RELEASE: LARSON CONDEMNS DISCRIMINATORY TRUMP IMMIGRATION APPLICATION BAN
Perosino, Charles
For Immediate Release:
December 4, 2025
Contact:
Charles Perosino 202-209-3828
Larson Condemns Discriminatory Trump Immigration Application Ban
Washington, D.C. – Today, Rep. John B. Larson (CT-01) called out the Trump Administration’s unfounded and discriminatory immigration application ban, which has already halted citizenship proceedings for Connecticut residents. As of this week, the Trump Administration has paused all immigration applications for residents from 19 countries, including Cuba, Haiti, and Venezuela.
“It is contrary to the values we hold dear when mothers are torn from their children by masked ICE agents, law-abiding visa holders are detained in unmarked vans, and now, aspiring citizens are being turned away because of who they are or where they came from,” said Larson. “That is not the nation we all know and love. We are a nation of immigrants. This ban has nothing to do with national security. It is discrimination — plain and simple. It has been heartbreaking to already hear from residents whose loved ones are having their citizenship appointments canceled — including a child right here in Connecticut — because of Donald Trump and Kristi Noem’s extreme ban. That goes against everything we stand for as Americans. It is why we must stand up and hold the President accountable.”
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Connect with Congressman Larson Online:
Perosino, Charles
For Immediate Release:
December 5, 2025
Contact:
Charles Perosino 202-209-3828
Larson Condemns Latest RFK Jr. Push to Roll Back Childhood Vaccine Recommendations
Washington, D.C. – Today, Rep. John B. Larson (CT-01) released the following statement after Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s vaccine panel reversed decades-long guidance for newborns to receive Hepatitis B vaccinations.
“Once again, Secretary Kennedy is putting his anti-vaccine conspiracies above the health of our nation’s children,” said Larson. “This latest move by his panel of conspiracy theorists, yet again has no basis in facts or evidence, and will only further imperil the progress we’ve made against preventable diseases — in this case, Hepatitis B. Vaccinations are backed by decades of extensive scientific research. If the CDC moves forward with this baseless recommendation, children will die. The longer RFK Jr. stays in his role as our nation’s top health official, the more harm he and his pseudoscientific conspiracies will cause.”
Larson called for Kennedy to resign in September after he doubled down on his anti-vaccine purge during a Senate hearing. Since he was sworn in, Kennedy has dismissed all 17 members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) that recommends vaccines, canceled $500 million in funding for vaccine research, and announced new restrictions on the COVID-19 vaccine. Bolstered by the Secretary’s anti-vaccine rhetoric, Florida has put forward a plan to end all childhood vaccine requirements.
Connecticut leads the nation with a 98.3% childhood vaccination rate, avoiding measles outbreaks plaguing other states. Connecticut has seen no measles or polio cases, a public health success under threat by the ongoing Trump-Kennedy public health purge.
Perosino, Charles
For Immediate Release:
December 9, 2025
Contact:
Charles Perosino 202-209-3828
Larson Announces Landmark Plan to Reinvest Trump ICE Slush Fund in Affordable Housing Solutions
Washington, D.C. – Today, Rep. John B. Larson (CT-01) announced the Make Housing Affordable and Defend Democracy Act with Rep. Jimmy Gomez (CA-34) and 60 of their Democratic colleagues. Their plan would reinvest the $175 billion in federal funding Congressional Republicans approved in their budget for Donald Trump and Kristi Noem to target immigrant communities and instead use that funding to kickstart a 21st century housing boom across the country. It also includes Larson’s bipartisan Revitalizing Downtowns and Main Streets Act, a bill to incentivize the conversion of existing vacant and underutilized commercial properties into new housing.
“With construction costs on the rise, sky-high mortgage rates, and costly utility bills, it is becoming exceedingly difficult to build, own, or even save up to one day own a home,” said Larson. “President Trump ran on bringing costs down for working families, yet his administration has been focused on dismantling social safety nets and terrorizing immigrant communities. Our plan will rein in their abusive anti-immigrant agenda and finally invest in solving the housing crisis that is blocking families from owning a home or finding affordable rental options. Together, we can kickstart a nationwide housing boom and make homeownership a reality for more hard-working Americans and their families.”
“I’m introducing this bill because families across the country are being crushed by housing costs while Trump uses $175 billion to terrorize families with his own national police force,” said Gomez. “This bill flips the script. We’re taking back Trump’s anti-immigrant slush fund and investing it in real housing solutions that actually help people while putting a check on the unaccountable police force he built to go after our communities.”
The bill would make one of the largest housing investments proposed this Congress, lowering costs for renters, providing substantial support for first-time homebuyers, and incentivizing the conversion of vacant office buildings into affordable units. It pays for these investments by redirecting funding approved by Republicans in Congress for the Trump Administration’s anti-immigrant agenda, including billions for inhumane detention facilities and unaccountable Department of Homeland Security and ICE programs.
The Make Housing Affordable and Defend Democracy Act would:
- Create the first-ever monthly Renter Tax Credit for individuals and families paying more than 30% of their income on rent.
- Provide $25,000 or more for first time homebuyers and $50,000 or more in down-payment assistance for first-generation homebuyers.
- Convert vacant office buildings into affordable housing through a 20–35% Affordable Housing Conversion Credit.
- Launch a Starter Home Construction Credit targeted at first-time buyers.
- Expand production of deeply affordable housing through a strengthened Low-Income Housing Tax Credit.
Full bill text is available HERE.
The legislation is endorsed by UnidosUS, the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), CASA, A Way Home America, the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities (CLPHA), and the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA), representing millions of renters, immigrants, low-income families, and housing advocates nationwide.
In addition to Reps. Larson and Gomez, the Make Housing Affordable and Defend Democracy Act is cosponsored by: Reps. Yassamin Ansari (AZ-03), Becca Balint (VT-AL ), Nanette Barragan (CA-44), Joyce Beatty (OH-03), Brendan F. Boyle (PA-02), Julia Brownley (CA-26), Salud Carbajal (CA-24), André Carson (IN-07), Troy Carter (LA-02), Judy Chu (CA-28), Gilbert R. Cisneros, Jr. (CA-31), Steve Cohen (TN-09), Danny Davis (IL07), Madeleine Dean (PA-04), Chris Deluzio (PA-17), Maxine Dexter (OR-03), Dwight Evans (PA-03), Maxwell Frost (FL-10), Robert Garcia (CA-42), Jesus G. "Chuy" Garcia (IL-04), Sylvia Garcia (TX-29), Dan Goldman (NY-10), Jimmy Gomez (CA-34), Jonathan L. Jackson (IL-01), Sara Jacobs (CA-51), Henry C. ("Hank") Johnson, Jr. (GA-04), Sydney Kamlager-Dove (CA-37), Robin L. Kelly (IL-02), Raja Krishnamoorthi (IL-08), George Latimer (NY-16), Summer L. Lee (PA-12), Teresa Leger Fernandez (NM-03), Sam Liccardo (CA-16), Ted Lieu (CA-36), Doris Matsui (CA-07), Jim McGovern (MA-02), LaMonica McIver (NJ-10), Robert Menendez (NJ-08), Kevin Mullin (CA-15), Jerry Nadler (NY-12), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-AL), Scott Peters (CA-50), Mark Pocan (WI-02), Delia C. Ramirez (IL-03), Emily Randall (WA-06), Luz Rivas (CA-29), Raul Ruiz (CA-25), Andrea Salinas (OR-06), Linda Sanchez (CA-38), Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), Brad Sherman (CA-32), Lateefah Simon (CA-12), Darren Soto (FL-09), Eric Swalwell (CA-14), Shri Thanedar (MI-13), Mike Thompson (CA-04), Dina Titus (NV-01), Juan Vargas (CA-52), Marc Veasey (TX-33), Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-25), and Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12).
Perosino, Charles
For Immediate Release:
December 10, 2025
Contact:
Charles Perosino 202-209-3828
Washington, D.C. – Today, House Social Security Subcommittee Ranking Member John B. Larson (CT-01) blasted Republicans on the Ways and Means Committee for their inaction on the ongoing data privacy issues at Social Security.
In March, Ranking Member Larson introduced the Protecting Americans’ Social Security Data Act to block political appointees and special government employees like ‘DOGE’ from accessing information at Social Security. In June, the Supreme Court allowed ‘DOGE’ access to SSA’s records, including names, addresses, medical information, and financial records, while an ongoing case makes its way through the courts. In August, a whistleblower stepped forward and reported that the sensitive information of 300 million Americans had been copied to an unsecure cloud.
View Ranking Member Larson’s full remarks here.
“Apparently, Elon Musk and ‘DOGE’ are above the law. They don't have to answer to Congress. They don't have to answer to this Committee. That's not how the American public feels, and that's not how the New York Times or the Washington post or CNN feels. And that's why they all have written in, editorialized about it, and yet still no action,” said Larson. “Mr. Chairman, we need to have ‘DOGE’ in front of us. We need to have Elon Musk come before this committee and answer why it is. And if this Committee won't do it, maybe we need the press and the media and the general public to demand of Congress what this Committee and the United States Congress has not done. It is a dereliction of our duty and our responsibility to the citizens we're sworn to serve.”
View a transcript of Ranking Member Larson’s full opening statement below:
“We all know what's missing here. We all know what's going on. In February of this year, the Administration forced out the Acting Commissioner of Social Security because Michelle King wouldn't grant ‘DOGE’ access to SSA’s database, which contained the personal information of every American.
“We then asked that Mr. Musk and ‘DOGE’ come before this Committee. It wasn't granted. So, we followed rule 13, clause seven, and asked for a Resolution of Inquiry. It was granted, but Mr. Musk never showed up, and the resolution was defeated. And then, in fact, you guys did away with that resolution — what the minority has in the ability to call people before this Committee to get essential answers about what they're doing to every single American looking at their personal data and information. Why do they need that? What did Mr. Musk have in mind with that? Was it just because of curiosity? Why is it being placed in an insecure cloud, where previously these were protected?
“It's why Michelle King stepped down from her position because she would not grant access by ‘DOGE’ to be able to go over every single person in this country's data and information. The new, hand-picked Acting Commissioner opened the floodgates and let ‘DOGE’ into the agency and into every American's personal information. As I said before, we introduced a Resolution of Inquiry, but that was turned down. Apparently, Elon Musk and ‘DOGE’ are above the law. They don't have to answer to Congress. They don't have to answer to this Committee. That's not how the American public feels, and that's not how the New York Times or the Washington Post or CNN feels. And that's why they all have written and editorialized about it, and yet, still no action. In March, we also introduced bill to stop ‘DOGE’ from accessing [the] American people's data at SSA and also stop this Administration from shuttering field offices that seniors and disabled workers [rely] on. Again, no action from the Committee. After the Supreme Court didn't stop their behavior, we wrote you, Mr. Chairman, requesting that this Committee hold an immediate markup on our bill to stop ‘DOGE’ from accessing SSA data.
“And again, we heard nothing. Fast forward to August. A whistleblower comes forward and says that ‘DOGE’ has copied the personal and confidential information of every single American to a vulnerable and insecure cloud. Mr. Chairman, we need to have ‘DOGE’ in front of us. We need to have Elon Musk come before this Committee and answer why it is. And if this Committee won't do it, maybe we need the press and the media and the general public to demand of Congress what this Committee and the United States Congress has not done. It is a dereliction of our duty and our responsibility to the citizens we're sworn to serve. You're going to have to answer to your citizens when they say to you, why did you let them pore over my personal data and records?”
Perosino, Charles
Washington, D.C. – Today, Rep. John B. Larson (CT-01) voted for the bipartisan National Defense Authorization Act, authorizing a pay raise for troops, supporting Ukraine and NATO allies to counter Russian aggression, and repealing the outdated 1991 Gulf War and 2002 Iraq War authorizations.
“Today’s vote was a win for our troops, allies, and Connecticut workers,” said Larson. “While Donald Trump and Pete Hegseth tried to engulf the Pentagon in their MAGA culture wars, Democrats worked diligently to deliver for our service members and do right by Connecticut’s hard-working machinists and shipbuilders. Together, our delegation, led by our champion on the House Armed Services Committee, Rep. Joe Courtney, worked to ensure Connecticut workers continue to build the F135 engine, Blackhawk helicopter, and Columbia and Virginia-class submarines. Whether it is Pratt & Whitney, Sikorsky, Electric Boat, or the more than one hundred suppliers scattered across our state, our state’s highly skilled workforce will keep powering our armed forces and allies with state-of-the-art equipment for decades to come.
“I am also proud to see the United States Congress take real action to protect our military from this President’s authoritarian abuses of power,” Larson continued. “Even though President Trump continues his threats to turn our backs on our NATO allies and friends in Ukraine, the bill we passed tonight authorizes new security assistance for Ukraine and puts real protections in place to prevent him from reneging on commitments to our allies in Eastern Europe. And after the recent revelations of illegal military strikes in the Caribbean, we are withholding funding from Secretary Hegseth until he turns over the records Congress is demanding about these strikes.
“More than 20 years since the wrongheaded war in Iraq, we are also taking action to end the outdated resolutions that presidents of both parties have long used to justify unauthorized military campaigns in the Middle East. I voted against the original 2002 Iraq War Resolution and for years, I have pushed to repeal these overly broad authorizations. I was glad to see my colleagues come together to re-assert some of our war powers authorities and I will continue to advocate for aggressive oversight at the Pentagon. While this bill was not perfect, it gives our troops the pay raise they have earned and deserve, makes significant investments in our state’s manufacturing workforce, and takes real steps to rein in President Trump and Secretary Hegseth’s power grabs,” Larson concluded.
The National Defense Authorization Act:
- Authorizes a 3.8% pay raise for all military personnel.
- Includes $3.2 billion for Columbia and Virginia-class Submarines, built at Electric Boat in Groton.
- Fully authorizes the Pentagon to procure new Blackhawk helicopters, built at Sikorsky in Stratford.
- Supports funding for 47 F-35 fighter jets, powered by the Pratt & Whitney F135 engine.
- Authorizes $800 million in security assistance for Ukraine over the next two years.
- Restricts President Trump from withdrawing military personnel in Eastern Europe or recognizing Russian sovereignty over Ukrainian territories.
- Repeals the outdated 1991 Gulf War and 2002 Iraq War authorizations, following years of advocacy from Rep. Larson to re-assert Congressional war powers authorities.
- Fences off funding for the Secretary of Defense until the Pentagon complies with Congressional oversight requirements, including full footage of the illegal military strikes in the Caribbean that occurred on Secretary Hegseth’s watch.
Perosino, Charles
For Immediate Release:
December 11, 2025
Contact:
Charles Perosino 202-209-3828
Larson Urges Fair Contract for Starbucks Baristas, Stands with Workers During Strike
Washington, D.C. – Today, Rep. John B. Larson (CT-01) released the following statement in support of the Connecticut Starbucks Workers Union strike. As part of an ongoing nationwide strike, workers at the Corbin’s Corner Starbucks in West Hartford and Berkshire Center Starbucks in Danbury officially began their strike this morning.
“Starbucks workers across the country continue to fight playbook union-busting tactics from management,” said Larson. “While there had been some progress over the last year toward a fair contract, Starbucks management has moved in a different direction – closing stores and conducting mass layoffs, even as they bring in billions in profits. It should not be this hard for anyone to have their voice heard by their employer. I stand with striking Connecticut Starbucks Workers Union members in West Hartford and baristas nationwide fighting for the pay and benefits they deserve.”
Ahead of the Starbucks Workers Union strike, Larson and a group of his colleagues wrote Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol last month, urging him to respect his workers’ constitutional right to organize and bargain in good faith for a fair contract.
“We are writing to express concern regarding Starbucks’ failure to reach a fair first contract with its baristas. Disturbingly, we have heard that the company has returned to union busting, which has impeded the ability of Starbucks workers—many of whom are our constituents—to exercise their statutory and constitutional right to organize,” the lawmakers wrote. “Accordingly, we want to know how Starbucks, in accordance with the law, will reverse course from its current posture, resolve its existing labor disputes, and bargain a fair contract in good faith with these employees.”
Their full letter is available HERE.
Perosino, Charles
Larson Votes to Consider Articles of Impeachment Against President Donald John Trump
Washington, D.C. – Today, Rep. John B. Larson (CT-01) voted to advance articles of impeachment against President Trump on the House floor.
“Today, I voted to consider articles of impeachment against the President of the United States after conferring with my colleague, Ranking Member Jamie Raskin, the most knowledgeable person on the subject matter. A lot has transpired since the last time this issue came up in June, but we still have a process to seek accountability, and it must move forward,” said Larson. “President Trump has torn immigrant families apart, including in Newington, Southington, and Hamden, tried to deploy the military against Americans, illegally ripped up union contracts, and allowed ‘DOGE’ into millions of Americans’ private information with no oversight. He even had his Department of Homeland Security put out a ‘watch list’ targeting lawmakers and advocates, including myself, who have spoken up forcefully against these abuses of power. He is actively treating the Constitution like a suggestion, not the law of the land, because he believes he is above the law. Republicans in Congress have failed their duty to exercise any oversight or constraint. That is why I agree with my colleague, Ranking Member Jamie Raskin, that thorough investigations and public hearings need to take place, and the impeachment process should go forward and will be best effective when supported by investigations and examinations of evidence.”
Perosino, Charles
Washington, D.C. – Today, Rep. John B. Larson (CT-01) voted for the Protect America’s Workforce Act, legislation he cosponsored and moved to force a vote on in the House, to reverse President Trump’s illegal executive order ending collective bargaining rights for federal workers. The President’s executive order was the most significant union-busting action in American history.
“Every worker should have the right to organize and collectively bargain for better pay and benefits,” said Larson. “The Union-Buster-in-Chief, Donald Trump, committed the single largest anti-labor action in our nation’s history when he illegally ordered an end to collective bargaining agreements across the federal government. He even moved to cancel approved maternity leave for new and expecting parents at the VA. I was proud to stand with our civil servants at home and my colleagues in Congress to fight back, forging a bipartisan coalition and forcing Republican leaders’ hands to end his union-busting spree. The Senate must act swiftly to protect our workers and pass this bill. I will continue to fight tooth and nail to end Donald Trump’s attacks on our workforce. Labor has stood up to billionaire bosses like him for more than a century. We aren’t stopping now.”
In August, Rep. Larson stood with workers at the Newington VA to call out the Trump Administration’s illegal termination of collective bargaining agreements, the cancellation of approved maternity leave for expecting parents, and ‘DOGE’ mass firings. Rep. Larson sent a letter to VA Secretary Doug Collins condemning his union-busting and calling for a report on the impact these cuts are having on care at the Newington VA. The independent Inspector General then came out with a report detailing severe staff shortages at every VA facility nationwide.
In addition to the AFL-CIO and AFGE, the Protecting America’s Workforce Act has support from a wide range of unions representing federal employees, including: the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (IFPTE), National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE), National Postal Mail Handlers Union (NPMHU), National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU), Professional Aviation Safety Specialists (PASS), Service Employees International Union (SEIU) and the United Steelworkers (USW).
Perosino, Charles
For Immediate Release:
December 12, 2025
Contact:
Charles Perosino 202-209-3828
Larson Moves to Force House Vote on Congressional Stock Trading Ban
Washington, D.C. – Before leaving Washington for the week, Rep. John B. Larson (CT-01) signed a bipartisan discharge petition to circumvent Republican leadership and force a vote in the House on H.R. 1908, the End Congressional Stock Trading Act. This bill would prohibit Members of Congress, their spouses, and dependent children from owning and trading stocks.
“Americans should be able to trust that their elected officials are in Washington working on their behalf, not padding stock portfolios and drumming up crypto schemes,” said Larson. “No public servant should be able to use the information they learn on the job to enrich themselves or their loved ones. That’s why I worked with President Obama to ban insider trading by Members of Congress – and why we need to strengthen that law. Speaker Johnson is the only person standing in the way of a vote on our stock trading ban, so we’re going to force his hand. With Congress’ approval rating at an all-time low, it is time for us to step up and restore trust with the public. Let’s end Congressional stock trading once and for all.”
Larson has long been an advocate for regulating Congressional stock trading. In 2012, he helped lead efforts to pass the Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge (STOCK) Act, to ensure Members of Congress cannot profit from information they learn in the course of their work and joined President Obama when he signed it into law.
Larson is also a cosponsor of the bipartisan Restore Trust in Congress Act with Reps. Chip Roy (TX-21), Seth Magaziner (RI-02), and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), to prohibit Members of Congress, their spouses, dependent children, and trustees from owning, buying, or selling individual stocks, securities, commodities, futures, and other comparable assets.
Perosino, Charles
For Immediate Release:
December 15, 2025
Contact:
Charles Perosino 202-209-3828
Larson Announces Comprehensive Bill to Prepare America’s Workforce for AI Future
Washington, D.C. – Today, Rep. John B. Larson (CT-01) announced the introduction of the Workforce of the Future Act with Reps. Emanuel Cleaver II (MO-05) and LaMonica McIver (NJ-10), to better prepare workers, teachers, and students for a changing workforce and identify how artificial intelligence (AI) and emerging technologies will change the future of the American economy. Companion legislation was introduced in the Senate by Sens. Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), and Adam Schiff (D-CA). Last week, Time Magazine named the “Architects of AI” the person of the year for 2025.
“While the rise of artificial intelligence offers the promise of innovation and advancement, we can’t sit idly by and allow workers to be left behind,” said Larson. “We must make sure workers across a broad array of industries, and students, present and future, have the access to the programs and education they need to compete in this rapidly changing economy. I’m proud to join Rep. Emanuel Cleaver to put forward a plan to better integrate emerging technologies into school curricula and support workers as AI enters their industry. We can’t let big tech moguls make billions on this disruptive technology without investing our workforce. The Congress urgently needs to act to pass nationwide AI regulations and standards that preserve jobs, protect children, and advance global technological competitiveness. AI technology should work for us, not the other way around and this bill takes an important step in that direction.”
“While there is much excitement about the potential of AI and the benefits it can bring to our communities, there is also much concern about the impacts it will have on American workers, their jobs, and their wages. It is critically important that we take steps today to prepare our nation and our workforce for the economic consequences that are rapidly approaching with the growing adoption of AI,” said Cleaver. “The Workforce of the Future Act will provide the investments necessary to ensure American workers are ready and able to capitalize on those opportunities and that nobody is left behind.”
Without proper guardrails, the impact AI could have on our economy is wide-ranging. According to studies from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), AI could replace nearly 12 percent of the workforce. Currently, many recent college graduates report being unable to find work. This legislation addresses the most pressing concerns behind AI’s rapid advancement in our workforce while also providing resources to prepare individuals to succeed in advanced technology sectors.
The Workforce of the Future Act would:
- Require the Secretaries of Labor, Commerce, and Education to jointly and efficiently prepare a report analyzing AI’s impact on the economy and workforce that must identify critical information, including what industries and jobs will be most impacted, how job quality will be impacted, necessary skills for workers, and recommendations for preparing the 21st century workforce.
- Authorize the Department of Education to award $160 million in grants to support expanding access to emerging and advanced technology education. Grants will help support foundational and innovative STEAM learning for students who need this knowledge to participate in the 21st century workforce.
- Grants must leverage information and recommendations from the report and may be used for teacher training and recruiting, high-quality learning materials, reducing gaps in access for underrepresented groups, engaging industry, and providing necessary support for student success.
- Authorize the Department of Labor to award $90 million in grants to support workforce training for workers most impacted by AI.
- Grants must leverage information and recommendations from the report and support the training of workers to prevent AI-related displacement and provide immediate support and training to workers who experience job loss in AI-impacted industries.
The bill is endorsed by the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), Anthropic, the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (IFPTE), Microsoft, the National Association of Voice Actors (NAVA), OpenAI, the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA), and the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM).
View full bill text HERE.
Kurzawa, Caroline
For Immediate Release:
December 17, 2025
Contact:
Caroline Kurzawa 202-503-5382
Washington, D.C. - Today, Rep. John B. Larson (CT-01) called on Speaker Johnson to keep the House in session until action is taken to
extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits 20 million Americans rely on to afford health care coverage. Earlier today, four Republicans signed on to Leader Jeffries’
discharge petition to force a House vote on a three-year extension of the credits, meeting the required threshold of 218 signatures.
“Families across the country are depending on Congress to take action to extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits before they see their costs
double,” said Larson. “Democrats put forward a plan months ago to take action and lower health care costs but have been blocked at every step of the way. With a bipartisan majority of Members calling for action, Speaker Johnson must keep the House in
session over the holidays until we extend the tax credits. Johnson and Trump cannot leave the American people in the lurch while they sit up at night wondering how they will pay their bills. If Republicans and Trump fail to act, they deserve nothing more than
coal in their stockings this year.”
During the government shutdown, Larson introduced the Opening the People’s House Resolution to allow a majority of Members of Congress to reconvene Congress. Currently, the Speaker of the House has unilateral authority to keep the House in recess.
Kurzawa, Caroline
Larson Votes to End Illegal Strikes in Caribbean, Reassert Congressional War Powers
Washington, D.C. - Today, Rep. John B. Larson (CT-01) voted to pass H.Con.Res. 61 and H.Con. Res. 64 to end President Trump’s unauthorized strikes in the Caribbean Sea and hostilities against Venezuela, reasserting Congress’ Constitutional war powers authority.
“Our Founders entrusted Congress with the authority to declare war under Article I of the Constitution,” said Larson. “These unauthorized strikes in the Caribbean Sea have proven that it’s time for the legislative branch to reassert our authority. I am proud to support Representatives Greg Meeks and Jim McGovern’s efforts to end these strikes and stop us from becoming entangled in another forever war. Members of Congress must remember that we swear an oath to the Constitution, not Secretary Hegseth or President Trump.”
Larson called for Defense Secretary Hegseth to resign following reports that he gave an illegal order resulting in a second strike to kill survivors of an initial attack on a vessel in the Caribbean Sea. Larson voted against the Iraq War and has long advocated for the repeal of the overly broad 1991 Gulf War and 2002 Iraq War authorizations, and voted to repeal them as part of the National Defense Authorization Act last week.
Kurzawa, Caroline
Larson Opposes Republicans’ Failed Health Care Plan, Calls for Real Action to Lower Costs
Washington, D.C. - Today, Rep. John B. Larson (CT-01) opposed Republicans’ health care plan that fails to extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits millions of Americans rely on while raising costs and limiting access to care.
“Republicans’ health care plan is simply insulting for families across the country who are already having to decide between enrolling in health insurance and paying the rent,” said Larson. “While Democrats have been fighting to extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits, Republicans have somehow cooked up a plan that raises costs AND leaves more Americans uninsured. Kicking 15 million Americans off their health insurance isn’t enough for them. In the wealthiest nation in the world, health care should be a right, not a privilege for the wealthy few. A bipartisan majority of Members have spoken and are demanding action to protect access to care and lower costs. Will Speaker Johnson and Republicans have the courage to stand up for their constituents and vote, or will they continue to run and hide? The American people can’t wait.”
Larson has called for renewed negotiations to solve the Republicans’ health care crisis and signed on to a discharge petition with House Democrats to force a vote on their plan to extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits. Today, the petition reached the 218-signature threshold required to force a House vote after four Republicans signed on. Last week, Senate Republicans blocked Democrats’ plan to extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits.
Kurzawa, Caroline
Larson Opposes Extreme Anti-Trans Health Care Bill
Washington, D.C. - Today, Rep. John B. Larson (CT-01) opposed an extreme Republican culture war bill targeting transgender youth. H.R. 3492 would criminalize providing gender affirming care to transgender Americans under 18. This week, the House will also vote on H.R. 498, which would ban Medicaid coverage for gender affirming care for Americans under 18.
“Whether it’s accessing an abortion or deciding what’s best for your children, Republicans think they should decide your health care needs,” said Larson “They aren’t satisfied with kicking 15 million people off their health insurance. Republicans are now attacking the transgender community, criminalizing care and ending Medicaid coverage. There isn’t room for politicians in the doctor's office. Medical decisions should be between a patient, their family, and their health care professionals. Throwing doctors, nurses, and parents in jail over providing medical care is extreme and frankly un-American. I will always stand up for the LGBTQ+ community in Connecticut and across the country. If Republicans want to address health care, they should join Democrats to protect access to care and lower costs. Stop these culture war stunts.”
Perosino, Charles
For Immediate Release:
December 18, 2025
Contact:
Charles Perosino 202-209-3828
Larson Rebukes Trump-Backed Trans Health Care Ban, Vows to Continue Fight to Protect LGBTQ+ Youth
Washington, D.C. – Today, following the Trump Administration's latest proposal to bully hospitals out of providing care to transgender youth, Rep. John B. Larson (CT-01) voted against another Republican bill to ban trans youth from accessing essential medical care. Today’s vote follows last night’s passage of Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s extreme bill to criminalize health care providers that serve transgender Americans under 18.
“President Trump, Secretary Kennedy, and my Republican colleagues think they know better than parents and doctors when it comes to the health of our children,” said Larson. “Last night, they pushed through one of the most extreme bills we have ever voted on – a bill to jail doctors, parents, and nurses simply for ensuring their kids can get the care they need. Not even 24 hours after that shameful vote, they want to ban Medicaid coverage for gender-affirming care and shut down hospitals that serve trans youth. I trust families to make their own health care decisions in consultation with their doctors and providers. Politicians have no business getting in the way of essential medical care. I stand with our Attorney General, William Tong, who has already been in court to block these discriminatory threats from ever becoming law. Whether it is access to abortion, contraception, or care for LGBTQ+ youth, I will never back down from the fight for health care freedom.”
As a member of the Congressional Equality Caucus, Rep. Larson is an original cosponsor of the Equality Act, to extend civil rights protections under federal law to LGBTQ+ Americans. He also recently filed briefs at the Supreme Court in opposition to trans health care bans like the proposals House Republicans put forward this week, and in support of state bans on conversion therapy, including Connecticut’s strong antidiscrimination protections.
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong is co-leading a coalition suing the Trump administration to block those threats of criminal prosecution and federal actions, currently pending in court.
Perosino, Charles
Larson Condemns Trump Cancellation of $1.2 Million in Funding for Hartford Public Schools
Washington, D.C. – Today, Rep. John B. Larson (CT-01) released the following statement after the Trump Administration pulled over $1.2 million in federal funding for Hartford Public Schools, with no public notice or explanation.
“Hundreds of thousands of kids across Connecticut rely on Department of Education programs to succeed in school, but that has not stopped Donald Trump and Linda McMahon from dismantling the agency brick by brick,” said Larson. “Democrats and Republicans have continuously come together to increase funding for the Full-Service Community Schools program because it works. These grants have had a proven track record – reducing truancy and dropout rates, improving academic achievement, and increasing student engagement inside and outside of the classroom. Canceling this program in the middle of the school year with no announcement, explanation, or approval from Congress, is beyond a disservice to Hartford students. They deserve better from their government. I will do everything I can to protect these essential programs from this president’s cruel cuts.”
After receiving a $2.1 million federal grant in 2023 through the Full-Service Community Schools Program, Hartford School District received notice that the $1,262,656.80 in funding remaining was canceled. These funds are currently supporting programs at M.D. Fox Elementary School, Burr Middle School, and Bulkeley High School, to expand in- and out-of-school student support, career readiness programs, and crime and violence prevention and intervention.
Rep. Larson is a cosponsor of Rep. Jahana Hayes’ Department of Education Protection Act to ensure federal funding is not used to downsize or restructure the Department. He was one of 192 House Democrats who filed an amicus brief in court in support of the multi-state lawsuit opposing President Trump’s order to dismantle these programs.
Perosino, Charles
Larson Condemns Bomb Threats Targeting Congregation Beth Israel and Synagogues Across New England
East Hartford, CT – Today, on the fifth night of Hanukkah, Rep. John B. Larson (CT-01) released the following statement after bomb threats were sent to Congregation Beth Israel in West Hartford, as well as other synagogues across New England.
“This despicable bomb threat, and the rise in antisemitic intimidation targeting Jewish communities, is abhorrent,” said Larson. “Threats against synagogues are not only attacks on Jewish families – they are attacks on our shared values. I stand with Congregation Beth Israel and synagogues across our region, and I am grateful to the West Hartford Police for their swift response to keep the community safe. Antisemitism has no place in Connecticut, the United States of America, or anywhere across the globe. We must continue to confront and root out hate in all its forms.”
Perosino, Charles
For Immediate Release:
December 19, 2025
Contact:
Charles Perosino 202-209-3828
Washington, D.C. - Today, House Social Security Subcommittee Ranking Member John B. Larson (CT-01) announced the introduction of the American Affordability Act of 2025 with Tax Subcommittee Ranking Member Mike Thompson (CA-04), and Ways and Means Committee Ranking Member Richard E. Neal (MA-01). Their plan takes on the cost-of-living crisis squeezing families nationwide, with real solutions to expand affordable housing, lower energy bills, cut taxes for working families, help student loan borrowers, and protect households from skyrocketing healthcare premiums.
It includes Rep. Larson’s Neighborhood Homes Investment Act and Revitalizing Downtowns and Main Streets Act to expand affordable housing options, as well as his Hydrogen Production and Investment Tax Credit Act to spur the development of clean energy.
“Americans across the country are getting squeezed by high costs everywhere they look, from energy bills to health care premiums, groceries, and rent,” said Larson. “Trump’s cost-raising tariffs, cancellation of clean energy projects, and devastating health care cuts have only made it more difficult for families to make ends meet. While President Trump calls affordability a ‘hoax’ and pushes tax breaks for his billionaire friends, my Democratic colleagues and I are coming together with a real plan that takes on this cost-of-living crisis and cuts taxes for working families, not the wealthy.”
“Families are doing everything right and still falling behind as costs keep rising,” said Thompson. “The American Affordability Act is about real relief for families: affordable housing, lower energy bills, more affordable childcare and healthcare, and bigger paychecks. This bill delivers targeted tax relief and smart investments that help families make ends meet and restores the promise that hard work should be enough to get ahead in our country.”
“While Donald Trump projects and dismisses affordability fears as a ‘hoax,’ Democrats have been and always will be at the front of the fight to lower costs for everyday workers and families. Tax Ranking Member Mike Thompson knows that whether it’s tackling the housing crisis, making childcare more affordable, or lowering health and energy costs, we have so much work to do to ease the minds of the American people and foster opportunity. The American Affordability Act is a blueprint for the next step in our fight for what we are united to deliver: lower costs and easier, better lives,” said Neal.
The American Affordability Act:
Expands Access to Affordable Housing
- Creates the first-ever monthly Renter Tax Credit for individuals and families paying more than 30% of their income on rent and creates a First-Time Homebuyer Tax Credit to help low- and middle-income earners
- Creates a new tax credit to bridge the gap between the cost of building or repairing a home and the home’s value once it is built, powering the development of 500,000 affordable, single-family homes over the next ten years
- Incentivizes the conversion of vacant office spaces and other commercial properties into new housing, reserving at least 20% of new units for low-income residents
- Increases the homeowner capital gains tax exemption to encourage more home sales and reduce the cost to buy a home, doubling the threshold to $500,000 for single filers and $1 million for joint filers
Lowers Energy Costs
- Creates a new 30% tax credit for long-range electric transmission to lower the cost of grid modernization projects, taking steps to prevent mass power outages and lower ratepayer bills
- Restores tax credits for homeowners to install home energy efficiency upgrades, solar panels, geothermal, and other cost-reducing power sources
- Spurs the development of American-made clean energy by providing a tax credit to companies that reduce carbon emissions by producing "green" and "blue" hydrogen and fuel cells
- Authorizes tax credits to purchase new and used electric vehicles and electric bikes
Stops Trump Healthcare Price Hikes
- Permanently extends expiring Affordable Care Act tax credits, protecting 112,000 Connecticut residents from sky-high premium hikes
- Prevents insurance providers from dropping vaccine coverage due to Secretary Kennedy’s anti-science restrictions, including coverage for MMR, COVID-19 and Hepatitis B shots
Cuts Taxes for Families and Workers
- Restores the expanded Child Tax Credit for working parents, providing monthly payments of $300 for each child over the age of six and $360 for each child under the age of six
- Extends the Earned Income Tax Credit for adults without children and expands eligibility to cover working young adults
- Permanently extends tax cuts for tipped workers, and expands “no tax on tips” to include automatic gratuities
- Expands the $250 teacher expense tax deduction to include early childhood educators
Makes Childcare More Affordable
- Increases the maximum dependent care Flexible Spending Account (FSA) contribution from $7,500 to $10,000, automatically adjusting the contribution limit for inflation
- Creates a new $5,000 refundable tax credit to cover startup costs needed to open family childcare centers
- Makes the adoption tax credit fully refundable, opening the door for more low-income families to pursue adoption
- Creates a new tax credit to support working family caregivers
Helps Student Loan Borrowers
- Doubles the student loan interest tax deduction for married couples, to $2,500 per person and makes any forgiven student loans tax-free
- Expands eligibility for the American Opportunity Tax Credit, to support students during the first six years of their higher education with up to $2,000 per year
- Excludes Pell Grants from income, ensuring aid received through this program is tax-free for students
Other cosponsors of the American Affordability Act include: Wesley Bell (MO-01), Donald Beyer (VA-08), Brendan Boyle (PA-02), Judy Chu (CA-28), Angie Craig (MN-02), Danny Davis (IL-07), Rosa DeLauro (CT-03), Suzan DelBene (WA-01), Dwight Evans (PA-03), John Garamendi (CA-08), Daniel Goldman (NY-10), Jimmy Gomez (CA-34), Steven Horsford (NV-04), Julie Johnson (TX-32), Timothy Kennedy (NY-26), Doris Matsui (CA-07), Sarah McBride (DE-AL), Kristen McDonald Rivet (MI-08), Morgan McGarvey (KY-03), Gwen Moore (WI-04), Frank Mrvan (IN-01), Jimmy Panetta (CA-19), Stacey Plaskett (VI-AL), Mike Quigley (IL-05), Andrea Salinas (OR-06), Linda Sanchez (CA-38), Bradley Schneider (IL-10), Hillary Scholten (MI-03), Terri Sewell (AL-07), Tom Suozzi (NY-03), and Dina Titus (NV-01).
Read the full bill text HERE.
Perosino, Charles
Larson Blasts Illegal Trump Desecration of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
East Hartford, CT – Today, Rep. John B. Larson (CT-01) blasted President Trump’s illegal attempt to rename the Kennedy Center in honor of himself, describing the sham process to rename the Center and the affixation of Trump’s name to the living memorial as an “abomination.”
“Donald Trump is a ‘narcissistic nihilist’ only consumed with himself and his own vanity – the furthest thing from John F. Kennedy one could imagine,” said Larson. “President Kennedy’s call to put service above self still resonates with people across the country and around the world today. He was a war hero, a president who always put America first, and someone who dignified the Presidency with class, grace, and intellectual wit. He is every bit as relevant today as he was when he served as Commander-in-Chief. Donald Trump’s attempt to affix himself to the living memorial to John F. Kennedy, a president who actually earned the love and respect of his nation, is a clearly narcissistic act of patent envy and jealousy. I join with my House colleagues who sit on the board of the Kennedy Center and were shut out of this sham renaming process – Leader Hakeem Jeffries, and Reps. Rick Larsen and Joyce Beatty – as they continue to seek accountability. While President Trump may seek to place his name above our beloved former President, he will never have the impact, grace, or inspiration of John Fitzgerald Kennedy.”
Perosino, Charles
For Immediate Release:
December 22, 2025
Contact:
Charles Perosino 202-209-3828
Larson Blasts Latest Trump Attempt to Halt Revolution Wind Project
East Hartford, CT – Today, Rep. John B. Larson (CT-01) released the following statement opposing the Trump Administration’s baseless pause of Revolution Wind, a near-complete offshore wind project that is going to help power more than 350,000 homes in Southern New England and save Connecticut ratepayers over $500 million per year.
“The Trump Administration’s latest ‘pause’ of the Revolution Wind project is just as baseless as their previous attacks on our clean energy economy,” said Larson. “The President has taken an axe to wind energy, solar projects, and our state’s clean hydrogen sector, putting hundreds of people out of work and saddling households across the state with even higher electricity bills. The State of Connecticut, led by Attorney General William Tong, already took him on to halt his illegal stop work order before, and we’re prepared to do it again. I worked with my colleagues on the Ways and Means Committee over the last few years to improve our power grid by investing in affordable, reliable clean energy sources – like offshore wind. We cannot afford to undo that progress because Donald Trump thinks climate change is a ‘hoax.’ This attack on Revolution Wind and Connecticut ratepayers must not stand.”
This is not the Trump Administration’s first attempt to block Revolution Wind from powering households in Connecticut. In August, they issued an illegal stop work order, which was blocked in federal court. In September, the Connecticut and Rhode Island Congressional delegations joined together to defeat an amendment on the House floor that would have delayed the Revolution Wind project.
Perosino, Charles
For Immediate Release:
December 23, 2025
Contact:
Charles Perosino 202-209-3828
Larson Condemns Trump Administration Near-Total VA Abortion Ban
East Hartford, CT – Today, Rep. John B. Larson (CT-01) released the following statement after the Trump Administration implemented an abortion ban at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), even restricting care in cases of rape and incest. In August, Larson introduced the Reproductive Freedom for Veterans Act with Rep. Julia Brownley (CA-26) to guarantee the right to abortion care at VA facilities.
“It is an affront to our nation’s veterans – who courageously served our country with honor – for the Trump Administration deny them their bodily autonomy, even in cases of rape or incest,” said Larson. “We have long known about the Republican plan to ban abortion nationwide. For women in the twenty states with abortion bans on the books, VA facilities were often the only place they could seek care. Imposing such a sweeping and extreme ban with the stroke of a pen will endanger the lives of pregnant mothers across the country – mothers who stepped up to uphold the freedoms we hold dear. It is shameful for this to be what their Commander-in-Chief sees as a reward. We cannot let this stand, and I am proud to fight for our veterans. We will continue to fight tooth and nail to restore reproductive rights for all Americans.”
In August, Rep. Larson introduced the Reproductive Freedom for Veterans Act with Rep. Julia Brownley (CA-26) to guarantee the right to abortion care at the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Equal Access to Abortion Coverage in Health Insurance Act (EACH Act) to require federal healthcare programs, including the VA and TRICARE, to provide coverage for abortion services and requires federal facilities to provide access to those services.
Since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, twenty states have enacted abortion bans that remain in effect, criminalizing reproductive health care services for millions of women. In 1990, when Larson served as State Senate President pro tempore, Connecticut became the first state to enshrine the right to safe and legal abortion into law since Roe was decided in 1973.
Perosino, Charles
Larson Commends Supreme Court Decision Blocking Trump National Guard Deployment to Chicago
East Hartford, CT – Today, Rep. John B. Larson (CT-01) commended the Supreme Court’s decision blocking President Trump’s illegal deployment of National Guard troops to Chicago streets against the wishes of state and local officials.
“With less than 48 hours to go before the Christmas holiday, Donald Trump’s wish to make our troops his own personal army just suffered a devastating blow at the Supreme Court,” said Larson. “For months, he has tried to turn the military against the people, telling top leaders that Americans cities should be used as ‘training grounds’ and calling on them to handle the ‘enemy from within.’ Senator Chris Murphy said it best when he said, ‘The authoritarian takeover isn’t coming. It’s here.’ The Supreme Court saw that clearly today. This deployment was an authoritarian abuse of the President's authority as Commander-in-Chief. President Trump continues to view the Constitution as a suggestion, but the Court recognized that the Constitution is the law of the land – not Mr. Trump. People should be encouraged that after a year of this reckless administration’s decisions, public pressure and speaking out still work. We cannot afford to relent.”
Kurzawa, Caroline
For Immediate Release:
January 3, 2026
Contact:
Caroline Kurzawa 202-503-5382
Larson Statement on Unauthorized Military Operation in Venezuela
East Hartford, CT – Today, Rep. John B. Larson (CT-01) released the following statement on the Trump Administration’s unauthorized military operation in Venezuela.
“This is yet another authoritarian power grab by Donald Trump. As he indicated in his address, it’s clear it’s about the oil!!! And securing that oil!!! And securing it with the use of our brave men and women in the United States military!!! The Constitution entrusts Congress, not the President, with the power to declare war for a reason,” said Larson. “It’s Congress’s responsibility to decide whether the nation goes to war or not! That’s why I’m joining with others in calling on the President to immediately brief Congress—and for Congress to assert its authority under the Constitution and the War Powers Act—to let this President know he does not have the authority to unilaterally commit our country to yet another endless war.
“From voting against these unauthorized strikes in December to voting against the war in Iraq, I have consistently stood firm against reckless wars that endanger our nation’s security, undermine our credibility, and force working families to pay the price in blood and dollars," Larson continued. "I will not stand by while this nihilist president bypasses Congress, ignores the rule of law, and commits our nation to yet another open-ended conflict without consent, or justification, or a plan.
“At a time when working families are already paying the price for this administration’s authoritarian rule, through higher costs for health care, groceries, and everyday necessities, this escalation is indefensible and unwarranted. The American people deserve better,” Larson concluded.
Perosino, Charles
For Immediate Release:
January 5, 2026
Contact:
Charles Perosino 202-209-3828
Larson Condemns RFK Jr.’s Push to Limit Childhood Vaccines
East Hartford, CT – Today, Rep. John B. Larson (CT-01) condemned Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s announcement gutting the childhood vaccine schedule, changing the number of recommended vaccinations from 17 to 11. If this policy goes into effect, immunizations for diseases such as RSV, influenza, and Hepatitis A will no longer be recommended to all children.
“The longer Secretary Kennedy remains in his role, the more he will endanger the health of our nation’s children,” said Larson. “This latest move, bypassing even his handpicked advisory panel, is his newest low yet. Mr. Kennedy continues to put his anti-vaccine conspiracy theories ahead of scientific fact, destroying hard-won public health victories. He needs to resign before our kids pay the price for this anti-science agenda.”
Last month, Secretary Kennedy’s vaccine panel reversed decades-long guidance for newborns to receive the Hepatitis B vaccine. In September, Larson called for Kennedy to resign after he doubled down on his anti-vaccine purge during a Senate hearing. Since he was sworn in, Kennedy has dismissed all 17 members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) that recommends vaccines, canceled $500 million in funding for vaccine research, and announced new restrictions on the COVID-19 vaccine.
Connecticut currently leads the nation with a 98.3% childhood vaccination rate, avoiding measles outbreaks plaguing other states.
Kurzawa, Caroline
For Immediate Release:
January 6, 2026
Contact:
Caroline Kurzawa 202-503-5382
Washington, D.C. - Today, Rep. John B. Larson (CT-01) released the following statement on the fifth anniversary of the January 6th insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, resulting in the death of five police officers and injuring more than 140 others.
“It’s been five years since the brutal attack on our democracy and the freedoms we hold dear,” said Larson. “From the window in my office, I watched the mob overtake our Capitol. Today, we remember the five police officers who died as a result of this violence. Our hearts are with their families, and we pledge to honor their memory today and every day. If you don’t reflect on history, it becomes forgotten, and while that may be the hope of President Trump and Speaker Johnson, I will never forget the truth and neither will the American people.”
On his first day in office, President Trump pardoned the January 6th insurrectionists, including leaders of white supremacist groups like the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers. He later fired the federal prosecutors at the Department of Justice who investigated the insurrection. Additionally, under Speaker Johnson, the House of Representatives continues to refuse to display a plaque honoring the law enforcement officers who responded to January 6th.
Kurzawa, Caroline
For Immediate Release:
January 8, 2026
Contact:
Caroline Kurzawa 202-503-5382
Washington, D.C. - Today, Rep. John B. Larson (CT-01) released the following statement calling for Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to resign following the violence in Minneapolis yesterday.
“This was a direct result of authoritarianism,” said Larson. “This was not an accident. There is blood on the hands of this Administration, the ICE agents involved in the execution of an American citizen, and every senior official in the Trump regime who has knowingly allowed these dangerous practices to continue.
“For months, I and others have warned that flooding our communities with armed ICE agents, masked, carrying military-grade weapons, operating without oversight and without coordination with local law enforcement, would end in bloodshed. This was never a question of if. It was always a question of when. That moment has arrived,” Larson continued.
“Renee Nicole Good is dead. Three children have lost their mother. And responsibility does not end at the scene. It runs directly up the chain of command,” Larson continued.
“This failure must be addressed. Kristi Noem must resign immediately after lying to the American people and claiming Renee was a domestic terrorist with no evidence or investigation. As Secretary of Homeland Security, she is responsible for overseeing ICE. Her continued leadership is incompatible with public safety, constitutional governance, and basic human decency,” Larson continued.
“There must also be a full, independent investigation into this killing, including the actions of the agents who were involved, the command decisions that authorized these operations, and the policymakers who enabled this culture of lawlessness,” Larson continued.
“Until these tactics are stopped, more lives will be lost,” Larson concluded. “I will introduce legislation allowing states to prevent ICE from operating in their borders without full coordination with state and local law enforcement agencies. Enough is enough.”
Kurzawa, Caroline
Larson Statement on the Retirement of Rep. Steny Hoyer
Washington, D.C. - Today, Rep. John B. Larson (CT-01) released the following statement on Rep. Steny Hoyer’s (MD-05) retirement announcement.
“Steny Hoyer has dedicated his life to public service from the Maryland State Senate to becoming the Majority Leader of the House of Representatives,” said Larson. “I have been proud to work alongside Steny on several major issues from the passage of the Affordable Care Act to supporting our nation’s firefighters as Co-Chairs of the Fire Services Caucus to calling out Russia’s unprovoked war of aggression against Ukraine. Through it all, the people of Maryland’s Fifth District have remained his number one priority. What I admire most is his respect for the institution and his principled leadership in ensuring that our Democratic Republic remained strong and that the process of governing functioned as the Founding Fathers intended. This year, America will mark its 250th anniversary, and Steny’s nearly 60 years of public service and his lasting legacy are an important part of this history. I am grateful to count him not just as a colleague, but a friend, and I will miss his leadership and dedication to a better future for all Americans. I wish him, his wife, Elaine, and the entire Hoyer family the best for this next chapter.”
Kurzawa, Caroline
Washington, D.C. -Today, Rep. John B. Larson (CT-01) voted to fund Commerce, Justice, Science, Energy and Water Development, and Interior and Environment programs for fiscal year 2026. This includes $3.1 billion to invest in American-made clean energy, $7 million in increased funding for Violence Against Women Act grants to keep our communities safe, $7.1 billion for cutting-edge scientific research, and $5.4 million in federal funding for local projects in Connecticut’s First District.
“Today, Congress took a step toward fully funding our government,” said Larson. “I am grateful for the steadfast leadership of Rosa DeLauro on the Appropriations Committee. She defeated every single poison pill amendment Republicans proposed and included new guardrails against the Trump Administration’s attacks on federal funding. Together, we have increased funding for programs to protect our environment, keep our communities safe, and invest in clean energy while ensuring local priorities in districts across the country are also funded. From addressing PFAS in Southington to combating gun violence in Hartford through Mothers United Against Violence, I am proud to deliver the funding these organizations need to be successful. We must continue to pass government funding legislation and prevent the Trump Administration from cutting the programs families depend on.”
Federal funding for Connecticut’s First District includes:
- $3 million for the Southington Water Department to improve their PFAS treatment technology in two of the town’s wells
- $350,000 for CONNSTEP to develop a fuel cell tech integration plan for Connecticut’s manufacturing and defense industries
- $1.03 million for the Connecticut Center for Advanced Technology (CCAT) to purchase manufacturing equipment and technology for the Connecticut Manufacturing Innovation Technology Center. This new center will offer workforce training and research in the additive manufacturing field.
- $550,000 for Our Piece of the Pie to provide comprehensive programming to prevent juvenile crime among former aged-out foster youth, at-risk youth, and disconnected young adults
- $500,000 for Mothers United Against Violence for the Victim Impact Project to prevent gun violence before it happens and help victims recover
Kurzawa, Caroline
Larson Votes to Restore Affordable Care Act Tax Credits for 20 Million Americans and Lower Costs
Washington, D.C. - Today, Rep. John B. Larson (CT-01) voted for the Democrat-led bill to extend Affordable Care Act tax credits for three years, lowering costs for 20 million Americans, including more than 100,000 residents in Connecticut.
“The House finally did its job and voted to extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits. That’s what the American people have been demanding for months,” said Larson. “I’ve heard from constituents across my district concerned with the high cost of health care, including a constituent who would be paying more for health insurance than his mortgage without these credits. Thankfully, 17 Republicans were brave enough to join us and stand up for their constituents. The Senate must take up this bill immediately to lower costs and deliver the relief American families desperately need. Democrats will continue to fight to reverse Republicans’ cuts to health care and ensure no one has to choose between the care they need and paying the rent.”
Before Congress adjourned for the holidays, four Republicans joined Democrats’ effort to force a vote on this legislation, but Speaker Johnson postponed the vote until January, allowing the credits to expire and costs to skyrocket.
Perosino, Charles
For Immediate Release:
January 9, 2026
Contact:
Charles Perosino 202-209-3828
Following ICE Hartford Incident, Larson Renews Call to Allow States to Block ICE Activities
Washington, D.C. – Today, Rep. John B. Larson (CT-01) released the following statement on last night’s incident at the Ribicoff Court House in Hartford. During a vigil in Hartford remembering Renee Nicole Good, who was killed by an ICE agent in Minneapolis, at least one person was struck by a vehicle in the crowd, and several were pepper-sprayed.
“In response to yesterday’s vigil in Hartford and the incident in which a federal vehicle struck a protester, I want to be clear: the violence we are seeing is a direct consequence of the reckless escalation of militarized ICE operations and the Trump Administration’s refusal to exercise any restraint,” said Larson. “Protesters gathered peacefully to honor a life lost in Minneapolis and instead found themselves in a confrontation that was entirely predictable given how this administration has empowered federal agents to act with impunity. That is why I am calling for the immediate resignation of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, a full and independent investigation into the killing of Renee Nicole Good, and immediate action to stop ICE from operating inside our communities without full coordination with state and local law enforcement.
“I spoke directly with the Mayor Arulampalam and offered my full support to the city and its residents as local officials work to ensure public safety and investigate what occurred,” Larson continued. “I join the Mayor in calling for transparency and accountability regarding how a federal vehicle came into contact with a civilian during a peaceful vigil. These incidents are not isolated. They are the inevitable result of unleashing masked, heavily armed federal agents into communities without oversight, without coordination, and without respect for local authority.
“When ICE agents act like roving bands of vigilantes and kill unarmed civilians they lose the trust of communities. Fear and desperation fill the void and people no longer believe law enforcement is there to protect them. The entire system breaks down. From the murder of Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis to the confrontation at yesterday’s vigil in Hartford, this administration has created a climate of fear, instability, and chaos. These outcomes were foreseen and repeatedly warned against. Communities should be places of safety, not flashpoints created by federal overreach. Until these tactics end, more lives will be put at risk,” Larson concluded.
After an ICE agent killed U.S. citizen Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis this week, Larson called for a full, independent investigation into the shooting, and the resignation of Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem. In Congress, he is a cosponsor of the No Secret Police Act, to require federal law enforcement to identify themselves, and has vowed to introduce legislation to prevent ICE from operating in states without full coordination with state and local law enforcement.
Perosino, Charles
Larson Cosponsors Bipartisan War Powers Resolution to Withdraw Forces from Venezuela
Washington, D.C. – Today, Rep. John B. Larson (CT-01) joined Reps. Jim McGovern (MA-02), Thomas Massie (KY-04), and more than 50 of his colleagues to cosponsor H.Con.Res. 68, a war powers resolution to withdraw U.S. forces from Venezuela.
“Donald Trump confirmed his plans for Americans to run Venezuela for years. He is dragging us into another foreign occupation with no clear exit plan or strategy,” said Larson. “We cannot put our troops at risk to help this president enrich his Big Oil friends. I joined my colleagues to support this war powers resolution to stop Donald Trump’s unauthorized operations in Venezuela. I urge more Republicans to come together with us to end this madness. The American people need relief from skyrocketing health care premiums, not another forever war.”
Larson is also cosponsoring three other war powers resolutions, H.J.Res. 126, H.Con.Res. 51, and H.Con.Res. 61, in response to the Trump Administration's unilateral strikes targeting boats off the coast of Venezuela. In December, he voted for two resolutions to end the unauthorized strikes and hostilities against Venezuela. He also called for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to resign following reports that he gave an illegal order resulting in a second strike to kill survivors of an attack on a vessel in the Caribbean Sea.
Perosino, Charles
For Immediate Release:
January 12, 2026
Contact:
Charles Perosino 202-209-3828
Larson Applauds Court Order Ending Baseless Revolution Wind Stop Work Order
Washington, D.C. – Today, Rep. John B. Larson (CT-01) released the following statement after a federal judge issued a court injunction allowing work to resume on the Revolution Wind project.
This is the second time the Trump Administration lost in court after trying to end the near-complete offshore wind project, which is going to help power more than 350,000 homes in Southern New England and save ratepayers over $500 million per year.
“The Trump Administration’s baseless stop work order left hundreds of construction workers without a paycheck right before the holidays and put a project on ice that was set to save New England ratepayers millions,” said Larson. “This president has gone after wind projects, solar energy, and our state’s clean hydrogen sector — raising energy costs for families already struggling to make ends meet — all because he thinks climate change is a ‘hoax.’ Connecticut did not waste one second in the fight to protect Revolution Wind from his vindictive decrees because we’ve seen this playbook before. We beat President Trump in court once again to keep this project on target, thanks to the leadership of Governor Ned Lamont and Attorney General William Tong. Let’s get back to work.”
This is not the Trump Administration’s first attempt to block Revolution Wind from powering households in Connecticut. In August, they issued an illegal stop work order, which was also blocked in federal court. In September, the Connecticut and Rhode Island Congressional delegations joined together to defeat an amendment on the House floor that would have delayed the Revolution Wind project.
Perosino, Charles
Following Larson Warnings, House Votes to End Trump Meddling with Social Security Death Records
Washington, D.C. – Today, House Social Security Subcommittee Ranking Member John B. Larson (CT-01) released the following statement after House passage of S. 269, bipartisan legislation that allows the Department of Treasury’s Do Not Pay system to use the Social Security Administration’s (SSA) death records in order to help stop erroneous payments to deceased individuals. After today’s passage, the bill goes to the President’s desk to be signed into law.
Importantly, the bill contains a provision to prevent the Social Security Administration from meddling with death records to target residents. Last year, the Trump Administration was caught using the Social Security Death Master File to pressure thousands of immigrants with legal status to leave the country, effectively marking them as dead and cutting off their access to the financial system. At the time, Ranking Member Larson decried this abuse of power and called on Congress to act. S. 269 adds explicit protections to the law to prohibit SSA from recording a death unless the individual is actually deceased.
“For months, I have sounded the alarm about threats to Americans’ private data,” said Larson. “It is not just external bad actors we have to fear. It is the Trump Administration itself. They are the ones responsible for wreaking havoc on people’s lives by cutting off their access to financial systems and housing applications. I am glad to see Congress come together and end these attacks on residents’ financial security to score anti-immigrant political points. We must keep speaking out against their abuses of power at Social Security. ‘DOGE’ still has access to the information of 300 million Americans, including names, addresses, and financial records that they moved to a vulnerable cloud! I have called for Republicans to act to protect your privacy and have been met with silence. When will they join us to protect their constituents from what could be the largest data breach in history?”
Ranking Member Larson has also introduced the Protecting Americans’ Social Security Data Act to prevent political appointees and special government employees like ‘DOGE’ from accessing private records at Social Security. He demanded a hearing on the bill in June when the Supreme Court allowed ‘DOGE’ access to sensitive data at Social Security. After a whistleblower report in August confirmed that ‘DOGE’ had copied the personal information of 300 million Americans on to a vulnerable cloud, Larson and Ways and Means Committee Ranking Member Richard Neal called for immediate hearings on the report.
Perosino, Charles
For Immediate Release:
January 13, 2026
Contact:
Charles Perosino 202-209-3828
Larson, Ways and Means Democrats Put Big Oil CEOs on Notice for Trump Venezuela “Takeover”
Washington, D.C. – Today, following President Trump’s White House meeting with oil and gas executives, Rep. John B. Larson (CT-01) announced that he and other Democrats on the Ways and Means Committee sent letters warning the CEOs of the four largest oil companies about their potential involvement in an unauthorized Trump “takeover” of Venezuela.
On Friday, President Trump hosted oil and gas executives at the White House to secure their involvement in his “takeover” of Venezuela, following his unauthorized military operation that led to the capture of President Nicolás Maduro. During his address to the nation following the operation, Trump said that the United States would run Venezuela with the support of oil and gas companies.
“Donald Trump is dragging our nation into another foreign conflict with no clear plan or strategy,” said Larson. “The President has made it clear that his unauthorized operation in Venezuela was about one thing – oil. As Dick Cheney said about Iraq, ‘The oil will pay for it.’ Trump is playing the same game, which we saw on full display in Friday’s White House meeting. Before Big Oil dives headfirst into his Venezuela takeover, they must reckon with the moral and legal consequences of this dirty deal. We cannot become entangled in another forever war that will raise costs for American families, put our troops at risk, and destroy American credibility with our partners on the world stage.”
Larson and Democrats on the Ways and Means Committees sent letters following the White House meeting to warn oil executives about their potential role in these operations. Larson is also cosponsoring a bipartisan War Powers Resolution to end U.S. Armed Forces involvement in Venezuela.
“We believe that U.S. commercial engagement with Venezuelan oil resources under these circumstances raises serious concerns. In particular, proceeding in the absence of congressional authorization and without negotiations involving a democratically elected Venezuelan government risks undermining core constitutional principles, exposing U.S. taxpayers to financial risk, and placing U.S. servicemembers in harm’s way without clear legal or policy justification,” the lawmakers wrote. “These concerns warrant careful scrutiny to ensure that federal tax benefits are applied in a manner consistent with longstanding congressional intent and broader U.S. interests. Thank you for your full and fair consideration of this matter.”
In addition to Rep. Larson, the letters were signed by Reps. Mike Thompson (CA-04), Lloyd Doggett (TX-37), Danny K. Davis (IL-07), Linda Sánchez (CA-38), Terri Sewell (AL-07), Suzan K. DelBene (WA-01), Judy Chu (CA-28), Brendan Boyle (PA-02), Don Beyer (VA-08), Dwight Evans (PA-03), Brad Schneider (IL-10), Jimmy Panetta (CA-19), Jimmy Gomez (CA-34), Steven Horsford (NV-04), and Tom Suozzi (NY-03).
Their letter to Shell CEO Wael Sawan is available HERE.
Their letter to ExxonMobil Executive Chair and CEO Darren W. Woods is available HERE.
Their letter to ConocoPhillips Chairman and CEO Ryan Lance is available HERE.
Their letter to Chevron Chairman of the Board Mike Wirth is available HERE.
Perosino, Charles
Larson: Connecticut Supreme Court Decision is a Win for Democracy
Washington, D.C. – Today, Rep. John B. Larson (CT-01) released the following statement after the Connecticut Supreme Court unanimously ruled in Amadasun v. Armstrong that South Windsor Councilman-elect Harrison Amadasun’s case can go to trial.
Following his election to the South Windsor Town Council, officials blocked him from being rightfully seated on the Council by illegally citing a revision to the Town Charter that is not due to go into effect until 2027, instead seating a Republican candidate who received almost 1,000 fewer votes than Amadasun.
“Today's decision at the Connecticut Supreme Court was not only a win for Councilman-elect Harrison Amadasun, but it was also a win for democracy,” said Larson. “In November, South Windsor voters elected Harrison on the same ballot that they approved a charter revision – clearly intended to take effect in 2027. As President Trump continues to ignore the Constitution and undermine our democratic values, Republican officials at all levels of government have been emboldened to undermine election results, even right here in our communities. We will not stand by as they try to subvert the will of the voters. I commend Harrison and all the South Windsor residents who have come together for democracy, and I am confident they will prevail when this case goes to trial.”
Prior to today’s ruling, Rep. Larson submitted public testimony in support of Councilman-elect Harrison Amadasun’s bid to be seated as the rightful winner at the South Windsor Town Council meeting on January 5th.
Perosino, Charles
For Immediate Release:
January 14, 2026
Contact:
Charles Perosino 202-209-3828
Larson Files Articles of Impeachment Against U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi L. Noem
Washington, D.C. – Today, Rep. John B. Larson (CT-01) and a group of his Democratic colleagues filed three articles of impeachment against U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi L. Noem.
“After a week of lies, cover-ups, and excessive force against peaceful protesters across the country – including the execution of an American citizen, enough is enough,” said Larson. “Today, I joined my colleagues to file articles of impeachment against Kristi Noem. On her watch, ICE has been transformed into President Trump’s secret police force. It was never a question of if, but when, these authoritarian abuses of the public trust would end in bloodshed. Secretary Noem has lost the trust of the American people and must face accountability for her failed leadership. I am in full support of impeachment proceedings that include a full, transparent investigation into the lawlessness occurring on her watch.”
These articles come after an ICE agent executed an American citizen, Renee Nicole Good, in Minneapolis on her watch, and a federal vehicle struck a protester in Hartford. Noem has continuously lied to the American people about these incidents, falsely labeling Good as a “domestic terrorist” with no evidence or investigation. Larson has also vowed to introduce legislation to stop ICE from operating in communities without coordination with state and local law enforcement.
Larson filed three articles of impeachment against Secretary Noem, for high crimes and misdemeanors:
- Obstruction of Congress:
- Noem has implemented a scheme to prevent Members of Congress from conducting oversight at ICE facilities, in violation of Public Law No. 118-47, which states that no funds may be used by the Department of Homeland Security to prevent Members of Congress from entering DHS facilities used to house immigrants.
- She used her authority to withhold funds obligated by Congress for the Emergency Food and Shelter Program and the Shelter and Services Program, in violation of the Impoundment Control Act of 1974.
- Violation of Public Trust:
- Secretary Noem has impeded on the constitutional due process rights of American citizens, in violation of the Immigration and Nationality Act, and First and Fourth Amendments to the U.S. Constitution, directing ICE agents to make warrantless arrests, overseeing the use of tear gas on children at a Halloween parade in Chicago, and the execution of an American citizen by an agent in Minneapolis.
- Self-Dealing:
- Secretary Noem used taxpayer dollars to fund a $200 million ad campaign for ICE agent recruitment, in violation of 5 C.F.R. pt. 2635, bypassing the normal contract process to award Republican-led ad agencies, including a company run by the husband of a senior Department of Homeland Security official and close friend of Noem’s.
Perosino, Charles
Larson Votes to Support Small Businesses, Protect Elections from Interference
Washington, D.C. – Today, Rep. John B. Larson (CT-01) voted for a bipartisan government funding package that includes new funding to support small businesses, protect our elections from unlawful interference, and continue economic development programs President Trump and ‘DOGE’ tried to cut.
“Today’s vote proves to the American people that our system can work when lawmakers work together – and Congress can act to stop this president’s attacks on workers and small businesses,” said Larson. “Once again, Democrats on the Appropriations Committee, led by Rosa DeLauro, defeated every culture war attack Republicans put forward and rebuked President Trump’s illegal attempts to wrestle control of the federal budget. Congress is entrusted with the power of the purse, not the President. This bill supports critical programs to grow our economy that Trump and his ‘DOGE’ tried to eliminate and invests in election security to protect our democracy from unlawful interference. As we continue to negotiate government funding, our Republican colleagues must remember they’re here to serve the citizens who duly elected them, not Donald Trump.”
The funding package includes:
- $324 million for Community Development Financial Institutions to invest in economically disadvantaged communities nationwide, rejecting Trump attempts to eliminate it
- $1 billion for the Small Business Administration and increases Entrepreneurial Development Programs funding by $13 million
- A $30 million increase in funding for Election Security Grants, fortifying our elections and protecting against interference
- $5.5 billion in humanitarian aid for our international partners
- $584 million for our courts, including a $315 million increase for Defender Services to support the legal right to counsel
Perosino, Charles
For Immediate Release:
January 15, 2026
Contact:
Charles Perosino 202-209-3828
Washington, D.C. – Today, Rep. John B. Larson (CT-01) announced the introduction of the bipartisan No Funds for NATO Invasion Act to prohibit the use of federal funds for an invasion of any NATO member state or NATO-protected territory, following Trump’s threats to invade Greenland.
“After ignoring Congress to carry out an unauthorized military operation in Venezuela, President Trump has set his sights on a NATO ally in Greenland,” said Larson. “We cannot write off his tweets as idle threats. The United States Congress must rein him in now before he destroys our global security and make it clear that we stand with our allies. Our No Funds for NATO Invasion Act will send a clear message to President Trump and the world that no matter what the President says, NATO will stand strong. I hope more of my Republican colleagues will step up to safeguard our nation and world before this rogue president blows up NATO for his own vanity.”
The No Funds for NATO Invasion Act would:
- Prohibit any federal funds from being made available for the invasion of a NATO member state or any territory protected
by Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty.
- Prohibit any officer or employee of the United States from taking any action to execute an invasion of a NATO member state or any territory protected by Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty.
Perosino, Charles
Reversing Trump Administration Cuts, Larson Announces Restoration of Local Public Health Initiatives
Washington, D.C. – Today, after news broke that the Trump Administration was canceling $2 billion in federal funding for mental health and addiction services, Rep. John B. Larson (CT-01) announced the full restoration of funds, including for programs at Hartford’s Community Renewal Team and The Village for Families and Children.
Following the abrupt grant cancellations from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), Larson joined a bipartisan letter with 100 House colleagues to Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. demanding the immediate restoration of funding.
“Once again, the Trump Administration tried to end funding Americans depend on – for mental health care and addiction treatment – with no notice or explanation,” said Larson. “This time, Secretary Kennedy went after some of the most vulnerable in our society – even trying to cut programs in Hartford that support residents living with HIV/AIDS. Thankfully, we spoke out with a strong, bipartisan coalition in Congress, along with immediate national outrage, and the funding was restored! Public pressure still works. I was proud to stand with local partners like CRT and the Village for Families and Children to fight for these vital programs. We will continue to work together to ensure Connecticut residents have the support and resources they need.”
In addition to $7.2 million in proposed cuts to programs operated by the State of Connecticut, the Trump Administration tried to cut more than $1 million in funding for programs operated by the Community Renewal Team (CRT) and The Village for Families and Children, including medication options and counseling for individuals recovering from opioid and alcohol addiction, and testing, education, and case management for individuals living with or affected by HIV.
“The decision to rescind the SAMHSA grant termination is necessary for CRT to continue to provide essential services through our Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) and HIV-AIDS Risk (HARP) Programs. It also reaffirms the national commitment to fighting the opioid crisis and supporting those affected by addiction and mental health issues. We are grateful for Congressman Larson’s support and advocacy. Together, we will continue empowering individuals and strengthening families as we work towards a healthier future for all,” said Lena Rodriguez, President & CEO, Community Renewal Team (CRT).
"The Village programs supported by the federal funds help hundreds of people recover from addiction and transform their lives. Abrupt elimination of the grants would be devastating for these folks and their families, not to mention their communities. The last 24 hours have been a rollercoaster ride for us as we try to determine the status of the funding and what impact any changes may have on our clients and staff. Just today we were notified the grants were restored so we hope the uncertainty will subside and this important work can continue without interruptions," said Village President & CEO, Hector Glynn.
Perosino, Charles
For Immediate Release:
January 16, 2026
Contact:
Charles Perosino 202-209-3828
Larson, DeLauro Announce $1.1 Million in Federal Funding for Middletown Fire Department
Middletown, CT – Today, Reps. John B. Larson (CT-01) and Rosa DeLauro (CT-03) announced $1.18 million in new federal funding for the Middletown Fire Department with Mayor Gene Nocera.
Middletown Fire Chief David Albert, Mayor Gene Nocera, State Senator Matt Lesser, and Rep. Larson with the Middletown Fire Department
“As the son of a firefighter, I know how hard our firefighters work every day to keep our communities safe,” said Larson. “I was proud to work with Mayor Nocera and Chief Albert to deliver more than $1 million in federal funding for the Middletown Fire Department to ensure full staffing across the entire city and fund critical training for every firefighter. As a Co-Chair of the Congressional Fire Services Caucus, I will continue to work with our local partners to support our first responders and the safety of every community.”
“Middletown’s firefighters selflessly dedicate their lives to keeping our communities safe, but they need full staffing and adequate resources to be able to continue to do their jobs,” said DeLauro. “I’m proud that over $1.1 million in federal funding will support the hiring of four additional firefighters and life-saving training for all firefighters in Middletown, increasing the number of trained, front-line first responders. As Ranking Member of the Appropriations Committee, I’ll continue to fight for additional resources for Connecticut’s first responders.”
The Middletown Fire Department was awarded:
- $859,000 to hire four additional firefighters, ensuring full staffing at all stations across the city.
- $259,600 to pay for all firefighters to attend yearly vehicle training, rather than a select few that normally would be able to participate.
"This grant will directly strengthen our Fire Department by supporting adequate staffing levels, ensuring faster response times, improved emergency coverage, and enhanced safety for both residents and first responders. At a time when municipalities across the country are facing significant budget pressures, this federal support allows Middletown to maintain high-quality emergency services without placing additional strain on local taxpayers. We are grateful for Congressman Larson’s leadership and advocacy, and for our entire delegation’s continued partnership in delivering meaningful resources to our city,” said Mayor Gene Nocera.
"We are grateful to Congressman Larson and our delegation for securing this funding, and their ongoing support of the fire service,” said State Senator Matt Lesser.
Rep. Larson, Co-Chair of the Congressional Fire Services Caucus, and Rep. DeLauro, Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Committee, helped secure this funding in the Fiscal Year 2024 government funding package.
"I am proud to acknowledge one of the single most important federal grants that will have a direct and lasting impact on public safety. With the SAFER grant we will enhance our staff quarters, ensure more firefighters are on duty, and staff our apparatus appropriately, thus increasing safety for both personnel and residents of the city. We also received an Assistance to Firefighters Grant to provide enhanced training to our entire department, ensuring every firefighter is prepared to act safely and effectively in complex rescue situations,” said Middletown Fire Chief David Albert.
“These SAFER and AFG grants represent a critical investment in the safety of the Middletown community,” said Peter Brown, President of the Uniformed Professional Firefighters Association of Connecticut. “Hiring four additional firefighters and providing department-wide training will directly improve emergency response times and enhance firefighter and public safety. For decades, these programs have provided billions in funding to fire departments all over the country and in Connecticut, they have led to the hiring of dozens of new firefighters and the purchasing of essential fire equipment. We thank Representative Larson and our entire federal delegation for their ongoing commitment to fighting for these crucial funds for our fire departments.”
Larson and DeLauro worked with their colleagues in Congress to create the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) and Assistance to Firefighter Grants (AFG) programs that directly provide federal funding to local fire departments across the nation, including the grants for Middletown that were announced today.
Photos from today’s press conference can be viewed HERE.
Perosino, Charles
Larson Introduces Bipartisan Bill to Improve Pension Plans for Union Workers
Washington, D.C. – Today, Rep. John B. Larson (CT-01) joined Rep. Brad Finstad (MN-01), Rep. Brendan F. Boyle (PA-02), and Rep. Mike Carey (OH-15) to introduce the Multi-Employer Plan Auto Enrollment Relief Act (MPAERA), alongside Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Bernie Moreno (R-OH). The bill will exempt multi-employer plans from Section 101 of the Secure 2.0 Act, improving access to retirement plans that best serve union workers.
“Retirement security is not a one-size-fits-all approach, especially for union workers with multi-employer plans,” said Larson. “I am proud to join this bipartisan effort with my colleagues to cut through red tape so union workers can adequately save for their retirement. I will continue to fight to ensure all Americans who work their entire lives can retire with dignity, both by enhancing Social Security benefits and expanding access to private retirement plans.”
“At its core, this is about fairness and flexibility. Entities offering multi-employer plans shouldn’t be forced into rules that don’t work for them. This bipartisan legislation ensures workers still have access to retirement savings without putting unnecessary burdens on the plans that serve them,” said Finstad.
“This bill is a commonsense fix that protects workers’ access to hard-earned retirement benefits by cutting unnecessary red tape on multi-employer plans. I’m proud to partner across the aisle to make sure these plans can continue serving working families,” said Boyle.
“Hard-working Americans deserve to have more options for how to save for their retirements – not less,” said Carey. “By avoiding mandatory enrollment into 401(k) plans when they are offered, employees and employers maintain more choices when making retirement savings decisions. Our bipartisan legislation removes bureaucratic burdens to ensure workers in multi-employer pension plans have access to strong retirement savings and benefits.”
The Multi-Employer Plan Auto Enrollment Relief Act is endorsed by the National Coordinating Committee for Multiemployer Plans and the Health & PensionWORKS Coalition.
"We applaud lawmakers for advancing a bipartisan fix that protects the availability and the operational integrity of multiemployer 401(k) plans. MPAERA will help preserve plan flexibility and encourage broader adoption of 401(k) plans, ultimately strengthening retirement security for millions of working families,” said Michael Scott, Executive Director, National Coordinating Committee for Multiemployer Plans (NCCMP).
"The introduction of MEPAERA is a critical step forward for multiemployer plans. By addressing the unintended consequences of SECURE 2.0, this legislation ensures that Taft-Hartley plans can continue delivering efficient, union-negotiated retirement benefits without unnecessary administrative burdens,” said Matt Fairbanks, Chair of the Board, Health & PensionWORKS.
Companion legislation was introduced in the U.S. Senate by Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Bernie Moreno (R-OH).
“Workers in construction, trucking, and manufacturing rely on multiemployer union retirement plans to build financial security and prepare for their futures. While automatic enrollment can be a helpful tool to boost retirement savings, it doesn’t work the same way in multiemployer settings, where frequent job changes and uncoordinated payroll systems pose serious logistical challenges,” said Senator Klobuchar. “Our bipartisan legislation provides relief for workers and businesses with multiemployer union retirement plans, so that we’re not imposing one-size-fits-all mandates where they don’t fit.”
“Hardworking Ohioans deserve retirement plans that work for them,” said Senator Moreno. “This bill removes unnecessary red tape from automatic enrollment rules, allowing Americans’ rightfully earned benefit plans to continue serving them without added compliance burdens from frequent job changes.”
The bipartisan Multi-Employer Plan Auto Enrollment Relief Act (MPAERA) carves out Taft-Hartley retirement plans offered by unions directly from automatic enrollment into 401(k) plans, preventing union members who may have multiple employers in a month, from getting enrolled into multiple retirement plans through no fault of their own.
View full bill text HERE.
Perosino, Charles
For Immediate Release:
January 17, 2026
Contact:
Charles Perosino 202-209-3828
Larson Blasts Trump Tariffs Targeting NATO Allies Over Greenland
East Hartford, CT – Today, Rep. John B. Larson (CT-01), a member of the House Trade Subcommittee, blasted President Trump’s new tariffs targeting imports from eight NATO allies who oppose his threats to annex Greenland. This week, as the President’s threats against Greenland intensified, Larson cosponsored the bipartisan No Funds for NATO Invasion Act to block Trump from using military force against Greenland or any NATO territory.
“President Trump’s arrogance is on full display once again, upping the ante with new tariffs that will make life even more expensive for Americans,” said Larson. “As costs continue to rise, the last thing anyone is asking for are higher prices here at home and another trade war further degrading our standing on the world stage. These threats have almost no support – they are just another example of Donald Trump’s ‘narcissistic nihilism.’ When Congress returns on Tuesday, we must immediately vote to end this president’s costly tariff regime. I join with my Democratic colleagues who are ready to act. Where are House Republicans?”
Rep. Larson introduced the Prevent Tariff Abuse Act with Reps. Suzan DelBene (WA-01) and Don Beyer (VA-08) to block presidents from unilaterally abusing emergency powers to impose tariffs that raise costs. He also introduced a bill with Rep. Linda Sanchez (CA-38) to suspend the President’s tariffs and require Congress to vote before new tariffs can go into effect, and filed a brief at the Supreme Court in support of a pending challenge to Trump’s tariff regime.
Perosino, Charles
For Immediate Release:
January 20, 2026
Contact:
Charles Perosino 202-209-3828
Washington, D.C. – Today, House Social Security Subcommittee Ranking Member John B. Larson (CT-01) and Ways and Means Committee Ranking Member Richard E. Neal (MA-01) released the following statement after the Social Security Administration admitted in court that ‘DOGE’ employees tried to hand over sensitive personal records to an unnamed advocacy group seeking to “overturn election results,” traded confidential data on an unapproved private server, and sent confidential information on about 1,000 Americans to Elon Musk’s “top lieutenant.”
“We have been warning about privacy violations at Social Security and calling out Elon Musk’s ‘DOGE’ for months,” said Larson and Neal. “Elon Musk and his ‘DOGE’ believe they are above the law and refused to appear before Congress. Republicans have blocked every effort to hold this Administration accountable, voting down our resolutions demanding documents, even changing House Rules to shield ‘DOGE’ from accountability and protect themselves from having to take another vote on the issue. Today, we learned alarming news that proves the brave whistleblower who came forward in August was right. ‘DOGE’ signed an agreement to share Social Security data with an organization trying to undermine state election results, sent 1,000 Americans’ personal records directly to one of Elon Musk’s top consiglieres, and shared the confidential data of Americans on a private server. The ‘DOGE’ appointees engaged in this scheme – who were never brought before Congress for approval or even publicly identified – must be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law for these abhorrent violations of the public trust.
“The time for talk is over. Chairman Smith and every Republican on the Ways and Means Committee must break their silence on what could very well be the largest data breach in our nation’s history and as we have now learned, may have implications for election security,” they continued. Democrats have a bill to safeguard Americans’ privacy by blocking political appointees like Elon Musk and his ‘DOGE’ minions from accessing sensitive data systems at Social Security. Standing by and doing nothing is a dereliction of duty to the American people this Congress is sworn to serve.”
Last March, Ranking Members Larson and Neal introduced the Protecting Americans’ Social Security Data Act to block political appointees, like Elon Musk and his ‘DOGE,’ from accessing sensitive data systems at the Social Security Administration. It would also establish privacy requirements in law for beneficiary data and strengthen oversight and civil penalties for any privacy and disclosure violations of Social Security beneficiaries’ personal information.
Larson demanded a markup and vote on the bill in June when the Supreme Court allowed ‘DOGE’ access to sensitive data at Social Security. After a whistleblower report in August confirmed that ‘DOGE’ had copied the personal information of 300 million Americans on to a vulnerable cloud, Larson and Ways and Means Committee Ranking Member Richard Neal called for immediate hearings and a full committee investigation on the report.
Perosino, Charles
Larson to Oppose Homeland Security Funding Bill that Fails to Rein in ICE
Washington, D.C. – Ahead of a House vote later this week, Rep. John B. Larson (CT-01) announced his opposition to the Department of Homeland Security funding bill that provides new funding for ICE but does not include reforms to hold the agency accountable for their abuses of power.
“Donald Trump and Kristi Noem have transformed ICE into their own secret police force, accountable to no one,” said Larson. “They have sent armed, masked agents to snatch mothers from their children here in Connecticut, overseen the tear gassing of kids in Chicago, and even defended the execution of an American citizen in Minneapolis – baselessly castigating Renee Nicole Good as a ‘domestic terrorist.’ While Democrats fought for reforms in funding negotiations, the bill House leadership released today does not even come close to the accountability this moment demands, including unmasking agents, requiring warrants, and use of force requirements. Congress cannot in good conscience vote to authorize more funding for the culture of lawlessness that has taken hold at ICE. I will vote NO on funding for the Department of Homeland Security when it comes up for a vote this week.”
Earlier this month, after an ICE agent executed an American citizen, Renee Nicole Good, earlier this month, and a federal vehicle struck a protester in Hartford, Larson and Rep. Robin Kelly (IL-02) filed articles of impeachment against U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem. He has also vowed to introduce legislation to stop ICE from operating in communities without notifying state and local law enforcement, and is a cosponsor of the following reforms:
- No Secret Police Act to require ICE agents to identify themselves, and bar them from wearing masks,
- Protecting Sensitive Locations Act to prohibit ICE raids in schools, hospitals, courthouses, places of worship, and social service agencies,
- DHS Use of Force Oversight Act to require agents to use only the force required during an arrest, and ban abusive tactics including chokeholds,
- Healthcare Reinvestment Act and Make Housing Affordable and Defend Democracy Act to redirect ICE funding from the Republican budget to lower health care premiums and expand affordable housing,
- and the Home Together Act to prohibit housing agencies from sharing data with ICE, including home addresses, race, and ethnicity.
Perosino, Charles
For Immediate Release:
January 22, 2026
Contact:
Charles Perosino 202-209-3828
Washington, D.C. – Following new revelations that ‘DOGE’ employees stole sensitive records from Social Security and schemed to hand them over to a MAGA-aligned group trying to overturn elections, House Social Security Subcommittee Ranking Member John B. Larson (CT-01), Rep. Steven Horsford (NV-04), and Rep. Gabe Amo (RI-01) introduced amendments to reduce Social Security Commissioner Frank Bisignano’s salary to $1 unless he immediately removes ‘DOGE’ employees from their databases, hands over all records related to ‘DOGE’ criminal activity at the Social Security Administration and mishandling of private records, and reverses the Trump Administration’s cuts to Social Security. After Ranking Member Larson presented their amendments in front of the House Rules Committee, every Republican on the Committee voted to block the proposal from advancing to the House floor for a vote.
View Ranking Member Larson’s full testimony here.
On Tuesday, it was revealed in a court filing that that ‘DOGE’ employees installed at the Social Security Administration (SSA) by Elon Musk tried to hand over sensitive personal records to a MAGA group seeking to overturn election results, traded confidential data on an unapproved private server, and reported sent Social Security records on about 1,000 Americans to Elon Musk’s “top lieutenant.”
“For nearly a year, my Democratic colleagues and I have been calling for action to protect Americans’ privacy from Elon Musk’s ‘DOGE’ minions,” said Larson. “Our Republican colleagues have continued to bury their heads in the sand – even as we learned from a brave whistleblower that 300 million Americans’ records were copied to a vulnerable cloud. Yesterday, we found out from a court filing that ‘DOGE’ staffers traded confidential data on a private server and even schemed to hand over Social Security numbers to a MAGA group trying to undermine elections. On the Trump Administration’s watch, we’ve seen the largest data breach in our nation’s history, and now, ‘DOGE’ stealing records from the American people to support their right-wing agenda. Accountability starts at the top. Our amendments would have forced Commissioner Bisignano to remove ‘DOGE’ from Social Security’s databases and withhold his salary until all records related to the whistleblower report and bombshell court filing are handed over to Congress. Republicans voted in unison to block our efforts, refusing to hold this rogue Administration accountable once again. We cannot let this criminal activity continue to go unchecked. We have legislation to stop their unfettered access – and are demanding the full investigation and prosecution of the ‘DOGE’ members involved in this scheme. We need a vote, and we need it NOW.”
“For more than a year, the American people have watched the reckless negligence of the now-shuttered DOGE and its blatant mishandling of some of the most sensitive personal information our government holds,” said Horsford. “But the Trump Administration’s admission that this amounts to the largest data breach in American history is still staggering—and completely unacceptable. That’s why I’m standing with Ranking Member Larson to introduce three amendments that demand real accountability. Until the full truth is disclosed, the public deserves transparency—not excuses—and ironclad safeguards must be put in place, so this never happens again. The Social Security data of Nevadans and Americans across this country is not a political pawn, and it is not a playground for reckless experiments. People trust their government with their most personal information, and that trust has been violated. The time for accountability is now. Commissioner Bisignano must be held responsible for the damage caused by Elon Musk’s so-called federal agency, and the American people deserve nothing less than full transparency and real protections going forward.”
"We warned from the very beginning that Elon Musk and his DOGE henchmen should never have had access to Americans' Social Security data," said Amo. "We need to continue holding Trump's goons accountable for sharing this data with a group intent on 'overturning' elections and others up to no good. These commonsense amendments would make clear that Americans’ data must be protected, the law must be followed, and the public trust cannot be exploited."
Their three amendments to the pending government funding bill would reduce Commissioner Bisignano’s salary to $1 unless he:
- immediately removes political appointees and special government employees, including ‘DOGE’ members, from Social Security’s databases,
- hands over documents related to the August 2025 whistleblower report revealing that ‘DOGE’ members uploaded names, birth dates, addresses, and Social Security numbers of over 300 million Americans to a vulnerable cloud,
- and restores staffing levels at the Social Security Administration to pre-Trump levels, reinstating 7,000 positions that were cut.
Perosino, Charles
“Republicans were in a great deal of rush to make sure you knew about Hillary Clinton’s emails and Hunter Biden’s laptop, but when it comes to the people, whose data and information has been violated – why the silence?” - Ranking Member John B. Larson
Washington, D.C. – Today, following this week’s bombshell court filing, House Social Security Subcommittee Ranking Member John B. Larson (CT-01), Ways and Means Committee Ranking Member Richard E. Neal (MA-01), Committee on House Administration Ranking Member Joe Morelle (NY-25), and Oversight and Reform Committee Ranking Member Robert Garcia (CA-42) announced House Democrats’ response to demand accountability for ‘DOGE’ data theft, including their scheme to hand over sensitive Social Security information, to a MAGA-aligned group trying to overturn elections.
View the full press conference here.
“For months, I have sounded the alarm on the danger ‘DOGE’ poses to Americans’ privacy and security,” said Ranking Member Larson. “The newest court filing that came out this week just how dire the situation is – and why Elon Musk’s ‘DOGE’ minions have been after your personal records. We have now learned that ‘DOGE’ not only traded private records on a private server, but they also schemed to have over records to a MAGA group trying to overturn election results for Donald Trump and even sent confidential information from Social Security directly to Elon Musk’s top lieutenant. Every elected official and every American citizen should be screaming from the roof tops to demand accountability. Democrats will not stand by and let these criminal abuses of power go unchecked. House Democrats, across multiple committees, will be working together to fully investigate this violation of the public trust and get the answers the American people deserve. We will not let our Republican colleagues run and hide from the largest data breach in our nation’s history – on their watch.”
"When Ways and Means Democrats warned about the dangers of unvetted DOGE access to Social Security data, this is exactly what we feared,” said Ranking Member Neal. “Privacy is next to liberty in the American value set, and illegally copying Americans’ personal data onto unauthorized servers for the purpose of election interference is a five-alarm fire that demands immediate investigation and accountability. While House Republicans continue to ignore this crisis, I am grateful to Social Security Subcommittee Ranking Member John Larson for leading the fight for answers and to safeguard Americans’ most sacred promise: Social Security."
“Congressman Larson has been sounding the alarm about this for months. He was right. This Administration and its lawless DOGE lackeys are abusing Americans’ most sensitive information to violate Americans’ most precious right: the right to vote,” said Ranking Member Morelle. “This isn’t some far off D.C. problem – this affects real people. Social Security data in the wrong hands can be used to discount your vote. It can be used to challenge voters, purge voter rolls, and spread lies that undermine confidence in our elections. We cannot, and will not, let this go unchallenged.”
“Oversight Democrats have been investigating the Social Security Administration’s mishandling of Americans’ data for months, and the agency has finally acknowledged it lied about what DOGE was doing with highly sensitive information. These new findings raise serious concerns about whether the Social Security Administration has been fully honest with the court about how sensitive personal information was compromised. Oversight Democrats will continue our investigation to determine whether Americans’ data was exploited or weaponized and will not stop until the full scope of the wrongdoing is exposed,” said Ranking Member Garcia.
In March 2025, Ranking Member Larson and Democrats introduced the Protecting Americans’ Social Security Data Act to block political appointees and special government employees like ‘DOGE’ from accessing data at Social Security – which would have prevented this data breach.
Today, the leaders announced:
- Democrats will introduce a Resolution of Inquiry to compel the Social Security Administration to hand over records related
to ‘DOGE’ data misuse, including what was shared with MAGA election subversion groups, what information 'DOGE' traded on the Cloudflare private server, and whose records were sent to Elon Musk’s “top lieutenant,” Steve Davis.
- A call for the courts to respond to this week’s filing by revisiting their decisions that allowed ‘DOGE’ unfettered
access to data at Social Security – including financial and medical records. In June, the Supreme Court stepped in to grant
‘DOGE’ employees permission to access Social Security records as a court challenge to their access makes its way through the legal process.
- A call for full and transparent investigations from the Committees of jurisdiction into this unprecedented criminal ‘DOGE’ data theft – including the issuance of subpoenas with the full force of the law to bring ‘DOGE’ employees and Steve Davis before Congress.
Perosino, Charles
Washington, D.C. – Today, Rep. John B. Larson (CT-01) voted for a bipartisan government funding package, which includes $10.45 million for community projects in the First Congressional District, defeats the Trump Administration’s plan to eliminate the Department of Education, restores 'DOGE' cuts to lifesaving medical research, and supports new investments in affordable housing.
“This bipartisan funding package we passed today is a complete and total rebuke of Trump’s attempts to slash everything from medical research to heating assistance for low-income households,” said Larson. “I commend Rosa DeLauro for her leadership in defeating every single one of President Trump and House Republicans’ efforts to undermine these vital services. Together, we reversed their cuts to lifesaving research, defeated his plan to close the Department of Education, and stopped his cuts to affordable housing programs – preventing the eviction of four million families nationwide. I’m proud to both secure the future of these programs and deliver more than $10 million in federal funding to support local infrastructure projects across Connecticut’s First District, including the first playground for kids in Hartland, new streetlights for East Hartford’s historic Main Street, and funding for cutting-edge resources to support our brave firefighters and police officers in Bristol. I will continue to work with our state and local partners to defend the resources families rely on from this reckless administration, support our communities with new investments, and advance solutions to make life more affordable for Connecticut residents.”
The bipartisan funding package provides Fiscal Year 2026 funding for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, Defense, Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development. Rep. Larson again secured language ensuring no federal funding is used to pursue a costly alternative engine to the Pratt & Whitney F135 as well as increased investments in engine spare production, protecting thousands of Connecticut jobs. He also helped secure a $366 million increase in funding for Homelessness Assistance Grants, which support programs at Mercy Housing and Shelter, the Community Renewal Team, and the YWCA of Hartford. Rep. Larson also secured $10.45 million in funding for the following First District projects:
- $4.85 million for the Town of East Hartford to replace streetlights and refurbish historic buildings on Main Street, expand the Hockanum Linear Park Trail, and support a new fire station
- $3.15 million for the Bristol Fire and Police Department to construct an active-shooter training facility, including an indoor shooting range and a Candidate Physical Agility Test Center
- $1.95 million for the City of Hartford to improve stormwater drainage systems in the North End, restore the Hartford Public Library after it was flooded in 2022, continue to build the Hartline trail by linking Market Street to Edwards Street
- $250,000 for the Town of Hartland to construct the town’s first and only playground, to be accessible to children of all abilities
- $250,000 to fund the design and early development of the new CTRA Magnet Middle School for Hartford-area students
Larson and his Democratic colleagues defeated the Trump Administration’s plan to eliminate the Department of Education, restored cuts to lifesaving medical research, and secured new funding for affordable housing.
“My daughter lives with Cystic Fibrosis and because of the NIH, my daughter is able to take a lifesaving modulator that without the hard work of the scientists, researchers, and medical professionals who played a role in the development and testing of that medication, she wouldn’t otherwise have access to,” said Berlin resident, Kara Satalino. “We are extremely lucky that she has benefitted from the work of the NIH and will forever be grateful for their dedication to the research and development of medications and lifesaving therapies for my daughter and so many others who rely on their work!”
“HUD Continuum of Care funding allows providers in Greater Hartford to offer shelter, case management, and permanent housing to people experiencing homelessness, including individuals with disabilities and families with children,” said Kara A. Capone, Chief Executive Officer of Community Housing Advocates, Inc. “Without it, the entire homeless service system collapses. This change ensures that even when federal funds are delayed, services will continue and our most vulnerable citizens won’t lose housing or support. We are incredibly grateful to Rep. Larson and the rest of the CT delegation for helping to ensure providers can maintain staff, operate programs, and continue helping people achieve long-term stability and success.”
The bipartisan funding package:
- Increases funding by $415 million for the National Institutes of Health, including cancer, Alzheimer’s, ALS, diabetes, and Cystic Fibrosis research – rejecting President Trump and Secretary Kennedy’s across-the-board cuts to lifesaving medical research and clinical trials.
- Rejects President Trump and Secretary McMahon’s plan to eliminate the Department of Education, preserving student support programs and increasing funding for special education by $23 million.
- Provides $150 million for Full-Service Community Schools, including a program in Hartford that serves over 20,000 students across four local school districts.
- Sustains rental assistance to prevent the eviction of 4 million low-income families, defeating the Trump Administration’s proposed cuts, and increases funding by $130 million to support affordable housing for low-income seniors and people with disabilities.
- Provides a $366 million increase in homeless assistance grant funding, while adjusting the Continuum of Care (CoC) program administration to ensure community homelessness assistance partners in Connecticut aren’t subjected to catastrophic lapses in funding by the Trump Administration.
- Provides $1.8 billion for Job Corps, $395 million for the Senior Community Service Employment for Older Americans Program, and $1.3 billion for AmeriCorps programs, protecting national service and job training programs the Trump Administration tried to eliminate.
- Increases funding for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) that serves over 100,000 Connecticut households, rejecting President Trump’s call to end federal home heating assistance.
- Provides $2.5 billion for the Administration for Community Living, the agency that manages services for seniors and disabled Americans, including Meals on Wheels – defeating the Trump Administration’s plan to dismantle the office entirely.
Perosino, Charles
###
Perosino, Charles
Larson Votes to End Unauthorized Trump Military Operation Against Venezuela
Washington, D.C. – Today, Rep. John B. Larson (CT-01) voted for H.Con.Res.68, a bipartisan war powers resolution he cosponsored with Reps. Jim McGovern (MA-02) and Thomas Massie (KY-04), to withdraw U.S. forces from hostilities with Venezuela, following President Trump’s unauthorized military operation.
“Our troops should not be sent abroad to fight another forever war so Donald Trump and his Big Oil benefactors can make a few quick bucks,” said Larson. “When Dick Cheney said ‘the oil will pay for it’ about Iraq, a misguided war that I opposed, we saw how that turned out for America and the Middle East. I was proud to join my colleagues to hold this reckless administration accountable for their illegal military action against Venezuela – which President Trump has said is ‘all about the oil.’ Today’s vote was a step in the right direction – Democrats were united, but too many Republicans sided with President Trump to reassert our war powers as a Congress. Americans have made it clear – they don’t want their hard-earned dollars wasted on a never-ending conflict.”
Earlier this month, Larson and Ways and Means Democrats wrote to oil executives, putting them on notice that if they collude with Trump to profit off of his “takeover” of Venezuela, they own the moral and legal consequences of that deal. Larson is also cosponsoring three other war powers resolutions, H.J.Res. 126, H.Con.Res. 51, and H.Con.Res. 61, in response to the Trump Administration's unilateral strikes targeting boats off the coast of Venezuela. In December, he voted for two resolutions to end the unauthorized strikes and prevent hostilities against Venezuela prior to President Trump’s operation.
Perosino, Charles
For Immediate Release:
January 24, 2026
Contact:
Charles Perosino 202-209-3828
Larson Statement on Fatal ICE Shooting in Minneapolis
East Hartford, CT – Today, Rep. John B. Larson (CT-01) released the following statement after federal immigration agents killed a Minneapolis resident.
“ICE agents continue to act with impunity, refusing to exercise any restraint – leaving a trail of death and violence in their path. It needs to end now,” said Larson. “It is beyond horrifying to watch a second resident shot and killed by agents in Minneapolis. Local law enforcement must be allowed to fully investigate this shooting – with full cooperation from federal officials. We cannot allow these authoritarian abuses of power to go on for one minute longer in the United States of America – whether it is families being separated by armed, masked agents here in Connecticut, or residents being killed in Minneapolis. Accountability starts at the top – with Donald Trump and Kristi Noem. That is why I have called for Secretary Noem’s impeachment and will continue to oppose funding for the Department of Homeland Security until this lawlessness ends, and ICE is reined in. The time for change is now, before more families have to suffer at the hands of this out-of-control secret police force.”
Earlier this month, after an ICE agent executed Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis, Larson and Rep. Robin Kelly (IL-02) filed articles of impeachment against U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem. This week, he voted against a Department of Homeland Security funding bill that provides new funding for ICE but does not include reforms to hold the agency accountable for their abuses of power.
Larson has also vowed to introduce legislation to stop ICE from operating in communities without notifying state and local law enforcement, and is a cosponsor of the No Secret Police Act to require ICE agents to identify themselves, the Protecting Sensitive Locations Act to bar ICE raids in schools, hospitals, courthouses, places of worship, and social service agencies, and the DHS Use of Force Oversight Act to require agents to only use the force needed to carry out arrests.
Perosino, Charles
For Immediate Release:
January 28, 2026
Contact:
Charles Perosino 202-209-3828
East Hartford, CT – Today, Rep. John B. Larson (CT-01) called on Speaker Mike Johnson to bring the House back into session to address ICE’s lawlessness and work to prevent a government shutdown. If the Senate fails to pass the funding package they are voting on this week, and the House remains out of session, many government agencies will shut down on January 31st. Larson is sending a letter to the Speaker of the House tonight, urging him to convene the House to rein in Donald Trump and Kristi Noem’s rogue immigration enforcement, and avert a government shutdown that will hurt the American people.
“It is clear that Republicans’ half-baked Homeland Security funding bill does not have support in the Senate. Whether it is families being separated by armed, masked agents here in Connecticut, or residents being killed in Minneapolis, we cannot allow these authoritarian abuses of power to go on for one minute longer in the United States of America,” said Larson. “Speaker Johnson needs to immediately call the House back into session to prevent a devastating government shutdown and take real action to hold Donald Trump and Kristi Noem’s secret police force accountable. This moment demands nothing less. If he keeps the House on recess, public servants, including our troops and air traffic controllers, will miss paychecks – while politicians keep getting paid and ICE continues to terrorize our communities, with no accountability or oversight. The time to act is now.”
Last week, Larson voted against a Department of Homeland Security funding bill that provides new funding for ICE but does not include reforms to hold the agency accountable for their abuses of power. He has called for tearing down and replacing ICE - and redirecting their $75 billion ‘Big, Beautiful Bill’ slush fund to lowering health care premiums and investing in affordable housing.
During the October 2025 government shutdown, Larson introduced the Make America Govern Again ‘MAGA’ Act to ensure all federal workers – both military and civilian – are paid during the government shutdown. The people whose pay would be withheld are Members of Congress, the President, Vice President, White House political appointees, and heads of cabinet agencies.
Kurzawa, Caroline
For Immediate Release:
January 29, 2026
Contact:
Caroline Kurzawa 202-503-5382
Hartford, CT – Yesterday, Rep. John B. Larson (CT-01) announced $500,000 in new federal funding for Mothers United Against Violence’s Victim Impact Project, to continue their efforts to prevent gun violence and support survivors in the Greater Hartford area.
Mothers United Against Violence works hand-in-hand with local law enforcement to build trust and keep communities same, while also providing supportive services to victims and families impacted by gun violence.
“I am proud to continue to work with Mothers United Against Violence to protect our communities from gun violence,” said Larson. “I commend their incredible work and all they have done to build trust between community members and our local law enforcement. The $500,000 in federal funding we announced today will support their work to prevent violence before it happens while providing families of victims and survivors with the support they need to heal. The entire Connecticut delegation, led by Rosa DeLauro on the House Appropriations Committee, will continue to deliver the critical funding groups like Mothers United needs to keep our children safe and end the horrific gun violence epidemic plaguing our nation.”
“We are grateful for the support of Congressman Larson and Congresswoman DeLauro for continuing to recognize the work of the Mothers United Against Violence, a community organization. The work is ongoing as our community continues to grapple with mental health and acts of violence and trauma on a day-to-day basis,” said Deborah Davis, Mothers United Against Violence Vice President of Development and Director of Program Management.
Larson secured this new funding as part of a government funding package that passed the House earlier this month and was signed into law last Friday. This year’s Community Project Funding builds on $1.3 million Larson previously secured in Congress for the Victim Impact Project, totaling $1.8 million in federal funding over the last five years.
In Congress, Rep. Larson continues to champion common-sense reforms to prevent gun violence, including universal background checks, an assault weapons ban, and Ethan’s Law, to establish federal safe firearm storage standards.
Photos from yesterday’s funding announcement are available HERE.
Perosino, Charles
For Immediate Release:
January 29, 2026
Contact:
Charles Perosino 202-209-3828
Larson Illegally Denied Entry to ICE Facility in Burlington, Massachusetts
Burlington, MA – Today, Rep. John B. Larson (CT-01) was illegally denied entry by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for an oversight visit to their facility in Burlington, Massachusetts. ICE continues to falsely claim that the facility is only a field office and not a detention center, despite documented reporting showing detainees held in Burlington for extended time periods under inadequate conditions.
View Rep. Larson’s remarks outside of the Burlington ICE Facility.
“Today, Kristi Noem’s Department of Homeland Security decided they would rather break federal law than show us what was behind the doors at ICE,” said Larson. “Members of Congress are charged with the duty to carry out oversight – including unannounced visits to ICE facilities and detention centers. As a courtesy, I let the officials in charge of the Burlington facility know yesterday that I was planning to visit. They not only denied me entry but also refused to acknowledge that their office has become a detention facility, despite documented reporting of detainees sleeping on concrete floors with no access to showers. We cannot turn a blind eye to the abuses the Trump Administration is allowing in New England, Minneapolis, and across the country – tear gassing kids, snatching mothers from their children, and executing American citizens on our streets. Kristi Noem needs to be impeached and removed from office for her flagrant obstruction and violations of the public trust, and ICE needs to be torn down and replaced. Congress cannot vote to authorize one more penny to this rogue and unaccountable agency that has become Donald Trump’s secret police force.”
Federal agents cited U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem’s policy requiring seven-day notice before Members of Congress can conduct oversight visits, in violation of section 527(a) of Public Law 118-47, which allow Members of Congress to conduct unauthorized oversight visits to ICE facilities and detention centers. Following his visit to the detention facility, Larson met with peaceful protesters demonstrating outside.
Rep. Larson joins demonstrators outside the Burlington ICE facility.
Last week, Larson voted against a Department of Homeland Security funding bill that provides new funding for ICE but does not include reforms to hold the agency accountable for their abuses of power. He has called for tearing down and replacing ICE - and redirecting their $75 billion ‘Big, Beautiful Bill’ slush fund to lowering health care premiums and investing in affordable housing. Earlier this month, he joined his Democratic colleagues to file articles of impeachment against Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.
Photos of Rep. Larson’s meeting with demonstrators in Burlington are available HERE.
Perosino, Charles
For Immediate Release:
January 30, 2026
Contact:
Charles Perosino 202-209-3828
Southington, CT – Today, Rep. John B. Larson (CT-01) announced $3 million in new federal funding for the Southington Water Department to construct a new treatment facility to remove dangerous PFAS chemicals from the town’s water supply.
Southington Town Councilor David Zoni, Rep. Larson, Board of Water Commissioners President Bob Berkmoes, Water Department Superintendent Doug Arndt, and Assistant Superintendent Al Fiorillo
“Everyone deserves access to clean and safe drinking water,” said Larson. “I have worked closely with the Southington Water Department over the last few years to improve the town’s water supply, and am proud to announce $3 million in new federal funding that was just signed into law to support the construction of a new treatment facility that remove harmful, cancer-causing PFAS chemicals polluting the water residents rely on. I’ll continue to work with all my colleagues in Congress to invest in our communities and protect families from these dangerous chemicals.”
"We know that PFAS pose serious long-term health risks, including an increased risk of cancer," said State Rep. Chris Poulos. "Investing in modern treatment technology to remove these dangerous chemicals from our drinking water is a critical step in protecting public health and ensuring a safer future for everyone in Southington. We are grateful for Congressman Larson's advocacy on the federal level."
Larson secured this new funding as part of a government funding package that passed the House earlier this month and was signed into law last Friday. It builds on $2 million in federal funding Rep. Larson helped secure with Senators Blumenthal and Murphy for the project in 2024.
“We are deeply grateful for this $3 million in Community Project Funding request, which is a major investment in protecting public health,” said Robert Berkmoes, President of the Southington Water Department Board of Water Commissioners. “Approval of the funding will allow the Department to advance critical PFAS treatment for Wells 9 and 10 and continue to deliver safe, reliable drinking water to Southington residents. For almost five years, we have advocated for this important water infrastructure funding support, which Congressman Larson has led and helped deliver, with the strong support of Senators Blumenthal and Murphy and all members of the Connecticut Congressional delegation. Members of the local legislative delegation as well as Governor Lamont's infrastructure team have supported the Department's efforts as well.”
“This funding is very timely for our water system. It accelerates our ability to address PFAS at Wells 9 and 10 and ensures our infrastructure meets today’s standards while safeguarding our community for the future,” said Douglas Arndt, Superintendent of Southington Water Department.
Rep. Larson and the Connecticut delegation previously helped secure $19 million in federal infrastructure funding to combat PFAS pollution in Connecticut’s drinking water supply, and helped pass the bipartisan PFAS Act, which was signed into law by President Biden in 2022, to prevent the release of PFAS foam into the environment.
Photos from today’s press conference are available HERE.
Perosino, Charles
For Immediate Release:
February 3, 2026
Contact:
Charles Perosino 202-209-3828
Larson Votes Against Additional Funding for ICE
Washington, D.C. – Today, Rep. John B. Larson (CT-01) voted against a government funding package that would continue funding for ICE, with no restrictions to rein in the agency’s abuses of power. Last week, at the direction of U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, Larson was illegally denied entry to an ICE facility in Burlington, Massachusetts.
“While I commend my colleagues’ efforts to negotiate real wins for the American people in this funding bill – including new investments in affordable housing, special education, and medical research – I cannot in good conscience approve one more penny for Donald Trump and Kristi Noem’s secret police force,” said Larson. “Under this administration, ICE is executing American citizens on our streets, snatching mothers from their children, and illegally blocking Members of Congress from even visiting their facilities. Last week, I was denied entry to a facility where detainees were reportedly forced to sleep on concrete floors with no access to showers. If a federal agency would rather break the law than show us what is behind their doors, we have a responsibility to act. ICE needs to be torn down and replaced with humane enforcement that is actually bound by our laws and the United States Constitution. This moment demands nothing less.”
Larson introduced a bicameral amendment to the government funding bill with Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Rep. Gabe Amo (RI-01) to repeal ICE’s $75 billion slush fund and redirect that money to reversing Republican cuts to Medicaid. While two Republicans joined every Democrat to advance their amendment in the Senate, Republicans on the House Rules Committee blocked it from even coming to the floor for a vote in the House.
After an ICE agent executed Renee Good, an American citizen, in January and a federal vehicle struck a protester in Hartford, Larson and Rep. Robin Kelly (IL-02) filed articles of impeachment against U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem. He has called for tearing down and replacing ICE, and is championing legislation in Congress to require federal agents to identify themselves; bar ICE raids in schools, hospitals, courthouses, and places of worship; ban abusive tactics including chokeholds; and redirect ICE funding from the Republican budget to lower health care premiums and expand affordable housing.
Perosino, Charles
For Immediate Release:
February 4, 2026
Contact:
Charles Perosino 202-209-3828
Washington, D.C. – Following President Trump’s threats to “nationalize elections” and a court filing that revealed illegal ‘DOGE’ election interference efforts at Social Security, House Social Security Subcommittee Ranking Member John B. Larson (CT-01) authored an op-ed in MS NOW, “Election deniers may have your Social Security data — thanks to DOGE and Elon Musk.”
Last month, a bombshell court filing from the Department of Justice revealed ‘DOGE’ signed an agreement to use data they took from Social Security to a MAGA-affiliated group working to overturn election results, sent sensitive data on about 1,000 individuals directly to Elon Musk’s ‘top lieutenant,’ and traded confidential data on an unapproved server. Ranking Member Larson announced a sweeping effort by House Democrats to probe the ‘DOGE’ data theft scheme and called for a criminal investigation and charges.
“When you grow up in a project like I did, you learn how important it is to stand up to a bully,” Larson wrote. “I will not stand by as Musk, President Donald Trump, or any of their MAGA allies raid the data compiled by the Social Security Administration or diminish the benefits that Americans have earned over a lifetime of work. If Republicans refuse to defend their constituents from this unprecedented overreach, then the American people’s demand for accountability will only grow louder.”
Read the full op-ed HERE and below:
Months after telling the American people that the so-called Department of Government Efficiency had no access to Americans’ sensitive Social Security data, the Trump administration has finally admitted in court that DOGE illegally accessed and agreed to share that data.
According to a filing by the Department of Justice last month, an advocacy group looking “to overturn election results in certain states” made contact with “two members of SSA’s DOGE Team with a request to analyze state voter rolls that the advocacy group had acquired,” and one of them signed a “‘Voter Data Agreement,’ in his capacity as an SSA employee, with the advocacy group.”
Under the guise of “cutting costs,” the Trump administration allowed what may be the most reckless breach of public trust in Social Security’s history. A whistleblower from the Social Security Administration had already said during the summer that DOGE transferred Americans’ data to a vulnerable server and that the team’s actions constituted “violations of laws, rules, and regulations, abuse of authority, gross mismanagement and creation of a substantial and specific threat to public health and safety.” Then last month, we got the government’s acknowledgement that the data may have been shared with a group working to overturn election results.
While Americans may think that the “DOGE”
task force Elon Musk oversaw has been disbanded, nothing could be further from the truth. He’s gone, but DOGE staffers remain
inside the Social Security Administration, in position to access Americans’ most sensitive personal information, including birth dates, home addresses, work histories and more.
That is why I am calling for any DOGE employees responsible for the reported agreement with the election-denial group to be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law — and for my colleagues on the other side of the aisle to stop blocking our inquiries,
legislation and calls for investigations. Protecting unvetted insiders who appear to have broken the law and certainly broke the public trust is shameful and a betrayal of their oath.
When you grow up in a project like I did, you learn how important it is to stand up to a bully. I will not stand by as Musk, President Donald Trump, or any of their
MAGA allies raid the data compiled by the Social Security Administration or diminish the benefits that Americans have earned over a lifetime of work. If Republicans refuse to defend their constituents from this unprecedented overreach, then the American people’s demand for accountability will only grow louder.
Social Security isn’t the only system being targeted. The Trump regime also reportedly granted unprecedented access to taxpayer information at the Treasury Department to Peter Thiel’s data-mining company, Palantir.
These efforts are not isolated. They form a coordinated attempt to breach systems that safeguard Americans’ economic security.
To understand what’s happening, follow the money.
Before Trump took office in 2025, he enlisted Musk to identify $2 trillion in cuts, and he sent DOGE into federal agencies, including the Social Security Administration and the Department of Veterans Affairs. Though Trump insisted he would never touch Social Security, Musk called the program a “Ponzi scheme,” and he said, ““Most of the federal spending is entitlements. That’s the big one to eliminate.”
The reason they’re targeting it is simple. The Social Security trust funds hold $2.7 trillion of Americans’ earned benefits, the largest pool of public capital in the federal government.
For the billionaire class advising Trump, that fund is not a safety net — it is a target.
DOGE’s actions follow a familiar playbook: Break the system, declare it unworkable and then argue that privatization is the only solution.
Career experts inside Social Security were pushed aside within weeks of Trump taking office in 2025 because they refused to hand over protected records. At the time,
I warned that DOGE had nothing to do with government efficiency and everything to do with ensuring the billionaire class controls the levers of power.
That warning proved accurate.
Nearly a year ago, Democrats introduced legislation to block DOGE and Palantir from accessing sensitive, protected taxpayer and beneficiary information. As the ranking member of the Social Security Subcommittee, I filed an inquiry demanding transparency. House Republicans killed it the first chance they got and then changed House rules to block any other similar inquiries.
Given Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s remark that with its Trump Accounts, the administration has created a “backdoor” to privatize Social Security benefits, it’s clear to me that Trump’s plan isn’t to save Social Security but to destabilize it from within, undermine public trust and hand over control of its $2.7 trillion to private interests.
President George W. Bush’s privatization scheme collapsed after public backlash in 2005, but Trump’s effort is quieter, more complex and backed by some of the world’s most powerful tech billionaires.
Musk has repeatedly attacked Social Security and promoted extreme austerity. CEO Alex Karp’s Palantir profits from government data. Together, they have gained unprecedented access to systems that were never intended for private-sector control.
While DOGE was undermining Social Security’s internal operations, the administration pursued cuts that would make the program appear dysfunctional. They planned to eliminate telephone support for seniors and people with disabilities, close field offices and reduce thousands of workers, thereby weakening the public-facing infrastructure that millions rely on to access earned benefits. The greater the dysfunction, the easier the argument for privatization: “Look,” they say, “the government cannot run Social Security. Let the private sector handle it.”
The American people know better, as does every Democrat on the House Ways and Means Committee, the committee charged with overseeing Social Security.
Social Security is the most successful program in the history of this nation and our No. 1 anti-poverty program. It’s an earned benefit, paid for by workers with every paycheck. It has lifted generations out of poverty and provided security to millions of retirees, people with disabilities and surviving families. It is not a playground for billionaires, an investment scheme or a slush fund for privatization.
Perosino, Charles
Larson Moves to Block Trump Plan to Steal $10 Billion in Taxpayer Dollars from U.S. Treasury
Washington, D.C. – Following news of President Trump’s unprecedented $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS and the Treasury Department that he oversees, Rep. John B. Larson (CT-01) and his Democratic colleagues on the House Ways and Means Committee introduced the Prevent Presidential Profiteering Act.
“Donald Trump has a long track record of filing frivolous lawsuits to pad his own pockets – from 60 Minutes to George Stephanopoulos and the Wall Street Journal,” said Larson. “Now, he has a plan to steal our tax dollars by suing himself and leaving us on the hook for a $10 BILLION payout. Our Prevent Presidential Profiteering Act will block his latest scam by imposing a 100% levy on any civil settlement against the government brought by the President, their family, or their business entities. Whether it’s billion-dollar corporations screwing over their customers or billionaire presidents trying to make a quick buck off the American people, I will continue to stand up to this corruption plaguing our nation.”
The Prevent Presidential Profiteering Act would impose a 100% tax on any civil settlement awarded to the President, the President’s immediate family, or any business entity they own or control, while the President was in office, if the underlying legal action as filed against the United States government.
Full bill text is available HERE.
Perosino, Charles
For Immediate Release:
February 5, 2026
Contact:
Charles Perosino 202-209-3828
Larson Secures Independent Review of Dangerous RFK Jr. Hepatitis B Vaccine Restrictions
Washington, D.C. – Today, Rep. John B. Larson (CT-01) announced the launch of a Government Accountability Office (GAO) independent review of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s vaccine panel decision to stop recommending Hepatitis B immunizations for newborns.
“Since the minute he took office, Secretary Kennedy has put his anti-vaccine conspiracies above the health of our nation’s children,” said Larson. “The Hepatitis B vaccine is one of the most effective public health interventions in our nation’s history, contributing to a 99 percent decline in childhood cases since 1991. Kennedy’s panel of conspiracy theorists is ignoring that track record, instead trying to impose baseless restrictions that will only further imperil the progress we’ve made against preventable diseases. I am pleased to announce that the Government Accountability Office (GAO) has taken up our request for an independent review of this decision. I look forward to a full investigation and real action from Congress to protect our kids from these dangerous policies.”
After Secretary Kennedy dismissed all 17 members of the federal vaccine advisory panel, replacing public health experts with anti-vaccine conspiracists, his committee reversed decades-long guidance for newborns to receive Hepatitis B vaccinations, as well as recommendations for children to be immunized against RSV, influenza, and Hepatitis A.
Following the new Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices’ (ACIP) December vote on Hepatitis B, Larson sent a letter to the independent Government Accountability Office (GAO) with Reps. Judy Chu (CA-28), Kim Schrier (WA-08), and a group of their Democratic colleagues, requesting an evaluation of the public-health, economic, and equity impacts of Secretary Kennedy’s anti-science recommendation.
“The vote to abandon this universal standard raises profound concerns about the health and safety of newborns nationwide,” the lawmakers wrote. “Because early-life infection is significantly more likely to become chronic and lead to cirrhosis or liver cancer, maintaining the birth-dose is essential for preventing disproportionate and preventable harm in these communities. Given the significance of this policy change, we respectfully request that GAO evaluate several key issues.”
The lawmakers requested the following from GAO:
- An assessment of the projected public-health impacts of eliminating the universal birth-dose recommendation,
- an examination of the economic and health-system effects of the policy change,
- an evaluation of the reliability and limitations of maternal hepatitis B testing,
- and a review of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices’ (ACIP) process and evidence base in reaching its vote, including the scientific analyses used, adherence to established CDC scientific-review standards, and consultation with pediatric and infectious-disease experts.