Press Releases

Rep. Don Beyer introduced an appropriations amendment which would fund the body camera pilot program for Department of the Interior law enforcement officers. Without such funding the pilot program faces a potential lapse in FY19. “No one can undo Bijan Ghaisar’s tragic death, but this amendment can help with transparency going forward,” said Rep. Beyer. “While we are still awaiting… Read more »

Reps. Don Beyer and Ted Lieu today wrote to the Environmental Protection Agency Inspector General to request an investigation into whether Scott Pruitt violated the Federal Records Act. The letter cited recent reports that Pruitt intentionally hid or falsified records of meetings and discussions with representatives of industries regulated by the EPA. The lawmakers wrote: “We write… Read more »

Rep. Don Beyer issued the following statement today on the departure of EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt: “Finally. Scott Pruitt was able to keep his position for so long -- despite astonishing megalomania and unethical behavior – only because of Donald Trump’s historic embrace of corruption. Pruitt acknowledged behavior in Congressional hearings and televised interviews that violated… Read more »

Rep. Don Beyer today wrote to Daniel R. Levinson, Inspector General (IG) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, asking that he expand the investigation into the reports of neglect, and both physical and sexual abuse at shelters housing migrant children. Rep. Beyer urged Levinson to review how the federal government maintains and evaluates contracts with the facilities after… Read more »

Rep. Don Beyer today released the following statement on the close of the fifth annual Immigration Heritage Month: “Immigrant Heritage Month celebrates the fact that the United States is a nation of immigrants, built by immigrants. Sadly, too many people in positions of power have forgotten this core facet of America’s identity, or worse, are working to end it. During June, I met… Read more »

Rep. Don Beyer today led 77 Democrats in a letter to Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) Alex Azar and Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) Director Scott Lloyd. They sought answers regarding allegations of mistreatment toward migrant children currently in the custody of ORR, and expressed concerns about ORR’s process of releasing children, which is… Read more »

In the wake of fresh evidence that the oil and gas industry’s methane emissions are far greater than previously thought, Ranking Member Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) and four House Democratic colleagues today sent a letter to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Scott Pruitt urging him to reinstate a formal Information Collection Request (ICR) to the industry that he canceled… Read more »

Rep. Don Beyer today issued the following statement on the Supreme Court’s 5-4 ruling in Janus v. AFSCME: “This terrible ruling continues decades of Republican attacks on workers’ right to organize. The thousands of civil servants, teachers, police officers, firefighters, and other public-sector employees I represent will see their collective bargaining power significantly weakened by… Read more »

Rep. Don Beyer today issued the following statement on the Supreme Court’s 5-4 decision in Trump v. Hawaii: “I believe that the Supreme Court’s decision to uphold Donald Trump’s Muslim ban will go down as one of the worst mistakes in the Court’s history. Chief Justice Roberts and the Justices who concurred in his opinion chose to intentionally overlook the obvious animus of bigotry which… Read more »

Reps. Don Beyer (D-VA) and C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger (D-MD) today visited an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) contracted facility today in Anne Arundel County to see the effects of the Trump Administration’s family separation policy in person. There they met two fathers, Carlos and Mario (last names withheld for their protection), who had been separated from their young children… Read more »