Walkinshaw, James RSS Articles

As America’s Infrastructure Faces Cyber Threats, Walkinshaw, Thompson, Ramirez Push for Independent Review of CISA Workforce Cuts

Fri, 21 Aug 2026 04:00:00 GMT

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman James R. Walkinshaw (VA-11) a member of the Homeland Security Subcommittee on Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Protection, Congressman Bennie G. Thompson (MS-02), Ranking Member of the House Committee on Homeland Security, and Congresswoman Delia C. Ramirez (IL-03), Ranking Member of the Homeland Security Subcommittee on Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Protection, called on the Government Accountability Office to independently examine the impact of recent workforce reductions and program cuts on the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency’s ability to meet its mission requirements such as defending the nation’s critical infrastructure from cyber-attacks.

The push comes as cyber and physical threats increasingly target hospitals, financial networks, water treatment facilities, energy systems, and other infrastructure Americans rely on every day.

“At precisely the moment when our adversaries are accelerating attacks against critical infrastructure, the Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, the nation’s lead civilian cyber defense agency, has lost nearly one-third of its workforce, raising serious concerns about the agency’s ability to fulfill its mission,” the lawmakers wrote.

“Given these concerns, we respectfully request that the Government Accountability Office examine the impact of recent staffing reductions and programmatic cuts at CISA on the agency’s ability to carry out its mission requirements, protect critical infrastructure, and respond to evolving cyber and physical threats.”

By mid-2025, nearly 1,000 CISA employees, roughly one-third of the agency’s workforce, had left or been removed from active service. CISA has since announced plans to hire more than 300 employees to rebuild its depleted workforce and address critical staffing gaps. Yet the Trump administration’s fiscal year 2027 budget proposal would eliminate nearly 900 additional positions, potentially compounding the loss of personnel and expertise at the agency responsible for leading the nation’s civilian cyber defense.

The lawmakers called on GAO to examine:

How CISA’s workforce, including its use of contractors, has changed over the past five years;
How workforce reductions have affected CISA’s programs and critical-infrastructure stakeholders;
What data CISA uses to guide workforce planning and align resources with agency priorities; and
Whether CISA’s human-capital strategy meets its current and future mission requirements.

“Little is known about the impact of these workforce reductions on CISA’s programs and services or what processes and plans the agency has in place to ensure the agency is hiring the right people to address lost skill sets and meet mission demands,” the lawmakers wrote.

Congressman Seth Magaziner (RI-02) and Congresswoman LaMonica McIver (NJ-10), members of the Homeland Security Subcommittee on Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Protection, also joined the push for an independent GAO review.

Read the full letter here.

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Northern Virginia Representatives, Democratic Leaders Open Investigation Into ICE Agents Threatening U.S. Citizen With Gun In Northern Virginia

Wed, 19 Aug 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Northern Virginia Representatives James Walkinshaw (D-VA), Don Beyer (D-VA), and Suhas Subramanyam (D-VA), along with House Oversight Committee Ranking Member Robert Garcia (D-CA), House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Jamie Raskin (D-MD), and House Homeland Security Committee Ranking Member Bennie Thompson (D-MS), today opened an investigation into an August 10 encounter in Falls Church, Virginia, during which a masked Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent pointed a gun directly at Carolina Molina, a U.S. citizen and Northern Virginia resident, without justification. The lawmakers sought answers and a full investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and review by the Department of Justice (DOJ) Civil Rights Division, and demanded that the ICE agents involved in the encounter be placed on administrative leave pending the conclusion of the investigation and review.

Video footage recorded by Carolina Molina on August 10 shows unmarked vehicles blocking her car from the front and rear before masked ICE agents approach her. One agent then draws his firearm and points it directly at Ms. Molina. The agent is then heard accusing her of “following” and “recording” the agents before subsequently accusing her of attempting to run them over and threatening her with arrest—an accusation that is not supported by the available footage, which shows no attempt by Ms. Molina to run over or otherwise endanger the agents.

In a letter addressed to Attorney General Todd Blanche, FBI Director Kash Patel, Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin, and Acting ICE Director David Venturella, and copied to DHS Inspector General Joseph Cuffari, the lawmakers condemned the dangerous and unjustified escalation captured on video and demanded answers about the ICE agents involved, including their use of force and threats against Ms. Molina for exercising her right to record federal officers. The lawmakers also condemned DHS’s subsequent dishonest statements about the incident, including its characterization of Ms. Molina as an “anti-ICE agitator” and allegation that she “attempted to harm officers by weaponizing her vehicle.”

The Members wrote:

“This footage and the incident it depicts are deeply concerning. They echo the larger pattern of dishonesty and dangerous, unjustified escalation we have unfortunately seen from DHS agents across the country, which resulted in the tragic deaths of Ruben Ray Martinez, Renee Good, Alex Pretti, Joan Sebastian Durán Guerrero, and Lorenzo Salgado Araujo.”

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“What happened to Carolina Molina cannot be dismissed as an ordinary interaction between ICE and a member of the public. We therefore request that the FBI conduct a formal investigation into this incident, and that the DOJ Civil Rights Division evaluates those findings. We also request that DHS immediately preserve all records related to this encounter – including body-worn camera footage, cellphone and vehicle footage, use of force and incident reports, and internal communications.”

Full text of the letter follows below, and a signed copy is available here.

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Dear Attorney General Blanche, Director Patel, Secretary Mullin, and Acting Director Venturella:

We write to request an immediate Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) investigation and Department of Justice (DOJ) Civil Rights Division review into the conduct of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents during an enforcement operation in the Bailey’s Crossroads neighborhood of Falls Church, Virginia, on Monday, August 10, 2026. We urge you to place the agents involved in this incident on leave until the conclusion of the investigation and review of their conduct.

Videos shared with us by Carolina Molina, a U.S. citizen and Northern Virginia resident, depict a disturbing encounter in which masked ICE agents blocked her car with their vehicles, approached her car, and pointed a firearm directly at her without any provocation or threat posed by Ms. Molina to the agents. The videos captured on Ms. Molina’s dashcam and cellphone raise serious concerns about the agents’ unjustified escalation, use of force, blatant dishonesty, and call into serious question the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) subsequent response.

Carolina Molina was visiting immigration law offices in Bailey’s Crossroads on August 10, where she volunteered her services as a licensed professional counselor to immigration clients in need of mental health assessments. After seeing ICE agents operating in the vicinity, Ms. Molina attempted to leave the area. At this point, unmarked vehicles positioned themselves in front of and behind her vehicle, effectively boxing her in. Masked ICE agents then emerged from the vehicles and approached her car. One agent had drawn his firearm and pointed it directly at Ms. Molina.

In the videos recorded by Ms. Molina, an ICE agent with his gun pointed at her shouts at her for “following” them and for “recording” them. Then the ICE agent accuses her of attempting to run the agents over and threatens her with arrest. Another agent says, “I will testify and lock you up.” The claim of a deadly threat is obviously belied by both the video footage and their decision to leave her without detaining or charging her after she told them that she had dashcam footage of the encounter.

This footage and the incident it depicts are deeply concerning. They echo the larger pattern of dishonesty and dangerous, unjustified escalation we have unfortunately seen from DHS agents across the country, which resulted in the tragic deaths of Ruben Ray Martinez, Renee Good, Alex Pretti, Joan Sebastian Durán Guerrero, and Lorenzo Salgado Araujo.

ICE’s own policies provide clear standards against which this conduct must be evaluated. Under ICE Directive 19009.3—which governs the use of force and firearms by ICE personnel—officers are strictly prohibited from the use of excessive force. The Directive explicitly states that officers are to “use force only when no reasonably effective, safe, and feasible alternative appears to exist” and may “only use the level of force that is objectively reasonable in light of the totality of facts and circumstances confronting the authorized officer at the time force is applied.” It also states that violations of the policies and procedures outlined in the Directive “may be grounds for disciplinary action or other appropriate action.”

ICE Directive 19010.3 directs ICE agents to activate their body-worn cameras to capture footage at the start of enforcement activities or as soon as safely possible thereafter. The videos published by Ms. Molina show that at least three of the agents involved were equipped with body-worn cameras. Ms. Molina herself also recalls seeing the agent who brandished his gun press a button on his body-worn camera during the encounter. Ms. Molina’s dashcam video also depicts another agent recording the interaction on a cellphone and another taking a photo of her license plate. ICE should therefore have its own contemporaneous record of this encounter. The agency should immediately preserve all body-worn camera footage, cellphone footage, and other records relating to the incident, as required by ICE Directive 19010.3.

Just as concerning as the incident itself is DHS’s response to the incident. On August 11, DHS issued an unattributed statement referring to Ms. Molina as an “anti-ICE agitator” and claiming that she “attempted to harm officers by weaponizing her vehicle against them.” DHS further stated that Ms. Molina “could face criminal prosecution.” These are serious allegations, none of which are corroborated by the video footage publicly posted by Ms. Molina. The Department’s accusation that she was “weaponizing her vehicle” is particularly concerning, as it is identical to previous claims made to justify the use of deadly force elsewhere that later collapsed after the production of video evidence, just as this one has. The similarities suggest that Department personnel are intentionally, nefariously, and systematically engaging in illegal intimidation and violence against American citizens under cover of false claims of danger.

Ms. Molina’s dashcam footage shows the lead-up to the encounter, while her cellphone video captures the confrontation after ICE agents approached and surrounded her vehicle. Neither video shows any attempt by Ms. Molina to run over or otherwise endanger the ICE agents. The footage does, however, depict the ICE agents dangerously escalating the encounter by surrounding her vehicle and confronting her with a drawn firearm. The footage also captures ICE agents using intimidation rather than lawful enforcement to control members of the public who observe, criticize, or record their activities. Whatever the agents’ views of her conduct, criticism, and recording of federal agents in public do not justify federal officers escalating that encounter or threatening a civilian with a firearm.

What happened to Carolina Molina cannot be dismissed as an ordinary interaction between ICE and a member of the public. We therefore request that the FBI conduct a formal investigation into this incident, and that the DOJ Civil Rights Division evaluates those findings. We also request that DHS immediately preserve all records related to this encounter – including body-worn camera footage, cellphone and vehicle footage, use of force and incident reports, and internal communications. We also request answers to the following questions:

For DOJ and FBI:

Please confirm when we can expect the FBI and Civil Rights Division to start an investigation.

For DHS:

Who are the ICE agents depicted in the videos recorded by Carolina Molina? Please provide the names, titles, positions, and functions of each agent involved in the encounter.
Did the ICE agents involved in the incident with Ms. Molina receive training on safely stopping and approaching vehicles? If so, what specific training did they receive, and did their actions comply with ICE policies and procedures?
Please state whether these agents have faced any disciplinary actions for violating ICE’s use of force policies, improperly displaying a firearm, or otherwise endangering Ms. Molina and members of the public. If yes, who has faced discipline and on what grounds? If no disciplinary action has been initiated, why not?
Are these agents currently authorized and deployed to conduct immigration enforcement operations in public spaces?
Has any DHS supervisor, field office, or other oversight body opened an investigation into this incident? If so, which office was designated to review the incident? What is the status of that investigation and what are they investigating?
Was a use of force report or other incident report created as a result of the agent drawing and pointing his firearm at Ms. Molina? If so, was such a report completed? Provide a copy to our offices.
Has ICE determined whether the agent who drew and pointed his firearm directly at Ms. Molina complied with Directive 19009.3? If so, please identify the specific provisions supporting that determination.
ICE should have its own record of this encounter. Please provide our offices with all complete and unedited body-worn camera footage, cellphone and vehicle footage, and any other records relating to the incident.
1. If the body-worn camera did not record the encounter, please explain why not and whether the agent complied with all applicable requirements under ICE Directive 19010.3 governing body-worn cameras.
When ICE agents menaced Ms. Molina for the “offense” of “recording us,” was this violation of her First Amendment rights consistent with their training from the Department? Given the recurring pattern of ICE and other DHS agents menacing citizens for legally and constitutionally protected activities, what corrective actions will your agencies take to prevent systematic violations of Americans’ constitutional rights from continuing?

Please provide a response no later than Monday, August 31, 2026.

Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter. We look forward to your response.

Walkinshaw Calls for Elon Musk Subpoena as GAO Report Exposes DOGE’s Fraud

Fri, 07 Aug 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Washington, D.C. – Congressman James R. Walkinshaw (VA-11), a Member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, released the following statement.

“This week’s bombshell GAO report shows that DOGE fraudulently lied to the American people. Elon Musk promised massive savings. Instead, DOGE spent nearly $16 billion paying people not to work and fired essential federal workers the Administration is now trying to hire back.

DOGE claimed hundreds of billions in savings that GAO found were flat-out false. Now we know the full truth, DOGE was a colossal failure built on fraudulent claims. It was a fraud perpetrated against the American people.

Chairman Comer created the DOGE Subcommittee to root out waste, fraud, and abuse. Much like DOGE, it has failed. Now he and Chairman Burchett have a responsibility to bring GAO before the Committee, subpoena Elon Musk, and force him to answer under oath for DOGE’s deception and waste.”

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Reps. Walkinshaw and Subramanyam Demand Answers on Interior Department Relocation from Reston

Fri, 07 Aug 2026 04:00:00 GMT

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Representatives James Walkinshaw (VA-11) and Suhas Subramanyam (VA-10) are demanding answers from the Department of the Interior (Department) regarding its plans to relocate federal employees. The Department has said it plans to relocate the Business Integration Office (BIO) from their current office in Reston, Virginia to the Department’s Washington, D.C. headquarters. This relocation would put the BIO’s ability to carry out their mission in serious jeopardy and force dedicated federal employees out of their jobs.

The Members issued the following statement:

“Relocating BIO staff will significantly undermine the agency’s ability to serve the American people. Staff will no longer be able to seamlessly collaborate with their partner contractors in Reston, and many federal employees will likely choose to resign rather than navigate a more costly and time-consuming commute and degraded working conditions. This plan is bad for our region and bad for our country.”

Rep. Subramanyam and Rep. Walkinshaw wrote to the Secretary of the Department, Douglas J. Burgum, on June 2, 2026, raising concerns about the Department’s plans to relocate 600 employees from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) out of their Reston, Virginia headquarters to the Department’s headquarters in D.C. To date, the members have not received a response.

This July, since learning that the Department notified 17 BIO employees that their jobs would be relocated out of the very same building to Washington, D.C. effective August 2026, the members have demanded that the Department answer how and why relocating these federal agencies are beneficial to the agency’s productivity and a responsible use of taxpayer dollars.

The letter can be found HERE.

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Walkinshaw, Beyer, Subramanyam Conduct Unannounced Oversight Visit at Chantilly ICE Facility

Fri, 07 Aug 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Chantilly, VA – U.S. Representatives James Walkinshaw (VA-11), Don Beyer (VA-08), and Suhas Subramanyam (VA-10) released the following statement after conducting an unannounced oversight visit yesterday evening at ICE’s temporary holding facility in Chantilly, Virginia.

"We exercised our right to direct congressional oversight over ICE facilities after hearing reports of overcrowding and lengthy stays at a facility designed for temporary processing.

At the time of our visit, we did not witness overcrowding. ICE staff asserted that they are complying with a recent court order limiting stays at temporary processing facilities like Chantilly to 12 hours.

Our oversight does not end with one visit. We will continue monitoring this facility and holding ICE accountable to ensure everyone in its custody is treated humanely and in accordance with the law.”

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Walkinshaw Joins Colleagues to Protect Federal Workers Impacted by OPM Cyberattack

Mon, 03 Aug 2026 04:00:00 GMT

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman James R. Walkinshaw (VA-11) joined Senator Mark Warner (D-VA), Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), and colleagues in introducing the Reducing the Effects of the Cyberattack on OPM Victims Enduring Response and Protecting Identifiable Information (RECOVER PII) Act, legislation to provide lifetime identity protection coverage for federal employees and contractors whose personal information was compromised in the 2015 Office of Personnel Management (OPM) cyberattacks.

The legislation would provide lifetime identity protection services for those affected and reimburse eligible federal employees and contractors for privacy software and other tools that help remove their personal information from online data brokers.

In 2015, OPM disclosed two cyberattacks that exposed the personal information of approximately 22.1 million federal employees, contractors, and others. The stolen information included Social Security numbers, addresses, financial information, security clearance files, and background investigation records. The breaches, widely attributed to actors linked to the Chinese government, continue to pose risks to both affected individuals and U.S. national security.

Congress previously approved ten years of identity protection coverage for victims of the breach, but that protection is set to expire on September 30, 2026. The RECOVER PII Act would extend those protections for life and help affected individuals safeguard their personal information against future exploitation.

Read the full bill here.

Federal Workforce Caucus Co-Chairs File Amicus Brief Defending Civil Service Protections for Federal Workers

Thu, 30 Jul 2026 04:00:00 GMT

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Congressman James R. Walkinshaw (VA-11), and Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (MD-05), co-chairs of the Federal Workforce Caucus, led 43 Members of Congress in filing an amicus brief in Jackler and Jaroch v. Department of Justice. The brief urges the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit to reverse a Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) decision that would weaken longstanding civil-service protections for immigration judges and potentially jeopardize due-process rights across the federal workforce.

The filing comes after the Federal Circuit granted an en banc hearing in the case, following an earlier amicus brief led by Senators Van Hollen, Mark Warner (D-VA), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Gary Peters (D-MI), Andy Kim (D-NJ), and Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD).

The MSPB ruled that the Attorney General has constitutional authority under Article II to remove immigration judges at will, despite protections established by Congress through the Civil Service Reform Act. The brief argues that Congress has the constitutional authority to set protections for federal employees, including notice, an opportunity to respond, and the right to appeal adverse personnel actions.

If upheld, the decision could allow agencies to argue that other federal employees deemed “inferior officers” are not entitled to traditional civil-service protections. As the Members write in their brief, “Millions of federal workers would become removable at will—the civil service merit system would functionally cease to exist.” The brief warns that the ruling could undermine the merit-based civil service, expose career public servants to arbitrary removal, and erode Congress’s constitutional authority to govern the federal workforce.

The brief was joined by Representatives Nancy Pelosi (CA-11), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC), Lloyd Doggett (TX-37), Frederica Wilson (FL-24), Dave Min (CA-47), Veronica Escobar (TX-16), Norma Torres (CA-35), Ed Case (HI-01), Sarah Elfreth (MD-03), Mike Quigley (IL-05), Stephen Lynch (MA-08), Sean Casten (IL-06), Judy Chu (CA-28), Jennifer McClellan (VA-04), Paul Tonko (NY-20), Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), Don Beyer (VA-08), Jamie Raskin (MD-08), Robert Garcia (CA-42), Lateefah Simon (CA-12), Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12), Bobby Scott (VA-03), April McClain Delaney (MD-06), Hank Johnson (GA-04), Glenn Ivey (MD-04), Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-05), Adriano Espaillat (NY-13), Kweisi Mfume (MD-07), Seth Moulton (MA-06), Steven Horsford (NV-04), Gwen Moore (WI-04), Maxine Waters (CA-43), Suhas Subramanyam (VA-10), and Jahana Hayes (CT-05), Johnny Olszewski (MD-02), Emily Randall (WA-06) as well as U.S. Senators Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Gary Peters (D-MI), and Mark Warner (D-VA).

In their brief, the Members argue that immigration judges are covered by the Civil Service Reform Act and that the President’s Article II authority does not permit the executive branch to disregard Congress’s statutory protections. They also note that the Supreme Court’s recent decision in Trump v. Slaughter, concerning removal protections for principal officers, does not control this case involving immigration judges, who are at most inferior officers.

The brief further warns that the MSPB’s reasoning has no clear limiting principle. If immigration judges can be stripped of civil-service safeguards because of the authority they exercise, countless other career federal employees could face similar challenges to their protections.

A copy of the amicus brief is available here.

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Walkinshaw, Moylan Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Safeguard Military Bases from Natural Disasters

Fri, 24 Jul 2026 04:00:00 GMT

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman James R. Walkinshaw (VA-11) and Congressman James Moylan (Guam) introduced the bipartisan Military Installation Readiness and Resilience Act of 2026 to safeguard military bases from natural hazards and ensure America’s Armed Forces remain ready to respond when called.

Over the past decade, extreme weather and natural hazards caused more than $15 billion in damage at military installations, disrupting critical missions and resources that support service members and their families. A February 2026 Government Accountability Office report found that the Department of Defense (DOD) does not fully track the costs across every type of hazard, including earthquakes. Although DOD agreed that it should collect this information, it has not yet made the necessary changes.

“America’s military must be ready for every threat, including earthquakes, wildfires, and floods that can damage bases and disrupt critical missions,” said Congressman Walkinshaw. “After more than $15 billion in damage over the past decade, the Department of Defense needs a complete picture of which installations are most vulnerable. Our bipartisan bill will help protect service members, strengthen critical infrastructure, and ensure taxpayer dollars are invested where they are needed most.”

The Military Installation Readiness and Resilience Act directs the Secretary of Defense to expand DOD’s regular data collection to include the costs and effects of all natural disasters affecting military installations.

Without complete information, DOD cannot fully determine which installations face the greatest risks or where improvements are most urgently needed. By closing this critical information gap, the legislation will help protect military infrastructure, strengthen resilience, and keep America’s Armed Forces ready to carry out their mission.

Read the full bill text here.

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Walkinshaw Amendment to Speed up Pentagon’s Adoption of Cybersecurity Tools Passes House

Fri, 24 Jul 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Washington, D.C. -- Today, Congressman James R. Walkinshaw (VA-11), who serves on the House Oversight and Government Reform and Homeland Security Committees, secured House passage of his amendment to more efficiently deploy modern cybersecurity solutions within the Department of Defense (Dod), strengthen military cyber readiness, and encourage the concept of interagency reciprocity with regard to cloud security assessments and certifications.

The amendment establishes a pilot program to help the DoD deploy modern cybersecurity tools more efficiently by accelerating review of cloud-based products that have already received FedRAMP High certification, the federal government's highest cloud security standard for handling sensitive unclassified information.

By encouraging reciprocity between FedRAMP and DoD's cloud security assessment processes, the amendment saves taxpayer resources and helps ensure America's servicemembers have faster access to proven commercial cybersecurity capabilities.

"At a time when cyber threats from our adversaries are becoming more sophisticated, the DoD must continue to improve efficiency around how it securely deploys proven cybersecurity tools," said Congressman Walkinshaw. "My amendment will help the Department speed up the process of assessing solutions that have already been vetted for federal agency use, while upholding rigorous security standards and helping ensure our servicemembers have access to the innovative capabilities they need to defend our nation."

Currently, cloud service providers seeking to serve both civilian federal agencies and the DoD must complete separate security assessment processes, even though both rely on the same underlying National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) cybersecurity standards.

Walkinshaw's amendment makes that process more efficient by helping DoD deploy trusted cybersecurity solutions faster while upholding the rigorous security standards our military and national security depend on.

The amendment was included in the House-passed FY2027 National Defense Authorization Act.

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Walkinshaw, Trahan, DeLauro, Larsen, Gillen Introduce Right to IVF Act

Thu, 23 Jul 2026 04:00:00 GMT

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Representatives James Walkinshaw (VA-11), Lori Trahan (MA-03), Rosa DeLauro (CT-01), Rick Larsen (WA-02), and Laura Gillen (NY-04) led the introduction of the Right to IVF Act of 2026. Introduced ahead of World IVF Day on July 25th, the sweeping legislative package that would make it easier to access in-vitro fertilization (IVF) and other assisted reproductive technology (ART) for the millions of hopeful parents who depend on it to build their family. This pro-family legislation would establish a nationwide right to access IVF, lower the costs of IVF treatment, expand IVF coverage for military families and require all employer-sponsored insurance programs to cover IVF.

“Deciding when and how to build a family is a deeply personal choice that belongs to families, not politicians,” said Congressman Walkinshaw, Co-Chair of the Federal Workforce Caucus. “For millions struggling with infertility, IVF offers hope and a path to parenthood. I’m especially proud the Right to IVF Act includes my legislation requiring IVF coverage through the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program, ensuring the federal government leads by example. I’m honored to join Senator Duckworth, Congresswoman Trahan, and this coalition to protect IVF nationwide and expand access for servicemembers, veterans, federal employees, and working families.”

“Like so many people in our country facing fertility challenges, my husband and I turned to IVF as our last hope to have kids. After years of appointments, injections, and setbacks, and thanks to our remarkable physicians, we have two beautiful daughters,” said Congresswoman Trahan. “No one should lose the chance to start or grow a family because of their zip code. The Right to IVF Act guarantees the right to family-creating fertility care in every state and puts it within reach for the millions of families who need it.”

“There are few experiences as hard as wanting to start a family and not being able to,” said Congresswoman DeLauro. “That is why I am fighting to ensure Americans have access to IVF treatments when they want to start one. I am proud to join my colleagues in introducing the Right to IVF Act – because building a family in the United States should never be difficult.”

“For many Americans, fertility treatments like IVF are essential to start families of their own,” said Congressman Larsen. “This comprehensive legislation will guarantee access and expand coverage for IVF and other fertility services. The legislation also includes my bill with Senator Murray, the Veteran Families Health Services Act, to ensure fertility treatments are included in servicemembers’ and veterans’ health benefits. I will keep working with my colleagues in the House and the Senate to make sure that women and men in uniform and working families do not have to sacrifice their dreams of having a family.”

“I am proud to help lead this critical bill ensuring millions of Americans can access IVF to build their families, no matter where they live,” said Congresswoman Gillen. “Families struggling to conceive go through indescribable heartbreak and stress. The last thing they should worry about is legal challenges to IVF delaying or outright halting procedures. Infertility is not a partisan issue. I will continue to work across the aisle in Congress to protect access to IVF and adjacent reproductive technologies that have helped countless individuals experience the joy of parenthood.”

After the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, fertility care has been threatened in states where sloppily written laws, including Republican abortion bans, have swept up standard medical practice. In some states, lawmakers and judges have moved to redefine legal personhood to include frozen, extrauterine embryos, turning standard IVF practice into potentially criminal activity. In 2024, IVF services were halted in Alabama after a state court ruled that embryos lost before implantation could trigger the state’s Wrongful Death of a Minor Act, effectively exposing IVF providers to wrongful death liability. Care only resumed after lawmakers rushed through an emergency fix to a mess of their own making.

The Right to IVF Act of 2026 is comprehensive, bicameral legislation that would establish an enforceable nationwide right to access and provide IVF and other fertility treatments and ensure every family can receive affordable insurance coverage of fertility care. Specifically, the bill:

Creates a statutory right for an individual to access, a provider to provide, and an insurer to cover assisted reproductive technology (ART), including IVF and intrauterine insemination (IUI), without prohibition, limitation, or interference.
Ensures coverage for ART, including IVF and IUI, for servicemembers, veterans, government employees, and people with employer-sponsored insurance, Medicaid, Medicare, and ACA plans.

“Every person deserves to build their family on their terms. For millions, including several Members of our caucus, that journey includes use of fertility care,” said Representative Diana DeGette (CO-01) and Representative Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), Co-Chairs of the Congressional Reproductive Freedom Caucus. “Across the country, extreme Republican legislators are doubling down on dangerous abortion bans, and the consequences only continue to grow. But these bans were never going to stop at abortion. The truth was put on display for all to see in Alabama: that they will not stop until they eliminate access to all reproductive health care, including birth control and IVF. The Reproductive Freedom Caucus is proud to support this critical bill and to stand with Representative Trahan in the fight to safeguard your right and access to the fertility care you need.”

A Senate companion bill was introduced by Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Patty Murray (D-WA), Cory Booker (D-NJ), and Chuck Schumer (D-NY).

“Almost two years after promising free IVF for all Americans if he were elected, Donald Trump has still failed to deliver,” said Senator Duckworth. “Trump and Republicans’ ‘support’ for IVF is nothing but lip service. They want us to have more babies, yet they’ll do nothing to actually help make it easier for the millions who struggle with infertility to start and grow their families. The Right to IVF Act would immediately make IVF treatment more affordable for millions of hopeful parents across the country. From middle class families, to our brave servicemembers and Veterans, to federal employees and more—every American deserves the right to access the treatment and tools they need to build the family of their dreams without burning through their savings. If Republicans really support IVF, then let’s get this done. No more delays.”

“Republicans are not pro-family and they won’t lift a finger to help families get IVF—the Texas Republican Party just recently made banning IVF a part of their official party platform,” said Senator Murray. “I have fought for a long time to make sure at least servicemembers and veterans , especially wounded warriors, can get the IVF care they need to build a family. But the reality is that we have a Republican Speaker of the House who believes an embryo should have the same rights as an adult woman with children who count on her. America’s pro-IVF majority should wake up to the fact that Trump could not care less about IVF—he broke that promise and he is happy to let Republicans attack IVF and all of our reproductive rights. Meanwhile, Democrats are standing with families and fighting to make sure can access and afford health care to build their families.”

“No one chooses infertility,” said Senator Booker. “It’s a medical condition that leaves too many families and individuals feeling alone long before they ever seek treatment. When people turn to IVF, they’re choosing hope. They’re choosing the chance to build the family they’ve always dreamed of. But that hope comes with a price tag that is simply out of reach for far too many. The medications, procedures, and cycles can cost tens of thousands of dollars. Families and individuals already carrying the emotional weight of infertility are then hit with financial barriers that no one should have to face trying to bring a child into this world. We have to change that. We have to remove those barriers and make IVF affordable and accessible to everyone who needs it. Because the ability to build a family should not be reserved for the wealthy or the lucky, it should be within reach for us all.”

“For millions of American families, IVF isn’t politics—it’s hope,” said Leader Schumer. “Donald Trump ran on a promise that he would make IVF free, and yet he has done nothing but attack women’s reproductive rights and undermine access to fertility care—another lie in his long list of broken promises to American families. Our Right to IVF Act is essential to putting a deeply personal health care decision back in the hands of American families. While Donald Trump and Republicans erect barriers between hopeful parents and IVF, Democrats will never stop fighting to protect access so that every family can build the future they dream of.”

The legislation introduced today was cosponsored by 119 House members and 46 Senators. A copy of the bill can be accessed HERE.

The Right to IVF Act is supported by the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM), RESOLVE: The National Infertility and Family Building Association, Center for Reproductive Rights (CRR), Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA), National Women’s Law Center (NWLC), American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) and GLBTQ Legal Advocates and Defenders (GLAD).

“The American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) welcomes the bicameral reintroduction of the Right to IVF Act, which would achieve accessible and affordable fertility care for all Americans,” said ASRM Chief Advocacy and Policy Officer Sean Tipton. “This visionary and comprehensive effort would protect patients' ability to build their families through safe, evidence-based treatments like in vitro fertilization (IVF). By safeguarding access to assisted reproductive technology (ART), preserving the physician-patient relationship, and expanding coverage for the individuals and families who need it most, this legislation reflects the standard of care that all patients deserve.”

“No one should have to wonder whether they'll be able to access the care they need to build their family,” said Danielle Melfi, CEO of RESOLVE: The National Infertility and Family Building Association. “By safeguarding the right to IVF and expanding insurance coverage for veterans, federal employees, and the individuals and families who need it most, this legislation reflects a comprehensive commitment to helping more people build the families they dream of. RESOLVE applauds Senator Duckworth and the bill's sponsors for continuing to put patients and families first.”

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