After climate-denier-for-hire Lee Zeldin was confirmed by the U.S. Senate to be the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency with the backing of all Republicans plus Arizona’s Democratic senators Mark Kelly and Ruben Gallego and John Fetterman (D-Pa.), over 1,100 EPA employees were told they would soon be fired. More than 300 career staff have already left. Musk lieutenant Gautier Cole Killian is now inside the EPA.
On Thursday, February 6, 2025 at 2:30PM ET, Senator Ed Markey (D-Mass.), climate and environmental advocates, union workers, and members of Congress will hold a rally and press conference outside the Environmental Protection Agency to demand that the Trump administration end its unlawful cut-off of funding to Environmental Protection Agency programs for clean air, clean water, and climate action that were authorized and appropriated by Congress.
Despite court orders requiring the restart of funding, Trump administration officials have failed to release money for Inflation Reduction Act and clean school bus programs as required by law—leaving communities without resources to fight dangerous pollution. While this unconstitutional funding seizure is taking place, unelected billionaire Elon Musk has taken over the federal government in order to target the EPA employees who keep our communities safe.
At this press conference, lawmakers, workers, and advocates will highlight programs still affected by illegal funding cut-offs and attacks on our democracy, as well as demand that Musk cease his baseless attacks on the EPA’s work to tackle pollution and protect public health and the environment.
Trump’s global freeze on foreign aid is an attack on millions of people around the world with HIV and people at greatest risk of acquiring HIV.
PEPFAR, the U.S. bilateral global AIDS program, has virtually stopped providing services and the ‘waiver’ announced by Marco Rubio is too little, too late.
Trump is dismantling scientific research infrastructure, shutting down USAID, eviscerating diversity in research, and attacking LGBTQ+ people. This harms us all. We cannot end AIDS without ending this coup against global health.
Supported by Housing Works, Treatment Action Group, ACT UP, and more.
On Thursday, February 6, 2025, at 10:00 a.m., in Room 1324 Longworth House Office Building, the Committee on Natural Resources, Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources will hold an oversight hearing titled “Now Ore Never: The Importance of Domestic Mining for U.S. National Security.”
Dr. Morgan Bazilian, Director, Payne Institute for Public Policy, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO
Jeremy Harrell, Chief Executive Officer, ClearPath Action, Washington, DC
Mckinsey Lyon, Vice President, External Affairs, Perpetua Resources, Donnelly, ID
Dr. Dustin Mulvaney, Professor, Environmental Studies Department, San José State University, San Jose, CA
On December 20, 2017, President
Trump issued Executive Order (EO) 13817, entitled “A Federal Strategy to Ensure Secure and
Reliable Supplies of Critical Minerals,” which directed the Department of the Interior (DOI), in
coordination with other agencies, to publish a list of minerals determined to be “critical,” also
referred to as the Critical Minerals List (CML).
On day one of his second term, President Trump further prioritized efforts to secure
mineral supply chains by releasing EO 14154, entitled “Unleashing American Energy,” which
directs federal agencies to revise and rescind agency actions that impose undue burdens on domestic mining and processing capacity and instructs the Secretary of the Interior to consider
updating the CML, including the potential for listing uranium.
The House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Administrative State, Regulatory Reform, and Antitrust will hold a hearing on Thursday, February 6, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. ET. The hearing, “California Fires and the Consequences of Overregulation,” will examine the real impacts of regulatory policy on the prevention of natural disasters, particularly in the case of California’s wildfires. This hearing will also have Republicans making the spurious claim that excessive regulation on insurance and permitting serves as a roadblock to those recovering from disaster.
Witnesses:
Steve Hilton, Founder, Golden Together
Steven Greenhut, Resident Senior Fellow and Western Region Director, State Affairs, R Street Institute
Edward Ring, Director, Water and Energy Policy, California Policy Center
House Judiciary Committee
the Administrative State, Regulatory Reform, and Antitrust Subcommittee
Each morning, a peaceful protest outside of the Office of Personnel Management headquarters at 1900 E St NW from 7:30 am to 8:30 am, with coffee and donuts.
Bring megaphones and friends and a fork or spoon. Wear a mask.
Sources say the Department of Labor is next on Musk’s takeover list. Working people deserve a strong Department of Labor, not one run by unaccountable billionaires and greedy CEOs.
The Rally to Restore Foreign Aid Now will be held on Wednesday, February 5, from 11:30-12:30 PM at the Upper Senate Park (Constitution & Delaware Ave NE) and will include speeches from members of Congress, bipartisan former government officials, and experts in the field. Members of the press will also be in attendance to cover the event. We ask participants to bring signs or posters to show their support. Members of the press, please fill out this form.
Rally Speakers
Senator Chris Van Hollen (MD)
Representative Lois Frankel (FL-22)
Major General (Ret.) Dr. Paul Friedrichs
Representative Sara Jacobs (CA-51)
Atul Gawande, Former Head of Global Health for USAID
Bama Athreya
Jeremy Konyndyk
Chris Milligan
Mission
President Trump and Congress must act now to restore vital foreign aid programs, ensuring bipartisan support to keep America safe, strong and prosperous. The pause and possible termination of foreign aid activities is detrimental to the United States and our allies, and we urge the President and Congress to prevent further harm.
About the Organizers
This rally is being organized by Friends of Foreign Aid, a grassroots effort composed of retired Senior Foreign Service members, USAID program implementer’s staff, nonprofit organizations, and other senior leaders in foreign assistance. This group came together in response to the administration’s executive order halting USAID projects, and the recent events involving the dissolution of USAID. Organizers include LeAnna Marr, Alicia Dinerstein, MaryBeth Hastings, and Isabel Rogers.
Any press or other communication can be directed to us through this form.
Resources
This is a peaceful bipartisan rally, which has a legal permit to organize, and capitol police will be on standby to address any concerns. At this time, we do not expect any counter-protesters or any sort of violence, but if you are concerned about safety, here are a couple resources to help you prepare for the rally:
Nomination of The Honorable Kelly Loeffler to be Administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration
Loeffler is a fierce critic of climate policy, attacking renewable energy and writing “the Green New Deal and Medicare for All represent insidious attacks on the unparalleled liberty that we as Americans enjoy today.”
Resolution Authorizing Expenditures by the Committee during the 119th Congress
Committee Rules
S. 68 Complete COVID Collections Act, to prohibit the suspension of collections on loans made to small businesses related to COVID-19
S. 273 Small Business Child Care Investment Act, to allow nonprofit child care providers to participate in certain loan programs of the Small Business Administration
S. 298 Returning SBA to Main Street Act, to require the Administrator of the Small Business Administration to relocate 30 percent of the employees assigned to headquarters to duty stations outside the Washington metropolitan area
S. 300 Disaster Loan Accountability and Reform Act, to improve accountability in the disaster loan program of the Small Business Administration
Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee
