119th Congress

Washington, DC – Congressman Suhas Subramanyam (D-VA) spoke on the House floor and announced his guest for President Trump’s Joint Address to Congress, Susan Perri. 

Susan Perri is a retired special education teacher from Fauquier County. She worked for 16 years in Fairfax County and 12 years in Fauquier County. She has stage four Melanoma and is on Medicare and Medicaid. Her treatments have made it more difficult for her to speak. Within the last six months, doctors removed a 7-centimeter tumor from her adrenal glands.

Susan’s husband is a retired Postal Service employee who served for 44 years, worried about his retirement benefits getting cut. 

She has a 38-year-old son with cystic fibrosis who relies on Social Security Disability Insurance. He has benefited from NIH research and lifesaving medication approved by the federal government has improved her son’s lung function.

Over 98,000 people in Virginia's 10th district, including 51,000 children under the age of 19, are on Medicaid and risk losing their health care under the Republican budget plan. Additionally, 14,000 people use SNAP to put food on the table for their families and their benefits are also now at risk.

See below for a transcript of remarks as delivered.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Last week, the first speaker in line at my Town Hall was Susan Perri. 

You wouldn’t know it at first, but Susan has difficulty speaking. Within the last six months, she had a 7-centimeter tumor removed from her adrenal glands. 

But Susan is refusing to stay quiet. She made sure to be the first in line to share her story, and how the Republican budget cuts to Medicaid and research will impact her, her family, and the American people. 

And I could hear her loud and clear. 

And that is why I am honored that Susan will be my guest at tomorrow’s Joint Address, because we should all hear her voice too. 

Susan is a retired special education teacher from Fauquier County. Her husband is a retired Postal Service employee of 44 years, worried about his retirement benefits getting cut.

And her son has Cystic Fibrosis and has benefited from cutting edge NIH research and lifesaving medication approved by the federal government. 

As this Administration is cutting the very science that saves lives, Susan’s fight gives me hope that we can all make our voices heard and fight for change. 

So don’t underestimate Susan, and don’t underestimate the American people.

I yield back.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Suhas Subramanyam joined his colleagues in introducing the bipartisan American Dream and Promise Act of 2025. The bipartisan American Dream and Promise Act would provide a pathway to citizenship to Dreamers, undocumented immigrants who were brought to the United States as children. 

“Dreamers shape every aspect of American life. They are our neighbors, classmates, nurses, police officers, teachers, community leaders. It’s hard to overstate the role they play in my district, and across the country,” said Congressman Subramanyam. “It’s long overdue that we give them citizenship and pass legislation that protects them and secures them the rightful recognition that they so deserve.”

The American Dream and Promise Act of 2025 would also include recipients of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) beneficiaries. The legislation has been cosponsored by over 200 Members of Congress and has been endorsed by nearly 120 organizations. 

Dreamers have spent nearly their entire lives here in the United States. They have attended school, earned degrees, built careers, and contributed billions to our economy, all while calling this country home. Many have started families and raised children who are U.S. citizens. For example, it is estimated that the average DACA recipient came to this country at the age of six and has been here for 20 years. Likewise, TPS holders have been living and working in the United States for decades. They have built their families here and contribute significantly to their communities and our nation’s economy. 

Dreamers and TPS recipients make major economic and fiscal contributions each year. DACA recipients pay approximately $6.2 billion in federal taxes and $3.3 billion in state and local taxes annually. The Center for American Progress estimates that the national GDP could grow by $799 billion over the next decade if Dreamers were provided a pathway to citizenship. 

Economic models show a pathway to citizenship would increase wages for all workers in the U.S. and create hundreds of thousands of new jobs. It is estimated that DACA recipients in 2022 collectively earned nearly $27.9 billion and contributed nearly $2.1 billion to Social Security and Medicare, despite not being eligible for these benefits under current law. 

The American Dream and Promise Act of 2025 is identical to the version that passed the House in the 117th Congress and reintroduced in the 118th Congress. Here is a copy of the bill text.

The bipartisan American Dream and Promise Act has been endorsed by nearly 120 organizations, including: United We Dream, Home is Here Coalition, FWD.us, Immigration Hub, CASA, AFL-CIO, Working Families United (WFU), Service Employees International Union (SEIU), Laborers' International Union of North America (LIUNA), International Union of Painters and Allied Trades (IUPAT), UNITE HERE, International Association of Ironworkers, United Food & Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW), National Immigration Law Center (NILC), American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), Hispanic National Bar Association, University of California System, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), University of California, Santa Barbara, American Federation of Teachers (AFT), National Education Association (NEA), Center for Popular Democracy, MoveOn, American Immigration Council, America’s Voice, UnidosUS, NAACP, American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), Hispanic Federation, League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators (NHCSL), CHIRLA, American Business Immigration Coalition (ABIC), National Immigrant Justice Center (NIJC), National Partnership for New Americans, Center for American Progress (CAP), League of Women Voters of the United States, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, National Women's Law Center (NWLC), Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT), Association of American Universities, EdTrust, Immigration Project, Human Rights Campaign, Human Rights First, President’s Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration, National Hispanic Medical Association (NHMA), Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), Children’s Defense Fund, Children’s Defense Fund-Texas, Coalition for Asian American Children and Families, Church World Service, Bend the Arc: Jewish Action, National Council of Jewish Women, Anti-Defamation League (ADL), Global Refugee, Unitarian Universalists for Social Justice, Amnesty International, Make the Road Pennsylvania, Make the Road Nevada, Center for Gender and Refugee Studies, Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP), Columbia Law School Immigrants’ Rights Clinic, Voices for Utah Children, Grantmakers Concerned with Immigrants and Refugees, Labor Council for Latin American Advancement (LCLAA), Nicaraguan American Legal Defense and Education Fund (NALDEF), Haitian Bridge Alliance, NM Dream Team, Friends Committee on National Legislation, The Children’s Partnership, People Power United, Services, Immigrant Rights, and Education Network (SIREN), African Communities Together, People for the American Way, The Clinical Social Work Association, Central American Resource Center (CARECEN), Immigration Equality, Florida Immigrant Coalition (FLIC), Women’s Refugee Commission, MomsRising, Ayuda, Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition, Children's HealthWatch, American Council on Education (ACE), Freedom Network USA, Kids in Need of Defense (KIND), Child Welfare League of America, SchoolHouse Connection, Prevention Institute, National Center on Adoption and Permanency, NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice, Central American Resource Center of Northern California (CARECEN SF), Foster Care Alumni of America, Immigrants Act Now, Omaha Together One Community, ImmSchools, National Association of Counsel for Children, Children's Advocacy Institute, Young Center for Immigrant Children's Rights, Sayra and Neil Meyerhoff Center for Families, Children and the Courts at the University of Baltimore School of Law, Sull and Associates, Hope Border Institute, Immigrants Rising, New York Immigration Coalition, Immigrant Defenders Law Center (ImmDef), National Latina Institute for Reproductive Justice, UndocuBlack Network, Muslim Advocates, Rocky Mountain Immigrant Advocacy Network, Hindus for Human Rights, Arkansas United, Florence Immigrant and Refugee Rights Project, African Public Affairs Committee, Hindus for Human Rights, American Families United, Texas Equal Access Fund, Lilith Fund, Centro Hispano de East Tennessee, Union for Reform Judaism.

In addition to Congresswman Subramanyam, the bill has been cosponsored by: Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY-08), Democratic Whip Katherine Clark (D-MA-05), Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar (D-CA-33), Democratic Caucus Vice Chair Ted Lieu (D-CA-36), Assistant Democratic Leader Joe Neguse (D-CO-02) and Representatives Suzan DelBene (D-WA-01), Jamie Raskin (D-MD-08), Rosa DeLauro (D-CT-03), Bennie Thompson (D-MS-02), Bobby Scott (D-VA-03), Maxine Waters (D-CA-43), Frank Pallone (D-NJ-06), Richard Neal (D-MA-01), Adam Smith (D-WA-09), Angie Craig (D-MN-02), Gregory Meeks (D-NY-05), Mark Takano (D-CA-39), Rick Larsen (D-WA-02), Jared Huffman (D-CA-02), Jim Himes (D-CT-04), Joseph Morelle (D-NY-25), Jim McGovern (D-MA-02), Gerry Connolly (D-VA-11), Adriano Espaillat (D-NY-13), Greg Casar (D-TX-35), Grace Meng (D-NY-06), Teresa Leger Fernandez (D-NM-03), Shomari Figures (D-AL-02), Terri Sewell (D-AL-07), Yassamin Ansari (D-AZ-03), Greg Stanton (D-AZ-04), Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ-07), Mike Thompson (D-CA-04), Ami Bera (D-CA-06), Doris Matsui (D-CA-07), John Garamendi (D-CA-08), Josh Harder (D-CA-09), Mark DeSaulnier (D-CA-10), Nancy Pelosi (D-CA-11), Lateefah Simon (D-CA-12), Adam Gray (D-CA-13), Eric Swalwell (D-CA-14), Kevin Mullin (D-CA-15), Sam Liccardo (D-CA-16), Ro Khanna (D-CA-17), Jimmy Panetta (D-CA-19), Jim Costa (D-CA-21), Salud Carbajal (D-CA-24), Julia Brownley (D-CA-26), George Whitesides (D-CA-27), Luz Rivas (D-CA-29), Gil Cisneros (D-CA-31), Raul Ruiz (D-CA-25), Laura Friedman (D-CA-30), Brad Sherman (D-CA-32), Jimmy Gomez (D-CA-34), Norma Torres (D-CA-35), Linda Sánchez (D-CA-38), Robert Garcia (D-CA-42), Nanette Diaz Barragán (D-CA-44), Derek Tran (D-CA-45), Dave Min (D-CA-47), Mike Levin (D-CA-49), Scott Peters (D-CA-50), Sara Jacobs (D-CA-51), Juan Vargas (D-CA-52), Diana DeGette (D-CO-01), Jason Crow (D-CO-06), Brittany Pettersen (D-CO-07), John Larson (D-CT-01), Joe Courtney (D-CT-02), Jahana Hayes (D-CT-05), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC-At-Large), Sarah McBride (D-DE-At-Large), Darren Soto (D-FL-09), Maxwell Frost (D-FL-10), Kathy Castor (D-FL-14), Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL-20), Lois Frankel (D-FL-22), Frederica Wilson (D-FL-24), Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL-25), Sanford Bishop, Jr. (D-GA-02), Hank Johnson (D-GA-04), Nikema Williams (D-GA-05), Lucy McBath (D-GA-06), David Scott (D-GA-13), Jill Tokuda (D-HI-02), Sharice Davids (D-KS-03), Jonathan Jackson (D-IL-01), Robin Kelly (D-IL-02), Jesus "Chuy" Garcia (D-IL-04), Mike Quigley (D-IL-05), Sean Casten (D-IL-06), Danny K. Davis (D-IL-07), Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL-08), Jan Schakowsky (D-IL-09), Bradley Schneider (D-IL-10), Bill Foster (D-IL-11), Nikki Budzinski (D-IL-13), Lauren Underwood (D-IL-14), Eric Sorensen (D-IL-17), Frank Mrvan (D-IN-01), André Carson (D-IN-07), Morgan McGarvey (D-KY-03), Troy A. Carter, Sr. (D-LA-02), Lori Trahan (D-MA-03), Jake Auchincloss (D-MA-04), Seth Moulton (D-MA-06), Ayanna Pressley (D-MA-07), William Keating (D-MA-09), Johnny Olszewski (D-MD-02), Sarah Elfreth (D-MD-03), Glenn Ivey (D-MD-04), Steny Hoyer (D-MD-05), April McClain Delaney (D-MD-06), Kweisi Mfume (D-MD-07), Chellie Pingree (D-ME-01), Hillary Scholten (D-MI-03), Debbie Dingell (D-MI-06), Kristen McDonald Rivet (D-MI-08), Haley Stevens (D-MI-11), Rashida Tlaib (D-MI-12), Shri Thanedar (D-MI-13), Kelly Morrison (D-MN-03), Betty McCollum (D-MN-04), Ilhan Omar (D-MN-05), Wesley Bell (D-MO-01), Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO-05), Deborah Ross (D-NC-02), Valerie Foushee (D-NC-04), Alma Adams (D-NC-12), Donald Norcross (D-NJ-01), Herbert Conaway (D-NJ-03), Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ-05), Robert Menendez (D-NJ-08), Nellie Pou (D-NJ-09), LaMonica McIver (D-NJ-10), Mikie Sherill (D-NJ-11), Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ-12), Melanie Stansbury (D-NM-01), Gabe Vasquez (D-NM-02), Dina Titus (D-NV-01), Steven Horsford (D-NV-04), Tom Suozzi (D-NY-03), Daniel Goldman (D-NY-10), Jerrold Nadler (D-NY-12), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY-14), Ritchie Torres (D-NY-15), George Latimer (D-NY-16), Pat Ryan (D-NY-18), Paul Tonko (D-NY-20), Joyce Beatty (D-OH-03), Shontel Brown (D-OH-11), Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR-01), Maxine Dexter (D-OR-03), Val Hoyle (D-OR-04), Janelle Bynum (D-OR-05), Andrea Salinas (D-OR-06), Brendan Boyle (D-PA-02), Dwight Evans (D-PA-03), Madeleine Dean (D-PA-04), Mary Gay Scanlon (D-PA-05), Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA-06), Summer Lee (PA-12), Chris Deluzio (D-PA-17), Pablo José Hernández (D-PR-Resident Commissioner), Gabe Amo (D-RI-01), Seth Magaziner (D-RI-02), James Clyburn (D-SC-06), Steve Cohen (D-TN-09), Lizzie Fletcher (D-TX-07), Sylvia Garcia (D-TX-29), Al Green (D-TX-09), Veronica Escobar (D-TX-16), Sylvester Turner (D-TX-18), Joaquin Castro (D-TX-20), Henry Cuellar (D-TX-28), Jasmine Crockett (D-TX-30), Julie Johnson (D-TX-32), Marc Veasey (D-TX-33), Lloyd Doggett (D-TX-37), Jennifer McClellan (D-VA-04), Eugene Vindman (D-VA-07), Don Beyer (D-VA-08), Stacey Plaskett (D-VI-At-Large), Becca Balint (D-VT-At-Large), Emily Randall (D-WA-06), Kim Schrier (D-WA-08), Marilyn Strickland (D-WA-10), Mark Pocan (D-WI-02), Gwen Moore (D-WI-04).

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Washington, DC – On Monday, Congressman Suhas Subramanyam (D-VA) spoke on the House floor to address the proposed Republican budget and paint the disaster it would be for working families. In exchange for tax cuts for their billionaire friends, Republicans are torpedoing Medicaid and SNAP; programs that working Americans rely on.

Over 59,000 people in Virginia’s 10th district, including 30,000 children, are on Medicaid and risk losing their health care under the current Republican budget plan. Nearly 10,000 people use SNAP to put food on the table for their families and their benefits are also now at risk.

Link HERE to download the floor remarks. 

See below for a transcript of remarks as delivered:

I am genuinely alarmed by the budget we may be voting on this week. 

There's a lot not to like, but every American should be paying attention to the cuts being proposed to Medicaid and SNAP benefits. 

These cuts will hurt millions and create irreversible damage to our communities. 

Yes, it'll hurt my community, where tens of thousands of people benefit from these programs. But this is going to impact every community, and every district, across Virginia and across the country.

Is it because the richest country in the world can't feed hungry kids? Or get people the care they need? 

No. Because this budget takes that money, and it gives it to the very richest corporations at the expense of small businesses and working families. 

The unintended consequences of these cuts will hurt every American even if you're not on Medicaid or SNAP and force even more middle-class families to live paycheck to paycheck while giving the ultra-rich a tax break. 

Let’s talk about a bipartisan budget that doesn’t hurt Americans - not a giveaway to companies that don't need it. I yield back.

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Washington, D.C.—Today, Congressman Suhas Subramanyam, Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Military and Foreign Affairs and Congressman Gerald E. Connolly, Ranking Member of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, led Democratic subcommittee members in sending a letter to Secretary of Defense Peter Hegseth expressing concern about the abrupt firing of multiple senior military leaders, including the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Charles Q. Brown, Jr. In their letter, Ranking Members Subramanyam and Connolly requested information regarding the circumstances of these firings and transparency into the rationale for the Trump Administration’s seemingly inexplicable actions.

“At 7:30 p.m. on Friday, February 21, 2025, President Trump announced through a post on TruthSocial that General Brown had been terminated from his post as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Shortly thereafter, you issued a press release indicating that five other senior military officers had been dismissed: Admiral Lisa Franchetti, chief of Naval Operations and the highest-ranking officer in the Navy; General James Slife, vice chief of staff and second in command of the Air Force; and the top lawyers for the Air Force, Army, and Navy. Neither President Trump’s social media post nor your press release contained any basis or rationale for these brazen firings, let alone an indication that the actions were taken based on any standard of performance. These terminations follow the abrupt firing of Admiral Linda Fagan from her role as commandant of the Coast Guard on President Trump’s second day in office,” wrote the Ranking Members.

The Ranking Members criticized the decision to fire these seasoned military officers, noting that it would instantly wipe away decades of military experience and “could create a cascade of hasty promotions down the ranks that impact U.S. leadership across the globe.” 

In addition, the letter points to the Trump’s Administration’s efforts to eradicate diversity initiatives throughout the military, despite the fact that diversity among U.S. armed forces is widely recognized as a strategic strength.

“The Administration’s predisposal to terminating senior officers without concern for their experience or capability undermines the ability of the military to execute its mission effectively and broadcasts weakness to our global adversaries. To understand the full nature and rationale of the abrupt firings, as well as plans of succession to preserve military readiness, and to explore whether legislation is necessary to address these actions, we request written responses to the following no later than March 10, 2025,” concluded the Ranking Members.

Click here to read the letter to Secretary Hegseth.

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Washington, DC – Today, Congressman Suhas Subramanyam (D-VA) introduced two pieces of legislation to bring transparency and accountability to the Department of Government Efficiency’s (DOGE) recent illegal and unconstitutional actions that have led to the firing of highly qualified federal workers, the dismantling of congressionally-authorized agencies, and other actions that will lead to making Americans less safe and less prosperous.

These bills force DOGE to be transparent and accountable by making all of its actions public and reporting back to Congress. It also measures the damage DOGE is doing to critical government services and to the American people as its secret members try to wield unchecked power to illegally take control of sensitive data.

Congressman Subramanyam issued the following statement:

“DOGE has usurped congressional authority and the will of the American people to make unauthorized, unconstitutional spending decisions and illegally gain access to extremely sensitive data of American taxpayers without any oversight or accountability. These bills are common sense measures to finally make DOGE accountable to the American people and stop its leaders from illegally taking away congressionally authorized programs and services that make Americans safe, healthy, and prosperous.”

The Legislative Enforcement Against Setbacks from Harmful DOGE Actions Act (LEASH DOGE Act) would require DOGE to submit a public report to Congress listing all its employees and advisors. The legislation would require DOGE employees to remove the veil of secrecy and identify themselves as well as mandate disclosure of the status of their background checks, clearances, and any conflicts of interest. The bill would also require that DOGE testify before Congress on what types of sensitive information DOGE employees have access to in federal government systems. Additionally, DOGE would be required to establish a public website that is updated weekly with information on their employees’ roles, data on federal employee layoffs and federal funding cuts, and points of contact who can answer questions from the American people. If DOGE fails to comply with these requirements by March 31, 2025, the bill would prohibit the use of congressionally appropriated funds for DOGE activities, reminding DOGE that it is Congress that holds the power of the purse.

The full text of the bill can be found here.

The Accountability in Government Efficiency Act would require a report on the effects of DOGE’s actions on the long-term financial, public health, and safety interests of the United States. The report would outline the actions of reducing the number of employees in the civil service, the termination of federal programs, and the costs associated with pausing and restarting federal programs, as well as report on the extent to which DOGE has, or has not, carried out actions in compliance with the Privacy Act of 1974.

The full text of the bill can be found here.

Both bills are cosponsored by Representatives Emmanuel Cleaver (D-MI), Eleanor Norton Holmes (D-DC), Jonathan Jackson (D-IL), Sara Jacobs (D-CA), Raul Grijalva (D-AZ), Cleo Fields (D-LA), John Larson (D-CT), Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ), and Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL).

Congressman Subramanyam represents Virginia’s 10th District and is Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Military and Foreign Affairs, under the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. He is also a member of the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology. A former Policy Advisor to President Barack Obama, Congressman Subramanyam served for five years in the Virginia General Assembly starting in 2019. He passed landmark legislation to lower toll costs for commuters, issue refunds to overcharged consumers, combat the rise in gun violence, and ensure all students have access to the best educational opportunities. Subramanyam served as a volunteer firefighter and EMT in Loudoun. He lives in Ashburn, Virginia, with his wife, Miranda, and their two daughters, Maya (4) and Nina (3).

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WASHINGTON – Today, Congressman Suhas Subramanyam joined U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine and U.S. Reps. Bobby Scott, Gerry Connolly, Don Beyer, Jennifer McClellan, and Eugene Vindman pushed the Trump administration to reverse staffing cuts at the National Park Service (NPS), outlining the effect directives to eliminate employees and rescind and delay job offers will have on safety at Virginia’s 22 national park units, which serve 22 million visitors and contribute $1.5 billion to local economies each year.

“We write today to express our deep concern over alarming directives issued to eliminate roughly one thousand full-time employees, rescind hundreds of offers for full-time positions, and delay thousands of offers for seasonal positions at the National Park Service (NPS). These roles are critical to protecting America’s treasured natural assets, maintaining public safety, and promoting exceptional standards expected at national parks across Virginia and the nation,” the lawmakers wrote in a letter to Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum. “We urge you to reverse these directives and prevent additional cuts to existing staffing going forward given the critical role that the vast majority of NPS staff play in ensuring public safety. If these directives are not reversed, we fear it will significantly undermine the Park Service’s ability to protect both visitors and park resources, particularly as we approach peak visitation season.”

The NPS workforce plays a vital role in ensuring the smooth operation of our nation’s parks and the safety of the millions of visitors who explore them each year, and are also responsible for protecting the priceless natural, historic, and cultural resources that belong to the American people. However, recent staffing directives from the Trump administration – which included the dismissal of probationary employees and the rescinding of job offers at NPS with no input from park superintendents – are expected to make it significantly more difficult for NPS to carry out its mission, especially as peak visitor season approaches. Staff positions affected by the administration’s unilateral staffing directives include frontline park rangers responsible for ensuring visitor safety and protecting park assets, maintenance staff tasked with addressing the deferred maintenance backlog and reducing the risk of wildland fires, and support staff responsible for raising revenue for NPS through fee collections.

“It has been reported that the only exemptions offered were for positions that respond to public safety incidents, including law enforcement rangers, public safety dispatchers, and wildland firefighters. However, public safety response is just part of the work that goes into protecting the public,” wrote the lawmakers. “Countless other positions from rangers to natural resource specialists to wastewater specialists to maintenance mechanics that are not covered under the exemptions have wide-ranging responsibilities for preventing public safety incidents in the first place. Eliminating these positions put our parks at greater risk of damage and make them less safe for visitors. We are particularly concerned about reports that NPS rescinded offers for positions directly responsible for fire safety at Shenandoah National Park – coinciding with the start of wildfire season.”

Continued the members, “While it is encouraging that NPS recently walked back its decision to rescind offers for nearly 5,000 seasonal positions, park superintendents have received no guidance as to the next steps they can take to move forward with seasonal hiring. The late winter and early spring months are critical for ramping up seasonal staff in preparation for the summer visitation surge. Without clear guidance for superintendents on seasonal hiring, the continued delay in hiring could jeopardize the ability of these parks to safely accommodate millions of visitors this summer.”

In the letter, the Virginia lawmakers also noted that the staffing directives threaten to undermine the progress Congress has made in recent years to invest in repairing and restoring our national parks.

“For over one hundred years, NPS has been charged with safeguarding millions of acres of America’s irreplaceable natural, historic, and cultural resources. However, persistent underfunding of NPS resulted in the Service’s inability to properly staff park units and the growth of a multi-billion-dollar backlog of deferred maintenance projects. In recognition of the worsening situation at our national parks, bipartisan majorities in Congress passed and President Trump signed into law the Great American Outdoors Act of 2020 (GAOA), one of the largest ever investments in conservation and public lands in our nation’s history. The GAOA gave NPS the resources it needed to dedicate billions of dollars for addressing deferred maintenance across the country, including over $470 million for projects in Virginia. As a result of these staffing directives, units will be forced to reallocate remaining staff to support regular operations at the expense of staff hours dedicated to reducing the deferred maintenance backlog,” they wrote.

Concluded the lawmakers, “Significant disruptions to NPS staffing during the critical months prior to peak season threaten to harm the tourism economy associated with Virginia’s national parks that supports hundreds of small businesses and thousands of jobs. We urge you to swiftly reverse these directives and communicate clear guidance to park superintendents to ensure that NPS units in Virginia and across the country can move forward with hiring both seasonal and permanent positions that are critical to ensuring the safety of millions of park-goers.”

A copy of the letter is available here.
 

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U.S. Reps. Suhas Subramanyam (D-VA-10) and Jen Kiggans (R-VA-02) and U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) introduced bipartisan, bicameral legislation to authorize NASA to negotiate an agreement with the Town of Chincoteague to address costs associated with relocating contaminated water wells, reimburse for those identified costs, and provide more local control of the water supply to the Town of Chincoteague. Several of the Town’s wells are located on NASA property and have been contaminated with per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). While the well water is currently being treated to remove PFAS and is safe to drink, these treatments must occur regularly, which is an ongoing cost for NASA. This bill offers a permanent solution to resolve the contamination management hurdle while saving the federal government money.

“We’re proud to introduce this bipartisan, bicameral legislation to remove unnecessary burdens to allow the Town of Chincoteague and NASA to come to an agreement on the costs of relocating contaminated water wells,” said the members. “We will keep working together to get this across the finish line.”

The legislation was passed by the U.S. Senate in December 2024, but it did not pass in the U.S. House of Representatives before the end of the 118th Congress and therefore must be reintroduced.

Full text of the Senate legislation can be found here. 

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Washington, DC – Today, Congressman Suhas Subramanyam (D-VA) spoke on the House floor to address the harm being caused by the Trump administration’s attacks on federal workers and contractors, emphasizing their critical roles in saving taxpayer money and ensuring public safety and health.

The Congressman warned that continued mistreatment and job cuts would undermine national security and public services, ultimately costing taxpayers more and compromising the country's well-being and the safety of all Americans. 

As a member of the House Oversight and Accountability Committee, he has called for an investigation into illegal firings of federal workers and unconstitutional freezes of congressionally appropriated funds. Congressman Subramanyam represents over 34,000 federal workers and many more federal contractors in Virginia’s 10th Congressional District.

See below for a transcript of remarks as delivered: 

“Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I rise because many people want to paint federal workers and contractors as unskilled bureaucrats who waste taxpayer dollars. 

But the reality is the opposite, and I know this because Virginia is home to hundreds of thousands of our country's federal workers and contractors, and I've heard from many of them. 

These federal workers actually save taxpayers money, and they keep all Americans safe and healthy despite all the regulations imposed on them by Congress. That is the bureaucracy.

And in almost all cases, they bring critical skills or expertise that are hard to replace, too. 

One USDA employee says firings in her department, which is focused on threats to America's crops, could cost us hundreds of millions of dollars down the road.

And one contractor who supports anti-terrorism efforts overseas was fired despite his track record of success countering extremism. 

These firings even threaten border security. 

A contractor who vets refugees has to lay off 100 security experts because of the cuts. 

No one will want to serve our government if federal workers and contractors are treated this way, and the attacks on federal civil servants will cost taxpayers money and make all Americans less safe and less healthy.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back.”

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