WASHINGTON, Feb. 7 -- Rep. Gerald "Gerry" Connolly, D-Virginia, ranking member of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, issued the following news release on Feb. 6, 2025: * * * While Musk Peddles Fear and Mass Firing of Federal Workers, Republican Iowa Governor Touts State Reforms With "Absolutely No Layoffs * * * Rep. Gerald E. Connolly, Ranking Member of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, led Committee Democrats in calling out the Trump Administration for its   more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 7 -- Sen. Charles E. Grassley, R-Iowa, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, issued the following news release on Feb. 6, 2025: Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations Chairman Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) today encouraged President Trump to stand up for the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) whistleblowers who exposed the Biden IRS and Justice Department's efforts to obstruct the federal criminal investigation into Hun  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 7 -- Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kansas, chairman of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee, issued the following news on Feb. 6, 2025: U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) and Rep. Mike Bost (R-Ill.) - chairmen of the Senate and House Committees on Veterans' Affairs - and Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) introduced legislation to prevent veterans from losing their Second Amendment right to purchase or own firearms when they receive help managing their Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) benefit  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 5 -- Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, issued the following news release: * * * Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship Advances Kelly Loeffler WASHINGTON - Today, the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, led by Chair Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), advanced the nomination of the Honorable Kelly Loeffler to serve as the Small Business Administration (SBA) administrator by a vote of 12-7. "For the last four years, small businesses were failed by an ever-growing and   more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 7 -- The Consumer Product Safety Commission issued the following recall alert on Feb. 6, 2025: * * * Name of Product: America's Got Talent microphones Hazard: The lithium-ion batteries in the recalled microphones can overcharge and ignite, posing a fire hazard. Remedy: Refund Recall Date: February 06, 2025 Units: About 125,000 (In addition, about six were sold in Canada) Consumer Contact: Jazwares toll-free at 888-341-0881 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. PT Monday through Friday, m  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 7 -- The Consumer Product Safety Commission issued the following recall alert on Feb. 6, 2025: * * * Name of Product: Pella Reserve and Lifestyle Sliding Patio Doors and Lifestyle Windows Hazard: The recalled products violate the mandatory federal regulations for consumer products containing button cell or coin batteries because the sliding doors' sensor panel and the windows' remote control have button cell batteries that can be easily accessed by children. This poses an ing  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 5 -- Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, issued the following news release: * * * Ernst Pushes to Keep Iowans in the Loop WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) is supporting the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act to protect Iowans' access to news by requiring automakers to maintain AM radio in their vehicles. This legislation also protects consumers from a separate or additional charge for this technology. "Iowans rely on our AM radio stations to receive updates on weather, busine  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 6 -- Rep. Randy Feenstra, R-Iowa, issued the following news release: * * * Feenstra Votes to Keep Fentanyl Out of Rural Iowa and Support Law Enforcement with Drug Confiscation Efforts WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra (R-Hull) voted for, and the U.S. House of Representatives passed, the HALT Fentanyl Act, which would permanently list all fentanyl-related substances under Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act and empower law enforcement to swiftly confis  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 6 -- Rep. Randy Feenstra, R-Iowa, issued the following news release: * * * Feenstra, Morelle Introduce Legislation to Spur Investment and Economic Growth in the United States WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Reps. Randy Feenstra (R-Hull) and Joe Morelle (D-NY) introduced the Growing and Preserving Innovation in America Act, which would make permanent the reduced Foreign-Derived Intangible Income (FDII) tax rate for American businesses. This provision was first authorized thro  more

DES MOINES, Iowa, Feb. 6 -- Gov. Kim Reynolds, R-Iowa, issued the following news release: * * * Gov. Reynolds announces $8 Million in grants to assist 18 communities advance water quality infrastructure Gov. Kim Reynolds today announced that 18 communities have been awarded a total of more than $8 million in grants to advance water quality projects. The funding is made available through the Wastewater and Drinking Water Treatment Financial Assistance Program. "This was the first bill I sign  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 5 -- Sen. Charles E. Grassley, R-Iowa, issued the following news release: * * * Grassley Releases Additional Records Demonstrating Success of Shuttered ATF Anti-Arms Trafficking Operation, Demands Explanation for its Closure WASHINGTON - Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) is probing a Biden-era decision to shut down Project Thor, a Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) led program, that identified and dismantled Mexican cartel arms  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 5 -- Sen. Charles E. Grassley, R-Iowa, issued the following news release: * * * Grassley Speaks Up for Family Famers' Needs During Senate Hearing on Ag Economy WASHINGTON - Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), a lifelong family farmer, today discussed the need to secure year-round, nationwide E-15 and boost transparency among poultry producers during a Senate Agriculture Committee hearing on the state of the ag economy. Grassley also highlighted farmers' ongoing struggle with high i  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 5 -- Sen. Charles E. Grassley, R-Iowa, issued the following news release: * * * Grassley, Blackburn Introduce SHOW UP Act to Get Federal Employees Back in the Office, Prevent Future Lax Telework Policies WASHINGTON - Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) joined Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) in introducing the Stopping Home Office Work's Unproductive Problems (SHOW UP) Act to return federal employees to in-person work. The legislation would require government agencies to reinstate   more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 6 -- Sen. Charles E. Grassley, R-Iowa, issued the following news release: * * * Grassley, Johnson Urge President Trump to Protect IRS Whistleblowers from Further Retaliation WASHINGTON - Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations Chairman Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) today encouraged President Trump to stand up for the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) whistleblowers who exposed the Biden IRS and Justice Department's efforts   more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 5 -- Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Missouri, issued the following news release: * * * Hawley, Whitehouse Reintroduce Bill to Support Law Enforcement, Prevent Officer Suicides U.S. Senators Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) today reintroduced the Supporting and Treating Officers in Crisis (STOIC) Act to expand support resources for law enforcement officers. The bill is also cosponsored by U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Christopher   more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 5 -- Rep. Ashley Hinson, R-Iowa, issued the following news release: * * * Hinson Joins President Trump for Executive Order Signing to Protect Girls' Sports Washington, D.C. - Congresswoman Ashley Hinson (IA-02) released the following statement after attending the White House Executive Order Signing Ceremony barring male athletes from girls' sports. "Joe Biden and the Left tried to blur the line between boys and girls - the days of woke, radical nonsense having a megaphone a  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 7 -- Rep. Mike Bost, R-Illinois, chairman of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee, issued the following news release on Feb. 6, 2025: Today, House Committee on Veterans' Affairs Chairman Mike Bost (R-Ill.), Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs Chairman Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Subcommittee on Disability Assistance & Memorial Affairs Chairman Rep. Morgan Luttrell (R-Texas), and Senator John Kennedy (R-La.) - alongside 40 cosponsors in the House, introduced legislation to cement t  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 7 -- The House Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials released the following testimony by Chuck Baker, president of the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association, from a Jan. 23, 2025, hearing entitled "America Builds: Examining America's Freight and Passenger Rail Network": * * * Thank you for the opportunity to testify to this subcommittee as you examine America's freight rail network and discuss the future  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 5 -- The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Immigration and Customs Enforcement issued the following news release: * * * HSI Los Angeles, Cherry Hill, and Honolulu special agents arrest members of online neo-Nazi group on child exploitation enterprise charges LOS ANGELES -- On Jan. 30, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) special agents, in coordinated operations in New Jersey and Hawaii, arrested two individuals on federal charges of participating in a neo-Nazi child e  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 5 -- Sen. Charles E. Grassley, R-Iowa, issued the following news release: * * * ICYMI: Grassley Joins Fox News to Discuss Bondi, Patel and the Need to End FBI Political Weaponization WASHINGTON - Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) today joined Fox News' "America Reports" to discuss eliminating political weaponization at the FBI, expectations for Pam Bondi in her role as U.S. Attorney General and Kash Patel's road to confirmation as FBI Director. Aud  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 7 -- The Environmental Protection Agency issued the following news release: * * * Former NDEE director to lead EPA's Heartland Region * * * LENEXA, KAN. (FEB. 6, 2025) - Today, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin announced that President Trump has appointed Jim Macy to become EPA Region 7 administrator. Macy will lead the implementation of the president's environmental agenda in Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, and nine tribal nations. "With  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 6 -- Sen. John Kennedy, R-Louisiana, issued the following news release: * * * Kennedy, Cramer reintroduce bill to prevent banks from discriminating against law-abiding businesses WASHINGTON - Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), a member of the Senate Banking Committee, joined Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) in reintroducing the Fair Access to Banking Act to prevent banks from denying services to law-abiding businesses for political purposes. "Banks shouldn't stop customers from accessing  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 6 -- Sen. John Kennedy, R-Louisiana, issued the following news release: * * * Kennedy, Moran champion bill to protect veterans' Second Amendment rights WASHINGTON - Sens. John Kennedy (R-La.) and Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs, today led 14 colleagues in introducing the Veterans 2nd Amendment Protection Act. The bill would prevent veterans from losing their Second Amendment right to purchase or own firearms when they receive help m  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 7 (TNSres) -- The U.S. Department of Labor issued the following weekly report entitled "Unemployment Insurance Weekly Claims" for week ending Feb. 1, 2025. Here are excerpts: * * * SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA In the week ending February 1, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 219,000, an increase of 11,000 from the previous week's revised level. The previous week's level was revised up by 1,000 from 207,000 to 208,000. The 4-week moving average was 216,  more

DES MOINES, Iowa, Feb. 6 -- The Iowa Department of Natural Resources issued the following news release: * * * Natural Resource Commission to Meet in Des Moines Feb. 12 Des Moines - The Natural Resource Commission (NRC) of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) will hold its monthly meeting on Feb. 12, beginning at 9:30 a.m., in the Lake Darling Conference Room, 6200 Park Avenue, in Des Moines. The meeting is open to the public. The public may also participate remotely either by vide  more

DES MOINES, Iowa, Feb. 6 -- The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship issued the following news: * * * Principals Modernize Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy to Incorporate New Insights, Science and Technology # Iowa's Nutrient Reduction Strategy continues to evolve based on nutrient-reduction data, real-world applications and new technical solutions DES MOINES, Iowa (Feb. 6, 2025) - The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, Iowa Department of Natural Resources (  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 6 -- Sen. James Risch, R-Idaho, issued the following news release: * * * Risch, Daines Introduce Bill to Give Small Businesses Permanent Tax Break WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Jim Risch (R-Idaho) and Steve Daines (R-Mont.) introduced the Main Street Tax Certainty Act to permanently extend the 20 percent tax deduction for pass-through businesses. Should these tax cuts expire, small businesses will face an immediate and massive tax hike. "Inflicting a 20% tax increase on Idaho'  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 6 -- Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, issued the following news release: * * * Sen. Cruz Introduces Constitutional Amendment to Prevent Democrats from Court Packing the Supreme Court WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee and Chairman of the Subcommittee on Federal Courts, Oversight, Agency Action, and Federal Rights, introduced a constitutional amendment to maintain a total of nine Supreme Court justices on the bench at a time. O  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 7 -- Sen. Charles E. Grassley, R-Iowa, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, issued the following news release on Feb. 5, 2025: * * * New internal ATF records show Project Thor's strong track record for cracking down on dangerous cross-border gun smuggling. * * * Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) is probing a Biden-era decision to shut down Project Thor, a Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) led program, that identified a  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 6 -- Rep. Adrian Smith, R-Nebraska, issued the following news release: * * * Smith, Craig, Colleagues Champion American Biofuels in Letter to New EPA Administrator Washington, D.C. \- Today, Representatives Adrian Smith (R-NE) and Angie Craig (D-MN) led nearly 30 colleagues in sending a bipartisan letter to recently confirmed Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin. The letter emphasizes the important role of the American biofuels industry in maximizing ener  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 6 (TNSres) -- The U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics issued the following document from Economics Daily: * * * The big game: barbecue, cheesesteaks, and sports bars Got plans for the big game this weekend? A few hours of TV watching are on tap for many. While all sorts of eating and drinking establishments might be showing the event, a sports bar is a sure thing. The highest concentration of establishments in the United States with "sports bar" in the name w  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 7 -- The U.S. Department of Homeland Security Transportation Security Administration issued the following news release: * * * TSA at SMF accepting California mobile driver's licenses during identity verification process SACRAMENTO, California - The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) at Sacramento International Airport (SMF) is now accepting California mobile driver's licenses (mDLs) for identity verification purposes. Travelers can add their mDL or state ID to their  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 5 -- Sen. Katie Britt, R-Alabama, issued the following news release: * * * U.S. Senator Katie Britt: The Era of Allowing Fentanyl to Flow into our Country is Over 'We're going to: Protect our families, secure our borders, and ensure that our children actually have the opportunity to live their American Dream.' WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Katie Britt (R-Ala.) spoke on the floor regarding America's fentanyl crisis, demanding action from Congress to stop the flow of these   more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 6 -- Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-Massachusetts, issued the following news: * * * VIDEO: In Hearing, Pressley Slams GOP Attacks on DEI, Gutting of Essential Services for Vulnerable Communities "It's just a deliberate, calculated attempt to erase marginalized communities from government while eliminating essential services for workers, families, and the people that we are actually elected to protect." "You are making people poorer, you are making people hungrier, more vulnerable   more