No on H.R. 1, Grants Available and the Long Weekend Ahead

Dear John,

Today, I voted NO on H.R. 1, formerly known as the "Big Beautiful Bill." (Read more about it below or jump to the video.)

H.R. 1 was horrible in May when I first voted against it, and it’s horrible now. It rewards the rich, harms the working class and families, and explodes our national debt. My colleagues and I have done everything possible to stop the bill in its tracks and force both parties to craft durable, practical legislation to benefit all Americans, to decrease our spending and manage both the national debt and the debt ceiling crises.

Unfortunately, the Senate passed its version of the bill on July 1, and it came back to the House for a final vote. On the evening of July 1, I co-sponsored eight amendments and proposed four of my own, all designed to improve the bill that is a moral, fiscal and legislative failure:

The first amendment would protect individuals with disabilities from being subjected to burdensome Medicaid eligibility re-verifications every six months.
The second amendment blocks any funds from being used if the legislation results in increased taxes or a higher cost of living for individuals earning $400,000 or less.
The third amendment ensures that none of the funds in this legislation can be used to dismantle veterans’ services or facilities, and in particular, the Coatesville VA Medical Center in my district.
The fourth amendment would ensure the legislation does not take effect until Pete Hegseth is no longer serving as Secretary of Defense. Modernizing our national defense infrastructure is important but a blank check for $150 billion without a plan or accounting from the Pentagon is not the way to do it.

House Democrats on the steps of the Capitol yesterday addressing the nation to decry H.R.1

I tried to improve a piece of legislation that strips health insurance from 17 million Americans, including 22,000 people in our district. A bill that puts 71 million Americans at risk of losing Medicaid coverage, 14,000 of them who live in our district. A bill that eliminates already meager supplemental nutrition programs for 4 million hungry Americans, 400,000 of them Pennsylvanians.

But President Trump threatened enough Republicans in Washington that they turned their backs on everyday Americans and bent over backwards to make life easier for billionaires.

H.R. 1 is catastrophic for this nation, no matter how many ways the Republicans try to dress it up, and I voted against it. I will always vote against legislation that threatens the health, welfare, and security of my constituents.

Federal Grants Are Still Available

As we prepare to celebrate Independence Day, I want to thank you for the work you are doing to make our community the best it can be. As we enter the 250th year of our independence, it is a reminder of the values and freedom we all share and the work we still have to do, together, to improve the country we love. Despite the topsy-turvy budget cuts over the past six months, there are still federal grants available to do that kind of work.

You can find up-to-date information on open federal grants here. This spreadsheet is updated monthly and will include grants across the spectrum of issues the federal government addresses. The grants can be easily sorted by category too. (A note of caution: while granting continues, programs may be subject to impacts from actions taken by the Administration, DOGE and federal agencies.)

There is one grant in particular I want to highlight that celebrates our country, available from the National Endowment for the Arts - “Celebrating America250: Arts Projects Honoring the National Garden of American Heroes.” Grants of $25,000 each are available for arts projects in any discipline that celebrate the contributions to American history of one or more of the national heroes listed in Executive Order 13978 of January 18, 2021. See full guidelines at the National Endowment for the Arts here. You can find the grants announcement here. The deadline for applications is July 14, 2025.

There is a grant opportunity that supports summer jobs for youth - the “FY25 Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Youth Conservation Corps.” This program’s projects employ participants who are interested in gaining work experience in public lands and natural resources management. Through their BLM experience, youth gain an appreciation for public lands, learn about conservation-related careers, and become the next generation of public lands stewards. More information on the grant is available here. Applications must be submitted by July 11, 2025.

Finally, this month I want to highlight a grant that supports lower energy costs in rural and remote communities that may be impacted by summer heat - Energy Improvements in Rural or Remote Areas. This program serves communities of 10,000 people or fewer. For further information, please see the Full Funding Opportunity Announcement here. The deadline for applications is August 28, 2025.

A Republic, If We Can Keep It

These are trying times for many in our community, but on Friday, we have the opportunity to mark Independence Day for the 249th time since declaring our freedom from British rule.

An often-told story of the Constitutional Convention has a handful of citizens walking up to Ben Franklin as he exited Independence Hall and asking what kind of country the founding fathers had created. He answered, "A Republic, if we can keep it." On this Fourth of July, I can scarcely think of anything more important than doing just that, with and for you.

I hope you are able to spend time with family and friends and enjoy some of the many festivities planned throughout our district on Friday and all weekend long.

Serving as our community’s representative in Congress is the honor and privilege of my lifetime and I hope you will reach out about the issues you care about.

As always, please contact my office if you need assistance.

Sincerely,

Chrissy Houlahan

U.S. Member of Congress

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