119th Congress

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Representatives Suhas Subramanyam (D-VA) and Jefferson Van Drew (R-NJ) have introduced a bipartisan bill that will address the rising cost of higher education. The Creating Opportunities to Use Received Student Exam (COURSE) Credit Act will provide transparency for students and families about what college credit they will receive for taking Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) exams in high school. 

“Students and parents can save significantly on tuition costs by taking AP and IB courses, but they unknowingly end up choosing a college or degree program that does not award credit for them because of the lack of transparency,” said Rep. Subramanyam. “This commonsense measure will give students more information about what colleges and universities will honor with college credit. At a time when education costs continue to rise, this will save families time and money.”

The bill would require the Department of Education to collect and publish detailed information on colleges’ policies of awarding credit for AP and IB exams. Colleges and universities would be required to publish the same information on their own websites. This will give students, families, and counselors a simple way to find and choose a college or program where students can make the most use of the credit they already earned, accelerating paths to graduation, saving on tuition costs, and freeing up valuable time. The COURSE Credit Act is also cosponsored by Representatives James Walkinshaw (D-VA) and Pablo Hernandez (D-PR).

“College is expensive enough as it is,” said Congressman Van Drew. “Students and parents should not be left trying to guess if AP or IB credits will count. This bill brings some basic transparency so families can make smart decisions and help students get through school faster with less debt. That is what this is about.”

“Clear and equitable credit pathways are essential to expanding access to postsecondary education, particularly for students navigating the transition from high school to college. The COURSE Credit Act ensures students understand how their Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) coursework will be recognized before they enroll, supporting more informed decision-making, reducing unnecessary costs, and strengthening pathways into and through higher education,” said Sean Robins, Director of Advocacy, National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC).

“Clear credit policies help ensure students do not pay twice for the same coursework,” said Louisa Woodhouse, Senior Associate for Policy & Advocacy at the National College Attainment Network (NCAN). “The COURSE Credit Act provides students greater clarity on how AP and IB credits will apply toward their degree – reducing both time to completion and the overall cost of the credential.”

In addition to introducing the COURSE Credit Act, Congressman Subramanyam has taken many steps in Congress to address the rising cost of postsecondary education, including:

• Passing the Freedom to Invest in Tomorrow’s Workforce Act, which allows students to use 529 college savings plans to pay for workforce training and credentialing programs.
• Cosponsoring the College Transparency Act to improve data collection and increase transparency in higher education costs and outcomes.
• Cosponsoring the LOAN Act to bring down borrowing costs by expanding access to subsidized loans, lowering interest rates, and offering flexible loan repayment plans.
• Cosponsoring the REDI Act to allow medical and dental students in residency or internship programs to defer loan payments until they complete their program.
• Cosponsoring the LEAP Act to allow all graduate students to access the same amount of federal student aid, regardless of degree program.

WASHINGTON, DC  -- U.S. Representatative Suhas Subramanyam (VA-10) released the following statement after the ICE-involved shooting in Minneapolis:

“From what I have seen from the video and the evidence so far, there was no justification for lethal force to be used against Renee Nicole Good. Americans are increasingly concerned about the use of harmful or deadly force used against them when they are lawfully protesting. Yesterday’s shooting just increases these concerns and instills fear in those who choose to peacefully protest. 

That's why I joined my Oversight colleagues in pushing to subpoena all of the ICE and DHS evidence in this shooting. DHS Secretary Noem already called this domestic terrorism and there are already reports that the FBI is not cooperating with Minnesota investigators. We need an independent investigation about the shooting without interference, now.”

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Representative Suhas Subramanyam (VA-10) introduced several amendments to government funding bills that would prevent taxpayer dollars from being used to rebuild Venezuelan oil infrastructure. President Trump is pushing U.S. oil executives to rebuild Venezuela’s oil industry and possibly be reimbursed by taxpayers for their investments.

“President Trump has said again and again that a tremendous amount of money will need to be spent to rebuild Venezuela’s oil infrastructure. The average American will not see the benefits from this,” said Rep. Subramanyam. “We should be using every tool at our disposal to make sure taxpayer dollars are being used to make life more affordable for Americans before benefiting billionaire oil executives.”

The Republican Majority refused to accept any of these amendments. The amendments include:

• Amendments for Interior, Energy and Water, and Commerce, Justice and Science appropriations bills that say no funds can be used to compensate or reimburse people or oil companies for work relating to building or rebuilding oil infrastructure in Venezuela.
• An amendment that says that no funds can be used for any infrastructure development in Venezuela unless authorized by Congress and unless the SNAP cuts provisions of H.R. 1 are repealed.

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Representative Suhas Subramanyam (VA-10), Ranking Member of the Military and Foreign Affairs Oversight Subcommittee, released the following statement after illegal military action in Venezuela and the capture of Maduro by U.S. forces:

“The Administration's actions in Venezuela prove that this has never been about a war on drugs or protecting Americans. This is about regime change and a personal feud with President Maduro. President Trump said he’d be the ‘Peace President’ and wouldn’t start any new wars, and yet here he is illegally invading another country and kidnapping its President. This was done without Congressional approval, and Congress must be briefed about this as soon as possible. 

President Maduro was a violent ruler who oppressed democracy in his country, but his capture in this manner will not stop the flow of drugs or promise anything other than more instability in Venezuela, and potentially another forever war started under false pretenses.”

WASHINGTON—Subcommittee on Military and Foreign Affairs Chairman William Timmons (R-S.C.) and Ranking Member Suhas Subramanyam (D-Va.) today released a staff report titled, “The DCA Incident: Assessing the Military’s Role in the National Airspace Tragedy.” The report analyzes how the fatal mid-air collision between American Airlines flight 5342 and a U.S. Army UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter occurred and determined what failures – procedural, regulatory, or operational – within the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) may have contributed to the crash. Following the Military and Foreign Affairs Subcommittee’s investigation, it is recommending that the DoD Inspector General conduct a comprehensive evaluation of all operations in civilian airspace within the United States with an emphasis on safety, coordination, and compliance.

“The tragic accident at DCA on January 29th and thirty near misses overall have revealed that the military’s current operations fall woefully short of keeping both military personnel and American civilians safe in Washington, D.C. airspace. Several briefings on this issue have highlighted the pressing need for clearer military flight protocols, enhanced training, and regular audits of flight operations and capabilities within the DoD. It is crucial that military personnel are given the tools and training they need to navigate this complex airspace and prevent accidents and miscommunications like these from ever happening again. The Subcommittee on Military and Foreign Affairs remains committed to this investigation and is upholding its responsibility to conduct oversight of U.S. military operations to ensure that both members of the military and civilians remain safe when sharing the nation’s skies,” said the lawmakers.

Below are key findings from the report:

• Communication issues between the Black Hawk and the tower contributed to the January 29^th crash: On March 11, 2025, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) released its Aviation Investigation Preliminary Report. The findings of this report indicate that discrepancies in altitudes were reported by the pilot and the instructor pilot of the Black Hawk. Similarly, the report mentions that seventeen seconds before the collision, the tower directed the Black Hawk to ‘pass behind the’ Canadair Regional Jet (CRJ). However, according to the helicopter’s cockpit voice recorder (CVR), a portion of ‘pass behind the’ may not have been heard by the crew.
• Night vision goggles (NVGs) limited the Black Hawk pilots’ ability to see the American Airlines plane on January 29th: NVGs make it especially difficult to see peripherally and during flights with excessive bright light, like that seen coming from Washington and DCA. In an investigative hearing held by NTSB, Dr. Stephen Casner, a human factors expert, testified that when an aircraft is approaching head-on, it will not appear to be moving closer, and this approaching aircraft often looks the same as buildings and other objects while wearing NVGs, making it extremely difficult for pilots to detect oncoming traffic. Likewise, NVGs make it nearly impossible to detect color, which is critical when trying to detect the red and green anti-collision lights positioned on the side of aircraft.
• Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) Out was not transmitting on the Black Hawk, preventing other aircraft and the public from detecting it on January 29^th: Rick Dressler of Metro Aviation, which operates medical helicopters, stated during the NTSB hearing that his company’s goal of maintaining “extra vigilance” while transporting critically ill passengers is “an extreme challenge when those aircraft [military helicopters] are not usually transmitting ADS-B” meaning the company “can’t see them on his traffic system” and has to rely on see and avoid methods. The NTSB’s investigation is still ongoing, and it is still being evaluated whether having ADS-B Out transmitting would have made a difference on the night of the January 29^th collision.
• The Army lacks certain knowledge of DCA airspace: Chief Warrant Officer Five David Van Vechten stated during the NTSB hearing that Army Black Hawk pilots are not trained on fixed-wing aircraft approaches to DCA runways, and this is based on “personal knowledge.” Additionally, when asked if there was a unit he was concerned about, Dressler of Metro Aviation, stated that when flying, the 12th Aviation Battalion, the unit of the U.S. Army Aviation Branch to which the Black Hawk was assigned, make his company “uncomfortable” due to what he described as “gross misunderstandings” of the airspace, including instances of military helicopters landing on MedSTAR helipads without prior notice.
• The DoD to DCA hotline was offline, preventing direct communication between the Pentagon and DCA, showing the broader breakdown of critical air traffic coordination: This hotline, maintained by DoD, was severed during the construction of a new air traffic control tower at the Pentagon. Previously, the hotline was used to allow for seamless communication between the Pentagon’s air traffic controllers and DCA’s. FAA Aviation officials only discovered the hotline was offline after the May 1 near miss incident, when two commercial jets were forced to abandon their approaches to DCA due to an Army Black Hawk occupying the airspace. 

Based on the findings, the Subcommittee on Military and Foreign Affairs is recommending that the DoD Inspector General conduct a broad evaluation of the DoD’s use of U.S. civilian airspace and its adherence to established aviation safety protocols. Such an evaluation would provide Congress and the public with an independent assessment of risks and opportunities to strengthen safety in shared airspace. 

Read the report here.

Read the letter to Inspector General Moring here.

U.S. Representative Suhas Subramanyam (VA-10) said: 

"I am concerned by the escalating violence in Bangladesh following the killing of Sharif Osman Hadi, a youth leader who planned to run for parliament. In the aftermath of his death, newspaper offices have been burned and further loss of life has been reported.

I am deeply troubled by the lynching of Dipu Chandra Das, a Hindu factory worker in Bangladesh, who was lynched after being accused of blasphemy. This act of violence is appalling, and must be investigated. Since the recent change in government, accounts of attacks against Hindu and other minority communities have increased, including on homes and temples. In light of this violence, I remain committed to promoting stability and to protecting Hindus and minority communities in Bangladesh and around the world."

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Representative Suhas Subramanyam (VA-10) announced that two of his bipartisan bills have been signed into law. The two bills are the Korean American Divided Families National Registry Act and the Contaminated Wells Relocation Act. These two bills were signed into law as part of the Fiscal Year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act, which President Trump signed last night. 

“Thousands of Korean American families in Virginia and across the country have been forcibly torn apart from their loved ones by the Korean War for more than seven decades,” said Congressman Suhas Subramanyam. “This bipartisan law will bring these families one step closer to a long-overdue reunion. I thank all the Korean American families who have shared their stories with me and who helped get this legislation over the finish line.” 

“I’ve heard from Korean Americans in Virginia about how their families were separated after the Korean War. That's why I'm glad that my bipartisan bill to help facilitate their reunification passed and was signed into law,” said U.S. Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA).

The Korean American Divided Families National Registry Act, now law, will accelerate family reunifications by directing the U.S. Department of State to compile information about Korean American families who want to reconnect with relatives in North Korea to enable future family reunions. The law, co-introduced with Congresswoman Young Kim (R-CA-40), also directs the State Department to prioritize progress on arranging future reunions for Korean American families and their relatives in North Korea in any future bilateral discussions with North Korea. 

Rep. Subramanyam continued, “The people in the town of Chincoteague will soon get some relief from unnecessary burdens to allow the town and NASA to come to an agreement on the costs of relocating contaminated water wells. Safe drinking water is a right, and I am glad this bipartisan, bicameral law will make life better for fellow Virginians.”

The Contaminated Wells Relocation Act, co-introduced with Congresswoman Jen Kiggans (R-VA-02),will authorize NASA to reimburse the town of Chincoteague for the costs associated with the removal of contaminated wells, as well as the relocation of these wells to a safe location free from groundwater contamination. From the late 1970s to 1988, the Navy conducted fire training activities on Navy-owned land on the north-central portion of Wallops Island, using a common firefighting foam that contained PFAS compounds.

“Hanukkah is a yearly celebration of light and miracles, and yet the Jewish community was deliberately targeted and attacked at Bondi Beach in Australia, where families were gathered to celebrate the first night of Hanukkah.  

We must call out the rise in antisemitism and threats to the Jewish community in our country and around the world. We cannot let this hate win.

My prayers are with the families of the victims and with the Commonwealth’s Jewish community this week. We must always push back against hate and make people of all faiths and backgrounds feel safe.”