Rep. Tokuda to Hold Town Halls Statewide

Hawaiʻi – This week, U.S. Representative Jill Tokuda (HI-02) will begin a series of town halls in every county of Hawaiʻi.

Rep. Tokuda will discuss policies affecting Hawaiʻi, address concerns about the Trump administration, and answer questions from community members.

Waimea (Hawaiʻi Island)

SATURDAY, JANUARY 31, 2026

Parker School Gymnasium

10am to 11am

Please RSVP at bit.ly/waimeatownhall

Līhuʻe

SATURDAY, FEBURARY 7, 2026

Elsie H. Wilcox Elementary School Cafeteria

10am to 11am

Please RSVP at bit.ly/lihuetownhall

Wahiawā

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2026

Wahiawā Elementary School Cafeteria

7pm to 8pm

Please RSVP at bit.ly/wahiawatownhall26

The town hall in Maui County will be announced soon. For more information regarding Rep. Tokuda’s town halls, please visit the Events section on her website at tokuda.house.gov.

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Representative Tran, Veterans in Congress Demand ICE and CBP Stand Down

Washington, DC – Today, U.S. Representative Derek Tran (CA-45) joined 14 fellow Veterans in Congress to call for a stand down of ICE and CBP interior operations following the second killing by federal agents of an American citizen in Minnesota.

Representative Tran, along with Representatives Ted Lieu (CA-36), Salud Carbajal (CA-24), Gil Cisneros (CA-31), Herb Conaway (NJ-03), Jason Crow (CO-06), Chris Deluzio (PA-17), Maggie Goodlander (NH-02), Chrissy Houlahan (PA-06), Seth Moulton (MA-06), Jimmy Panetta (CA-19), Pat Ryan (NY-18), Bobby Scott (VA-03), Mike Thompson (CA-04), and Eugene Vindman (VA-07), issued the following statement:

“As veterans, we are outraged and horrified by the killing of a second civilian in Minneapolis by federal agents in less than three weeks. Border Patrol agents shot and killed 37-year-old American citizen Alex Pretti, an ICU nurse at a VA hospital. Video footage and eyewitness accounts of this incident are deeply disturbing and raise serious questions about the use of force.

“This tragic killing comes on the heels of the fatal shooting of Renée Good earlier this month, and multiple other documented incidents of civil-rights abuses and excessive enforcement by ICE and CBP in Minnesota - demonstrating a pattern of misconduct that has fractured trust and terrified communities.

“In the military, when preventable deaths occur, leaders stand down operations to review/change policies, reassess missions, retrain personnel, and implement stronger safety protocols. The Department of Homeland Security must do no less. Our communities are less safe, and tensions have reached a boiling point.

“For these reasons, we call for an immediate stand down of ICE and CBP interior enforcement operations and demand the resignation of the Secretary of Homeland Security. Current leadership has failed to protect civil liberties, ensure accountability, or maintain the public trust.

“We also demand full, transparent, independent investigations into these deaths and abuses, and decisive steps to prevent further civilian killings at the hands of federal agents.”

Representative Tran continues to closely monitor ICE activity across LA and Orange Counties and has cosponsored legislation to place checks on ICE’s conduct, including:

H.R. 4176, the No Secret Police Act, to prohibit ICE agents from wearing non-tactical face coverings while on duty;

H.R. 5973, The Stop Excessive Force in Immigration Act, to scale back the level of force permissible in immigration operations;

H.R. 3172, The ICE Visibility Act, to require agents to clearly identify themselves as such when interacting with the public;

H.R. 5653, the Trust Through Transparency Act, to require all ICE officials to wear body cameras when interacting with the public in immigration enforcement operations.

Tran voted against H.R. 7147, the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act of 2026, which provides funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) without necessary oversight reforms to ensure the agency operates according to common-sense legal boundaries – including preventing U.S. citizens from being detained or deported. On June 12, 2025, Representative Tran, alongside Representatives Gil Cisneros (CA-31) and George Whitesides (CA-27), sent a letter to U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth demanding answers regarding the deployment of armed forces to Los Angeles. During a recent House Armed Services Committee hearing, Tran pressed Secretary Hegseth on the militarized response to domestic protests and lack of coordination with state and local law enforcement to keep those community members who are exercising their First Amendment rights safe. Tran, joined by Representatives Cisneros and Judy Chu (CA-28), alsoled a letter to U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons condemning the agencies for unlawfully denying their entry to the Adelanto ICE Processing Facility during a statutorily-protected oversight visit conducted on June 8, 2025.

Since taking office in January 2025, Tran’s office has opened over 230 cases to assist constituents related to the adjudication of their immigration status with federal agencies.

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Congressman Derek Tran represents California’s 45th Congressional District. Serving his first term in Congress, Congressman Tran is a member of the House Armed Services Committee and House Small Business Committee, where he is Ranking Member of the Oversight, Investigations, and Regulations Subcommittee. Congressman Tran is the son of Vietnamese refugees, a Veteran, and fought for consumers as an attorney before entering Congress.


Rep. Gabe Vasquez Secures an Additional $9.9 Million in Community Project Funding for Public Safety and Infrastructure Improvements in New Mexico

January 26, 2026

WASHINGTON, D.C. – On January 26, 2026, U.S. Representative Gabe Vasquez (NM-02) announced that he had secured $9.9 million in federal Community Project Funding for New Mexico under the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development appropriations bill. A total of eight additional projects tackling issues from water infrastructure to health and safety will be funded through this bill after years of Rep. Vasquez’s advocacy. In total, Rep. Vasquez secured all fifteen projects he fought for valued at $16,605,000 for New Mexico’s 2nd Congressional District during the FY2026 appropriations cycle.

“My goal is always to make real changes that improve the lives of New Mexicans, and this funding will do just that,” said Vasquez. “These projects are going to make communities from Acoma to Anthony to Albuquerque safer and stronger with upgrades to our roads, wastewater infrastructure, parks, police stations, and senior housing.”

The funding that Rep.Vasquez secured in the Transportation bill will yield the following community improvements:

$250,000 for the Sunland Park Drive Intersection Phase 1 project in the City of Sunland Park to enact the full reconstruction of the Sunland Park Drive and Futurity Drive intersection to improve safety and traffic flow.

$2.5 million for Anthony Wastewater Treatment Plant Improvements to expand the treatment plant’s operational capacity to accommodate Anthony’s community growth by refurbishing infrastructure and equipment.

$2.9 million for the Acoma Senior Housing Repairs Project to fix seniors’ homes on Acoma Pueblo, including installing indoor plumbing, adding ramps and railing, and mending roofs.

$2 million for the Westside Emergency Housing Center Improvement Project in the City of Albuquerque to address critical infrastructure needs and ADA accessibility for vulnerable adults.

$250,000 for the Carlsbad Police Department Renovation Project to renovate the Police Department’s Main Station, performing infrastructure upgrades to accommodate essential technology equipment.

$850,000 for the Las Cruces Innovation Park Expansion Project to upgrade road and utility extensions for the park to bring in more local and international businesses.

$660,000 for the Creation of the Community of Hope De-Escalation Office in the City of Las Cruces to upgrade a dedicated space for service connection and de-escalation.

$500,000 for the South Valley Commercial Corridor Revitalization project to revitalize underserved commercial corridors in Barelas, South Downtown, and the South Valley to ensure local businesses can thrive and grow.

Vasquez previously secured the following projects for New Mexico’s 2nd Congressional District during the FY2026 appropriations cycle:

$1.06 million for the Albuquerque Crime Center Upgrades Project to expand Albuquerque’s public safety camera network and strengthen its integration with the Real Time Crime Center, helping officers access critical information in real time. These upgrades would support faster emergency response, improve crime prevention, and make neighborhoods safer by giving law enforcement better tools to address violent and property crime.

$500,000 for Bernalillo County Public Safety Technology Upgrades to upgrade public safety technology and training systems used by the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office to help deputies respond more effectively to crime. Modern tools and improved training would support faster investigations, stronger preparedness, and safer communities for residents across the county.

$1.09 million for the Belen Wastewater Treatment Facility to upgrade Belen’s aging wastewater treatment facility to keep pace with population growth and reduce risks to public health and the environment. The improvements would help prevent system failures, protect local water resources, and ensure reliable wastewater service for residents now and in the future.

$1.09 million for the Clancy Lift Station Replacement to replace failing wastewater infrastructure at the Clancy Lift Station to prevent sewage backups and protect public health in Truth or Consequences. The upgrades would help ensure reliable service for homes and the New Mexico State Veterans’ Home while safeguarding nearby waterways and the Rio Grande watershed.

$1.09 million for the Ramah Navajo Drinking Water Improvement projectto renovate Ramah Navajo’s only drinking water system, replacing decades-old pipes and infrastructure that have caused frequent water breaks and contamination risks. The upgrades would ensure reliable access to clean, safe drinking water for Tribal families and support the long-term health and sustainability of the community.

$850,000 for the Frontier Food Hub Workforce Training Center to serve as the only training infrastructure of its kind across the rural, geographically isolated Catron, Grant, Hidalgo, and Luna counties.

$1 million for the Mesilla Town Hall to build a dedicated boardroom for local stakeholders and community leaders to publicly and transparently convene with local government officials, ultimately leading to more informed and representative governance. Designed to host everything from town meetings and public forums to educational workshops, this new space will anchor civic engagement and strengthen community life.

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Rep. Vasquez Votes to Protect Pregnant Students’ Access to Care and Resources, Upholding Pro-Choice Record

WASHINGTON, D.C. – On January 22, 2026, U.S. Representative Gabe Vasquez (NM-02) upheld his pro-choice voting record by rejecting a bill that would strip federal funding from colleges and universities that ensure pregnant students receive full and accurate information about their health care options under Title IX.

“Abortion is health care, and every woman must have the right to make her own health care decisions,” said Rep. Vasquez. “MAGA extremists are hellbent on taking away this fundamental right, this time by limiting students’ ability to understand all their options. Let’s get back to addressing the soaring costs facing families in this country and focus on health care solutions, not more barriers to access.”

Rep. Vasquez is firmly committed to protecting reproductive freedom in this country and has consistently voted to protect women’s right to make their own health care decisions in consultation with their doctors and their faith, including:

Rep. Vasquez championed the Right to Contraception Act (H.R. 999), which safeguards an individual’s right to access and use contraceptives and ensures health care providers can offer contraception and related services without political interference.

Rep. Vasquez supported the Women’s Health Protection Act (H.R. 12), which prohibits government-imposed restrictions on abortion care and protects access to reproductive health services nationwide.

Rep. Vasquez backed H.Res. 238, which affirms that every person has a basic right to emergency health care – including abortion care – and reinforces federal protections so patients and doctors can make lifesaving decisions without fear or confusion.

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Vindman Releases Statement on the Death of Alex Pretti

Vindman Calls on Secretary Hegseth to Resign After Hearing From More Than 3,000 Virginians Concerned About War with Iran

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vindman, mackenzie lead bipartisan bill to improve coordination, threat mitigation ahead of fifa world cup & 2028 summer olympics

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Vindman Introduces Bill to Restore Crucial Funding for Sickle Cell Disease Research

Washington, D.C. — U.S. Representative Eugene Vindman (Va.-07) introduced legislation to restore staff and funding...

Vindman, Walkinshaw demand answers on uscis processing delays affecting ukrainians seeking humanitarian parole & work authorization requests

Washington, D.C. — U.S. Representatives Eugene Vindman (Va.-07) and James Walkinshaw (Va.-11) led a letter to U.S....

Vindman, Pfluger, & Baumgartner Introduce Legislation to Protect Americans and Combat Deadly Nitazenes

Washington, D.C. — U.S. Representatives Eugene Vindman (D-Va.-07), August Pfluger (R-Texas-11), Michael Baumgartner...

Vindman and McClain Delaney Introduce Two Bills to Address Agricultural Conservation Workforce Shortages

Washington, D.C. — Congressman Eugene Vindman (Va.-07) and Congresswoman April McClain Delaney (Md.-06) introduced...

Vindman Joins Congressional Amicus Brief Supporting Veterans’ Access to Education Benefits

Washington, D.C. — Congressman Eugene Vindman (D-Va.-07) joined U.S. Senators Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Mark R. Warner...

HUGE MILESTONE: Vindman’s Office Returns $5.1 Million in Backlogged Dollars to Constituents

Washington, D.C. — Congressman Eugene Vindman (Va.-07) today announced that his office has now returned more than...

Vindman Delivers Whopping $1 Million Federal Investment to Build Pedestrian Bridge in Prince William County

Washington, D.C. — On Tuesday, March 10, Congressman Eugene Vindman (Va.-07) joined local leaders in Prince William...

Vindman Celebrates Funding Secured for the Northern Virginia Community College Woodbridge Campus HVAC Program

Washington, D.C. — On Tuesday, March 10, Congressman Eugene Vindman (Va.-07) joined Northern Virginia Community...

ICYMI: Vindman Delivers $1,200,000 in Federal Funding for Quantico Creek Flood Mitigation project

Washington, D.C. — On Tuesday, March 10, Congressman Eugene Vindman (Va.-07) joined local leaders to...


Webster Highlights Major Tax Relief as 2026 Filing Season Begins

Washington, D.C. — As the 2026 tax filing season officially begins, Florida Congressman Daniel Webster, R-Clermont, highlights major tax relief provisions taking effect this year as a result of the Working Families Tax Cuts.

“Last summer, I voted to pass the Working Families Tax Cuts to put middle- and working-class Americans first by delivering the largest tax cut in history,” said Rep. Webster. “These reforms help Americans at every stage of life keep more of their hard-earned money while making our tax code simpler.”

The Working Families Tax Cuts includes several key provisions taking effect for the first time this filing season:

Enhanced Standard Deduction: Millions of working- and middle-class Americans now benefit from a higher standard deduction, reducing their tax burden and simplifying the filing process.

Additional Tax Relief for Seniors: Seniors age 65 and older receive an additional $6,000 in tax relief, helping those on fixed incomes.

No Tax on Tips and Overtime: Service workers and hourly employees can now keep more of their earnings from tips and overtime pay.

Expanded Child Tax Credit and Trump Savings Account: Families receive $2,200 per child and gain access to a new tax-advantaged savings account to invest in their children’s future.

No Tax on Auto Loan Interest: Americans may deduct up to $10,000 in interest paid on qualified auto loans, easing the cost of transportation for working families.

“These common-sense reforms reward work, support families, and honor our commitment to seniors,” Webster added. “I will continue to fight alongside President Trump to put the American people first.”

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Blumenthal Statement on Murder of VA Nurse Alex Pretti

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Ranking Member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, released a statement on the murder of Alex Pretti, a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Intensive Care Unit nurse who worked at the Minneapolis VA Medical Center.

“I am deeply saddened and outraged by the tragic death of Alex Pretti— a VA nurse who served Minnesota veterans in one of the most demanding VA health care jobs. He loved his job, his family, and his country. He was on the streets of Minneapolis Saturday morning peacefully protesting brutal, illegal ICE policies. My thoughts are with his family, friends, and coworkers at this painful moment. Alex’s service at VA deserves to be honored and elevated.

“Congress must demand an independent investigation immediately. We need bipartisan calls for justice—now.”

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Boozman Joins Colleagues to Introduce Life at Conception Act

WASHINGTON— U.S. Senator John Boozman (R-AR) joined Senator Mike Rounds (R-SD) and 10 of their Republican colleagues to introduce the Life at Conception Act, legislation to legally recognize the right to life by extending 14th amendment protections to unborn children.

The Life at Conception Act clarifies in statute that the right to life guaranteed by the Constitution is vested in each human being at all stages of life. This is defined as the moment of conception, or any other moment at which an individual comes into being.

Boozman has long advocated the protection of the unborn and upholding the dignity of every life. He has an A+ rating from Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America and has consistently been recognized for his support of pro-life legislation such as the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act, the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act and the Parental Notification and Intervention Act. The senator strongly backs efforts to prohibit the use of taxpayer-funded abortion or as a basis for discrimination against babies diagnosed with conditions such as Down Syndrome.

“The life of every human has inherent value and is worthy and deserving of care, attention and protection,” said Boozman. “I am pleased to continue standing up for the unborn through this important bill and additional measures that ensure our laws recognize and defend the most vulnerable.”

“Life at all stages is a gift from God and should be treated with dignity,” said Rounds. “The Life at Conception Act would protect the right to life in the Constitution to human beings at all stages, including in the womb. I’m pleased to be leading this legislation in the Senate with the support of my colleagues to protect the sanctity of human life.”

The legislation is cosponsored by Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), John Kennedy (R-LA), Roger Wicker (R-MS), Tommy Tuberville (R-AL), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Bill Hagerty (R-TN), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Jim Banks (R-IN), John Hoeven (R-ND) and Steve Daines (R-MT).

“For more than twenty years, members of the National Pro-Life Alliance have championed the Life at Conception Act,” said President at National Pro-Life Alliance Martin Fox. “The Life at Conception Act reaffirms the original intention of the writers of the 14th Amendment by declaring that the word ‘person’ includes all persons from the moment of conception.

“The Life at Conception Act affirms a simple, foundational truth backed by science and designed by God –– from the moment of conception, a unique human life is formed,” said Vice President of Government Affairs at Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America Marilyn Musgrave. “Our laws should recognize the dignity, humanity, and inherent worth of every unborn child.”

“Recognizing that a unique human being begins at the moment of conception, the Life at Conception Act implements equal protection for every human being from their first moments of existence,” said President of Students for Life Action & Students for Life of America Kristan Hawkins. “What makes this measure the gold standard for recognizing the value of every life is the acknowledgement that the legal rights of preborn children are rooted in the 14th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States.

“The Declaration of Independence stated that all people have a fundamental right to life; it is time for Congress to recognize that that truth extends to children in the womb,” said CEO and President of Concerned Women for America Legislative Action Committee Penny Nance. “The Life at Conception Act declares what most Americans believe and what science has long known —that life begins at conception and, therefore, preborn babies are entitled to the protection offered by the 14th Amendment. Concerned Women for America Legislative Action Committee is proud to endorse this legislation that affirms and protects the unique dignity of every life.”

Bill text is available here.


Cassidy Defends Unborn at Louisiana Life March South

WASHINGTON –U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) marched with pro-life advocates at the Louisiana Life March South in Baton Rouge. At a rally afterwards, he thanked those present for their efforts and mentioned his work to stop the spread of dangerous chemical abortion drugs.

“Because of the people marching today, Louisiana now protects unborn life,” said Dr. Cassidy. “Together, we will continue supporting mothers and their babies and protect them from chemical abortion drugs.”

As Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, Cassidy recently led a hearing on protecting women and unborn children from dangerous chemical abortion drugs. Cassidy insisted that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration reestablish rules that require doctors to see mothers in person to verify they’re not being forced to have an abortion against their will. He also called for a safety review to be conducted on mifepristone by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Additionally, Cassidy received an A+ rating from the Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America’s 2025 National Pro-Life Scorecard.

Cassidy was thanked for championing the lives of the unborn and their mothers by Mr. Benjamin Clapper, Executive Director of Louisiana Right to Life.

“We are grateful that Senator Cassidy is marching for life with us,” said Mr. Clapper. “We appreciate his leadership in the Senate, especially through holding the recent hearing on the dangers of abortion pills being sold online and shipped through the mail.”

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Protecting Our Future by Remembering Our Past

The late British Prime Minister Winston Churchill once said, “Those that fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.” As the leader of one of America’s closest allies who fought against the Nazis just three generations ago, his words are a powerful reminder that even the darkest stories in our history books are at risk of repeating themselves if we fail to heed their lessons. This month is a great opportunity to do just that as we mark the 81st anniversary of the liberation of the largest Nazi concentration camp, Auschwitz-Birkenau, on Jan. 27, what we now call “International Holocaust Remembrance Day.”

Some moments in history are difficult to reflect on, but as we look ahead to the future that we hope to build for the next generation, the past can serve as a guidepost of what we should seek to emulate – and what to never forget. Just over eight decades ago, thousands of Jewish prisoners were freed from Nazi persecution by Allied soldiers, and International Holocaust Remembrance Day is a chance to honor them and the millions of victims who lost their lives during the Holocaust.

As stewards of the great American experiment, it is our duty to protect the principles enshrined in the U.S. Constitution so our democracy will not crumble at the hands of those wishing to spread hate or oppress others. When the United States was established, freedom was of such great importance to our Founding Fathers that it was enshrined in our First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Freedom of religion is embedded so deeply in our way of life, we sometimes take it for granted. The Holocaust stands as a reminder that there are – to this day – those who would seek to deny their fellow countrymen these freedoms and thus, their very humanity.

While Houston and Dallas are home to the most Holocaust survivors in Texas, every corner of the Lone Star State has been affected directly or indirectly by the abhorrent acts committed by Nazi Germany and the resulting American involvement in World War II. This includes Texans who fought alongside other Allied troops and liberated hundreds of camps during World War II. Many of their stories are told in Texas’ Holocaust museums in Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio, along with related exhibits in museums across the state.

One such Texan’s story is that of Bill Orlin. Born in 1932 in Brok, Poland, Orlin was taken to a Nazi camp, where soldiers would make him march in the forest for hours until finally making him stop and stand in front of a machine gun for anywhere from 15 to 30 minutes. This was one of many traumatic experiences that Orlin had to endure while being in Nazi captivity. During the war, his family spent time in Uzbekistan, Ukraine, and Belarus, and attempted to go back to Poland. However, antisemitism was still prominent in his home country. His family eventually ended up moving to Houston when he was 16 years old. After being in the U.S. for 15 months, he was drafted into the Army and sent back to Germany to, as he says, “occupy” those who once “occupied” him.

I am proud that my father was a B-17 pilot in World War II. He was shot down on his 26th mission over Germany and was a prisoner of war (POW) in a German POW camp until he was freed by General Patton’s troops at the end of the war. However, his story is just one of hundreds of thousands of brave Texans who fought against the pure evil perpetrated by the Nazis.

Unfortunately, the end of World War II did not mean the end of antisemitism. After Hamas’ horrific attack on Israel on Oct. 7, I was invited to Temple Emanu-El to hear heartbreaking stories from North Texans who had family and friends who feared for their lives during the massacre. Make no mistake: there are still forces seeking to harm the Jewish people, and we must speak out against their hatred and violence.

Education plays a major role in ensuring history does not repeat itself. With antisemitism on the rise around the world, it has never been more important to spread awareness about the events that took place during the Holocaust and what the Jewish people had to endure for years before and during World War II. For the Jewish community, the Holocaust was not just a human tragedy that they or their ancestors lived through, it was outright attack on their belief system and their very humanity. We can never allow this type of attack to happen again.

Texas schools are doing their part to educate young Texans about what happened during the Holocaust. At Wylie High School in Abilene, Kendall Harrison, a Social Studies teacher, has been incorporating creative ways to teach her students about World War II and the tragedies of the Holocaust for years. One way she has done this is by taking her 11th graders on a gallery walk, made up of photos from World War II, so her students can visualize the events that took place during this time period.

We will never walk a mile in the shoes of a Jewish person living in Nazi Germany during 1941, and we will never know what it felt like to be taken from our homes and placed in a concentration camp, where millions faced unspeakable horrors. However, on International Holocaust Remembrance Day, we recognize, remember, and remind ourselves of the lessons of the Holocaust because we can never let history repeat itself.

Antisemitism has no place in the United States of America. On this International Holocaust Remembrance Day, we honor the millions of victims who were killed in the Holocaust, and we support and stand with those in the Jewish community who are still facing antisemitism throughout the world.


Working Families Tax Cuts Boost Tax Refunds

Washington, D.C.—With this year’s tax filing season beginning today, Americans are anticipating significant refunds due to the Working Families Tax Cuts advanced by U.S. Senate Finance Committee Chairman Mike Crapo (R-Idaho). Because key components of the law apply retroactively to 2025, the U.S. Department of the Treasury estimates tax refunds could total $100 billion for American families this year. And, according to the nonpartisan Joint Committee on Taxation (JCT), the largest proportional benefits of the tax relief are going to workers and families making less than $50,000.

“With these tax cuts, Republicans are delivering on our promise to make life more affordable for all Americans,” said Crapo. “By providing permanently lower tax rates and new, immediate tax relief, Americans will have more money in their pockets and more opportunities to get ahead—especially the low- and middle-income households that need it most.”

Key wins:

Permanent lower tax rates

Permanent increased standard deduction

No tax on tips for millions of tipped workers

No tax on overtime for millions of hourly employees

New $6,000 bonus tax deduction for seniors

Enhanced child care tax credit

Extended paid family and medical leave credit

New school choice tax credit

What they are saying:

“This consequential legislation cements the blue-collar boom and improves the lives of Americans on every rung of the economic ladder. As we saw after the passage of the 2017 Trump Tax Cuts, American businesses will hire, invest, and raise wages now that this Administration and the Republican Congress have delivered certainty and stability for the economy.” – U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent

“Since its passage, the TCJA has delivered meaningful economic gains for women, workers, families, and businesses—boosting take-home pay and driving the creation of millions of jobs across the economy. With the Working Families Tax Cuts. . . signed into law on July 4, 2025, these historic tax cuts are now permanent. The new law builds on the success of the TCJA by expanding support for working families, increasing take-home pay, and unlocking new job and economic opportunities for Americans nationwide.” – Carrie Sheffield, senior policy analyst at Independent Women’s Forum

Click HERE, HERE and HERE to see how the Working Families Tax Cuts are making life more affordable.

Click HERE to learn more about the Finance Committee provisions in the Working Families Tax Cuts.

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Durbin Leads Release Of GAO Report Recommending Improved Oversight Of Medical Care In CBP Custody

Lawmakers requested this report after a CBP whistleblower came forward alleging deficient medical care and oversight, as well as the death of an 8-year-old girl in custody

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, led a group of colleagues in releasing the Government Accountability Office’s (GAO) newly-completed report on systemic failures at U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) that resulted in years of deficient medical care.

The report was requested in December 2023 after the death of Anadith Danay Reyes Álvarez, an eight-year-old girl with sickle cell and congenital heart disease who died in CBP custody in Harlingen, Texas. The request also followed a CBP employee whistleblower disclosure alleging years of deficient medical care at CBP facilities and CBP’s failure to ensure proper oversight of that care. Since then, public reporting shows a system that is fragmented, under-supervised, and increasingly unsafe, especially as the Trump Administration continues its unpopular anti-immigrant agenda. The same contractor for medical services at issue in the CBP medical care investigation has the contract for medical services at Camp East Montana, a facility cited for violating medical care standards where several individuals have recently died.

The report, entitled “Southwest Border: CBP Should Improve Oversight of Medical Care for Individuals in Custody,” lays out how CBP has failed to ensure medically vulnerable individuals receive required care while in its custody, despite current policies in place. GAO found that although CBP adopted new measures following the May 2023 death of Anadith Danay Reyes Álvarez, the agency did not adequately monitor whether those policies were followed. GAO documented widespread failures to provide required medical assessments and monitoring for pregnant individuals, sick or injured adults, and other high-risk people, concluding that CBP lacks effective oversight to enforce its own medical standards. The report also found that vulnerable individuals are not consistently prioritized for expedited processing and are often held beyond 72 hours and that DHS has refused to establish clear criteria for who qualifies for quicker processing. In addition, GAO found that CBP has mismanaged its medical services contracts, leaving the agency unable to ensure adequate care or hold contractors accountable.

“The situation has long been dire for those in immigration detention. But with the onset of President Trump’s unpopular, inhumane anti-immigrant agenda, the urgency to reform oversight of medical care in CBP facilities is even more pressing. When human beings are in the government’s custody, we are responsible for ensuring they receive proper care. I urge CBP to aggressively implement these reforms and for Republicans in Congress to join Democrats in ensuring robust oversight of immigration detention facilities,” said Durbin.

In addition to Durbin, the report was requested by U.S. Representatives Bennie Thompson (D-MS-02), Robert Garcia (D-CA-42), Jamie Raskin (D-MD-08), Alexandria Ocasio Cortez (D-NY-14), and Teresa Leger Fernández (D-NM-03).

"CBP's persistent failure to provide basic care for the men, women, and children in its custody is unconscionable and incompatible with our nation’s laws and values. The findings detailed in this report are profoundly troubling. At a moment when the Trump Administration has dramatically intensified its extreme and deadly immigration enforcement tactics, Congress has an urgent and bipartisan obligation to exercise robust oversight of immigration detention facilities and ensure that fundamental standards of humanity and due process are being upheld,” said Raskin.

“The Democratic Women’s Caucus has sounded the alarmfor months on the egregious mistreatment of women in Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody. The murder of Renee Good by an ICE agent and the deportation of an eight-months-pregnant woman in medical distress this week are just a couple recent examples of their complete disregard for human life. CBP leaves pregnant women without critical medical exams, withholds prescriptions and medical records from individuals in their care, and neglects to follow its own procedures and care requirements. These offenses are inhumane, completely unacceptable, and should offend every American. We demand CBP immediately reform how they care for women in custody,” said Fernández.

The report made fourteen recommendations, of which CBP agreed to thirteen:

The CBP Commissioner should ensure that the Office of the Chief Medical Officer takes action, such as providing additional training or guidance, to ensure contracted medical personnel understand the difference between medical assessments and medical encounters, and reasons for the difference.

The CBP Commissioner should ensure that the Office of the Chief Medical Officer develops and implements an oversight mechanism to ensure individuals receive required medical assessments.

The CBP Commissioner should clearly document in policy or guidance the factors that CBP personnel should consider to determine an individual in custody is at-risk based on serious physical or mental injuries or illnesses for the purpose of expeditious processing under CBP's standards for short-term custody.

The CBP Commissioner should ensure that the Office of the Chief Medical Officer develops and implements an oversight mechanism for CBP and contracted medical personnel to ensure medically high-risk individuals in custody receive required medical care, including medical monitoring checks and red wristbands.

The CBP Commissioner should ensure that the Office of the Chief Medical Officer includes information in monitoring reports on individuals at facilities without contracted medical personnel to ensure they receive the medical care required under CBP guidance.

The CBP Commissioner should develop and implement a mechanism to ensure that individuals who had medical issues identified or addressed while in CBP custody have their medical summary forms any time they leave custody.

The CBP Commissioner should ensure that the Office of the Chief Medical Officer and the Office of Acquisition specify in any future medical services contracts, including bridge contracts, the minimum staffing level that CBP needs from the contractor.

The CBP Commissioner should ensure that the Office of the Chief Medical Officer and the Office of Acquisition establish a performance target in any future medical services contracts, including bridge contracts, to measure whether the medical services contractor is meeting minimum staffing levels.

The CBP Commissioner should ensure that the Office of the Chief Medical Officer performs a cost-benefit analysis of the medical services contract's scope of practice and staffing levels to compare the costs of providing nonemergency care through contracted medical personnel at CBP facilities to the costs of providing that care at a hospital or other local health system location and documents any resulting cost savings.

The CBP Commissioner should ensure that the Office of Acquisition conducts a lessons learned analysis on how it administered its medical services contracts, to include identifying and analyzing risk areas and applying corrective actions.

The CBP Commissioner should ensure that the Office of Acquisition, in coordination with the Office of the Chief Medical Officer, develops a contract administration plan for any future medical services contracts, including bridge contracts, to include roles and responsibilities and performance metrics.

The CBP Commissioner should ensure that task order monitors or their equivalents supporting any future medical services contracts, including bridge contracts, are certified at the same level as the primary contracting officer's representatives and appointed by the contracting officer.

The CBP Commissioner should ensure that the Office of Acquisition complies with the timing requirements to submit contractor past performance evaluations for any future medical services contracts at least annually and also at the end of the period of performance, consistent with the Federal Acquisition Regulation.

The CBP Commissioner should ensure that the Office of the Chief Medical Officer updates existing guidance that includes clear responsibilities for the Office of the Chief Medical Officer Medical Quality Division, including responsibilities to fully document action plans and track corrective actions for the quality assurance and sentinel event review elements of the MQM program.

Notably, CBP did not agree to the recommendation to clearly document in policy or guidance the factors that CBP personnel should consider to determine an individual in custody is at-risk based on serious physical or mental injuries or illnesses for the purpose of expeditious processing under CBP's standards for short-term custody, despite the Senate Judiciary Committee making a similar recommendation.

For a copy of the GAO report, click here.

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Durbin Statement On Announcement That Secretary Noem Will Testify Before The Senate Judiciary Committee On March 3

SPRINGFIELD – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, released the following statement regarding the announcement that U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem will finally testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee on March 3:

“Secretary Noem refused to appear before the Senate Judiciary Committee last year and now tells us that she will be available in five weeks—should she still be DHS Secretary at that time.

“With all of the violence and deaths involving DHS, the Secretary is apparently in no hurry to account for her mismanagement of this national crisis. And she expects us to rubber stamp her record-breaking budget in the meantime.”

Durbin has repeatedly called on Secretary Noem to testify in front of the Committee and urged Chairman Grassley to consider issuing a subpoena if she refused to appear. Durbin first called on Secretary Noem to testify last June, citing “…the Department of Homeland Security’s escalating use of alarming immigration enforcement practices.” During the Biden Administration, then-Chair Durbin held a DHS oversight hearing months into then-Homeland Security Secretary Mayorkas’ tenure.

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Fetterman Statement on Department of Homeland Security in Minnesota, Minibus Appropriations

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator John Fetterman (D-PA) released a statement responding to growing concerns over the Department of Homeland Security and the upcoming minibus appropriations vote:

“Ms. Good and Mr. Pretti should still be alive. My family grieves for theirs.

“The operation in Minneapolis should stand down and immediately end. It has become an ungovernable and dangerous urban theatre for civilians and law enforcement that is incompatible with the American spirit.

“As a very pro-immigration Democrat and Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Border Management, I believe our nation deserves a secured border and that we should deport all criminal migrants. I also believe there needs to be a path to citizenship for those hardworking families who are here.

“I’ve also spent significant time hearing many different positions on the funding bills and maintain that I will never vote to shut our government down, especially our Defense Department.

“Additionally, a vote to shut our government down will not defund ICE. DHS has $178B in funding from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which I did not vote for.

“I reject the calls to defund or abolish ICE. I strongly disagree with many strategies and practices ICE deployed in Minneapolis, and believe that must change.

“I want a conversation on the DHS appropriations bill and support stripping it from the minibus.

“It is unlikely that will happen and our country will suffer another shutdown.


Senator Gallego Travels to Taiwan to Strengthen Arizona–Taiwan Economic Ties

TAIWAN – Last week, Senator Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) traveled to Taiwan to strengthen Arizona–Taiwan economic ties and discuss trade, technology, and national security. Gallego previously led a bipartisan congressional delegation trip to Taiwan in 2018.

Senator Gallego took the inaugural nonstop flight from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport to Taipei on Wednesday.

On Friday, Senator Gallego met with President Lai Ching-te and Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim to discuss the deepening economic ties between Taiwan and Arizona. Arizona has the highest level of Taiwanese investment in the U.S., making it one of the country’s most significant overseas investment destinations, particularly in the semiconductor, aerospace, and information technology sectors.

During the meeting, Senator Gallego emphasized how Taiwan’s investments – especially in semiconductors – are transforming Arizona’s economy, strengthening domestic manufacturing, and supporting high-paying jobs in the state:

“It is a win-win for both of us. It’s certainly a win-win for Arizona. The amount of investment that is happening in Arizona right now from Taiwanese firms, especially TSMC is impressive. We Arizonans now travel the world, and we brag about this relationship, this investment. We are the envy of other states, and we want to continue to see that growth,” said Senator Gallego after the meeting. “I’ve spoken with many people here [to let them know] you have a dedicated Senate office to continue that growth, that collaboration, that is going to be both beneficial to Arizona [and] the United States, but we’ll also see that benefit coming back to Taiwan.”

Senator Gallego speaks with President Lai Ching-te (right)

“We also thank Senator Gallego for his active efforts to advance and support Taiwan-friendly legislation that strengthens bilateral cooperation, including initiatives to address issues such as double taxation. We look forward to continuing close cooperation with the United States across all areas to further deepen our bilateral partnership,” said a spokesperson for the President.

Senator Gallego meets with Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim

See media coverage below:

Reuters: Taiwan looks forward to more chip investment in Arizona, president says [1/23/26]

NTD News: Taiwan Looks Forward to More Chip Investment in Arizona [1/23/26]

Taiwan Plus News: Arizona Senator, Taiwan President Tout ‘Win-Win’ Business Deals [1/23/26]

Taiwan News: Arizona Senator Ruben Gallego meets Taiwan president [1/23/26]

Focus Taiwan: President urges rejection of China’s red lines, calls for Taiwan-U.S. tax pact [1/23/26]

Taiwan Today: President Lai receives US Sen. Gallego [1/26/26]

Taipei Times: Taiwan has bipartisan support in US, senator says [1/24/26]

Later in the day, Senator Gallego met with senior executives at TSMC to discuss the company’s significant role in Arizona’s economy, including the $165 billion to expand its production in Arizona.

Senator Gallego meets with TSMC senior executives

After the meeting, the Senator highlighted the importance of continuing to strengthen domestic semiconductor manufacturing to support U.S. economic competitiveness and national security:

“It’s an amazing collaboration. It really has drawn Arizona – and really the Southwest of the country – closer to Taiwan. It has also shown both the technological collaboration. Our local tech companies, our schools are all not really re-educating themselves to be ready for the jobs that TSMC is providing. Our local governments are now trying to figure out how to be more efficient so that way we can set up more of the industrial parks that that are necessary for the smaller suppliers. It’s also starting to create other collaborations among other techs – not just TSMC, not just in chips – but other companies are now looking at ways to collaborate more with Taiwan,” Senator Gallego said. “Arizona has been transformed because of Taiwan to be a top-tier state for tech. I think it’s going to be a joint benefit also to Taiwan.”

Gallego then met with leaders of Taiwan’s Legislative Yuan, including Vice President Chiang Chi-chen, Democratic Progressive Party legislator Chen Kuan-ting, and Taiwan People’s Party legislator Liu Shu-pin, to discuss trade and bilateral cooperation.

Senator Gallego with Legislative Yuan Vice President Chiang Chi-chen

Senator Gallego meets with members of Taiwan’s Legislative Yuan, including Vice President Chiang Chi-chen (center)

Senator Gallego also met with Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung, National Defense Minister Wellington Koo, and National Security Advisor Joseph Wu to discuss focused on regional security, U.S. support for Taiwan, and maintaining stability in the Indo-Pacific amid increasing pressure from China.

Senator Gallego has consistently fought for pro-Taiwan measures in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), including $1 billion for the Taiwan Security Cooperation Initiative in 2025.

Senator Gallego with Tawain’s National Defense Minister, Wellington Koo


Senator Gillibrand Statement On DHS Funding Bill

Today, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, issued the following statement on the DHS funding bill:

“At a time of rising costs on everything from health care premiums to groceries and utility bills, everyone in the federal government should be working together in a bipartisan way to bring down costs and improve the lives of Americans.

“Instead, President Trump shows every day that he is more interested in literally anything else — whether it is stealing Greenland, increasing costs on Americans through his reckless tariffs, decorating the White House, or blocking critical funding to our communities and small businesses.

“Most alarmingly, this administration has used DHS to terrorize and intimidate American citizens. Simply put, ICE and DHS are out of control. They openly lie to the American people, disregard our constitutional rights, and undermine the trust law enforcement must have to serve and protect the public.

“Separating children from families, pepper-spraying pastors, and disrupting local residents and small businesses is unacceptable. The murder of American citizens is intolerable. I cannot and will not support further funding of DHS without increased accountability and reform of the agency.

“A government shutdown is completely avoidable. Republicans must join Democrats in advancing the other five funding bills separately and then work in a bipartisan fashion to secure reasonable reforms to restore public safety and trust for any DHS funding bill to move forward.”

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Capitol Hill Report, 01-26-26

Audio from this afternoon’s call is available HERE.

Topics include: ICE enforcement in Minnesota, E15, the government funding deadline, prevented planting coverage, Greenland and tariffs.


Grassley Helps Restore Whistleblower Following Severe Retaliation at Biden ATF

WASHINGTON – Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), co-founder of the Senate Whistleblower Protection Caucus, has successfully secured new employment and a financial settlement for a whistleblower who was severely retaliated against by the Biden administration’s Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Whistleblower Afolabi Siwajuola came forward to report the ATF’s illegal misclassification scheme and improper hiring practices, which cost taxpayers at least $20 million. This is the 16th whistleblower resolution Grassley has successfully secured under President Trump’s second term so far.

“Mr. Siwajuola compared his experience as a whistleblower at the Biden ATF as ‘on the same level, and some days worse,’ than his time serving in the U.S. Army in Baghdad. I was proud to fight for him throughout this process, and I’m thankful for the Trump administration’s efforts, including current ATF leadership, to provide him the money and the employment opportunity he deserves,” Grassley said. “Our country owes a debt of gratitude to Mr. Siwajuola for his service as both a soldier and a whistleblower. I hope his courage in stepping forward encourages more patriotic men and women to speak out against waste, fraud and abuse.”

“I thank Senator Grassley for his unwavering support over the years. He truly is the patron saint of whistleblowers.” Siwajuola said.

As part of the Grassley-brokered agreement, at Siwajuola’s request, he will be transferred out of ATF to another Department of Justice component agency to a position at his current grade and pay scale. Siwajuola will also receive a financial settlement in the hundreds of thousands of dollars and a monetary employee recognition award in the thousands of dollars.

Siwajuola disclosed he suffered years of severe retaliation after reporting the Biden ATF for:

Illegally misclassifying human resources and admin positions as law enforcement;

Lowering the qualifying standards for ATF special agent and industry operations investigator applicants to meet the demands of a hiring surge; and

Pressuring ATF employees to approve certain applicants who failed to meet basic qualification requirements for special agent and industry operations investigator positions, especially applicants with relationships with past or current ATF employees.

Despite the Biden administration’s persistent retaliation against Siwajuola, the U.S. Office of Special Counsel (OSC) presented him with the 2023 Public Servant Award, highlighting his work to bring “light to ATF’s longstanding (and illegal) practice of deliberately misclassifying upper-level law enforcement positions.” In August 2025, OSC also recommended ATF provide Siwajuola a monetary award for his “significant contributions to uncovering—and thereby ending—long-standing, systemic violations of law resulting in millions of dollars in government waste.” After good faith negotiations with current ATF leadership, the ATF agreed to the terms Siwajuola sought.

In September 2025, Grassley called on the Trump DOJ and ATF to immediately halt all retaliation against Siwajuola, fully and fairly investigate Siwajuola’s whistleblower retaliation allegations, hold the bureaucrats who retaliated against Siwajuola accountable and follow OSC’s recommendation to reward Siwajuola for saving millions of taxpayer dollars.

Overview of Retaliation Against Siwajuola:

According to Siwajuola, Biden ATF officials – including former ATF Director Steven Dettelbach and former ATF Deputy Director Marvin Richardson – waged an internal campaign against him to ruin his career, reputation and livelihood as punishment for making legally protected whistleblower disclosures.

The retaliation against Siwajuola included ostracism, intimidation, negative performance reviews, demeaning comments, retaliatory investigations and demotions. The Biden administration also assigned Siwajuola to report to Ralph Bittelari, then-Chief of the ATF Human Resources Operations Division, who was one of the individuals Siwajuola reported for actively engaging in the misclassification scheme.

In June 2022, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) investigated alleged threats made against Siwajuola following his whistleblower disclosures. During an interview, an ATF witness told FBI agents that an ATF special agent had said Siwajuola had “a mark on his back.” Additionally, the ATF witness stated concerns that, if Grassley’s staff were to contact the witnesses and the witness spoke openly about the ATF, the witness would lose their job. The FBI referred the alleged threats to the ATF’s Internal Affairs Division (IAD) later that month, but Siwajuola alleges no one from IAD followed up with him about the investigation.

According to Siwajuola, the ATF IAD last year opened a retaliatory investigation into him after he declined to appoint an employee to a GS-14 Human Resources position which they weren’t qualified to hold.


Senator Hassan Statement on Government Funding Legislation

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH) released the following statement regarding legislation coming before the Senate this week to fund the Department of Homeland Security without measures to rein in ICE:

“Granite Staters and Americans have been clear: ICE’s actions under President Trump are not making our communities safer. The horrific videos of the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti by masked federal agents are undeniable evidence of an agency that urgently needs additional oversight and reform.

“I will vote against proceeding with this week’s bill to fund the Department of Homeland Security because ICE needs to significantly change the way it is conducting itself — and Congress should be doing everything it can to make sure that happens.

“It is now on Republicans in the Senate to listen to a majority of the American people — and their own constituents — and work in a bipartisan way to keep the government open and reform ICE. The Senate should vote on the other bipartisan government funding bills, and Speaker Johnson should call House members back to the Capitol to do the same.

“At the same time, we should come together in a bipartisan way to continue work on DHS funding. There are commonsense, straightforward measures that we can take to rein in ICE’s outrageous behavior, including ensuring that ICE agents wear body cameras, that people are being provided due process and are not arrested without a warrant, that American citizens are not being detained and targeted by ICE, and that ICE agents meet the basic professional standards that I know New Hampshire’s law enforcement officers are proud to uphold every day.

“Our immigration enforcement should be focused on removing violent undocumented criminals and others who pose a serious threat to our communities. President Trump has instead caused a confrontation with local law enforcement in states across the country that is making us less safe, and it needs to stop.”


Albuquerque Journal: Heinrich and Luján say they will vote against DHS funding without oversight, transparency

New Mexico’s U.S. senators are two of a slew of Democrats saying they won’t vote for annual funding for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security after a federal law enforcement officer fatally shot a Minneapolis man over the weekend — the second fatal shooting by federal agents in the city this month.

“With multiple deadly shootings of American citizens by federal agents in Minnesota and no accountability, I will not support an appropriations bill that funds DHS without real oversight, transparency, and consequences,” Sen. Ben Ray Luján, D-N.M., said in a statement.

The senator called for a full and independent investigation of the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti, and the resignation or firing of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Stephen Miller, White House deputy chief of staff for policy and homeland security.

The annual appropriation for DHS was passed in the House last week, then packaged with five other appropriations bills before being sent to the Senate. If the appropriations package is not passed by the end of the month, it could trigger a partial government shutdown.

“I will not vote to fund the lawlessness of DHS, not by itself and not packaged with other funding bills,” Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., said in a statement. “We need major reforms at DHS, and we need them now.”

New Mexico Republican Party Chair Amy Barela was critical of not funding DHS and called for elected officials to “tone down the rhetoric against law enforcement.”

“Them taking out any kind of law enforcement funding, it essentially is (undermining) and taking away the authority (of) and vilifying the law enforcement,” Barela said. “We have to support law enforcement and what they're doing to protect all of our American citizens.”

Pretti was killed by a Border Patrol officer on Saturday, sparking protests and vigils across the country, including in Albuquerque and Las Cruces. The shooting came a little more than two weeks after a DHS agent shot Renee Good on Jan. 7, which put the city on edge and led to multiple demonstrations.

Shortly after the Pretti shooting, Noem said Pretti “brandished” a gun at federal officers before he was shot, something that cannot be seen in video of the incident. Pretti appeared to have been disarmed before the shooting. He had a concealed carry permit.

President Donald Trump took a more restrained tone in an interview with the Wall Street Journal Sunday, saying his administration was reviewing the shooting. On Monday, the White House announced border czar Tom Homan will oversee Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations in Minnesota.

Assigning blame before an investigation begins has been a theme within the Trump administration, said Joshua Kastenberg, a University of New Mexico law professor. As an example, he pointed to the 2025 D.C. plane and helicopter crash when the president and administration officials quickly blamed diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives for the incident.

“The most protected form of speech that we as citizens are supposed to have is speech critical of the government and demonstrations that are critical of the government and the administration's narrative fails to respect that fundamental right, and to me, that's unprecedented in our lifetime,” Kastenberg said.

When it comes to ICE operations, retired constitutional law professor Peter Kierst is also concerned about freedom of speech. Kierst still teaches constitutional law powers at UNM.

“To gather and to protest, to chant, to have their say about how ICE is going about their business is absolutely constitutionally protected,” Kierst said. “But ICE seems to regard it as offensive. The tear gas and the pepper sprays and the assaulting of people and the jumping on people, it's all to my mind, as a person who's studied the Constitution my entire life, they look out of control to me.”

New Mexico’s senators are not alone in the push to limit DHS funding. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., announced Monday that Senate Democrats are willing to speed up passing the five other appropriations bills to avoid a broader shutdown, according to The Hill reporting.

Even without annual appropriations, ICE has significantly more money this year than the agency had historically. The “One Big Beautiful Bill” passed last year included $75 billion over the next four years for ICE enforcement, operations and increased detention capacity. Typically the agency has an annual budget of $10 billion.

After an ICE agent fatally shot Renee Good while she was driving an SUV in Minneapolis earlier this month, Heinrich introduced a bill with five other Democrats to redirect that increased funding toward other law enforcement agencies. In response to Good’s death, New Mexico’s three House representatives backed a proposal to impeach DHS Secretary Noem.


Heinrich, Luján Demand Answers Over Trump Administration’s Plan to End Student Loan Repayment Program

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) joined 15 Senate Democrats to send a letter demanding answers from U.S. Department of Education Secretary Linda McMahon on the Trump Administration’s proposal to eliminate student loan repayment options for millions of Americans.

The senators’ letter comes after the Trump Administration’s Education Department reached a settlement with the State of Missouri to abandon the Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) Plan – an income-driven repaymentplan that links payments to a borrower’s income and family size – in response to a lawsuit from Republican attorneys general from multiple states.

“Pending court approval, the settlement would require the Education Department to stop enrolling borrowers in SAVE, deny all pending SAVE applications from borrowers that may have been waiting years for a response, and move the more than 7 million borrowers currently enrolled in SAVE into other less affordable repayment plans,” the senators wrote to Secretary McMahon.

“Unfortunately, the Education Department’s proposed settlement provides little direction or transparency for borrowers who will be forced into new repayment plans through no fault of their own. Namely, the proposed settlement provides no information on what, if any, resources or guidance the Education Department will provide to borrowers as they make these significant changes, or how much time borrowers will be provided to switch plans,” the senators continued. “The settlement also lacks clarity on the timeline for when these changes will be operationalized and when the Education Department and other federal loan servicers will communicate these changes to borrowers. Troublingly, the Education Department’s own public communications have conflicting information on the timeline in which borrowers can expect to receive information from the Department, ranging from ‘in the coming weeks’ to ‘in the coming months.’”

The senators also highlighted the harmful changes coming to student loan repayments following the passage of Republicans’ Big, Bad Bill,“These significant shifts in repayment options will only exacerbate confusion for borrowers, increasing the likelihood that borrowers will fall into the standard repayment option. This would result in significantly higher monthly payments for millions of borrowers. Many borrowers in SAVE would be unable to afford the high monthly payments in the standard plan, and as a result, these borrowers would likely fall into delinquency and default, which would have dire economic consequences for borrowers and their families.”

“It is imperative the Department take every action possible to ensure the 7 million borrowers currently enrolled in SAVE are provided with the information and resources necessary to avoid delinquency or default in order to avoid an even bigger default crisis,” the senators concluded.

The letter was led by U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), and Tim Kaine (D-Va.). Alongside Heinrich and Luján, the letter was signed by U.S. Senators , Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), and Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.).

The text of the letter is here and below.

Dear Secretary McMahon,

We write to express our serious concerns with and ask questions about the proposed settlement reached in December 2025 with the state of Missouri to end the Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) Plan, a student loan repayment plan that has helped more than 8 million individuals across the country access affordable monthly payments. Specifically, we request additional information from the U.S. Department of Education (ED) regarding the proposed settlement’s requirement that the more than 7 million people who remain enrolled in SAVE switch to a different repayment plan. For the last several months, borrowers in SAVE have faced an onslaught of uncertainty and misinformation, and countless borrowers are likely to face significant hurdles in selecting and enrolling in a new repayment plan. As such, we urge the Department to provide borrowers in SAVE at least six months to apply to switch into new repayment plans before their next billing date.

First announced in July 2023 as the latest income-driven repayment (IDR) plan, the SAVE Plan seeks to better protect borrowers from unaffordable payments and runaway balances due to rapidly accruing interest and offers a clearer path to debt relief. According to Protect Borrowers, of the more than 8 million borrowers who enrolled in the SAVE plan, 4.6 million individuals had their monthly payments lowered to $0 and nearly half a million borrowers would have been provided with immediate debt relief, had the plan been allowed to take full effect. Unfortunately, due to court challenges, the plan has been enjoined since the summer of 2024. Rather than uphold the SAVE Plan, this settlement eliminates the plan and all of its benefits, which in turn will significantly hinder the ability of low-income Americans to access higher education or afford basic needs.

Pending court approval, the settlement would require ED to stop enrolling borrowers in SAVE, deny all pending SAVE applications from borrowers that may have been waiting years for a response, and move the more than 7 million borrowers currently enrolled in SAVE into other less affordable repayment plans.

Unfortunately, ED’s proposed settlement provides little direction or transparency for borrowers who will be forced into new repayment plans through no fault of their own. Namely, the proposed settlement provides no information on what, if any, resources or guidance ED will provide to borrowers as they make these significant changes, or how much time borrowers will be provided to switch plans. The settlement also lacks clarity on the timeline for when these changes will be operationalized and when ED and other federal loan servicers will communicate these changes to borrowers. Troublingly, ED’s own public communications have conflicting information on the timeline in which borrowers can expect to receive information from the Department, ranging from “in the coming weeks” to “in the coming months.”

Without clear information or guidance, borrowers could be unknowingly placed in the standard repayment plan. Further, as a result of the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” ED is in the process of sunsetting ICR and PAYE while preparing to implement the Repayment Assistance Plan. These significant shifts in repayment options will only exacerbate confusion for borrowers, increasing the likelihood that borrowers will fall into the standard repayment option. This would result in significantly higher monthly payments for millions of borrowers. Many borrowers in SAVE would be unable to afford the high monthly payments in the standard plan, and as a result, these borrowers would likely fall into delinquency and default, which would have dire economic consequences for borrowers and their families.

Obliging borrowers to exit the SAVE Plan will also have particularly severe consequences for public service workers. Many government and nonprofit employees pursuing Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) deliberately enrolled in SAVE to ensure their payments remained affordable while completing the required 120 qualifying payments to access loan forgiveness. PSLF borrowers—including teachers, nurses, social workers, first responders, and other public servants—rely on income-driven repayment plans to maintain qualifying payment status without sacrificing their financial stability. While the time borrowers have been stuck in the SAVE forbearance has not counted towards PSLF credit, forcing these borrowers to transition out of SAVE with little guidance risks further lost time to debt relief and payment increases that could render continued public service untenable.

Finally, the settlement forces existing borrowers to leave their current plan, and switch into repayment plans with higher monthly payments much sooner than the July 2028 date required under the recently enacted One Big Beautiful Bill Act, with no clear rationale for the expedited timeline. This settlement now risks adding even further uncertainty within the student loan system and will exacerbate current application backlogs and delays across student loan servicers.

To date, more than 5 million borrowers are in default and 5 million more are behind on their monthly payments. Ten million borrowers are on track to enter default on their student loans in 2026, more than in the years prior to the pandemic. As such, it is imperative the Department take every action possible to ensure the 7 million borrowers currently enrolled in SAVE are provided with the information and resources necessary to avoid delinquency or default in order to avoid an even bigger default crisis.

As such, we request you provide answers to the following question by no later than February 6:

How long will borrowers be given to switch into one of the other income-driven repayment plans?

What information will ED provide to borrowers about the higher costs of alternate repayment plans and what options will be provided to borrowers that cannot afford higher payments?

By what date will ED and other federal student loan servicers reach out to SAVE borrowers with concrete guidance about next steps and information about how to repay their student loans?

Will ED allow borrowers forced out of SAVE to enroll in another IDR plan using their current income information on file to calculate their monthly payments?

a. If not, will ED require borrowers to recertify their income in order to switch into a new plan?

5. What are ED’s plans to support borrowers that do not select another repayment plan within the allotted time?

a) Will those borrowers be automatically placed in another repayment plan, and if so, which plan?

i. If borrowers do not select a plan within the allotted time and are unnecessarily placed in the standard plan, will borrowers be given time to switch into an income-driven repayment plan ahead of their next billing date? If so, how much time?

ii. Will ED give effect to the language in enrolled SAVE borrowers’ IDR applications stating that borrowers who request the plan with the lowest monthly payment or who request a plan that they do not qualify for, request to be placed in a plan with the lowest monthly payment and, if there are multiple plans with the same initial payment amount, ED will place them according to a specific plan order?

b) How will this transition be communicated to borrowers?

i. How many current email addresses does ED have for borrowers in the SAVE forbearance?

ii. What is the open rate and bounce back rate from these borrowers?

iii. Will ED provide this notice by mail and what is the return rate from physical mail?

c) How much notice will borrowers be provided regarding their forced placement in another plan ahead of their next billing date?

6. What were the factual, legal, and financial rationales underlying ED’s repeated guidance to end the SAVE Plan?

7. Why did ED decide to propose this settlement now, when the statutory termination of SAVE is not effective until July 2028?

8. When does ED expect the new Repayment Assistance Plan to be in effect?

9. Why did ED rescind almost all other parts of the regulation that created the SAVE plan—even provisions unrelated to the plan itself—including provisions to enable borrowers in default to access income-based plans, provisions to protect borrowers’ credit they have earned by making qualifying payments on loans prior to consolidating, and provisions to streamline the application and recertification process for all income-driven plans?

10. Can you provide internal analyses showing the projected financial impact of the settlement on borrowers who are forced into other repayment plans, including the amount that borrowers’ monthly payments will increase?

11. What steps is ED planning to take to ensure borrowers are not blindsided by higher monthly payments as a result of this settlement?

12. What is ED’s timeline for the upcoming negotiated rulemaking to effectuate this settlement?

13. How long does ED expect it to take for servicers to process applications?

a) Given the backlog of over 800,000 unprocessed IDR applications ED reported on December 15, 2025, what steps will ED take to ensure that borrowers attempting to switch from SAVE to another IDR plan are not harmed by processing delays, such as being reported as delinquent or experiencing lost months of credit toward IDR or PSLF forgiveness?

b) Will borrowers have any recourse if they lose out on months of credit toward loan discharge due to servicer processing delays?

14. Can you provide a timeline for when ED will update its systems to allow borrowers who were previously ineligible for income-based repayment (IBR) to enroll?

In addition to answering these questions, given the operational and logistical challenges raised by this settlement, we also request that the Department give borrowers at least six months to apply to switch into new repayment plans and hold borrowers harmless in the meantime by placing them in a processing forbearance that counts towards forgiveness, including PSLF. We also request the Department provide Congress with a comprehensive communications plan that details how the Department plans to work with servicers to provide updated, accurate information to SAVE borrowers as quickly as possible.

We believe these materials and steps are necessary to ensure transparency, accountability, and fairness for borrowers who are currently enrolled in SAVE.

Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter.

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NEW REPORT: New Mexico Families Spent Over $1,355 More Because of Inflation During Trump’s First Year

In 2025, inflation raised costs for New Mexicans across the board, including $162 more for housing and $217 more for transportation

WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), a member of the Joint Economic Committee (JEC), joined JEC Democrats to release a new report finding that New Mexico families spent $1,355 more on average because of inflation during Trump’s first year in office.

The JEC report shows that in 2025, the average New Mexico household spent $1,355 more across the board – including over $162 more in housing costs and over $217 more on transportation costs.

“President Trump promised to lower costs on day one – instead, he made it worse. Whether it’s housing, health care, or transportation, the one thing President Trump delivered for New Mexico families in 2025 was higher prices, and it’s hitting families hard. I understand that ‘affordability’ isn’t a made-up word. It’s the difference between saving for a vacation and moving in with your in-laws. That's why I won’t stop fighting to lower costs for New Mexicans now, because working families can’t afford wait,” said Heinrich.

Read the full report here.

Heinrich has been fighting hard to lower costs and help New Mexicans put food on the table.

This month, Heinrich cosponsored the No Tariffs on Groceries Act, legislation to prevent President Trump from enacting tariffs that raise grocery costs for New Mexico families.

Last February, Heinrich spoke out against President Trump’s tariffs, which have raised costs for families and killed jobs.

Heinrich also cosponsored Senator Ed Markey’s (D-Mass.) Small Business Liberation Act, which would exempt small businesses from global baseline and reciprocal tariffs and provide refunds to the small businesses that were forced to pay them.

This past spring, Heinrich pushed Trump’s then-Secretary Designee of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)to share her plan to address the rising cost of eggs driven by the highly pathogenic avian influenza outbreak. His letter emphasized the importance of the USDA in maintaining a safe, affordable food system for American families and supporting robust domestic and foreign markets for American farmers.

Last April 2025, Heinrich sent a letter to the U.S. Trade Representative demanding answers on how Trump’s tariffs will impact New Mexico farmers.

Last November, Heinrich cosponsored legislation to stop the Trump Administration from illegally withholding SNAP funds during Trump’s recent government shutdown. Heinrich supported the New Mexico state government’s plan to fund SNAP benefits during Trump’s shutdown. Once the federal government reopened, Heinrich joined his colleagues in the New Mexico Congressional delegation to urge the USDA to refund New Mexico for Trump’s shutdown food stamps lapse.

As a member of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee, Heinrich fully funded SNAP and increased funding for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) by $603 million.

Last July, Heinrich voted against Republicans’ Big, Bad Bill, which funds Republicans’ tax handouts for billionaires at the expense of working people by cutting SNAP and Medicaid. Senate Republicans also voted down Heinrich’s amendments to protect funding for food assistance like SNAP.

Additional background on Heinrich’s work to lower health care costs for New Mexicans.

Last month, Heinrich joined Senate Democrats to introduce the Lower Health Care Costs Act to extend the enhanced premium ACA tax credits for three years and protect New Mexicans from rising health care costs. Congressional Republicans and President Trump blocked this bill and let the ACA tax credits expire, effectively raising the cost of health care during a time when New Mexican families are already struggling under high health care costs.

In addition to voting for the Lower Health Care Costs Act, Heinrich cosponsors the Health Care Affordability Act of 2025 to make the enhanced Advance Premium Tax Credit permanent and build upon record health care marketplace enrollment.

Heinrich also hosted a roundtable to hear directly from New Mexicans whose premiums will rise significantly as a result of Republicans’ refusal to extend the ACA’s enhanced premium tax credits.

Last September, Heinrich hosted a press conference with BeWell New Mexico and the New Mexico Center on Law and Poverty to highlight how the health care crisis, created by Trump and Republicans, will hike health care premiums if Republicans allow ACA premium tax credits to expire.

In July, Heinrich stood up for New Mexico families by voting against Senate Republicans’ Big, Bad Bill that would fund Republicans’ tax handouts for billionaires at the expense of working people. For over 27 hours, Heinrich pushed to amend Republicans’ reconciliation legislation, repeatedly voting to lower costs for families, block cuts to Medicaid, protect rural hospitals in New Mexico, extend tax credits for health care premiums, and prevent millions of Americans from losing their health insurance.

Heinrich voted to pass the American Rescue Plan in 2021, which authorized initial enhancements to the premium tax credit to make health insurance more affordable for more people and increase subsidies for working, middle-income families in New Mexico. In 2022, Heinrich voted to pass the Inflation Reduction Act, which extended the enhanced premium tax credit through 2025.

Additional background on Heinrich’s work to lower energy costs for New Mexico families.

In December, Heinrich secured long overdue funding for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) to lower utility costs and heating bills for New Mexico families this winter.

Last month, Heinrich, as Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, released a fact sheet to inform New Mexicans how President Trump’s actions are gutting the energy sector and hiking up costs for families across the country. At a time when high energy demand is causing rising prices, Heinrich has repeatedly called for Trump and his agencies to stop stalling projects that could increase energy supply and lower prices.

Last October, Heinrich delivered remarks on the Senate floor, blasting President Trump for waging a war on American-made energy – causing energy costs to skyrocket and killing good-paying jobs. He urged his Republican colleagues to take action to resolve the affordability crisis facing New Mexico families.

Last August, Heinrich hosted a roundtable discussion on how many jobs the Trump Administration will kill and how much they will raise New Mexicans' utility bills as a result of Trump’s Big, Bad Bill.

Last July, Heinrich grilled Trump’s Department of Energy (DOE) nominee Audrey Robertson on energizing our grid with renewables to keep costs low for families, and her record of managing oil spills in New Mexico as the co-founder and an executive of Franklin Mountain Energy. Heinrich also questioned energy company executives on Trump Administration actions that are impacting grid reliability and driving up families’ energy costs.

Additionally, Heinrich pressed several pending Trump Administration nominees on the president’s Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26) budget request and his Big, Bad Bill, which raises costs on American families by gutting investments in energy efficiency and clean energy programs. Last May, Heinrich urged the Trump Administration to immediately reverse course on its plan to illegally and unilaterally terminate the ENERGY STAR program. In the letter, Heinrich highlighted the cost-saving benefits of the program, which would save the average American household $450 on utility bills each year simply by choosing ENERGY STAR certified products.

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PHOTOS: Senator Hirono Meets with Students, Advocates, and Local Businesses on Oahu to Discuss Impact of Federal Funding, Consequences of Trump’s Policies

~ Photos of the Senator’s education roundtable can be found here ~

~ Photos of the Senator’s visits to schools on Oahu can be found here ~

~ Photos of the Senator’s visit to Big Brothers Big Sisters can be found here ~

~ Photos of the Senator’s visits to local businesses can be found here ~

HONOLULU, HI – Last week, Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), met with K-12 educators, community advocates, and small businesses on Oahu to discuss the harmful consequences of Trump administration policies—including President Trump’s “on-again, off-again” tariffs on small businesses and families, and the administration’s deep cuts to education funding—as well as the importance of federal funding. On Tuesday, Senator Hirono hosted a K-12 education roundtable with local education leaders and groups to discuss the U.S. Department of Education’s (ED) recent decision to transfer dozens of federal education programs to other federal agencies.

“Since Day One, Trump and his regime have been illegally attacking the Department of Education (ED), sowing chaos for millions of students across the country in an attempt to abolish the Department altogether,” said Senator Hirono. “Now, in an attempt to dismantle ED, this administration plans to transfer federal education programs to agencies like the Department of Labor and the Department of Health and Human Services—agencies that are not at all equipped to handle these programs. This administration is jeopardizing our children’s futures and I will continue doing everything in my power to continue federal support for public education and ensure that every child has access to a quality education. I was glad to meet with local education leaders and groups discuss how the importance of collaboration as we fight to defend our students, educators, and communities against these attacks.”

Senator Hirono also visited Mokapu Elementary School on Marine Corps Base Hawaii, where she toured the new campus that was made possible by federal funding. There, she met with student ambassadors who are part of the school’s transition center, which was created to better assist other students with the transition to a new learning environment on the new campus. Campus renovations at Mokapu Elementary School include an administration and library building, as well as two classroom complexes with capacity to support nearly 1,000 students. These renovations were made possible by $96 million in federal funding through the Department of Defense’s Public Schools on Military Installations (PSMI) program, which Senator Hirono has consistently advocated for.

Senator Hirono also stopped by the Blood Bank of Hawaii Bloodmobile at her alma mater, Kaimuki High School, where she met with student organizers, donors, and leadership from the Blood Bank of Hawaii. Just this week, the American Red Cross declared a severe national blood shortage, with national blood supply falling about 35% over the last month. Senator Hirono discussed the importance of these life-saving contributions and the significance of the Blood Bank of Hawaii and Hawaii Department of Education’s innovative phlebotomist training program that helps students earn money and receive college-level credits to help jump start their careers in health care.

On Thursday, Senator Hirono also visited the Big Brothers Big Sisters of America chapter on Oahu. The non-profit youth mentoring organization received $1.5 million in federal funding in 2024 that Senator Hirono helped to secure, which supported the purchase and renovation of its new headquarters in Honolulu.

While on Oahu, Senator Hirono also visited local businesses, including Times Supermarket Liliha, where she met with store management to discuss the rising costs of groceries due to inflation and Trump’s cuts to SNAP benefits. They also discussed DA BUX Double Up Food Bucks, a program from The Food Basket to help make locally grown produce more affordable for SNAP customers.

Senator Hirono then visited Lin’s Hawaiian Snacks, a local family-owned candy and snack shop serving the Kakaako neighborhood. There, she met with store ownership and management to discuss how Trump’s reckless tariffs have impacted their business operations and bottom line.

“As a result of the reckless tariffs Trump has imposed on other countries, small businesses in Hawaii and across the country are feeling an existential threat, as they are forced to make difficult decisions to keep their doors open. Trump and Republicans’ ‘Big Ugly Bill’ has also gutted funding for SNAP, putting over 160,000 people in Hawaii and 40 million Americans at risk of not being able to put food on the table,” said Senator Hirono. “While Trump gives millions in tax breaks to his billionaire buddies, businessowners are struggling and the cost of living increases day by day. I will continue working with partners in Hawaii and across the country to better protect businesses like Lin’s from the fallout of Trump’s tariffs. And I remain committed to combatting this regime’s chaos and cruelty and will not stop working until every American has access to the resources they need to keep their families healthy and fed.”

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