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USTelecom - The Broadband Association Senior VP Mayer Testifies Before House Homeland Security Subcommittee
WASHINGTON, May 15 -- The House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Protection released the following testimony by Robert Mayer, senior vice president of cybersecurity and innovation at the USTelecom - The Broadband Association, from an April 29, 2026, hearing entitled "Data Centers, Telecommunications Networks, and Space-Based Systems: Modernizing DHS's SRMA Role for the Communications and IT Sectors." DHS is the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and SRMA stands for Sector Risk Management Agency.Mayer is also chair of the Communications Sector Coordinating Council ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, May 15 -- The House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Protection released the following testimony by Robert Mayer, senior vice president of cybersecurity and innovation at the USTelecom - The Broadband Association, from an April 29, 2026, hearing entitled "Data Centers, Telecommunications Networks, and Space-Based Systems: Modernizing DHS's SRMA Role for the Communications and IT Sectors." DHS is the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and SRMA stands for Sector Risk Management Agency. Mayer is also chair of the Communications Sector Coordinating Counciland co-chair of the DHS Information and Communications Technology Supply Chain Risk Management Task Force.
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Chairman Garbarino, Ranking Member Thompson, Chairman Ogles and Members of the Subcommittee, thank you for the opportunity to appear before you today.
I am Robert Mayer, Senior Vice President of Cybersecurity and Innovation at USTelecom and Chair of the Communications Sector Coordinating Council. I also serve as the Co-chair of the Department of Homeland Security ICT Supply Chain Risk Management Task Force.
USTelecom represents companies that build, operate, and secure the communications networks that underpin the American economy and support every sector of critical infrastructure. As communications networks and information technology systems become increasingly interconnected, ensuring their security depends on strong coordination, clear roles, and trusted public-private partnerships.
I will focus my remarks on three areas: our partnership with the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, the importance of sustaining and modernizing authorities for public-private coordination, and the need for greater visibility and coherence in the Information and Communications Technology and Services (ICTS) supply chain.
Our Partnership with the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency
The communications sector maintains a strong and longstanding partnership with Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), the federal government's lead civilian agency for cybersecurity and critical infrastructure coordination. This collaboration reflects a broader tradition of partnership between the telecommunications industry and the U.S. government that spans over six decades. That spirit of collaboration continues today as USTelecom and its members work closely with partners across the federal government to strengthen the security and resilience of America's communications infrastructure.
As cyber threats grow more sophisticated and interconnected, today's adversaries increasingly target entire digital ecosystems rather than isolated networks or individual points of failure, exploiting the complexity and interdependence of modern infrastructure to gain persistent access into critical systems. In this environment, resilience can no longer be fragmented or reactive.
Meeting these evolving threats requires collaboration that is agile, operationally coordinated, and deeply integrated across government and industry, supported by strong public-private partnerships and cross-sector coordination already taking place across the critical infrastructure community.
One of the strongest examples of this collaborative model in practice is the President's National Security Telecommunications Advisory Committee, which has been a force multiplier for communications security because it puts industry expertise directly into national decisionmaking. Instead of disconnected policy, it produces recommendations grounded in how networks actually operate, which leads to smarter resilience planning and more realistic security standards.
That connection has helped ensure that when crises hit--whether cyber or physical--communications systems are better prepared to stay online and recover quickly.
This model of operational collaboration has also proven highly effective through initiatives such as the Enduring Security Framework which has strengthened the sector by giving companies access to high-level threat insight they wouldn't otherwise have. That intelligence, combined with direct collaboration with government experts, has led to stronger protections around key technologies like 5G and supply chains. We believe the Enduring Security Framework, in particular, deserves to be continued and supported as CISA advances its mission in partnership with industry.
To meet this moment, we must build on what has already proven effective: deep public-private collaboration, including our longstanding partnership with CISA, while modernizing the foundations that support resilient cybersecurity and secure technological innovation. That means investing not only in advanced tools and capabilities, but also in the digital and physical infrastructure needed to support secure AI deployment across critical sectors. Central to that foundation is connectivity. Streamlined and predictable permitting processes are essential to accelerate broadband deployment, particularly in rural and underserved communities. Expanding high-speed connectivity is not just an economic priority; it is a national security imperative.
Without resilient, ubiquitous broadband infrastructure, the benefits of AI-driven defense capabilities and next-generation cryptography cannot be realized at scale, leaving vulnerabilities that adversaries can exploit.
Equally important is modernizing broadband networks. Continued investment in next-generation infrastructure--such as fiber deployment--enhances both the performance and security of communications networks. Modern networks are inherently more adaptable, allowing providers to deploy security updates more quickly, segment and manage traffic more effectively, and integrate advanced protections directly into network operations. These capabilities improve overall resilience, support rapid threat detection and response, and ensure that communications infrastructure can evolve alongside emerging technologies like AI and quantum-resistant encryption.
CISA's role as an enabler of the public-private partnership is essential. As a convener with crosssector visibility, CISA supports information sharing, facilitates collaboration, and helps align efforts across government and industry. A key component of this partnership is the legal framework that supports information sharing. The long-term reauthorization of the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act of 2015 is therefore critical. This statute provides the foundation for trusted, voluntary sharing of cyber threat information and underpins many of the collaborative efforts that exist today.
But resilience cannot stop at the federal level. USTelecom also supports Chairman Ogle's bipartisan PILLAR Act to reauthorize CISA's State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Program, which extends CISA's collaborative model beyond the federal level by strengthening cybersecurity capabilities across state, local, tribal, and territorial governments. By providing resources to enhance planning, coordination, and resilience, the program helps ensure a more consistent and aligned approach to cybersecurity across the broader ecosystem that communications networks rely on.
The challenges facing our digital infrastructure are no longer confined to any single network, company, or sector. Defending against increasingly sophisticated threats requires sustainable partnerships and a shared understanding of how critical systems function in the real world. The collaboration between CISA and the communications sector has helped build that foundation and strengthening it will be essential to ensuring that the infrastructure connecting and securing the nation remains resilient in the face of rapidly evolving threats.
Sustaining and Modernizing Public-Private Coordination Authorities
The United States benefits from a long-standing tradition of public-private collaboration in securing critical infrastructure. That collaboration is not incidental; it is built on legal authorities, institutional frameworks, and mission-driven relationships that have developed over time. As the threat environment becomes more dynamic and interconnected, there is a need to ensure that these authorities remain fit for purpose. Mechanisms for collaboration must be able to support not only strategic dialogue, but also timely, operational engagement.
Existing frameworks--such as those historically supported through advisory structures like the Critical Infrastructure Partnership Advisory Council--have demonstrated the value of providing a trusted environment for government and industry to share information and coordinate on security challenges. At the same time, the pace and complexity of today's threat landscape call for capabilities that are more persistent, more agile, and more directly aligned with operational needs.
To that end, there is a clear opportunity to build on these foundations by modernizing how coordination occurs. One approach is the development of a standing capability--referred to conceptually as the Alliance of National Councils for Homeland Operational Resilience, or "ANCHOR"--that would support continuous engagement between government and industry on cybersecurity and resilience.
Such a capability should move beyond episodic or incident-driven interaction and instead provide a durable framework for collaboration. It should enable real-time information exchange, joint planning, and coordinated response, while also supporting longer-term efforts to identify and mitigate systemic risk.
Importantly, this type of modernization should not be about creating new layers of bureaucracy.
It should be about ensuring that existing authorities and partnerships are structured in a way that reflects current operational realities. CISA is the appropriate entity to support this kind of effort.
Its existing role, relationships, and experience position it to facilitate sustained collaboration in a manner that is both effective and trusted by industry. Initiatives such as the forthcoming "Critical Infrastructure (CI) Fortify" program, a collaborative effort between CISA and allied partners designed to help critical infrastructure organizations maintain operations during periods of geopolitical conflict, will build on structured collaboration between government and industry.
These efforts show that when operational expertise and coordinated planning come together, they can produce meaningful outcomes on complex cybersecurity challenges. The task before us is to ensure that these partnerships are not episodic responses to emerging threats, but enduring foundations for long-term resilience.
ICTS Supply Chain - The Need for Visibility and Coordination
The security of the Information and Communications Technology and Services supply chain is a critical priority for the communications sector and for the nation as a whole.
Over the past several years, there has been significant bipartisan interest in addressing risks associated with the ICTS supply chain. Congress and successive Administrations have taken important steps to respond to cyber and geopolitical challenges, including those associated with the People's Republic of China. These efforts reflect serious and legitimate national security concerns.
At the same time, these initiatives have developed across multiple agencies and authorities, often in parallel rather than in coordination. Today, several parts of the federal government assert jurisdiction over different aspects of the ICTS ecosystem, including the Department of Commerce's Bureau of Industry and Security, the Federal Communications Commission, the Federal Acquisition Security Council, the Federal Acquisition Regulation Council, and the Department of War, alongside various congressional directives.
While each of these efforts is grounded in valid objectives, the cumulative effect is a regulatory environment that can be fragmented and, at times, difficult to navigate. This fragmentation presents a number of practical challenges. In some cases, there are overlapping or unclear lines of jurisdiction, where similar technologies, services, or entities may be evaluated under different authorities and standards. There are also instances where determinations affecting ICTS products or services are not accompanied by sufficient transparency. Without clear explanations, it can be difficult for companies to understand the basis for decisions or to take appropriate steps to mitigate identified risks.
Operational uncertainty is another concern. Changes in how equipment, companies, or transactions are treated--particularly when those changes are not uniform across agencies--can disrupt planning, investment, and supply chain decisions. This is especially significant in a sector where infrastructure investments are long-term and capital-intensive.
In addition, companies are often required to navigate a complex set of compliance obligations that may not be fully aligned. This increases costs and administrative burdens, and it can complicate efforts to maintain secure and resilient supply chains. These challenges have real consequences. They can slow the deployment of secure technologies, create inefficiencies, and, in some cases, make it more difficult to achieve the underlying national security objectives.
Greater visibility into ICTS-related risks, combined with more consistent coordination across agencies, would help address these issues. Industry benefits from timely, actionable information that supports effective risk management and informed decision-making.
Congress can play an important role in encouraging continued interagency coordination, promoting consistency in implementation, and supporting greater transparency in how ICTS-related risks are identified and managed. Aligning existing authorities--rather than adding new, overlapping requirements--will help ensure that security objectives are achieved in a manner that is predictable, effective, and sustainable.
Conclusion
In closing, the increasing interconnection of communications and information technology systems requires a governance approach that emphasizes coordination, clarity, and partnership.
Our experience demonstrates that when government and industry work together within a clear and durable framework, we can effectively address complex and evolving threats. Strengthening our partnership with CISA, modernizing the authorities that support public-private collaboration, and improving coordination in the ICTS supply chain will help ensure that the United States remains secure and resilient.
Thank you for the opportunity to testify. I look forward to your questions.
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Original text here: https://homeland.house.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/2026-04-29-CIP-HRG-Testimony.pdf
Miner's Health, Safety Lawyer Petsonk Testifies Before House Education & Workforce Committee
FORT BRANCH, Indiana, May 15 -- The House Education and Workforce Committee released the following written testimony by Sam B. Petsonk, owner of Petsonk PLLC, Oak Hill, West Virginia, and a miner's health and safety lawyer, from a May 8, 2026, field hearing entitled "Protecting Workers and Powering America: The Future of Mining":* * *
Chairman, Ranking Member, Members of the Committee -- thank you. I am a miners' health & safety lawyer from West Virginia. I formerly staffed U.S. Senators Robert C. Byrd and Carte Goodwin as a legislative assistant on mine safety when the Congress enacted major ... Show Full Article FORT BRANCH, Indiana, May 15 -- The House Education and Workforce Committee released the following written testimony by Sam B. Petsonk, owner of Petsonk PLLC, Oak Hill, West Virginia, and a miner's health and safety lawyer, from a May 8, 2026, field hearing entitled "Protecting Workers and Powering America: The Future of Mining": * * * Chairman, Ranking Member, Members of the Committee -- thank you. I am a miners' health & safety lawyer from West Virginia. I formerly staffed U.S. Senators Robert C. Byrd and Carte Goodwin as a legislative assistant on mine safety when the Congress enacted majorreforms to the black lung and mine safety statutes, and appropriated historic sums to remove case backlogs and hasten access to justice for miners. Thus, I am closely familiar with the legislative history and appropriations challenges surrounding American miners' health, safety, and medical care.
For the past decade, I've represented thousands of coal miners and their families nationwide to improve health, safety, and economic protections, litigating against numerous mining companies and multiple federal agencies.
Today, I want to address two principal issues: 1) the silica rule recently set aside by the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration, and 2) the danger of cutting safety agencies as we face heightened risks from mining in heavily-depleted mineral basins, such as Appalachia and the Illinois Basin (including Indiana).
I. The Silica Rule
The United States of America has taken a hundred years to provide miners with an independently enforceable limit on highly-toxic respirable silica dust. We have instituted a breathable silica limit for every other major category of American workers -- except for the miners who face the most extreme exposures.
In the 1930s, the Hawks Nest Tunnel project in Fayette County, West Virginia forced young men to drill silica-bearing sandstone with inadequate protections. It shocked the nation when hundreds of mostly African-American rock drillers died of acute silicosis at Hawks Nest. Today, from my office in that same county, I represent many miners in their thirties and forties preparing for double lung transplants from breathing sandstone in amounts that, for well over fifty years, the mining industry has known are downright deadly. Hundreds if not thousands of Appalachian miners have experienced such extreme sandstone exposure in recent decades that mining families are facing another, slow-moving Hawks Nest Disaster.
In 1974, NIOSH recommended a protective exposure limit for silica dust. In April 2024, MSHA finally promulgated a silica rule. Yet, inexplicably and indefensibly, the current Administration summarily halted that rule. The mining companies sued. The Eighth Circuit stayed the rule. The United Mine Workers and Steelworkers unions tried to step in to defend the silica rule. The court denied their motion. And then MSHA walked away from defending the rule -- telling the court it would "reconsider" the rule -- even though the Mine Act prohibits backsliding once a safety or health standard is promulgated. The agency that's supposed to protect America's miners is actively abandoning them in the face of the most widespread, severe, and well-proven health hazard in generations.
Every day this rule is weakened or unenforced, it is a conscious choice by this Administration to abandon miners to a miserable fate from lethal silica dust. It is a gruesome fate to smother to death at extremely young ages. And it is completely preventable.
Here's the point I want to leave with this Committee: even now, until the rule comes back into force, MSHA already has authority - and a duty - under the Mine Act to cut silica exposure dramatically today. They did it before through their "Silica Enforcement Initiative" starting in 2022. They can do it again. This Committee can urge them to do so.
MSHA can audit production reports to cite operators for putting miners downwind of cutting machines in violation of their ventilation plans. MSHA can conduct sequence-sensitive sampling, so the dust pumps run when crews are turning breaks and cutting sandstone. They can audit deep cuts and reported tonnage, so operators can't game the sampling system. They can use impact inspections and pattern-of-violation reviews at thin-seam mines where sandstone is common.
Most of all, MSHA must fully restore the silica rule, and receive sufficient funds to enforce it.
This is urgent. After a hundred years of surrendering to silicosis, we owe this to America's miners.
II. Run Coal, Run Risk
The second issue is how unsafe it is to be cutting safety and health agencies as we face compounding safety and health risks from increasing mineral production -- especially in heavily-depleted mineral regions where risks abound. This Administration is calling on America to "run coal." But in Appalachia, we have heard "run coal" before. Massey Energy CEO Don Blankenship told miners to "run coal" in the face of decreasing productivity and rising risks in the Central Appalachian Basin (including the known risk of silicosis from mining through large amounts of sandstone). Twenty-nine men died fifteen years ago on April 5, 2010 at Massey's Upper Big Branch longwall mine, as they struggled to ventilate a massive longwall operation, grasping for higher productivity as margins tightened and reserves dwindled regionally.
Today, the message is the same to "run coal." But risks are greater because our coal basins are even more depleted. To reach a ton of coal in Central Appalachia today, miners must cut through enormous volumes of sandstone. Likewise, in Indiana, we are mining reserves that were left aside years ago as uneconomic. The Illinois Basin will face declining productivity over the next five to ten years just like Appalachia has over the past twenty. As the margins tighten in heavily-depleted mining regions, the geological risks will increase (unstable roofs and highwalls, methane, respirable dust, etc.), along with corporate pressure to save money by cutting corners.
When you get less mineral per ton of earth mined, the profits go down and the risks go up.
In that context, it is reckless to hollow out the agency that's supposed to keep miners alive.
Confronted with the "Fork in the Road," at least seven percent of MSHA's experienced enforcement staff left the agency. Roughly 90 anticipated new hires never came on as inspectors or specialists. DOGE terminated leases on numerous MSHA field offices.
Within the past week, the Administration has reportedly laid off roughly one third of the staff of the Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission (FMSHRC) -- shutting down FMSHRC's entire Pittsburgh office, terminating one of the ALJs and one of the commissioners.
We now have only three ALJs nationwide to hear all the thousands of mine safety and health enforcement actions and miners' grievances. By the end of August 2026, due to these firings and attrition, it is now likely the Commission will not have a quorum and cannot conduct any business. This Commission has lacked a quorum and accrued a backlog before -- leading to serious harms. Please do not let the Administration manufacture another crisis for America's miners by gutting FMSHRC.
Currently, I'm concerned MSHA cannot sustain its impact inspections to target bad actors or the necessary "Part 50" audits to ensure that our injury and illness data are accurate. On April 30, 2026, the Office of the Inspector General found that MSHA had only documented an investigation for three percent of accidents that merited scrutiny under agency policies -- among other alarming shortcomings. The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) union representing inspectors says MSHA can barely keep up with the four-times-a-year inspections the law requires at underground mines and twice-annual inspections on surface mines.
On the health side, it's just as bad. NIOSH -- which runs the black lung screening program and approves the dust samplers we rely on -- was cut by DOGE last April. My clients sued and won an injunction restoring the mining programs, but again decades of irreplaceable experience were lost. As of last month, the Pittsburgh Mining Research Division of NIOSH still could not fully staff the laboratory that certifies continuous personal dust monitors (CPDMs). The current generation of CPDMs will eventually need to be replaced. If NIOSH cannot certify the next generation, we face a supply-chain bottleneck for the devices used to detect whether miners are over-exposed. This is the kind of disruption caused by DOGE, which is very hard to undo and very dangerous for thousands of American miners.
We must also address legacy commitments and emerging risks in mining, including the long-overdue Black Lung Benefits Improvement Act and health protections for rare earth miners, a new type of mining that is safer in some regards but may still pose risks.
Legacy Commitments. Miners struggle mightily to care for their families when their careers are cut short due to disabling black lung. Black lung disability benefit rates have not kept pace with inflation, and many miners are squandering what's left of their life savings surviving on meager monthly payments of less than a thousand dollars. Congress should urgently pass the Black Lung Benefits Improvement Act to address these and related challenges for disabled American miners.
A Note on Emerging Risks in Miners' Health. As America and the world diversify our fuel supplies, MSHA must protect all miners and stay ahead of risks faced in rare earth mining-- cobalt, lithium, and so on. Is MSHA implementing lessons at home from investigative work recently conducted in the Democratic Republic of the Congo by DOL's International Labor Affairs Bureau? Are MSHA and NIOSH sufficiently conversant in both the health and safety risks of rare earth mining? What steps are taken by NIOSH and by MSHA's health inspections at rare earth operations to monitor exposures? Relatedly, MSHA has a decades-old Memorandum of Understanding ceding jurisdiction of in situ leaching (ISL) to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, which has mostly applied to uranium operations. If rare earths are outside of the NRC's expertise, should MSHA assert jurisdiction over future ISL operations for rare earths?
III. Conclusion
Miners aren't asking for special treatment. They're asking for the laws on the books to be enforced. MSHA and NIOSH have powerful tools in the Mine Act. What they need is the will, the staffing, and the funding to effectively use them.
I urge this Committee, on a bipartisan basis:
1. Insist that MSHA preserve the full requirements of the 2024 silica rule.
2. Demand that MSHA amplify silica enforcement using existing tools.
3. Preserve a functioning Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission.
4. Direct MSHA to routinely conduct impact inspections, Part 50 audits, and accident investigations.
5. Ensure that DHHS fully staffs NIOSH's dust sampler-approval function.
6. Pass the Black Lung Benefits Improvements Act.
Thank you. It is an honor to appear here. I look forward to any questions.
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Original text here: https://edworkforce.house.gov/uploadedfiles/petsonk_testimony.pdf
Barrasso: Let Wyoming Do What Wyoming Does Best
WASHINGTON, May 14 -- Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyoming, issued the following news release:* * *
Barrasso: Let Wyoming Do What Wyoming Does Best
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"Let Wyoming power our country. Let Wyoming feed our country. That is what we do. We've done it for generations. We will do it for generations to come."
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) today spoke about continuing to fight for policies that expand production of Wyoming's affordable, reliable energy as well as strengthen markets for safe, high-quality Wyoming beef.
Senator Barrasso discussed his opposition to the House-passed, ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, May 14 -- Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyoming, issued the following news release: * * * Barrasso: Let Wyoming Do What Wyoming Does Best * "Let Wyoming power our country. Let Wyoming feed our country. That is what we do. We've done it for generations. We will do it for generations to come." WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) today spoke about continuing to fight for policies that expand production of Wyoming's affordable, reliable energy as well as strengthen markets for safe, high-quality Wyoming beef. Senator Barrasso discussed his opposition to the House-passed,year-round E15 mandate, which would raise gas prices and hurt small Wyoming refineries.
Click HERE to watch Senator Barrasso's remarks.
Sen. Barrasso's remarks as prepared:
"The people of Wyoming ask Washington, D.C. for one simple thing: Let Wyoming do what Wyoming does best. Let Wyoming power our country. Let Wyoming feed our country. That is what we do. We've done it for generations.
We will do it for generations to come.
"The American people want energy that is affordable, available, and reliable. Wyoming is America's energy breadbasket. We produce twelve times the energy we consume.
"Congress is currently discussing new mandates - mandates that would force more and more ethanol into our fuels. The House voted on this just last night. I oppose the year-round E15 mandate. That is what is currently under debate. I oppose it because it hurts small oil refineries and all of the people who work at them.
"In Wyoming, we have several small refineries. They employ thousands of people. Refineries receive hardship exemptions from something called the Renewable Fuel Standard mandate. They depend on these exemptions to survive.
"Small refineries already face higher costs under federal renewable fuel rules. Without additional relief, the new mandate will likely raise gas prices all across the country by up to 35 cents a gallon. Small refineries have been ignored so far in the current E15 debate. It's time for their voices to be heard.
"Affordable, available, reliable American energy never comes from one-size fits-all government mandates. It comes from regulatory certainty. It comes from permitting reform. It comes from people working hard every day like Wyoming energy workers.
"My message is simple: let Wyoming do what Wyoming does best.
"That same principle applies to our ranchers. Americans want U.S. beef on their tables. Wyoming ranchers produce the best beef in the world. Wyoming beef is safe. It is the highest quality. It is also our state's #1 cash crop.
"Wyoming ranchers care for the land and support our communities. Ranching is part of Wyoming's rich history and heritage. It is also part of Wyoming's bright future.
"Our ranchers do not ask for special treatment. They simply want a fair marketplace. They should not have to compete unfairly against foreign beef. It is Washington's job to ensure there is a fair playing field.
"The Trump administration recently unveiled a voluntary label. It's called 'Product of the USA.' It means Americans can trust what they're buying.
"Just this week, the administration rolled back the Biden administration's disastrous public lands rule. In Wyoming, nearly half of our land is owned by the federal government.
"Federal law has long recognized the value of land that has multiple uses - including for grazing. The Biden rule changed multiple use into no use. It was designed to shut down federal grazing across the West. It was an attack on our Wyoming way of life.
"I aggressively fought back against Biden's punishing regulation here in the Senate. I am glad the Trump administration overturned it. Our ranchers will now be able to expand their operations and produce more high-quality Wyoming beef.
"I will continue to fight for policies that expand American beef production. It needs to be easier - not harder - for Wyoming ranchers to feed America.
"Let Wyoming do what Wyoming does best."
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Original text here: https://www.barrasso.senate.gov/barrasso-let-wyoming-do-what-wyoming-does-best/
At Republican Rerun Hearing on Sharia Law, Ranking Member Raskin Slams GOP's Unconstitutional Attack on Religious Liberty
WASHINGTON, May 14 -- Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Maryland, ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee, issued the following opening remarks on May 13, 2026, at a Subcommittee on the Constitution and Limited Government hearing entitled "Sharia-Free America: Why Political Islam & Sharia Law Are Incompatible with the U.S. Constitution II":* * *
At Republican Rerun Hearing on Sharia Law, Ranking Member Raskin Slams GOP's Unconstitutional Attack on Religious Liberty
Today, Rep. Jamie Raskin, Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Committee, delivered opening remarks at the Subcommittee on the Constitution ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, May 14 -- Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Maryland, ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee, issued the following opening remarks on May 13, 2026, at a Subcommittee on the Constitution and Limited Government hearing entitled "Sharia-Free America: Why Political Islam & Sharia Law Are Incompatible with the U.S. Constitution II": * * * At Republican Rerun Hearing on Sharia Law, Ranking Member Raskin Slams GOP's Unconstitutional Attack on Religious Liberty Today, Rep. Jamie Raskin, Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Committee, delivered opening remarks at the Subcommittee on the Constitutionand Limited Government hearing on Republicans' campaign to restrict religious freedom, reprising a Sharia law hearing the majority already held in February.
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Mr. Chairman, thank you. And thanks to our witnesses.
Forgive me, but didn't we have this exact same hearing not that long ago? I think it's the fourth or fifth in the line. I can't believe that the cupboard of Republican ideas is so barren now that in order to distract America from Donald Trump's illegal, unconstitutional, ruinous war and his ruinous, illegal, unconstitutional tariffs and the spiraling price of gasoline and the unlivable economy he's created, that we have to go back and have this exact same hearing over and over again. Couldn't we come up with something else instead? It's not exactly working to reverse Donald Trump's precipitous slide into being the most unpopular president in American history, because that's where we are.
So, if we're going to have another religious convocation, perhaps next time, it could be a debate between Donald Trump dressed up, perhaps like Jesus Christ and the Pope of the catholic church, so the Pope can answer Trump's recent accusation that he's weak on crime. I never got that charge. After all, Trump himself is a convicted felon who's pardoned more than 1,600 rioters, insurrectionists, Proud Boys, Oath Keepers, domestic abusers, child molesters, white-collar fraudsters and international narcotraffickers and drug dealers. And the Pope is certainly not weak on him. The Pope has made his views on Donald Trump perfectly clear. So I don't understand why Trump is saying that the Pope is weak on crime.
Anyway, I had this idea I wanted to float by my colleagues to perhaps create some legislative progress in this field. The Republicans are afraid that Muslims are going to impose Sharia law on the rest of the population. Now, I'm not so afraid of that, because we have 535 Members of Congress, and only four of them are Muslim, which makes it extremely unlikely. How could less than 1% of Congress impose Sharia law on the other 99%? And what's even more reassuring is I actually know some of these Muslim Americans who happen to be in Congress, and they're all civil libertarians who stand up for the separation of church and state. But even if they changed their minds and convinced all the Christians, Jews, Hindus, and Freethinkers in Congress who are 99% of the House to vote for Sharia law, I'm sure someone on the Senate side, where there are no Muslims at all, would put a hold on it, like everything else that we send over there. So, I'm a pretty good vote counter, and I don't think that there would be a single vote to establish Sharia law in the United States Congress or in any state of the union.
But anyway, I had this idea to take advantage of the fact that we all agree on this point. Why don't we generalize the proposition of this anti-Sharia law movement to say that the government should not be endorsing or establishing any religion in America, whether it's Islam, Christianity, Judaism, Jews for Jesus, Seventh Day Adventism, Jehovah's Witnesses, Mormonism, Unitarian-Universalism, Branch Davidianism or Hare Krishna? I was playing with some language and I came up with this rough cut, Mr. Chairman, it goes like this: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof. . .".
What do you think about that? Do you think that covers it? We could call the first part the Establishment Clause. We could call the second part the Free Exercise Clause. I know we could get that through the Democratic caucus. Do you think we could get it through the Republican conference? I'm not sure, I hope so.
The problem is that we've got theocrats out there across the religious spectrum who want to elevate their own religious creeds and dogmas above the Constitution and establish them over the secular law. Take, for example, what the Texas and Louisiana legislatures recently did. They voted to endorse the Ten Commandments and post the Ten Commandments in every public school classroom in their states. I didn't even know that was necessary because I thought the Ten Commandments were doing all right. I didn't know they needed an endorsement from the Republican conference, but they went ahead and did that. Now they want to vote in every state legislature to endorse the Ten Commandments and to post the Ten Commandments. I'm opposed to that because of the provision in the Constitution, Article VI, Clause III, which says there shall be no religious test for public office. That sounds like a religious test, when you round up all the politicians and you ask them to vote on the Ten Commandments.
And by the way, if we are going to vote on the Ten Commandments, Mr. Chairman, I do not support that omnibus Republican package. I think we should have to vote on each commandment separately, and I don't think that you should be able to vote for any commandment you yourself have ever violated, because then we'll be taking the name of the Lord in vain.
You know, one politician I spoke to on the floor about this, he said that the Ten Commandments are the basis for the Bill of Rights. He kind of confused me there for a second. I said, well, I do know that there are ten in each one. That's true. But let's test the proposition. The First Commandment says: "Thou shalt have no other gods before me." The First Amendment says: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion." It's hard to see how the First Commandment dictates the First Amendment.
So, "Is Sharia Law Incompatible with the Constitution?" is the title of the hearing. Sure. And so is legislating any other religious text: the Ten Commandments, the Torah, or the Analects of Confucius, or whatever, any religious scripture or body. The whole point of our First Amendment is that people can go believe whatever they want. The government's not going to dictate to you what your religious worship and practice are going to be. The government is out of it. I did not write that language, to be clear. James Madison wrote that language. He took care of your whole "anti-Sharia law" law centuries ago. This is a complete waste of time. And he had the right idea. Madison would be appalled that the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals just voted 9-8 to uphold the compulsory Ten Commandments display in every school classroom in Texas or Louisiana.
Louisiana can do that. It can compel display of the Five Pillars of Islam. Think about that. You really want to head down that road. The states could force display of the Ten Precepts of Buddhism, the Analects of Confucious, or the Five Principles of Hinduism, if you can put up the Ten Commandments. And by the way, the Ten Commandments doesn't exist as one commonly agreed upon body of law. If you go online, you'll find like 10 or 15 different versions of the Ten Commandments. There's a Catholic version, there's a Lutheran version, there's a Jewish version, a Baptist version, Mennonite, and so on. You know, if you can compel display of ten of them, you can compel display of all of them. There could be 100 commandments. There could be 150 commandments.
So look, my friends, we don't need an "anti-Sharia law" law or an "anti-Christian law" law or an "anti-Jewish law" law or an "anti-Hindu law" law. We've already got one forbidding the imposition of any religious orthodoxy, forbidding the endorsement of any religious orthodoxy. It's called the First Amendment, and everybody should familiarize themselves with it, because this is a complete waste of time, what we're doing here. The government cannot establish, prefer, legislate, coerce, impose or endorse any religious doctrine.
We don't need a special law or a special caucus to do that. And if my friends understand that, then I think they will reverse course on this movement unless the purpose of the movement is just to demonize and vilify, not a religion, but adherents of the religion. But then I would have to believe that my colleagues are actually out just attacking Muslims, attacking Muslim Americans, criticizing and vilifying them for their beliefs or their way of life. And I don't want to believe that.
But I do challenge my friends to state one thing that an "anti-Sharia law" law would do that the First Amendment doesn't already do. Tell me one thing that we would need to legislate that's not already taken care of by the Establishment Clause or the Free Exercise Clause.
The real threat to our Constitution comes not from adherents of a particular religion, but from turning our backs on the Constitution and the First Amendment. Our freedoms are not under siege by a religious minority trying to build a community center, but they are undermined by lawmakers who would want to turn Americans against each other on a religious basis.
And is it true that religious fanatics commit violent criminal acts? Absolutely. I mean, you talk to any secular freethinker, and they will say that every religion has produced religious fanatics who have committed violence. Take, for example, Timothy McVeigh, who was part of the Christian identity church--the Christian identity movement trained on racism and antisemitism. He blew up the Oklahoma Federal Building in 1995, 167 people killed, 684 wounded. They blew up a nursery school. He was a violent, fundamentalist Christian fanatic. But you wouldn't blame all Christians for what he did any more than you should blame all Muslims, or all Jews, or all members of any religious faith because of what one person or one crazed fanatic group does in their name.
So, Mr. Chairman, I trust you understand all of that, I do hope we will return to constitutional principles. I yield back.
* * *
Original text here: https://democrats-judiciary.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/at-republican-rerun-hearing-on-sharia-law-ranking-member-raskin-slams-gop-s-unconstitutional-attack-on-religious-liberty
As Trump's Illegal War with Iran Drives up Costs at Every Turn, Lujan Fights to Tackle Affordability Crisis Hitting New Mexicans and the Agricultural Industry
WASHINGTON, May 14 -- Sen. Ben Ray Lujan, D-New Mexico, issued the following news release:* * *
As Trump's Illegal War with Iran Drives up Costs at Every Turn, Lujan Fights to Tackle Affordability Crisis Hitting New Mexicans and the Agricultural Industry
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Lujan Concludes Weeklong Tour Across New Mexico Meeting with Industry Experts and New Mexicans to Address President Trump's Affordability Crisis
Las Cruces, N.M. - As President Trump's illegal war with Iran continues to drive up costs across industries, U.S. Senator Ben Ray Lujan (D-N.M.) brought together experts and representatives from ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, May 14 -- Sen. Ben Ray Lujan, D-New Mexico, issued the following news release: * * * As Trump's Illegal War with Iran Drives up Costs at Every Turn, Lujan Fights to Tackle Affordability Crisis Hitting New Mexicans and the Agricultural Industry * Lujan Concludes Weeklong Tour Across New Mexico Meeting with Industry Experts and New Mexicans to Address President Trump's Affordability Crisis Las Cruces, N.M. - As President Trump's illegal war with Iran continues to drive up costs across industries, U.S. Senator Ben Ray Lujan (D-N.M.) brought together experts and representatives frombusiness, health care, housing, family services, and agriculture sectors to address the administration's policies that are increasing operational expenses and hitting pocketbooks across Southern New Mexico.
At the Community Action Agency of Southern New Mexico, Senator Lujan brought together representatives from various sectors, including housing, health care, family and economic support, and business, to address the growing affordability crisis facing New Mexicans. Senator Lujan and participants underscored how rising costs are straining families at every level -from housing and health care to groceries and childcare -and discussed his legislative efforts to lower costs, strengthen economic security, and deliver meaningful relief for families across New Mexico.
"New Mexicans are paying the price for the Trump administration's costly and chaotic policies," said Senator Lujan. "From higher everyday expenses to growing uncertainty across local industries, families and workers in Southern New Mexico and across our state are feeling the impact. I'm continuing to push back against policies that are driving up costs and hurting working families, while fighting for solutions that lower costs, strengthen local economies, and help our families."
As President Trump's illegal war with Iran continues to drive up costs for the agricultural industry, Senator Lujan led a coalition of farmers and agricultural representatives to examine and address the financial strain facing agricultural operations and its impact on New Mexicans. Senator Lujan and agricultural experts highlighted how the war with Iran has driven up the costs of inputs -including fuel, fertilizer, and equipment -and is squeezing thin margins and threatening the industry. Senator Lujan also outlined policy priorities aimed at lowering costs for producers and consumers, while underscoring his push to reverse SNAP cuts made by Congressional Republicans.
"Across New Mexico, our farmers, ranchers, dairy producers, and entire agriculture industry work tirelessly to provide for our communities. But because of actions taken by this administration, the industry is being hit with higher costs and tremendous uncertainty," said Senator Lujan. "To the folks that were able to join me at NMSU: thank you for your time and insight. These conversations will help me fight back against policies that hurt our state's agricultural industry."
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Original text here: https://www.lujan.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/as-trumps-illegal-war-with-iran-drives-up-costs-at-every-turn-lujan-fights-to-tackle-affordability-crisis-hitting-new-mexicans-and-the-agricultural-industry/
Air Force Readiness: Actions Needed to Address Depot Maintenance Delays and Staffing Challenges
WASHINGTON, May 14 (TNSLrpt) -- The Government Accountability Office issued the following report:* * *
Air Force Readiness: Actions Needed to Address Depot Maintenance Delays and Staffing Challenges
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Fast Facts
Three Air Force aviation depots maintain critical aircraft, such as the F-16 fighter and C-17 cargo transport. But maintenance delays are increasing-reducing aircraft availability for operations and training.
Also, the Air Force's method for tracking target completion dates of the maintenance process does not fully reflect delays, including the extent of unplanned work discovered ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, May 14 (TNSLrpt) -- The Government Accountability Office issued the following report: * * * Air Force Readiness: Actions Needed to Address Depot Maintenance Delays and Staffing Challenges * Fast Facts Three Air Force aviation depots maintain critical aircraft, such as the F-16 fighter and C-17 cargo transport. But maintenance delays are increasing-reducing aircraft availability for operations and training. Also, the Air Force's method for tracking target completion dates of the maintenance process does not fully reflect delays, including the extent of unplanned work discoveredduring maintenance.
The Air Force is also competing with the private sector to staff essential aircraft maintenance jobs, including engineers and mechanics.
Our recommendations to the Air Force address these issues.
An Air Force C-17 Aircraft Delayed in Depot Maintenance
A C-17 aircraft undergoing maintenance at an Air Force depot.
Highlights
What GAO Found
The Air Force has three maintenance depots that maintain the readiness of aircraft required for military operations. Depot maintenance delays have increased considerably since fiscal year 2019, whether measured by the original target completion date set before aircraft arrive at the depot or the revised target completion date that accounts for unplanned work found during maintenance.
Percentage of Air Force Aircraft Delayed During Depot Maintenance, Fiscal Years 2019-2024
The Air Force tracks depot maintenance timeliness for both original and revised target completion dates but primarily uses the revised target for reporting on its performance.GAO found several limitations associated with the Air Force's reporting on depot timeliness. For example:
* Reporting on the revised target masks the full extent of delays because it does not reflect unplanned work. Depots frequently revised targets after they completed maintenance to match the actual number of days it took to complete maintenance.
* Depots and aircraft program offices inconsistently apply the target completion date revision process.
As a result, the Air Force is not reporting the full extent of depot maintenance challenges and may not be able to make accurate comparisons across the fleet.
While all three depots have filled 90 percent or more positions since 2020, they have experienced shortages in specific occupations. According to depot officials, pay competition with the private sector is the primary challenge in recruiting and retaining personnel in occupations such as engineers and mechanics. The depots have taken some steps to mitigate this challenge by selectively using incentives and emphasizing the nonfinancial benefits of a federal career. However, the Air Force has not fully addressed pay competition with the private sector because DOD has not conducted a comprehensive assessment of pay gaps for occupations affected by private sector competition. Such an assessment would enable the depots to make informed decisions to address competition with the private sector for occupations critical to aircraft readiness.
Why GAO Did This Study
More than 2 decades of conflict has degraded the Air Force's readiness, with wide-ranging effects on aircraft from continuous deployments. The Air Force is working to rebuild its readiness, in part by modernizing its maintenance depots to sustain an increasingly aging fleet. The Air Force's three maintenance depots, also known as Air Logistics Complexes (ALC) are: Ogden ALC, Oklahoma City ALC, and Warner Robins ALC.
Senate Report 118-188 accompanying a bill for the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2025 includes a provision for GAO to assess maintenance and staffing at the three ALCs. This report assesses, among other things, the extent to which the Air Force has completed aircraft depot maintenance on time and addressed any staffing challenges at the depots.
GAO analyzed Air Force maintenance and staffing data; interviewed Department of Defense and Air Force officials; and conducted site visits to all three ALCs.
Recommendations
GAO is making 10 recommendations to DOD, including that it uses the original target completion date as a primary metric to report on maintenance timeliness, ensures consistent implementation of the target completion date revision process, and conducts a comprehensive assessment of any pay gaps for occupations affected by competition with the private sector. DOD concurred with 8 recommendations and partially concurred with 2 related to assessing root causes of delays. The Air Force agreed to capture this information and would identify where to store it. GAO maintains the existing Air Force system would be an effective way to capture these data.
Recommendations for Executive Action
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of the Air Force The Secretary of the Air Force should ensure that AFMC uses the original target completion date as a primary metric for reporting on depot maintenance timeliness to show the full extent of depot maintenance delays. (Recommendation 1)
Open Actions to satisfy the intent of the recommendation have not been taken or are being planned.
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Department of the Air Force The Secretary of the Air Force should ensure AFMC calculates and reports on the proportion of overall depot delays due to issues outside the depots' control, such as unplanned work. (Recommendation 2)
Open Actions to satisfy the intent of the recommendation have not been taken or are being planned.
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Department of the Air Force The Secretary of the Air Force should ensure that AFMC revises guidance to limit target completion date revisions after depot maintenance has been completed. (Recommendation 3)
Open Actions to satisfy the intent of the recommendation have not been taken or are being planned.
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Department of the Air Force The Secretary of the Air Force should ensure that AFMC establishes consistent implementation of the revision process for target completion dates across depots and program offices. (Recommendation 4)
Open Actions to satisfy the intent of the recommendation have not been taken or are being planned.
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Department of the Air Force The Secretary of the Air Force should ensure that AFMC revises its delay cause categories to improve their specificity and make category definitions available to all stakeholders. (Recommendation 5)
Open Actions to satisfy the intent of the recommendation have not been taken or are being planned.
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Department of the Air Force The Secretary of the Air Force should ensure that AFMC requires inputting a delay root cause analysis in the root cause reporting system for all aircraft exceeding their original target completion date. (Recommendation 6)
Open Actions to satisfy the intent of the recommendation have not been taken or are being planned.
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Department of the Air Force The Secretary of the Air Force should ensure that AFMC establishes categories related to unplanned work in the root cause reporting system, such as additional labor time, unplanned parts delays, and additional time for obtaining engineering approvals. (Recommendation 7)
Open Actions to satisfy the intent of the recommendation have not been taken or are being planned.
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Department of the Air Force The Secretary of the Air Force should ensure that AFMC conducts periodic quantitative analysis on the root causes of depot delays entered in the root cause reporting system and develops actions to address common issues across the depots. (Recommendation 8)
Open Actions to satisfy the intent of the recommendation have not been taken or are being planned.
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Department of Defense The Secretary of Defense should ensure that the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Product Support conducts and periodically updates a comprehensive assessment of pay for depot occupations competing with the private sector that includes identifying significant internal and external factors affecting depot occupation pay-such as economic trends-and uses this information and results to update this assessment periodically. (Recommendation 9)
Open Actions to satisfy the intent of the recommendation have not been taken or are being planned.
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Department of Defense The Secretary of Defense should ensure that the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Product Support uses the information and results from the periodic, comprehensive assessments of pay to develop tailored strategies for addressing challenges that arise from competition with the private sector, such as gaps in pay or staffing or skill shortages. (Recommendation 10)
Open Actions to satisfy the intent of the recommendation have not been taken or are being planned.
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
See All 10 Recommendations
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Original text here: https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-26-107890
Ahead of SCOTUS Ruling, Entire Senate Democratic Caucus Backs Resolution Affirming Abortion Pill as Safe, Effective
WASHINGTON, May 14 -- Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Arizona, issued the following news release:* * *
Ahead of SCOTUS Ruling, Entire Senate Democratic Caucus Backs Resolution Affirming Abortion Pill as Safe, Effective
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"Law and policy governing access to lifesaving, time-sensitive medication abortion care in the United States should be equitable, transparent, and based on the best available peer- reviewed evidence-based science."
Read in HuffPost: Every Single Senate Democrat To Come Out In Support Of Abortion Pill
Today, Senator Mark Kelly (D-AZ) joined the entire Senate Democratic caucus in reintroducing ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, May 14 -- Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Arizona, issued the following news release: * * * Ahead of SCOTUS Ruling, Entire Senate Democratic Caucus Backs Resolution Affirming Abortion Pill as Safe, Effective * "Law and policy governing access to lifesaving, time-sensitive medication abortion care in the United States should be equitable, transparent, and based on the best available peer- reviewed evidence-based science." Read in HuffPost: Every Single Senate Democrat To Come Out In Support Of Abortion Pill Today, Senator Mark Kelly (D-AZ) joined the entire Senate Democratic caucus in reintroducinga resolution affirming that the abortion medication mifepristone is safe and effective, and underscoring that law and policy related to the medication must be equitable, transparent, and based on the best available peer-reviewed evidence-based science.
Kelly and the lawmakers first introduced this resolution in 2023, following the Supreme Court's decision overturning Roe v. Wade, which sparked attacks on reproductive rights across the country. Since then, 20 states have banned or restricted access to abortion care.
The resolution comes hours before the Supreme Court's administrative stay in Louisiana v. FDA is set to expire, which, without action, would uphold the Fifth Circuit's ruling threatening millions of women's access to mifepristone, even in states where abortion is legal.
The resolution was endorsed by the following organizations: All* Above All, American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists, American Civil Liberties Union, Center for Reproductive Rights, EMAA Project, In Our Own Voice: National Black Women's Reproductive Justice Agenda, National Asian Pacific American Women's Forum, National Council of Jewish Women, National Latina Institute for Reproductive Justice, National Network of Abortion Funds, National Partnership for Women and Families, National Women's Law Center Action Fund, Physicians for Reproductive Health, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Power to Decide, and Reproductive Freedom for All (formerly NARAL Pro-Choice America).
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Original text here: https://www.kelly.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/ahead-of-scotus-ruling-entire-senate-democratic-caucus-backs-resolution-affirming-abortion-pill-as-safe-effective/
After Trump Reinstates Fired FEMA Chief, Pallone Warns Agency Is 'dangerously unprepared' Weeks Before Hurricane Season
WASHINGTON, May 14 -- Rep. Frank Pallone Jr., D-New Jersey, issued the following news release:* * *
After Trump Reinstates Fired FEMA Chief, Pallone Warns Agency Is 'dangerously unprepared' Weeks Before Hurricane Season
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NJ Congressman Demands FEMA Briefing Within 14 Days as Agency Cycles Through Third Interim Leader Under Trump
WASHINGTON, DC - Congressman Frank Pallone Jr., Ranking Member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, today sent a letter to President Trump requesting a briefing from Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) within 14 days and warning that the agency is ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, May 14 -- Rep. Frank Pallone Jr., D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: * * * After Trump Reinstates Fired FEMA Chief, Pallone Warns Agency Is 'dangerously unprepared' Weeks Before Hurricane Season * NJ Congressman Demands FEMA Briefing Within 14 Days as Agency Cycles Through Third Interim Leader Under Trump WASHINGTON, DC - Congressman Frank Pallone Jr., Ranking Member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, today sent a letter to President Trump requesting a briefing from Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) within 14 days and warning that the agency isentering hurricane season in a state of dangerous instability after months of leadership turmoil and staffing losses. Pallone's letter comes days after President Trump nominated Cameron Hamilton to permanently lead FEMA, nearly a year after Hamilton was fired as the agency's acting administrator.
"With hurricane season set to commence on June 1, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is dangerously unprepared to help Americans survive, recover, and rebuild. Your administration needs to undertake immediate and serious reforms before more communities facing disasters are left to pay the price," Pallone wrote.
Hamilton's nomination follows yet another leadership change at FEMA this week, after the Trump administration removed Acting Administrator Karen Evans and installed FEMA official Robert Fenton as temporary chief. FEMA has now cycled through three acting administrators since Trump returned to office, even as hurricane season begins June 1.
In his letter, Pallone detailed how the revolving door of leadership, combined with staffing cuts and proposals to weaken FEMA's disaster response role, is leaving the agency dangerously unprepared ahead of what forecasters expect to be another active storm season.
"Since you took office, FEMA has been without a Senate-confirmed leader and cycled through three acting administrators while top leadership positions in the agency remain vacant. Thousands of FEMA employees have been eliminated during your term and planning documents indicate an additional 11,500 are proposed to be cut from a workforce of 23,000. Now, FEMA is losing additional senior leadership and decades of institutional knowledge and rehiring a previously fired agency administrator just weeks before hurricane season begins. Last year, the agency made the short-sighted decision to reassign more than 100 key FEMA employees to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) during peak hurricane season," Pallone wrote.
Pallone explicitly said those changes would leave his home state of New Jersey especially vulnerable as communities continue recovering from increasingly severe storms and flooding events more than a decade after Superstorm Sandy.
Read Pallone's full letter here and below.
President Trump:
With hurricane season set to commence on June 1, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is dangerously unprepared to help Americans survive, recover, and rebuild. Your administration needs to undertake immediate and serious reforms before more communities facing disasters are left to pay the price.
FEMA has become a case study in bureaucratic dysfunction -slow to respond, unprepared for escalating disasters, and falling short of the responsibility Americans depend on in their darkest moments. Under your leadership, you have weakened FEMA's staffing and capacity, delayed and politicized disaster preparedness and recovery funding, and created uncertainty about FEMA's mission by floating proposals to shrink or eliminate the federal role in disaster response.
Since you took office, FEMA has been without a Senate-confirmed leader, cycled through three acting administrators, and top leadership positions in the agency remain vacant. Thousands of FEMA employees have been eliminated during your term and planning documents indicate an additional 11,500 are proposed to be cut from a workforce of 23,000. Now, FEMA is losing additional senior leadership and decades of institutional knowledge and rehiring a previously fired agency administrator just weeks before hurricane season begins. Last year, the agency made the short-sighted decision to reassign more than 100 key FEMA employees to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) during peak hurricane season.
During FEMA's failed response to last year's Texas floods that resulted in the deaths of more than 100 children, your administration's policies prevented search and rescue teams from being deployed for 72 hours and led to FEMA's call centers failing to answer thousands of calls from desperate Americans in need. FEMA withheld a billion dollars in funding Congress designed to help communities protect themselves against disasters and continues to withhold hundreds of millions of funding from blue states.
Suggestions to raise the threshold for states receiving federal aid and shrink the National Flood Insurance Program are incredibly alarming. States lack the capacity and financial resources to respond to the increasing frequency of extreme weather events alone. In New Jersey, communities are still rebuilding and preparing for the next major coastal storm more than a decade after Superstorm Sandy. In response to a major disaster, states depend on FEMA to surge assistance into impacted communities. Americans will pay the price for any decisions that undermine this agency's critical work.
Effective disaster response is not a wasteful luxury. It is essential for the safety and stability of communities across our nation. Rather than proposing additional short-sighted and dangerous restructurings, I strongly urge your administration to immediately fill the remaining FEMA's leadership vacancies, halt any further reassignment or reduction of critical emergency personnel, and reject proposals that would undermine FEMA's disaster response mission or reduce access to federal assistance.
In addition to a formal reply, I also request a briefing from FEMA within 14 days on the agency's hurricane preparedness, staffing levels, and operational readiness.
Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Sincerely,
Frank Pallone, Jr
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Original text here: https://pallone.house.gov/media/press-releases/after-trump-reinstates-fired-fema-chief-pallone-warns-agency-dangerously
Acting Secretary of Navy Cao Testifies Before House Appropriations Subcommittee
WASHINGTON, May 14 -- The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense released the following testimony by Acting Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao from a May 12, 2026, hearing on the fiscal 2027 budget request:* * *
Chairman, Ranking Member, and distinguished Members of the Committee, thank you for the opportunity to testify on the posture of the Department of the Navy and to represent the nearly one million Sailors, Marines, and civilians who comprise our great organization. Our services have maintained the watch for 250 years, and I am proud of the professionalism, resilience, and performance ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, May 14 -- The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense released the following testimony by Acting Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao from a May 12, 2026, hearing on the fiscal 2027 budget request: * * * Chairman, Ranking Member, and distinguished Members of the Committee, thank you for the opportunity to testify on the posture of the Department of the Navy and to represent the nearly one million Sailors, Marines, and civilians who comprise our great organization. Our services have maintained the watch for 250 years, and I am proud of the professionalism, resilience, and performancethese men and women have displayed while carrying the burden of defending the homeland, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, deterrence combat operations. They exemplify the President's directive of peace through strength.
Almost one year ago, I testified before the Senate that we have been facing the biggest threat since the Cold War. While we were fighting terrorists in the desert, Chinese influence spread across the globe and Iran continued their support of proxy networks and continued to pursue a nuclear program. Our adversaries share the strategic objective of challenging and diminishing the role of the United States and our interests across the globe. One thing that will stand in their way: our Navy and Marine Corps team. The Department of the Navy remains America's 911 force, capable of providing response forces and combat power wherever it is needed, whether as a carrier strike group, a Marine Air Ground Task Force, or any number of tailored force packages.
In alignment with the 2026 National Defense Strategy, the Department of the Navy will provide the military strength for the President's vision by setting conditions for a balance of power in the Indo-Pacific that allows all of us--the United States, China, and others in the region--to enjoy a decent peace. However, our Navy and Marine Corps teams will be prepared to form a strong denial defense along the First Island Chain and to conduct devastating strikes against targets anywhere in the world, including directly from the U.S. Homeland, thereby providing the President with second-to-none operational flexibility and agility. Our maritime service will continue to prioritize strengthening incentives for allies and partners to take primary responsibility for their own defense in Europe, the Middle East, and on the Korean Peninsula, with critical but limited support from U.S. forces. At the same time, we will seek to make it as easy as possible for allies and partners to take on a greater share of the burden of our collective defense, including through close collaboration on force and operational planning and working closely to bolster their forces' readiness for key missions.
The Department of the Navy is decisively moving towards implementing the President's new Maritime Golden Age strategy by building a resilient workforce and strengthening alliances that advance our strategic position and shipbuilding industrial capacity. Our Navy is actively investing in the Maritime Industrial Base (MIB) to enable faster construction of ships and other critical infrastructure. Additionally, our military requires a Defense Industrial Base (DIB) that produces, delivers, and sustains critical munitions, systems, and platforms. Our readiness, lethality, range, and survivability are directly linked to the DIB's ability to securely develop, field, sustain, resupply, and transport the equipment and materiel that affords us our warfighting advantage. Specifically for the Navy, submarine production will increase, reflecting the service's prioritization in bolstering our organic sustainment capabilities, growing nontraditional vendors, and partnering with traditional DIB vendors.
The Department's Fiscal Year (FY) 2027 budget request is a $377.5 billion strategic investment which represents a $70.9 billion increase, and a more than 23 percent growth over FY26--and signals a clear commitment to the Golden Fleet Initiative, modernization, and readiness. More importantly, this request reflects a shift toward sustained, long-term investment in naval power. This budget request combines $338.7 billion in discretionary funding and $38.8 billion in mandatory funding to align resources with operational demand and industrial reality.
The request prioritizes the following funding lines:
* Procurement: +45.1% - expanding capacity and accelerating delivery
* Operations and Maintenance: +19.8% - restoring readiness and availability
* Military Construction: +13.6% - rebuilding the infrastructure behind the Fleet
* Military Personnel: +4.8% - investing in our Sailors and Marines
* Research and Development: +4.5% - sustaining our technological edge
Our investments today will set the theater to enhance our ability to maneuver and sustain combat power, even under persistent surveillance and long-range threats. These capabilities ensure our warriors can operate at the speed demanded by modern warfare. Modernization continues to gain momentum, shifting from experimentation to fielding, with a focus on precision fires, air defense, unmanned systems, resilient command and control, and electromagnetic warfare. These advances, along with disciplined resource management and sustained investment in the maritime service will reinforce our commitment to readiness and ensure unmatched lethality.
My current focus of effort is on restoring processes and ensuring your Department of the Navy remains a premier warfighting organization. We will be transparent and honest, working to ensure that both our people and our institution are handled with care. The Department of the Navy's enduring priorities are clear:
* Take Care of Sailors and Marines
* Advance Shipbuilding Initiatives
* Defend Our Homeland
Taking Care of America's Sons and Daughters
I have a fundamental belief that investment in our people will lead to an increase in readiness, improve retention and recruitment, and will ultimately enable our service's ability to support national objectives while strengthening deterrence in critical regions. Our Department of the Navy is investing in safe, modern housing and leveraging authorities to ensure every Sailor has access to clean, comfortable, and secure living conditions. A key element to this is to provide quality government-owned Unaccompanied Housing (UH) for our service members through focused improvement of the current conditions of UH, addressing new concerns, utilizing best management practices, and producing a sustainable inventory enterprise-wide. The Department of the Navy, with guidance from the Barracks Task Force (BTF), is empowering the installations to address quick actions to improve barracks conditions that do not meet the clean, comfortable, and safe which was the target for the Secretary of War.
Furthermore, the Navy received $375M and the Marine Corps $350M from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) for restoration and modernization for barracks/UH improvements.
The BTF is working to improve quality of life in the barracks.
Our maritime service is actively addressing the impact the nationwide childcare staffing crisis has had on our Sailors through a robust set of initiatives: improving compensation with updated pay structures, offering recruitment incentives, and providing enhanced training. Staff childcare discounts are a powerful retention tool, helping us keep qualified professionals. The Navy is also extending childcare capacity beyond the gate by maximizing the Military Child Care in Your Neighborhood program. This fee assistance program provides immediate relief in areas with the longest waitlists by empowering families to access quality, vetted civilian childcare, turning a community resource into a force multiplier. Our message remains clear and consistent: readiness depends on strong families and a strong Fleet. Navy Child and Youth Programs deliver affordable, high- quality child and youth services.
Today's demanding environment and the needs of modern-day Sailors and Marines require improvements in Quality of Service across the enterprise. Providing Sailors and Marines with reliable connectivity ensures the Navy maintains a well-supported and connected fighting force by increasing access to training and education opportunities and expanding access to support networks. Enhanced Quality of Service initiatives positively impact Fleet morale, readiness, and retention and will strengthen the credibility of our Navy. One initiative is to provide free and subsidized high-bandwidth Wi-Fi access for Sailors and Marines living in UH.
The phased plan began in November 2025 with project completion expected by December 2027 across all installations globally.
Nutrition is essential to every element of Sailor and Marine readiness and performance.
To ensure food is consistently accessible to our Service members, the implementation of Essential Station Messing (ESM) facilities, Grab-n-Go options, a relaxed galley attire policy, as well as 24/7 access to Navy and Marine Corps Exchange and Micro Markets in barracks and food truck initiatives are in place at select locations across the enterprise. The Department of the Navy is focused on sustaining and improving ashore galley facility operations, effectively transforming them into a dining destination of choice. Galleys are essential to ensuring Sailors and Marines have access to fresh, healthy meals that support optimal nutrition and performance.
In conjunction with military food transformation and modernization, the Navy is launching two ashore galley pilot sites in the third quarter of FY26, with the intention of expanding choice, increasing healthy options, expanding access, and increasing ashore galley utilization.
The Department of the Navy is focused on addressing enduring responsibilities, including preventing sexual assault, reducing suicide, and countering substance abuse. These efforts are essential for maintaining discipline, trust, and professionalism. To proactively tackle corrosive behaviors and maximize readiness, our Integrated Primary Prevention Workforce (IPPW) serves as specialized advisors to command teams and installations. These professionals monitor threat indicators, assess command climate data, and ensure efficient integration of resources to maintain a resilient force. Further, they equip leaders to effectively address harmful behaviors before they degrade operational capability. Our maritime services have continued to evolve its Sexual Assault Prevention and Response (SAPR) program, leveraging data-informed strategies and leadership engagement to reduce incidents. We remain committed to protecting our Sailors and Marines and holding offenders appropriately accountable.
Finally, suicide prevention is personally a top priority. I have created a Suicide Prevention and Response Task Force to evaluate existing prevention and response capabilities, assess gaps, identify promising new programs, and provide recommendations to restore, strengthen, and sustain the mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual resilience of America's Navy and Marine Corps warriors. Our primary objective is to reduce suicides and suicidal behaviors across the Department by institutionalizing a comprehensive, data-driven prevention and response system. I look forward to providing the Committees the out brief on the findings of the Task Force along with the implementation plan.
Material readiness and combat effectiveness depends on the character and health of our Warriors as much as on the capabilities they employ. Upholding these standards reinforces the moral foundation that has guided the Department since our founding and remains essential.
Advancing Shipbuilding Initiatives
Over the past year, the United States Navy and Marine Corps has continually demonstrated across multiple theaters and mission sets why it is the world's premier maritime force. Whether delivering continuous, devastating striking power at an unrelenting pace from virtually every type of platform in the Fleet in Operation Epic Fury, enabling the rapid insertion, decisive action, and safe recovery of Special Operations Forces in Operation Absolute Resolve, delivering long range precision strike in Operation Midnight Hammer, or sustaining high tempo carrier strike operations against Houthi targets in Operation Rough Rider, our Fleet has operated with unmatched reach and skill. In the Western Hemisphere, during Operation Southern Spear, Navy and Coast Guard forces surged to disrupt illicit trafficking and safeguard our southern approaches. No other Navy or combined force can match the mobility, endurance, and expeditionary capability that the Navy and Marine Corps delivers. Whether off foreign shores, across the Middle East, beneath the Arctic ice, throughout the vast Pacific, or elsewhere around the world, our Navy and Marine Corps deliver ready combat power in hours or days, not weeks or months, and continues to underwrite America's global security and the Joint Force's ability to fight and win.
We are expanding the ways the naval Service will ensure victory over any enemy, any time, in any place. The Navy and Marine Corps are preparing to meet any foe up and down the spectrum of competition and conflict with a high-low mix of capabilities. That requires us to invest in current and new classes of combat ships, in new capabilities such as unmanned systems, and to recapitalize our auxiliary fleet. Next, we are revitalizing shipyards across America with tens of billions of dollars in stable, predictable, long-term investments to get more ships in the water, bolstering high-skill, high-wage American jobs. We are improving production of established ship classes through expanded distributed shipbuilding efforts. By prioritizing auxiliary ships, we will both meet the needs of the fleet and regenerate capacity for commercially viable shipbuilding. Finally, we are moving Navy shipbuilding from a compliance-based bureaucracy to an outcome-focused warfighting enterprise - restoring accountability, rewarding performance, and embracing advanced technology to deliver capability at speed by enforcing discipline, leveraging distributed production, and enabling stable, repeatable workloads.
The Navy is committed to maintaining an appropriately-sized amphibious force structure, and both services remain dedicated to building and sustaining traditional amphibious warfare ships that comprise the Amphibious Ready Group/Marine Expeditionary Unit (ARG/MEU) team. The LHA is a key component of the ARG/MEU team, providing unmatched capabilities for crisis response, humanitarian aid, and high-end combat. Starting with USS Bougainville (LHA 8), LHA Flight I ships reincorporate a well deck for deploying landing craft, to complement aviation assault. LHA 8 is projected to deliver in FY27.
Amphibious transport docks (LPDs) provide our expeditionary team with the capability to embark, transport, and disembark elements of a landing force for a wide range of expeditionary missions with the ability to operate independently in distributed operations. The new Flight II LPDs are designed to replace aging and costly Landing Ship Dock (LSD) ships.
The next ship Harrisburg (LPD 30) is projected to deliver in FY27. LHA 10 and LPDs 33, 34, and 35 are a part of the 2024 Multi-Ship Procurement (MSP) contract. MSP provides a consistent demand signal and stable shipyard workload for the amphibious ship industrial base.
In addition to building new amphibious ships, we are executing a comprehensive plan to improve readiness of our existing amphibious ships, an area in which we acknowledge we have underperformed. To provide an increased focus on this issue, the Navy and Marine Corps jointly established the Amphibious Force Readiness Board (AFRB), co-chaired by Vice Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Jim Kilby and the Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps General Brad Gering. Our charter addresses challenges for force generation, readiness, and maintenance and modernization of the amphibious force. The AFRB will provide quarterly reports to the Secretary of the Navy, Chief of Naval Operations, and Commandant of the Marine Corps on actions and improvements.
We have set clear goals including executing on time deployments and on time maintenance completion, specifically: reducing unplanned maintenance to 10% to reduce cost and schedule impact, reducing days of maintenance delay, procuring 97% of long lead time material greater than one month prior to maintenance period commencement, and awarding contracts one year prior for maintenance planning and workforce stability. These actions are how we restore confidence in the amphibious force and deliver combat power on time.
The Marine Corps and Navy are developing the new Medium Landing Ship (LSMs) to address a recognized littoral mobility gap in the Indo-Pacific and support the Marine Corps' Force Design. This vessel will maneuver and sustain expeditionary forces - including their supplies and equipment - across contested waters, enabling direct landings on beaches and at austere or degraded ports. To accelerate delivery of the new LSM, the Navy is using a rapid acquisition strategy with a commercial Vessel Construction Manager (VCM), with the expectation of fielding LSM at a higher rate. The first hull is directed to Bollinger Shipyard, with hulls 2 through 5 directed to Fincantieri Marinette Marine, and hulls 6 and on to be competitively awarded by the VCM.
No other Navy, joint or combined force in the world can offer the same level of mobility and expeditionary capabilities that enabled this mission to be successful. Regardless of the scenario, our Navy's differentiated value is the sovereign mobile capability we provide to our Nation and Joint Force to be in any hemisphere, fully capable, ready for any contingency, in a matter of days.
Defending the Homeland
Border security is national security. Under the President's leadership, consistent with his vision and direction as laid out in the National Security Strategy (NSS), the Department is laser-focused on restoring peace through strength by defending our homeland and interests in the Western Hemisphere. As detailed in the NSS, the President's approach is one of a flexible, practical realism that looks at the world in a clear-eyed way, which is essential for serving Americans' interests. Within the current environment, the defense of the homeland is shaped by persistent, complex challenges short of armed conflict. These include transnational criminal networks, illicit trafficking, malign foreign influence, and instability in the maritime approaches to the United States. As part of Operation Southern Spear, our naval forces are providing domain awareness and regional maritime security through enhanced counternarcotics operations and maritime interdiction in the U.S. Northern Command and U.S. Southern Command areas of responsibility. Our naval force remains pivotal in the fight against narco-terrorism as a national security threat, delivering decisive blows through power projection, coordinated deterrence, and advanced surveillance. This precise action at sea, proven successful in Operations Southern Spear and Absolute Resolve, directly degrades the enemy's ability to threaten our homeland and protects U.S. interests. The presence of a multitude of naval assets, each bringing their own unique capabilities, working along our joint partners, creates a powerful shield for America. By intercepting threats and securing interests far from our borders, the Navy is keeping the fight off the streets of American towns and cities and preventing the flow of illicit drugs into our communities.
In the Western Hemisphere, Marines are contributing directly to homeland defense by reinforcing security along the southern border and across the maritime littorals, supporting interagency partners, and enabling the broader Joint Force to counter illicit networks that threaten the homeland. The 22nd MEU exemplifies this role through their persistent presence, capacity for rapid employment, and ability to respond to crises with little warning. Operation Southern Spear underscores the unique utility of Marine Air-Ground Task Forces operating forward from the sea. These deployments highlight the Corps' ability to sustain forces at sea, maneuver in complex littoral terrain, seamlessly integrate with Joint Forces to extend the Joint Force commanders' operational reach, and work alongside partners to strengthen regional security in ways that complement other elements of national power. Simultaneously, through Task Force Forge and Task Force Ripper, Marines support missions central to the defense of the homeland. These forces disrupt narcotics networks that exploit instability across the region.
Marine Corps actions and presence directly protect Americans by denying transnational criminal organizations freedom of action along the United States' borders.
Damage from Typhoon Mawar impacted both civilian and military infrastructure, which complicates our ability to meet the 2026 National Defense Strategy and impacts Quality of Life for Sailors and their families. The Department of the Navy has executed several hundred million dollars in emergent repairs related to Mawar damage to date; and the Fiscal Year 2025 (FY 25) Supplement provided $2.2B for Mawar recovery efforts. The total estimate for Mawar recovery is $40B.
Conclusion: Restoring Faith in the Department of the Navy
While I have only been in job for several weeks, I commit to staying focused on accomplishing the Department's mission. We have Sailors and Marines currently in harm's way so our work, now more than ever, requires professionalism and cooperation at every level. I am committed to restoring your faith in the Department of the Navy, delivering on the President's vision for the MIB, and investment in the MAP which will require adjustment to policies that modernize government procurement processes and streamline regulations to accelerate shipbuilding and reduce costs. By streamlining regulatory processes, strengthening interagency coordination, and providing reliable long-term funding and demand for U.S.-built ships, shipyards, and mariners, America will rebuild maritime strength at the speed and scale required to meet the challenges of today and the future.
I look forward to working with each of you to support our Sailors, Marines, civilians, and families. The decisions we make right now will shape the global maritime balance of power for the rest of this century along with determining whether the Navy sustains its maritime superiority or cedes advantage to our adversaries and the Marine Corps remains a forward, ready, and lethal naval expeditionary force, poised to deter, respond, and fight when called upon. As we commemorate our 250th year, your Department of the Navy will continue to work alongside all stakeholders to deliver the force that our country needs. With your continued support, we will remain the preeminent service to accomplish President Trump's objective of peace through strength.
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Original text here: http://docs.house.gov/meetings/AP/AP02/20260512/119266/HHRG-119-AP02-Wstate-CaoH-20260512.pdf