WASHINGTON, May 6 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R45811) on May 5, 2025, entitled "Hypersonic Weapons - Background and Issues for Congress:" (Continued from Part 1 of 2) * * * Infrastructure According to a study mandated by the FY2013 National Defense Authorization Act (P.L. 112-239) and conducted by the Institute for Defense Analyses (IDA),/85 the United States had 48 critical hypersonic test facilities and mobile assets in 2014 needed for the maturat  more

PATUXENT RIVER, Maryland, May 5 -- The U.S. Naval Air Systems Command issued the following news release: * * * Aircrew safety improved with new oxygen purity test at NAWCAD For the first time, the Navy can precisely test how well modern oxygen systems remove impurities to ensure safe air for aircrew following a successful demonstration by teams at the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD). There was previously no way to test whether oxygen systems meet the latest military stan  more

WASHINGTON, May 6 -- The U.S. Department of Defense issued the following news: * * * Contracts for May 6, 2025 ARMY AECOM Technical Services Inc., Arlington, Virginia (W912DY-25-D-0065); Baker-Stanley-Cardno JV, Moon Township, Pennsylvania (W912DY-25-D-0066); Black & Veatch Special Projects Corp., Overland Park, Kansas (W912DY-25-D-0067); HDR Engineering Inc., Ann Arbor, Michigan (W912DY-25-D-0068); Jacobs Government Services Co., Arlington, Virginia (W912DY-25-D-0069); Tetra Tech/Mason & H  more

WASHINGTON, May 6 -- The U.S. Department of Labor issued the following news release: * * * Department of Labor to highlight safe construction work practices during 2025 National Safety Stand-Down to Prevent Falls WASHINGTON - The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration is encouraging construction industry employers and workers, across the nation, to take part in its 12th annual National Safety Stand-Down to Prevent Falls in Construction from May 5-9, 2025. Thi  more

WASHINGTON, May 7 -- The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has denied a protest filed by A Square Group LLC (ASG), a small business located in Rockville, Maryland, challenging the Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' (CMS) award of a task order to Cogent People Inc. (Cogent), a small business of Columbia, Maryland. The task order, issued under request for quotations (RFQ) No. 230314, is for health insurance marketplace and financial management  more

WASHINGTON, May 7 -- The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) has sustained a protest filed by Trace Systems Inc., of Vienna, Virginia, against the Department of the Army's issuance of a task order to TeleCommunication Systems, Inc. (Comtech), of Annapolis, Maryland. The task order, issued under request for task execution plan (RTEP) No. PANAPG-22-P-0000-019320, involves global field service representative (GFSR) support services, also known as GFSR II. Trace Systems challenged the Army'  more

ANNAPOLIS, Maryland, May 6 -- Gov. Wes Moore, D-Maryland, issued the following news release: * * * Governor Moore Announces Maryland Department of Veterans and Military Families Leadership Transition ANNAPOLIS, MD -- Governor Wes Moore today announced that Maryland Department of Veterans and Military Families Secretary Tony Woods will transition from his cabinet position on May 11 to return to the private sector in a role with a technology startup. Deputy Secretary Ross Cohen will serve as ac  more

ANNAPOLIS, Maryland, May 6 -- Gov. Wes Moore, D-Maryland, issued the following news release: * * * Governor Moore Signs Legislation Focused on Education, Veterans, and Military Families ANNAPOLIS, MD -- Governor Wes Moore today presided over the third bill signing ceremony of 2025, which included the Excellence in Maryland Public Schools Act--a key piece of the Moore-Miller Administration's legislative agenda. The legislation signed today strengthens Maryland's public education system, ensure  more

WASHINGTON, May 7 -- Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Maryland, ranking member of the of the House Judiciary Committee, issued the following news release: * * * House Judiciary Democrats Press Trump's DOJ to Restore Grant Funding for Public Safety, Violent Crime Prevention, Victim Support Services After Republicans Rejected an Amendment to Reinstate Abruptly Terminated Public Safety Grants, Democrats Urge Attorney General to Act Washington, D.C. (May 6, 2025)-- Rep. Jamie Raskin, Ranking Member of the H  more

WASHINGTON, May 6 -- Rep. Steny H. Hoyer, D-Maryland, issued the following news release: * * * Hoyer Joins Alsobrooks, Maryland Democratic Delegation in Demanding Back Education Dollars Cut by Trump WASHINGTON, DC - As reported this week in The Washington Post (link is external), Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (MD-05) joined a letter led by Senator Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD) along with the Maryland Democratic Delegation - U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and U.S. Representatives Kweisi Mfume (M  more

WASHINGTON, May 5 -- Rep. Steny H. Hoyer, D-Maryland, issued the following news release: * * * Hoyer Statement on the Retirement of Rep. Jan Schakowsky WASHINGTON, DC -- Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (MD-05) issued the following statement after U.S. Representative Jan Schakowsky (IL-09) announced that she will not run for re-election in 2026: "I am sorry to hear my dear friend Rep. Jan Schakowsky has decided to depart the House of Representatives at the end of the 119th Congress. Over the past  more

WASHINGTON, May 7 -- Rep. Julie Johnson, D-Texas, issued the following news release on May 6, 2025: * * * Johnson Urges Trump Administration to Prevent Cuts to Local School Districts WASHINGTON, DC--Congresswoman Julie Johnson (TX-32), along with 40 of her colleagues, sent a letter to the Department of Education expressing deep concern for the disbursement of Impact Aid. The letter addressed the program's effect on school districts across the nation, including Texas, and how it fills funding   more

WASHINGTON, May 6 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Legal Sidebar white paper (No. LSB11305) on May 5, 2025, by legislative attorney Milan N. Ball: * * * Hobby Distillers Association v. Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau: The Limits on Taxing Schemes to Regulate Behavior On July 10, 2024, in Hobby Distillers Association v. Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas granted the Hobby Distillers Association  more

WASHINGTON, May 6 -- Rep. Kweisi Mfume, D-Maryland, issued the following news release: * * * Mfume Joins Letter Demanding Back Education Dollars Cut by Trump WASHINGTON, DC - As reported today in The Washington Post (link is external), Congressman Kweisi Mfume (D-Md.-07) joined a letter demanding that the Trump Administration release the $98 million promised for education funding in the state and urging the Department to work with the delegation to ensure Maryland receives this vital funding.  more

WASHINGTON, May 6 -- Rep. Steny H. Hoyer, D-Maryland, issued the following news release: * * * Ranking Member Hoyer Remarks at U.S. Department of the Treasury Oversight Hearing WASHINGTON, DC - Today, Congressman Steny Hoyer (MD-05), Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government (FSGG), delivered the following remarks at the subcommittee's oversight hearing on the Department of the Treasury:Click here (link is external) to watch a full vi  more

WASHINGTON, May 7 -- Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Maryland, ranking member of the of the House Judiciary Committee, issued the following news release: * * * Ranking Member Raskin's Opening Statement at Subcommittee Hearing on Oversight of the Bureau of Prisons Washington, D.C. (May 6, 2025)--Today, Rep. Jamie Raskin, Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Committee, delivered opening remarks at a joint hearing of the Subcommittee on Oversight and the Subcommittee on Crime and Federal Government Survei  more

WASHINGTON, May 6 -- Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Maryland, issued the following news release: * * * Raskin, Connolly Sound the Alarm about Mass Firings of Federal HR Staff, Demand OPM Respond Promptly to Federal Workers WASHINGTON, DC - Representatives Jamie Raskin (MD-08) and Gerry Connolly (VA-11) led 40 of their congressional colleagues in calling on the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to immediately cease the termination of both OPM staff and human resources employees across the federal gov  more

WASHINGTON, May 7 -- Rep. Glenn F. Ivey, D-Maryland, issued the following floor remarks on May 5, 2025 (In this document, the reference to Mr. Speaker refers to the presiding officer of the House at the time of the speech): * * * Mr. Speaker, I rise today not just with concern, but with alarm. In his first 100 days back in the White House, Donald Trump has unleashed a full-blown assault on America, on our institutions, on our workers, on the rule of law, and on democracy itself. This is not le  more

WASHINGTON, May 6 -- Rep. Johnny Olszewski, D-Maryland, issued the following floor remarks on May 5, 2025 (In this document, the reference to Madam Speaker refers to the presiding officer of the House at the time of the speech): * * * Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1486. This is legislation that authorizes sanctions against any person or entity that provides material support for Russia's military and industrial defense base. We know that Russia uses missiles, drones, planes, and roc  more

WASHINGTON, May 6 -- Rep. Johnny Olszewski, D-Maryland, issued the following floor remarks on May 5, 2025 (In this document, the reference to Madam Speaker refers to the presiding officer of the House at the time of the speech): * * * Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1540. Like H.R. 1503, the Falun Gong Protection Act also imposes sanctions on individuals who knowingly and directly engage in or facilitate the involuntary harvesting of organs within the People's Republic of China while   more

WASHINGTON, May 6 -- Rep. Johnny Olszewski, D-Maryland, issued the following floor remarks on May 5, 2025 (In this document, the reference to Mr. Speaker refers to the presiding officer of the House at the time of the speech): * * * Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1316. Over the past 6 years, export controls have become a crucial tool for our national security and foreign policy to respond to the challenges posed by Russia, China, Iran, and others. Our use of export controls have becom  more

WASHINGTON, May 6 -- Rep. Johnny Olszewski, D-Maryland, issued the following floor remarks on May 5, 2025 (In this document, the reference to Madam Speaker refers to the presiding officer of the House at the time of the speech): * * * Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 36, a bipartisan bill designed to make sure that the United States remains committed to Georgia's Euro-Atlantic and democratic aspirations. I thank my friend, the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Wilson), for his tirele  more

WASHINGTON, May 6 -- Rep. Johnny Olszewski, D-Maryland, issued the following floor remarks on May 5, 2025 (In this document, the reference to Mr. Speaker refers to the presiding officer of the House at the time of the speech): * * * Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1724, the No Dollars to Uyghur Forced Labor Act. Congress has a history of bipartisan cooperation to call out Beijing's genocide and human rights abuses against Uyghurs and members of other minority groups in Xinjiang. We pa  more

WASHINGTON, May 6 -- Rep. Johnny Olszewski, D-Maryland, issued the following floor remarks on May 5, 2025 (In this document, the reference to Mr. Speaker refers to the presiding officer of the House at the time of the speech): * * * Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1800, the Solidify Iran Sanctions Act of 2025. For nearly 30 years, Congress and the executive branch have utilized the Iran Sanctions Act, or ISA, to constrict Iran's energy sector, denying the Iranian regime needed funds to   more

WASHINGTON, May 6 -- Rep. Johnny Olszewski, D-Maryland, issued the following floor remarks on May 5, 2025 (In this document, the reference to Mr. Speaker refers to the presiding officer of the House at the time of the speech): * * * Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1503. I also thank Representatives Smith and Keating for introducing this bill, which, as the chairman mentioned, passed in the 118th Congress. I also thank my colleague and chairman for bringing this and many other important   more

WASHINGTON, May 6 -- Rep. Johnny Olszewski, D-Maryland, issued the following floor remarks on May 5, 2025 (In this document, the reference to Mr. Speaker refers to the presiding officer of the House at the time of the speech): * * * Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1512. In the 118th Congress, this body came together to overwhelmingly pass this bipartisan measure from Representatives Wagner, Connolly, and Lieu 404-7, and I see no reason why today's vote should be any less supportive. It  more

WASHINGTON, May 6 -- Rep. Johnny Olszewski, D-Maryland, issued the following floor remarks on May 5, 2025 (In this document, the reference to Mr. Speaker refers to the presiding officer of the House at the time of the speech): * * * Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2416, the Taiwan International Solidarity Act. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend and colleague, Representative Connolly, for his work in developing this bill. As has been said on this floor earlier, we know that he can't be with  more

WASHINGTON, May 6 -- Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Maryland, posted the following statement in the extensions of remarks section of the Congressional Record on May 5, 2025: * * * Mr. Speaker, we rarely take time to recognize the hundreds of public servants who, with great diligence, work behind the scenes to support this body's work for the American people. It is a surpassing honor today to praise my constituent William (Bill) Cox's decades of excellent service to the U.S. House of Representatives. Fo  more

WASHINGTON, May 7 -- Rep. Tom Suozzi, D-New York, issued the following floor remarks on May 5, 2025 (In this document, the reference to Mr. Speaker refers to the presiding officer of the House at the time of the speech): * * * Mr. Speaker, I am going to talk about the State and local tax deduction in some detail, but first let me just say generally that what we are talking about is so important. We have so many of our friends on the other side of the aisle who are constantly talking about how   more

WASHINGTON, May 6 -- The U.S. Department of Defense issued the following news: * * * Students Present Capstone Research Findings to DOD Policymakers Graduate students from the University of Maryland's School of Public Policy briefed Defense Department policymakers at the Pentagon, May 2, 2025, on their capstone research findings related to some of the most pressing national defense priorities. The students, part of the department's Academic Capstone Mentorship Initiative, worked with policym  more

WASHINGTON, May 5 -- Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Maryland, issued the following news release: * * * Van Hollen Statement on Motion to Reinstate Banned Books at Naval Academy Board of Visitors Meeting At a meeting of the U.S. Naval Academy Board of Visitors today, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), a member of the Board, offered a motion for the Board to recommend that the Naval Academy Superintendent return the nearly 400 books that were removed from circulation at the Academy's Nimitz Libra  more

WASHINGTON, May 6 -- Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Maryland, issued the following news release: * * * Van Hollen, Colleagues Call on GAO to Investigate U.S. Compliance with Laws Requiring the U.S. to Ensure Government Recipients of Foreign Aid Respect Human Rights, Facilitate Humanitarian Aid U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), and Peter Welch (D-Vt.) called on U.S. Comptroller General Gene Dodaro   more