U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate
News releases, reports, statements and associated documents from all members of the U.S. House and the U.S. Senate as well as the House and Senate leadership and House and Senate committees.
Featured Stories
Reps. Gottheimer, Steel Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Create an October 7th Remembrance Curriculum
WASHINGTON, May 8 -- Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release on May 7, 2024:
Today, May 7, 2024, U.S. Representatives Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) and Michelle Steel (CA-45) introduced bipartisan legislation, the October 7th Remembrance Education Act, that instructs the United States Memorial Holocaust Museum to build a curriculum for students, memorializing the October 7th attack on Israel and the antisemitism that followed the attack on social media, college campuses, and more.
Gottheimer is co-leading this bipartisan legislation with Congresswoman Michelle Steel (CA-45).
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WASHINGTON, May 8 -- Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release on May 7, 2024:
Today, May 7, 2024, U.S. Representatives Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) and Michelle Steel (CA-45) introduced bipartisan legislation, the October 7th Remembrance Education Act, that instructs the United States Memorial Holocaust Museum to build a curriculum for students, memorializing the October 7th attack on Israel and the antisemitism that followed the attack on social media, college campuses, and more.
Gottheimer is co-leading this bipartisan legislation with Congresswoman Michelle Steel (CA-45).The October 7th Remembrance Education Act is supported by the ADL (Anti-Defamation League) and the Jewish Federation of North America .
On October 7th, Hamas terrorists murdered, raped, burned alive, and tortured more than 1,200 innocent men, women, children, and elderly in Israel, including 40 Americans. It was the most devastating attack on the Jewish people since the Holocaust. Since then, antisemitic hate has surged online and across the United States. According to the ADL, there were 8,873 antisemitic incidents recorded in the United States in 2023, the most since the ADL began collecting data in 1979. That statistic includes 5,204 incidents in the months after October 7th, more than the total reported for all of 2022. Antisemitic tropes, conspiracies, and misinformation have also flooded social media platforms like TikTok.
"For decades, educators have taught about the Holocaust to expose the repercussions that hate and intolerance can have on our society," said Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5). "In the wake of October 7th, the deadliest attack on the Jewish people since the Holocaust, we must develop new educational resources to combat the surging tide of antisemitism across the United States. We cannot stay silent in the face of hate and bigotry online, on our college campuses, or anywhere in our nation."
"With each passing day, the ongoing consequences of Hamas' violent and unprovoked attack against innocent civilians in Israel remind us that the dangers of antisemitism are not just something of the past," said Congresswoman Michelle Steel (CA-45). "We must ensure that future generations are educated about the very real and very present danger of antisemitism so that this hateful ideology does not continue to spread. This legislation takes concrete steps to do just that, and I am proud to partner with my colleagues on this measure to stand with the Jewish people both now and in the future."
"Hamas's barbaric October 7th terrorist attack on Israel and the resulting tsunami of antisemitic incidents have transformed Jewish lives around the world," said ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt. "In an era when ADL data is showing a historic rise in antisemitism, education is more critical than ever to understand and curb this perennial hate. Thank you to Reps. Josh Gottheimer and Michelle Steel for leading the October 7 Remembrance Education Act and ensuring the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum has the resources it needs to build a curriculum for students to study this heinous antisemitic attack."
"The aftermath of the horrific October 7th Hamas attacks on Israel should serve as a stark reminder of what happens when hate is allowed to fester. Right now, we're witnessing that hatred and prejudice play out in real time on college campuses across America. The creation of an educational curriculum about the terrorists' attack on Israel -- and the ensuing wave of antisemitism that has followed -- will help to properly educate Americans on the horrific events that took place on that day." said Jewish Federation of North America Vice President, Government Relations Karen Paikin Barall. "The Jewish Federations enthusiastically support this bill that will give educators the tools they need to teach children about antisemitism well-before they head into the real world."
See the full text of the bill here (https://d12t4t5x3vyizu.cloudfront.net/gottheimer.house.gov/uploads/2024/05/GOTTHE_148_xml.pdf).
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Original text here: https://gottheimer.house.gov/posts/release-gottheimer-steel-introduce-bipartisan-legislation-to-create-an-october-7th-remembrance-curriculum
Rep. Scholten Calls for Executive Action on Border Amid House Republican Inaction
WASHINGTON, May 8 -- Rep. Hillary Scholten, D-Michigan, issued the following news release on May 7, 2024:
Today, Rep. Hillary Scholten (MI-03) joined her House Democratic colleagues in calling on President Biden to take executive action to restore order at the southern border. The call comes after Republicans blocked the bipartisan Senate border package and talks to secure the southern border have stalled.
"The crisis at our southern border has been decades in the making, and Republicans have had every opportunity to come to the table and find bipartisan solutions to fix it. Instead, they've
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WASHINGTON, May 8 -- Rep. Hillary Scholten, D-Michigan, issued the following news release on May 7, 2024:
Today, Rep. Hillary Scholten (MI-03) joined her House Democratic colleagues in calling on President Biden to take executive action to restore order at the southern border. The call comes after Republicans blocked the bipartisan Senate border package and talks to secure the southern border have stalled.
"The crisis at our southern border has been decades in the making, and Republicans have had every opportunity to come to the table and find bipartisan solutions to fix it. Instead, they'vekilled the bipartisan border deal and chosen political games over keeping our country safe," said Rep. Scholten. "Now, Democrats are being called to lead from the minority. This crisis is ultimately Congress' job to fix, but we're calling on President Biden to take every possible step within his power to help protect our communities."
Rep. Scholten is a leader on immigration issues in Congress having worked on immigration issues for more than 20 years both on the enforcement and community aid side of the crisis.
After reports exposed widespread child labor violations involving migrant children, Rep. Scholten launched the Child Labor Prevention Task Force in Congress. She successfully pushed the White House to form an interagency task force to combat the exploitation of migrant children. She also introduced bipartisan legislation to reduce the immigration court backlog and strengthen due process rights for unaccompanied migrant children.
Rep. Scholten is an original cosponsor of the bipartisan Dignity Act and has consistently called for increased resources and support to address the crisis at the border. Just recently, she visited the southern border along with several of her House colleagues to hear from local leaders and U.S. Border Patrol officials about what needs to be done to address the immigration crisis.
"It is well past time for both parties to come together and agree on common sense, bipartisan immigration reforms," wrote Rep. Scholten and her colleagues. "It has become clear that the current situation remains untenable, but with Republicans playing politics on border security, it is time for your Administration to act."
The full text of the letter can be found here (https://craig.house.gov/sites/evo-subsites/craig.house.gov/files/evo-media-document/FINAL%20Frontline%20Border%20Letter%20to%20POTUS%205.7.24%201.pdf) and below:
Dear President Biden:
We write to you to respectfully request that you and your administration immediately take further action to restore order at the Southern border and fix our broken immigration system.
We appreciate your good faith efforts on the bipartisan border agreement in the Senate. As such, this Congress had an opportunity to work together on a bipartisan basis to secure the border but House Speaker Mike Johnson has refused to bring that bill to us for debate because our House colleagues would rather see the crisis continue and use it as a campaign ad instead of actually addressing this national security issue. It is well past time for both parties to come together and agree on common-sense, bipartisan immigration reforms that both strengthen enforcement at the border and provide a path to citizenship for those who have been living, working, and paying taxes in the United States for many years. All of our constituents, no matter our congressional district, have felt the impacts of the current border situation. Communities across the country are grappling with the fentanyl crisis and struggling to find appropriate shelter and services for those seeking asylum.
Democrats have repeatedly stood ready to support funding for increased border patrol personnel and fentanyl scanning technology, as well as immigration judges and asylum officers to allow for orderly processing at ports of entry. We were proud to support $19.6 billion for Customs and Border Protection in the recently passed Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 government funding package- including $75.5 million to acquire additional non- intrusive inspection detection systems and $20 million for an additional 150 CBP Officers to support counter fentanyl efforts. We recognize that ultimately fixing our broken immigration system is complex and requires Congress to act, but while Republicans continue to refuse to come to the table and intentionally destroy bipartisan solutions, we still must act to protect our country.
It has become clear that the current situation remains untenable, but with Republicans playing politics on border security, it is time for your administration to act. We urge you to use all tools at your disposal, including executive action, to better address security at the Southern border, interdict illicit fentanyl and allow for orderly legal immigration. Thank you for your attention to this matter.
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Original text here: https://scholten.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-scholten-calls-executive-action-border-amid-house-republican-inaction
Rep. Cole Cole Thanks Our Nurses During National Nurses Week
WASHINGTON, May 8 -- Rep. Tom Cole, R-Oklahoma, issued the following statement on May 7, 2024:
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Today, during this National Nurses Week, Congressman Tom Cole (OK-04) released the following statement:
"Throughout my time as both their Representative and their patient, I have interacted with countless nurses throughout Oklahoma and the entire country - and without a doubt, I can truly say, nurses make a difference every single day.
"During this National Nurses Week, we celebrate all of America's nurses, including those who serve at Veteran's Centers, for all they do to supply necessary
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WASHINGTON, May 8 -- Rep. Tom Cole, R-Oklahoma, issued the following statement on May 7, 2024:
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Today, during this National Nurses Week, Congressman Tom Cole (OK-04) released the following statement:
"Throughout my time as both their Representative and their patient, I have interacted with countless nurses throughout Oklahoma and the entire country - and without a doubt, I can truly say, nurses make a difference every single day.
"During this National Nurses Week, we celebrate all of America's nurses, including those who serve at Veteran's Centers, for all they do to supply necessaryhealthcare to patients throughout our nation.
"They truly are the backbone of our healthcare system, and I thank them for their service," said Congressman Cole.
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Original text here: https://cole.house.gov/media/press-releases/cole-thanks-our-nurses-during-national-nurses-week
Leader Jeffries: 'House Democrats Are Going to Defend Reproductive Freedom. Extreme MAGA Republicans are Focused on Freedom for Refrigerators'
WASHINGTON, May 8 (Rep.) -- House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-New York, issued the following news release on May 7, 2024:
Today, Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries spoke on the House Floor in opposition to the Hands Off Our Home Appliances Act. He emphasized that while extreme MAGA Republicans are focused on liberty for laundry and dignity for dishwashers, House Democrats are fighting for lower costs, safer communities and reproductive freedom.
Leader Jeffries speaking on the House Floor with a poster referencing House Republicans' planned appliance bills
LEADER JEFFRIES: Thank you,
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WASHINGTON, May 8 (Rep.) -- House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-New York, issued the following news release on May 7, 2024:
Today, Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries spoke on the House Floor in opposition to the Hands Off Our Home Appliances Act. He emphasized that while extreme MAGA Republicans are focused on liberty for laundry and dignity for dishwashers, House Democrats are fighting for lower costs, safer communities and reproductive freedom.
Leader Jeffries speaking on the House Floor with a poster referencing House Republicans' planned appliance bills
LEADER JEFFRIES: Thank you,Mr. Speaker. Thank you to the distinguished gentleman from the great state of New Jersey for yielding and for his tremendous leadership.
The House of Representatives, of course, is the institution the framers designed to be the closest to the American people, the first institution mentioned in the United States Constitution, the People's House, the place where President Abraham Lincoln declared that America is the last best hope of Earth, the place where FDR made clear the importance of defending democracy against the tyranny of Nazi fascism. It's the place where President Lyndon Baines Johnson talked about the importance of the Voting Rights Act, and made clear to America that we shall overcome.
The House of Representatives is a special place. And so earlier today I was told you need to get to the House Floor to deal with the signature piece of legislation from the extreme MAGA Republicans in this 118th Congress. And so, I wondered to myself, is it going to be about inflation, lower costs, housing affordability, public safety, dealing with the challenges at the border, Social Security, Medicare, what is it going to be about? And it turns out the signature piece of legislation for the extreme MAGA Republicans this week, this month, this year is Hands Off Our Home Appliances Act. This is what we are dealing with? On this magical House Floor, with all of the challenges that the American people are confronting. Liberty for laundry? Defending the dignity of dishwashers? Fighting for freedom of refrigerators? This is what we're doing? You can't make it up. You can't make it up.
As House Democrats, we are going to defend democracy. Extreme MAGA Republicans are working on defending the dignity of dishwashers. As House Democrats, we are going to protect and strengthen Social Security. Extreme MAGA Republicans are apparently interested in protecting gas stoves against phony accusations of oppression. House Democrats are going to defend reproductive freedom. Extreme MAGA Republicans focus on the freedom for refrigerators. We believe in a woman's freedom to make her own reproductive healthcare decisions. Period. Full stop. And women's health care and protecting the women of America against extreme MAGA Republican overreach. And instead of leaning into the protection of reproductive freedom, instead of trying to strengthen Social Security and Medicare, you want to criminalize abortion care. You want to impose a nationwide ban and then waste time on the House Floor as it relates to the liberty of laundry. You can't make this up.
And so, I just urge my Republican colleagues to partner with us. If you want to push back against overreach, push back against the pro-Putin, extreme overreach on your side of the aisle that doesn't want to defend democracy and freedom here and abroad. It's undermining it. And we extend the hand of partnership, as we've repeatedly done, to solve real problems for the American people. But those problems have nothing to do with the dignity of dishwashers, the freedom of refrigerators or the liberty of laundry. Let's get back to doing the real business of the American people. Vote no against this legislation.
Full speech can be watched here (https://iqconnect.house.gov/iqextranet/iqClickTrk.aspx?&cid=LDRDHJ&crop=14184QQQ5605086QQQ5010735QQQ7118940&report_id=&redirect=https%3a%2f%2fyoutu.be%2fZS6ykFhLSc0&redir_log=193749886135187).
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Original text here: https://democraticleader.house.gov/media/press-releases/leader-jeffries-house-democrats-are-going-defend-reproductive-freedom-extreme
House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman McCaul, Sen. Risch Urge Biden Admin Not to Waive Sanctions for Civil Nuclear Projects With Russia
WASHINGTON, May 8 -- Rep. Michael T. McCaul, R-Texas, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, issued the following news release on May 7, 2024:
Yesterday, House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul (R-TX) and Senate Foreign Relations Committee Ranking Member Jim Risch (R-ID) sent a letter to President Biden urging him to reject a proposal to waive U.S. sanctions imposed following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in order to allow a French-owned company, Electricite de France (EDF), to engage in civil nuclear projects with Rosatom, Russia's state-owned nuclear energy company.
"Exempting
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WASHINGTON, May 8 -- Rep. Michael T. McCaul, R-Texas, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, issued the following news release on May 7, 2024:
Yesterday, House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul (R-TX) and Senate Foreign Relations Committee Ranking Member Jim Risch (R-ID) sent a letter to President Biden urging him to reject a proposal to waive U.S. sanctions imposed following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in order to allow a French-owned company, Electricite de France (EDF), to engage in civil nuclear projects with Rosatom, Russia's state-owned nuclear energy company.
"ExemptingEDF from U.S. sanctions would allow it to acquire a subsidiary of a major U.S. company that was engaged in civil nuclear projects with Rosatom in Hungary, Turkey, and Egypt - projects that have been suspended for several years due to sanctions. EDF would then provide turbines and related foundational technology for those projects, thereby facilitating Russian energy influence and related corruption in those countries likely for decades," the lawmakers wrote.
"Given your administration's stated policy goals and the severe threat that overdependence on Russian energy poses to transatlantic security, it is incomprehensible that your administration would consider actively perpetuating this dependence."
Full text of the letter can be found here (https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.foreign.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/05-06-24_letter_to_potus_re_sanctions_waiver_for_edf.pdf__;!!Bg5easoyC-OII2vlEqY8mTBrtW-N4OJKAQ!NXm99hSIQuwVKkTWla4LEWKr3_ODudWR5aO-RBrJWNBVDbfArvsRGOweMFhhXsoaLPSzx8hVMIT0McRldWMhVdjeQbg2DyuLLZrqig$).
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Original text here: https://foreignaffairs.house.gov/press-release/mccaul-risch-urge-biden-admin-not-to-waive-sanctions-for-civil-nuclear-projects-with-russia/
House Budget Committee Chairman Arrington Discusses Looming Insolvency of Social Security, Medicare, Upcoming Hearing on Cost of Border Crisis
WASHINGTON, May 8 -- Rep. Jodey Arrington, R-Texas, chairman of the House Budget Committee, issued the following news release on May 7, 2024:
Today, House Budget Committee Chairman Jodey Arrington (R-TX) joined Fox Business's Cavuto: Coast to Coast with host Neil Cavuto to discuss the looming insolvency of our entitlement programs such as Social Security and Medicare, and to highlight the Committee's upcoming hearing entitled "The Cost of the Border Crisis."
Highlights from the Chairman's interview below:
Chairman Arrington on the Border Crisis:
"We're having a hearing tomorrow on the cost
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WASHINGTON, May 8 -- Rep. Jodey Arrington, R-Texas, chairman of the House Budget Committee, issued the following news release on May 7, 2024:
Today, House Budget Committee Chairman Jodey Arrington (R-TX) joined Fox Business's Cavuto: Coast to Coast with host Neil Cavuto to discuss the looming insolvency of our entitlement programs such as Social Security and Medicare, and to highlight the Committee's upcoming hearing entitled "The Cost of the Border Crisis."
Highlights from the Chairman's interview below:
Chairman Arrington on the Border Crisis:
"We're having a hearing tomorrow on the costof the border chaos. It's $150 billion in healthcare cost, education cost, and criminal justice cost. I would suggest that this government is way too big with the spending that we're on. We spend over $6 trillion, a third of which is borrowed at about $2 trillion a year now, and that will double in 10 years. Our interest payments are now the third largest expenditure item in the budget at $870 billion, which is more than we spend on national defense. I would suggest that our spending is out of control, which is driving the unsustainable debt. And we also have to address the insolvency and unsustainability of those important safety nets for seniors."
Chairman Arrington on Entitlement Reform:
"80 percent of our budget in 10 years will be on auto spend. Those are mandatory spending programs. Those are entitlements, and they are the drivers of health care, welfare, and other mandatory programs. You can't save this country from the inevitable debt calamity if you don't address these entitlements, and there's a tremendous amount of waste there. There are common sense solutions like welfare reforms, just work requirements that we have in TANF and food stamps, if you apply that to Medicaid, you're talking about tens of billions of dollars. You can't get there from here in terms of staving off the debt crisis, strengthening the balance sheet, and growing our economy without dealing with those entitlement programs."
Chairman Arrington on Reigning in the Debt:
"If we can grow one percent over the two percent that CBO projects over the 10 year budget window, just one percent that will bring down the deficit by $3 trillion. But we have to link that with mandatory spending reforms and reining in the spending, and we have to be able to grow the economy faster than we're spending faster than we're borrowing. If we do that. Just like our forefathers after World War Two did it. We can bring the debt to GDP down and we can have our best and brightest economic days ahead of us."
More From the House Budget Committee:
Watch Chairman Arrington talk about the Border Crisis on Fox Business HERE (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cGeFmygvSTA).
Read more about Social Security and Medicare insolvency HERE (https://budget.house.gov/press-release/social-security-and-medicare-continue-on-path-to-insolvency-trustees-confirm).
Read more about Biden's Border Blunder HERE (https://budget.house.gov/resources/sounding-the-alarm/04/16/2024/bidens-border-blunder).
Read more about Biden's Border Crisis HERE (https://budget.house.gov/imo/media/image/BIDEN'S%20BORDER%20CRISIS%20ONE-PAGER1_555.png).
Read about Chairman Arrington's Amicus Brief in support of S.B. 4 in U.S. v. Texas HERE (https://budget.house.gov/imo/media/doc/budget_chairman_arrington_leads_amicus_brief_in_support_of_sb_4_in_united_states_vtexas.pdf).
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Click HERE (https://youtu.be/_osIEDGymu8) to watch Chairman Arrington on Cavuto: Coast to Coast
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Original text here: https://budget.house.gov/press-release/fox-business-chairman-arrington-discusses-looming-insolvency-of-social-security-medicare-and-the-upcoming-hearing-on-the-cost-of-the-border-crisis
CONGRESSMAN CLYBURN CELEBRATES OVER $5.8 MILLION TO PRESERVE AFRICAN AMERICAN CIVIL RIGHTS HISTORY
WASHINGTON, May 8 -- Rep. James E. Clyburn, D-South Carolina, issued the following news release on May 7, 2024:
Today, U.S. Congressman James E. Clyburn celebrated the announcement of $5,805,625 in National Park Service (NPS) grants to preserve sites and stories of African American Civil Rights history across the state of South Carolina. A total of four South Carolina projects will receive funding.
"The Biden-Harris Administration has once again displayed their commitment to documenting and preserving African American's rich history and enduring struggle for freedom and liberty," said Congressman
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WASHINGTON, May 8 -- Rep. James E. Clyburn, D-South Carolina, issued the following news release on May 7, 2024:
Today, U.S. Congressman James E. Clyburn celebrated the announcement of $5,805,625 in National Park Service (NPS) grants to preserve sites and stories of African American Civil Rights history across the state of South Carolina. A total of four South Carolina projects will receive funding.
"The Biden-Harris Administration has once again displayed their commitment to documenting and preserving African American's rich history and enduring struggle for freedom and liberty," said CongressmanClyburn. "South Carolina has always been a focal point for our nation's history, especially civil rights history. This funding will help continue immortalizing our state's role in the powerful legacy of African American's fight for civil rights."
This project was made possible through the NPS Historic Preservation Fund's African American Civil Rights grant program, which provided $23.4 million to 39 projects in 16 states and the District of Columbia.
Grantee ... Project Description ... Amount
Clemson University ... Clemson University African American History Video Project ... $55,625
University of South Carolina ... Preservation of the Florence C. Benson Elementary School, an equalization school and a resource associated with segregation in Columbia, SC ... $4,250,000
South Carolina Rural Education Grassroots Group ... Stabilization and Preservation of the former Edgewood School, an Equalization School, Now serving as Edgewood Community Center ... $750,000
Center for Creative Partnerships ... Preservation of All Star Bowling Lanes ... $750,000
Total ... ... $5,805,625
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Original text here: https://clyburn.house.gov/press-release/congressman-clyburn-celebrates-over-58-million-preserve-african-american-civil-rights
