruling. LGBTQ+ families tell the court what exclusion means COLAGE, Family Equality, and Rocky Mountain Equality submitted a separate brief Monday describing the consequences for children with LGBTQ+ parents. The organizations argue that LGBTQ+ families may value religious education for faith formation, community, and tradition even when a school does not fully accept them. More than 40 faith-based providers, including six Catholic Charities preschools within the Denver Archdiocese, participated in the program’s first year. The organizations argue Colorado does not regulate religious instruction. Schools may teach their faith but may not reject an eligible child because of the child’s family while receiving public money, they say. “St. Mary wants public money to turn a four-year-old away based on who their parents are. I know what that message does to a child,” Joseph Wright, an adult child of a lesbian mother, said. The brief describes families losing access to nearby preschools and scrambling to arrange transportation or leave work. It argues that an alternative school does not erase the harm of government-funded exclusion. What the justices will decide The Supreme Court will hear arguments November 3 on two questions. The first concerns Employment Division v. Smith, the 1990 ruling allowing neutral, generally applicable laws that incidentally burden religion. The justices will consider what government discretion or secular exceptions trigger strict scrutiny. The second concerns Carson v. Makin, the 2022 decision prohibiting Maine from excluding religious schools from a tuition program. The question is whether that rule covers only explicit religious exclusions or also neutral conditions a religious institution says it cannot follow. The justices declined the schools’ request to consider overturning Smith entirely. Congress divides over public money and discrimination “If you want to get taxpayer dollars to educate our kids, you cannot discriminate against them or their parents for who they are or who they love,” Baldwin said. “Discrimination against preschoolers and parents who are part of the LGBTQ+ community has no place in America,” Merkley said. The congressional brief responds to a filing from 43 Republican lawmakers led by Sen. James Lankford of Oklahoma and Rep. Tim Walberg of Michigan. They argue Colorado is excluding the schools because of their beliefs. The Trump administration has also sided with the Catholic schools. “To let certain schools accept public funding while excluding students solely because of their sexual orientation or gender identity, or those of their parents, contradicts the very purpose of nondiscrimination laws,” said Sharon McGowan, senior vice president of policy and litigation at the Human Rights Campaign. A decision is likely by June 2027. —",1,2026-08-26T05:33:32Z,2026-08-26T05:34:56Z https://neal.house.gov/2026/08/24/neal-makes-fifth-stop-on-landmark-laws-local-investments-tour-with-visit-to-pittsfield/,"Neal Makes Fifth Stop on “Landmark Laws, Local Investments” Tour with Visit to Pittsfield",2026-08-24,2026,2026-08,Democrat,House,MA,Richard E. Neal,N000015,neal.house.gov,neal,https://neal.house.gov/category/press-releases/,scraper,"Pittsfield, MA — On Monday, August 24, Congressman Richard E. Neal joined Pittsfield Mayor Peter Marchetti and city officials at Zion Lutheran Church to highlight the impact of federal investments made possible by the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). More than $1.5 billion has been invested across the First Congressional District. In Pittsfield, $87.3 million was invested in projects and initiatives, with funding streams including: $53.8 million in ARPA funding, consisting of $40.6 million in Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery funding and $13.2 million in Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Funding $33.5 million in funding from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the Inflation Reduction Act “As the largest city in Berkshire County, Pittsfield plays a critical role in the economic vitality of the region. As a result, the impact of these investments will extend well beyond the city limits and deliver lasting benefits to residents throughout the Berkshires,” said Congressman Neal. “Thanks to the leadership of Mayor Marchetti, former Mayor Linda Tyer, the city council, and city officials, investments that addressed immediate needs and improved quality of life were made across the board. From investments in city infrastructure and services to assistance for local non-profits and businesses, the City capitalized on this once-in-a-generation opportunity to make investments that will benefit the community for years to come.” As a result of the ARPA, the City of Pittsfield was able to invest $9.5 million in housing, which supported the development of 86 new housing units and the renovation of an additional 30 units. In addition, funding supported the development of 37 new permanent supportive apartments, with 28 located in a newly constructed building at 111 W. Housatonic Street, and nine located on the second floor of the Zion Lutheran Church. The City was also able to fund a 7,700-square-foot Housing Resource Center, The First, located in the basement of Zion Lutheran Church. The First provides a place for individuals who are housing insecure to receive assistance with basic needs, including access to laundry, showers, and phone chargers. “Every federal dollar that is invested into the City of Pittsfield provides us with more opportunity to improve infrastructure, create new housing and support our residents in their day-to-day lives,” said Mayor Peter Marchetti. “We have a strong partnership with Congressman Neal and all members of our federal delegation and appreciate their continued support for this community.” In addition to housing, the City of Pittsfield allocated ARPA funds for a variety of projects and initiatives, including: Preparing 16.5 acres of land for development Avoiding $15 million in City borrowing Providing 130 small businesses with financial assistance Investing $9 million in 38 non-profits, including: Berkshire County Arc Berkshire County Head Start Child Care of the Berkshires Pittsfield Community Food Pantry Soldier On Investing $5.9 million towards city infrastructure, including: Upgrades to the Berkshire Athenaeum Upgrades to the Pittsfield Fire Station and purchasing new equipment Renovations to Old Town Hall Taconic High School track and baseball field backstop Water and wastewater system upgrades In addition to the ARPA, MassDOT has received $33.5 million from the IIJA and the IRA to support infrastructure projects that will benefit the City of Pittsfield, including: $11.3 million for the reconstruction of East Street (Route 9) $2.9 million for the bridge replacement on East New Lenox Road over Sackett Brook $1.7 million for the Ashuwillticook Bike Trail Extension from Crane Avenue to Merrill Road. This is in addition to the $17.3 million RAISE Grant that Congressman Neal announced in January 2025 with the Berkshire Regional Planning Commission, the municipalities of Adams, North Adams, and Williamstown, MASS MoCA, and TOURISTS Hotel. $3 million for the Superstructure Replacement on Holmes Road over the Housatonic Railroad ###",1,2026-09-26T09:43:57Z,2026-09-26T09:44:55Z https://neal.house.gov/2026/08/22/neal-statement-on-trump-blowing-canada-trade-talks/,Neal Statement on Trump Blowing Canada Trade Talks,2026-08-22,2026,2026-08,Democrat,House,MA,Richard E. Neal,N000015,neal.house.gov,neal,https://neal.house.gov/category/press-releases/,scraper,"SPRINGFIELD, MA—Ways and Means Committee Ranking Member Richard E. Neal (D-MA) released the following statement after Trump blew up trade negotiations with Canada: “Trump has once again blown a trade negotiation in the eleventh hour. He moved the goalposts, piling on new demands, and ultimately, tanking negotiations with one of our closest allies and trading partners. The manufactured chaos and picking fights don’t project strength, it shows the world the American president doesn’t give a damn about his people. What a reckless, embarrassing, and astonishing way to run a country—exactly why it’s so dangerous to hand him even more tariff authority. “Americans are already getting crushed in Trump’s economy. Jobs are disappearing, gas prices are soaring, borrowing is unaffordable, and the national debt just blew past $40 trillion—all on Republican’s watch. Now, because Trump couldn’t find common ground with one of our closest friends, American workers, businesses, and families will pay another price. He’s driving the economy into the ground, and there’s no relief in sight.” ###",1,2026-09-26T09:43:57Z,2026-09-26T09:44:55Z https://neal.house.gov/2026/08/21/neal-demands-answers-for-trump-administrations-trampling-of-irs-employee-rights/,Neal Demands Answers for Trump Administration’s Trampling of IRS Employee Rights,2026-08-21,2026,2026-08,Democrat,House,MA,Richard E. Neal,N000015,neal.house.gov,neal,https://neal.house.gov/category/press-releases/,scraper,"SPRINGFIELD, MA— Ways and Means Committee Ranking Member Richard E. Neal today sent a letter to Internal Revenue Service (IRS) CEO Frank J. Bisignano, following up on his March 4, 2026, testimony to the Ways and Means Committee regarding the Administration’s attempt to unilaterally end the collective bargaining agreement between the IRS and the National Employees Treasury Union (NTEU). Bisignano testified that IRS employees “are losing nothing” without the collective bargaining agreement. “For nearly 90 years (since 1938), the NTEU, or its predecessor, has protected the rights of hundreds of thousands of federal employees to negotiate, take legal action, and advocate for themselves. I continue to stand by my statement that the Trump Administration cannot unilaterally take away the hard-fought rights of IRS employees to unionize.” Ranking Member Neal wrote. “You testified that ‘their benefits is under statute’ and that ‘their time off is under statute.’ However, I understand that the actions taken since termination of the agreement contradict this testimony.” Ranking Member Neal reminded CEO Bisignano that recent administrative actions contradict his testimony, including canceled telework, forced relocations, delayed Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) requests, changes to performance evaluations, and unfair overtime allocations. Neal demanded the Administration provide written answers outlining the legal basis of their actions, and what, if any, reasonable accommodations they are making to impacted employees whose rights they’ve trampled on. Ranking Member Neal closed, “These actions raise serious concerns about your testimony and this Administration’s attempt to unlawfully terminate the collective bargaining agreement with NTEU by trampling on the rights of unionized employees.” READ THE FULL LETTER HERE.",1,2026-09-26T09:43:57Z,2026-09-26T09:44:55Z https://moulton.house.gov/news/press-releases/moulton-conducts-unannounced-visit-burlington-ice-facility-shares-observations,"Moulton Conducts Unannounced Visit to Burlington ICE Facility, Shares Observations",2026-08-20,2026,2026-08,Democrat,House,MA,Seth Moulton,M001196,moulton.house.gov,moulton,https://moulton.house.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"Burlington, MA —Today, following an unannounced visit to the ICE field office in Burlington, Massachusetts, Congressman Seth Moulton (MA-06) issued the following statement regarding his observations made during his oversight visit: ""Today I conducted an unannounced visit to the Burlington ICE facility. This was my third visit to Burlington during the second Trump Administration, and my second unannounced visit. I returned today to see whether the problems I’ve seen have been addressed, and whether conditions for detainees have improved at all as ICE arrests have continued in high numbers. “I was delayed by over 30 minutes today before my tour inside the facility began. During that time period, my team and I noticed multiple vans leave the property. No explanation was given to me regarding this delay and why it was necessary. “During my tour I was reminded of something I’ve known since I first came here in 2019: This is no place for human habitation. “Enforcing our immigration laws still requires a semblance of due process, including the ability to speak to a lawyer and with family. We must do more to hold ICE accountable, and I will continue to push them to address the poor conditions inside the field office in Burlington. “I want to thank the activists that I spoke with following my visit. Your continued support for the individuals being detained inside this facility does not go unnoticed.” ###",1,2026-08-21T05:30:57Z,2026-08-21T05:32:22Z https://neal.house.gov/2026/08/20/neal-makes-fourth-stop-on-landmark-laws-local-investments-tour-with-visit-to-east-longmeadow/,"Neal Makes Fourth Stop on “Landmark Laws, Local Investments” Tour with Visit to East Longmeadow",2026-08-20,2026,2026-08,Democrat,House,MA,Richard E. Neal,N000015,neal.house.gov,neal,https://neal.house.gov/category/press-releases/,scraper,"East Longmeadow, MA — On Thursday, August 20, Congressman Richard E. Neal joined East Longmeadow Town Manager Thomas Christensen, East Longmeadow Town Council Vice President James Leydon, East Longmeadow Fire Chief Christopher Beecher, and local officials to highlight the impact of federal investments made possible by the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). More than $1.5 billion has been invested across the First Congressional District thanks to ARPA, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, and the Inflation Reduction Act. In East Longmeadow, $12.3 million was invested in projects and initiatives thanks to the ARPA, including $4.8 million in Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery funding and $7.5 million in Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief III funding. “It was a privilege to visit the East Longmeadow Fire Department and meet with Town officials to hear just what this funding meant to their community. Projects and initiatives that once seemed out of reach were suddenly attainable thanks to the legislation we enacted,” said Congressman Neal. “As we continue this tour, there is a phrase that we consistently hear from local officials: long-term investment. In East Longmeadow, it means fire engines, police cruisers, DPW vehicles, and school resources that will serve the Town for years to come.” As a result of the ARPA, the Town of East Longmeadow was able to invest in 30 initiatives that addressed the needs of the Town’s infrastructure, public safety, and education. Among these investments are: $836,289.58 for purchasing the new Town Hall at 382 N Main Street $142,264.76 for the replacement of the Fire Department’s Engine 2 $149,970.91 for three new police cruisers, including one unmarked and two marked cruisers $25,026.80 for firefighter bunker gear $438,613.09 in IT investments, including: The replacement of town and school networking equipment Replacement of the IT fuel management system, ensuring usage and cost are tracked accurately Replacement of school Chromebook devices $179,900 for a new DPW backhoe $103,609.38 for a new DPW truck $76,184 for a new DPW Bobcat $105,278.20 for the Middle School parking lot and playground $70,750 for the replacement of the gym floor at Mountain View Elementary School “With municipal budgets continually being squeezed, ARPA provided a lifeline that enhanced our public safety capabilities and improved our infrastructure,” said Town Council Vice President James Leydon. “As a result, we were able to consider and fund other essential capital projects in our plan.” ###",1,2026-09-26T09:43:57Z,2026-09-26T09:44:55Z https://pressley.house.gov/2026/08/19/news-pressley-ramirez-mcgovern-demand-answers-of-trump-admin-on-persecution-of-political-dissent-targeting-of-left-leaning-political-groups/,"NEWS: Pressley, Ramirez, McGovern Demand Answers of Trump Admin. on Persecution of Political Dissent, Targeting of Left-leaning Political Groups",2026-08-19,2026,2026-08,Democrat,House,MA,Ayanna Pressley,P000617,pressley.house.gov,pressley,https://pressley.house.gov/news/,scraper,"“Defining political opposition as an existential threat does not make communities safer—it degrades civil liberties, expands state surveillance, enables violence by state actors, and mirrors the repressive tactics of authoritarian regimes worldwide.” Text of Letter (PDF) WASHINGTON – Today, Congressmembers Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), Delia C. Ramirez (IL-03), and Jim McGovern (MA-02) led 23 colleagues in a letter to the U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent demanding an end to the Trump Administration’s policies to persecute political dissent. In the letter, members raised serious concerns regarding the deployment of the State and Treasury Departments policies against the so-called “far-left networks” as an attempt to target and silence any person, organization, or institution critical of the Administration’s policies and abuses of power on a global scale. The letter also asks for the release of all communications, advisories, and guidance between State, Treasury, the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Justice, and the White House regarding the implementation of the National Security Presidential Memorandum-7, an order that Trump signed last September targeting “domestic terrorism and organized political violence.” “The weaponization of the security apparatus of the state to suppress political dissent, criminalize international solidarity, and intimidate civil society is a direct assault on constitutional rights and democratic governance. Defining political opposition as an existential threat does not make communities safer—it degrades civil liberties, expands state surveillance, enables violence by state actors, and mirrors the repressive tactics of authoritarian regimes worldwide. We urge the Administration to immediately withdraw this policy, abandon plans to export the NSPM-7 framework to foreign governments, and cease deploying the State and Treasury Departments to target political speech and civil society,” wrote the lawmakers. In July, Secretary Rubio and Bessent announced the “Ministerial on the Resurgence of Political Terrorism” to support President Trump’s National Security Presidential Memorandum-7 (NSPM-7)—a federal enforcement framework to target “far-left terrorists,” their aligned groups, and financial backers. Despite investigations and analysis that established that right-wing attacks account for the vast majority of fatalities from domestic terrorism, the memorandum ignores all mention of right-wing extremism. The letter is co-signed by Analilia Mejia (NJ-11), Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), Mark Pocan (WI-02), Greg Casar (TX-35), Summer L. Lee (PA-12), Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12), Ilhan Omar (MN-05), Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-05), Adelita S. Grijalva (AZ-07), Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), Donald S. Beyer Jr. (VA-08), Jesús G. “Chuy” García (IL-04), Sylvia R. Garcia (TX-29), Mark DeSaulnier (CA-10), Becca Blint (VT), Lateefah Simon (CA-12), Maxine Dexter (OR-03), Nydia M. Velázquez(NY-07), Maxwell Alejandro Frost (FL-10), Troy A. Carter Sr. (LA-02), Christian D. Menefee (TX-18), Jasmine Crockett (TX-30), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), and Al Green (TX-09). To read the full letter, click here. ###",1,2026-08-20T05:28:41Z,2026-08-20T05:29:58Z https://neal.house.gov/2026/08/19/neal-makes-third-stop-on-landmark-laws-local-investments-tour-with-visit-to-palmer/,"Neal Makes Third Stop on “Landmark Laws, Local Investments” Tour with Visit to Palmer",2026-08-19,2026,2026-08,Democrat,House,MA,Richard E. Neal,N000015,neal.house.gov,neal,https://neal.house.gov/category/press-releases/,scraper,"Palmer, MA — Today, Congressman Richard E. Neal joined Palmer Town Manager Brad Brothers, city councilors, and local officials to highlight the impact of federal investments made possible by the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). More than $1.5 billion has been invested across the First Congressional District. In Palmer, $23.5 million was invested in projects and initiatives, with funding streams including: $12.5 million in funding from the ARPA, consisting of $3.7 million in Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery funding and $8.8 million in Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief III funding. $11 million in funding from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the Inflation Reduction Act “Today marked another terrific stop on this tour, as we continue to show the people of western and central Massachusetts how their local officials have successfully implemented these funds to improve quality of life and local services,” said Congressman Neal. “In Palmer, the Town Manager and Town Councilors did a terrific job of identifying a variety of challenges confronting their community, and I am so pleased that they were able to take advantage of these generational investments.” As a result of the ARPA, the Town of Palmer was able to invest in thirty-four initiatives, some of which include: $1,363,100.00 for repairs to Duke Track at Palmer High School $254,800.00 for the Church Street Bridge $34,610.74 for the Town’s ambulance service $110,181.00 in investments to the Town Hall, including the security system, front steps and walkway, and interior renovations $47,310.00 for a handicap ramp for the Council on Aging $50,000.00 for the gymnasium floor replacement at Pathfinder Regional Vocational Technical High School $864,206.67 to address the Palmer Road sinkhole $70,445.00 for a Department of Public Works vehicle $125,073.22 for the Town’s fuel assistance program $280,000.00 for the energy management system at Palmer High School “We are grateful to Congressman Neal for taking the time to visit Palmer and see firsthand the impact that federal investments have had on our community,” said Town Manager Brad Brothers. “These funds have allowed us to complete important projects such as the Hryniewicz Park improvements, the Palmer High School track renovation, and other community enhancements that may otherwise have remained on the Town’s long-term capital plan. We appreciate the Congressman’s continued support and his willingness to listen not only to our success stories, but also to the ongoing infrastructure and community development needs of Palmer.” In addition to ARPA funds received by the Town of Palmer, MassDOT has received $11 million from the IIJA and the IRA to support the complete replacement of the Three Mile Bridge on Palmer Road on the Palmer-Ware border. As a vital access route between the two towns along Route 32, the bridge replacement will strengthen the reliability and resiliency of a key transportation connection, supporting local businesses, regional mobility, and emergency response. ###",1,2026-09-26T09:43:57Z,2026-09-26T09:44:55Z https://mcgovern.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=400393,"McGovern, Khanna, and Meeks Lead Colleagues in Demanding the Trump Administration Explain Decision to Lift Sanctions on Chinese and Hong Kong Officials",2026-08-18,2026,2026-08,Democrat,House,MA,James P. McGovern,M000312,mcgovern.house.gov,mcgovern,https://mcgovern.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx,scraper,"WASHINGTON—Today, Representative James P. McGovern (D-MA), Ranking Member of the House Rules Committee and Raking Member of the Congressional-Commission on China, Ro Khanna, Ranking Member of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, and Gregory W. Meeks, Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and six other House Members sent a letter to President Trump expressing serious concern about his decision to allow an Executive Order to lapse. The decision resulted in sanctions relief for Chinese and Hong Kong officials complicit in Beijing’s dismantling of Hong Kong’s autonomy. “The lapse of the national emergency has already resulted in significant changes to the sanctions status of dozens of Hong Kong and Beijing officials, and it raises serious questions about the durability of U.S. policy toward Hong Kong that we believe warrant a direct response from the Administration,” wrote the Members of Congress. “In effect, this amounts to a downgrade in sanctions exposure for 39 individuals, including the sitting Chief Executive and Chief Secretary of Hong Kong.” In his first term, President Trump issued Executive Order 13936 to employ emergency authorities to strip Hong Kong of its preferential trade and export-control treatment it had previously enjoyed as a distinct customs territory and authorize sanctions against individuals. In July 2026, President Trump declined to renew the Executive Order, thereby lifting sanctions on key individuals and sending a signal that the loss of Hong Kong’s autonomy is no longer a major concern for the U.S. government. “We are also concerned about the circumstances surrounding this decision. The PRC’s Ministry of Commerce has publicly stated that the non-renewal implements understandings reached during the U.S.-PRC economic and trade consultations in Madrid, and that the United States made commitments concerning Hong Kong and investment-related issues during those talks,” wrote the Members of Congress. “If accurate, this would mean that sanctions relief for officials responsible for prosecuting pro-democracy activists was used as a bargaining chip in unrelated trade negotiations.” The Members requested answers from the President about the decision, including justification for easing sanctions on complicit individuals, whether the decision was part of any quid-pro-quo with PRC officials, and whether the Administration is committed to securing the release of publisher and prominent pro-democracy activist Jimmy Lai.",1,2026-08-19T05:29:02Z,2026-08-19T05:30:24Z https://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases/markey-bennet-schumer-schrier-88-colleagues-demand-rescission-of-trumps-dangerous-childhood-vaccine-executive-order,"Markey, Bennet, Schumer, Schrier, 88 Colleagues Demand Rescission of Trump’s Dangerous Childhood Vaccine Executive Order",2026-08-18,2026,2026-08,Democrat,Senate,MA,Edward J. Markey,M000133,www.markey.senate.gov,markey,https://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"Letter Text (PDF) Washington (August 18, 2026) — Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Ranking Member of the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Subcommittee on Primary Health and Retirement Security, along with Senator Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Representative Kim Schrier (D-Wash.), and 88 colleagues demanded President Donald Trump rescind his executive order that directs federal health agencies to overhaul longstanding childhood vaccine recommendations and encourages states to reconsider school immunization requirements. Trump’s anti-science executive order creates chaos and confusion just as millions of families across the country are preparing for the school year and are relying on science-based vaccine recommendations to protect their children and communities from preventable diseases. The lawmakers wrote, “At a moment when the United States is experiencing the highest surge in measles cases in thirty-five years and an increasing number of states forced to declare public health emergencies – your administration is placing more children in harm’s way rather than protecting them. This Executive Order overrides decades of scientific evidence and sows fear, chaos, and confusion. The result will not be safer or healthier children; it will be a continued decline in vaccination rates, recurring disease outbreaks, higher healthcare costs, and school disruptions that cause learning loss. Vaccines are rigorously tested and monitored for safety, and save millions of lives each year – especially the lives of children.” Since being confirmed, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has unleashed a methodical campaign to substitute decades of science with an anti-vaccine ideology. Specifically, Trump’s latest directive pushes to break up combination vaccines into single-disease doses, ignoring the medical community’s long-standing, evidence-backed agreement that combination vaccines are safe, effective, and specifically timed to protect children when they need it most. The executive order forces families to schedule multiple doctors’ appointments with multiple co-pays, which adds unnecessary chaos, confusion, and financial strain. Compounding this issue is the deep Medicaid cuts under Trump’s One Big, Beautiful Big Act that have drastically cut access to care and increased cost burdens for low-income families. Notably, single-disease shots for routine childhood vaccines, like measles, mumps, and rubella, simply do not exist in the U.S. market. Demanding parents and pediatricians switch to non-existent vaccines creates mass confusion, stalls routine care right as children head back to school, and forces drug manufacturers into a years-long regulatory pipeline. Additionally, this executive order directs the Department of Justice to push back on longstanding state school immunization requirements, ignoring 81 percent of parents who agree that public schools should require essential immunizations like measles and polio vaccines. The lawmakers continued, “The health and safety of America’s children must not be sacrificed for political theater and ideology. American children and their families deserve robust evidence-based immunization recommendations that are rooted in science. The administration’s politicization of vaccines makes American families less safe, threatens to return the U.S. to an era before routine vaccination prevented millions of infections, and is already resulting in unnecessary suffering and preventable deaths, particularly among children.” The lawmakers concluded, “Every day this Executive Order remains in effect, more children go without the vaccines that would protect them, additional outbreaks become more likely, and lives are put at risk. We urge you to rescind this Executive Order immediately and restore evidence-based decision-making to federal public health policy.” Additional co-signers include Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Jack Reed (D-Del.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), and Peter Welch (D-Vt.), as well as Representatives Gabe Amo (D-R.I), Jake Auchincloss (D-Mass.), Nanette Barragán (D-Calif.), Ami Bera (D-Calif.), Nikki Budzinski (D-Ill.), Troy Carter (D-La.), Yvette Clarke (D-N.Y.), Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.), Joe Courtney (D-Conn.), Angie Craig (D-Minn.), Jason Crow (D-Colo.), Sharice Davids (D-Kan.), Diana DeGette (D-Colo.), Suzan DelBene (D-Wash.), Chris Deluzio (D-Pa.), Mark DeSaulnier (D-Calif.), Maxine Dexter (D-Ore.), Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.), Lizzie Fletcher (D-Texas), Lois Frankel (D-Fla.), John Garamendi (D-Calif.), Robert Garcia (D-Calif.), Adelita Grijalva (D-Ariz.), Bill Keating (D-Mass.), Robin Kelly (D-Ill.), Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.), Greg Landsman (D-Ohio), Summer Lee (D-Pa.), Mike Levin (D-Calif.), Sam Liccardo (D-Calif.), Stephen Lynch (D-Mass.), John Mannion (D-N.Y.), Doris Matsui (D-Calif.), Lucy McBath (D-Ga.), Sarah McBride (D-Del.), Jennifer McClellan (D-Va.), Betty McCollum (D-Minn.), Rob Menendez (D-N.J.), Joe Morelle (D-N.Y.), Kelly Morrison (D-Minn.), Seth Moulton (D-Mass.), Kevin Mullin (D-Calif.), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), Jimmy Panetta (D-Calif.), Brittney Pettersen (D-Colo.), Mark Pocan (D-Wis.), Mike Quigley (D-Ill.), Emily Randall (D-Wash.), Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.), Brad Schneider (D-Ill.), Eric Sorensen (D-Ill.), Melanie Stansbury (D-N.M.), Shri Thanedar (D-Mich.), Mike Thompson (D-Calif.), Dina Titus (D- Nev.), Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), Jill Tokuda (D-Hawaii), Paul Tonko (D-N.Y.), Richie Torres (D-N.Y.), Lori Trahan (D-Mass.), Marc Veasey (D-Texas), Nydia Velazquez (D-N.Y.), and Nikema Williams (D-Ga.). ###",1,2026-08-19T05:29:02Z,2026-08-19T05:30:24Z https://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases/senator-markey-ranking-member-wyden-colleagues-demand-hhs-dhs-stop-sharing-medicaid-data-with-ice,"Senator Markey, Ranking Member Wyden, Colleagues Demand HHS, DHS Stop Sharing Medicaid Data with ICE",2026-08-18,2026,2026-08,Democrat,Senate,MA,Edward J. Markey,M000133,www.markey.senate.gov,markey,https://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"Letter to HHS, CMS (PDF) | Letter to DHS (PDF) Washington (August 18, 2026) - Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Ranking Member of the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Subcommittee on Primary Health and Retirement Security, and Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Ranking Member of the Senate Finance Committee, along with Senators Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), and Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), wrote to Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Dr. Mehmet Oz, and Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin, demanding that HHS and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) immediately stop unlawfully transferring Medicaid data to DHS and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and that DHS immediately stop unlawfully receiving Medicaid data transfers from HHS. In July 2025, CMS and ICE entered into an agreement to give immigration enforcement officials access to the personal data of millions of Medicaid enrollees, including immigration status and addresses. In December 2025, a federal court set guardrails on the types of information CMS could share with ICE. HHS has now acknowledged that it transferred protected Medicaid information—including data on U.S. citizens—to immigration enforcement authorities three times in violation the court order. These data transfers form part of a larger pattern of information-sharing to advance the Trump administration’s anti-immigrant agenda, at the expense of Americans’ privacy and the statutory protections Congress built into these programs. In the letters, the lawmakers wrote, “Congress has a responsibility to ensure that the personal health information of the tens of millions of people who rely on Medicaid is protected and that the Trump administration complies with federal court orders. Medicaid enrollees have a right to expect that their private information will be safeguarded and not employed for mass deportation campaigns. Each person whose information was inappropriately disclosed is entitled to know what happened to it, and Congress is entitled to know how a federal agency came to violate the same court order three times in six months.” In the letter to HHS and CMS, the lawmakers concluded, “HHS must suspend all Medicaid data transfers to ICE and DHS pending a comprehensive review of HHS’s controls and the court’s continuing oversight.” In the letter to DHS, the lawmakers concluded, “DHS must stop receiving all Medicaid data transfers from HHS and CMS pending a comprehensive review of the agencies’ data controls and the court’s continuing oversight.” The lawmakers requested answers to questions by Friday, September 4, 2026, including: How many Medicaid records of U.S. citizens or nationals have HHS or CMS provided to ICE or DHS since January 2025? Can HHS or CMS identify every transfer of Medicaid data it has made to ICE or DHS since June 2025? Which HHS or CMS officials are responsible for overseeing the transfer of Medicaid data to other agencies? Is it the position of DHS and ICE that a refugee lawfully admitted to the United States is “not lawfully residing” here, and that their Medicaid data may therefore be transferred to ICE? Who at DHS or ICE approved that interpretation, and when did they approve it? ###",1,2026-08-19T05:29:02Z,2026-08-19T05:30:24Z