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Picture a bride walking down the aisle in ancient Rome, holding a bunch of garlic and dill. Not exactly the Pinterest-ready scene we expect today. Yet that pungent bundle is the great-great-grandparent of the bouquet you see at nearly every American wedding in 2026. The story of how we got from kitchen herbs to garden roses is really a story about fear, hope, status and changing taste.

Why brides first carried herbs, not flowers

In ancient Greece and Rome, a wedding was considered a risky moment. People believed evil spirits were drawn to happy couples, and a bride was thought especially vulnerable. So she carried protection. Garlic and strong-smelling herbs such as dill, sage and chives were bundled together to keep malicious forces away and, ideally, to bring fertility and good fortune.

There was a practical side too. Hygiene in the ancient world was what it was, and aromatic plants helped mask unpleasant smells. I find it oddly touching that the first bridal “bouquet” was part talisman, part air freshener.

Herbs also carried meaning:

• Rosemary stood for remembrance and fidelity.
• Thyme signified courage.
• Ivy, popular in Greece, symbolized an unbreakable bond.
• Myrtle, sacred to Aphrodite and Venus, represented love and marriage.

Brides often wore herbal wreaths on their heads as well, and those crowns slowly shaped the idea that a bride should be wrapped in plants.

Medieval posies, orange blossoms and the origin of the toss

By the Middle Ages, herbs were still central, but sweet-smelling flowers began to join them. Orange blossoms arrived in Europe through trade with the Middle East and quickly became a symbol of purity and fertility. They had a long run as the “official” bridal flower.

The bouquet toss has a less romantic origin. In 14th-century England, guests reportedly believed a piece of the bride’s clothing brought good luck, and some got so eager that they tore at her dress. To escape, brides began throwing their bouquets into the crowd instead. The flowers became a decoy, and the custom stuck. Whoever caught them was said to be next in line to marry.

The Victorian era: when flowers learned to talk

The 19th century changed everything. Queen Victoria married Prince Albert in 1840 wearing a wreath of orange blossoms, and her very public wedding turned floral details into fashion news. A sprig of myrtle from a nosegay given to Victoria in the 1840s was planted at Osborne House, and cuttings from that plant have appeared in royal bridal bouquets ever since.

This was also the golden age of floriography, the “language of flowers.” Small, tightly packed bouquets known as nosegays or tussie-mussies were assembled so that each bloom sent a message. A red rose meant passion, ivy meant fidelity, and lily of the valley meant a return to happiness. A bride’s bouquet could read like a coded love letter, and guests who knew the vocabulary could read it.

Roses gained ground in this period, too. Breeders were producing new hybrids, including the first hybrid tea, ‘La France’, introduced in 1867. Roses became more reliable, more varied and easier to grow, which paved the way for their dominance in the next century.

The twentieth century: from shower bouquets to cascades

Bouquet styles started to follow the decades almost like hemlines did.

• 1920s–30s: Long, trailing “shower” bouquets and arm sheaves of calla lilies suited the sleek lines of Art Deco gowns.
• 1950s: Smaller and more formal. Grace Kelly’s 1956 bouquet, a lily of the valley arrangement carried with a prayer book, was widely admired and copied.
• 1960s–70s: Daisies, baby’s breath and loose wildflowers reflected a more relaxed, countercultural mood.
• 1980s: Drama returned. Princess Diana’s 1981 cascade of gardenias, roses, orchids and myrtle set the tone for oversized, sculptural bouquets.
• 1990s–2000s: Tight, round, hand-tied bundles, often all roses or peonies, became the American default.

Cut-flower logistics mattered here, too. Refrigerated shipping and global flower farming meant roses were available year-round at a fair price. That is a big reason the rose became the “classic” choice. It was not always the oldest tradition, just the most dependable one.

What bouquets look like in 2026

The pendulum has swung back toward the garden. Many couples now favor loose, asymmetrical arrangements with seasonal stems, fragrant herbs and trailing greenery. If that sounds a bit like ancient Greece, it is. Rosemary, mint, eucalyptus and thyme are popping up in bouquets again, now for texture and scent rather than demon-repelling.

Several trends stand out:

• Heirloom garden roses with ruffled petals and real fragrance, rather than tight, scentless supermarket blooms.
• Locally grown flowers from regional farms, which cut transport and fit the season.
• Dried and preserved elements, which help the bouquet last as a keepsake.
• Personal symbolism, such as a sprig from a grandmother’s garden or a flower tied to a hometown.

One thing I have noticed is that couples increasingly ask what a flower means before they ask what it costs. The Victorians would approve.

What the long history tells us

The wedding bouquet has always reflected what people feared, valued and could get their hands on. Garlic guarded the bride, orange blossoms promised fertility, myrtle spoke of love, and the rose rose to fame when growers and shipping networks made it possible. Underneath all of it is the same instinct: to hold something living at a moment that matters.

If you are planning a wedding, or just curious, try tracing the meaning of a single flower, such as rosemary, ivy or the humble rose. Each one has a surprisingly rich backstory, and choosing a bouquet with that story in mind can make it feel far more personal than any trend.

• Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy may have nine kids, but the self-described “fertility president” tying transit funding to birth rates is not going to help families that fled cities for car-centric suburbs — nor will it help struggling parents who can barely afford a metro card, let alone a car. (Vox)
• Another of the Trump administration’s priorities is to spend billions of dollars completing an interstate highway system that was actually finished in 1992. (Transportation for America)
• FedEx is spending $300 million on 2,000 electric delivery trucks, but could save almost three times that much on diesel fuel. (Electrek)
• In the face of fiscal uncertainty, too often cities make short-sighted cuts, like deferring maintenance on transportation infrastructure, that lead to long-term problems. (Governing)
• New Trump administration press secretary Katie Zacharia was cited multiple times in Los Angeles for distracted driving. (L.A. Material; registration required)
• Climate change is causing a Southern California coastal Amtrak line to collapse into the Pacific Ocean, and it could cost $5 billion to fix. (Los Angeles Times)
• Austin’s main street, Congress Avenue, is getting a major bike- and pedestrian-friendly makeover. (My San Antonio)
• The Detroit city council is urging the Michigan DOT to prioritize safety on Gratiot Avenue, a major six-lane thoroughfare. (Bridge Detroit)
• MARTA was expected to roll out new train cars before the World Cup came to Atlanta, but they still haven’t arrived. (Fox 5)
• A Salt Lake City business owner who almost ran over a cyclist is now on a crusade to get rid of a new bike lane. (KSL)
• Mass Transit explains how a small New Mexico transit system is shooting for zero emissions.
• Uber is testing robotaxis in Manchester, England. (The Guardian)
• A new European initiative will help up to five cities tackle transportation inequality. (Cities Today)
• Police are arresting Toronto demonstrators trying to stop the Ontario government from ripping up bike lanes. (CTV News)

What good is a “walkable” city if average people can’t afford to live in it?

That’s just one of the questions asked by this provocative new video from Safe By Design, which argues that even the urbanist darlings of Europe can fall short of their potential when “design, governance, and affordability failures” get involved.

And while livable streets policy itself isn’t responsible for, say, the wave of tourists overwhelming Barcelona or collapsing pedestrian walkways in Naples, it is an interesting reminder that the conversation about building great places can’t stop at the edge of the sidewalk.

Watch this video YouTube.

Ultra-processed food affects metabolism and brain activity, even with the same nutrients Anthony Lacey October 16, 2026

It’s not just poor nutrition that links ultra-processed food to health harms, a new study finds. 

The body’s response is also determined by the amount of processing the food has gone through, which changes the way we get energy from food.

Researchers at Virginia Tech gave 32 study participants two different meals three days apart. The meals had the same amount of calories and nutrients, but one was ultra-processed and the other wasn’t. 

Participants had a greater insulin response after eating the ultra-processed meal, meaning their bodies were working harder to regulate their blood sugar. Their brain activity also changed when they looked at pictures of ultra-processed foods, or UPF.

How the study measured UPF metabolism

In the study, published recently in Nature Metabolism, the researchers wanted to find out whether a meal of ultra-processed food would be metabolized, or used for energy, differently than a meal of minimally processed food.

The researchers designed two 300-calorie meals whose nutrition matched: They were nearly identical in calories, carbs, fat, fiber, protein, sodium and water content.

The ultra-processed meal included portions of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, deli turkey, veggie chips, instant mashed potatoes, cereal and a cookie. These foods are not always ultra-processed, but the brands used in this study were.

The minimally processed meal was made from banana, dried cranberries, cheese and egg.

Participants ate the meals three days apart. Before and after each meal, they entered a metabolic chamber – an airtight room that measures calories burned based on the amount of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the chamber.

Researchers found that the ultra-processed meals led to higher insulin, the hormone that regulates blood sugar, and lower use of carbohydrates for energy.

How the study measured brain activity

The study also assessed whether the two meals would activate the brain in different ways.

Researchers later showed participants pictures of ultra-processed and minimally processed foods while they received a specialized brain scan called a functional MRI. Some of the food pictured was the same food used in the study’s meals.

One key finding: Ultra-processed food caused different responses in the area of the brain related to motivation and reward.

That might mean that, in addition to variations in how our bodies use food for energy, the ways the brain thinks about and values food fluctuates depending on how processed it is.

Science is showing that food processing can affect health

Some researchers say nutrition, not processing, makes ultra-processed food harmful to health. It’s true that ultra-processed foods are often high in added sugar and saturated fat, and low in beneficial nutrients like fiber and protein.

But this isn’t the first study to show that processing plays a role. In 2019, the first randomized controlled trial showed that an ultra-processed diet led to greater calorie intake and weight gain than a minimally processed diet – even when they had the same nutritional profile.

What’s more, many researchers who have critiqued the main classification system for ultra-processed food have received food industry funding.

What you can do 

It’s not practical for most people to avoid all ultra-processed food – they’re widely available, affordable and appealing for consumers. Research has even shown that food companies took tips from the tobacco industry to create products with maximum pleasure and appeal.

The federal government has failed to regulate ultra-processed food. States like California are taking the lead, recently enacting a law establishing a “non-ultra-processed” label for foods sold in California stores.

Until change comes to your state, you can use EWG’s Food Scores, which rates more than 150,000 products on nutrition, ingredients and processing and flags UPF for you. 

Shoppers on the go can also use EWG’s Healthy Living app to find non-UPF options at the grocery store.

Areas of Focus Ultra-Processed Foods Family Health Authors Sarah Reinhardt, MPH, RDN October 16, 2026

Fossil fuel interests spent $1.2 million on Meta ads in the last three months, a wall of money the renewables industry met with near silence.

The post Anti-renewables groups still spending big on Meta – and met with near silence by green energy industry appeared first on Renew Economy.

We have had an eventful first few weeks of fall! Thank you to everyone who came to our Candidate Forums. A combined 200 people were educated at these forums and helped make them a big success. Thank you to our co-sponsors, to the great moderators from the Portland Mercury, and to the candidates. In case you missed out, you can now watch the Forums on our Youtube, thanks to KBOO Locus Focus host Barbara Bernstein!

Click here to watch District 3 Forum Click here to watch District 4 Forum Photo Credit: Dana Schot

Ballots have now been sent out to voters and there are only 20 days until Election Day. If you want to fill out your ballot together with others in the 350PDX community, join us at a Ballot Filling Party on Tuesday, October 27 at 6:00pm at our Climate Justice Workshop (3639 N Mississippi Ave). This will be a casual space to be with others where you can hang out while you individually fill out your ballot, ask questions about ranked choice voting, and view our Voter Guide. There will be pizza! Please RSVP to Dineen so we get enough food: dineen@350pdx.org.

——————————————————————————————————————————- Welcome Amanda!

Last month, 350PDX welcomed Amanda Conroy to the team as our new Director of Development! For close to two decades, Amanda has led development and marketing efforts for mission-driven organizations across California and Oregon. A passionate nonprofit leader, she specializes in relationship-based fundraising, strategic communications, and building organizational cultures rooted in philanthropy and community impact. Read more about Amanda here.

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Energy Justice Team: Celebrate CEI Hub Policy Wins!

Thanks to great collaboration among community-based organizations, Bureau of Planning and Sustainability staff, and the leadership of Councilors Green, Pirtle-Guiney, Kanal, Koyama Lane, and Clark, Portland City Council is set to pass a Critical Energy Infrastructure (CEI) Hub Policy with many of the amendments our community coalition suggested! We’re ensuring the CEI hub is safer and less risky in the future than it is currently, and we also started a plan for drawing down the amount of fuel stored at the hub. There will be one more vote on the final draft of this policy on or around Nov. 5, incorporating approved amendments. We want to see this whole package passed as amended with no changes — feel free to let your councilors know this!

This CEI Hub Policy is stronger because you participated — through public comments, rallies, phone calls and emails to councilors, questions at town halls, and much more this year — and for the last decade! THANK YOU! This policy instructs staff to return to City Council next September with a modified drawdown plan based on the companies’ data about tank fill levels, so we’ll keep working on this in 2027, and beyond, until this area is safer.

Speak Up to Support Healthier Buildings for a Healthier Climate!

Portland is taking a major step toward decreasing building emissions and increasing regional climate resilience through a new policy: Climate and Health Standards for Existing Buildings. Buildings account for nearly half of Portland’s greenhouse gas emissions, and this policy would address the largest of these (>20,000 square feet) to create healthier homes, lower emissions, and provide greater transparency and protections for renters. This is big!

October 20 at 2:00 pm there’s a public hearing in the Housing & Permitting Committee, and community voices matter. Show your support through testimony!

• Modify and send this email to City Council

• Use this toolkit to draft a written or verbal public comment

Support No Immunity for Big Oil

We’ve been involved in various strategies at the local, state, and national levels to hold Big Oil companies accountable.

In September, a No Immunity for Big Oil resolution passed the Portland City Life Committee! It will likely come to the full City Council this month. This resolution states that it’s vitally important to continue to have the right to take Big Oil to court, and support legislation such as the Make Polluters Pay coalition’s climate superfund bill.

Now, federal lawmakers and the American Petroleum Institute are trying to give polluters immunity from accountability. Our Members of Congress have the opportunity to stand against this by indicating their opposition to these immunity bills, and a resolution in Portland gives them extra backing.

 You can help by: 

• Urging your US Senator and Representatives to give No Immunity to Big Oil (Sen. Merkley and Reps. Bonamici and Dexter have already made statements in opposition to such immunity bills)

• Encouraging City Council to pass the No Immunity for Big Oil resolution

Fight for the Right to Breathe

On October 29, a Right to Breathe policy will have its first hearing in the Community & Public Safety Committee. This will prohibit the use of chemical weapons (such as tear gas) in Portland. You may recall the Action Night we had in February about the environmental and public health concerns around tear gas and other chemical weapons (where we premiered this incredible and informative short film, “Gas Me, Teddy”), and this has been an ongoing issue 350PDX has worked on since we signed onto a lawsuit in 2020. In addition to concerns around rights of free speech and assembly, chemical weapons pose health problems for our rivers, trees, and wildlife. Check out our Take Action page for this and other current actions you can take today, and read more about this policy and the overall concerns around chemical weapons here.

Reach out to dineen@350pdx.org and cherice@350pdx.org to get plugged into the Energy Justice Team. We work on everything from fighting data centers, Zenith, and the CEI Hub to advocating for PCEF and transportation justice!

 Forest Defense Team:

This week the Forest Defense Team joined forces with organizations and community members from across Portland to say NO to PGE logging of Forest Park’s ancient trees. On Wednesday, we attended a rally at City Hall and hosted a watch party at the 350PDX workshop!

Last year, Portland City Council voted unanimously to deny PGE’s permit to log five acres of Forest Park. Now, PGE and the City of Portland reached a backroom agreement to allow PGE to seek a new permit. We need another unanimous vote opposing this permit from City Council!

The Forest Defense Team meets on the first and third Monday of each month, alternating between virtual and in-person meetings. Our next meeting will be on October 19 from 6 – 7:30 PM. Reach out to tyler@350PDX.org for details.

Art Team:

Are you attending No Kings this Saturday? Make sure to stop by and say hi to our puppeteers this weekend as they bring joyful activism to the Vote Early Rally downtown. Interested in becoming a last minute Puppeteer? Email: arts@350pdx.org.

Last month, the Art Team hosted the Forest over Profits conference for a combined Art Build! We also screen printed small flags that were used by the Energy Justice Team at City Council to fight for better CEI Hub regulation, saying, “Rose City wants our river back!”

In an exciting update, our team leads have introduced monthly planning meetings in addition to our regular art builds. These meetings are an opportunity to meet the team in a more relaxed setting and a chance to help us brainstorm our plans for the next art build. The planning meetings will be on the last Wednesday of every month while our regularly scheduled art builds will continue as usual on the second Sunday.

• Next Planning Meeting: Wednesday, October 28, 6-7:30 PM
• Next Art Build: November 8, 1-4 PM

Meetings are held in the 350PDX workshop (3639 N Mississippi Ave). RSVP to arts@350pdx.org.

Book Club:

The 350PDX Book Club meets every month on the first Wednesday of the month at 6:30PM. Every other month is in person and the others are virtual. Reach out to books@350PDX.org with any questions or to join our list, and please RSVP so we can inform you of any meeting changes.

We are in the process of deciding our next few books! Email Kami and Lizy at books@350PDX.org to recommend a read (all genres welcome) or to sign up to vote.

Save the date for our upcoming discussions:

• TBD November meeting

• Wednesday, December 2 at 6:30 PM (in person; fiction) — book to be selected in October

• Wednesday, February 3 at 6:30 PM (in person; nonfiction)

Milwaukie Advocates for Climate Justice:

The Milwaukie Neighborhood Team has two events this month. We hope folks will join us and help spread the word!

Last Saturday, October 10, we hosted our kick-off potluck event with a featured presentation and guided conversation on how to reduce fossil fuels facilitated by our friends on the SW Neighborhood Team. We enjoyed connecting with people in Milwaukie who are interested in learning more about climate justice and getting involved, and those who are already passionately engaged!

Next Monday, October 19, we will be hosting a PGE Rate Increase workshop with Citizens Utility Board from 6:00-8:00PM. This workshop will take place at the Ledding Library Community Room (10660 SE 21st Ave, Milwaukie) directly after our abbreviated monthly meeting from 5:30-6:00 PM.

The MAC team meets monthly on the 3rd Monday from 5:30 – 6:30 PM at Milwaukie City Hall — all are welcome! To get connected, sign up here or email MAC@350pdx.org.

Washington County Team:

The Washington County Team invites all to our next monthly online meeting at 6:30 PM on Tuesday October 13. We are currently working on getting out the vote and defending democracy, and look forward to catching up with each other online.

We always welcome newcomers to our events and to our (mostly) monthly online meetings (6:30 PM on the second Tuesday of the month). For the link, join us here or contact us at 350washco@gmail.com.

Southwest Neighborhood Team:

The 350PDX Southwest Neighborhood Team includes neighborhoods on the south and west sides of Portland. We work together to raise awareness of the climate emergency.

Our street corner demonstrations continue weekly in October every Friday from 4:00 – 5:00 PM at SW Terwilliger & SW Taylor’s Ferry. Some parking is available in the Chez Jose and Anytime Fitness lot, or reach us via bus or bike.

Our monthly meetings happen on the third Monday of the month. To get involved, please contact Pat Kaczmarek at patk5@msn.com.

Before closing our newsletter, a few reminders:

• Check out our Take Action page, which we update regularly. It includes actions that may not be in our newsletter.
• Join the 350PDX community Slack channel! This is a great way to stay connected on an ongoing basis. Contact to info@350pdx.org and we can add you.
• 350PDX is still searching for a wonderful, new home. Please reach out to info@350PDX.org if you have ideas for a space where we can have meetings, our arts team can create show-stopping puppets, and more!

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Thank you for reading our monthly newsletter. We hope to see you soon!

With gratitude,

Amanda, Cherice, Dineen, Jessica, Maeve, and Noelle

The post 2026 October Newsletter! appeared first on 350PDX: Climate Justice.

Australian Renewable Energy Agency says the country can still become a major solar PV manufacturer, says deal with new supplier in the pipeline.

The post Australia can still become a giga-scale solar manufacturer, says Arena, as it flags new local PV maker appeared first on Renew Economy.

Birmingham, Mich. (Oct. 15, 2026) — Don Burlett of Oakland Bird Alliance, an Audubon affiliated chapter in Oakland County Michigan, was presented with Audubon Great Lakes’ 2026 Alan Dolan Great...

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Caltrans will have to measure its highway projects against regional climate goals, and the state’s metropolitan planning agencies will update those plans every eight years instead of four, under a bill Gov. Gavin Newsom signed last month.

Senate Bill 1087, authored by Sen. Christopher Cabaldon (D-West Sacramento), updates the Sustainable Communities and Climate Protection Act of 2008, better known as SB 375. The new law requires each region to plan housing, transportation and land use together to cut greenhouse gas emissions from cars and light trucks. It also extends the law’s emissions targets through 2045 and changes the conditions some regions must meet to receive state transportation funds. The bill passed the Senate 31 to 9. Supporters, including regional planning agencies and environmental groups, say it will shift the focus from planning to building projects.

Senate Bill 1087, authored by Sen. Christopher Cabaldon (D-West Sacramento), updates the Sustainable Communities and Climate Protection Act of 2008, better known as SB 375. The new law streamlines regional planning requirements, extends greenhouse gas reduction targets through 2045, and strengthens the connection between state transportation funding and regional climate plans.

The legislation was sponsored by a coalition of regional planning agencies and environmental groups, with support from more than 80 organizations, according to the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, the regional planning agency for the nine-county Bay Area.

“We’re proud to have supported SB 1087. SB 375 established the idea that California needs to plan for housing, transportation, and land conservation together to meet its climate goals. Nearly 20 years later, SB 1087 starts to move that framework beyond planning by pushing the state to align its transportation investments with regional plans and putting more focus on getting the right projects built,” said Lesley Beatty of Climate Plan, a sponsor of the bill.

That shift from planning to implementation is central to the new law.

…more of this. Lead image: Caltrans. This image: City of Los Angeles From regional plans to projects

SB 375 requires California’s metropolitan planning organizations to develop Sustainable Communities Strategies as part of their regional transportation plans. These strategies coordinate land use, housing and transportation investments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from cars and light trucks.

Under SB 1087, metropolitan planning organizations will prepare their strategies every eight years instead of every four, with a progress report after four years. The change is intended to reduce duplicative work and administrative costs while maintaining accountability for progress toward emissions-reduction goals.

The legislation also extends the framework’s greenhouse gas reduction targets through 2045, bringing regional planning into closer alignment with the state’s long-term climate goals. It increases transparency around the California Air Resources Board’s process for setting emissions-reduction targets and reviewing regional strategies.

The Southern California Association of Governments, which develops regional transportation and land-use plans for six counties, said the changes will give regional agencies and local governments more flexibility and certainty while helping them focus on implementation.

“SB 1087 refocuses the sustainable communities strategy on its core purpose to align housing, transportation, and climate,” said SCAG Executive Director Kome Ajise. “We believe these reforms will give regional agencies and local governments more certainty, flexibility, and tools to turn planning into real action.”

For Southern California, the changes could free up resources to advance projects included in its regional plan, Connect SoCal. The law does not guarantee funding for any particular project, but it changes how regional plans are developed and connected to implementation.

Opposition from Business Groups

The Orange County Business Council (OCBC) was one of the leading groups opposed to the legislation. In a statement released while the legislation was moving through committee, the group said it supported modernizing SB 375 but objected to CARB’s expanded role in reviewing regional strategies, warning that the changes could limit regional flexibility and raise concerns about regulatory transparency and stakeholder participation.

While debates over regional autonomy and state oversight are legitimate, SB 1087 does not give CARB control over local zoning or housing approvals. Instead, it strengthens coordination between regional climate plans and state transportation investments while reducing the administrative burden of planning. That balance is central to the law’s effort to turn California’s climate goals into real-world results.

Caltrans must better align with regional goals

One of SB 1087’s biggest changes is that it makes it easier for California to ensure state transportation spending supports regional climate goals.

The law requires Caltrans to consider measures of success that help advance the goals of the California Transportation Plan. It also changes the rules for some state transportation funding programs to better connect which projects get money with the goals in regional plans.

The changes are especially important in regions whose plans fall short of state greenhouse gas reduction targets. In those areas, projects seeking money through programs such as the Solutions for Congested Corridors Program and the Trade Corridor Enhancement Program must meet additional requirements tied to reducing emissions or addressing barriers to meeting regional targets.

The goal is to reduce the chances that state money goes to transportation projects that undermine regional climate plans, while still allowing projects that meet the law’s requirements to move forward.

The law does not prohibit highway projects outright. Its impact will depend on how state agencies apply the new requirements and select future transportation investments. But it creates a stronger statutory link between regional climate goals and decisions about which projects receive state support.

“For the first time, SB 1087 also requires Caltrans to better align state planning with regional goals—which should yield fewer highway boondoggles and more safe streets on which people of all ages and abilities can travel,” said Zak Accuardi of the Natural Resources Defense Council, another sponsor of the legislation.

On World Food Day, African chefs unite to reclaim the continent’s culinary heritage, champion agroecology and put African food at the centre of Africa’s future.

On World Food Day 2026, the Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa (AFSA) calls on African citizens, governments, chefs, farmers, young people and food system actors to reclaim Africa’s rich food heritage and place healthy, culturally appropriate and ecologically produced food at the heart of the continent’s future. Under its Pan-African campaign, My Food Is African, AFSA is advancing a powerful message: Africa’s food is a source of identity, dignity, health and sovereignty, and its future must be shaped by the people who grow, prepare and consume it.

Across Africa, traditional food systems that have sustained communities for generations are increasingly threatened by industrial agriculture, the expansion of ultra-processed foods and changing dietary habits that undermine indigenous knowledge and local food cultures. Traditional African foods, despite their extraordinary diversity and cultural significance, are too often portrayed as inferior, outdated or incompatible with modern lifestyles. Meanwhile, the smallholder farmers, women, seed custodians and traditional food producers who sustain Africa’s food systems remain insufficiently recognised and supported.

For AFSA, reversing this trend requires a fundamental shift in how African societies understand and value food. My Food Is African is a call to reclaim our food, our health, our culture and our power. It challenges the notion that progress must come at the expense of African food traditions and asserts that the continent’s food future lies in embracing its rich culinary diversity, strengthening agroecological production and restoring the connection between people, land and food.

African Chefs Take the Lead in Reclaiming Our Food

This year’s World Food Day carries particular significance as African chefs across the continent come together to translate this vision into action. From 12 to 16 October 2026, the My Food Is African Chefs Network is leading the first continental MyFIA Chefs Week, celebrating indigenous ingredients, traditional recipes, African food knowledge and the farmers and communities who keep these traditions alive.

The initiative builds on the historic First African Chefs’ Gathering and Policy Convening on African Food Systems, organised by AFSA in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in July 2025. Bringing together participants from 23 African countries, the gathering adopted the Declaration of African Chefs, affirming a collective commitment to elevate African cuisine, defend indigenous food systems and strengthen the role of chefs in advancing food sovereignty.

That commitment is now taking shape through a growing continental movement of chefs who recognise that their responsibility extends beyond preparing and serving food. African chefs are educators, cultural ambassadors, storytellers and advocates who can reconnect consumers with the origins of their food, celebrate forgotten ingredients, preserve ancestral recipes and promote food grown through agroecological practices.

Throughout Chefs Week, participating chefs are sharing stories from their kitchens, farms and local markets, highlighting the relationship between indigenous seeds, healthy soils, traditional food preparation and African culinary identity. The week culminates in an online gathering on 16 October, bringing together chefs, farmers, seed custodians, journalists and other food system actors to celebrate their collective efforts, discuss the future of African cuisine and consider the adoption of the MyFIA Chefs Network Charter.

The significance of this initiative goes beyond culinary celebration. It represents a growing recognition that the transformation of Africa’s food systems must also take place in our kitchens, restaurants, schools and everyday food choices. By bringing traditional African foods into contemporary culinary spaces, chefs can help challenge perceptions that equate imported and industrially processed foods with modernity, while demonstrating that African culinary heritage offers opportunities for creativity, innovation, livelihoods and entrepreneurship.

Healthy Food Begins with Healthy Soil

At the heart of the My Food Is African campaign is a principle that AFSA considers fundamental to Africa’s food future: what we eat cannot be separated from how our food is produced.

African food is deeply connected to the land, the seeds and the ecological knowledge that have sustained generations of farming communities. Its value cannot be measured by taste and cultural significance alone. It must also be understood through the health of the soil, the diversity of crops, the integrity of production systems and the well-being of the people who produce it.

AFSA therefore calls for a transition towards agroecological food systems that restore soil fertility, protect biodiversity, safeguard farmer-managed seed systems and strengthen resilience to climate change.

The campaign also draws attention to the growing public health concerns associated with unhealthy dietary transitions and the increasing consumption of ultra-processed foods. Reviving diverse African diets, including indigenous grains, legumes, vegetables, fruits and traditionally prepared foods, is an important part of promoting healthier food environments and protecting the continent’s nutritional heritage.

Healthy soil, healthy seeds, healthy food and healthy people are inseparable. Protecting African food therefore means protecting the ecological and cultural systems that make it possible.

Innovate Today, Nourish Tomorrow: Africa’s Knowledge Must Shape the Future

As the international community commemorates World Food Day under the 2026 theme, “Innovate today. Nourish tomorrow,” AFSA emphasises that meaningful innovation must recognise and build upon the knowledge, practices and resources that African communities have developed over generations. The global theme highlights the importance of combining forward-looking solutions with traditional knowledge and inclusive approaches to ensure nutritious food for all while protecting the planet.

For Africa, innovation must begin by recognising the enormous potential already present in its food systems. Indigenous crops, farmer-managed seeds, traditional food preservation methods, agroecological farming practices and culinary knowledge offer opportunities to improve nutrition, strengthen local economies and respond to environmental challenges. These resources must be protected, developed and passed on to future generations.

AFSA believes that African chefs, particularly young culinary professionals and women food entrepreneurs, have an important role in this transformation. By combining traditional ingredients with contemporary culinary creativity, strengthening relationships with local farmers and bringing African cuisine into new markets, they can help create livelihoods while preserving the integrity and identity of African food.

But innovation must also extend beyond the kitchen. It requires supportive public policies, investment in agroecological enterprises, stronger territorial markets, greater recognition of women’s contributions and education systems that teach African children the value of their own food heritage.

A Call to Reclaim Africa’s Food Future

On this World Food Day, AFSA calls upon African governments and institutions to recognise food sovereignty as a foundation of sustainable development. This requires policies that protect farmer-managed seed systems, support smallholder food producers, promote agroecology and integrate indigenous African foods into national nutrition strategies, school curricula and public food procurement programmes.

AFSA also calls upon chefs, restaurants, culinary institutions and food entrepreneurs to become active champions of African food sovereignty by celebrating indigenous ingredients, sourcing from local agroecological producers, preserving traditional recipes and introducing younger generations to the extraordinary diversity of African cuisine.

To African citizens, particularly young people, the message is equally clear. Our food heritage deserves to be celebrated, protected and carried forward. Every traditional recipe preserved, every indigenous seed protected, every local farmer supported and every African meal prepared with pride contributes to a larger movement for healthier people, thriving communities and a more sovereign Africa.

My Food Is African is a declaration of identity, a commitment to ecological responsibility and a call for collective action. It reminds us that our food connects us to our ancestors, sustains our communities and carries the possibilities of our future. Reclaiming African food means reclaiming the knowledge, resources and choices that determine how Africa feeds itself.

As African chefs unite this World Food Day, AFSA reaffirms its commitment to building a continental movement that celebrates African culinary heritage, strengthens the relationship between farmers and consumers, and advances food systems rooted in justice, health, biodiversity and dignity.

Our food. Our heritage. Our health. Our future.

My Food Is African.

Grow with Nature. Eat with Pride. Live with Dignity.

Campaign: #MyFoodIsAfrican | #JeMangeAfricain | #WorldFoodDay2026

Hunter Valley community groups have welcomed last night’s passage of the Future Jobs and Investment Bill in the NSW Parliament’s Legislative Council, which marks a major step towards a more secure future for the state’s coal-dependent regions as global coal demand wanes. 

Plans for a massive wind farm with 92 turbines and an up to eight-hour battery have been lodged, adding another hybrid to the list of projects lining up to replace coal.

The post Approval sought for another huge wind and battery hybrid as state prepares to move beyond coal appeared first on Renew Economy.

As birds embarked on their fall migration journeys, Audubon and partners welcomed approximately 250 visitors to Community Day at the John James Audubon Center (JJAC) in late September. The event...

The version of record of this op-ed was published in Yellowknifer on October 15, 2026.

By Jax Jacobsen (Strategic Communications Lead, Geothermal Energy Office, Cascade Institute) and Emily Smejkal (Policy Lead, Geothermal Energy Office, Cascade Institute)

With the Ekati diamond mine closing early, Yellowknife has to rethink what will drive its economy next. Jax Jacobsen and Emily Smejkal argue that the biggest barrier to growth in the North is energy: the NWT grid leans heavily on hydropower, and drought-driven low reservoirs have caused outages and pushed the territory's power corporation back onto costly, high-emission diesel.

Their answer is geothermal. The heat beneath Yellowknife itself is best suited to heating buildings, but power-grade resources lie south of Great Slave Lake, near Hay River and other South Slave communities. If the proposed Taltson hydro expansion connects the South Slave and North Slave grids, electricity generated there could flow straight to Yellowknife. With enhanced geothermal systems now delivering utility-scale power and drilling costs falling fast, they write, steady, low-cost, low-emission geothermal power could give the city the foundation for a new Northern industrial base.

Read the full op-ed in Yellowknifer.

Featured image: Old Town Yellowknife by Mike Tidd, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

The post Yellowknife can become an energy powerhouse through geothermal appeared first on Cascade Institute.

Harm reduction services and nonprofit supportive housing play a vital role in addressing the overlapping crises of opioid overdose, mental health, and homelessness that are causing so much hardship in many parts of Canada. These services have been widely debated and researched, but this discourse often overlooks the workforce that provides these services, whose skills and knowledge are often taken for granted.

During the summer of 2026, a research team based at the University of British Columbia’s School of Social Work undertook a study involving 30 online and in-person interviews with frontline workers and managers working in harm reduction and supportive housing in Vancouver’s downtown eastside (DTES). The interviews explored the knowledge and skills of harm reduction workers, and what changes they would recommend to strengthen this work. The findings documentd the wide array of finely-honed skills, knowledge and practices used by these workers, as they endeavour to provide dignity and care for those facing the challenges of homelessness, mental illness and addiction.

The findings of this innovative research are contained in a new report, ‘Do More for Less and Get Blamed for It’: What Harm Reduction Workers Bring to their Jobs and their Community, by Donna Baines, Oliver Hsueh and Denise Cheung. Their research confirms that the workers providing these frontline services bring a rich and multi-dimensional set of skills, both formal and informal, to their jobs. Investing in those workers, including through expanded training, improved safety and working conditions, and adequate compensation and benefits, must be an essential aspect of future efforts to improve these services and better help the populations they serve.

The post New Research Documents Vital Skills of Harm Reduction Workers appeared first on Centre for Future Work.

On September 30th, 2026, West Gateway sublessee Insight Terminal Solutions (ITS), owned by hedge fund mogul Jon Brooks, suffered a stinging defeat in its frivolous and forum-shopped bid to impose a claim for hundreds of millions of dollars on the City of Oakland.

US District Court Judge Benjamin Beaton issued his scolding decision in an 18-page ruling that laid out in exacting detail why ITS had no business filing its case in a Kentucky bankruptcy court. Judge Beaton ruled:

the absence of any identifiable pre-confirmation claim or post-confirmation distribution dooms the jurisdictional basis for ITS to return to bankruptcy court. This litigation doesn’t involve application of the Bankruptcy Code, the interpretation of the reorganization plan, or any potential effects on creditors….The only relevant nexus between this case and ITS’s bankruptcy is the one linking its current owners to a potential future recovery. And that does not suffice…. Even the expansive reach of related-to bankruptcy jurisdiction doesn’t stretch this far.

Judge Beaton then went on to make clear that if his decision were overruled on “related to” jurisdiction, he would nonetheless abstain from hearing the case, as “tort claims between a California-based plaintiff and a California municipality, involving alleged misconduct in California that violated California state law” ought to be litigated in a California court. In his discussion on the question of abstention, Judge Beaton wrote, “Particularly given the degree to which the state-law issues bear on sensitive questions of sovereignty and finality, however, principles of federalism and comity counsel deference to California courts.”

ITS filed notice on October 13, 2026 that it would nonetheless appeal the case to the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals. The developers’ opening appeal brief will be filed in the coming months.

No Coal in Oakland’s Ted Franklin, in his October 6 analysis of Judge Beaton’s dismissal, wrote that – despite the narrow chance ITS has of prevailing in this case – they might choose to appeal or refile in California for “the nuisance value of holding formally unresolved claims over the City’s head.”

No Coal in Oakland continues to assume that’s the game the would-be coal developers are playing. It’s unfortunate that the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals judges are being asked to direct their time and attention to a lawsuit that never should have been filed.

 

 

Image: Map of the Sixth Circuit United States Court of Appeals. Image credit: Marginal Cost, via Wikimedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

This article How Vermont shut down ICE was originally published by Waging Nonviolence.

After Operation Metro Surge, the Trump administration moved to rein in the Bovino-style spectacle with its made-for-TV arrests. In an attempt to avoid another public outcry, Immigration and Customs Enforcement has quietly settled into a new rhythm.

Arrests have still increased month after month, reaching a record high of roughly 51,000 people taken into ICE custody in August. This is part of a new surge — carried out in hospitals, courthouses and airports — with an intent to stay off the nightly news. As The New York Times reported, this phase is “captured mostly by grainy security camera footage, through cracked blinds and from behind closed doors.” 

This phase is also backed by a dragnet of data. At airports, ICE has been running name matches with TSA to detain people at check-in counters and gates. It has found a backdoor into the country’s license-plate cameras: Records show local and state police ran more than 4,000 immigration-related searches on Flock’s camera network in a single year. (Yet another reason Flock cameras should not exist.)

Perhaps surprisingly, much of the tech infrastructure driving ICE’s new surge is headquartered in … Vermont. The town of Williston, outside Burlington, is home to both ICE’s Law Enforcement Support Center, which houses the agency’s national tip line, and ICE’s National Criminal Analysis and Targeting Center, or NCATC, its social-media surveillance hub. 

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As ICE tries a new approach, this new phase of resisting ICE requires moving to more offense — and the people of Vermont are offering us some clear lessons. 

Vermont resistance

Resistance started with the fight over flights. Early in Trump’s second term, activists documented ICE moving detainees onto commercial flights out of Burlington’s airport — more than 450 people as of mid-July 2025, by their count. They showed up in airports as witnesses and disruptors, sometimes aided by empowered flight attendants. They forced an ICE retreat: organizers say ICE hasn’t moved detainees through the airport in more than a year.

More recently they’ve gone after the hard infrastructure. Sit-ins at the White Cap Business Park in Williston, where the NCATC facility is located, have led to arrests for allegedly blocking the entrance to the ICE offices, including 11 people in February and 13 in July.

After those arrests came some unusual twists, which speak volumes about the courage it takes to refuse unjust orders and to continue protesting in the face of repression.

Complicity and noncooperation

Responses to authoritarianism are as old as a time — many of the same dynamics from Vermont show up in the ancient story of Pharaoh and Moses.

Undeniably the most powerful person in his land, Pharaoh was the ultimate authoritarian. His big trick was taking beautiful work and turning it evil. Take the work of midwives, whose job is to usher life into the world — he turned that work into ugliness by ordering the Hebrew midwives to kill every newborn boy. 

But we all have a choice. And famously, several of the midwives refused. Their act of noncooperation with an unjust order is the reason Moses lived.

We are living through a moment when institution after institution is being turned toward evil. Some, like the Department of Justice, were already a mixed bag. But now it is being turned against the very logic of due process it claims to serve, as we’ve seen recently with the criminal indictment of whistleblower Cassidy Hutchinson. Other institutions, like the Environmental Protection Agency and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, are being perverted, with great resistance from insiders who cling to the key values that these agencies were founded on.

Previous Coverage

The movement to defend the Minneapolis 15

In Vermont, the local prosecutor, Chittenden County State’s Attorney Sarah George, faced her own choice. When asked to bring charges against the protesters who held the sit-ins, she repeatedly declined, citing limited resources. That makes sense: No one was harmed, and the protesters have a strong necessity defense — the argument that they were preventing an even greater harm. Every minute that ICE isn’t taking part in abducting people is good for the country.

Then came a bizarre turn of events. The state’s public safety commissioner directed state police to send the cases to Vermont’s Attorney General Charity Clark, bypassing normal procedure and upending the traditional role of the attorney general. Clark, a Democrat, decided to charge the protesters with trespassing.

In an op-ed, she said her hands were tied: “Justice must be blind or our system will fail.” Back to Pharaoh: This is a bit like a midwife in the next town over raising her hand to say, “I’d like to kill Moses, because that’s what the law dictates.”

Protesters recently unearthed relevant Vermont history — a model of state-level noncooperation. After the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850, which ordered cooperation with slave catchers, Vermont passed a state statute known as the Habeas Corpus Law. It effectively nullified the federal law, and went so far as to require state attorneys to defend anyone accused of being a slave, with full representation before a judge and a jury. The entire practice of nullification was deemed highly escalatory — so much so the federal government threatened military invasion — but due to the state’s resistance, throughout Vermont there was effectively no participation in the Fugitive Slave Act.

As in that case, the pressure from the federal government has continued. One week before a planned week of direct action, the federal government suddenly charged five people from the earlier protests with obstructing access to a federal facility (punishable by up to 30 days in prison or a $5,000 fine), likely hoping to deter further escalation.

We all have a choice: complicity with Pharoah or noncooperation. Despite the threats and new legal challenges, the protesters in Vermont chose the riskier, more liberatory path.

A funeral, a guerrilla garden and a sit-in

The week of direct action went on as planned, beginning with a funeral. On Oct. 5, more than 30 clergy led a procession of a hundred or so mourners who walked behind a hearse to the White Cap Business Park, singing “Amazing Grace.” They carried 95 paver stones, each representing a life taken by ICE — directly or from complications while detained — and placed them one by one in a handmade coffin of Vermont pine. The action echoed the Stolen Neighbors Quilt created in Minnesota, which remembers people who were deported. Here, names of those killed by ICE were read out. Then, in front of the doors of the spy center, the coffin was nailed shut. 

A crowd gathers in Williston, Vermont on Oct. 5, behind a coffin filled with paver stones representing lives lost to ICE. (Shut Down ICE VT)

Rev. Marybeth Redmond said at the vigil, “I have walked alongside Vermonters struggling to survive, and I have never seen our immigrant neighbors so hunted, so afraid and so alone.”

In the end, it was a symbolic act. Security scattered the stones, and the property manager and others were seen taking crowbars to the coffin. But it was only the beginning of the week.

The next action was a garden. Because what would you expect from Vermont? Rather than using just their bodies to get in the way, about 40 protesters arrived at sunrise with pots, planters and bags of soil. 

They affixed the boxes to the pavement with construction adhesive, painted and chalked them with flowers, insects and slogans, flew a rainbow kite, and by mid-morning, had gotten a full dance party going. The action blocked the road to 188 Harvest Lane, which houses ICE’s national tip line.

They were also highlighting the environmental violence of ICE’s data intensive operation. Gardener Isaac Petersen said, “ICE’s surveillance technology is extremely energy-intensive, much of it powered by AI and data centers. It harms our communities directly by targeting our neighbors.”

State and local police moved some barriers, but largely left the garden alone, which blocked the road for most of the day. ICE’s parking lots were nearly empty all day, and the rumor was that ICE was told to avoid coming into the office.

Protestors hang handwritten “tips” outside the ICE office housing the agency’s national tip line. (Shut Down ICE VT)

Each day escalated from the day before. By Thursday, protesters went right up to the front entrance of the Harvest Lane facility. Dozens had arrived before 8 a.m. to deliver handwritten note cards with “tips” encouraging ICE employees to find other jobs. The protesters started by taping those messages to the windows and doors. Then they hauled out a rug, a couch, a coffee table and a fold-up mattress — a makeshift living room — and sat down, singing and playing music, effectively shutting the place down. 

Much of this has been intergenerational. Vermont protesters have ranged from people in their early 20s to an 83-year-old from Bethel and 85-year-old from Sharon.

Some of those sitting at the entrance this week had taken part in earlier acts of civil disobedience, and several now face charges brought by Clark. 

Organizers say the ICE facility was effectively shut for much of that week, its parking lots empty. Police interference was minimal: At one point, officers came over only to remove the items protesters had used to block a surveillance camera, then returned to their cars. As the organizers said in their press release, “ICE employees went home rather than face Vermont’s week of bold, decisive action.”

What you can do 

The week of action was only one moment, and organizers hope others will organize their own — aimed at different pieces of ICE infrastructure. There are other flash points around the country this month, too, in Austin, Minneapolis and Arizona.

As for Shut Down ICE VT, the group behind the week of action, they plan to keep going. One simple way to support them: Call the tip line that ICE runs out of Williston to encourage neighbors to turn each other in. To disrupt its activity, the group is encouraging people to call 866-347-2423 and tell whoever picks up all the different ways ICE could be making a better world. According to organizers, this tactic has been so successful the lines are clogged — one person was on hold for 2 hours and 18 minutes until her phone died. (This tactic was used in the early DOGE days.) Instead of doing Pharaoh’s bidding: What are the beautiful things you could be doing with your life? It can be a bit of a daily ritual.

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Because here, in the end, is Pharaoh’s trick: He changed the meaning of what was legal. He didn’t simply say, “You must obey me.” He said that if you refused, you were the one breaking the law.

But we should remember whose side the law has so often taken. The law stood against enslaved people seeking freedom. It stood against women having control of their own bodies. It stood against trans people claiming full autonomy. The law, by itself, is no defense against injustice — and must not be turned into an instrument of oppression.

Sarah George declined to prosecute protesters for a reason. By stepping in to take up the case, Charity Clark has signaled a willingness to participate in the repression. The people shutting down ICE in Vermont are on the right side of history. Let’s find ways to join them.

This article How Vermont shut down ICE was originally published by Waging Nonviolence.

This table of U.S. Senator’s and Representative’s social media account handles was compiled and updated for 2025 by Triage Cancer.  Not sure who your elected officials are? Find out at CommonCause!

State   Name Party Twitter/X Instagram Facebook Alabama U.S. Senator Britt, Katie R @SenKatieBritt @katieboydbritt x Alabama U.S. Senator Tuberville, Tommy R @SenTuberville @sentuberville x Alabama 1st District U.S. Representative Moore, Barry R @RepBarryMoore @repbarrymoore x Alabama 2nd District U.S. Representative Figures, Shomari C. D @RepSCFigures @repscfigures x Alabama 3rd District U.S. Representative Rogers, Mike R @RepMikeRogersAL @repmikerogersal x Alabama 4th District U.S. Representative Aderholt, Robert R @Robert_Aderholt @robert_aderholt x Alabama 5th District U.S. Representative Strong, Dale R @RepDaleStrong @dalestrongforcongress x Alabama 6th District U.S. Representative Palmer, Gary R @USRepGaryPalmer @repgarypalmer x Alabama 7th District U.S. Representative Sewell, Terri A. D @RepTerriSewell @repterriasewell x Alaska U.S. Senator Sullivan, Dan R @SenDanSullivan @sen_dansullivan x Alaska U.S. Senator Murkowski, Lisa R @lisamurkowski @senlisamurkowski x Alaska At-Large U.S. Representative Begich, Nicholas R @RepNickBegich @RepNickBegich x American Samoa At-Large Delegate Radewagen, Aumua Amata R @RepAmata @repamata x Arizona U.S. Senator Kelly, Mark D @SenMarkKelly @senmarkkelly x Arizona U.S. Senator Gallego, Ruben D @RubenGallego @gallegoforaz x Arizona 1st District U.S. Representative Schweikert, David R @RepDavid @repdavid x Arizona 2nd District U.S. Representative Crane, Eli R @RepEliCrane @elicrane_ceo x Arizona 3rd District U.S. Representative Ansari, Yassamin D @RepYassAnsari @RepYassAnsari x Arizona 4th District U.S. Representative Stanton, Greg D @RepGregStanton @repgregstanton x Arizona 5th District U.S. Representative Biggs, Andy R @RepAndyBiggsAZ @repandybiggs x Arizona 6th District U.S. Representative Ciscomani, Juan R @RepCiscomani @juanciscomani x Arizona 7th District U.S. Representative Grijalva, Raul D @RepRaulGrijalva @repraulgrijalva x Arizona 8th District U.S. Representative Hamadeh, Abraham R @RepAbeHamadeh @repabehamadeh x Arizona 9th District U.S. Representative Gosar, Paul A. R @RepGosar @repgosar x Arkansas U.S. Senator Cotton, Tom R @SenTomCotton @tomcottonar x Arkansas U.S. Senator Boozman, John R @JohnBoozman @johnboozman x Arkansas 1st District U.S. Representative Crawford, Rick R @RepRickCrawford @reprickcrawford x Arkansas 2nd District U.S. Representative Hill, French R @RepFrenchHill @repfrenchhill x Arkansas 3rd District U.S. Representative Womack, Steve R @rep_stevewomack @rep_stevewomack x Arkansas 4th District U.S. Representative Westerman, Bruce R @RepWesterman @repwesterman x California U.S. Senator Padilla, Alex D @SenAlexPadilla @senalexpadilla x California U.S. Senator Schiff, Adam B. D @SenAdamSchiff @SenAdamSchiff x California 1st District U.S. Representative LaMalfa, Doug R @RepLaMalfa @repdouglamalfa x California 2nd District U.S. Representative Huffman, Jared D @RepHuffman @rephuffman x California 3rd District U.S. Representative Kiley, Kevin R @RepKiley @kevinpkiley x California 4th District U.S. Representative Thompson, Mike D @RepThompson @repmikethompson x California 5th District U.S. Representative McClintock, Tom R @RepMcClintock @repmcclintock x California 6th District U.S. Representative Bera, Ami D @RepBera @repbera x California 7th District U.S. Representative Matsui, Doris O. D @DorisMatsui @repdorismatsui x California 8th District U.S. Representative Garamendi, John D @RepGaramendi @repgaramendi x California 9th District U.S. Representative Harder, Josh D @RepJoshHarder @repjoshharder x California 10th District U.S. Representative DeSaulnier, Mark D @RepDeSaulnier @repdesaulnier x California 11th District U.S. Representative Pelosi, Nancy D @SpeakerPelosi @speakerpelosi x California 12th District U.S. Representative Simon, Lateefah D @RepLSimon @RepLSimon x California 13th District U.S. Representative Gray, Adam D @RepAdamGrayCA @repadamgrayca x California 14th District U.S. Representative Swalwell, Eric D @RepSwalwell @repswalwell x California 15th District U.S. Representative Mullin, Kevin D @RepKevinMullin @kevin.mullin x California 16th District U.S. Representative Liccardo, Sam D @RepLiccardo @repliccardo x California 17th District U.S. Representative Khanna, Ro D @RepRoKhanna @reprokhanna x California 18th District U.S. Representative Lofgren, Zoe D @RepZoeLofgren   x California 19th District U.S. Representative Panetta, Jimmy D @RepJimmyPanetta @repjimmypanetta x California 20th District U.S. Representative Fong, Vince R @RepVinceFong @repvincefong x California 21st District U.S. Representative Costa, Jim D @RepJimCosta @repjimcosta x California 22nd District U.S. Representative Valadao, David R @RepDavidValadao @repdavidvaladao x California 23rd District U.S. Representative Obernolte, Jay R @JayObernolte @repjayobernolte x California 24th District U.S. Representative Carbajal, Salud D @RepCarbajal @repcarbajal x California 25th District U.S. Representative Ruiz, Raul D @RepRaulRuizMD @RepRaulRuizMD x California 26th District U.S. Representative Brownley, Julia D @RepBrownley @RepBrownley x California 27th District U.S. Representative Whitesides, George D @Rep_Whitesides @repwhitesides x California 28th District U.S. Representative Chu, Judy D @RepJudyChu @repjudychu x California 29th District U.S. Representative Rivas, Luz D @RepLuzRivas @RepLuzRivas x California 30th District U.S. Representative Friedman, Laura D @RepFriedmanCA @RepLauraFriedman x California 31st District U.S. Representative Cisneros, Gilbert D x @repgilcisneros x California 32nd District U.S. Representative Sherman, Brad D @BradSherman @congressmansherman x California 33rd District U.S. Representative Aguilar, Pete D @RepPeteAguilar @rep.peteaguilar x California 34th District U.S. Representative Gomez, Jimmy D @RepJimmyGomez @jimmygomezca x California 35th District U.S. Representative Torres, Norma D @NormaJTorres @repnormatorres x California 36th District U.S. Representative Lieu, Ted D @RepTedLieu @reptedlieu x California 37th District U.S. Representative Kamlager-Dove, Sydney D @RepKamlagerDove @rep_kamlagerdove x California 38th District U.S. Representative Sánchez, Linda D @RepLindaSanchez @replindasanchez x California 39th District U.S. Representative Takano, Mark D @RepMarkTakano @repmarktakano x California 40th District U.S. Representative Kim, Young R @RepYoungKim @repyoungkim x California 41st District U.S. Representative Calvert, Ken R @KenCalvert @repkencalvert x California 42nd District U.S. Representative Garcia, Robert D @RepRobertGarcia @RepRobertGarcia x California 43rd District U.S. Representative Waters, Maxine D @RepMaxineWaters @repmaxinewaters x California 44th District U.S. Representative Barragan, Nanette D @RepBarragan @repbarragan x California 45th District U.S. Representative Tran, Derek D @RepDerekTranCA @repderektran x California 46th Division U.S. Representative Correa, Lou D @RepLouCorrea @reploucorrea x California 47th District U.S. Representative Min, Dave D @CongressMin @repdavemin x California 48th District U.S. Representative Issa, Darrell R @repdarrellissa @repdarrellissa x California 49th District U.S. Representative Levin, Mike D @RepMikeLevin @repmikelevin x California 50th District U.S. Representative Peters, Scott D @RepScottPeters @repscottpeters x California 51st District U.S. Representative Jacobs, Sara D @RepSaraJacobs @repsarajacobs x California 52nd District U.S. Representative Vargas, Juan D @RepJuanVargas @repjuanvargas x Colorado U.S. Senator Bennet, Michael D @SenatorBennet @senatorbennet x Colorado U.S. Senator Hickenlooper, John D @SenatorHick @senatorhick x Colorado 1st District U.S. Representative DeGette, Diana D @RepDianaDeGette @repdianadegette x Colorado 2nd District U.S. Representative Neguse, Joe D @RepJoeNeguse @repjoeneguse x Colorado 3rd District U.S. Representative Hurd, Jeff R @RepJeffHurd @repjeffhurd x Colorado 4th District U.S. Representative Boebert, Lauren R @RepKenBuck @repboebert x Colorado 5th District U.S. Representative Crank, Jeff R @RepJeffCrank @repjeffcrank x Colorado 6th District U.S. Representative Crow, Jason D @RepJasonCrow @repjasoncrow x Colorado 7th District U.S. Representative Pettersen, Brittany D @RepPettersen @reppettersen x Colorado 8th District U.S. Representative Evans, Gabe R @repgabeevans @RepGabeEvans x Connecticut U.S. Senator Murphy, Chris D @ChrisMurphyCT @senchrismurphy x Connecticut U.S. Senator Blumenthal, Richard D @SenBlumenthal @senblumenthal x Connecticut 1st District U.S. Representative Larson, John B. D @RepJohnLarson @repjohnblarson x Connecticut 2nd District U.S. Representative Courtney, Joe D @RepJoeCourtney @repjoecourtney x Connecticut 3rd District U.S. Representative DeLauro, Rosa L. D @rosadelauro @reprosadelauro x Connecticut 4th District U.S. Representative Himes, Jim D @jahimes @repjimhimes x Connecticut 5th District U.S. Representative Hayes, Jahana D @RepJahanaHayes @repjahanahayes x Delaware U.S. Senator Coons, Chris D @ChrisCoons @senatorchriscoons x Delaware U.S. Senator Blunt Rochester, Lisa D @SenatorLBR @senlbr x Delaware At-Large U.S. Representative McBride, Sarah D @Rep_McBride @congresswomansarahmcbride x District of Columbia At-Large U.S. Representative Norton, Eleanor Holmes D @EleanorNorton @congresswomannorton x Florida U.S. Senator Moody, Ashley R       Florida U.S. Senator Scott, Rick R @SenRickScott @flsenrickscott x Florida 1st District U.S. Representative Vacant       x Florida 2nd District U.S. Representative Dunn, Neal R @DrNealDunnFL2 @drnealdunnfl2 x Florida 3rd District U.S. Representative Cammack, Kat R @RepKatCammack @repkatcammack x Florida 4th District U.S. Representative Bean, Aaron R @RepAaronBean @aaronpbean x Florida 5th District U.S. Representative Rutherford, John R @RepRutherfordFL @reprutherfordfl x Florida 6th District U.S. Representative Vacant       x Florida 7th District U.S. Representative Mills, Cory R @RepMillsPress @repcorymills x Florida 8th District U.S. Representative Haridopolos, Mike R @RepHaridopolos     Florida 9th District U.S. Representative Soto, Darren D @RepDarrenSoto @repdarrensoto x Florida 10th District U.S. Representative Frost, Maxwell D @MaxwellFrostFL @maxwellfrostfl x Florida 11th District U.S. Representative Webster, Daniel R @RepWebster @websterforcongress x Florida 12th District U.S. Representative Bilirakis, Gus M. R @RepGusBilirakis @gusbilirakis x Florida 13th District U.S. Representative Luna, Anna R @RepLuna @realannapaulina x Florida 14th District U.S. Representative Castor, Kathy D @USRepKCastor @usrepkathycastor x Florida 15th District U.S. Representative Lee, Laurel R @RepLaurelLee @replaurellee x Florida 16th District U.S. Representative Buchanan, Vern R @VernBuchanan @repvern x Florida 17th District U.S. Representative Steube, W. Gregory R @RepGregSteube @repgregsteube x Florida 18th District U.S. Representative Franklin, Scott R @RepFranklin @repfranklin x Florida 19th District U.S. Representative Donalds, Byron R @RepDonaldsPress @byrondonalds x Florida 20th District U.S. Representative Cherfilus-McCormick, Sheila D @CongresswomanSC @congresswomanscm x Florida 21st District U.S. Representative Mast, Brian R @RepBrianMast @repbrianmast x Florida 22nd District U.S. Representative Frankel, Lois D @RepLoisFrankel @reploisfrankel x Florida 23rd District U.S. Representative Moskowitz, Jared D @RepMoskowitz @repmoskowitz x Florida 24th District U.S. Representative Wilson, Frederica D @RepWilson @repwilson x Florida 25th District U.S. Representative Wasserman Schultz, Debbie D @RepDWStweets @repdws x Florida 26th District U.S. Representative Diaz-Balart, Mario R @MarioDB @repmariodb x Florida 27th District U.S. Representative Salazar, Maria Elvira R @RepMariaSalazar @repmariasalazar x Florida 28th District U.S. Representative Giménez, Carlos R @RepCarlos @repcarlosfl x Georgia U.S. Senator Ossoff, Jon D @ossoff @jonossoff x Georgia U.S. Senator Warnock, Raphael D @SenatorWarnock @raphaelwarnock x Georgia 1st District U.S. Representative Carter, Buddy R @RepBuddyCarter @repbuddycarter x Georgia 2nd District U.S. Representative Bishop Jr., Sanford D. D @SanfordBishop @repsanfordbishop x Georgia 3rd District U.S. Representative Jack, Brian R @RepBrianJack @repbrianjack x Georgia 4th District U.S. Representative Johnson, Henry C. “Hank” Jr. D @RepHankJohnson @rephankjohnson x Georgia 5th District U.S. Representative Williams, Nikema D @RepNikema @repnikema x Georgia 6th District U.S. Representative McBath, Lucy D @RepLucyMcBath @replucymcbath x Georgia 7th District U.S. Representative McCormick, Richard R @RepMcCormick @reprichmccormick x Georgia 8th District U.S. Representative Scott, Austin R @AustinScottGA08   x Georgia 9th District U.S. Representative Clyde, Andrew R @Rep_Clyde @repclyde x Georgia 10th District U.S. Representative Collins, Mike R @RepMikeCollins @repmikecollins x Georgia 11th District U.S. Representative Loudermilk, Barry R @RepLoudermilk @reploudermilk x Georgia 12th District U.S. Representative Allen, Rick R @RepRickAllen @rep_rickallen x Georgia 13th District U.S. Representative Scott, David D @repdavidscott @repdavidscott x Georgia 14th District U.S. Representative Greene, Marjorie Taylor R @RepMTG @repmtg x Guam At-Large U.S. Representative Moylan, Jim R x @repjamesmoylan x Hawaii U.S. Senator Schatz, Brian D @SenBrianSchatz @senbrianschatz x Hawaii U.S. Senator Hirono, Mazie D @maziehirono @maziehirono x Hawaii 1st District U.S. Representative Case, Ed D @RepEdCase @repedcase x Hawaii 2nd District U.S. Representative Tokuda, Jill D @RepJillTokuda @tokudaforhawaii x Idaho U.S. Senator Risch, Jim R @SenatorRisch   x Idaho U.S. Senator Crapo, Mike R @MikeCrapo @mikecrapo x Idaho 1st District U.S. Representative Fulcher, Russ R @RepRussFulcher @reprussfulcher x Idaho 2nd District U.S. Representative Simpson, Mike R @CongMikeSimpson @congressmanmikesimpson x Illinois U.S. Senator Duckworth, Tammy D @SenDuckworth @senduckworth x Illinois U.S. Senator Durbin, Dick D @SenatorDurbin @durbincampaign x Illinois 1st District U.S. Representative Jackson, Jonathan D @rep_jackson @repjackson x Illinois 2nd District U.S. Representative Kelly, Robin D @RepRobinKelly @reprobinkelly x Illinois 3rd District U.S. Representative Ramirez, Delia D @repdeliaramirez @repdeliaramirez x Illinois 4th District U.S. Representative Garcia, Jesus “Chuy” D @RepChuyGarcia @repchuygarcia x Illinois 5th District U.S. Representative Quigley, Mike D @RepMikeQuigley @repmikequigley x Illinois 6th District U.S. Representative Casten, Sean D @RepCasten @repseancasten x Illinois 7th District U.S. Representative Davis, Danny K. D @RepDannyDavis @officialrepdannydavis x Illinois 8th District U.S. Representative Krishnamoorthi, Raja D @CongressmanRaja @congressmanraja x Illinois 9th District U.S. Representative Schakowsky, Jan D @janschakowsky @janschakowsky x Illinois 10th District U.S. Representative Schneider, Bradley D @RepSchneider @repschneider x Illinois 11th District U.S. Representative Foster, Bill D @RepBillFoster @repbillfoster x Illinois 12th District U.S. Representative Bost, Mike R @RepBost   x Illinois 13th District U.S. Representative Budzinski, Nikki D @RepNikkiB @repnikki x Illinois 14th District U.S. Representative Underwood, Lauren D @RepUnderwood @repunderwood x Illinois 15th District U.S. Representative Miller, Mary R @RepMaryMiller @repmarymiller x Illinois 16th District U.S. Representative LaHood,Darin R @RepLaHood @replahood x Illinois 17th District U.S. Representative Sorensen, Eric D @RepEricSorensen @repericsorensen x Indiana U.S. Senator Banks, Jim R @SenatorBanks @senjimbanks x Indiana U.S. Senator Young, Todd R @SenToddYoung @sentoddyoung x Indiana 1st District U.S. Representative Mrvan, Frank D @RepMrvan @repmrvan x Indiana 2nd District U.S. Representative Yakym, Rudy R @RepRudyYakym   x Indiana 3rd District U.S. Representative Stutzman, Marlin R @RepStutzman @repstutzman x Indiana 4th District U.S. Representative Baird, James R @RepJimBaird   x Indiana 5th District U.S. Representative Spartz, Victoria R @RepSpartz @repvictoriaspartz x Indiana 6th District U.S. Representative Shreve, Jefferson R @RepShreve @repshreve x Indiana 7th District U.S. Representative Carson, André D @RepAndreCarson @repandrecarson x Indiana 8th District U.S. Representative Messmer, Mark R @RepMessmer   x Indiana 9th District U.S. Representative Houchin, Erin R @RepHouchin @rephouchin x Iowa U.S. Senator Grassley, Chuck R @ChuckGrassley @senatorchuckgrassley x Iowa U.S. Senator Joni Ernst R @SenJoniErnst @senjoniernst x Iowa 1st District U.S. Representative Miller-Meeks, Mariannette R @RepMMM @repmmm x Iowa 2nd District U.S. Representative Hinson, Ashley R @RepAshleyHinson @repashleyhinson x Iowa 3rd District U.S. Representative Nunn, Zach R @ZachNunn @repzachnunn x Iowa 4th District U.S. Representative Feenstra, Randy R @repfeenstra @repfeenstra x Kansas U.S. Senator Marshall, Roger R @RogerMarshallMD @rogermarshallmd x Kansas U.S. Senator Moran, Jerry R @JerryMoran   x Kansas 1st District U.S. Representative Mann, Tracey R @RepMann @reptraceymann x Kansas 2nd District U.S. Representative Schmidt, Derek R @RepDerekSchmidt @repderekschmidt x Kansas 3rd District U.S. Representative Davids, Sharice D @RepDavids @repdavids x Kansas 4th District U.S. Representative Estes, Ron R @RepRonEstes @repronestes x Kentucky U.S. Senator Paul, Rand R @RandPaul @drrandpaul x Kentucky U.S. Senator McConnell, Mitch R @McConnellPress @mcconnellpress x Kentucky 1st District U.S. Representative Comer, James R @RepJamesComer @congressmancomer x Kentucky 2nd District U.S. Representative Guthrie, S. Brett R @RepGuthrie @repguthrie x Kentucky 3rd District U.S. Representative McGarvey, Morgan D @RepMcGarvey @repmcgarvey x Kentucky 4th District U.S. Representative Massie, Thomas R @RepThomasMassie @repthomasmassie x Kentucky 5th District U.S. Representative Rogers, Harold R @RepHalRogers @rephalrogers x Kentucky 6th District U.S. Representative Barr, Andy R @RepAndyBarr @repandybarr x Louisiana U.S. Senator Neely Kennedy, John R @SenJohnKennedy @senjohnkennedy x Louisiana U.S. Senator Cassidy, Bill R @SenBillCassidy @senbillcassidy x Louisiana 1st District U.S. Representative Scalise, Steve R @SteveScalise @stevescalise x Louisiana 2nd District U.S. Representative Carter, Troy D @RepTroyCarter @reptroycarter x Louisiana 3rd District U.S. Representative Higgins, Clay R @RepClayHiggins @repclayhiggins x Louisiana 4th District U.S. Representative Johnson, Mike R @SpeakerJohnson @speakermjohnson x Louisiana 5th District U.S. Representative Letlow, Julia R @RepJuliaLetlow @repjulialetlow x Louisiana 6th District U.S. Representative Fields, Cleo D @RepFields @repcleofields_ x Maine U.S. Senator King, Angus I @SenAngusKing @anguskingmaine x Maine U.S. Senator Collins, Susan R @SenatorCollins @sensusancollins x Maine 1st District U.S. Representative Pingree, Chellie D @chelliepingree @chelliepingre x Maine 2nd District U.S. Representative Golden, Jared D @RepGolden @repgolden x Maryland U.S. Senator Van Hollen, Chris D @ChrisVanHollen @chrisvanhollen x Maryland U.S. Senator Alsobrooks, Angela D. D @Sen_Alsobrooks @sen_alsobrooks x Maryland 1st District U.S. Representative Harris, Andy R @RepAndyHarrisMD   x Maryland 2nd District U.S. Representative Olszewski, Johnny D @RepJohnnyO @repjohnnyo x Maryland 3rd District U.S. Representative Elfreth, Sarah D @RepSarahElfreth @repsarahelfreth x Maryland 4th District U.S. Representative Ivey, Glenn D @RepGlennIvey @repglennivey x Maryland 5th District U.S. Representative Hoyer, Steny H. D @RepStenyHoyer @leaderhoyer x Maryland 6th District U.S. Representative McClain Delaney, April D @RepAprilDelaney @repaprildelaney x Maryland 7th District U.S. Representative Mfume, Kweisi D @RepKweisiMfume @repkweisimfume x Maryland 8th District U.S. Representative Raskin, Jamie D @RepRaskin @repraskin x Massachusetts U.S. Senator Warren, Elizabeth D @SenWarren @senwarren x Massachusetts U.S. Senator Markey, Edward D @SenMarkey @edmarkey x Massachusetts 1st District U.S. Representative Neal, Richard E. D @RepRichardNeal   x Massachusetts 2nd District U.S. Representative McGovern, James D @RepMcGovern @repmcgovern x Massachusetts 3rd District U.S. Representative Trahan, Lori D @RepLoriTrahan @reploritrahan x Massachusetts 4th District U.S. Representative Auchincloss, Jake D @RepAuchincloss @jakeauchincloss x Massachusetts 5th District U.S. Representative Clark, Katherine D @WhipKClark @repkclark x Massachusetts 6th District U.S. Representative Moulton, Seth D @Repmoulton @repmoulton x Massachusetts 7th District U.S. Representative Pressley, Ayanna D @RepPressley @ayannapressley x Massachusetts 8th District U.S. Representative Lynch, Stephen F. D @RepStephenLynch @repstephenlynch x Massachusetts 9th District U.S. Representative Keating, William D @USRepKeating @usrepkeating x Michigan U.S. Senator Slotkin, Elissa D @SenatorSlotkin @senslotkin x Michigan U.S. Senator Peters, Gary D @SenGaryPeters @sengarypeters x Michigan 1st District U.S. Representative Bergman, Jack R @RepJackBergman @repjackbergman x Michigan 2nd District U.S. Representative Moolenaar, John R @RepMoolenaar @repmoolenaar x Michigan 3rd District U.S. Representative Scholten, Hillary D @RepScholten @repscholten x Michigan 4th District U.S. Representative Huizenga, Bill R @RepHuizenga @rephuizenga x Michigan 5th District U.S. Representative Walberg, Tim R @RepWalberg @repwalberg x Michigan 6th District U.S. Representative Dingell, Debbie D @RepDebDingell @repdingell x Michigan 7th District U.S. Representative Barrett, Tom R @RepTomBarrett   x Michigan 8th District U.S. Representative McDonald Rivet, Kristen D @repkmr @repmcdonaldrivet x Michigan 9th District U.S. Representative McClain, Lisa R @replisamcclain @replisamcclain x Michigan 10th District U.S. Representative James, John R @RepJames @RepJohnJames x Michigan 11th District U.S. Representative Stevens, Haley D @RepHaleyStevens @rephaleystevens x Michigan 12th District U.S. Representative Tlaib, Rashida D @RepRashida @rashidatlaib x Michigan 13th District U.S. Representative Thanedar, Shri D @RepShriThanedar @RepShriThanedar x Minnesota U.S. Senator Klobuchar, Amy D @senamyklobuchar @amyklobuchar x Minnesota U.S. Senator Smith, Tina D @SenTinaSmith @senatortinasmith x Minnesota 1st District U.S. Representative Finstad, Brad R @repfinstad @repfinstad x Minnesota 2nd District U.S. Representative Craig, Angie D @RepAngieCraig @repangiecraig x Minnesota 3rd District U.S. Representative Morrison, Kelly D @KellyMorrisonMN @kellymorrisonmn x Minnesota 4th District U.S. Representative McCollum, Betty D @BettyMcCollum04 @repbettymccollum x Minnesota 5th District U.S. Representative Omar, Ilhan D @Ilhan @repilhan x Minnesota 6th District U.S. Representative Emmer, Tom R @RepTomEmmer @reptomemmer x Minnesota 7th District U.S. Representative Fischbach, Michelle R @RepFischbach @repfischbach x Minnesota 8th District U.S. Representative Stauber, Pete R @RepPeteStauber @petestaubermn x Mississippi U.S. Senator Wicker, Roger R @SenatorWicker @senatorwicker x Mississippi U.S. Senator Hyde-Smith, Cindy R @SenHydeSmith @sencindyhydesmith x Mississippi 1st District U.S. Representative Kelly, Trent R @RepTrentKelly @reptrentkelly x Mississippi 2nd District U.S. Representative Thompson, Bennie G. D @BennieGThompson @benniegthompson x Mississippi 3rd District U.S. Representative Guest, Michael R @RepMichaelGuest @repmichaelguest x Mississippi 4th District U.S. Representative Ezell, Mike R @RepEzell @repmikeezell x Missouri U.S. Senator Hawley, Josh R @SenHawleyPress @senatorhawley x Missouri U.S. Senator Schmitt, Eric R @SenEricSchmitt @senericschmitt x Missouri 1st District U.S. Representative Bell, Wesley D @RepWesleyBellMO     Missouri 2nd District U.S. Representative Wagner, Ann R @RepAnnWagner @repannwagner x Missouri 3rd District U.S. Representative Onder, Robert R @RepBobOnder @repbobonder x Missouri 4th District U.S. Representative Alford, Mark R @RepMarkAlford @repmarkalford x Missouri 5th District U.S. Representative Cleaver, Emanuel D @repcleaver @repcleaver x Missouri 6th District U.S. Representative Graves, Sam R @RepSamGraves @repsamgraves x Missouri 7th District U.S. Representative Burlison, Eric R @RepEricBurlison @repericburlison x Missouri 8th District U.S. Representative Smith, Jason R @RepJasonSmith @repjasonsmith x Montana U.S. Senator Sheehy, Tim R @TimSheehyMT @timsheehymt x Montana U.S. Senator Daines, Steve R @SteveDaines @stevedaines x Montana 1st District U.S. Representative Zinke, Ryan R @RepRyanZinke @repryanzinke x Montana 2nd District U.S. Representative Downing, Troy R @RepTroyDowning @reptroydowning x Nebraska U.S. Senator Ricketts, Pete R @SenatorRicketts @senatorricketts x Nebraska U.S. Senator Fischer, Deb R @SenatorFischer @senatorfischer x Nebraska 1st District U.S. Representative Flood, Mike R @USRepMikeFlood   x Nebraska 2nd District U.S. Representative Bacon, Don R @RepDonBacon @repdonbacon x Nebraska 3rd District U.S. Representative Smith, Adrian R @RepAdrianSmith @repadriansmith x Nevada U.S. Senator Rosen, Jacky D @SenJackyRosen @senjackyrosen x Nevada U.S. Senator Cortez Mastro, Catherine D @SenCortezMasto @sencortezmasto x Nevada 1st District U.S. Representative Titus, Dina D @repdinatitus @dinatitusnv x Nevada 2nd District U.S. Representative Amodei, Mark R @MarkAmodeiNV2 @markamodeinv2 x Nevada 3rd District U.S. Representative Lee, Susie D @RepSusieLee @repsusielee x Nevada 4th District U.S. Representative Horsford, Steven D @RepHorsford @rephorsford x New Hampshire U.S. Senator Shaheen, Jeanne D @SenatorShaheen @senatorshaheen x New Hampshire U.S. Senator Hassan, Maggie D @SenatorHassan @senatorhassan x New Hampshire 1st District U.S. Representative Pappas, Chris D @RepChrisPappas @repchrispappas x New Hampshire 2nd District U.S. Representative Goodlander, Maggie D @RepGoodlander @repgoodlander x New Jersey U.S. Senator Kim, Andy D @SenatorAndyKim @SenatorAndyKim x New Jersey U.S. Senator Booker, Cory D @SenBooker @corybooker x New Jersey 1st District U.S. Representative Norcross, Donald D @DonaldNorcross @donaldnorcross x New Jersey 2nd District U.S. Representative Van Drew, Jefferson D @Congressman_JVD @jeffvandrew x New Jersey 3rd District U.S. Representative Conaway, Herbert D @RepHerbConaway @repherbconaway x New Jersey 4th District U.S. Representative Smith, Chris R – @repchrissmith x New Jersey 5th District U.S. Representative Gottheimer, Josh D @RepJoshG @repjoshg x New Jersey 6th District U.S. Representative Pallone Jr., Frank D @FrankPallone @repfrankpallone x New Jersey 7th District U.S. Representative Kean Jr., Thomas R @CongressmanKean @congressmankean x New Jersey 8th District U.S. Representative Menendez, Rob D @RepMenendez @repmenendez x New Jersey 9th District U.S. Representative Pou, Nellie D @RepNellie     New Jersey 10th District U.S. Representative McIver, LaMonica D @RepLaMonica @replamonica x New Jersey 11th District U.S. Representative Sherrill, Mikie D @RepSherrill @repsherrill x New Jersey 12th District U.S. Representative Watson Coleman, Bonnie D @RepBonnie @RepBonnie x New Mexico U.S. Senator Luján, Ben Ray D @SenatorLujan @senatorlujan x New Mexico U.S. Senator Heinrich, Martin D @SenatorHeinrich @senatormartinheinrich x New Mexico 1st District U.S. Representative Stansbury, Melanie D @Rep_Stansbury @repstansbury x New Mexico 2nd District U.S. Representative Vasquez, Gabe D @RepGabeVasquez @repgabevasquez x New Mexico 3rd District U.S. Representative Fernandez, Teresa Leger D @RepTeresaLF @repteresalf x New York U.S. Senator Schumer, Chuck D @SenSchumer @chuckschumer x New York U.S. Senator Gillibrand, Kirsten D @gillibrandny @senkirstengillibrand x New York 1st District U.S. Representative LaLota, Nick R @replalota @replalota x New York 2nd District U.S. Representative Garbarino, Andrew R @repgarbarino @repandrewgarbarino x New York 3rd District U.S. Representative Suozzi, Thomas R. D @RepTomSuozzi @reptomsuozzi x New York 4th District U.S. Representative Gillen, Laura D @RepLauraGillen @replauragillen x New York 5th District U.S. Representative Meeks, Gregory W. D @RepGregoryMeeks @repgregorymeeks x New York 6th District U.S. Representative Meng, Grace D @RepGraceMeng   x New York 7th District U.S. Representative Velázquez, Nydia M. D @NydiaVelazquez @rep_velazquez x New York 8th District U.S. Representative Jeffries, Hakeem D @RepJeffries @repjeffries x New York 9th District U.S. Representative Clarke, Yvette D. D @RepYvetteClarke @repyvetteclarke x New York 10th District U.S. Representative Goldman, Dan D @RepDanGoldman @RepDanGoldman x New York 11th District U.S. Representative Malliotakis, Nicole D @RepNicole @nmalliotakis x New York 12th District U.S. Representative Nadler, Jerry D @RepJerryNadler @repjerrynadler x New York 13th District U.S. Representative Espaillat, Adriano D @RepEspaillat @repespaillat x New York 14th District U.S. Representative Ocasio-Cortez, Alexandria D @RepAOC @repaoc x New York 15th District U.S. Representative Torres, Ritchie D @RepRitchie @RepRitchie x New York 16th District U.S. Representative Latimer, George D @RepGLatimer @RepGLatimer x New York 17th District U.S. Representative Lawler, Mike R @RepMikeLawler @RepMikeLawler x New York 18th District U.S. Representative Ryan, Pat D @RepPatRyanNY   x New York 19th District U.S. Representative Riley, Josh D @RepRileyNY @RepRileyNY x New York 20th District U.S. Representative Tonko, Paul D. D @RepPaulTonko @reppaultonko x New York 21st District U.S. Representative Stefanik, Elise R @RepStefanik @repstefanik x New York 22nd District U.S. Representative Mannion, John D @JohnMannionNY22 @congressmannion x New York 23rd District U.S. Representative Langworthy, Nick R @RepLangworthy @RepLangworthy x New York 24th District U.S. Representative Tenney, Claudia R @RepTenney   x New York 25th District U.S. Representative Morelle, Joseph D @RepJoeMorelle @repjoemorelle x New York 26th District U.S. Representative Kennedy, Timothy D @RepTimKennedy @reptimkennedy x North Carolina U.S. Senator Tillis, Thom R @SenThomTillis @senthomtillis x North Carolina U.S. Senator Budd, Ted R @SenTedBuddNC @sentedbudd x North Carolina 1st District U.S. Representative Davis, Don D @RepDonDavis @repdondavis x North Carolina 2nd District U.S. Representative Ross, Deborah K. D @RepDeborahRoss @repdeborahross x North Carolina 3rd District U.S. Representative Murphy, Greg R @RepGregMurphy @repgregmurphy x North Carolina 4th District U.S. Representative Foushee, Valerie D @ValerieFoushee @repvaleriefoushee x North Carolina 5th District U.S. Representative Foxx, Virginia R @virginiafoxx @repvirginiafoxx x North Carolina 6th District U.S. Representative McDowell, Addison R @RepMcDowell @repmcdowell x North Carolina 7th District U.S. Representative Rouzer, David R @RepDavidRouzer @repdavidrouzer x North Carolina 8th District U.S. Representative Harris, Mark R @@RepMarkHarrisNC @repmarkharris x North Carolina 9th District U.S. Representative Hudson, Richard R @RepRichHudson @reprichhudson x North Carolina 10th District U.S. Representative Harrigan, Pat R @RepPatHarrigan @RepPatHarrigan x North Carolina 11th District U.S. Representative Edwards, Chuck R @RepChuckEdwards @repchuckedwards x North Carolina 12th District U.S. Representative Adams, Alma D @RepAdams @repadams x North Carolina 13th District U.S. Representative Knott, Brad R @RepKnott @repknott x North Carolina 14th District U.S. Representative Moore, Tim R @RepTimMooreNC @reptimmoore x North Dakota U.S. Senator Hoeven, John R @SenJohnHoeven @senjohnhoeven x North Dakota U.S. Senator Cramer, Kevin R @SenKevinCramer @senatorkevincramer x North Dakota At-Large U.S. Representative Fedorchak, Julie R @RepFedorchak @RepJulieFedorchak x Northern Mariana Islands At-Large U.S. Representative King-Hinds, Kimberlyn R @RepKimKingHinds @RepKimKingHinds x Ohio U.S. Senator Moreno, Bernie R @berniemoreno @berniemorenoforohio   Ohio U.S. Senator Husted, Jon R       Ohio 1st District U.S. Representative Landsman, Greg D @RepGregLandsman @repgreglandsman x Ohio 2nd District U.S. Representative Taylor, David R @RepDaveTaylor @repdavetaylor x Ohio 3rd District U.S. Representative Beatty, Joyce D @RepBeatty @repbeatty x Ohio 4th District U.S. Representative Jordan, Jim R @Jim_Jordan @jimjordanoh04 x Ohio 5th District U.S. Representative Latta, Robert E. R @boblatta @boblatta x Ohio 6th District U.S. Representative Rulli, Michael A. R       Ohio 7th District U.S. Representative Miller, Max R @repmaxmiller @repmaxmiller x Ohio 8th District U.S. Representative Davidson, Warren R @Rep_Davidson @repwarrendavidson x Ohio 9th District U.S. Representative Kaptur, Marcy D @RepMarcyKaptur @repmarcykaptur x Ohio 10th District U.S. Representative Turner, Michael R @RepMikeTurner @repmiketurner x Ohio 11th District U.S. Representative Brown, Shontel D @RepShontelBrown @repshontel x Ohio 12th District U.S. Representative Balderson, Troy R @RepBalderson @repbalderson x Ohio 13th District U.S. Representative Sykes, Emilia D @RepEmiliaSykes @repemiliasykes x Ohio 14th District U.S. Representative Joyce, David R @RepDaveJoyce @repdavejoyce x Ohio 15th District U.S. Representative Carey, Mike R @RepMikeCarey   x Oklahoma U.S. Senator Lankford, James R @SenatorLankford @senatorlankford x Oklahoma U.S. Senator Mullin, Markwayne R @senmullin @senmullin x Oklahoma 1st District U.S. Representative Hern, Kevin R @RepKevinHern @kevinrhern x Oklahoma 2nd District U.S. Representative Brecheen, Josh R @RepBrecheen @repbrecheen x Oklahoma 3rd District U.S. Representative Lucas, Frank R @RepFrankLucas @repfranklucas x Oklahoma 4th District U.S. Representative Cole, Tom R @TomColeOK04 @tomcoleok04 x Oklahoma 5th District U.S. Representative Bice, Stephanie R @RepBice @repstephaniebice x Oregon U.S. Senator Wyden, Ron D @RonWyden @ronwyden x Oregon U.S. Senator Merkley, Jeff D @SenJeffMerkley @senjeffmerkley x Oregon 1st District U.S. Representative Bonamici, Suzanne D @RepBonamici @repbonamic x Oregon 2nd District U.S. Representative Bentz, Cliff R @RepBentz @repbentz x Oregon 3rd District U.S. Representative Dexter, Maxine D @RepDexterOR @repdexteror x Oregon 4th District U.S. Representative Hoyle, Van D @repvalhoyle @rephoyle x Oregon 5th District U.S. Representative Bynum, Janelle D @RepBynum @repbynum x Oregon 6th District U.S. Representative Salinas, Andrea D @RepSalinas @repsalinas x Puerto Rico At-Large U.S. Representative Hernandez, Pablo D @RepPabloJose @reppablojose x Pennsylvania U.S. Senator Fetterman, John D @SenFettermanPA @senfettermanpa x Pennsylvania U.S. Senator McCormick, David R @SenMcCormickPA @senmccormickpa x Pennsylvania 1st District U.S. Representative Fitzpatrick, Brian R @RepBrianFitz @repbrianfitz x Pennsylvania 2nd District U.S. Representative Boyle, Brendan D @RepBrendanBoyle @congressmanboyle x Pennsylvania 3rd District U.S. Representative Evans, Dwight D @RepDwightEvans @repdwightevans x Pennsylvania 4th District U.S. Representative Dean, Madeleine D @RepDean @repmadeleinedean x Pennsylvania 5th District U.S. Representative Scanlon, Mary-Gay D @RepMGS @repmgs x Pennsylvania 6th District U.S. Representative Houlahan, Chrissy D @RepHoulahan @repchrissyhoulahan x Pennsylvania 7th District U.S. Representative Mackenzie, Ryan R @RepMackenzie @RepMackenzie x Pennsylvania 8th District U.S. Representative Bresnahan, Robert R @RepBresnahan @repbresnahan x Pennsylvania 9th District U.S. Representative Meuser, Daniel R @RepMeuser @repmeuser x Pennsylvania 10th District U.S. Representative Perry, Scott R @RepScottPerry @repscottperry x Pennsylvania 11th District U.S. Representative Smucker, Lloyd R @RepSmucker @rep.smucker x Pennsylvania 12th District U.S. Representative Lee, Summer D @RepSummerLee @repsummerlee x Pennsylvania 13th District U.S. Representative Joyce, John R @RepJohnJoyce @johnjoycepa13 x Pennsylvania 14th District U.S. Representative Reschenthaler, Guy R @GReschenthaler @greschenthaler x Pennsylvania 15th District U.S. Representative Thompson, Glenn R @CongressmanGT @congressman_gt x Pennsylvania 16th District U.S. Representative Kelly, Mike R @MikeKellyPA @repmikekelly x Pennsylvania 17th District U.S. Representative Deluzio, Chris D @repdeluzio @RepDeluzio x Rhode Island U.S. Senator Whitehouse, Sheldon D @SenWhitehouse @senwhitehouse x Rhode Island U.S. Senator Reed, Jack D @SenJackReed @senjackreed_ri x Rhode Island 1st District U.S. Representative Amo, Gabe D @RepGabeAmo @repgabeamo x Rhode Island 2nd District U.S. Representative Magaziner, Seth D @rep_magaziner @rep.sethmagaziner x South Carolina U.S. Senator Scott, Tim R @SenatorTimScott @senatortimscott x South Carolina U.S. Senator Graham, Lindsey R @LindsayGrahamSC @lindseygrahamsc   South Carolina 1st District U.S. Representative Mace, Nancy R @RepNancyMace @repnancymace x South Carolina 2nd District U.S. Representative Wilson, Joe R @RepJoeWilson @repjoewilson x South Carolina 3rd District U.S. Representative Biggs, Sheri R @RepSheriBiggs @repsheribiggs x South Carolina 4th District U.S. Representative Timmons, William R @RepTimmons @reptimmons x South Carolina 5th District U.S. Representative Norman, Ralph R @RepRalphNorman @repralphnorman x South Carolina 6th District U.S. Representative Clyburn, James E. D @RepJamesClyburn @repjamesclyburn x South Carolina 7th District U.S. Representative Fry, Russell R @RepRussellFry @reprussellfry x South Dakota U.S. Senator Thune, John R @LeaderJohnThune @leaderthune x South Dakota U.S. Senator Rounds, Mike R @SenatorRounds @senatorrounds x South Dakota At-Large U.S. Representative Johnson, Dusty R @RepDustyJohnson @repdustyjohnson x Tennessee U.S. Senator Blackburn, Marsha R @MarshaBlackburn @marshablackburn x Tennessee U.S. Senator Hagerty, Bill R @SenatorHagerty @senatorhagerty x Tennessee 1st District U.S. Representative Harshbarger, Diana R @RepHarshbarger @repharshbarger x Tennessee 2nd District U.S. Representative Burchett, Tim R @RepTimBurchett @reptimburchett x Tennessee 3rd District U.S. Representative Fleischmann, Chuck R @RepChuck @repchuck x Tennessee 4th District U.S. Representative DesJarlais, Scott R @DesJarlaisTN04 @desjarlaistn04 x Tennessee 5th District U.S. Representative Ogles, Andy D @repogles @repandyogles x Tennessee 6th District U.S. Representative Rose, John W. R @RepJohnRose @repjohnrose x Tennessee 7th District U.S. Representative Green, Mark R @RepMarkGreen @drmarkgreen4tn x Tennessee 8th District U.S. Representative Kustoff, David R @RepDavidKustoff @repdavidkustoff x Tennessee 9th District U.S. Representative Cohen, Steve D @RepCohen @repcohen x Texas U.S. Senator Cruz, Ted R @SenTedCruz @sentedcruz x Texas U.S. Senator Cornyn, John R @JohnCornyn @johncornyn x Texas 1st District U.S. Representative Moran, Nathaniel R @RepNateMoran @repnatemoran x Texas 2nd District U.S. Representative Crenshaw, Dan R @RepDanCrenshaw @dancrenshawtx x Texas 3rd District U.S. Representative Self, Keith R @RepKeithSelf @repkeithself x Texas 4th District U.S. Representative Fallon, Pat R @RepPatFallon @reppatfallon x Texas 5th District U.S. Representative Gooden, Lance R @Lancegooden   x Texas 6th District U.S. Representative Ellzey, Jake R @RepEllzey @commanderellzey x Texas 7th District U.S. Representative Fletcher, Lizzie D @RepFletcher @repfletcher x Texas 8th District U.S. Representative Luttrell, Morgan R @RepLuttrell @repluttrelltx x Texas 9th District U.S. Representative Green, Al D @RepAlGreen @repalgreen x Texas 10th District U.S. Representative McCaul, Michael T. R @RepMcCaul @congressman_mccau x Texas 11th District U.S. Representative Pfluger, August R @RepPfluger @repaugustpfluger x Texas 12th District U.S. Representative Goldman, Craig R @RepCraigGoldman @repcraiggoldman x Texas 13th District U.S. Representative Jackson, Ronny R @RepRonnyJackson @RepRonnyJackson x Texas 14th District U.S. Representative Weber, Randy R @TXRandy14 @txrandy14 x Texas 15th District U.S. Representative De La Cruz, Monica R @RepMonicaDLC @repmonicadlc x Texas 16th District U.S. Representative Escobar, Veronica D @RepEscobar @repescobar x Texas 17th District U.S. Representative Sessions, Pete R @PeteSessions @congressmanpetesessions x Texas 18th District U.S. Representative Vacant         Texas 19th District U.S. Representative Arrington, Jodey R @RepArrington @repjodeyarrington x Texas 20th District U.S. Representative Castro, Joaquin D @JoaquinCastrotx @joaquincastrotx x Texas 21st District U.S. Representative Roy, Chip R @RepChipRoy @repchiproy x Texas 22nd District U.S. Representative Nehls, Troy R @RepTroyNehls @reptroynehls x Texas 23rd District U.S. Representative Gonzales, Tony R @RepTonyGonzales @reptonygonzales x Texas 24th District U.S. Representative Van Duyne, Beth R @RepBethVanDuyne @bethvanduynetx x Texas 25th District U.S. Representative Williams, Roger R @RepRWilliams @reprwilliams x Texas 26th District U.S. Representative Gill, Brandon R @RepBrandonGill @repbrandongill x Texas 27th District U.S. Representative Cloud, Michael R @RepCloudTX @repcloudtx x Texas 28th District U.S. Representative Cuellar, Henry D @RepCuellar @repcuellar x Texas 29th District U.S. Representative Garcia, Sylvia D @RepSylviaGarcia @repsylviagarcia x Texas 30th District U.S. Representative Crockett, Jasmine D @RepJasmine @repjasmine x Texas 31st District U.S. Representative Carter, John R @JudgeCarter @judgecarter x Texas 32nd District U.S. Representative Johnson, Julie D @RepJulieJohnson @repjuliejohnson x Texas 33rd District U.S. Representative Veasey, Marc D @RepVeasey @repveasey x Texas 34th District U.S. Representative Gonzalez, Vicente D @RepGonzalez @repvicentegonzalez x Texas 35th District U.S. Representative Casar, Greg D @RepCasar @repcasar x Texas 36th District U.S. Representative Babin, Brian R @RepBrianBabin @rep.brianbabin x Texas 37th District U.S. Representative Doggett, Lloyd D @RepLloydDoggett @replloyddoggett x Texas 38th District U.S. Representative Hunt, Wesley R @RepWPH @RepWPH x Utah U.S. Senator Lee, Mike R @SenMikeLee @senmikelee x Utah U.S. Senator Curtis, John R @SenJohnCurtis @senjohncurtis x Utah 1st District U.S. Representative Moore, Blake R @RepBlakeMoore @repblakemoore x Utah 2nd District U.S. Representative Maloy, Celeste R @RepMaloyUtah @RepCelesteMaloy x Utah 3rd District U.S. Representative Kennedy, Mike R @RepMikeKennedy   x Utah 4th District U.S. Representative Owens, Burgess R @RepBurgessOwens @repburgessowens x Vermont U.S. Senator Sanders, Bernie I @SenSanders @berniesanders x Vermont U.S. Senator Welch, Peter D @SenPeterWelch @senpeterwelch x Vermont At-Large U.S. Representative Balint, Becca D @RepBeccaB @repbeccab x Virginia U.S. Senator Warner, Mark D @MarkWarner @senatorwarner x Virginia U.S. Senator Kaine, Tim D @timkaine @timkaine x Virginia 1st District U.S. Representative Wittman, Robert J. R @RobWittman @reprobwittman x Virginia 2nd District U.S. Representative Kiggans, Jen R @RepJenKiggans @repjenkiggans x Virginia 3rd District U.S. Representative Scott, Robert C. D @BobbyScott @repbobbyscott x Virginia 4th District U.S. Representative McClellan, Jenn D @RepMcClellan @repmcclellan x Virginia 5th District U.S. Representative McGuire, John R @RepJohnMcGuire @repjohnmcguire x Virginia 6th District U.S. Representative Cline, Ben R @RepBenCline @repbencline x Virginia 7th District U.S. Representative Vindman, Eugene D @RepVindman @repvindman x Virginia 8th District U.S. Representative Beyer, Don D @RepDonBeyer @repdonbeyer x Virginia 9th District U.S. Representative Griffith, Morgan R @RepMGriffith @hmorgangriffith x Virginia 10th District U.S. Representative Subramanyam, Suhas D @RepSuhas @repsuhas x Virginia 11th District U.S. Representative Connolly, Gerald E. “Gerry” D @GerryConnolly @connollyforcongress x Virgin Islands At-Large U.S. Representative Plaskett, Stacey D @StaceyPlaskett @stacey_plaskett x Washington U.S. Senator Murray, Patty D @PattyMurray @senpattymurray x Washington U.S. Senator Cantwell, Maria D @SenatorCantwell @senatormariacantwell x Washington 1st District U.S. Representative DelBene, Suzan D @RepDelBene @repdelbene x Washington 2nd District U.S. Representative Larsen, Rick D @RepRickLarsen @repricklarsen x Washington 3rd District U.S. Representative Gluesenkamp Pérez, Marie D @repmgp @repmgp x Washington 4th District U.S. Representative Newhouse, Dan R @RepNewhouse @repnewhouse x Washington 5th District U.S. Representative Baumgartner, Michael R @RepBaumgartner @repbaumgartner x Washington 6th District U.S. Representative Randall, Emily D @RepEmilyRandall @repemilyrandall x Washington 7th District U.S. Representative Jayapal, Pramila D @RepJayapal @repjayapal x Washington 8th District U.S. Representative Schrier, Kim D @RepKimSchrier @repkimschrier x Washington 9th District U.S. Representative Smith, Adam D @RepAdamSmith @repadamsmith x Washington 10th District U.S. Representative Strickland, Marilyn D @RepStricklandWA @repstricklandwa x West Virginia U.S. Senator Justice, Jim R @JimJustice_WV @senjimjustice x West Virginia U.S. Senator Moore Capito, Shelley R @SenCapito @sencapito x West Virginia 1st District U.S. Representative Miller, Carol R @RepCarolMiller @repcarolmiller x West Virginia 2nd District U.S. Representative Moore, Riley R @RepRileyMoore @reprileymoore x Wisconsin U.S. Senator Johnson, Ron R @SenRonJohnson @senronjohnson x Wisconsin U.S. Senator Baldwin, Tammy D @SenatorBaldwin @senatorbaldwin x Wisconsin 1st District U.S. Representative Steil, Bryan D @RepBryanSteil @repbryansteil x Wisconsin 2nd District U.S. Representative Pocan, Mark D @repmarkpocan @repmarkpocan x Wisconsin 3rd District U.S. Representative Van Orden, Derrick R @RepVanOrden @repvanorden x Wisconsin 4th District U.S. Representative Moore, Gwen D @RepGwenMoore @repgwenmoore x Wisconsin 5th District U.S. Representative Fitzgerald, Scott R @RepFitzgerald @fitzgeraldforwi x Wisconsin 6th District U.S. Representative Grothman, Glenn R @RepGrothman @repglenngrothman x Wisconsin 7th District U.S. Representative Tiffany, Thomas R @RepTiffany @reptiffany x Wisconsin 8th District U.S. Representative Wied, Tony R @RepTonyWied @reptonywied x Wyoming U.S. Senator Lummis, Cynthia R @SenLummis @sencynthialummis x Wyoming U.S. Senator Barrasso, John R @SenJohnBarrasso @senjohnbarrasso x Wyoming At-Large U.S. Representative Hageman, Harriet R @RepHageman @hagemanforwy x

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A first set of biodiversity plans filed by countries to reverse nature loss are “insufficient” to meet this decade’s global targets, including a landmark goal to protect at least 30% of the world’s land and marine ecosystems by 2030, a landmark UN report warned on Thursday.

The State of Biodiversity Action, put together by a panel of technical experts for the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), was released in Yerevan, ahead of the COP17 nature talks starting on Monday in the Armenian capital. Before that, a leaders’ summit on Friday will set the political direction.

Over the next two weeks, governments will for the first time take stock of progress towards the Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) agreed in 2022 – a set of 23 targets also known as the “Paris Agreement for nature” – and will decide on policy guidelines for ramping up ambition before the 2030 deadline. The UN report will be the main basis for these negotiations.

At a press conference in Armenia, UN Secretary-General António Guterres highlighted that, while there has been some progress on the GBF, the “bad news” is that less than half of country plans are on track to meet its targets.

If current commitments are met by the end of the decade, only 26% of land ecosystems and 12% of marine ecosystems will be protected – falling “real short” of the 30% target agreed in Montreal in 2022, Guterres said. “The war on nature has not yet ended,” he added.

UN Environment chief Inger Andersen said the report “sets the tone for the focus, ambition and urgent action we need to deliver” in Armenia, including by reducing subsidies that harm nature and mobilising new finance for biodiversity. “All leaders and all negotiators must respond to these findings,” she emphasised.

Andersen added that climate change amplifies threats to biodiversity, which makes protection all the more important as global warming is now almost certain to rise above a key threshold. “Exceedence of 1.5C increases the likelihood of forest diebacks, phenological shifts, warming oceans that become more inhospitable to species, irreversible tipping points and so much more,” she said.

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Progress on land but ocean lags behind

The report shows that if countries meet all the biodiversity targets in their plans, this would protect about 27% of the world’s land and sea by 2030, a fivefold increase in the span of ten years.

Progress has been uneven, with most conservation efforts focused on terrestrial ecosystems. The report suggests that currently about 19% of land ecosystems are protected, up two percentage points from 2020, which UN authorities welcomed but said is not a fast enough pace.

However, the real gap is at sea, where only about 10% of the global ocean has some sort of protection. Coastal areas under national jurisdiction have done better, as currently 23% of this marine territory is protected, but the report shows most of the deep ocean is not.

Brian O’Donnell, director of Campaign for Nature, an advocacy group, said the new High Seas Treaty – which entered into force this year and will allow for the creation of Marine Protected Areas in the deep ocean – represents an opportunity, as only about 1.5% is under protection so far.

A group of environmental NGOs including WWF and Bloomberg Philanthropies has issued a call for governments to scale up ocean conservation and to designate $16 billion annually for marine protection measures, up from $1.8bn now.

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Some countries did not set a conservation target at all for both land and sea, the report says, blaming technical challenges like how to account for overlapping protected areas, difficulty recognising protections for private land and land-accounting methodologies changing over time.

A separate report by Campaign for Nature suggests that the 30×30 goal could still be met with “increased ambition and commitment”, and says that around 50 countries have already protected about 30% of their land.

A group of environmental NGOs has warned that, beyond the 30% headline figure, protected areas need to be “high integrity” and recognise the stewardship of local communities and Indigenous peoples.

Largely pristine rainforest surrounds the Oiapoque River, which marks the border between Brazil and French Guiana (Photo: Pedro Ladeira) Developing countries call for finance

Rich countries will arrive at COP17 with shrinking aid budgets and geopolitical preoccupations – yet they will likely hear the same plea they’ve heard for the past few years: stepping up commitments will require finance.

A submission by African countries in August said the “implementation gap” has at its core a shortfall in the provision of funds, and that bridging it will require predictable and accessible finance. 

Pacific island nations launched a similar call, arguing there is “a treaty obligation” that developing countries, including themselves, will effectively implement commitments depending on the finance and technology made available by developed nations.

To close this gap, the EU made a proposal at preliminary talks in Nairobi in August to expand the base of donors so that richer developing countries could voluntarily assume donor responsibilities. Saudi Arabia and Qatar rejected the idea, while China said this should not weaken the responsibility of developed nations.

Pre-COP draws attention to Pacific’s climate plight and 1.5C goal

Wealthy governments have yet to meet a target to provide $20bn per year in international public finance for nature protection by 2025, reaching only about $16bn annually from 2023 to 2025, according to an OECD report. By 2030, the GBF aims for developed countries to directly transfer $30bn per year, and mobilise $200bn from all sources, while switching an additional $500bn in support for damaging to beneficial activities.

The UN report released on Thursday shows even slower progress on that aim of redirecting harmful subsidies such as those which encourage the overuse of fertilisers and the production and consumption of new fossil fuels, and below-market fees that encourage overfishing. UN Environment estimates that for every dollar spent protecting nature, $30 goes on destroying it.

UN biodiversity chief Astrid Schomaker told journalists in Yerevan that “if you hear there is no finance, please do not believe it” because economies are continuing to grow. “It is being spent on activities that harm the economy rather than those that work with nature and sustain life on this planet,” she said.

Guterres said developed countries tend to say they are grappling with budget constraints due to increased defence expenditure, which “in my view does not justify a reduction” in international aid. He added that existing resources can be multiplied if they are used to mobilise private capital.

Campaigners, companies and the Armenian government want to shift the needle on this situation at COP17 by highlighting how positive subsidies help restore biodiversity. They will launch a flagship call to action that will be taken forward by countries and groups working to reform damaging incentives.

Nature-based solutions may include restoring and conserving coral reefs and mangrove belts to enhance resilience to coastal flooding and sea level rise. (Photo: NPS Climate Change Response) Global review: the main act

The Global Review of Collective Progress – a bit like the Global Stocktake for climate action – is set to be the most important outcome from COP17, and it will be the first time this process unfolds at the biodiversity talks. The actions decided in Yerevan will respond to the gaps outlined in the State of Biodiversity Action report and determine whether countries can turn the tide of biodiversity loss this decade.

Overall, the report shows that while countries have taken action to address all 23 targets in the GBF, none “present a fully positive picture”. A target to strengthen the resilience of ecosystems to climate impacts is the only one with high relative progress, the report says, as government have already made effective interventions that show “a positive trend”.

The report assessed each country’s national targets, which define their contribution to the global goals, as well as their separate National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plans (NBSAPs) outlining how they will achieve the national targets.

But it does not paint a complete picture, since at the cut-off date, only 89 NBSAPs and national targets from 162 countries had been submitted, leaving out a couple of dozen plans that arrived late. Pacific island nations said this might undercount commitments.

Many of those lacking an NBSAP are biodiversity-rich developing countries, which say they need financial and technical support to fully develop these plans. Some large nations pending an NBSAP include South Africa, Bolivia and Russia.

Since the GBF was agreed in 2022, governments have mostly focused on developing their biodiversity targets and plans, while the lion’s share of implementation is expected to happen towards the end of the decade, according to UN biodiversity chief Schomaker.

But O’Donnell said “accelerated political ambition” is still needed to improve commitments and translate them into effective protection on the ground or at sea. 

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