Adriano Espaillat

Espaillat, Lofgren, and Wyden Lead Congressional Efforts to Close Data Broker Loophole | Rep. Adriano Espaillat

Position: The release expresses support for an amendment prohibiting federal law enforcement agencies from purchasing personal data of U.S. residents and travelers from data brokers, citing Fourth Amendment protections and concerns about government surveillance.

WASHINGTON, DC — Representative Adriano Espaillat (NY-13), Representative Zoe Lofgren (CA-18), and Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) applaud the House Appropriations Committee’s recent adoption of Congressman Espaillat’s amendment to close the data broker loophole. The amendment, which received bipartisan support, prohibits the FBI, DEA, U.S. Marshals, and ATF from using taxpayer dollars to purchase the personal data of those living or traveling in the United States. The Espaillat amendment is derived from the Fourth Amendment is Not For Sale Act, bipartisan legislation authored by Rep. Lofgren, Senator Wyden, and Republican colleagues. Adoption of the amendment will deliver substantive protections to millions of residents and travelers in the United States, whose data have been purchased from third party vendors through the Data Broker Loophole and subsequently used by the Trump Administration to target immigrants, political opponents, among others. “Now more than ever in our digitally connected society, it is critical that our personal information remains protected and not easily accessible or sold to federal agents to further President Trump’s targeted attacks against immigrant communities and political opponents,” said Rep. Espaillat. “Adoption of my amendment was a major, bipartisan victory that will further the shared momentum in support of new, strengthened protections around our private data.” "We must prevent intelligence agencies from purchasing our data to get around the 4th Amendment," Rep. Lofgren said. "Our digital data opens a window into the most sensitive areas of our private life, and it's critical that Congress protects Americans' right to privacy. I thank Congressman Espaillat for introducing our legislation as an amendment, and I thank the House Appropriations Committee for protecting Americans' civil liberties." “Congressman Espaillat deserves a lot of credit for putting on a full court press to pass this amendment and secure commonsense protections for Americans’ rights,” said Sen. Wyden. “I’m proud to be working with Representatives Espaillat and Lofgren to stop Donald Trump from abusing personal data and end-run the Fourth Amendment. It is long past time for Congress to crack down on shady data brokers and government purchases of sensitive data without any court oversight.”

Espaillat and Menendez Plan Wellness and Oversight Visit to Delaney Hall Detention Center | Rep. Adriano Espaillat

WASHINGTON, DC -- On Thursday, April 2, Congressman Adriano Espaillat (NY-13), Chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, and Congressman Rob Menendez (NJ-08) will visit the Delaney Hall Detention Facility in Newark, New Jersey, to conduct congressional oversight and assess the welfare and due process of Pastor Yeison Cortes Vazquez. The visit comes as Pastor Cortes Vazquez remains in ICE custody despite having no criminal record and deep ties to his faith community. His bond hearing is scheduled for later in the day. The Members will be joined by faith leaders, underscoring the moral urgency of the situation and concerns from national advocates regarding the detention of a minister during a sacred period. WHO: Representative Adriano Espaillat, Chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) Representative Rob Menendez (NJ-08) Rev. Dr. Gabriel Salguero Rev. Dan Mendez Rev. Enid Almanza Local & National Advocates WHAT: Oversight & Wellness Visit/ Press Conference at Delaney Hall Detention WHEN: Thursday, April 2nd at 10:00 a.m. EDT WHERE: Delaney Hall Detention Facility 451 Doremus Avenue Newark, NJ 07105 # # # Representative Espaillat is the first Dominican American to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives and his congressional district includes Harlem, East Harlem, West Harlem, Hamilton Heights, Washington Heights, Inwood, Marble Hill and the north-west Bronx. First elected to Congress in 2016, Representative Espaillat is serving his fifth term in Congress. Representative Espaillat currently serves as a member of the influential U.S. House Committee on Appropriations responsible for funding the federal government’s vital activities and serves as Ranking Member of the Legislative Branch Subcommittee of the committee during the 119th Congress. He is Chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC), a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC), and serves as a Senior Whip of the Democratic Caucus. To find out more about Rep. Espaillat, visit online at https://espaillat.house.gov/. Media inquiries: Candace Person at Candace.Person@mail.house.gov

Ranking Member Espaillat Denounces House Republicans Bill to Further Trump Administration Corruption | Rep. Adriano Espaillat

Position: The release opposes the House Republicans' 2027 Legislative Branch funding bill, arguing that it weakens government oversight by cutting GAO funding and eliminating over 1,000 jobs, undermines congressional checks on executive power, and fails to allow DACA recipients to work in the Legislative Branch.

WASHINGTON — Today, House Appropriations Committee Republicans released their 2027 Legislative Branch funding bill, which weakens government oversight and aids and abets President Trump in continuing to steal money promised to the middle class, working class, and vulnerable Americans. For 2027, the bill includes a total of $5.4 billion, a decrease of $125 million or 2 percent, below 2026. This total excludes the Senate items. The legislation: Opens the door to more corruption within the Trump administration by weakening government oversight, slashing funding for the nonpartisan Government Accountability Office (GAO) and eliminating over 1,000 jobs critical to eliminating waste and abuse of taxpayer dollars. Allows President Trump to continue to steal money promised to the American taxpayer by weakening checks on the unlawful withholding of funds. Does nothing to allow Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients to work in the Legislative Branch. “Investing in our legislative branch is investing in the foundation of our democracy. Unfortunately, this funding bill makes a devastating cut to the Government Accountability Office, a vital information-gathering agency that Members rely on and guardian of taxpayer dollars,” Legislative Branch Appropriations Subcommittee Ranking Member Adriano Espaillat (D-NY-13) said. “This bill also does nothing to reaffirm Congress’ power of the purse in the wake of continued executive overreach. I hope that through the markup process, we can put together a bill that adequately responds to the needs of the legislative branch agencies that keep Congress, and democracy, afloat.” “With their bill to fund the Legislative Branch, House Republicans have once again chosen to allow President Trump to steal money promised to communities across the country,” Appropriations Committee Chair Rosa DeLauro (D-CT-03) said. “The Government Accountability Office (GAO) is one of our most valuable tools to improve efficiency and effectiveness across the government. It is astonishing that, for all the talk about finding and rooting out waste, fraud, and abuse, that House Republicans would cut resources for the watchdog that is tasked with precisely that role. Their bill would eliminate over 1,000 GAO jobs and prevent it from fully protecting Congress’s power of the purse. Their bill also does nothing to allow Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients to work in the Legislative Branch despite bipartisan efforts to change this restrictive policy. Republicans need to reconsider their strategy and join Democrats to support the work the American people elected us to do.” A summary of House Republicans’ 2027 Legislative Branch funding bill is here. The full text of the bill is here. In keeping with longstanding practice whereby each chamber of Congress determines its own housekeeping requirements and the other concurs without intervention, the bill does not include funds for the Senate or Senate office buildings. The subcommittee markup will be webcast live and linked from the House Committee on Appropriations website. ### Representative Espaillat is the first Dominican American to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives and his congressional district includes Harlem, East Harlem, West Harlem, Hamilton Heights, Washington Heights, Inwood, Marble Hill and the north-west Bronx. First elected to Congress in 2016, Representative Espaillat is serving his fifth term in Congress. Representative Espaillat currently serves as a member of the influential U.S. House Committee on Appropriations responsible for funding the federal government’s vital activities and serves as Ranking Member of the Legislative Branch Subcommittee of the committee during the 119th Congress. He is Chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC), a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC), and serves as a Senior Whip of the Democratic Caucus. To find out more about Rep. Espaillat, visit online at https://espaillat.house.gov/. Media inquiries: Candace Person at Candace.Person@mail.house.gov