LAST THREE WEEKS IN REVIEW

Good afternoon. I’m your Representative in Congress, and I write to keep you informed.

The Islamic Republic is an evil regime. It brutalizes its people, threatens its neighbors, and sponsors terrorism. Last year’s 12-Day War, during which the United States and Israel rapidly established air dominance over Iran, buried its primary nuclear facility under a mountain of rubble, and then ended operations before escalation, made the world safer. 

This war is making the world less secure. Through impetuousness and arrogance, this president has wrought destruction across half the Middle East. The new ayatollah – more hardline than even his father – may be operationally weaker, but he’s strategically stronger. He has demonstrated chokepoint control of the Strait of Hormuz. 

Yesterday, I went on Fox News Sunday to make the case directly to the president’s supporters against a war that is failing to deter Iran, while empowering China, weakening NATO, and making everyone except Vladimir Putin poorer.

The President’s order for Marines or paratroopers to invade Iran would be yet another bloody blunder. On March 26, I published an op-ed in The Boston Globe explaining why Congress should deny the Administration’s $200 billion request to fund this unauthorized war. This request, which is more than enough to enroll every American child in early education, is a dangerous blank check for the President’s sophomoric military strategy. 

Congress should instead push to end the war in exchange for reopening the Strait of Hormuz. For the Islamic Republic itself, Congress needs to codify a policy that recognizes the value of air dominance over Iran to prevent nuclear & ballistic break-out, offers carrots and sticks to curb a terrorist regime, and promotes the self-determination of the Iranian people. You can read excerpts of the piece below: 

“President Trump is dialing 911 with his deployment of two Marine Expeditionary Units to the Strait of Hormuz. These are crisis-response brigades. With thousands of combat Marines supported by air and naval assets, the units can fight on air, land, and sea for about 15 days.

As always with this president: Put him on mute and watch what he does. Listening to the lies is a distraction. While White House interns post sizzle reels of bombs, and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth briefs about the war like it’s “Call of Duty,” the National Security Council is grasping for help. With two MEUs and soldiers from the 82nd Airborne being deployed to the Middle East, this is the largest US military buildup in the Middle East since the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

The Marines are not reinforcing success. They are being sent to bail out failure…

The Trump administration launched a war of choice. It did not consult Congress. It did not expose its plans to scrutiny that might have revealed its errors in judgment. Now the president is searching for an easy button to end the war. There isn’t one.”

Additionally, I am horrified by the February 28 strike on the Shajarah Tayyebeh elementary school, which killed at least 175 people, most of them children. Preliminary findings from a U.S. military investigation indicate that the United States was responsible for the strike. In response, I joined my colleagues in requesting from the Department of Defense detailed information about the steps the Department is taking to prevent and respond to civilian harm.

Do you support $200 billion in appropriations for the war in Iran?

Advocating for homeland security while safeguarding civil liberties: Every Senator – from both parties – and all House Democrats are on record in agreement: the rest of Homeland Security should not be held hostage to debates over ICE. We want to fund the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), TSA, the Coast Guard and other security agencies while continuing to debate root-level reforms to interior immigration enforcement. 

ICE's budget was already tripled in last year’s Medicaid cuts bill (H.R. 1). With more funding than every other federal law enforcement agency combined, ICE does not need more money. It needs strict oversight and accountability. 

At the tele-town hall I hosted on March 26, I expressed to constituents that I will continue to hold the line on ending masking, reckless use-of-force standards and dragnet operations. We must also demand warrants for home entries and cooperation with state & local authorities. Enforcement should prioritize border security and criminal activity. 

The Speaker has now changed his mind four times about whether he agrees with the full Senate and House Democrats on funding the rest of Homeland Security while debating the above demands. With a war underway and the World Cup approaching, I am working with other Democrats to force the question. I am a cosponsor of H.R. 7481, and I have signed a discharge petition to bring the bill to the floor for a vote. 

This bill would fund every DHS agency, including TSA, FEMA, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), and the U.S. Coast Guard, while withholding further funding from ICE, Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and the Office of the Secretary.

ERIC Spring Policy Conference: The ERISA Industry Committee (ERIC) represents benefits managers at companies across the United States. I spoke to ERIC's spring policy conference about the respective roles of government and big employers to lower the price of health care for patients and employees. 

Among the issues I raised were:

 -  the need for continued reform of drug-pricing middlemen, known as pharmacy benefit managers, through both federal legislation like my Pharmacists Fight Back Act and through more competition from start-up transparent pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), which corporate benefits managers can enable

 -  reducing invoice spend on biologics by streamlining market access for biosimilars, while still ensuring that benefits packages do not carve out coverage for cell-and-gene therapies, which would deny employees access to life-changing medicines for themselves or their children

 -  the broader imperative in health care delivery to lower prices by adopting technology, like AI, and challenging special interests that focus on protecting billing codes rather than taking out cost

Lowering Prescription Drug Costs for Seniors: This week, I co-introduced the Ensuring Access to Lower-Cost Medicines for Seniors Act, bipartisan legislation to expand Medicare beneficiaries’ access to more affordable prescription drugs. Too often, insurance companies and PBMs use pricing gimmicks to steer patients away from lower-cost generic and biosimilar medicines and towards higher-cost brand drugs that increase the PBM’s revenue. 

The bill would require Medicare Part D plans to place lower-cost generic drugs and biosimilars on more lower-cost sharing tiers on their drug formularies than their higher-cost brand-name counterparts. The bill would also prevent Part D plans from adding certain roadblocks for patients wanting to use lower-cost options. 

One part of the biotech social contract is ensuring that brand drugs go generic without undue delay. This legislation strengthens that mechanism by ensuring generics & biosimilars get the formulary placement that drives down both co-pays and premiums.

Investment in children’s health: The American Creed is the promise that the circumstances of your birth should not determine the condition of your life. Living up to that promise starts with ensuring a healthy beginning for every child in our district. Last month, I signed onto several requests to the House Appropriations Committee for children’s health funding in Fiscal Year 2027:

Finding and championing cures and therapies for children is one of my top priorities in Congress. It begins with ensuring they have early diagnoses. That is why I am requesting strong funding for newborn screening programs and coverage of advanced genomic sequencing for children suspected of having rare diseases. Developing cures starts with basic research, and we must empower physician-scientists to identify and treat conditions before they become catastrophic. 

I am also advocating for robust support for maternal and child health, including funding for a national maternal mental health hotline and specialized treatment for substance use disorders. I’ve also requested $500 million for domestic violence shelters through the Family Violence Prevention Services Act, which remains the cornerstone of our nation's efforts to address domestic violence. 

Furthermore, I am pushing for $400 million to expand Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics. These clinics deliver high-quality, cost-effective primary and mental health care, including in Massachusetts, at a time when there are far too few providers.

Dighton-Rehoboth and Seekonk high schools each welcomed me to speak with students about Congress & current events. I invited the state delegation, as well: State Senator Kelly Dooner and State Representatives Steve Howitt and Justin Thurber. They are all Republicans. 

Whenever the students asked me a hot-button question – Iran, guns, immigration, transgender sports participation – I offered my response and then asked one of the Republicans to give theirs. Everyone was respectful & substantive throughout. It's important to model for young citizens how democratic debate can & should work. Sharp disagreements about values & priorities are part of policy-making. Personal invective should not be.

Fall River is the biggest city in the Massachusetts Fourth and a primary focus for my infrastructure & economic development efforts. I spent the day in Fall River to learn the latest. After a huddle with state & local elected officials to discuss redevelopment of the waterfront and local governance reforms, I went to Northeastern's new nursing campus. There I met with faculty and students to learn about their accelerated training for nurses in the South Coast, and took questions on integrating mental health services with public safety, student loans for nurses, and the cost of housing & healthcare. 

At the Narrows Center for the Arts, I discussed arts & culture in Fall River with the leaders of a regional destination for live music, visual arts, and large events. A lean staff programs more than 100 shows a year, drawing big & new acts at affordable ticket prices. Check out their upcoming shows!

I closed the day with business, first touring Sarmento's Imports, a second-generation family-owned business that imports wines and spirits from Portugal and elsewhere. We discussed insurance prices & the impact of tariffs, as well as what's selling now in the wine & spirits industry. Then I met with community banks – BayCoast, Rockland Trust, and BankFive, to get an economic read on housing & business formation. The high price of housing again carried the conversation, emphasizing how critical it is for Massachusetts to build hundreds of thousands more units, focusing on cities like Fall River that welcome development.

Fish & Wildlife in North Attleboro: The North Attleboro National Fish Hatchery is a 235-acre U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service facility. I visited with state & local officials and representatives from the Audubon Society to see up close their work to restore declining & imperiled fish populations. In addition to opening up its lands for recreational anglers and stocking fishing events for students & non-profits, the North Attleboro Hatchery has in recent years been at the vanguard of volitional spawning, a more efficient and less stressful method of hatching fish than manual stripping. Currently, they raise American shad and eastern brook trout to stock the rivers and lakes of New England states.

Congress authorized the creation of the North Attleboro National Fish Hatchery in September, 1950. In 2020, Congress passed the Great American Outdoors Act to help fund the Fish and Wildlife Service and other Interior agencies that protect and conserve nature. The Act expired in 2025; I support reauthorizing it so that fees on energy extraction on federal lands continues to support conservation.

Preserving the Blackstone Valley: Southeastern Massachusetts and Blackstone Valley are cradles of the Industrial Revolution. In March, I signed onto a letter to the House Appropriations Committee supporting $33.5 million for the National Heritage Area program. This funding will help preserve and revitalize the cultural, historic, and natural resources of the Blackstone Valley, ensuring it offers expanding recreational and educational opportunities that define our region’s history.

Purging plastic pellets from our pipes: Last month, I cosponsored the Plastic Pellet Free Waters Act. This legislation prohibits the discharge of plastic pellets and pre-production microplastics into our waterways. Much like ongoing efforts to phase out PFAS "forever chemicals," this legislation targets industrial pollution at its source. 

The Rehoboth & Seekonk fire chiefs met with me at the Rehoboth Fire Station. The station needs expansion to accommodate modern fire trucks, which I'll support in tandem with Senator Markey. 

We also discussed congressional reauthorization of FirstNet, a federal agency created by Congress in 2012 to oversee the construction, deployment, and operation of a nationwide public safety broadband network. The reauthorization, which I voted for in committee, updates a successful initiative to respond to recommendations from the Department of Commerce Inspector General, particularly on coverage and signal strength.

Staffing the towers for safer skies: Ensuring safety in our skies is a core public service, which is why I’m requesting robust funding for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in the 2027 budget to modernize our airports and support the professionals who protect the flying public. Given the increase in near-misses and operational issues at our airports, we must prioritize recruiting and training more air traffic controllers.

Improving transit reliability: I’ve also cosponsored the Stronger Communities through Better Transit Act because reliable, high-frequency transit is an unlock for economic mobility. This bill would establish a federal funding program for transit operations, providing $20 billion in annual funding over four years. By investing $80 billion directly into operations, we can kickstart a virtuous cycle of better service and higher ridership, taking cars off the road while lowering costs for every commuter.

Question: Could the SAVE Act become law?

Answer: At my tele-town hall for constituents on March 26, I was asked about the SAVE Act, since the president has recently been fixated upon it. This Trump obsession is mischaracterized as a voter ID bill but is in reality his latest attempt to undermine and manipulate elections to shield his ego from his unpopularity.

 -  require states to hand over their voter rolls to Homeland Security, which would run them through a DOGE algorithm to kick voters off the rolls without notification. This is an affront to both federalism & civil rights

 -  add significant paperwork requirements for thousands of election officials and millions of voters

 -  solve NO voter fraud, because voter fraud is vanishingly rare in America. There are more shark bites than fraudulent voters each year

America absolutely has an election integrity challenge but it's not the voters; it's the man in the White House who tried to steal an election in 2020.

You can submit a question for a future newsletter here. Please note that casework inquiries for federal agencies must be submitted to my website here. My casework team will respond to these in a timely manner. 

Onwards,

Jake