119th Congress
Upcoming Events
VA-10 Job Fair
Date: Friday, August 15th
Time: 1PM – 4:00 PM
Where: George Mason University - Science & Tech Campus
Sponsors: Co-Hosting with GMU and the Partners are Fairfax County Workforce Dev, Loudoun County Workforce Dev, Fauquier Chamber of Commerce, and TBD on others.
Companies Present: TBD
For Attendees: Bring resumes for resume workshop provided by George Mason University's Workforce Development Department and Fairfax County Dev.
Attire: Business attire encouraged.
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Congressman Subramanyam August Town Hall
Date: Monday, August 18
Time: &PM (doors open 6:30)
Where: Metz Middle School, 9950 Wellington Road Manassas, VA 20110
Sponsors/Guests: TBD
Topics: Social Security focus potentially
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Congressman Suhas Subramanyam Launches Inquiry Into Fannie Mae After Mass Firings Without Notice Or Investigation
Washington, D.C. – Today, Congressman Suhas Subramanyam launched an inquiry into last week’s mass firings of dozens of predominantly Indian American employees at Fannie Mae for claims of alleged unethical conduct and fraud, sending a letter to William Pulte, Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, and Priscilla Almodovar, President and Chief Executive of Fannie Mae, demanding answers and evidence. The fired Fannie Mae employees, most of whom are Indian American and live in Northern Virginia, have denied wrongdoing and have claimed Fannie Mae did not conduct any sort of investigation into the alleged behavior.
“It has been brought to my attention that Fannie Mae has accused hundreds of my constituents in the Indian-American community of fraudulent behavior and fired them without conducting a full investigation or providing evidence,” said Congressman Suhas Subramanyam. “I have spoken with many of these employees in our community, and they deserve due process. Fannie Mae owes them, Congress, and the American people an explanation immediately.”
It has been reported that these employees were fired over contributions to certain Indian American organizations through Fannie Mae’s Matching Gift Program. According to Fannie Mae’s website, this program allows employees to “double the financial impact of their eligible donations through our Matching Gifts program up to a maximum of $5,000 annually.” The groups many employees donated to were approved by Fannie Mae itself for inclusion in its gift-matching program.
In the letter, Congressman Subramanyam highlights the employees’ years of experience and exemplary performance reviews at Fannie Mae and notes that the individuals were fired without notice and are almost exclusively Indian Americans. Additionally, some of the employees who were fired have claimed that they have not even donated to the organizations in question.
The Congressman is concerned that Fannie Mae has not fully investigated the alleged fraudulent behavior and that simply donating to Indian American organizations or belonging to the Indian American community may have been used as the sole rationale for firing these employees. In his letter, the Congressman demands answers from Fannie Mae on whether and how they had investigated this alleged fraud, if employees were given the opportunity to provide clarification or corrective action, if employees were provided evidence of specific violations they were alleged to have committed, if donations to specific charities were used as the basis for termination decisions, and, lastly, if any employees who donated to these organizations were cleared of wrongdoing as part of the investigations.
The Congressman requested a response by April 14, 2025 and a briefing on the terminations.
The letter is also signed by Congressmen Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL-08) and Shri Thanedar (D-MI-13).
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Congressman Suhas Subramanyam Blasts Republicans on the House Floor on Their Bill to Weaken the Judicial System and Embolden President Trump
Washington, D.C. – Today, Congressman Suhas Subramanyam (VA-10) took to the House floor to blast Republicans for their so-called No Rogue Rulings Act which would remove power from our district courts and allow President Trump and his administration to act without any restraint or respect for the rule of law.
“This bill is simply another loyalty bill for the president–up there with naming airports after him and putting his face on Mount Rushmore,” said Congressman Subramanyam. “Loyalty to a president should not supersede the rule of law or loyalty to uphold the Constitution. This bill doesn’t just take power away from judges, it takes away the power from every American. I urge my colleagues to vote against this legislation.”
Copied below please find remarks as prepared for delivery. Video footage of his remarks may be downloaded here.
Mr./Madam Speaker,
Let’s be clear. The administration has broken the law repeatedly. That’s why there have been so many injunctions. To stop the law breaking.
These injunctions were celebrated by the other side when they stopped actions under previous Democratic administrations.
But now that President Trump is in office, this bill essentially helps the president skirt the law.
I get asked a lot these days:
What happens when this president ignores the courts? Wouldn’t we have a constitutional crisis on our hands?
Well, this bill makes it easier for the president’s actions to go unchecked. And by blocking nationwide injunctions, people will be powerless to quickly stop illegal and unconstitutional actions.
This bill is simply another loyalty bill for the President – up there with naming airports after him and putting his face on Mount Rushmore.
Loyalty to a president should not supersede the rule of law or loyalty to uphold the Constitution.
This bill doesn’t just take power away from judges, it takes away the power from every American.
I urge my colleagues to vote against this legislation.
I yield back.
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Congressional Dads Caucus Calls Out the Impact of Trump’s Tariffs on Working Families
“President Trump’s tariffs will continue to devastate small local businesses and raise prices on families that are already reeling from the high costs of groceries, household goods, and prescription drugs.”

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Suhas Subramanyam (VA-10), and Representatives Jimmy Gomez (CA-34), Brad Schneider (IL-10), Steven Horsford (NV-04), Shomari C. Figures (AL-07), and Derek Tran (CA-45) held a press conference to call out how President Trump’s tariffs will raise prices on working families across the country, especially working parents.
The Dads Caucus underscored how these tariffs will make it harder for people to afford basic needs — from groceries, clothes, and shoes to cars and construction materials — while doing nothing to help American workers.
“President Trump’s tariffs will continue to devastate small local businesses and raise prices on families that are already reeling from the high costs of groceries, household goods, and prescription drugs,” said Congressman Suhas Subramanyam (VA-10). “These tariffs will be a self-imposed recession and a blow to the budgets of American families everywhere. I ask my Republican colleagues to stand with working families and reject the President’s actions.”
“Families are waking up with less money in their retirement savings, higher prices at the grocery store, and less confidence in the economy because of Trump. And Congressional Republicans are supporting his catastrophic economic agenda,” said Dads Caucus Chair Rep. Jimmy Gomez (CA-34). “Trump’s tariffs are an added sales tax on working parents, and they’re driving up the cost of everyday essentials and making life harder for families. That’s why my fellow Dads Caucus members and I are calling on Congressional Republicans to do their jobs and join us in reining in Trump’s dumb tariffs.”
“For families, Trump’s trade war and tariff tax are a five-alarm fire. Parents are already facing huge costs as they raise their kids with the crazy price of childcare and expensive groceries,” said Congressman Brad Schneider (IL-10). “Instead of looking seriously at solutions that can help hardworking families not just get by but get ahead, Trump is hitting them with a massive tax. Our Republican colleagues here in the House could put a stop to this today. They could stand up and stop President Trump from unilaterally setting fire to our economy and creating an entirely self-inflicted recession. Speaker Johnson must bring legislation to the floor that restores Congress’s trade authority and puts the people back in the driver’s seat.”
“A tariff is a tax, and Donald Trump owns these erratic taxes,” said Congressman Steven Horsford (NV-04). “In Las Vegas, we’re already grappling with high prices and a housing crisis. We desperately need more houses, but tariffs on steel and aluminum – both of which come from Mexico and Canada – are working against us. I’m proud to stand with my Dads Caucus colleagues to oppose Trump’s blanket tariffs because every dad – and every parent – deserves better when it comes to the country we leave our children.”
“President Trump’s tariffs are just another example of the fact that this administration seems to have only one tool in its toolbox – a sledge hammer. Instead of fixing our schools, they dismantle the Department of Education. Instead of delivering better health care, they cut funding for Medicaid. And now - instead of investing in American industry, they impose reckless tariffs that will slow production and raise prices. The facts are very clear. These reckless tariffs mean that Americans will face higher prices, fewer jobs, and a world that is less safe,” said Congressman Derek Tran (CA-45).

The Congressional Dads Caucus was founded after the 118th Congress Speaker vote to provide a forum for members of Congress to push legislation that supports working families. Since then, the caucus has gained momentum as a leading voice for policy solutions that help families thrive and make America more affordable—including creating a national paid leave program, increasing access to affordable child care, expanding the Child Tax Credit, and ensuring working parents have the resources they need to provide for their families.
Learn more about the Dads Caucus here and read the Dads Caucus 118th Congress report here.
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Congressman Suhas Subramanyam Issues Statement in Response to Discovery of 20+ Signal Group Chats Used by White House National Security Team for Crisis Response to Global Affairs
Washington D.C. – Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Military and Foreign Affairs Congressman Suhas Subramanyam said:
“It’s clear the Administration is using third party apps like Signal and Gmail on private devices to communicate sensitive and national security information. This is widespread behavior that is happening at every level of the Administration's national security team and it puts out servicemembers and all Americans at risk.
I have repeatedly called for an investigation and a briefing into this matter. We need to know the full extent of the damage the Administration is doing, what vulnerabilities they are creating, and what the Administration is doing to fix it and keep us safe. The American people deserve answers.
The Administration refuses to take this systemic risk seriously and fully believes it has done nothing wrong. For that reason, Secretary Hegseth and National Security Advisor Waltz should resign, and the Administration should make wholesale changes to fix this issue.
Our servicemembers and their families deserve better.”
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Congressman Suhas Subramanyam Slams Trump Administration for Discussing War Plans on Public Messaging App Signal at the House Oversight Committee Hearing on Securing Telecommunications
Washington, D.C. – Today, Ranking Member of the House Oversight Subcommittee on Military and Foreign Affairs Suhas Subramanyam (VA-10) led a hearing on the Trump administration’s use of unauthorized messaging and email applications to share classified information regarding America’s national security.
Congressman Subramanyam blasted White House national security officials for not understanding that Signal is not an appropriate venue to discuss national security information. The congressman explained that, despite Signal encryption, White House officials’ phones are common hacking targets for our adversaries, and that communicating classified and sensitive information on non-secure platforms puts our service members at risk. He highlighted that, while protecting telecommunications infrastructure and our national security is a critical, bipartisan issue, it is impossible to have a serious conversation about these topics without discussing last week’s revelation that cabinet-level officials were discussing sensitive and classified information on Signal. The White House National Security Adviser Mike Waltz inadvertently added a journalist to a group chat with individuals like Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth where, shockingly, they coordinated military plans and strategy on Signal, a commercial and unsecure public messaging application. The plans Secretary Hegseth disseminated in the group chat were highly classified and should only be discussed in secured facilities.
The congressman refuted the Trump administration's efforts to minimize the situation as “really not a big deal” and characterize the news as “old and boring.” He countered the administration's efforts to claim the mission was a “success” by highlighting that classified information on military actions and intelligence sources was openly revealed in one of the worst security breaches in modern times.
Please see below for Congressman Subramanyam’s opening remarks. You may watch and download his full committee remarks here.
Thank you to Chairman Timmons for holding this hearing.
Protecting our national security is a bipartisan issue. Salt Typhoon was a deeply concerning breach of our cybersecurity. We must work together to protect our critical infrastructure from attacks by foreign adversaries.
Unfortunately, we can’t do that because we are failing basic security protocols at the highest levels. We can all agree a mistake was made. The NSC is making us vulnerable to things like Salt Typhoon.
If we want to be secure, we need to fix what appears to be very serious. We can’t have a serious conversation about national security without talking about what happened on Signal last week.
So, let’s talk about it.
In short, the National Security Advisor added a journalist to a Signal group chat where top officials shared classified information about an upcoming strike. You might hear my Republican colleagues say last week’s Signal leak wasn’t a big deal.
You might hear them try to play it off and make excuses, hoping that you will forget about the whole thing. But we can’t forget about it.
Republicans have tried to deflect, saying the mission was a success. But it’s not a success if the whole world now knows how we did it.
We’ve made it much harder and more dangerous for our troops to carry out these missions in the future.
Republicans keep saying the information discussed was not classified. Even if that is true, it was still highly sensitive and could have been catastrophic in the wrong hands.
Those texts revealed where we received our intelligence. This text tells us that they had identified a target walking into an apartment building. That intelligence came from our Israeli allies who are now furious that this source has been leaked.
Our allies were already hesitant to share intel with this administration.
Now, the administration has proven that our current national security leaders cannot be trusted to keep sensitive information safe. They’ll just take our classified information and text it to whoever shows up in their contact list.
So, if the objective of this mission was to lose the trust of all our allies, well mission success then. Go team.
Republicans are going to say that accidents happen An accident is when you text gossip to your boss instead of your work bestie. Leaking sensitive military strike information to a journalist is not an accident, this is gross incompetence that put lives in danger.
We need to hold our government leaders to a very high standard. I have had so many angry constituents reach out to me. Some are veterans themselves and say they would have been fired immediately or face prison time if they’d done something like this.
I have had parents whose children serve in the military say the same thing. They are terrified that their kids’ lives are at risk because our military leaders cannot be trusted to keep our soldiers safe:
“That our nation’s top defense official shared sensitive troop movements over a commercial social media platform, without verifying who was on the other end, is not only reckless—it is terrifying. Our service members and their families deserve leaders who treat their safety with the gravity it demands. This breach not only endangers lives but erodes the trust of those who serve and support our military. My son has sworn to defend this country. I expect the same level of responsibility and integrity from those in charge.”
“For eighteen years I have lived a life most people will never understand. My promise to defend this nation doesn’t stop when I clock out. It permeates every single aspect of my life. It affects who I marry, who I live with, who I date, who I’m friends with, who I speak to. I would be sitting in a jail right now if I would have done something as brazen, thoughtless, and dangerous as what JD Vance, Pete Hegseth, John Ratcliffe, and Mike Waltz, among others, did today.”
Just two days ago, the White House said, “Case closed.” I disagree, I still have a lot of questions, and I think the American people do too.
How prevalent is their use of Signal? Sounds like Mike Waltz uses it quite a bit, I guess when he’s not sending it through his Gmail. And we never would have found out if they hadn’t accidentally added a journalist to the chat. Are they using Signal on their personal phones? Or their government issued phones?
How vulnerable are those phones to hacking by Russia? Or Iran? Or China? Have any of those devices already been compromised?
It’s pretty clear these people use Signal all the time. No one batted an eye when Secretary Hegseth shared strike plans on Signal, not one of the eighteen people suggested they move the conversation to a secure channel—not even the CIA Director or the Director of National Intelligence.
Our government spends so much money to protect sensitive communications. There are 13,000 secure facilities around the country. Why did they not use one of those to have this conversation?
The people in the chat are high-level government officials that travel with a large posse, many of whom could have connected them to secured communications channels. Why didn’t they do that?
I’ll tell you why. Because they wanted to avoid oversight.
They didn’t want to preserve all their conversations—which, by the way, is required by law—they wanted to have conversations that would automatically disappear after a week. Poof. Gone, never happened.
None of this is normal. And we can’t let them think it is.
So today, I ask my Republican colleagues on this committee if they’ll join me. We’re here to talk about the risk of state-sponsored cyber attacks. Let’s confront this most urgent vulnerability and work together to investigate this massive security leak.
Mr. Chairman, will you work with me to understand the full scope of this national security threat and make sure our federal officials are no longer exposing our sensitive military information to cyberattacks?
This is an issue of national security, and the safety of every American.
Thank you, I yield back.
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Congressman Suhas Subramanyam Calls for National Strategic Data Center Plan and Cautions Against Rapid Growth as Virginia’s 10th District Leads Nation in Data Center Presence
Washington, D.C. – Today, Congressman Suhas Subramanyam (VA-10) spoke about the impacts of data centers on Northern Virginia families at a House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform hearing. Calling for a national strategic plan on data center development, he referenced recent JLARC findings, electricity provider reports, and community outreach that reflects data center growth will increase utility bills, require more power lines in populated areas, and use up green space and water.
The congressman shared his district’s experience as a cautionary tale of how communities can be impacted without strategic planning. While the impacts of building data centers in the district initially appeared beneficial, such as lowering property taxes and funding schools, the long-term costs have become evident. The rapid proliferation of data centers has led to significant challenges for Northern Virginia communities: rising energy prices, air quality concerns, encroachment on neighborhoods, schools, and public green spaces, and a strain on local infrastructure.
Congressman Subramanyam emphasized that it is critical to consider these impacts and establish a nationwide strategy for development that benefits all residents and allows communities and data centers to coexist.
Please see below for remarks as delivered. You may watch and download his committee remarks here.
I appreciate some of the discussion today, and I think I understand that data storage is more important than ever, as we have AI and blockchain becoming more prevalent and accessible.
But, I want to tell you a cautionary tale about my community.
My district is home to more data centers than any other district in the country; in fact, if my district were a country, it would have more data centers than almost every other country in the world.
If you look at this, ten data centers usually use more power than all of D.C., and we have more than 200, with another 100 planned.
Many years ago, when these data centers were approved, they seemed like a great idea at the time, talk about lower property taxes and revenue for the counties, but our community is paying the price now.
We are a cautionary tale for the rest of the country.
The power needed for these data centers is creating a huge problem for our community. We have power lines right now in Ashburn and Leesburg and all over Loudoun County.
Leesburg, Lovettsville, Fauquier, Rappahannock counties are facing similar proposals of building transmission lines for data centers that are, quite frankly, invasive and not great for the communities.
We are paying the price now for many of these data centers. In the next five years alone, data centers could increase customers’ bills by up to $276 a year, and people’s utility bills may double in the next seven to ten years just to power data centers.
The environmental impact is real, as well. These green spaces are disappearing, pollution is rising, and water supplies are being stretched thin.
It’s making reaching our clean energy goals in Virginia nearly impossible; we set those in place. Even historic places like Manassas Battlefield are under threat, as well.
It’s also a security risk; putting all the nation’s data centers in one place is a huge problem.
You look at the Ukraine war, when Russia failed to hack Ukraine’s telecom networks, what did they target? They targeted the data centers.
And so, Northern Virginia is becoming more of a target than Washington D.C. itself.
That’s why we have a lot of people in our community standing up and fighting back.
The Digital Gateway in Prince William County, for instance, was blocked from moving forward by passionate citizens standing up for the health of their communities, and equally passionate citizens are fighting proposals in Fauquier County, Rappahannock County, and other parts of Loudoun.
There was one local high school student that started a petition about a power line going through Ashburn, she said, “Our county is meant to be a place where families can thrive, where kids can be happy and healthy, and where communities can grow, not an industrial zone filled with data centers and high-voltage power lines.
So, what I’m asking today is let’s be smart about how we’re deploying data storage as AI and blockchain become the norm.
I’m calling for a national strategic plan on how we deploy more data storage that takes into account the impact on communities.
It needs to be thoughtful—we need to be thoughtful about how we handle the unintended consequences on communities like how it will affect costs, and people’s utility bills? How will it impact our environment? How do we ensure that the security of these data centers is sufficient?
We need to be thoughtful about data centers and data storage and their long-term impacts.
One can support innovation, but it doesn’t have to come at the cost of our communities.
I yield back. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
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Congressman Suhas Subramanyam and Senator Chris Van Hollen Introduce the COST of Relocations Act to Push Back Against the Trump Administration’s Attempts to Relocate Federal Agencies

Washington, D.C. – Today, Congressman Suhas Subramanyam (D-VA) and Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) introduced the COST of Relocations Act to push back against President Trump and his administration’s relentless effort to relocate federal agencies and decimate their workforces. The legislation would require a cost-benefit analysis to be submitted to Congress in order to ensure that any attempt to move federal agencies is appropriately analyzed to guarantee it is in the best interest of the taxpayer and the agency’s mission.
“We must stop the Trump administration’s politically motivated attempts to waste taxpayer dollars by unnecessarily moving federal agencies,” said Congressman Suhas Subramanyam. “Our bill ensures that before any agency is moved, we can protect the American people by doing a thorough analysis based on logic, the best interest of taxpayers, and the agency’s mission. These decisions should be based on what’s best for the American people, not political retribution.”
“Across government, federal agencies and the civil servants who power them provide essential services for Americans across the country. Abruptly uprooting those agencies for political reasons not only endangers their critical missions, it’s also a waste of taxpayer dollars. This bill ensures that big decisions like these are made thoughtfully and driven by the best interests of the American people and their tax dollars,” said Senator Van Hollen.
During the first Trump administration, the Department of Agriculture (USDA) relocated both the Economic Research Service (ERS) and the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) from Washington, DC to Kansas City, MO. A GAO study of these relocations found that these relocations had significant impacts on both agencies’ staffing and productivity, including:
- The loss of over a third of each agency’s permanent full-time staff following the announcement of the relocation in 2018.
- A significant loss of experience, with staff with more than two years of experience declining from 83% of both agencies’ combined workforces in 2018 to 27% in 2021.
- Declines in productivity, with ERS issuing fewer key reports and NIFA taking over a month longer to process and fund competitive grants in 2019.
GAO also found that USDA did not follow many leading practices for agency relocations, including a failure to consult with its employees at any point during the process and the exclusion of several key variables, including employee attrition, in its economic analysis to support the relocations. Both agencies have made positive improvements in these areas under the Biden administration, but the damage has already been done and many experienced, dedicated federal workers were essentially removed from their jobs.
In a similar situation, the GAO also concluded that the Bureau of Land Management did not conduct a full cost benefit analysis when it relocated its workforce out of the North Capital Region in 2019, and the Department of the Interior’s Inspector General called the agency “misleading” in its justification of the move.
This legislation will ensure that agencies seeking to relocate conduct an analysis in line with the federal guidelines of best practices for conducting cost-benefit analyses. These standards look not only at the quantitative data, such as the costs of real estate and staffing, but also qualitative metrics such as employee attrition and the short- and long-term impacts of the agency’s ability to carry out its mission. The analysis would be made public as well as submitted to the agency’s Inspector General for review.
Congress and taxpayers deserve to know how agency relocations will benefit the American people.
The COST of Relocations Act is supported by Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA), Mark Warner (D-VA), Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), along with Representatives Steny Hoyer (D-MD-5), Gerry Conolly (D-VA-11), Don Beyer (D-VA-8), Jamie Raskin (D-MD-8), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), Glenn Ivey (D-MD-4), Sarah Elfreth (D-MD-3), Bobby Scott (D-VA-3), Eugene Vindman (D-VA-7), Andre Carson (D-IN-7), Dwight Evans (D-PA-3), Robert Garcia (D-CA-42), Stephen Lynch (D-MA-8), April McClain Delaney (D-MD-6), Dina Titus (D-NV-1), and Rashida Tlaib (D-MI-12).
The legislation is supported by American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), Partnership for Public Service, Project on Government Oversight (POGO), and the Union of Concerned Scientists.
Today, Congressman Suhas Subramanyam and Senator Chris Van Hollen held a press conference with their Democratic colleagues, Representatives Steny Hoyer (D-MD-5), Don Beyer (D-VA-8), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), Jamie Raskin (D-MD-8), Sarah Elfreth (D-MD-3), and Eugene Vindman (D-VA-7) to discuss this legislation. Video of their remarks can be watched here.
A former Policy Advisor to President Barack Obama, Congressman Subramanyam served in the Virginia General Assembly since first getting elected in 2019. In Richmond, Subramanyam founded the bipartisan "Commonwealth Caucus” – a bipartisan group of legislators focused on finding common ground. 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. He is a member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, and a Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Military and Foreign Affairs, and a member of the House’s Committee on Science, Space, and Technology. Subramanyam served as a volunteer firefighter and EMT in Loudoun. He lives in Ashburn, Virginia, with his wife, Miranda, and their two daughters, Maya (5) and Nina (3).
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Congressman Suhas Subramanyam Calls for the Resignation of Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth
Washington, D.C. – Today, Congressman Suhas Subramanyam, Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Military and Foreign Affairs on the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, called on Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth to resign.
“It is an indisputable fact that Secretary Hegseth shared classified, highly detailed military plans on a non-secure public messaging app to a group that inexplicably included a journalist,” said Congressman Suhas Subramanyam. “These actions violated several federal laws and put our military and our country at risk.”
“Our national security leadership has betrayed the trust of our men and women in uniform and is making our allies question whether they should share intelligence with us. Instead of taking responsibility for his actions, Secretary Hegseth has doubled down on his reckless behavior and made us vulnerable to our adversaries. The American people deserve better leadership. Secretary Hegseth should resign.”
In a piece in The Atlantic, it was revealed that the White House National Security Adviser Mike Waltz inadvertently added a journalist to a confidential group chat where they coordinated military plans and strategy on Signal, a commercial and unsecure public messaging application. The plans Secretary Hegseth disseminated in the group chat were classified and their substance only permitted for discussion is a Sensitive Compartmented Information Facilities, or SCIF.
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Congressman Suhas Subramanyam Introduces Bipartisan Legislation to Help Uyghurs Fleeing Persecution in China
Washington, DC – Today, U.S. Representatives Suhas Subramanyam (D-VA), Maria Elvira Salazar (R-FL), and Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee Gregory Meeks (D-NY) introduced the bipartisan Uyghur Human Rights Protection Act. This bill designates Uyghurs and other ethnic minorities in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, who are suffering persecution at the hands of the Chinese government, as priority refugees and expedites their ability to apply for asylum in the United States.
“The brutal persecution of Uyghurs by the Chinese government is a human rights crisis,” said Congressman Suhas Subramanyam. “I have personally heard from Uyghur constituents in my district about their deep concerns for their relatives attempting to flee atrocities. I’m proud to lead this bipartisan initiative to provide those enduring unthinkable oppression with a pathway to expedited refugee status and asylum.”
“The Uyghur Genocide perpetrated by the Chinese Communist Party is one of the most horrific crimes against humanity we have ever witnessed,” said Congresswoman Maria Elvira Salazar. “Our refugee system is designed to provide protection to those who need it most. We should prioritize those that are able to escape the systematic persecution and torture Uyghurs and other oppressed minorities are suffering from in Xinjiang.”
“Congress has been instrumental in calling out the PRC’s genocide against Uyghurs and other minorities in Xinjiang, and now it is time we act to provide them with greater protection,” said Congressman Gregory Meeks, Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. “The U.S. has a responsibility to help Uyghurs seeking to escape these atrocities by expanding refugee pathways and resolving the backlog in Uyghur asylum cases.”
“The Uyghur Human Rights Protection Act could not be more urgently needed. As the People’s Republic of China (PRC) continues to surveil Uyghurs abroad and pressure other countries to forcibly deport them back to genocide, countless Uyghurs are left living in constant fear, anxiously waiting for asylum and refugee status,” said Rushan Abbas, Executive Director of the Campaign for Uyghurs. “This legislation not only grants P-2 refugee status but also prioritizes diplomatic engagement with third countries hosting Uyghurs, ensuring their safety from PRC coercion. By passing this bi-partisan bill, the United States reaffirms its commitment to defending human rights and protecting those escaping persecution. Campaign for Uyghurs fully supports this bill and urges Congress to act without delay.”
“It is not enough to condemn China’s atrocities; the United States must also ensure that Uyghurs are given a safe refuge,” said Julie Millsap from No Business with Genocide. “We are incredibly grateful to Congressman Subramanyam for his leadership on this critical issue.”
“The U.S. should make it a high priority to rescue at-risk Uyghurs who have escaped China’s genocide,” said Omer Kanat, Executive Director of the Uyghur Human Rights Project. “We strongly endorse Rep. Suhas Subramanyam's bill to make it happen.”
The bipartisan legislation would provide Priority 2 (P-2) designation to Uyghurs seeking to escape the horrific repression currently being waged by the Chinese Communist Party. P-2 designation is used for those refugees of special humanitarian concern to the U.S. who have pressing need for resettlement and swift access to the U.S. asylum process. The bill also seeks to protect Uyghur refugees who have fled to countries outside of China besides the U.S. by directing the U.S. Secretary of State to prioritize diplomatic efforts in those countries, who often face intense pressure from the Chinese government to extradite Uyghurs back to China. Just last month, Thailand deported more than 40 Uyghurs to China, where they will likely face persecution, imprisonment, torture, and other crimes against humanity.
The U.S. government has deemed the oppression of Uyghurs and other ethnic minorities by the Chinese government as genocide. The years-long systematic persecution has included the arbitrary detention of an estimated one million Uyghurs with evidence of forced labor, forced sterilization, torture, and denial of cultural and religious practices. Congressman Subramanyam’s district in Northern Virginia is home to one of the largest Uyghur diaspora populations in the U.S.
The bill is cosponsored by Representatives Gerald Connolly (D-VA), Jill Tokuda (D-HI), Don Beyer (D-VA), Brad Sherman (D-CA), Zachary Nunn (R-IA), Andre Carson (D-IN), Seth Magaziner (D-RI), Dina Titus (D-NV), Seth Moulton (D-MA), and Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL).
Campaign for Uyghurs, Uyghur Human Rights Project, No Business for Genocide, and American Muslim and Multifaith Women's Empowerment Council have endorsed the legislation.
The full text of the Uyghur Human Rights Protection Act can be found here.
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