McGovern, Jim RSS Articles

McGovern calls for the release of detained Egyptian journalists

Thu, 08 Oct 2026 04:00:00 GMT

WASHINGTON—Today, Congressman James P. McGovern (D-MA) released the following statement calling for the release of detained Egyptian journalists:

“As the Democratic Co-Chair of the bipartisan Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, I condemn the arrest of six journalists affiliated with the independent investigative journalism platform Matsadaash and call on the government of Egypt to release them immediately.

"On September 28, Egyptian security forces raided the homes of and arrested Mohamed Ashraf Abu Emeira and Abdullah Qadri, both of whom are editors at Matsadaash. Later that day, Egyptian state security arrested four additional journalists, Islam Barakat, Omar Helal, Mohamed Mahmoud, and Mohamed Adel, constituting the entirety of the newsroom. Authorities have not publicly issued charges against the journalists or justification for their arrest.

"This comes after the Trump Administration shamefully released $320 million in military aid to Egypt which had been withheld due to human rights concerns.

"Matsadaash has repeatedly been targeted by Egyptian authorities for its open-source investigative reporting. The recent arrest of its newsroom represents an alarming escalation of repression against independent media and freedom of expression in Egypt, particularly as some of the detainees report having been tortured. Pursuant to its obligations as a state party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Convention Against Torture, Egypt must respect the rights of its citizens to freedom of expression and freedom from arbitrary detention and torture.

"As a partner in the Defending Freedoms Project, which campaigns to free prisoners of conscience around the world, I demand that the Egyptian government release the six detained journalists immediately. I also call on authorities to refrain from further targeting of members of the Matsadaash platform and other press workers.”

McGovern, Ramirez lead 17 Members of Congress in asking Secretary Rubio to support international investigation of massacre of Honduran peasant farmworkers

Wed, 23 Sep 2026 04:00:00 GMT

WASHINGTON—Today, Congressman James P. McGovern (D-MA), Ranking Member of the House Rules Committee and Co-Chair of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, along with Representative Delia Ramirez (D-IL) and 15 other House Members sent a letter urging Secretary of State Marco Rubio to advocate with the government of Honduras for justice for the victims of a May 2026 massacre of peasant farmworkers and for a just resolution of land disputes.

“Peace, stability, the rule of law, respect for human rights, and sustainable economic development in Honduras are firmly in the strategic interests of the United States,” wrote Representatives McGovern, Ramirez, and the other Members of Congress. “Violence, corruption, and impunity undermine regional stability, facilitate the expansion of criminal activity, and contribute to the conditions that drive migration.”

The letter notes that the massacre in Rigores in the Lower Aguán region of Honduras comes in the context of the new Law for the Strengthening and Protection of the Agroindustrial Sector, Energy, Tourism, Livestock, and Small Agricultural Producers in Honduras that appears to favor agricultural conglomerates at the expense of small-scale farmers, jeopardizing their access to arable land and sustainable work.

In the letter, the Members of Congress affirm they “believe that the United States government must support meaningful action to prevent further violence and promote accountability,” and ask that the State Department make the following requests of the Honduran government:

Establish, in coordination with the UN, an international investigative commission, with the participation of local and national stakeholders, to identify all those responsible for the Rigores massacre at every level;
Provide the Public Prosecutor’s Office with the resources and political will necessary to dismantle criminal organizations operating in the Lower Aguán region and ensure that all forms of collaboration, protection, or collusion involving state agents are identified, investigated, and prosecuted; and
Pursue comprehensive and sustainable solutions to land and territorial struggles that address their structural and historical causes, uphold the rule of law, and contribute to a more just and equitable future for all Hondurans.

The 15 other members who signed the letter include Representatives Greg Casar (D-TX), Veronica Escobar (D-TX), Jesús G. "Chuy" García (D-IL), Jonathan Jackson (D-IL), Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), Henry C. “Hank” Johnson, Jr. (D-GA), Marcy Kaptur (D-OH), Summer Lee (D-PA), Ilhan Omar (D-MN), Mike Quigley (D-IL), Jamie Raskin (D-MD), Janice Schakowsky (D-IL), Lateefah Simon (D-CA), Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) and Paul Tonko (D-NY).

The full text of the letter is available here.

A Spanish translation of the letter is available here.

A Spanish translation of this press release is available here.

McGovern & Malliotakis Applaud Passage of Bipartisan Medically Tailored Meals Bill from Ways & Means Committee

Mon, 21 Sep 2026 04:00:00 GMT

WASHINGTON, DC — Congressman Jim McGovern (D-MA) applauded the recent passage of bipartisan legislation he introduced with Representative Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY), H.R. 5439 - Medically Tailored Home-Delivered Meals Program Pilot Act, out of the House Ways and Means Committee.

For seniors living with chronic illnesses, access to nutritious food tailored to their medical needs can help them manage their conditions and improve their health. Similar programs have already shown promise in Massachusetts and across the country by providing meals designed by registered dietitians for patients with conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and kidney disease.

The legislation creates a 6-year Medicare pilot program at 40 hospitals to deliver medically tailored meals, in partnership with trusted community-based providers, for Medicare beneficiaries who live at home and have a diet-impacted disease like diabetes or heart failure after they leave the hospital. The meals are medically tailored, meaning they are designed by nutritionists to accommodate the specific health needs of a patient. The legislation is budget neutral with no additional cost to taxpayers.

"For years, I’ve traveled across Massachusetts and the country learning from experts about how we can help improve nutrition and health outcomes. Incredible providers like Community Servings in Boston, God’s Love We Deliver in New York City, and many others from coast to coast have taught me about the life-saving benefits of Medically Tailored Meals (MTMs),” said Rep. McGovern. “You can’t be healthy if you’re hungry—and that’s why I'm proud to author this legislation with Rep. Malliotakis to improve health outcomes, reduce hospital visits, and save billions of dollars in healthcare spending. It’s a big step forward in our fight for a country where no one goes to bed hungry and everyone has access to the affordable, quality healthcare they deserve.”

“I’m pleased to see our bipartisan Medically Tailored Home-Delivered Meals Program Pilot Act pass the Ways and Means Committee to help seniors who have difficulty shopping or cooking on their own receive healthy meals,” said Rep. Malliotakis. "For seniors living with serious chronic illnesses, access to nutritious meals tailored to their medical needs can help them better manage their conditions, stay healthier at home and avoid unnecessary hospital visits. This pilot will allow us to measure the results and determine how we can improve outcomes for seniors while potentially lowering healthcare costs for taxpayers.”

Now that the legislation has been approved by the committee, it can advance to the House floor for a vote. Both lawmakers will continue working to get the bill across the finish line and signed into law before the end of the year.

McGovern, Merkley, Duckworth, Walkinshaw Urge Trump Administration: Do Not Deport People Back to Persecution and Torture in China

Fri, 18 Sep 2026 04:00:00 GMT

WASHINGTON—Yesterday, Representative James P. McGovern (D-MA), Ranking Member of the House Rules Committee and the Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC), along with Senators Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Representative James R. Walkinshaw (D-VA), sent a letter to Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin and Secretary of State Marco Rubio calling on the Trump Administration to protect people who have fled repression in China and could face persecution or torture if they are sent back.

McGovern, Merkley, Duckworth, and Walkinshaw all serve on the CECC—a congressional commission that monitors and documents human rights violations in the People’s Republic of China (PRC).

In the letter, the lawmakers called on the U.S. government to stop the practice of detaining at-risk individuals, release those currently in detention, prohibit them from being deported to the PRC, and give fair and timely consideration of their applications for asylum.

“Many people who have fled persecution in the PRC come to the United States with an expectation that they can find refuge,” the Members wrote. “They should be given every opportunity to apply for asylum if they have not yet done so and given fair and timely consideration of such application for asylum or other protection. Under no circumstances should at-risk individuals be deported to the PRC.”

The Members also made the letter public so immigration attorneys and advocates can use it in cases involving Uyghurs, Hong Kongers, Tibetans and others who fear persecution if returned to China.

“There are likely many more detainees at ICE facilities, perhaps lacking representation, who fear deportation to a country run by a government that seeks to do them harm,” the Members continued. “There are perhaps others who have already been sent back to the PRC who are now experiencing persecution, torture or worse. Thus, we see value in making this letter and its message public.”

The letter notes that the U.S. government deporting an individual to a country where their life or freedom would be threatened (also known as “refoulement”) would violate both United States and international law, and would also be a betrayal of that promise by then-Senator Marco Rubio to provide refuge to those subject to the repression of the Chinese Communist Party, when he introduced the Hong Kong Safe Harbor Act and the Uyghur Human Rights Protection Act.

The full text of the letter is available here.

McGovern, Warren, Pressley Tout Historic New Law to Combat High Cost of Housing in America

Wed, 09 Sep 2026 04:00:00 GMT

WORCESTER – Yesterday, Congressman Jim McGovern (MA-02), Ranking Member of the House Rules Committee and Co-Chair of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, alongside Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) visited the Worcester YMCA to discuss the historic 21^st Century ROAD to Housing Act and how the new law will make it easier to build new housing, lower housing costs, and—for the first time ever—counter private equity from buying single-family homes.

The lawmakers also discussed the development of Grandfamily Villages, an effort by Senior Connection to provide affordable housing for seniors and their families in Worcester. They heard from families and community leaders about what more can be done to address the housing crisis in Massachusetts.

“The ROAD to Housing Act is a big deal for communities across the country,” said Congressman McGovern. “Everywhere I go, I hear from families struggling to find housing they can afford. I’m grateful to Senator Warren for her leadership in getting this important legislation passed. This is going to make a real difference for people across the Commonwealth and throughout the country. I’m also proud to be working alongside amazing partners like Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley on our Grandfamily Housing Act to make sure grandparents raising grandchildren have the support they need. These grandparents stepped up for their families, and we need to step up for them, too. That’s what the Grandfamily Village is all about, and I’ll keep fighting to get projects like this across the finish line.”

“America is in a housing crisis, and it’s hitting families hard here in Massachusetts. I’m proud to have worked with Congresswoman Pressley and Congressman McGovern to pass the biggest housing bill in decades into law,” said Senator Warren. “This new law will help lower housing costs and for the first time ever stop private equity from buying up single family homes. Thanks to the leadership of Congresswoman Pressley, the new law also includes an Innovation Fund which will help our state build more housing and upgrade our infrastructure. This is one step forward. We have much more work to do to lower costs for Massachusetts families.”

“I’m proud to work with Senator Warren and Ranking Member Waters to deliver this historic housing package to support safe, stable, and accessible housing for families in Massachusetts and throughout the country,” said Congresswoman Pressley. “The ROAD to Housing Act and my four bills within it will bring essential relief to Americans struggling amid Trump’s housing and affordability crises—and I’ll keep pushing to pass our Grandfamily Housing Act without delay. Every individual, family, and grandfamily deserves a place of refuge, rest, and peace. It’s time that we treat housing like human right that it is.”

Other participants of the roundtable included: State Senator Robyn Kennedy, State Representative David LeBoeuf, Worcester City Manager Eric Batista, Moses Dixon, President & CEO, Senior Connection, Joanne Calista, CEO, Center for Health Impact, and several grandparents raising their grandchildren.

McGovern has worked for years to support grandparents raising grandchildren and address the unique housing challenges facing grandfamilies.

He recently secured $1.2 million in federal funding for a Grandparents Raising Grandkids Resource Center in Worcester to help connect grandparent-led households throughout central Massachusetts with housing, transportation, health, food, education and other services.

In 2018, his bipartisan Supporting Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Act was signed into law, creating a federal advisory council to identify and share resources for grandparents and other relatives raising children.

In 2019, after McGovern and Pressley held a roundtable in Worcester to hear directly from grandparents about the challenges they face, the lawmakers introduced the Grandfamily Housing Act, which would help grandfamilies access safe, affordable and age-appropriate housing and supportive services. They reintroduced the legislation in 2021, and it passed the House in 2022.

McGovern and Pressley introduced the latest version, H.R. 5916, the Grandfamily Housing Act of 2025, in November 2025.

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McGovern Introduces Big Tech Accountability Act to Protect Americans’ Privacy and Hold Tech Giants Accountable

Fri, 04 Sep 2026 04:00:00 GMT

WASHINGTON—Today, Representative James P. McGovern (D-MA) introduced the Big Tech Accountability Act to protect Americans’ online privacy and personal autonomy and hold powerful technology corporations accountable for the harms caused by their platforms.

“Big Tech companies have an enormous amount of power over what we see, what we share, and what happens to our personal information—and for too long, the rules governing that power simply haven’t kept pace,” said Congressman McGovern. “These platforms should not get a free pass to exploit people’s private data or design systems that knowingly push dangerous content because outrage and division are good for business. This bill is an effort to put some reasonable guardrails in place, give people more control over their own information, and make sure enormously powerful corporations can be held accountable for the choices they make.”

A handful of Big Tech corporations have enormous influence over how Americans communicate, consume information, and participate in public life. At the same time, their business models rely heavily on collecting and monetizing personal data and using algorithms designed to keep users engaged—often by promoting increasingly inflammatory or sensational content.

The Big Tech Accountability Act provides a framework for addressing both concerns: protecting Americans from the commercial exploitation of their personal information while establishing greater accountability when technology companies actively target and amplify fraudulent disinformation, threats, or criminal violence.

The bill is backed by Free Speech For People, a national nonpartisan nonprofit organization that works to limit the influence of money in politics and protect our democracy.

“By protecting the biggest social media companies from accountability, current federal law allows them to profit with impunity from amplifying threats of violence and disinformation and exploiting personal information,” said Ben Clements, Chairman and Senior Legal Advisor of Free Speech For People. “While this model has made billions for the world’s largest corporations and their owners, it has come at a grave cost to our democracy, to the ability of government to function in the 21st Century, and to the dignity, safety, and privacy of our people. By subjecting the big social media companies to the same accountability that applies to the rest of us, the Big Tech Accountability Act is a long overdue step toward putting people, not corporations and billionaires, first.”

The Big Tech Accountability Act would establish stronger protections for Americans’ personal information and limit the ability of technology companies to exploit that information for profit. It would also create greater accountability when social media companies actively target and amplify fraudulent disinformation, threats, or criminal violence through their algorithms.

Bill text is available here.

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McGovern, Khanna, and Meeks Lead Colleagues in Demanding the Trump Administration Explain Decision to Lift Sanctions on Chinese and Hong Kong Officials

Tue, 18 Aug 2026 04:00:00 GMT

WASHINGTON—Today, Representative James P. McGovern (D-MA), Ranking Member of the House Rules Committee and Raking Member of the Congressional-Commission on China, Ro Khanna, Ranking Member of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, and Gregory W. Meeks, Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and six other House Members sent a letter to President Trump expressing serious concern about his decision to allow an Executive Order to lapse. The decision resulted in sanctions relief for Chinese and Hong Kong officials complicit in Beijing’s dismantling of Hong Kong’s autonomy.

“The lapse of the national emergency has already resulted in significant changes to the sanctions status of dozens of Hong Kong and Beijing officials, and it raises serious questions about the durability of U.S. policy toward Hong Kong that we believe warrant a direct response from the Administration,” wrote the Members of Congress. “In effect, this amounts to a downgrade in sanctions exposure for 39 individuals, including the sitting Chief Executive and Chief Secretary of Hong Kong.”

In his first term, President Trump issued Executive Order 13936 to employ emergency authorities to strip Hong Kong of its preferential trade and export-control treatment it had previously enjoyed as a distinct customs territory and authorize sanctions against individuals. In July 2026, President Trump declined to renew the Executive Order, thereby lifting sanctions on key individuals and sending a signal that the loss of Hong Kong’s autonomy is no longer a major concern for the U.S. government.

“We are also concerned about the circumstances surrounding this decision. The PRC’s Ministry of Commerce has publicly stated that the non-renewal implements understandings reached during the U.S.-PRC economic and trade consultations in Madrid, and that the United States made commitments concerning Hong Kong and investment-related issues during those talks,” wrote the Members of Congress. “If accurate, this would mean that sanctions relief for officials responsible for prosecuting pro-democracy activists was used as a bargaining chip in unrelated trade negotiations.”

The Members requested answers from the President about the decision, including justification for easing sanctions on complicit individuals, whether the decision was part of any quid-pro-quo with PRC officials, and whether the Administration is committed to securing the release of publisher and prominent pro-democracy activist Jimmy Lai.

McGovern, Castro lead 5 Members of Congress in asking new Colombian President to support broad range of shared priorities including human rights

Thu, 13 Aug 2026 04:00:00 GMT

WASHINGTON—Today, Representative James P. McGovern (D-MA), Ranking Member of the House Rules Committee and Co-Chair of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, along with Representative Joaquin Castro (D-TX), Ranking Member of the Westen Hemisphere Subcommittee of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and five other House Members sent a letter to new Colombian President Abelardo De La Espriella supporting continued partnership between the United States and Colombia on a broad range of shared priorities.

“The United States and Colombia have worked in close partnership on a broad range of shared priorities, including security, counternarcotics cooperation, peace, trade and investment, education, migration, the promotion of labor and human rights, and the rights and inclusion of Afro-Colombian and Indigenous communities,” wrote Representatives McGovern and the other Members of Congress. “This partnership has transcended partisan divides, regardless of who leads our nations.”

Abelardo Gabriel De La Espriella was sworn in as President of Colombia on August 7, 2026, after narrowly winning the runoff election on June 21.

In the letter, the Members of Congress say, ”we stand ready to work with your administration to address these challenges and advance our shared interests,” and make the following points:

“Colombia's complex and longstanding security challenges require … sustained collaboration with civil society, a stronger civilian state presence, and viable economic alternatives that allow communities to turn away from illicit activities;”
“[S]ignificant inequalities in access to education, employment, and economic opportunity remain, particularly for Afro-Colombian and Indigenous communities and for those from rural and disadvantaged socioeconomic backgrounds” that must be addressed; and
“The 2016 peace accord, which the U.S. Congress supported on a bipartisan basis, remains a cornerstone for addressing the structural challenges facing your nation. Its transitional justice system, lauded by experts worldwide, remains the most sophisticated model available for advancing truth, justice, and accountability for the many crimes committed by parties to the conflict.”

The five other members who signed the letter include Representatives Mark DeSaulnier (D-CA), Jonathan Jackson (D-IL), Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-CA), Mark Pocan (D-WI), and Dina Titus (D-NV).

The full text of the letter is available here.

McGovern Tells Secretary Rubio: Prioritize Human Rights in Engagement with Central Sahel

Wed, 12 Aug 2026 04:00:00 GMT

WASHINGTON—Today, Representative James P. McGovern (D-MA), Ranking Member of the House Rules Committee and Co-Chair of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, wrote to Secretary of State Marco Rubio urging him to center human rights and civilian protection in all United States engagement in the Central Sahel, a region in West Africa that encompasses Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger.

Citing expert testimony delivered at a May 14 hearing of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, the letter raises alarms about the “precarity and violence of life in the region, which boasts the world’s fastest growing theaters for armed Islamists allied to Al Qaeda and the Islamic State.” It notes that “security forces in the Central Sahel have adopted an aggressive counterterrorism approach and themselves been implicated in widespread violations of international humanitarian law.”

“Human rights violations and war crimes by government forces and their allies are significant drivers of recruitment into armed groups,” McGovern wrote. “For this reason, meaningful improvement in the regional security situation cannot be achieved unless human rights and civilian protection are treated as the non-negotiable foundation of engagement with Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger.”

The letter calls on Secretary Rubio to:

Ensure that any provision of foreign assistance occurs in strict compliance with human rights conditions in U.S. law;
Designate human rights violators for targeted sanctions under the Global Magnitsky Act;
Provide public explanation of the lifting of sanctions on individuals who could be implicated in serious human rights abuses, such as the February 2026 delisting of three Malian officials linked to Russia's abusive Wagner Group;
Consistent with the Elie Wiesel Act, assess the risk of future atrocities in the Central Sahel and report to Congress on regional atrocity prevention;
Demand the immediate release of arbitrarily detained political figures, journalists, and civil society;
Support inclusive, local peace processes; and
Increase humanitarian and development aid for essential local services to minimize the grievances that extremist groups exploit.

The full text of the letter is available here.

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Federal Disaster Relief for Massachusetts Farmers, Secured by McGovern, Finally on the Way

Mon, 03 Aug 2026 04:00:00 GMT

WORCESTER, MA – Congressman Jim McGovern (D-MA) announced today that over $42 million in federal disaster relief he secured in December 2024, is finally heading to Massachusetts farmers.

The money comes from a $220 million New England disaster block grant program written by McGovern and Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), enacted into law by President Biden in late 2024. Designed specifically to support small and mid-sized producers—particularly those in states like Massachusetts who are often shut out of traditional U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) programs—the program compensates farmers for crop losses and storm-related damage to on-farm infrastructure sustained during severe weather events in 2023 and 2024.

“I’m thrilled our farmers will finally get the relief they were promised,” said McGovern. “Trump Administration policies are raising costs on producers and making it even harder to farm. This funding will not only help farmers recover from devastating losses, but it will also help Massachusetts continue to build a resilient regional food system that will feed families across our commonwealth. I am grateful to Governor Healey, Lieutenant Governor Driscoll, Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources Commissioner Ashley Randle and Deputy Commissioner Winton Pitcoff, State Senator Jo Comerford, and former State Representative Natalie Blais for their leadership in making this relief for farmers possible."

McGovern and DeLauro, top Democrats on the Rules and Appropriations Committees, repeatedly pushed top USDA officials in letters, phone calls, and meetings to comply with the law and release the funds—ultimately forcing the Trump Administration to do so. Massachusetts recently executed its contract with USDA, and this week is announcing a process for impacted farmers to apply for funding to support their continued farming operations.

Massachusetts is home to nearly 7,100 farms—roughly 2,000 of which lie in Hampshire, Hampden, and Franklin Counties, areas devastated by 2023 flooding of the Connecticut River and battered by multiple severe weather events. Many small farms in the region are ineligible for crop insurance or find USDA aid programs too cumbersome to access, putting them at higher risk of closure following natural disasters.

McGovern has long been a champion for small family farms and regional food systems. In addition to creating this disaster program in Congress, he previously helped raise and distribute $3.2 million in philanthropic relief and supported $20 million in state-level grants to keep Bay State farms in business following the 2023 storms.