Letters from Capitol Hill that Members of Congress have written and signed on to lately.
Dec. 11 | Floor Schedule
First and last votes expected: 4:00 p.m.
Legislation Considered Pursuant to a Rule:
Concurring in the Senate Amendment to H.R. 5009 – Servicemember Quality of Life Improvement and National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2025 (Sponsored by Rep. Rogers (AL) / Armed Services Committee)
Legislation Considered Under Suspension of the Rules:
H.R. 8753 – To direct the United States Postal Service to designate single, unique ZIP Codes for certain communities, and for other purposes, as amended (Sponsored by Rep. Boebert / Oversight and Accountability Committee)
H.R. 9716 – Increasing Baseline Updates Act (Sponsored by Rep. Moore (UT) / Budget Committee)
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Dec. 11 | CMTE. REPORT
Chairman John Moolenaar (R-MI) and Ranking Member Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) of the House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party joined Rep. Rob Wittman (R-VA) and Rep. Kathy Castor (D-FL), co-chairs of the Committee’s Critical Mineral Policy Working Group, to introduce new bipartisan legislation that helps address the United States’ dependence on the CCP for critical minerals and jumpstart American industry and workforce alongside our allies and partners.
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Dec. 10
U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) sent a letter to Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), FBI Director Christopher Wray, and Secretary Pete Buttigieg of the Department of Transportation (DOT) requesting the agencies provide municipal and county officials with a comprehensive briefing regarding the unauthorized drone activity over New Jersey communities. He also requested that officials make any available information accessible to the public.
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Dec. 09
Representative Ronny Jackson (TX-13) sent a letter to House and Senate leadership urging the prohibition of funding for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) in any upcoming fiscal year 2025 appropriations bill. This action addresses UNRWA's repeated hostility toward Israel and its appeasement of terrorist organizations such as Hamas.
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Dec. 10
U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), and Representative Lloyd Doggett (D-TX-37) in sending a letter to Dr. Mehmet Oz, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), raising stark concerns about his advocacy to eliminate the traditional Medicare program and his deep financial ties to the private health insurance corporations that would benefit from that move.
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Dec. 10
Congressman Adrian Smith (R-NE) and Chuck Edwards (R-NC) along with 27 House colleagues sent a letter asking President Trump to immediately end the IRS' unlawful Direct File pilot program upon taking office in January. Copies of the letter were addressed to Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, Trump's selections to lead his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) as well as Treasury Secretary-Designee Scott Bessent, and Trump's selection to lead the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Russell Vought.
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Dec. 10
Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. sent a letter to Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) Executive Director Bob Beal, advocating for fair treatment of New Jersey’s fishing industry under the proposed 2025 Atlantic Striped Bass management measures. Pallone stressed the need to rebuild striped bass stocks while ensuring New Jersey’s fishing industry is not unfairly penalized compared to neighboring northern states.
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Dec. 10
Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), chair of the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Subcommittee on Primary Health and Retirement Security, along with Senator Mike Braun (R-Ind.), called for answers from FLL Partners, Two Sigma Impact, Revelstroke Capital Partners, Warwick Capital Partners, Linden Capital Partners, Waud Capital Partners, Webster Equity Partners, Vistra New York, and BPEA Private Equity about their investments into opioid treatment programs (OTPs) and the role that private equity plays in access to, and availability of, medication for opioid use disorder, especially methadone.
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Dec. 10
U.S. Representative Mike Bost (IL-12) demanded answers today from U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service regarding its decision to fully drain and shut down recreational access to Little Grassy Lake in Williamson and Jackson counties. In a letter to FWS Director Martha Williams, Bost challenged the agency’s lack of transparency and backtracking on previous pledges to maintain public access to the lake during structural repairs.
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Dec. 10
Congressman Clay Higgins (R-LA) issued the following statement, urging the U.S. Senate to hold a vote on the Social Security Fairness Act.
“62 Senators, including Chuck Schumer, cosponsored the Social Security Fairness Act. The House of Representatives has passed the Social Security Fairness Act, and it is being blocked in the Senate. We, the People, demand a clean vote on the Senate floor, yet these Senators who cosponsored SSFA are not demanding a vote. Senate rules allow 60 Senators to force a vote on the Social Security Fairness Act, and 62 have cosponsored the Social Security Fairness Act. America, call them, write them, demand their compliance. Make these Senators honor their own signature. A clean vote, yes or no, that’s all we ask for.”
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Dec. 09
Committee on House Administration Chairman Bryan Steil (WI-01) and House Committee on the Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan (OH-04) sent a letter to Sift, the company that provides "fraud detection and prevention services" for ActBlue, a major Democratic fundraising platform. The letter demands documents and communications related to Sift's efforts to deter fraudulent transactions on ActBlue. Additionally, the Chairmen are requesting documents and communications related to reports made to ActBlue or Sift by U.S. citizens alleging unauthorized or fraudulent transactions in their name and all documents and communications between or among Sift and the Executive Branch referring to potentially fraudulent transactions on ActBlue.
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Dec. 09
U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), and Alex Padilla (D-CA) sent a letter calling on President Joe Biden to protect immigrant families before the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump.
“As Senators who represent diverse states across our nation and who collectively represent millions of immigrant families, we write to express our deep concern about the threat the incoming administration poses to immigrants in our communities,” the Senators wrote in a letter to President Biden. “Mass deportations would jeopardize the safety and security of millions of mixed-status families, sow deep distrust and fear in the communities we represent, and destabilize the U.S. economy. While we support common-sense steps to better secure our borders and improve border processing, we will continue to oppose any policies that contradict our nation’s core values.”
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Dec. 09
The New Hampshire delegation sent a letter to Baxter International urging it to address IV fluid supply issues in the state by improving the reliability of shipments and increasing the amount of IV fluid delivered to New Hampshire health care providers. Following damages to Baxter’s IV fluid and dialysis solutions production facility in North Carolina during Hurricane Helene, New Hampshire hospitals, doctors, and paramedics have worked diligently to extend their existing supplies of IV fluid to prevent service disruptions. The letter urges Baxter to provide New Hampshire providers with accurate information on what IV supplies will be delivered to the state.
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Dec. 09
A House Dear Colleague letter calling on House leadership to address scheduled Medicaid Disproportionate Share Hospital payment cuts received signatures from 182 bipartisan members of Congress. The letter was circulated by Reps. Dan Crenshaw, R-Texas, Yvette Clarke, D-N.Y., Gus Bilirakis, R-Fla., and Diana DeGette, D-Colo. The cuts, scheduled to take effect Jan. 1, total $8 billion. The AHA has asked Congress to provide relief from the reductions.
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Dec. 09
House Science, Space, and Technology Committee leaders sent a fourth letter to Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Jennifer Granholm, expressing ongoing concern that pausing the export of liquefied natural gas (LNG) without scientific justification could eventually lead to a permanent ban on one of our country's most valuable clean energy resources.
In the letter sent by Chairman Frank Lucas (R-OK), Environment Subcommittee Chairman Max Miller (R-OH), Investigations and Oversight Subcommittee Chairman Jay Obernolte (R-CA), and Space and Aeronautics Subcommittee Chairman Brian Babin (R-TX), the members conveyed their dissatisfaction with the Department's inadequate response to prior communications regarding this critical issue.
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Dec. 09
Senator Hawley (R-Mo.) sent a letter to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin regarding reports that the Defense Health Agency may downgrade the General Leonard Wood Army Community Hospital to a clinic.
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Dec. 04
Rep. Mike Thompson (CA-04), Rep. David Schweikert (AZ-01), Rep. Doris Matsui (CA-07), Rep. Troy Balderson (OH-12) and Senator Brian Schatz (D-HI) announced they led a letter signed by 100 Members of Congress and Senators to House and Senate leadership urging them to extend telehealth coverage benefits so that all Medicare beneficiaries retain access to these services. Without an extension by December 31st, seniors on Medicare would lose access to critical telehealth services.
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