WASHINGTON, Feb. 7 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12419) on Feb. 5, 2025, by American national government analyst Taylor R. Knoedl. Here are excerpts: * * * The U.S. Census Bureau Overview The United States Census Bureau is a federal agency that provides statistical data about the nation's people and economy. Article I, Section 2, clause 3 of the U.S. Constitution mandates a decennial census count of the population. The first   more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 6 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R41129) on Feb. 5, 2025, entitled "Navy Columbia Class Ballistic Missile Submarine Program: Background and Issues for Congress" by naval affairs specialist Ronald O'Rourke. Here are excerpts: * * * Summary The Navy's Columbia (SSBN-826) class ballistic missile submarine (SSBN) program is a program to design and build a class of 12 new SSBNs to replace the Navy's current force of 14 aging Ohio-c  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 6 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R41129) on Feb. 5, 2025, entitled "Navy Columbia Class Ballistic Missile Submarine Program - Background and Issues for Congress:" (Continued from Part 1 of 2) * * * Issues for Congress Impact of 12- to 16-Month Delay in Delivery of First Boat Overview One oversight issue for Congress concerns the impact of the estimated 12- to 16-month delay in the delivery of the first Columbia-class boat on  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 6 -- Sen. John Hoeven, R-North Dakota, issued the following news release: * * * Hoeven, Young Introduce Legislation to Fast Track Development of New Baseload Power Projects to Improve Grid Reliability WASHINGTON - Senators John Hoeven (R-N.D.) and Todd Young (R-Ind.) today introduced the Guaranteeing Reliability through the Interconnection of Dispatchable (GRID) Power Act, legislation to remove delays in the development of new baseload power generation projects that would imp  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 7 -- Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, issued the following news release on Feb. 6, 2025: Today, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH) and Congressman Barry Loudermilk (R-GA) sent letters to investigators and employees from Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis demanding documents and transcribed interviews as the Committee continues its investigation into the coordination between the Fulton County District Attorney's Offic  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. 7 -- The House Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials released the following testimony by Joe Daloisio, board chairman of the National Railroad Construction and Maintenance Association, from a Jan. 23, 2025, hearing entitled "America Builds: Examining America's Freight and Passenger Rail Network": * * * Good morning, Mr. Chairman, Ranking Member Titus, and Members of this esteemed subcommittee. My name is Joe Daloisio an  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 7 -- The House Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials released the following written testimony by Jared Cassity, deputy national safety and legislative director of the Transportation Division at Sheet Metal Air Rail Transportation, from a Jan. 23, 2025, hearing entitled "America Builds: Examining America's Freight and Passenger Rail Network": * * * Chairman Weber, Ranking Member Titus, and Honorable Members of the Subcom  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 5 -- The Securities and Exchange Commission issued the following remarks by Commissioner Hester M. Peirce: * * * Journey Begins Commissioner Hester M. Peirce When I was a child, my family took an annual road trip from Ohio to Maine and back. It was a different era. No cell phones to call for help if something went wrong with the car. Paper maps and directions written on scraps of paper, instead of a phone app to give you step-by-step directions. Forget hopping on the web to   more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 6 -- Rep. Marcy Kaptur, D-Ohio, issued the following news release: * * * Kaptur and Joyce Introduce the Great Lakes Gateways Network Act to Protect and Promote Great Lakes Heritage Washington, DC - Today, Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (OH-09) and Congressman Dave Joyce (OH-14) have introduced the Great Lakes Gateways Network Act of 2025, a bipartisan effort to promote conservation, education, and public access to the Great Lakes and their surrounding watershed. The bill seeks to  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

COLUMBUS, Ohio, Feb. 7 -- The Ohio State Bar Association issued the following news release: * * * Ohio Bar certifies 18 new attorney specialists CONTACT: Annie Yamson 614-487-4456 COLUMBUS, Ohio (Feb. 6, 2025) - The Ohio State Bar Association has newly certified 18 lawyers as specialists in five legal practice areas. They join the more than 900 attorneys certified as specialists by the Ohio Bar since 1998. The new specialists include: * Steven Auerbach - Certified Specialist in Labor and E  more

COLUMBUS, Ohio, Feb. 7 -- The Ohio Pork Council issued the following news release: * * * Ohio Pork Council Presents Top Awards at 2025 Pork Congress LIMA, OHIO - A true highlight of the 2025 Ohio Pork Congress was the annual awards presentation by the Ohio Pork Council (OPC) to recognize outstanding contributors to the state's pork industry. These included the Ohio Pork Industry Excellence, Pork Promoter of the Year, Manager of the Year, and the Friend of Pork Industry. In addition, the inaug  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 6 -- Rep. Robert E. Latta, R-Ohio, issued the following news release: * * * Passed by House: Latta, Griffith's HALT Fentanyl Act Today, the U.S. House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved, through a bipartisan vote of 312 to 108, the Halt All Lethal Trafficking of (HALT) Fentanyl Act, legislation led by Congressman Bob Latta (R-OH5) and Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA9). The bill would make the temporary class-wide scheduling order for fentanyl-related substances (FRS  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 7 -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service issued the following news on Feb. 6, 2025: * * * Plant Protection Today: Asian Longhorned Beetle Program Implements Dynamic New Survey Approach Scientific Innovation Supports Practical Pest Eradication By April Dawson The Asian Longhorned Beetle (ALB) Eradication Program recently rolled out a new, advanced approach to surveying for the beetle. The invasive insect attacks and kills 12 types of  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 6 -- Rep. Shontel Brown, D-Ohio, issued the following news release: * * * Ranking Members Brown, Connolly, and Rep. Ansari, Lead Oversight Democrats to Urge Government Watchdogs to Investigate Potential Threats to National Security Washington, D.C. --Today, Congresswoman Shontel Brown, Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Information Technology, and Government Innovation, Congressman Gerald E. Connolly, Ranking Member of the Committee on Oversight and Governme  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 6 -- Rep. Jonathan L. Jackson, D-Illinois, posted the following statement in the extensions of remarks section of the Congressional Record on Feb. 5, 2025: * * * Mr. Speaker, Dr. Ron Daniels is the President of the Institute of the Black World 21st Century and Founder of the Haiti Support Project. Dr. Daniels is a longtime advocate for the African diaspora in the U.S. and a leading figure in the field of Africana studies. As a Distinguished Professor of history, political, sc  more

CINCINNATI, OH, Feb. 7 -- Rep. Greg Landsman, D-Ohio, issued the following statement on Feb. 6, 2025: * * * Today, Congressman Greg Landsman (D-OH-01) released the following statement regarding President Trump's proposal for the United States to 'take over' the Gaza Strip: "Trump may or may not be serious about Gaza, but he's an unserious person and it's an unserious plan. There are three huge problems with his "proposal." "First, he's added a third list of places he would send American troo  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 6 -- Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Alabama, posted the following statement in the extensions of remarks section of the Congressional Record on Feb. 5, 2025: * * * Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the retirement of Jana McGinnis as Head Coach for the Jacksonville State University softball team. Jana, a native of Spring Garden, Alabama, spent 31 years as the head coach of the Jax State softball team. She retired with a 1,038-607 career and the all-time 30th most wins among Division  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 6 -- Rep. Emilia Strong Sykes, D-Ohio, issued the following news release: * * * Rep. Sykes Calls on President Trump to Lift Freeze on More Than $175 Million in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Funding for OH-13 WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Today, U.S. Representative and Vice Ranking Member of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Emilia Sykes (OH-13) issued the below statement highlighting the impact of the Trump administration's Executive Orders halting the funding of  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 7 -- Rep. Troy Balderson, R-Ohio, issued the following news release on Feb. 6, 2025: U.S. Representative Troy Balderson (OH-12) reintroduced legislation today that would enable grid operators to expedite consideration of power generation projects that improve the reliability of the electric grid. U.S. Senators John Hoeven (R-ND) and Todd Young (R-IN) introduced identical legislation in the Senate. The Guaranteeing Reliability through the Interconnection of Dispatchable (GRID)   more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 7 -- Rep. Joyce Beatty, D-Ohio, issued the following news release on Feb. 5, 2025: Today, in honor of Rosa Parks' 112th birthday, Congresswoman Joyce Beatty (OH-03), Congresswoman Terri A. Sewell (AL-07), and Congressman Shomari C. Figures (AL-02) introduced The Rosa Parks Day Act. The bill would designate December 1st as a federal holiday commemorating the historic arrest of Rosa Parks in Montgomery, Alabama. Rep. Beatty will participate in a press conference, hosted by Rep. T  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 7 -- Rep. Dave Joyce, R-Ohio, issued the following news release on Feb. 6, 2025: Today, Congressman Dave Joyce (OH-14) and Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (OH-9) introduced the Great Lakes Gateways Network Act of 2025. This bipartisan legislation authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to provide matching grants to state and local governments, non-profits, and the private sector to develop and conserve important resources within the Great Lakes gateway system, improving access to t  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 6 -- Rep. Michael Turner, R-Ohio, issued the following news release: * * * Reps. Turner and Bipartisan Coalition Introduce Bill to Prevent Trafficking in Government Contracts WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Congressman Mike Turner (OH-10) joined Senators James Lankford (R-OK) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Reps. David Valadao (CA-22), Raja Krishnamoorthi (IL-08), and Seth Magaziner (RI-02) to introduce the Ensuring Accountability and Dignity in Government Contracting Act of 2025. The  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