Weekly Newsletter, 7.22.25
Counting today, the House only has 17 scheduled legislative days to pass 12 appropriations bills to fund the government when the fiscal year begins at midnight on October 1st. And today the House stands frozen as Republicans shut down the Rules Committee rather than vote on whether the Trump Administration must release all of the files it has related to Jeffrey Epstein. Once again, the Hill is abuzz with the question of whether Congress will avoid a government shutdown once the clock strikes twelve, as it is far behind on passing any appropriations bills.
The odds of passing those bills on time dropped last week when Senate and House Republicans passed President Trump’s rescissions package to claw back $9.4 billion in Congressionally approved funding for public broadcasting and foreign aid programs like USAID. The foreign aid cuts place our national security interests at risk, put millions of lives at risk, weaken our leadership abroad, and give adversaries like China and Russia the chance to fill the gaps. As I discussed when the bill first passed the House, the public broadcasting cuts put trusted local and state news and government meeting coverage, emergency alerts, and educational content for children at risk for rural and underserved communities as part of a larger plan to undermine free press and speech. But the larger issue is the breach of trust created by Republicans going along with the President’s plan to undo bipartisan spending agreements reached by Congress to pursue his own extreme agenda.
Read on for more of what you may have missed last week.
ICE RAIDS THREATEN PUBLIC SAFETY AND CIVIL LIBERTIES
You have probably seen in the news troubling ICE raids at courthouses throughout the country, including at courthouses such as in Chesterfield County. Despite the Trump Administration’s claims that they are only going after criminals, ICE arrests of people without a criminal record have surged in Virginia and Washington, D.C. The strongarm tactics of masked ICE agents show an aggressive and shocking change in tactics for enforcing immigration laws that ignores the due process clause of the U.S. Constitution and undermines public safety as people avoid reporting crimes, pressing charges, cooperating in investigations and serving as witnesses. Area law enforcement, prosecutors and court officials have already seen this trend, as reported in Chesterfield and Richmond, which I discussed with CNN News Central.
In response to this disturbing and broadly unpopular authoritarian behavior, I sent a letter to Secretary Kristi Noem and Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons expressing my concern and demanding answers about ICE’s actions.
ADDRESSING EXTREME WEATHER’S UNIQUE IMPACT ON KIDS
As communities across the nation have been devastated by extreme weather events, I introduced a resolution calling on Congress to acknowledge and address the threat extreme weather poses to children’s wellbeing. Children face unique impacts from extreme weather events and conditions, including:
- Negative physical and behavioral pattern development;
- Cognition impairment, making school learning and performance harder; and
- Life-altering trauma from extreme weather disasters and adverse mental health impacts
My resolution urges Congress to develop solutions that include children in plans for extreme weather and create comprehensive protections for children in extreme weather events. These protections include timely and accessible extreme weather alerts; education and training for professionals, educators and caregivers; expanded access to safe places for children and families during extreme weather events; and more.
As parents, and especially as lawmakers, we must advocate on children’s behalf to ensure their health and well-being are protected. The futures of our children and generations to come rely on us fighting for advances in climate and environmental policy.
REMEMBERING TWO CONGRESSIONAL BLACK CAUCUS GIANTS
Last Thursday marked the fifth anniversary of the passing of Congressman John Lewis, a man beloved and respected by everyone’s lives he touched. To honor the passing of this Civil Rights hero and former colleague, the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) honored his life and legacy in his own words. I was honored to anchor my colleagues as they tied passages from his final op-ed and memoirs to what we are facing in his absence today.
Despite all the hardship and the rollback of progress he witnessed, John Lewis always remained an optimist. He thoroughly believed in the goodness of people, and he kept faith in our capacity to build Dr. King’s Beloved Community — where the ideals upon which our country was founded could be made true for everyone. We should all aspire to answer the call he laid forth for us.
We also mourned the loss of one of the founding members of the CBC, William Lacy “Bill” Clay, Sr. A civil rights activist and labor union representative, Clay became the first Black Representative from Missouri in 1969 and became one of the 12 founding members of the CBC. I joined Reverend Al Sharpton on Politics Nation over the weekend to share my thoughts on Representatives Lewis and Clay.
MY BRIGHT SPOT: LEGISLATIVE WIN
Last week, the House passed the NTIA Policy and Cybersecurity Coordination Act, a bipartisan bill I introduced with Rep. Jay Obernolte (CA-23) to strengthen cybersecurity policy. This bill establishes the Office of Policy Development and Cybersecurity within the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) to meet new and evolving challenges in the modern tech landscape. I spoke on the bill on the House floor before it passed by voice vote.
Our country faces a growing number of cybersecurity threats that become more dangerous and complex each day, and we are becoming increasingly more reliant on digital technologies. Yet our communications infrastructure remains vulnerable to attacks and threats. With the growing presence and potential of artificial intelligence, our digital systems and networks are at greater risk than ever. This bipartisan bill will help NTIA secure and protect our digital consumers, businesses and critical services and ensure that our country is equipped to assess and handle the cybersecurity risks that we face every day.
REMINDERS
Next Wednesday, July 30, join me for a senior-focused town hall in collaboration with the Chesterfield County Office of Aging and Disability Resources. RSVPs are encouraged but not required.
The Congressional App Challenge is also still accepting submissions! The deadline for submission is October 30, 2025.