Wasserman Schultz, Debbie RSS Articles

Neguse, Wasserman Schultz Lead Entire Democratic Caucus in Demanding CMS Reverse Course on Rule Threatening Medicaid Access for Cancer Patients

Mon, 20 Jul 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Washington, D.C. — Today, Representatives Joe Neguse and Debbie Wasserman-Schultz led the entire House Democratic Caucus in a letter to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), urging the agency reverse course on a new rule requiring certain Medicaid applicants and enrollees to meet conditions of eligibility in order to access critical healthcare services. The framework implements work requirements mandated by the so-called One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1), and has the potential to lock American families facing some of the most dire health conditions out of lifesaving care.

Neguse and Wasserman-Schultz, who have each been impacted by cancer as a caregiver and patient, respectively, also called on CMS to establish, at a minimum, automatic exemptions for patients with cancer and other aggressive illnesses.

“We write to express our profound concern regarding the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ (CMS) interim final rule titled ‘Medicaid Community Engagement Requirement for Certain Individuals.’ This interim rule will create an undue burden for beneficiaries with serious health care needs and put people at risk of losing coverage, while also creating significant implementation challenges for states. Therefore, we urge CMS to revise this rule, and until such changes are made, call on CMS to authorize states to delay implementation,” wrote the lawmakers.

More specifically, CMS’s new rule makes it harder for cancer patients and survivors to qualify for Medicaid’s “medical frailty” exemption—stating that a medical condition must significantly impair a person’s ability to comply with the 80-hour per month work requirement. In their letter, the lawmakers argue this framework does not adequately consider the complex nature of illnesses like cancer, which can exhibit periodic or intermittent symptoms often relating to side effects of treatment or the disease itself.

The requirement also forces individuals to prove they can’t work, in an exhaustive process that increases barriers between struggling Americans and access to basic healthcare.

“Forcing vulnerable patients to exhaustively document their symptoms simply to maintain access to basic healthcare is both imprudent and inconsistent with Federal law. Diagnoses such as an aggressive cancer require patients to receive care as soon as possible, and as you know, any delays to treatment put patients at heightened risk. These and other rapidly progressing conditions become significantly less amenable to treatment in their later stages, meaning a patient's current capacity to work does not reflect the urgency of their medical needs.”

The House Democratic Caucus, led by Neguse and Wasserman-Schultz, also called attention to the fact that this rule will create significant administrative and financial burdens for states. It departs from a previous definition and requires a rushed change in implementation plans.

They closed by stating that the rule goes even further than Congressional Republicans intended in their disastrous One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which already strips health care coverage from at least 17 million Americans while driving up health care costs for millions more.

The letter concluded: “While there is no way to prevent some eligible people from losing coverage due to the flawed nature of the underlying policy, which in and of itself exacts draconian cuts to healthcare programs and strips access to affordable care for millions of Americans, CMS has an obligation to implement the law in question as written. And, as noted, the new rule appears to be inconsistent with the plain language of H.R. 1, adding a new, restrictive standard that will add to the number of people losing coverage. Indeed, the evidence clearly demonstrates that creating more documentation requirements and adding complexity to the enrollment process will have a devastating effect. Therefore, in sum, we urge CMS to reconsider its interim rule to protect people with serious medical needs. CMS should also delay implementation of the new work requirements pending these changes.”

Read the full letter HERE.

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Wasserman Schultz’s EARLY Act Passed by House

Mon, 20 Jul 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Washington, D.C. – Today, legislation led by U.S. Representatives Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-25), Mariannette Miller-Meeks (IA-01), Kathy Castor (FL-14), Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-01) Debbie Dingell (MI-06), and Diana Harshbarger (TN-01) to reauthorize and continue funding for the Breast Cancer Education and Awareness Requires Learning Young Act (EARLY) Act and the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program passed the House of Representatives in a 394 to 6 vote.

In the United States, the most common cancer diagnosed among women is breast cancer, where the average risk for developing it sometime in her life is about 1 in 8. More than 316,000 new diagnoses and over 42,000 deaths are expected from breast cancer in 2026. And with cases rising in younger women each year, the earlier it’s caught, the better the chance to survive and overcome this devastating health challenge.

Key to early detection and treatment starts with education and awareness. This especially is true for younger women, and those at higher risk of death, like ethnic and racial populations who too often face an aggressive form of breast or cervical cancer and are not able to catch it until later.

“I know firsthand that early detection is our most powerful tool to beat cancer. It can be the difference between life and death, especially in combatting breast cancer, especially for those with inherited mutations,” said Wasserman Schultz, who was diagnosed with breast cancer and the BRCA2 gene mutation at age 41 and after 15 months of surgery, has been cancer free for 18 years. “Reauthorizing the EARLY Act saves women’s lives, and I’m proud to team up with Representatives Miller-Meeks, Castor, Fitzpatrick, Dingell, and Harshbarger, and Senators Klobuchar and Crapo to make sure those resources are out there.”

The EARLY Act became law in 2010. Its success centers around authorizing three programs administered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), designed to empower young and high-risk women to better focus their attention on this deadly disease.

This includes the Bring Your Brave effort, which amplifies stories of real women to raise awareness of breast cancer in young women between the ages 18-44, and encourages them to understand their risk and the signs and symptoms. It also funds the Young Breast Cancer Survivors Program, which provides grants to several non-profit organizations aimed at delivering supportive services and resources to increase patients' survival and improve their quality of life. And it offers continuing medical education (CME) courses for health care providers about breast cancer.

The bill also reauthorizes funding for the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (NBCCEDP), which provides free or low-cost breast and cervical cancer screenings to uninsured and underinsured women. Since its inception, NBCCEDP has served over 6.6 million women, provided more than 17 million breast and cervical cancer screenings, and caught over 88,000 cases of invasive breast and cervical cancer.

Click here to read the full bill.

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Wasserman Schultz, Swim Safety Advocates Highlight Drowning Prevention Efforts

Thu, 09 Jul 2026 04:00:00 GMT

North Lauderdale, FL – Today, U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-25) convened pool safety advocates from Boys & Girls Club of Broward County, Broward Swim Central, Safe Kids Broward, Diversified Swimming Inc., and Every Child A Swimmer to spotlight recent drownings in South Florida and offer solutions to prevent these tragedies. Participants included Cassie McGovern, whose 19-month-old daughter, Edna Mae, drowned in the family’s backyard pool in 2009.

Click here for video of the press conference.

Last year, Florida recorded 119 child drowning deaths, the most in state history. Tragically, 120 children died over a 12-month period. In 2026, Florida is already on pace to break last year’s tragic record with 62 drownings, including 13 in Broward, Miami-Dade and Palm Beach Counties combined.

“Drowning is a public health crisis – and it needs to be treated like one. With 119 tragically losing their lives in 2025, we just had the deadliest year on record for child drownings here in Florida. Sadly, we’re on pace to surpass it,” said Wasserman Schultz. “Since I came to Congress, I secured over $30 million for drowning prevention using my position on the House Appropriations Committee and will continue to fight for swim safety measures to save more children’s lives.”

In 2007, Congress passed Wasserman Schultz’s bill, the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool & Spa Safety Act, to implement layers of protection to prevent childhood drownings. Wasserman Schultz will discuss her bill to reauthorize funding for this program, which has delivered $22.8 million to states and municipalities for drowning prevention programs since it was put in place.

Wasserman Schultz was joined by Boys & Girls Clubs of Broward County Director of Aquatics George Coneo, Broward County Parks and Recreation Operations Manager Katherine Fermenich, Let Us Swim CEO & Diversified Swimming President Shana Lorde, Every Child A Swimmer Executive Director Cassie McGovern, and Safe Kids Broward Injury Prevention Coordinator Rachele Solomon.

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Sun Sentinel: Wasserman Schultz, safety advocates warn of ‘public health crisis’ after multiple child drownings

Thu, 09 Jul 2026 04:00:00 GMT

By Ruth Abramovitz

Following a string of child drowning deaths across South Florida, U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz joined with local swim safety advocates on Thursday to issue a timely warning about this “public health crisis.”

In just the past three weeks, three children died by drowning in the region, all under age 10. Florida has reached 62 drowning deaths in 2026 so far, according to the Nicklaus Children’s Health System, and may exceed last year’s state record of 120 at this rate.

“Drowning and related injuries are a significant threat to the safety and health of our children,” Wasserman Schultz said at the event.

Thursday’s panel, gathered at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Broward County in North Lauderdale, addressed the vital layers of water safety precautions recommended to prevent child drownings.

Rachele Solomon, injury prevention coordinator for Memorial Healthcare System, recommends that adults implement multiple means of protection for young children, such as creating barriers to the backyard pool with an alarm or gate, designating a “water watcher” to continuously supervise children, equipping kids with life jackets and enrolling them in swim lessons.

Drowning remains the leading cause of death for children ages 1 through 4, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Solomon warned these deaths occur subtly, as “a parent goes inside to answer the phone” or “a family member forgets to shut the door all the way.”

Wasserman Schultz has long made drowning prevention a policy priority. She introduced the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act, which the U.S. Congress passed in 2007, to regulate suction drains in public pools — a frequent cause of youth drowning — and authorize federal grants for swimming education programs and safety measures.

Mentioning the July 5 drowning of a 4-year-old girl in Plantation, the congresswoman called on the Florida Legislature to strengthen the state law requiring residential pools to have at least one approved safety barrier. The South Florida Democrat first introduced that law, enacted in 2000, though she feels some amendments have made it weaker over time.

“Saving lives can’t just be considered a nuisance,” she said. “It’s a moral necessity.”

Wasserman Schultz also noted that drowning rates are disproportionately higher for Black youths, adding that it’s important to “focus our attention” to the communities with the highest rates of drownings.

With lakes, canals and other waterways throughout South Florida, pool safety is not the only issue. Each of the advocates said swimming lessons are the best way to prevent a tragedy. They were framed by dozens of kids, mid-swimming lesson, splashing around in a pool behind them.

Swim lessons “are our best tool in this fight,” Wasserman Schultz said.

In Broward, she recommends SWIM Central, the county’s water safety program. SWIM Central offers lesson vouchers for children age 8 and younger, according to Katherine Fermenich, operations manager for the Broward County Parks and Recreation Division. Kids are eligible for up to four $55 coupons per year.

Among other local leaders in attendance on Thursday was Casey McGovern, who lost her toddler to drowning in 2009. Today, McGovern serves as executive director of Every Child a Swimmer, an organization within the International Swimming Hall of Fame that educates families on water safety. This knowledge, she said, should be “as common as buckling a seatbelt.”

“Start lessons as early as you can,” McGovern said. “We had taken safety precautions, and like many parents we believed it would never happen to us. But drowning does not discriminate.”

Shana Lorde, president of the swim instruction nonprofit Diversified Swimming Inc., noted that lessons can reduce the risk of drowning by 88%. She said a child’s drowning means “one less seat at the table,” “one less kiss goodnight.”

“We can’t do this alone,” Lorde said. “It takes a community, it takes a village to do this.”

https://www.sun-sentinel.com/2026/07/09/wasserman-schultz-safety-advocates-warn-of-public-health-crisis-after-3-child-drownings-in-less-than-a-month/

Toddler drowns in Plantation lake; 4th child drowning death in 3 weeks in South Florida

By Angie DiMichele

A 2-year-old boy drowned in a lake in Plantation on Thursday afternoon, the fourth child to die in a drowning in South Florida in less than a month.

Shortly after 5:30 p.m., officers were called to the 1600 block of Northwest 108th Avenue after someone reported that the 2-year-old boy had disappeared, the police department said in a news release Thursday night.

As officers were on the way, a relative found the boy unresponsive in a lake behind an apartment building in the area, pulled him from the water and immediately started CPR.

The boy was taken to Broward Health Medical Center in Fort Lauderdale after officers and Plantation Fire Rescue arrived. He was pronounced dead at the hospital, the police department said.

The boy’s death on Thursday comes four days after a 4-year-old girl drowned, also in a lake in her Plantation neighborhood, and the same day U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz and local swim safety advocates hosted a news conference to warn the public about the ‘public health crisis’ after the recent child drowning deaths.

Mentioning the July 5 drowning of the 4-year-old in Plantation, the congresswoman called on the Florida Legislature to strengthen the state law requiring residential pools to have at least one approved safety barrier. The South Florida Democrat first introduced that law, enacted in 2000, though she said she feels some amendments have made it weaker over time.

On June 22, an 8-year-old boy drowned in Boynton Beach after he disappeared from his family home and was found motionless in a backyard swimming pool near his neighborhood, the police department previously said.

A 4-year-old boy drowned in a backyard swimming pool in North Lauderdale days before that.

Children between 1 and 4 die from drowning more than any other cause of death, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, with Florida routinely ranking among the top in the nation for deaths.

Water safety tips

Sign children up for swim classes. The Florida Department of Health statewide offers a swimming lesson voucher program for eligible families with children less than a year old and up to 17 years old.

Ensure layers of protection are in place at home pools, including supervision and physical barriers.

Learn CPR. Different age groups require different techniques. Classes are offered in Broward County through several local cities and fire departments, Broward Health, American Red Cross and the American Heart Association. Classes are offered in Palm Beach County through Palm Beach County Fire Rescue, American Red Cross and others.

https://www.sun-sentinel.com/2026/07/09/toddler-drowns-in-plantation-lake-4th-child-drowning-death-in-3-weeks-in-south-florida/

EL PAIS: Immigrants say they are being held for days in a Miami ICE office under ‘horrific’ conditions

Wed, 08 Jul 2026 04:00:00 GMT

By Abel Fernández

Yajaira González and her husband, Marco Rodríguez, arrived before 6 a.m. for a routine appointment with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Miramar, north of Miami. They knew the process: for five years they had been reporting to that same office while their asylum case moved through the courts. But on Sunday, June 28, only González came out. Rodríguez, 36, was taken into custody and spent three days in an overcrowded room with about 70 other people, with barely any water or food and a single toilet.

His case is part of a series of complaints from relatives, activists and immigration attorneys that some people are spending several days detained in Miramar, at a facility designed for processing and short-term detention, despite lacking beds, bathrooms, water, food or adequate conditions for overnight stays.

The complaints come amid a nationwide surge in immigration arrests, which totaled more than 10,000 over a five-day period late last month. They also follow the closure of the notorious Alligator Alcatraz detention center in the Everglades, as well as evacuations caused by wildfires at the Krome detention center southwest of Miami. According to witness accounts, the Miramar office has been receiving people arrested elsewhere and then holding them there for several days.

Immigrant-rights activists say they have noticed a significant increase in recent weeks in unmarked vehicles arriving at the facility “loaded with people,” allegedly detained at other locations. On one day alone, they saw more than 30 vehicles unload detainees, according to María Bilbao, coordinator of the American Friends Service Committee.

That was the case for Roger Moisés Flores Oviedo, a 19-year-old Honduran who was detained the Saturday before last as he left a gas station in Pompano Beach, north of Miami, after buying something for lunch.

His wife, Koren Noblig, says Flores works in construction, has no criminal record and has a pending asylum application. On Saturday night, he called her to say that ICE agents who detained him “put him in a van and took him to Miramar, where they placed him in a room with 50 other men, many wearing work clothes and boots, sitting on the floor with their hands behind their backs,” with barely enough room to move.

He remained there until Tuesday, when he was transferred to Krome. By the day of the transfer, there were already 70 people in the room. Noblig says he was given only one bottle of water a day and a piece of bread with peanut butter. At Krome, he was able to shower, sleep in a bed and communicate with her, she says.

Democratic Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz made an unannounced visit to Miramar last week and described the conditions as “horrific.” “What I saw were people packed in like sardines, in conditions I wouldn’t wish upon my worst enemy,” she said at a press conference.

Lack of medical care

The complaints extend to the Federal Detention Center (FDC) in downtown Miami, where authorities transferred some immigrants from Krome in the middle of last month because of wildfires that swept through the western part of the county.

Among them is Noslén Sendra, a 41-year-old Cuban who was detained during an appointment in Miramar in November, spent five months at Alligator Alcatraz and was sent to Krome in early April. His wife, Anisley Cortés, says Sendra is diabetic and suffered pancreatitis while in detention because of extremely high triglyceride levels, requiring hospitalization. According to Sendra, he is not receiving the medical treatment he needs at the FDC, and she fears he could suffer another health crisis.

Prison officials tell her “they cannot give him another medication because they are not responsible, that ICE is responsible,” Cortés says. “I’m desperate because I’m afraid he’ll have another pancreatitis episode in there. The doctors say they can’t do anything, that they can’t provide medications. I don’t know what to do. I don’t know who to turn to.”

A Department of Homeland Security spokesman told EL PAÍS in an email that “any claim that there are substandard conditions in ICE detention centers is FALSE,” arguing “all detainees are provided adequate meals, medical care and opportunities to communicate with family and attorneys.”

“As the number of beds has expanded rapidly, we have maintained a standard of care higher than that of most prisons that house U.S. citizens, including access to adequate medical care. Detained population figures fluctuate daily at ICE facilities in Florida and across the country,” the statement added. It also said remaining in detention “is a choice” and encouraged people to use the CBP Home app to self-deport.

Alligator Alcatraz, a symbol of Trump’s immigration crackdown, was emptied last month less than a year after it opened during a visit by President Donald Trump. The detainees, whose numbers had reached nearly 1,400, were transferred at night and without prior notice to relatives or lawyers to facilities in Louisiana, Arizona and other states, as well as the FDC in Miami.

During a press conference with border czar Tom Homan announcing the closure, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said that about 21,000 people had been “processed” there and that the site had been designed as a temporary solution to support the federal government, while the Department of Homeland Security expanded its own detention capacity. The governor insisted that Florida would continue cooperating with ICE through 287(g) agreements and by detaining immigrants at other facilities such as Deportation Depot in Baker County, north of the peninsula.

The Department of Homeland Security has backed away from a plan to convert industrial warehouses into immigrant detention centers following changes in the agency’s leadership, including the dismissal of Kristi Noem and the appointment of Markwayne Mullin as her successor.

https://english.elpais.com/usa/2026-07-09/immigrants-say-they-are-being-held-for-days-in-a-miami-ice-office-under-horrific-conditions.html?outputType=amp

Wasserman Schultz Makes Unannounced Miramar ICE Facility Oversight Visit

Thu, 02 Jul 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Miramar, FL – Today, U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-25) made an unannounced oversight inspection of the ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Field Office in Miramar, where advocates recently shared troubling testimony from people released or transferred from the facility about the conditions and treatment taking place there.

Click here for video of the press conference.

The Miramar facility is supposed to be an administrative check-in facility but is now functioning as a short-term detention site, holding detainees in crowded areas for 72 hours or more without the same humane detention standards that other ICE facilities are required to meet. There were approximately 150 detainees held at the facility when Wasserman Schultz inspected the site.

“I’ve been to this facility many times alongside my late colleague Alcee Hastings because of reports of a lack of sun cover, water, and toilets for people waiting to check in. Today, I had to do this surprise inspection to see inside for myself, and what I saw were people packed in like sardines, in conditions I wouldn’t wish upon my worst enemy,” said Wasserman Schultz. “I’ll continue to conduct oversight of South Florida ICE operations and fight to hold them accountable for their brutality.”

While in the facility, Wasserman Schultz saw four “holding tanks,” with two for men and two for women, with a single exposed toilet in the corner of each tank. The men’s area was about 15’x15’, with about 70 men crammed in, shoulder-to-shoulder and wall-to-wall, she said. The women’s area was approximately 7’x14’, with about 40 people in the same tight conditions. Individuals were forced to sleep on a hard floor and made to use the toilet in front of others.

Detainees are allowed one water bottle a day, along with 7.5 oz meals. ICE officers told Wasserman Schultz that detainees are allowed to shower once every other day. There is no space for in-person attorney access or family visitation at the facility.

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Sun Sentinel: Congresswoman describes ‘inhumane’ conditions at Miramar ICE facility

Thu, 02 Jul 2026 04:00:00 GMT

By Rafael Olmeda

The Immigration and Customs Enforcement Removal Operations Field Office in Miramar isn’t supposed to be a detention center, but in recent weeks it has turned into one with conditions U.S. Rep Debbie Wasserman Schultz described Thursday as “inhumane” and “cruel.”

Wasserman Schultz, a South Florida Democrat running for re-election in a newly redrawn district against four other candidates, made an unannounced visit to the building in the 2800 block of Southwest 145 Avenue, then spoke to reporters outside the building.

Conditions inside, she said, reminded her of the “unacceptable” treatment detainees endured at the recently closed Alligator Alcatraz facility in the Everglades.

“The room where women were being held was, I would say, about 12-by-12, and that includes a toilet in the corner of the room, with no privacy at all,” she said. “The men’s holding cell was about 24-by-24. There were easily 75 men in that room … How are they dealing with eating and showering?”

The average stay for the detainees, who report themselves at the site to avoid arrest and register for eventual self-deportation only to find themselves unable to leave, is 72 hours, Wasserman Schultz said. The detainees get three meals a day — a microwavable, 7.5-ounce serving fit for a snack, she said.

The center has been the focus of numerous complaints from people leaving after their release, she said. Some have claimed to be there more than five days. Wasserman Schultz said she could not confirm those accounts and that ICE denied them to her.

Two fire trucks and an ambulance entered the property as Wasserman Schultz spoke to reporters outside on Thursday.

The congresswoman said she was not allowed to speak to the detainees and only saw them behind a glass. They called to her, she said, crying for their “human rights.”

“They looked shriveled and miserable,” she said. “You wouldn’t wish these conditions on anyone you love, or really on anyone at all. It is inhumane. It is unacceptable.”

Briefly addressing Spanish language media, Wasserman Schultz added one more description. “It is cruel,” she said.

Standing behind her and waiting to re-enter the facility to self-report was Jorge Alain Hernandez, 48, a Cuban native living in Opa-locka who came to self-report earlier this week only to find himself held for three days in the room Wasserman Schultz described. He was released on Wednesday.

“Everything she said was true,” he said. “They put us in that little cell. People were sleeping on the floor with no mattresses.”

He said he had previously been held at Alligator Alcatraz for six months, but if he had known they were going to hold him again in Miramar, he would not have shown up Monday to self-report.

“They’re going to tell your family to wait outside and then when you’re in, boom, they’ve got you,” he said.

On Thursday he held a court order in his hand that he said would prevent ICE from detaining him again the next time he self-reports.

ICE has not confirmed the conditions described by Wasserman Schultz.

https://www.sun-sentinel.com/2026/07/02/congresswoman-describes-inhumane-conditions-at-miramar-ice-facility/

Wasserman Schultz, Salazar Reintroduce Bipartisan Condo Relief Bill to Mark Surfside Collapse Anniversary

Wed, 01 Jul 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Washington, DC – Today, U.S. Representatives Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-25) and Maria Salazar (FL-27) announced the reintroduction of the bipartisan Making Condos Safer and Affordable Act to provide comprehensive condo relief that expands and ensures access to public and private loans for structural and safety repairs, providing bipartisan preventive assistance for millions of residents grappling with the building integrity realities exposed in the Surfside condominium collapse that took 98 lives.

The Making Condos Safer and Affordable Act makes it easier for condo owners to afford special assessments assigned by their HOAs or Condo Associations by expanding access to two loan programs guaranteed by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The loans are geared to help cover the cost of special assessments for structural and safety related repairs, keeping Florida families safe, healthy, and in their homes.

“Five years ago, an unimaginable but entirely preventable tragedy rocked our South Florida community with the collapse of Surfside's Champlain Towers, claiming 98 innocent lives. While the cause was finally identified after years of investigations, action is still needed to stop this from happening again,” said Wasserman Schultz. “My bipartisan Making Condos Safer and Affordable Act ensures condominium associations can afford to make pressing repairs and keep residents safe.”

“The Surfside tragedy changed our community forever and reminded us that protecting families must always come first. As we honor those we lost, we must take action to help prevent another disaster,” said Salazar. “This bipartisan bill gives condominium associations and homeowners the tools they need to finance critical safety repairs, protect residents, and preserve safe, affordable housing across South Florida.”

Key provisions in the legislation:

Amends the 203(k) program to allow loans to be used on special assessments for structural repairs.
Expands the Title I Property Improvement Loans program to insure private lenders against losses when lending to individual condo owners or condo associations for special assessments. Additionally, the legislation increases the maximum insured loan amount to $55,000, to be adjusted with inflation.
Streamlines the process of applying for these loans so that individual homeowners and condo associations can more easily apply for, and obtain, assistance.
Amends Section 234 of the National Housing Act to authorize Federal Housing Administration (FHA) insurance for condominium association building rehabilitation loans.
Condominium association loans are collateralized with pledges of future association assessment income. As FHA’s mortgage insurance programs are collateralized by real property, the legislation authorizes the agency to insure condominium association loans collateralized by assessment income or real property or a combination of the two.
Under the legislation, FHA-insured condominium association loans may be used for the rehabilitation, alteration, repair, improvement, or replacement of a condominium project’s common systems, infrastructure, and facilities.
To protect FHA and the U.S. government against financial loss, the legislation allows FHA insurance for only 90% of the cost of building rehabilitation work. This restriction operates in other FHA multifamily housing rehabilitation loan insurance programs.

This legislation is endorsed by the Community Associations Institute.

Read the full bill here.

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Wasserman Schultz, Fitzpatrick, Dingell, Kelly Recognize Community Is Stronger Than Cancer Day

Mon, 29 Jun 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Washington, DC – Today, U.S. Reps. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-25), Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-1), Debbie Dingell (MI-6), and Mike Kelly (PA-16), House Cancer Caucus Chairs, introduced a resolution recognizing Community Is Stronger Than Cancer Day on June 28. Community Is Stronger Than Cancer Day is a celebration of inspiration, companionship, and connection for the communities around the country who come together to support cancer patients, survivors, caretakers, and loved ones.

Community is Stronger than Cancer Day is celebrated on June 28th each year to coincide with the birthday of Gilda Radner, the Saturday Night Live star who died of ovarian cancer and whose experience at The Wellness Center in Santa Monica inspired the creation of Gilda’s Club (now Cancer Support Community).

“No one should ever have to fight cancer alone. As a breast cancer survivor, I know firsthand the importance of having a strong community and support system during this battle,” said Wasserman Schultz. “I’m proud to stand with my fellow House Cancer Caucus Co-Chairs in recognizing the often-unseen roles of families, friends, and neighbors in this fight.”

“When more than 18 million Americans are living with a history of cancer, and millions more step forward as caregivers, it’s clear community is not just part of the fight—it is the fight. Like so many families, including my own, I’ve seen how this disease tests every ounce of strength and resolve,” said Fitzpatrick. “As Co-Chair of the House Cancer Caucus, I am continually inspired by the survivors, caregivers, and advocates I have the honor of working with to expand access, fight for hope, and break down barriers to care. This resolution marks an enduring commitment to the idea that compassion and connection will always be stronger than cancer, and that no one should ever face this journey alone.”

“Nearly every family in America has been touched by cancer in one way or another – whether you are a survivor, have lost someone, are a caretaker, or a member of a community that has come together to support a patient,” said Dingell. “Community Is Stronger Than Cancer Day recognizes and celebrates the powerful role that community has in supporting all those impacted by cancer.”

“This resolution stands with the more than 18 million Americans who are living with cancer. In Congress, we must continue working to fund cancer research and to promote legislation that brings new cancer treatments to market,” said Kelly. “As a Co-Chair of the House Cancer Caucus and also of the Congressional Childhood Cancer Caucus, I’ve had the honor to meet some of the strongest, most courageous Americans who have battled cancer. Today, may we come together to support cancer patients, survivors, caregivers, and their loved ones.”

The full text of the resolution can be found here.

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Wasserman Schultz Announces New Bill to Save TPS After SCOTUS Decision

Fri, 26 Jun 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Sunrise, FL – Today, U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-25) convened local immigration advocates to condemn the Supreme Court’s ruling to deny Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to Haitians in Trump v. Miot, and unveiled her forthcoming bill the TPS Review Act, to reassert judicial and Congressional review of the executive branch’s decisions about TPS.

Click here for video of the full press conference.

The crux of the Supreme Court’s decision in Trump v. Miot was that regardless of whether the Administration’s termination of TPS for Haiti and Syria was lawful, courts do not have the ability to assess the legality of the decision to revoke TPS.

“Hundreds of thousands of families who followed the law, passed multiple criminal background checks, earned work permits, and paid taxes will be torn apart, thrown in ICE jails, or sent back to a nation overrun by criminal gangs who murder and kidnap at will,” said Wasserman Schultz. “This fight is not over. When I return to Washington next week, I’ll introduce the TPS Review Act to restore checks and balances on the President’s handling of TPS, because nobody is above the law.”

The TPS Review Act would amend the Temporary Protected Status statute to institute judicial review, establish a cause of action for TPS recipients and their representatives to sue for relief in court, and allow Congress to reverse a TPS termination by simple majority vote under the Congressional Review Act.

This legislation will also require a standardized, documented process for the Executive Branch to review country conditions before TPS can be revoked, creating a paper trail for litigation, and place the burden of evidence on the Government to prove that a challenged TPS decision complies with these requirements.

Under this bill, TPS recipients would maintain their status and work permits automatically and indefinitely while a termination is litigated in court, eliminating the uncertainty that has harmed Florida businesses and consumers over the last year.

Wasserman Schultz was joined at the press conference by President and CEO of LifeNet4Families Denise Brown and Americans for Immigrant Justice Detention Attorney Sandra Cherfrere.

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