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CBO Issues Cost Estimate for SECURE Grid Act
WASHINGTON, Oct. 14 -- The Congressional Budget Office issued the following cost estimate for the SECURE Grid Act (H.R. 7257).
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H.R. 7257 would reauthorize and amend portions of the Energy Policy and Conservation Act that concern states' energy security plans. Under the act, states would be required to update their plans through September 30, 2031; under current law, that requirement expired on October 31, 2025. For states to continue to qualify for funding from the State Energy Program (SEP) of the Department of Energy, their plans would need to address the physical security, cybersecurity,
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WASHINGTON, Oct. 14 -- The Congressional Budget Office issued the following cost estimate for the SECURE Grid Act (H.R. 7257).
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H.R. 7257 would reauthorize and amend portions of the Energy Policy and Conservation Act that concern states' energy security plans. Under the act, states would be required to update their plans through September 30, 2031; under current law, that requirement expired on October 31, 2025. For states to continue to qualify for funding from the State Energy Program (SEP) of the Department of Energy, their plans would need to address the physical security, cybersecurity,and resilience of local distribution systems (defined as energy infrastructure owned by electric utilities that operate at or below 100 kilovolts). The act also would expand the list of public- and private-sector entities that states must consult in developing their plans.
In addition, the act would require the department to provide technical assistance to states and would direct the Government Accountability Office to report to the Congress on the efficacy of state energy security plans.
The estimated budgetary effects of the legislation are shown in Table 1. The costs of the legislation fall within budget functions 270 (energy) and 800 (general government).
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Table 1. Estimated Budgetary Effects of H.R. 7257
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Over the past five years, states have spent about $4 million each year from the SEP to develop their plans. On that basis, CBO expects that a similar amount would be needed annually to update and implement the revised plans. Using historical spending patterns for the affected activities, CBO estimates that implementing H.R. 7257 would cost $13 million over the 2027-2031 period, mostly for the SEP; the cost of the report would be less than $500,000. Any related spending would be subject to the availability of appropriated funds.
On May 26, 2026, CBO transmitted a cost estimate for H.R. 7257, the SECURE Grid Act, as reported by the House Committee on Energy and Commerce on March 11, 2026. The two pieces of legislation are similar, and any differences in the estimated costs between the two pieces of legislation are because of different assumed enactment dates.
The CBO staff contact for this estimate is David Rafferty. The estimate was reviewed by Aaron Krupkin, Senior Adviser for Budget Analysis.
Phillip L. Swagel, Director, Congressional Budget Office
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Original text here: https://www.cbo.gov/system/files/2026-10/hr7257-senate.pdf
CBO Issues Cost Estimate for Aviation Medication Transparency Act
WASHINGTON, Oct. 14 -- The Congressional Budget Office issued the following cost estimate for the Aviation Medication Transparency Act (H.R. 2592).
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H.R. 2592 would require the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to publish and maintain a list of medications that pilots and air traffic controllers may safely use according to the requirements for medical certification. The FAA would be required to develop that list in consultation with relevant labor representatives and other interested parties. The bill also would require the FAA to update the list within one year after its initial publication
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WASHINGTON, Oct. 14 -- The Congressional Budget Office issued the following cost estimate for the Aviation Medication Transparency Act (H.R. 2592).
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H.R. 2592 would require the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to publish and maintain a list of medications that pilots and air traffic controllers may safely use according to the requirements for medical certification. The FAA would be required to develop that list in consultation with relevant labor representatives and other interested parties. The bill also would require the FAA to update the list within one year after its initial publicationand annually thereafter.
Based on the costs of similar activities, CBO estimates that implementing the bill would cost less than $500,000 over the 2027-2031 period. Any related spending would be subject to the availability of appropriated funds.
On August 18, 2026, CBO transmitted a cost estimate for S. 3258, the Aviation Medication Transparency Act of 2026, as ordered reported by the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation on July 22, 2026. The two pieces of legislation are similar, and CBO's estimated budgetary effects are the same.
The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Grace Berry. The estimate was reviewed by H. Samuel Papenfuss, Deputy Director of Budget Analysis.
Phillip L. Swagel, Director, Congressional Budget Office
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Original text here: https://www.cbo.gov/system/files/2026-10/hr2592.pdf
@EdWorkforceCmte to Hold Pennsylvania Field Hearing on Expanding Education Freedom
WASHINGTON, Oct. 14 -- Rep. Tim Walberg, R-Michigan, chairman of the House Education and Workforce Committee, issued the following news release:
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@EdWorkforceCmte to Hold Pennsylvania Field Hearing on Expanding Education Freedom
WASHINGTON, D.C., October 13, 2026
On Friday, October 23, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. ET, the Education and Workforce Committee will hold a field hearing in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania titled "More Choices, Brighter Futures: Expanding Education Freedom."
What: Field hearing titled "More Choices, Brighter Futures: Expanding Education Freedom"
When: 10:00 a.m. ET on Friday,
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WASHINGTON, Oct. 14 -- Rep. Tim Walberg, R-Michigan, chairman of the House Education and Workforce Committee, issued the following news release:
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@EdWorkforceCmte to Hold Pennsylvania Field Hearing on Expanding Education Freedom
WASHINGTON, D.C., October 13, 2026
On Friday, October 23, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. ET, the Education and Workforce Committee will hold a field hearing in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania titled "More Choices, Brighter Futures: Expanding Education Freedom."
What: Field hearing titled "More Choices, Brighter Futures: Expanding Education Freedom"
When: 10:00 a.m. ET on Friday,October 23, 2026
Where: Northampton Community College, Fowler Family Southside Center, 511 East Third Street, 6th Floor, Room 605, Bethlehem, PA 18015
Press: Media planning to cover the hearing must RSVP to sara@mail.house.gov. The hearing is open to the press and will be live-streamed on the Committee's YouTube page.
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Original text here: https://edworkforce.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=413814
House Judiciary Ranking Member Raskin Issues Statement on Federal Search Conducted on Rep. Ilhan Omar's Home
WASHINGTON, Oct. 14 -- Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Maryland, ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee, issued the following news release:
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Ranking Member Raskin Statement on Federal Search Conducted on Rep. Ilhan Omar's Home
Washington, D.C. (October 12, 2026)--Today, Rep. Jamie Raskin, Ranking Member of the House Committee on the Judiciary, issued the following statement after public reporting revealed federal agents with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the investigations branch housed in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), carried out a search warrant on Rep. Ilhan
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WASHINGTON, Oct. 14 -- Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Maryland, ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee, issued the following news release:
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Ranking Member Raskin Statement on Federal Search Conducted on Rep. Ilhan Omar's Home
Washington, D.C. (October 12, 2026)--Today, Rep. Jamie Raskin, Ranking Member of the House Committee on the Judiciary, issued the following statement after public reporting revealed federal agents with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the investigations branch housed in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), carried out a search warrant on Rep. IlhanOmar's home in Washington, D.C.:
"Just 22 days before the midterm Congressional elections, federal agents shockingly searched the D.C. home of Rep. Ilhan Omar, a sitting Democratic Member of Congress from Minnesota. According to public reporting, DHS's laughable excuse for this assault on our constitutional values was that they were looking for fraud in immigration paperwork that Rep. Omar's late father filled out several decades ago, when Rep. Omar was a child and the family came to America as refugees fleeing the civil war in Somalia.
"Rep. Omar has been a naturalized American citizen for decades, and her constituents have overwhelmingly elected her to Congress four times. She has now been made the target of a classic Trump political harassment and frame-up operation during the last three weeks of a Congressional election in which President Trump describes himself as being 'on the ballot.'
"Federal agents appear to have searched a sitting congresswoman's home not to investigate any real crime or threat, but to carry out a campaign of political retribution against one of President Trump's most outspoken critics. This kind of presidential harassment and persecution of a political critic is exactly why the Framers wrote the Speech or Debate Clause and the First Amendment--to protect Members of Congress and citizens against petty and vindictive reprisal by the Executive branch.
"DOJ violated its own policy, which requires the Department to abstain from overt actions in politically-sensitive matters in the 60 days before an election, to conduct this search. This is no accident. Just 22 days before the elections, this is blatant political intimidation and an attempt to interfere with the Congresswoman's reelection. It is also the culmination of a smear campaign against Minnesota's Somali American community.
"Rep. Omar now joins the ranks of multiple Democratic Members of Congress who have been targeted by Trump's vindictive Administration on the most outlandish trumped-up charges, including Rep. Maggie Goodlander, Rep. Jason Crow, Rep. Chris Deluzio, Rep. Chrissy Houlahan, Rep. LaMonica McIver, Senator Adam Schiff, Senator Elissa Slotkin, and Senator Mark Kelly. This DOJ routinely harasses Trump's perceived enemies, including former FBI Director James Comey, New York Attorney General Letitia James and my constituent Davey Hearn, a three-time Olympic canoeist framed on utterly bogus charges for turning our Reflecting Pool into an algae farm, which was actually the handiwork of Trump's $15 million no-bid pool contractor. In none of these cases has the Administration succeeded in doing anything other than wasting taxpayer resources and forcing citizens to waste their own precious time and money defending themselves against bogus charges.
"House Judiciary Committee Democrats stand with Rep. Omar against this outrageous abuse of power, and we will be demanding transparency and accountability as to who authorized this abusive search and who carried it out."
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Original text here: https://democrats-judiciary.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/release-ranking-member-raskin-statement-on-federal-search-conducted-on-rep-ilhan-omar-s-home
Heinrich Demands Answers on Trump Administration Draining Strategic Petroleum Reserves to Dangerous Low Levels
WASHINGTON, Oct. 14 -- Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-New Mexico, ranking member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, issued the following news release:
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October 13, 2026
Heinrich Demands Answers on Trump Administration Draining Strategic Petroleum Reserves to Dangerous Low Levels
Heinrich: "I am deeply concerned by reports that recent drawdowns of the SPR could damage the salt caverns that hold millions of barrels of America's emergency crude"
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WASHINGTON -- Last week, U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee,
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WASHINGTON, Oct. 14 -- Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-New Mexico, ranking member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, issued the following news release:
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October 13, 2026
Heinrich Demands Answers on Trump Administration Draining Strategic Petroleum Reserves to Dangerous Low Levels
Heinrich: "I am deeply concerned by reports that recent drawdowns of the SPR could damage the salt caverns that hold millions of barrels of America's emergency crude"
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WASHINGTON -- Last week, U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee,pressed U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Chris Wright to disclose information on the operational safety and structural integrity of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR), which has been depleted to under 300 million barrels of emergency inventory due to Trump's war with Iran. Repeated drawdowns can harm salt caverns where millions of barrels of the SPR's crude are stored, and the SPR's current historically low levels put U.S. energy and economic security at grave risk. In the midst of further shocks, the U.S. will not have SPR capacity to spare which could cause gasoline and diesel prices to rise even further.
The SPR was created in 1975 to reduce the impact of petroleum supply disruptions on Americans and is designed to hold nearly 714 million barrels, making it a valuable energy security measure and national security asset in times of crisis. The SPR currently holds 283.8 million barrels of emergency inventory -- the lowest it's been since 1982 -- following Trump's authorized release of 172 million barrels at the start of the Iran war.
"In April, I wrote to you to express concern regarding the administration's ill-advised decision to enter into a war with Iran. I asked you about the Department's preparedness before the Trump administration launched its war in Iran, including if the Department conducted any analysis related to potential SPR releases. The Department failed to substantively respond to my questions," Heinrich began.
"I am deeply concerned by reports that recent drawdowns of the SPR could damage the salt caverns that hold millions of barrels of America's emergency crude," Heinrich continued.
In his letter, Heinrich specifically demanded information on analyses and reviews conducted regarding the impact and consequences of drawing down the SPR. He also presses DOE to disclose a list of maintenance projects underway, schedule of exchange returns, copy of the contract for the new SPR Operator and all documents from the transition documenting the current state of SPR, all buyers and amounts sold from the SPR in 2026, potential new cavern sites analyzed by DOE for future development, backlog maintenance projects for SPR as currently pending, and the contract and all audits performed by the current DOE Auditor for the SPR and any sale of oil activities.
"As our energy demand increases, we need to ensure the SPR is properly maintained, fully operational, and can be counted on when supply is constrained," Heinrich concluded.
Read the full text of the letter here and below:
Secretary Wright:
I write to request information regarding the operational safety and structural integrity of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR). In April, I wrote to you to express concern regarding the Administration's ill-advised decision to enter into a war with Iran. I asked you about the Department's preparedness before the Trump administration launched its war in Iran, including if the Department conducted any analysis related to potential SPR releases. The Department failed to substantively respond to my questions. I am deeply concerned by reports that recent drawdowns of the SPR could damage the salt caverns that hold millions of barrels of America's emergency crude.
In 1975, Congress created the SPR to reduce the impact of petroleum supply disruptions on Americans. The SPR is not only an energy security measure, but a national security asset in times of crisis. It is designed to hold nearly 714 million barrels. For the first time in over 40 years, however, the SPR has now reportedly dropped to under 300 million barrels of emergency inventory. In March, weeks after the U.S. entered into war with Iran, President Trump authorized the release of 172 million barrels from the SPR. As a result of that drawdown, the SPR currently sits at 283.8 million barrels--the lowest level since 1982. The SPR is expected to dip below 250 million barrels once the drawdown concludes. Some analysts have suggested that depleting the SPR to less than 300 million barrels risks damage to the salt caverns. In a June 2026 report, the Government Accountability Office found that "[r]epeated partial drawdowns followed by refill can leach a single part of a cavern repeatedly, leading to undesirable shapes." The same report warned that the SPR is at risk of failing to safeguard the U.S. from severe petroleum supply disruptions.
In response to the ongoing war in Iran and the consequences of draining vital energy inventories crucial to U.S. energy and national security, I am introducing legislation that mandates long-term planning for the SPR and limits non-emergency SPR sales to avoid further operational inefficiencies, including straining aging infrastructure during ongoing capital projects.
To better understand DOE's current management of the SPR, I request that you provide the following information by October 23, 2026:
1. Since January 20, 2025, all Department analysis and reviews conducted to understand the impact and consequences of drawdowns of the SPR to the operational safety and structural integrity of the SPR.
2. Since January 20, 2025, all Department analysis and reviews conducted to understand the impact and consequences of drawing down the SPR below 300 million barrels.
3. Since January 20, 2025, all Department analysis and reviews conducted to understand the operational minimum of the SPR.
4. A current and complete list of all major maintenance projects underway or scheduled over the next 10 years.
5. A current and complete list and schedule of exchange returns, including premium barrels, as part of the March 2026 release.
6. A copy of the new contract with the new SPR Operator and all documents on the handoff to the new contractor documenting the current state of the SPR and any related inspections at this time by either party.
7. A list of all buyers and amounts sold from the SPR in 2026.
8. A list of all potential new cavern sites analyzed by the DOE for future development.
9. A list of the backlog of maintenance projects for the SPR as currently pending.
10. A copy of the contract and all audits performed by the current DOE Auditor for the SPR and any sale of oil activities.
Thank you for your prompt attention to this request. As our energy demand increases, we need to ensure the SPR is properly maintained, fully operational, and can be counted on when supply is constrained. Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact my staff at (202) 224-4971.
Sincerely,
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Original text here: https://www.energy.senate.gov/press/dem/heinrich-demands-answers-on-trump-administration-draining-strategic-petroleum-reserves-to-dangerous-low-levels/
Gottheimer Hosts AAPI Roundtable in Palisades Park
WASHINGTON, Oct. 14 -- Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release:
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Gottheimer Hosts AAPI Roundtable in Palisades Park
Highlights Work to Lower Costs, Protect Communities, Support Small Businesses and Discuss Challenges in the AAPI Community
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Oct 12, 2026
PALISADES PARK, NJ -- Tuesday, October 6, 2026, Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) hosted a roundtable with Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) leaders and community members from across North Jersey at the Palisades Park Library to discuss the challenges facing the AAPI community and what Washington
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WASHINGTON, Oct. 14 -- Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release:
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Gottheimer Hosts AAPI Roundtable in Palisades Park
Highlights Work to Lower Costs, Protect Communities, Support Small Businesses and Discuss Challenges in the AAPI Community
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Oct 12, 2026
PALISADES PARK, NJ -- Tuesday, October 6, 2026, Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) hosted a roundtable with Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) leaders and community members from across North Jersey at the Palisades Park Library to discuss the challenges facing the AAPI community and what Washingtoncan do to help. Joined by local elected officials, community organizations, educators, health care advocates, small business owners, and cultural and ethnic associations, Gottheimer outlined his work on health care, affordability, small business, anti-Asian hate, public safety, immigration, and education, and heard directly from participants about what their neighbors need most.
"The AAPI community represents different ethnicities, languages, faiths, and traditions, but the same drive to strengthen our communities. That's why I'm working so hard in Washington and across the aisle to support you. But celebrating this community isn't enough," said Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5).
Across the Fifth District, roughly 127,000 residents are Asian American, or about one in six. This includes nearly half of Englewood Cliffs and more than forty-three percent of Fort Lee. Palisades Park, which has the highest percentage and density of Korean residents of any town in the country, is located within the District.
Gottheimer, a member of the Korea, India, Taiwan, Asia Pacific American, and Pacific Islands Caucuses and Co-Chair of the American Sikh Congressional Caucus, discussed the following priorities and his relevant legislation with attendees:
* Mental Health Emergency Care: Gottheimer secured $2 million to expand the behavioral health emergency department at New Bridge Medical Center in Paramus, growing it from 19 to 49 beds, with 30 beds dedicated to mental health and substance abuse treatment and 50 new clinical jobs. He is also part of the bipartisan push to extend and reform the ACA enhanced premium tax credits.
* Affordability: As Co-Chair of the bipartisan SALT Caucus, he is pushing the SALT Deductibility Act to fully restore the SALT deduction. His Tariff Impact Act would require the Congressional Budget Office to review the economic impact of any new tariff before they take effect.
* Medicaid and CHIP: New restrictions on lawfully present immigrants, part of the OBBB law that he voted against, recently took effect. Roughly 300,000 New Jersey residents could lose Medicaid or fail to get it, mostly because of paperwork.
* Small Business: Under a policy that took effect March 1, 2026, the SBA no longer backs loans to businesses with any non-citizen ownership. Even a green card holder with a 1 percent stake disqualifies a business. In FY2024 alone, the agency backed 8,900 loans worth $7.2 billion to Asian-owned businesses.
* Anti-Sikh Hate: Gottheimer introduced the Sikh American Anti-Discrimination Act with Congressman David Valadao (R-CA) in January 2026. It would create a DOJ Task Force on Anti-Sikh Discrimination, set a federal definition of anti-Sikh hate, develop education programs, and report annually to Congress. New Jersey is home to roughly 100,000 Sikhs.
* Public Safety: Gottheimer announced $42 million in FEMA funding in July 2026, split between $21 million statewide and $21 million for Bergen, Passaic, and Sussex Counties. It covers radios, drones, K-9 units, and security upgrades for houses of worship such as cameras, alarms, guards, and reinforced doors. His bipartisan Invest to Protect Act would authorize $50 million a year for five years to help police departments with fewer than 200 officers with recruitment, training, mental health resources, and body cameras. He invited houses of worship that have not applied for Nonprofit Security Grants to call his office.
* Immigration: More than 1.2 million people are stuck in the employment-based green card backlog, nearly eighty percent from India, with a projected 179-year wait for an Indian EB-2 applicant. He voted to eliminate the per-country caps on employment-based green cards and says the country can secure the border and enforce its laws while treating people fairly.
* ICE Oversight: Gottheimer introduced the ICE Standards Act in January 2026, after the Minneapolis shootings. It would require stronger training, body and dash cameras, clear uniforms and ID, efforts to verify citizenship before detention, and limits on enforcement at schools, hospitals, and houses of worship. He also visited Delaney Hall and worked to secure the release of a 17-year-old girl, Ariadna, in time for her high school graduation.
* Education: Gottheimer discussed the administration's freeze of $23 million in English learner funding for New Jersey and cancellation of nearly $1 billion in school mental health grants. He supports doubling the Pell Grant and pointed to the roughly $5 billion the American Rescue Plan he helped write, negotiate, and pass in 2021, and delivered to Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institutions. He also introduced a resolution recognizing AANAPISI Week.
Gottheimer was joined by Assemblywoman Ellen Park, Chair of AAPI Caucus, Assemblywoman Shama Haider, Assemblyman Al Barlas, Mayor of Palisades Park Chong Paul Kim, Mayor of Harrington Park Joon Chung,Yogi Virk, President of the Sikh Chamber of Commerce, Daniel Song, Palisades Park County Committee Member, Closter Councilman Christopher Cho, Palisades Park Councilman Charlie Changkyun Shin, Mahwah Councilwoman Michelle Crowe Paz, Englewood Cliffs Councilman Philip Zhi Liang, River Edge Councilwoman Priti Dhariwal, Sara Kim, Senior Director of Public Health and Research Center at Korean Community Services NY & NJ, Teresa Baik, Director of Education of Korean Community Services NY & NJ, Farhat Khan, President of the Cultural Society of Bergen County, Palisades Park Councilman Christopher Kwak, Eun Ju Hong, President of the Korean American Association of Fort Lee, Tom Choi, Vice President of the Korean American Association of Fort Lee, Jae-eun Ahn, Vice President of the Korean American Association of Fort Lee, Christina Kim, with the Fort Lee Fire Prevention, Serena Pak, Director of the Youth Council of Fort Lee, Hyunjung Kim, Advisor of ComposTogether at the Youth Council of Fort Lee, Harrington Park, Ludi Hughes, Chairwoman of Asian American Heritage Council of NJ and Chairwoman/Founder of the Filipino American Festival, Inc, Amber Reed, Co-Executive of AAPI of New Jersey, John Sohn, President of the Korean American Nail Assocation of NJ, Ellen Jeon, Executive Director and Advisor of the Asian American Youth Council, Anne Y. Kim Cha, President of the Korean American Senior Citizens Association of NJ, Donald Yu, Vice President of the Korean American Senior Citizens Association of NJ, Ella Chorong Lee, Library Director of the Palisades Park Public Library.
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Original text here: https://gottheimer.house.gov/posts/release-gottheimer-hosts-aapi-roundtable-in-palisades-park
