U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate
News releases, reports, statements and associated documents from all members of the U.S. House and the U.S. Senate as well as the House and Senate leadership and House and Senate committees.
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Sen. Hassan, Colleagues Announce More Than $1.2 Million to Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center to Address Health Care Workforce Shortages in Rural NH
WASHINGTON, Jan. 26 -- Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-New Hampshire, issued the following news release:
U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, and U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH), a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, and Congresswoman Annie Kuster (NH-02) announced that the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has awarded Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon $1,231,238 in federal funding to help address health care workforce shortages communities in rural New Hampshire are facing. Specifically, the funding was
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WASHINGTON, Jan. 26 -- Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-New Hampshire, issued the following news release:
U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, and U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH), a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, and Congresswoman Annie Kuster (NH-02) announced that the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has awarded Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon $1,231,238 in federal funding to help address health care workforce shortages communities in rural New Hampshire are facing. Specifically, the funding wasawarded through the DOL Employment and Training Administration's H-1B Rural Healthcare Grant Program, which supports employment and training programs that increase the number of individuals training in health care occupations that will serve rural communities across the country.
"New Hampshire's health care workforce shortage is a serious issue that has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. This is especially challenging for rural Granite State communities, where the loss of even one provider can significantly reduce access to health care and seriously hinder response efforts to this public health emergency," said Senator Shaheen. "This federal funding is an important step to address this shortage and ensure Granite Staters living in rural communities can continue to access the services they need to stay healthy and safe. I'll continue to work in the Senate to deliver additional federal support to our frontline providers and workers."
"The COVID-19 pandemic has further underscored the urgent need to address longstanding workforce shortages in rural communities across New Hampshire, particularly in our health care sector," Senator Hassan said. "This $1.2 million federal grant to Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center will help bolster workforce trainings programs and provide the hospital with the highly skilled workforce that it needs to provide quality health care now and in the future. I will keep working across the aisle to strengthen job training programs, which will be key to rebuilding our economy as we come out of the pandemic."
"The COVID-19 pandemic has further exacerbated the need for more health care workers in rural areas like those Dartmouth-Hitchcock serves," said Congresswoman Kuster. "This funding will help address the urgent health care workforce needs in rural Granite State communities and in turn help our state combat the COVID-19 crisis. I will continue working to ensure New Hampshire has the support, resources and funding it needs to get through the COVID-19 pandemic."
Sen. Baldwin Supports President Biden's Executive Action to Strengthen Buy American Policies to Support American Workers
WASHINGTON, Jan. 26 -- Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wisconsin, issued the following news release on Jan. 25:
U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin today released the following statement after President Joe Biden announced that he will take executive action to strengthen Buy American policies to support manufacturers, businesses and workers to ensure that our future is made in America by all of America's workers.
"I strongly believe that when we are using U.S. taxpayer dollars, we should be investing in American workers and American-made products. That's what I pushed Donald Trump and his administration to do for
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WASHINGTON, Jan. 26 -- Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wisconsin, issued the following news release on Jan. 25:
U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin today released the following statement after President Joe Biden announced that he will take executive action to strengthen Buy American policies to support manufacturers, businesses and workers to ensure that our future is made in America by all of America's workers.
"I strongly believe that when we are using U.S. taxpayer dollars, we should be investing in American workers and American-made products. That's what I pushed Donald Trump and his administration to do forthe last four years, but they failed to deliver," said Senator Baldwin. "Today, I'm grateful to President Biden for taking swift action to strengthen Buy American policies - an essential first step to ensuring we put America to work rebuilding our roads, highways, bridges and water infrastructure. It's a new day, and I look forward to working with the Biden administration on his Build Back Better agenda and to make sure we are doing right by American workers."
Senator Baldwin has long-championed stronger Buy America standards to ensure that American workers and products are prioritized, especially when U.S. taxpayer dollars are used. On Friday, Baldwin sent a letter to President Biden urging him to use his executive authority to boost the economy by directing all federal agencies to maximize the amount of American-made materials and products purchased by the federal government. Her letter also urged Biden to restrict Trade Agreements Act waivers that allow 60 nations to qualify as domestic for the purposes of Buy American.
Baldwin plans to re-introduce her Made in America Act to expand and enhance Buy America requirements throughout the federal government.
Rep. Pascrell Calls on Biden to Fire Entire USPS Board of Governors
PATERSON, New Jersey, Jan. 26 -- Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr., D-New Jersey, issued the following news release on Jan. 25:
U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ-09) today wrote to President Joe Biden calling on him to fire the entire United States Postal Service (USPS) Board of Governors for their silence and complicity in Donald Trump and Postmaster General Louis DeJoy's deliberate campaign to subvert vote-by-mail elections and destroy the Post Office.
"After several years of unprecedented sabotage, the United States Postal Service is teetering on the brink of collapse. Through the devastating arson
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PATERSON, New Jersey, Jan. 26 -- Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr., D-New Jersey, issued the following news release on Jan. 25:
U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ-09) today wrote to President Joe Biden calling on him to fire the entire United States Postal Service (USPS) Board of Governors for their silence and complicity in Donald Trump and Postmaster General Louis DeJoy's deliberate campaign to subvert vote-by-mail elections and destroy the Post Office.
"After several years of unprecedented sabotage, the United States Postal Service is teetering on the brink of collapse. Through the devastating arsonof the Trump regime, the USPS Board of Governors sat silent. Their dereliction cannot now be forgotten. Therefore, I urge you to fire the entire Board of Governors and nominate a new slate of leaders to begin the hard work of rebuilding our Postal Service for the next century," Pascrell writes President Biden.
As DeJoy's efforts to dismantle mail sorting machines, cut overtime, restrict deliveries, and remove mailboxes slowed mail nationally, Donald Trump himself openly admitted that his administration was withholding funding for the Postal Service to make it harder to process mail-in ballots. Through it all, the Board of Governors did nothing to protect USPS.
Pursuant to Title 39, the USPS Board of Governors' central responsibility is to "represent the public interest" and its members may be removed by the President "for cause." Today, Pascrell urges President Biden to exercise that legal authority and fire all six sitting members of the Board of Governors for their dereliction and betrayal.
Since this crisis began, Rep. Pascrell has aggressively demanded accountability from USPS. On May 21, 2020, Pascrell wrote to USPS Inspector General Tammy Whitcomb demanding an investigation of turmoil at the USPS, stemming from a pattern of interference engineered by the Trump administration in its efforts to destabilize the post office.
On September 30, 2020 Pascrell led members of the New Jersey Congressional Delegation in a letter to Postmaster General DeJoy demanding an emergency visit to the Dominic Daniels mail sorting center in Kearny and requesting information on USPS's ability to carry out New Jersey's all vote-by-mail general election. In October, Pascrell made a surprise appearance at the Daniels Facility and demanded access.
On August 14, 2020 Pascrell became the first member of Congress to call for DeJoy and Trump to be investigated by a state criminal grand jury for their arsoning the Post Office, making a criminal referral to New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal alleging Trump and DeJoy subverted state elections.
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January 25, 2021
To: President Joe Biden, The White House, 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, D.C. 20500
Dear President Biden:
After several years of unprecedented sabotage, the United States Postal Service (USPS) is teetering on the brink of collapse. Through the devastating arson of the Trump regime, the USPS Board of Governors sat silent. Their dereliction cannot now be forgotten. Therefore, I urge you to fire the entire Board of Governors and nominate a new slate of leaders to begin the hard work of rebuilding our Postal Service for the next century.
According to a report by the USPS Office of Inspector General/1, operational changes imposed by Postmaster General Louis DeJoy "negatively impacted the quality and timeliness of mail service nationally" and were "implemented quickly and communicated primarily orally," resulting in confusion and inconsistent application across the country. As DeJoy's efforts to dismantle mail sorting machines, cut overtime, restrict deliveries, and remove mailboxes slowed mail nationally/2, Donald Trump himself openly admitted that his administration was withholding funding for the Postal Service in order to make it harder to process mail-in ballots/3.
Things became so bad that on August 14, 2020, I filed a complaint with our state's Attorney General calling on him to seek indictments against your predecessor and the Postmaster General for election subversion./4 Postal operations have continued to severely lag benchmark levels under DeJoy and this slate of Governors. This holiday season, USPS reported an unprecedented level of mail disruption, with only 64 percent of first-class mail delivered on time in late December./5 Through it all, the Governors were either silent or in support of DeJoy's havoc.
The members of the USPS Board of Governors have but one central responsibility: "represent[ing] the public interest."/6 Members may be removed by the President "only for cause." The board members' refusal to oppose the worst destruction ever inflicted on the Postal Service was a betrayal of their duties and unquestionably constitutes good cause for their removal.
As America's perhaps most enduringly trusted institution, a central economic and social engine for every community in America, and a vital vanguard of the democratic tradition, the Post Office must play an essential role in our national life for generations to come./7 The continued challenges in preserving our Postal Service to survive and endure are gargantuan, and so demand bold solutions to meet them. To begin that work, we must have a governing body that can be trusted to represent the public interest. Thank you for your continued dedication to saving our Post Office.
Sincerely,
Bill Pascrell, Jr., Member of Congress
Footnotes:
1/ https://www.uspsoig.gov/document/operational-changes-mail-delivery
2/ See https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-08-20/usps-cutbacks-post-office-chaos
3/ See https://apnews.com/article/14a2ceda724623604cc8d8e5ab9890ed
4/ https://pascrell.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=4428
5/ See https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/01/19/upshot/postal-service-survived-election-but-crushed-by-holidays.html
6/ 39 U.S.C. Sec. 202(a)(1).
7/ See https://washingtonmonthly.com/magazine/april-may-june-2019/congress-is-sabotaging-your-post-office/
Rep. Garamendi Reintroduces American Food for American Schools Act to Support Biden Administration's Buy American Order
WASHINGTON, Jan. 26 -- Rep. John Garamendi, D-California, issued the following news release on Jan. 25:
Congressman John Garamendi (D-CA) reintroduced the American Food for American Schools Act to strengthen "Buy American" requirements under the National School Lunch Program. Garamendi's bipartisan bill would also increase transparency so that parents are informed when students are served foreign-produced foods paid for by taxpayers.
Original cosponsors: Marcy Kaptur (D-OH09), Jeff Fortenberry (R-NE01), Tim Ryan (D-OH13), Doug LaMalfa (R-CA01), Salud O. Carbajal (D-CA24), Don Young (R-AK), Derek
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WASHINGTON, Jan. 26 -- Rep. John Garamendi, D-California, issued the following news release on Jan. 25:
Congressman John Garamendi (D-CA) reintroduced the American Food for American Schools Act to strengthen "Buy American" requirements under the National School Lunch Program. Garamendi's bipartisan bill would also increase transparency so that parents are informed when students are served foreign-produced foods paid for by taxpayers.
Original cosponsors: Marcy Kaptur (D-OH09), Jeff Fortenberry (R-NE01), Tim Ryan (D-OH13), Doug LaMalfa (R-CA01), Salud O. Carbajal (D-CA24), Don Young (R-AK), DerekKilmer (D-WA06)
Garamendi's legislation was introduced the same day President Biden issued an executive order to support Buy American policies by directing federal agencies to buy goods and services that are American-made to the extent possible. Garamendi has championed Buy American and Make It In America policies with his Democratic colleagues throughout his entire tenure in Congress.
"Even in Northern Californian and Central Valley farming communities, some school districts use taxpayer dollars to buy imported foods. Some of those imported foods have been recalled due to safety concerns when they could have been sourced locally in California," said Garamendi. "That's why my American Food for American Schools Act would ensure that our schoolchildren are served nutritious, American-grown foods that are produced under the strictest safety standards in the world.
"This legislation also supports the Biden Administration's strong actions to advance Buy American policies that will support our middle class and generate a much-needed economic stimulus for our country. I thank President Biden for the executive action he's taking today, and I will continue to support his efforts through my work in Congress," Garamendi concluded.
The bipartisan American Food for American Schools Act strengthens the "Buy American" provisions in current federal law requiring school districts to purchase domestically sourced products for in-school meals. Under the bill, school districts would be required to obtain a waiver from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to purchase foreign-sourced food products funded by the National School Lunch Program. Any such USDA waivers would only be granted if the domestically produced food was cost-prohibitive or simply unavailable. Congressman Garamendi's bill would also require that school districts notify parents of all foreign-sourced foods served to students, by posting any such waivers obtained from the USDA on the school's website. This would increase public transparency and provide American farmers an opportunity to seek out school districts that need affordable domestically grown foods.
The full text of the American Food for American Schools Act is available here: http://garamendi.house.gov/sites/garamendi.house.gov/files/GARAME_024_xml.pdf
Rep. Castro Reintroduces Immigration Bills for New Congress
WASHINGTON, Jan. 26 -- Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-Texas, issued the following news release on Jan. 25:
Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20) introduced three pieces of legislation to restore dignity and protections for immigrants in the United States. All three bills had previously been introduced in the 116th Congress. The reintroduced immigration legislation includes:
* The Jakelin Caal Death in Custody Reporting Act. Named in honor of Jakelin Caal, a 7-year-old girl who died in U.S. government custody after crossing the border, this legislation requires the Departments of Homeland Security and Health
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WASHINGTON, Jan. 26 -- Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-Texas, issued the following news release on Jan. 25:
Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20) introduced three pieces of legislation to restore dignity and protections for immigrants in the United States. All three bills had previously been introduced in the 116th Congress. The reintroduced immigration legislation includes:
* The Jakelin Caal Death in Custody Reporting Act. Named in honor of Jakelin Caal, a 7-year-old girl who died in U.S. government custody after crossing the border, this legislation requires the Departments of Homeland Security and Healthand Human Services to report on and investigate all migrant deaths that occur in government custody, bringing transparency and accountability to agencies that have held refugees, migrants, and asylum-seekers in life-threatening conditions.
* The CHANGE Act. This legislation eliminates the term "alien" and "illegal alien" from federal law and replaces them with "foreign national" and "undocumented foreign national," to restore humanity in the language of our immigration laws. Notably, a similar proposal is included in President Biden's proposed U.S. Citizenship Act to reform our inhumane and broken immigration system.
* A Private Bill for Sanctuary Relief. This private bill would provide permanent resident status and rescind ICE orders of removal for Alirio Gamez, a Salvadoran refugee, and Hilda Ramirez and her son Ivan, Guatemalan refugees. All three individuals have been living in Austin-area houses of worship for years as a last resort to avoid deportation back to the danger they fled, sheltered by dedicated faith communities. Rep. Castro has met all three individuals, and personally escorted Hilda and Ivan to an ICE office to ask for humanitarian relief. This private bill offers them the opportunity to finally leave the sanctuaries they have been sheltered in and begin safe and full lives in the United States.
Following the reintroduction of his legislation, Rep. Castro issued the following statement:
"With a new administration in office, these bills now have a far greater chance of becoming laws. I look forward to working with my colleagues in Congress and the Biden administration on long-overdue immigration reform, and I'm optimistic that my legislation will be included in a broader effort to protect the most vulnerable among us and restore America's promise as a nation of immigrants."
Rep. Cammack Tapped To Serve On House Agriculture & Homeland Security Committees During 117th Congress
GAINESVILLE, Florida, Jan. 26 -- Rep. Kat Cammack, R-Florida, issued the following news release on Jan. 25:
Congresswoman Kat Cammack announced her new seats on the House Agriculture and Homeland Security Committees for the 117th Congress.
On the House Agriculture Committee, Rep. Cammack will serve as the only Florida Republican on the committee and will join her colleagues and Ranking Member Glenn "GT" Thompson (PA-15) to work on agricultural issues important to constituents in Florida's Third Congressional District, the state of Florida, and across the country. Congresswoman Cammack will also
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GAINESVILLE, Florida, Jan. 26 -- Rep. Kat Cammack, R-Florida, issued the following news release on Jan. 25:
Congresswoman Kat Cammack announced her new seats on the House Agriculture and Homeland Security Committees for the 117th Congress.
On the House Agriculture Committee, Rep. Cammack will serve as the only Florida Republican on the committee and will join her colleagues and Ranking Member Glenn "GT" Thompson (PA-15) to work on agricultural issues important to constituents in Florida's Third Congressional District, the state of Florida, and across the country. Congresswoman Cammack will alsoserve as a member of the House Homeland Security Committee alongside Ranking Member John Katko (NY-24), working on legislative initiatives related to cybersecurity, counterterrorism, emergency preparedness and response, and border security.
"It is an honor to serve on the House Agriculture Committee on behalf of the hardworking men and women of Florida's Third Congressional District. Our district and state is home to thousands of farmers, ranchers, and producers and I am proud to work on the issues that matter to them--from commodity prices and exchange rates to trade, subsidies, conservation, and more," said Cammack. "My first priority during my time on this committee is improving and expanding access to rural broadband for my constituents."
Florida's Third Congressional District is known for its strong peanut, livestock, watermelon, blueberry, hay, dairy, and timber production. The district's largely rural counties are some of the Sunshine State's leading producers, contributing to Florida's second largest economic driver.
"I am also honored to serve on the House Homeland Security Committee during this session. My background in national defense and military strategy from the United States Naval War College will serve my constituents well as I work with my colleagues to increase border security, improve emergency preparedness in Florida, and support counterterrorism and intelligence efforts to keep Americans safe, especially amid emerging global threats by China and Russia," said Cammack. "Florida is also home to annual hurricane threats, making it even more important that a Floridian with a vested interest in coordination with FEMA after every disaster serves on this committee and knows and understands the challenges that come with the hurricane season."
Congresswoman Cammack's appointments to these committees is an important nexus that serves to strengthen critical domestic supply chains and improve border security, counterintelligence measures, and emergency preparedness.
Subcommittee assignments for the House Agriculture and House Homeland Security Committees have not yet been made and will be announced at a later date.
Rep. Biggs Introduces Two COVID-19 Vaccine-Related Bills
GILBERT, Arizona, Jan. 26 -- Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Arizona, issued the following statement:
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Congressman Andy Biggs introduced two pieces of legislation related to the COVID-19 vaccine. The first bill prohibits the use of federal funds to maintain or collect information that can be used to identify any individual to whom a COVID-19 vaccine is administered. The second bill prohibits the use of federal funds to propose, establish, implement, or enforce any requirement that an individual wear a mask or other face covering, or be vaccinated to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Congressman Biggs
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GILBERT, Arizona, Jan. 26 -- Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Arizona, issued the following statement:
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Congressman Andy Biggs introduced two pieces of legislation related to the COVID-19 vaccine. The first bill prohibits the use of federal funds to maintain or collect information that can be used to identify any individual to whom a COVID-19 vaccine is administered. The second bill prohibits the use of federal funds to propose, establish, implement, or enforce any requirement that an individual wear a mask or other face covering, or be vaccinated to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Congressman Biggsissued the following statement:
"COVID-19 is real and serious, and many Americans have realized the need to take precautions for themselves or their loved ones. Unfortunately, state and local officials have used this public health emergency to issue draconian mandates, destroy the right to privacy, and leverage fear for increased dependence on government. Many of my constituents and I fear that government will do the same with the historic COVID-19 vaccine.
I support Americans who want to obtain the COVID-19 vaccine for themselves and their loved ones. I unequivocally oppose any government official who seeks to mandate this vaccine on any American, or who keeps a database of Americans who may have chosen not to receive the vaccine.
All Americans should value and protect our freedoms and personal responsibility - no matter the emergency we face as a community, state, or nation."
