119th Congress

Washington D.C. – Today, Congressman Suhas Subramanyam wrote to the Virginia State Corporation Commission (SCC) regarding Dominion Energy’s proposed 500kV/230kV Golden to Mars transmission project. The project, which would see the construction of new transmission lines to connect existing substations in the Ashburn area northwest of Dulles Airport, has raised significant concerns from local residents. The SCC is currently reviewing an application for a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity for Golden to Mars, which would allow the project to move forward if approved. 

In the letter, Congressman Subramanyam outlined serious concerns about the project, including several proposed routes that would impact highly developed parts of the community, including residential, commercial, and school properties. He has heard from hundreds of constituents that are rightfully worried about the impact above-ground transmission lines could have on their neighborhoods, homes, and children’s safety. More specifically, he shared his concern that the above ground line may negatively impact two Loudoun County schools and residents living at Loudoun Valley Estates.

The Congressman went on to write,

“Representing Virginia’s 10th Congressional District, I recognize the importance of balancing increasing energy needs with environmental stewardship and community interests. Northern Virginia is home to some of the highest concentrations of data centers in the world… As our nation continues to lead the world in AI innovation a national plan should be developed to ensure data centers and the energy infrastructure needed to supply them are not harming our communities. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the SCC, and any regulatory body involved with the management of transmission lines should use every tool at its disposal to ensure any negative impacts related to transmission projects are mediated when possible.”

Congressman Subramanyam urged the commissioners to carefully consider other options and emphasized that the development of data centers and supporting infrastructure must be balanced with the well-being of the community. 

A full copy of the letter can be read here. 

Background: 

Since his time in the Virginia State House, Congressman Suhas Subramanyam has been advocating for greater transparency and protections for consumers with the growing prevalence of data centers and powerlines in Virginia. This year, he wrote to the National Park Service and encouraged them to consider all possible options when reviewing Dominion’s proposal to expand a power line in Manassas Battlefield National Park. The Congressman has also been pressing the Trump administration to release a report conducted by the Department of Energy regarding the impact of data centers on consumers’ utility bills.

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"President Trump promised global peace and stability, but in eight months, his policies have started to erode America’s strategic position. The recent tariffs on India are the latest example. 

The U.S.-India relationship has continued to grow stronger, built on shared democratic values and expanding economic, scientific, and security cooperation. At a time when the Indo-Pacific is becoming increasingly central to America’s strategic interests, we should be deepening these ties, not undermining them.  

By cutting ourselves off from key partners, this Administration’s approach will empower our adversaries and make the United States less secure and less prosperous. 

We need to prioritize America’s long-term interests, and strengthening, not weakening, our relationship with India and allies is essential to that goal."

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Washington, D.C. – Today, Congressman Suhas Subramanyam introduced legislation to name a local post office in Sterling, Virginia after Firefighter Trevor Brown, who lost his life in the line of duty while serving with the Sterling Volunteer Fire Company. Firefighter Brown was a husband, a father of three, a youth soccer and baseball coach, and a beloved member of his community. 

 “Firefighter Brown touched so many lives in our community and made the ultimate sacrifice in service to it,” said Congressman Suhas Subramanyam. “This has been a hard time for his family, for our community, and for the Sterling Volunteer Fire Company. My hope is that when people see his name on this post office, they will remember the sacrifice he made and be inspired to serve the way he did.”

This bill designates Firefighter Brown’s local post office in Sterling, VA, as the “Firefighter Trevor Brown Post Office Building.” As a permanent fixture in the community, the renamed post office will ensure that Firefighter Brown’s courage, honor, and sacrifice are never forgotten.

Trevor Brown was a firefighter with the Sterling Volunteer Fire Company who died in the line of duty on February 16, 2024. He spent his formative years in Pennsylvania and Florida before attending the American University in Cairo, Egypt. A devoted husband and father, Trevor chose to be a stay-at-home parent and shared a powerful bond with his three children. His commitment to service was also evident through his roles as a volunteer firefighter and a dedicated youth soccer and baseball coach. Trevor's life motto, "If not me, then who?" reflected his deep sense of responsibility to his community. He is survived by his wife, children, and a wide circle of family and friends. 

The bill is currently cosponsored by members of the Virginia delegation including Representatives Don Beyer (VA-8), Ben Cline (VA-6), Jen Kiggans (VA-2), John McGuire (VA-5), Jennifer McClellan (VA-4), Bobby Scott (VA-3), Eugene Vindman (VA-7), and Rob Wittman (VA-1).

 The full text of the bill can be found here.

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Washington, D.C. – This week, Congressman Suhas Subramanyam (VA-10) introduced the Affordable Commutes Act, legislation designed to address the rising costs of private toll roads and protect commuters from unfair, unreasonable toll prices. The legislation directs the Department of Transportation (DOT) to investigate the pricing practices of private toll roads and assess the potential for the federal government to purchase and transfer ownership of these roads to states. This measure aims to bring down toll costs for everyday drivers.

“For too long, private toll road companies have operated with little to no oversight, leading to high fees that place a heavy burden on working families like my own and the ones I represent in Congress,” said Congressman Subramanyam. “My bill is a critical first step toward ensuring fair and transparent pricing. It puts commuters first by investigating potential price gouging and exploring solutions that would ultimately transfer control of these essential arteries from private companies to the public.”

The bill’s provisions include a directive for the DOT to investigate potential price gouging and unfair, unreasonable practices on private toll roads, with findings to be referred to the Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). It also mandates a study on the feasibility and cost benefits to commuters of the federal government acquiring private toll roads and transferring them to state ownership. The study will assess whether such a transfer would lower costs for drivers, outline the necessary framework to achieve it, and recommend other policies to reduce tolling expenses. This legislation is a significant step toward making daily commutes more affordable for millions of Americans.

This bill follows a recent decision by the Virginia Supreme Court to uphold legislation that Congressman Subramanyam passed in the House of Delegates in 2021 that granted the State Corporation Commission (SCC) greater authority to prevent toll increases on the Dulles Greenway, a privately owned toll road in Loudoun County. In September 2024, the SCC ruled to prevent a 40% toll increase that would have increased costs for commuters by over $1,100 annually. 

While the Virginia Supreme Court’s ruling marks a major victory for Virginia commuters, the operators of the toll road, Toll Road Investors Partnership II (TRIP II), filed a separate complaint in federal court. This week, Congressman Subramanyam wrote a letter to Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares, declaring that the deployment of all necessary resources is required to defend the rule of law. The text of that letter can be found here. 

To read the full bill text, see here.

In Washington, Congressman Subramanyam continues to advocate for working families and champion legislation that lowers the costs of everyday goods so that families across Northern Virginia can live prosperous lives. 

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Washington, D.C. –This week, following an oversight visit to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Caroline Detention Facility in Bowling Green, Virginia, Congressman Suhas Subramanyam introduced the Watching Arrest and Transfer Criminal Histories in ICE (WATCH ICE) Act. The bill would increase transparency and accountability for ICE by requiring the agency to publicly report on its enforcement actions, including arrests, detentions, and deportations.

This legislation comes in response to data showing that ICE is increasingly targeting non-criminal individuals, families, law-abiding immigrants in courthouses, rather than focusing on violent criminals as pledged by President Trump and his administration. Of those held in the Caroline Detention Facility, 78% of the average daily population have no criminal convictions. The facility is at 80% capacity, the highest recorded in five years. 

“My visit to Caroline Detention Facility was to conduct constitutional oversight of the facility. President Trump ran on prioritizing getting violent criminals off our streets, yet what we have seen has been the intimidation of law-abiding immigrants, some of whom have been here legally for decades,” said Congressman Subramanyam. “My WATCH ICE Act will bring accountability and clarity by demanding that ICE report on who exactly they are arresting and deporting.” 

“I also want to ensure that we protect the rights and civil liberties of all Americans, which is why I also championed legislation to require ICE agents to wear identification and be unmasked, particularly when apprehending individuals,” Subramanyam said. “Many lawful permanent residents and citizens have reached out to me with deep concerns about these practices, and they deserve to feel safe.”

Despite the Trump administration's claims of targeting violent non-citizen criminals, the data reveals a starkly different reality. According to federal statistics, less than half of the people held in detention by ICE as recently as June do not have a criminal record. Across the country, arrests of non-criminal individuals have surged. In Virginia, over 2,500 immigrants have been arrested by ICE and partnering local and state law enforcement agencies. However, 60% of those arrests have been of individuals with no prior criminal record.  

ICE’s enforcement actions at courthouses across the country, including in Sterling and Manassas in Virginia’s 10th Congressional District, are particularly concerning. By arresting individuals attending hearings and following legal requirements, ICE is forcing law-abiding immigrants to make an impossible choice: appear in court at the risk of being detained or deported, or skip their hearings and abandon their legal bid to remain in the United States. These opaque and punitive measures do not enhance public safety; rather, they target immigrants who are following our laws and attempting to achieve legal status “in the right way” merely to inflate this administration’s immigration enforcement numbers and score political points.

The WATCH ICE Act would require ICE to publicly release quarterly reports detailing:

• The total number of individuals arrested, detained and held in custody, and deported in the previous quarter.
• The number of those individuals who have a criminal conviction under state or federal law and what kind of threat they may pose. 

This reporting will ensure that the agency's actions are aligned with its stated mission of prioritizing public safety.

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U.S. Representatives Suhas Subramanyam (VA-10), Don Beyer (VA-8), Steny Hoyer (MD-5), Jamie Raskin (MD-8), Jennifer McClellan (VA-4), Glenn Ivey (MD-4), Sarah Elfreth (MD-3), Eugene Vindman (VA-7), and April McClain Delaney (MD-6) today issued the following statement on President Trump’s announcement that he would temporarily federalize the Washington D.C. Metropolitan Police Department and deploy the National Guard in the District of Columbia:

“Donald Trump has personally incited more crime in Washington D.C. than perhaps anyone else living. He pardoned the violent criminals who attacked our Capitol on January 6th and put them back in American communities. He even made a man who was filmed urging the crowd to kill D.C. police officers a senior adviser at the Justice Department.

“Trump’s “temporary” takeover of the Metropolitan Police Department is not intended to prevent crime, it is a soft launch of authoritarianism. Trump has a longstanding pattern of seeking showy displays of power. As he has shown repeatedly, Trump is working to serve himself and is not concerned with keeping American families safe in cities and towns across our country.

“Inflicting new bureaucracy on the Metropolitan Police Department and clouding their work with heavily politicized National Guard deployments is not a solution to crime. By taking law enforcement away from vital missions for this stunt, for instance pulling counterterrorism officers away from their mission and DEA agents away from fentanyl interdiction, Trump’s misuse of federal police harms crime prevention efforts across the country.

“Crime in our nation’s capital is at historic lows today, but still too high for those who are victimized. We want to build on recent crime-fighting successes in ways that respect, protect, and empower Washingtonians. The President’s announcement this morning is an unserious and unacceptable publicity stunt. If he wants to reduce crime in the District of Columbia, he should focus on getting his Republican allies in Congress to restore the funding they arbitrarily stripped out of the city’s budget, which risks cuts to law enforcement and other public safety measures.”

Washington, D.C. –Today, Congressman Suhas Subramanyam (D-VA-10) and Congressman John McGuire (R-VA-05) introduced the Quantum Encryption Readiness and Resilience Act, along with Representatives Haley Stevens (D-MI-11) and Pat Harrigan (R-NC-10). This critical bipartisan bill is designed to proactively prepare the United States for the national security challenges posed by advancements in quantum computing. The bill would establish a comprehensive national strategy to protect sensitive data from future quantum-enabled cyberattacks.

“The race for quantum supremacy is underway, and the United States cannot afford to fall behind in protecting our nation's most sensitive information," said Congressman Subramanyam. “This bill is a vital step towards ensuring our government and private sector are prepared for the quantum era. We must assess our current standing, develop a robust national strategy, and work across the aisle to manage evolving threats.” 

“The United States must prioritize quantum technology in order to promote peace through strength,” saidCongressman McGuire. “Quantum technology is critical to our national security. I am proud to be an original cosponsor of this legislation because it prepares the United States for quantum threats from our foreign adversaries by ensuring our government and industry monitor, evaluate, and act on gaps in our quantum capabilities.”

While quantum computing promises revolutionary benefits in fields like drug discovery and artificial intelligence, its rapid development also presents significant cybersecurity risks. Unlike conventional computers, quantum computers will possess the capability to break existing encryption standards that currently safeguard vast amounts of sensitive information. Experts warn that unless industries swiftly adopt more robust encryption, malicious actors could leverage quantum technology to compromise financial transactions, defense secrets, and other data vital to national security. Disturbingly, there is already evidence of adversaries collecting and storing encrypted data today, anticipating a future where quantum computers can decrypt it.

Currently, there are no comprehensive assessments detailing the United States government's and American companies' quantum capabilities and readiness relative to other nations. As the global push for advanced quantum computing intensifies, the need for a unified, nationwide strategy for quantum readiness has become paramount.

The Quantum Encryption Readiness and Resilience Act will mandate several crucial actions:

• An assessment of the United States’ quantum capabilities and readiness in comparison to other countries.
• Tracking progress in quantum innovation and readiness across both private and public sector entities.
• Identifying sectors of the economy most vulnerable to advancements in quantum computing.
• The creation of a national plan to mitigate the risks identified by the assessment of the United States’ quantum readiness.
• A plan for enhanced information sharing between the private sector and the Federal government to foster a unified defense.

“Quantum technology will shape the future of our national security. I’m proud to be an original cosponsor of this bill because it holds our government accountable to protect every American. By demanding regular, clear updates on our progress and risks, we ensure we stay one step ahead of our adversaries and safeguard our nation’s critical infrastructure,” said Congressman Harrigan.

“Quantum computing holds exciting promise, but its potential to break current encryption standards poses a serious national and economic security risk. While agencies like NIST are leading the development of post-quantum cybersecurity tools, we need a full understanding of the scale and urgency of the threat,”said Congresswoman Stevens. “This bipartisan bill ensures the federal government is actively investigating these vulnerabilities and developing mitigation strategies to protect Michigan’s small businesses, manufacturers, and research hubs in the post-quantum era.”

This bipartisan legislation has garnered strong support from key industry stakeholders, including the Quantum Economic Development Consortium, the Quantum Industry Coalition, and the Business Software Alliance, underscoring the broad recognition of the urgent need for quantum cybersecurity preparedness. 

“As progress is made in the field of quantum computing, it is essential that the public and private sector move expeditiously to adopt post-quantum cryptographic standards,” said Celia Merzbacher, Executive Director of the Quantum Economic Development Consortium.

“Because adversaries are stealing encrypted data now for future decryption by quantum computers, now is the time to move to post-quantum cryptography. The Quantum Industry Coalition supports this important legislation and applauds Rep. Subramanyam, Rep. McGuire, and Rep. Harrigan for their leadership,” said Paul Stimers, Executive Director of the Quantum Industry Coalition.

“BSA supports the development and commercialization of quantum computing, along with prioritizing the upgrade to post-quantum cryptography. This legislation will leverage existing government expertise to assess cybersecurity and national security risks posed by quantum computers and we commend Congressman Subramanyam for his focus on ensuring America continues to lead in research, commercialization and adoption of quantum solutions,” said Craig Albright, SVP of US Government Relations at BSA. 

Congressman Subramanyam discussed cybersecurity threats posed by quantum computing, his Quantum Encryption Readiness and Resilience Act, and other critical technology policy issues on the Politico Tech Podcast. 

The full text of the bill can be found here. 

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Washington, D.C. – Today, Congressman Suhas Subramanyam, Oversight Committee Ranking Member Robert Garcia, and Government Operations Subcommittee Ranking Member Kweisi Mfume led a letter to Secretary Brooke Rollins of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) demanding answers regarding the planned and forced relocation of USDA functions and personnel outside of the National Capital Region. USDA announced this reorganization on July 24, 2025, which will mandate the closure of several USDA facilities in the area and the relocation of over 2,500 employees from D.C. to new work sites across the country.

In the letter, the members stressed the critical role of USDA in ensuring the safety of our food and natural resources, along with supporting our nation’s farmers, ranchers, and rural communities. They demanded that Secretary Rollins provide additional information regarding what analysis USDA had conducted to ensure this plan is in the best interest of USDA, the rural communities it serves, and the American taxpayer. The members said: 

“The ability of USDA to fulfill its mission is critical not only to our nation’s farmers, ranchers, and rural communities, but also to ensuring the safety of our food and natural resources. Given the Department’s lack of consultation with Congress to date regarding this reorganization plan, we are deeply concerned that this relocation, like many other reorganization efforts attempted by this administration, is being implemented without appropriate study of the costs and benefits to USDA or the American people.”

The members cited agency moves undertaken during the first Trump administration as cautionary tales about the costs of poorly planned relocations. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) found that the agencies that were relocated had reduced productivity and USDA was left with a less experienced workforce as more than half of each agency’s employees chose to leave instead of relocating. GAO found that it took USDA two years to recover from the upheaval caused by the move and that best practices, including proactive consultation with agency employees, were not followed.

The members stressed that given USDA’s critical role in our food system and agricultural industries, Congress must understand both the details and goals of USDA’s planned reorganization and have an analysis underpinning those plans. They requested information concerning any cost-benefit analyses and communications with employees and stakeholders USDA has conducted to justify this reorganization plan no later than August 21, 2025.

Earlier this year, Congressman Subramanyam and Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) introduced the COST of Relocations Act to fight back against President Trump’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.

The members were joined by members of the House Oversight Committee and representatives from the National Capital Region including Representatives Donald S. Beyer, Jr. (D-VA-8), Shontel Brown (D-OH-11), Steny Hoyer (D-MD-5), Glenn Ivey (D-MD-4), Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL-8), Steven Lynch (D-MA-8), April McClain Delaney (D-MD-6), Jennifer McClellan (D-VA-4), Dave Min (D-CA-47), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), Jamie Raskin (D-MD-8), Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (D-VA-3), and Rashida Tlaib (D-MI-12).

The text of the letter can be found here.

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