Neighbor,
The month of June is here! Although time passes quickly, we are working to find meaningful solutions to problems facing you and your community.

The affordability crisis, being the center of soaring consumer prices, is impacting households across the country. The plan ahead is clear – relieve the pressure on Americans’ paychecks and restore trust in elected officials to put our country on a prosperous path forward.

I will be in D.C. for four voting weeks in June and look forward to discussing with my House colleagues a number of specific actions for us to combat these issues. The times we are living in are increasingly formidable and issues are arising every day. If there is any way my team and I could be of assistance, please let us know.

In the minority of the House, we deal with a steady set of proposed legislation which may be structured to ‘sound good’ but contains poison pills of policy that advance extreme ideology over practical governance.

I have served in the minority of three other legislative bodies, City Council, County Board of Legislators, NY State Senate – never before have I seen such a willingness of conservatives to ignore the advice and input of our conference. This has prompted a multitude of ‘NO’ votes, and results in having to explain how these bills were structured to be ideological, but carry with them ill advised policies.

The airways highlight the major stains of the moment. Here’s a quick rundown:

$1 Billion for the White House Ballroom

I oppose President Trump’s plan to build an ornate, unnecessary ballroom in the White House. The ballroom was promised to be fully funded by private donations – but now public money is being requested by the President to complete it.

Status: Bipartisan opposition and a legal challenge have stalled ballroom completion. Congress never approved this expenditure, and it must cease immediately.

Renaming the Kennedy Center to include President Trump’s name
President Trump’s appointees to the Kennedy Center Board rubber-stamped placing his name on the building. But the naming authority belongs to Congress alone. I opposed this move.
Status: A lawsuit has been adjudicated: the Judge ruled that Trump’s name must be taken off the building.

$1.8 Billion Slush Fund for Insurrectionists 
I oppose this proposal by the Trump Administration to settle a lawsuit launched when a private citizen claimed he was wrongly prosecuted for political purposes. This fund could be used for January 6 insurrectionists pardoned by Trump. However, James Comey and Tish James, truly prosecuted by Trump’s DOJ, would not be eligible. Another piece of legislation I oppose.
Status: Bi-Partisan opposition has grown against this and I co-sponsored H.R. 8914, No Taxpayer-Funded Settlement Slush Funds Act of 2026. This legislation was introduced by Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) and aims to outlaw collusive settlements and partisan handouts of taxpayer dollars.

This week’s edition of Bad Bills:

You should read what the majority is advancing – I’m voting NO or have voted NO on all of them.

H.R.1329 – Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum Act
A good idea, I sponsored the original bill. But this is amended to give President Trump the power to determine who is honored in the museum and who isn’t. I voted NO on the amended version. It failed 216-214 with bi-partisan opposition.

H.R. 2616 – Stopping Indoctrination and Protecting Kids Act 
Censuring discretion of gender topics in books and other venues. I voted NO – and it passed on a party line vote 217 – 198.

H.R. 6047 – Sharri Briley and Eric Edmundson Veterans Benefits Expansion Act of 2026
Doing a good thing – more aid to disabled veterans by increasing fees for veterans seeking home loan refinancing assistance. There’s a better way to do this, and this isn’t it. This passed on party lines 216-201. I voted NO.

H.R. 1041 – Veterans 2nd Amendment Protection Act 
Background checks are a small price to pay to ensure those who buy guns are free of mental and emotional crisis. This prevents the VA from reporting certain information about an individual to the Department of Justice (DOJ) for use in the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) – a system used by licensed firearms dealers to determine whether a person can legally purchase a firearm. Passed 216-201 along party lines. I voted NO.

Memorial Day festivities have been held, and I participated in events around the district in White Plains, Yonkers, Rye City, Port Chester, New Rochelle, Mamaroneck, Co-Op City, and Greenburgh. I enjoyed being able to see so many members of the service and their family members at these events and being able to thank them for their sacrifice to our country. I am proud to represent such brave men and women and will continue to support our service members to the fullest extent possible.

As the month draws to a close, we enter graduation season, a momentous period for students across Westchester and the Bronx. Commencement ceremonies mark the transition of a new generation of leaders, and I look forward to seeing what the bright individuals from our community do in the future. Congratulations to all graduates on this remarkable achievement!

Watch some of my recent House of Representatives floor speeches:

SURVEY

According to public disclosures that Donald Trump has filed with the U.S. Office of Government Ethics, Trump made over 3,700 trades in the first quarter of 2026. Trump has allegedly made millions of dollars through these stock trades, often from corporations that he has publicly supported like Meta, Oracle, and Nvidia.

In Congress, I’m fighting for accountability and to make sure your taxpayer dollars are used to make your life better and more affordable, not to make the rich even richer. I fully support a ban of stock trading by Members of Congress and senior administration officials. We cannot tolerate insider trading.

Last week, I joined Rivertown’s police chiefs to address rising antisemitic attacks and the increasing use of hate symbols and speech locally, statewide, and nationally. The event was organized by Hastings-On-Hudson Mayor Tom Drake and included thoughtful presentations by Steve Goldberg of the Holocaust and Human Rights Education Center and Andrew Grascia, Chief Criminal Investigator for the Westchester County DA. I am eager to work with these partners to ensure we foster a community of acceptance, regardless of religion.

I was able to sit down with Mimi Geerges on CSPAN’s Washington Journal to discuss the state of our foreign affairs and congressional news of the week.

Watch the full clip here:

Rep. George Latimer on the Iran War and Congressional News of the Week

In case you missed it, my office sends text messages to residents in the 16th District. We hope this is another way to keep you informed of what I am working on in DC and at home. If you would like to join our texting list, you can sign up here: https://latimer.house.gov/services/subscribe-texting

Make sure to follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Bluesky, Twitter/X and YouTube to stay up-to-date on what I am working on. If this newsletter was sent to you by someone else, you can sign up for it here: https://latimer.house.gov/contact/newsletter-subscribe

As always, reach out to my offices with concerns or questions. We are here to serve you!

Sincerely,

Rep. George Latimer

Member of Congress