Featured Stories
Gottheimer Joins Haworth Community to Celebrate Haworth Day
WASHINGTON, Oct. 28 -- Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release:
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Gottheimer Joins Haworth Community to Celebrate Haworth Day
Oct 27, 2026
HAWORTH, NJ -- Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) joined Jersey families, local small business owners, and community leaders to celebrate Haworth Day, one of the borough's favorite annual traditions.
"Haworth Day is exactly what makes our North Jersey communities so special," said Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5). "It was wonderful to spend the day with Jersey families, our local small business owners, and the neighbors
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WASHINGTON, Oct. 28 -- Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release:
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Gottheimer Joins Haworth Community to Celebrate Haworth Day
Oct 27, 2026
HAWORTH, NJ -- Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) joined Jersey families, local small business owners, and community leaders to celebrate Haworth Day, one of the borough's favorite annual traditions.
"Haworth Day is exactly what makes our North Jersey communities so special," said Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5). "It was wonderful to spend the day with Jersey families, our local small business owners, and the neighborswho make Haworth such a wonderful place to live, work, and raise a family. Events like this bring out the very best of our community."
Haworth Day brings together residents, local businesses, and community organizations each year to celebrate the borough and everything the Haworth community has to offer.
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Original text here: https://gottheimer.house.gov/posts/photo-release-gottheimer-joins-haworth-community-to-celebrate-haworth-day
Dangers of New York City's Radical Sanctuary City Policies: Report
WASHINGTON, Oct. 28 (TNSrpt) -- Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, issued the following news release:
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The Dangers of New York City's Radical Sanctuary City Policies: Report
October 26, 2026
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, the House Judiciary Committee and its Subcommittee on Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement released an interim staff report titled, "New York City: The Dangerous Consequences of Sanctuary Policies." The report exposes the devastating effects on public safety caused by New York City's sanctuary policies, and how the chief prosecutors
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WASHINGTON, Oct. 28 (TNSrpt) -- Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, issued the following news release:
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The Dangers of New York City's Radical Sanctuary City Policies: Report
October 26, 2026
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, the House Judiciary Committee and its Subcommittee on Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement released an interim staff report titled, "New York City: The Dangerous Consequences of Sanctuary Policies." The report exposes the devastating effects on public safety caused by New York City's sanctuary policies, and how the chief prosecutorsfor New York City's five boroughs treat illegal aliens differently than American citizens.
In roughly the past year alone, the New York City Police Department (NYPD) received nearly 10,000 detainers and honored zero because of state and local sanctuary policies. From July 1, 2018, through June 30, 2026, the NYPD received 20,255 detainers and did not honor a single one. In the same time period, the New York City Department of Correction received nearly 3,000 detainers and did not honor any of them.
District Attorneys Melinda Katz, Darcel Clark, Alvin Bragg, Eric Gonzalez, and Michael McMahon ensure prosecutors in their offices give preferential treatment to foreign nationals based solely on their immigration status--all so that criminal aliens can avoid deportation and remain in the United States indefinitely.
Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark trains prosecutors in her office to conceal certain facts from the record of conviction and pursue alternative charges so that aliens remain eligible to stay in the United States. Clark's office allows and even encourages the consideration of immigration consequences in cases involving aggravated felonies, crimes against children, domestic violence, strangulation, and firearms offenses. Clark's office encourages its prosecutors to concoct nonexistent, legally impossible charges for foreign national defendants so that they may avoid immigration consequences for their crimes and stay in New York City.
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz urges prosecutors in her office to "exercise extreme caution" in resolving cases involving foreign nationals. Katz's office advises its prosecutors to "not get caught up in the label of [f]elonies, [m]isdemeanors" when considering immigration consequences for criminal alien defendants;
Recently, New York's sanctuary officials expanded the state's already-dangerous sanctuary status by enacting the Local Cops, Local Crimes Act, which prohibits local law enforcement from housing illegal aliens, orderly transferring criminal alien detainees to ICE custody, and entering into ICE cooperation agreements, also known as 287(g) agreements. New York Governor Kathy Hochul and Attorney General Letitia James also announced a statewide Office of Immigrant Trust, a roving enforcement office that is devoted to ensuring that locally elected law enforcement officials obey the state's sanctuary laws and release criminal aliens onto New York streets.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani has bolstered New York's protections for criminal aliens at the expense of Americans. Earlier this year, Mayor Mamdani signed an executive order that prohibits ICE from entering New York City schools, shelters, and hospitals without a judicial warrant and enacted additional pro-illegal alien protections.
Even after the American people resoundingly rejected Democrats' pro-illegal alien policies in November 2024, Democrats across the country, including in Socialist-run New York City, reinforced sanctuary policies to ensure that the millions of illegal aliens who entered the U.S. are never removed from the country.
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REPORT: https://judiciary.house.gov/sites/evo-subsites/republicans-judiciary.house.gov/files/evo-media-document/10-26-2026-new-york-city-the-dangerous-consequences-of-sanctuary-policies.pdf
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Original text here: https://judiciary.house.gov/media/press-releases/dangers-new-york-citys-radical-sanctuary-city-policies-report
Comer Announces $40 Million Secured for Paducah's Riverport West Project
WASHINGTON, Oct. 28 -- Rep. James Comer, R-Kentucky, issued the following news release:
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Comer Announces $40 Million Secured for Paducah's Riverport West Project
WASHINGTON--Today, Congressman James Comer (R-Ky.) announced that the U.S. Department of Transportation's Maritime Administration (MARAD) has awarded a $40 million dollar Port Infrastructure Development Program grant to the Paducah-McCracken County Riverport Authority for the Riverport West Project. Congressman Comer recently sent a letter to U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Secretary Sean Duffy in strong support of the
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WASHINGTON, Oct. 28 -- Rep. James Comer, R-Kentucky, issued the following news release:
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Comer Announces $40 Million Secured for Paducah's Riverport West Project
WASHINGTON--Today, Congressman James Comer (R-Ky.) announced that the U.S. Department of Transportation's Maritime Administration (MARAD) has awarded a $40 million dollar Port Infrastructure Development Program grant to the Paducah-McCracken County Riverport Authority for the Riverport West Project. Congressman Comer recently sent a letter to U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Secretary Sean Duffy in strong support of thefunding and spoke directly with MARAD Administrator Steve Carmel to stress the project's importance to Kentucky's transportation network and economic future.
"The Riverport West project is a major investment in the future of McCracken County and Kentucky. This new funding will expand our region's shipping capacity, strengthen critical transportation infrastructure, and help attract new businesses and good-paying jobs. I was proud to support the Paducah-McCracken County Riverport Authority's work to secure this investment, and I commend its leaders and community partners for their ongoing efforts to get this project across the finish line. I will continue working with federal and local leaders to strengthen Kentucky's economy and create new opportunities for our communities," said Congressman Comer.
"On behalf of the Paducah McCracken County Riverport Authority, we thank Congressman Comer for his continued support in the development and federal funding of Riverport West. His advocacy, along with that of Senators McConnell and Paul, has been instrumental in helping us secure the PIDP grant funds necessary to complete construction of Riverport West. These federal funds, combined with matching state grant funds, will allow for a seamless and cost-effective construction schedule. This PIDP grant award is the next step in positioning Riverport West as a catalyst for economic growth across Western Kentucky," said Executive Director of Paducah McCracken Riverport Authority Jim Garrett.
Background:
Congressman Comer and his staff have advocated for the Riverport West Project since it was first presented to DOT officials, including by facilitating a meeting between senior DOT officials and local Paducah leaders. The project will expand the capacity of the Paducah-McCracken County Riverport Authority's existing public port, providing enhanced access to inland waterways and support the movement of manufactured goods and agricultural products throughout the region. In July, Congressman Comer was proud to announce DOT also awarded a $24 million Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) grant to support the Riverport West Project.
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Original text here: https://comer.house.gov/2026/10/26/comer-announces-40-million-secured-for-paducahs-riverport-west-project/
Attempted Dismissals of Members of Puerto Rico's Financial Oversight & Management Board Topic of White Paper From CRS
WASHINGTON, Oct. 28 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN12598) by economic policy analyst D. Andrew Austin:
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Attempted Dismissals of Members of Puerto Rico's Financial Oversight and Management Board
On Friday, August 1, 2025, President Trump sent dismissal notices to five of the seven members of Puerto Rico's Financial Oversight and Management Board (FOMB or Oversight Board): Arthur J. Gonzalez, Cameron McKenzie, Betty A. Rosa, Juan A. Sabater, and Luis A. Ubinas. On August 13, 2025, a week after these dismissals, FOMB member Andrew
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WASHINGTON, Oct. 28 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN12598) by economic policy analyst D. Andrew Austin:
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Attempted Dismissals of Members of Puerto Rico's Financial Oversight and Management Board
On Friday, August 1, 2025, President Trump sent dismissal notices to five of the seven members of Puerto Rico's Financial Oversight and Management Board (FOMB or Oversight Board): Arthur J. Gonzalez, Cameron McKenzie, Betty A. Rosa, Juan A. Sabater, and Luis A. Ubinas. On August 13, 2025, a week after these dismissals, FOMB member AndrewG. Biggs described them as a "setback for Puerto Rico." He then also received a notice of dismissal from the White House, according to an Oversight Board statement. John E. Nixon is the sole member of the Oversight Board who did not receive a dismissal notice.
On September 18, 2025, Gonzalez, Rosa, and Biggs sued to challenge their dismissals, contending that "in violation of the statutory text, Judge Gonzalez, Dr. Biggs, and Dr. Rosa were purportedly terminated without cause, as the emails provided no basis, justification, or authority for the terminations." On October 3, 2025, federal district court judge Maria Antongiorgi-Jordan granted a temporary restraining order, holding that the board members "have never been properly removed from office," and barred officials from "effectuating in any manner the attempted removal of Plaintiffs from their positions." On December 3, 2025, defendants filed an appeal.
The Puerto Rico Oversight, Management, and Economic Stability Act (PROMESA, P.L. 114-187), enacted in June 2016, established the Oversight Board and created processes for restructuring Puerto Rico's public debts, among other provisions. PROMESA Title III established a bankruptcy-like process that has been used for most debt restructuring cases. Title VI established a process similar to sovereign debt workout procedures. The federal district court overseeing Title III cases ordered the board to report on its status by August 25, 2025.
How Are Board Members Appointed?
Members, including those purportedly terminated, are appointed through a process established in Section 101(e) of PROMESA. In that process, six of the seven board members are appointed by the President from lists submitted by congressional leaders. For the original members, the Speaker and the Senate Majority Leader each submitted two lists for the appointments of two members (four members total). The House Minority Leader and the Senate Minority Leader each submitted one list for one appointment. The President appointed a seventh member in his sole discretion. Each Oversight Board vacancy thereafter is filled in the same manner in which the original member was appointed.
PROMESA (48 U.S.C. Sec.2121) also allows the President to send board member nominations to the Senate for confirmation. Thus, if the President chooses to fulfill a vacancy via Senate confirmation, he need not select from a list.
Four of the Oversight Board members who received dismissal notices, according to media reports, were nominated by Democratic leaders. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries nominated former chair of the board Arthur Gonzalez for his latest appointment. Then-Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer had put forward Betty Rosa and Luis Ubinas. President Biden had used his discretion to appoint Juan Sabater, and Speaker Mike Johnson nominated Cameron McKenzie. Then-Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell put forward Andrew Biggs in 2016 and for reappointment in 2020.
Issues Regarding Attempted Dismissals of Board Members
PROMESA authorizes the President to remove members "for cause" (48 U.S.C. Sec.2121(e)(5)(B)). The August 2025 dismissal notices sent to Oversight Board members, quoted in legal filings, articulated no cause. The Administration sent letters to those members on September 26, 2025, alleging "inefficiency, ineffectiveness, neglect, and failure to advance the statutory mission of the Oversight Board." The federal judge overseeing the dismissal case, however, held those ex-post communications were "fundamentally defective."
Other media reports cited complaints that the board's outlays on consultants and legal teams were high. Unnamed White House officials were quoted as endorsing criticisms of the board's efforts to cut debts of the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority through the PROMESA Title III process. White House officials were also quoted as claiming that the board "has been run inefficiently and ineffectively by its governing members for far too long and it's time to restore common sense leadership."
Andrew Biggs and former Oversight Board Chair David Skeel defended the work of the Oversight Board and warned that the dismissals could have severe economic consequences for Puerto Rico.
What Can the Oversight Board Do Now?
Provisions of PROMESA and bylaws established by the Oversight Board circumscribe what actions the board may take.
PROMESA itself requires no quorum for convening meetings of the Oversight Board and conducting its basic business. PROMESA (48 U.S.C. Sec.2121(h)) does require a minimum number of votes for some of the board's core functions.
For components of Puerto Rico's public sector that the Oversight Board designates as "covered instrumentalities," the board approves fiscal plans (48 U.S.C. Sec.2141) and budgets (48 U.S.C. Sec.2142) submitted by the governor of Puerto Rico. The Oversight Board can demand changes to those submissions, and if a revised submission does not meet PROMESA requirements, the board can develop and submit its own fiscal plan or budget for a given public sector component. In addition, if the governor and legislature pass a law that the Oversight Board finds incompatible with a fiscal plan or PROMESA's requirements, the board can act to prevent the enforcement or application of the law (48 U.S.C. Sec.2144).
PROMESA requires a majority vote of the Oversight Board's full appointed membership to approve a fiscal plan or a budget or to prevent application of a law. The board may also conduct business in executive session upon a majority vote of the Oversight Board's full voting membership. Entering one of Puerto Rico's public entities into the Title III debt restructuring process requires votes of at least five board members. Title VI does not appear to have similar voting requirements as those in Title III.
The Oversight Board's bylaws, however, require a quorum to conduct the business of the board and for all other purposes. With some exceptions, actions of the Oversight Board require an affirmative vote of no fewer than four members. Appointment or removal of the board's executive director or the general counsel requires a vote of the board chair and four other members.
If the board members number five or fewer, actions require a majority of appointed members. Appointment of an executive director or a general counsel, however, requires votes of the chair and at least three other members. Removal of the board's executive director or the general counsel would presumably still require consent of the chair and three other members.
Amending or repealing the board's bylaws also requires a vote of at least four members. The bylaws were last amended on April 19, 2024.
PREPA Debt Restructuring
The PROMESA Title III case for the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA) remains the last major debt restructuring process. In December 2022, the Oversight Board proposed a settlement via a plan of adjustment, which was followed by several revisions. The Board had estimated its recent offers would provide $2.6 billion to creditors. Bondholders, however, challenged the board's assessment of terms of the underlying bond agreement. In November 2024, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit in a revised decision largely sided with creditors' claims. The district court handling the case repeatedly has urged the board and creditors to continue negotiations.
In July 2025, a coalition claiming to hold about 60% of PREPA bonds argued that electric rates should be set high enough to pay the utility's indebtedness, which they estimate to total $12 billion.
On August 8, 2025, the federal district court handling PROMESA Title III cases suspended deadlines and ordered the Oversight Board to report on the "status of its membership and what effect, if any, the recent events will have on its participation in matters pending before the Court" by August 25, 2025. The main PREPA bondholder coalition replied that it and the apparently sole remaining Oversight Board member preferred to stay Title III proceedings until new board members were appointed.
The Oversight Board had also engaged in contentious negotiations with New Fortress Energy (NFE). The board held up a new long-term contract for natural gas after raising concerns that it could undermine "market competition and limit[] flexibility." In mid-September 2025, the island government signed a $4 billion gas supply contract with NFE, which is subject to Oversight Board approval. The NFE subsidiary Genera has been taking over operations of Puerto Rico's electric generation plants.
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The white paper is posted at: https://www.congress.gov/crs_external_products/IN/PDF/IN12598/IN12598.5.pdf
[Category: CRSCRS]
House Agriculture Ranking Member Angie Craig, SEEC Climate and Agriculture Task Force Urge USDA to Keep Affordable Energy Options Open to Farmers
WASHINGTON, Oct. 28 (TNSida) -- Rep. Angie Craig, D-Minnesota, ranking member of the House Agriculture Committee, issued the following news release:
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Ranking Member Angie Craig, SEEC Climate and Agriculture Task Force Urge USDA to Keep Affordable Energy Options Open to Farmers
Washington, October 26, 2026
Today, House Agriculture Committee Ranking Member Angie Craig (MN-02), alongside the House Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition (SEEC) Climate and Agriculture Task Force Co-Chairs Reps. Chellie Pingree (ME-01) and Kim Schrier (WA-08), led a total of 45 House Democrats urging the
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WASHINGTON, Oct. 28 (TNSida) -- Rep. Angie Craig, D-Minnesota, ranking member of the House Agriculture Committee, issued the following news release:
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Ranking Member Angie Craig, SEEC Climate and Agriculture Task Force Urge USDA to Keep Affordable Energy Options Open to Farmers
Washington, October 26, 2026
Today, House Agriculture Committee Ranking Member Angie Craig (MN-02), alongside the House Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition (SEEC) Climate and Agriculture Task Force Co-Chairs Reps. Chellie Pingree (ME-01) and Kim Schrier (WA-08), led a total of 45 House Democrats urging theU.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Brooke Rollins to revise the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) rule implemented on October 16 that requires REAP applicants to have projects fully installed and operational for at least 12 months prior to application.
"We write to you in response to proposed changes to the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP). Over the last year, energy costs have risen by more than four times the rate of inflation. This has acutely hit America's farmers and rural small businesses, whose bottom lines have been impacted by a trifecta of rising energy bills, skyrocketing input costs, and erratic trade policy. The new REAP rule that bars eligibility for farmers looking for much-needed financial relief through this cost-saving program is irresponsible and the exact opposite of what USDA should be doing to help our rural communities address record-breaking diesel and energy prices," wrote the members.
"We request that USDA revise this rule to remove the burdensome requirement that applicants must have fully installed projects for one year before receiving funding commitments from the agency. Farmers cannot afford to invest in these cost- and energy-saving measures without upfront government assistance. This is a time when we should be doubling down on affordable forms of energy -- not closing off energy options -- to safeguard our farmers, businesses, and food supply chain from external price shocks. We must maintain access to critical USDA rural programs that lower energy and input costs for America's farms and small businesses."
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INFODOC: https://seec.house.gov/sites/evo-subsites/seec.house.gov/files/evo-media-document/26.10.26-letter-to-usda-on-reap-rule-change_final.pdf
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Original text here: https://democrats-agriculture.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=3156
Himes Statement on Intelligence Community Led Election Briefing
WASHINGTON, Oct. 28 -- Rep. Jim Himes, D-Connecticut, ranking member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, issued the following news release:
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Himes Statement on Intelligence Community Led Election Briefing
Washington, October 27, 2026
U.S. Representative Jim Himes (D-CT), Ranking Member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, today released the following statement:
"This week, the House Intelligence Committee received a bipartisan, classified briefing from senior officials in the intelligence community on the threat of foreign interference in our upcoming
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WASHINGTON, Oct. 28 -- Rep. Jim Himes, D-Connecticut, ranking member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, issued the following news release:
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Himes Statement on Intelligence Community Led Election Briefing
Washington, October 27, 2026
U.S. Representative Jim Himes (D-CT), Ranking Member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, today released the following statement:
"This week, the House Intelligence Committee received a bipartisan, classified briefing from senior officials in the intelligence community on the threat of foreign interference in our upcomingelections. This is the 5th briefing the Committee has received in advance of the 2026 election. We continue to see nothing to contradict the longstanding assessment by the IC that no adversary has attempted to interfere with the physical infrastructure or vote counting of our elections.
"While the American public should be reassured that our elections and the results are safe, they should also remain on high alert for the spread of disinformation meant to impact the vote, particularly with the advances in AI and other technology.
"We are grateful to the professionals within the IC who are working hard to ensure that our elections remain secure. The Committee will stay in close communication with IC leadership and their election leads to ensure that we are fully informed of any changes in the IC's assessment regarding foreign threats to the election."
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Original text here: https://democrats-intelligence.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=1515
