Baldwin Releases Bill to Fund Labor, Health, and Education Departments for Fiscal Year 2026

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (LHHS), released the bipartisan, compromise LHHS appropriations bill for Fiscal Year 2026. In addition to funding critical programs that the Trump Administration has tried to cut or withhold funding from – including Head Start, the National Institutes of Health (NIH), K-12 schools, and Job Corps – the bipartisan bill puts up strong guardrails to ensure funding is invested as intended and without delay. The bill also rejects extreme riders—over three dozen in total—that were included in House Republicans’ draft bill.

“President Trump has tried every which way to drastically cut critical cancer and other disease research, upend our work to tackle the opioid and fentanyl crisis, and slash funding for our schools that parents, teachers, and students rely on. Our bill stops those reckless efforts in their tracks,” said Senator Baldwin. “While President Trump tried to use the federal government as his personal account to spend or defund whatever he wanted, our bipartisan bill puts a check on the President and puts the needs of communities and families across the country first. At the end of the day, this bill is still a compromise and certainly does not include everything American families are demanding. But, this is a major step in the right direction to help ensure Wisconsin families get the education they deserve, health care they need, and jobs they want to live fulfilling lives.”

Among other things, the LHHS bill:

More information about the Labor, Health, and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies funding bill for Fiscal Year 2026 is available below:

Key Points & Highlights – Department of Health and Human Services

Department of Health and Human Services (HHS): The bill provides $116.8 billion, an increase of $210 million in discretionary funding for the Department of Health and Human Services over fiscal year 2025 and $33 billion more than President Trump’s budget request.

The bill rejects the Trump administration’s harmful efforts to defund and dismantle critical work that HHS oversees—protecting critical funding and providing targeted increases for key programs across HHS. From child care and Head Start, to substance use and mental health, to lifesaving research into cures and treatments for devastating diseases—the bill delivers essential funding to help Americans thrive. It also reasserts Congress’ power over key spending decisions, preventing Secretary Kennedy from unilaterally cutting and defunding programs, and it includes new measures to help ensure funding is spent as intended to protect programs that touch the lives of every American. This includes specifying funding levels in law for hundreds of programs the Trump administration has eliminated or repeatedly threatened and new measures to help ensure adequate staffing to carry out programs in a timely and effective manner and to ensure funds go out the door in a timely way.

The bill includes none of House Republicans’ extreme policy riders, which would have restricted access to reproductive health care, banned gun research, and promoted discrimination, among much else.

Biomedical Research: The bill provides $48.7 billion in discretionary funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH)—an increase of $415 million over fiscal year 2025 to propel life-saving and life-changing cures and treatments across NIH’s 27 institutes and centers and the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H).

The bill rejects the catastrophic 40% cut to NIH proposed by President Trump, and instead of slashing funding for biomedical research, includes the following funding increases over fiscal year 2025:

The bill rejects the Trump administration’s proposal—and illegal efforts—to cap indirect cost rates at 15%, which would devastate biomedical research, and it continues a longstanding provision that prohibits NIH from implementing such a cap. The bill also rejects the Trump administration’s misguided elimination of programs across NIH by maintaining level funding for HIV vaccine research, training programs that support the next generation of researchers, and the Safe to Sleep campaign, among others.

The bill includes a new provision that prevents implementation of the Office of Management and Budget’s misguided policy for NIH to fund significantly more multi-year research grants in one lump sum. This poorly thought-out policy would significantly cut the number of research grants NIH awards — just as it did in fiscal year 2025 when it resulted in 2,000 fewer research grants being funded. More needs to be done to protect NIH research, but the provision included in this bill is an important step in preventing the Trump administration from decimating the biomedical research enterprise Congress has built in a bipartisan manner over decades, which has long been the envy of the world and drives medical innovation that has saved millions of lives.

The bill also includes a new authority for NIH to address loopholes in sexual harassment reporting and strengthen accountability by requiring institutions to complete investigations into concerns about harassment, bullying, retaliation, or hostile working conditions, even if the alleged perpetrator leaves their current position and is no longer employed by the institution.

Child Care and Early Learning Programs: The bill includes $8.8 billion for the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG), an $85 million increase over fiscal year 2025; and $12.4 billion for Head Start, an $85 million increase. Much more needs to be done to address our broken child care system and ensure every working family can find and afford child care, which is critical for businesses and our economy too. But sustained annual increases in these programs are critical in the meantime. The bill also sustains funding for Preschool Development Grants, which President Trump pushed to defund and House Republicans’ bill eliminated.

Addressing Substance Use Disorders and Mental Health: The bill provides $7.4 billion for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), an increase of $65 million over fiscal year 2025 delivering increased funding to address the rising toll of opioid overdoses fueled by fentanyl, maintain access to substance use disorder prevention and treatment, and improve access to mental health services.

In addition to rejecting President Trump’s proposed $1 billion cut (-15%) to SAMHSA programs, the bill maintains SAMHSA as its own, independent agency to help ensure substance use and mental health remain a priority at HHS. The bill also includes new guardrails to ensure SAMHSA funds are allocated as intended.

The bill includes:

It protects and strengthens key investments in mental health programs by increasing funding for Project AWARE, the Garrett Lee Smith Suicide Prevention Program, the National Strategy for Suicide Prevention, and the National Childhood Traumatic Stress Network. The bill also provides $535 million, a $15 million increase over fiscal year 2025, for the 988 Suicide Prevention Lifeline, to provide additional support for the program as reliance on 988 increases since it was launched.

Additionally, the bill delivers a floor of $164 million in investments within the Department of Education to address the shortage of school-based mental health professionals and services in our nation’s K-12 schools.

Essential Health Care Programs: The bill protects investments in health care access and affordability, and the health care workforce—maintaining investments in core programs, including $1.86 billion for Community Health Centers and $130 million for the National Health Service Corps. The United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) is fully funded—rejecting President Trump’s 36% proposed cut—and the bill affirms support for the mission and scientific integrity of the task force, rejecting President Trump and Secretary Kennedy’s efforts to sideline its work to ensure that Americans have affordable access to critical services. The bill also includes a $53.3 million increase in rural health programs to boost recruitment of health care providers to practice in rural areas and support rural hospitals.

The bill provides a $5 million increase in funding for the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) Modernization Initiative to help strengthen and reform the nation’s organ donation and transplant system. There are more than 100,000 individuals on the organ transplant waitlist, and this initiative, launched in 2023, is strengthening accountability and will allow the OPTN to better serve patients and families.

Public Health: The bill includes $9.1 billion for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), rejecting the roughly $4 billion—or 50%—cut to CDC programs proposed by the Trump administration, as well as the $1.7 billion overall cut included in House Republicans’ bill. The bill also requires HHS to support staffing levels to carry out the CDC’s programs.

The bill helps support state and local health departments by sustaining critical programs across the CDC, including funding for chronic diseases, the Office of Smoking and Health, injury prevention programs (including firearm injury and mortality research), global health programs, and immunization and infectious disease prevention programs. It provides increases in critical programs including for emerging infectious diseases, food safety, chronic diseases, data modernization, and bolsters state health departments through an increase in Public Health Infrastructure and Capacity grants.

HIV/AIDS: The bill includes level funding of $613 million for the Ending the HIV Epidemic Initiative, which provides high-need jurisdictions with prevention and treatment services for people at high risk for HIV transmission. This includes $220 million within three CDC Domestic HIV/AIDS Prevention and Research programs to develop and deploy innovative data management solutions, increase access to PrEP, and better detect and respond to HIV clusters, and it includes $128.9 million for the CDC’s global HIV/AIDS program. The bill also provides level funding for the Ryan White HIV/AIDS program, including dental services and training for health care practitioners, two initiatives that President Trump sought to eliminate in his budget proposal. The bill rejects House Republicans’ proposal to cut HIV/AIDS programs by over $1.5 billion and President Trump’s proposal for cuts of over $900 million.

Women’s Health: The bill protects funding for reproductive health programs, including Title X and the Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program, which President Trump and House Republicans proposed eliminating. The bill also increases investments in maternal health across HRSA, CDC, and NIH with a nearly $60 million increase for programs that aim to address maternal mental health, prevent pregnancy-related deaths, support best practices to improve maternal health outcomes, and invest in women’s health research.

For the first time, the bill provides funding for a new menopause initiative, the Menopause Research to Action Network, to translate research into clinical practice for women. The bill also provides funding to states to collect data and report on access to medical forensic exams for survivors of sexual assault. Importantly, the bill increases funding for the Maternal Mental Health Hotline and maternal health safety initiatives, and it protects funding for Healthy Start, which works with moms and babies to improve health outcomes before, during, and after pregnancy. President Trump proposed cuts of over $600 million in maternal and child health funding in his budget request and proposed defunding the Healthy Start program altogether.

Pandemic Preparedness and Biodefense: The bill includes $3.69 billion for the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR). It includes a $35 million increase over fiscal year 2025 for the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA); a $25 million increase for Project Bioshield; and a $20 million increase for the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS). It sustains funding for Industrial Base Management and Supply Chain (IBMSC) activities to help ensure that critical resources in the public health supply chain—including raw materials, medical countermeasures, and ancillary supplies—are manufactured in the United States. It also includes $2 million to support a new program to improve emergency medical services and trauma care during a public health emergency.

Administration for Community Living (ACL): The bill includes $2.5 billion, an increase of $17 million over fiscal year 2025, for ACL, and it rebuffs President Trump’s proposal to collapse ACL into other agencies within HHS. ACL plays an instrumental role in supporting older adults and Americans with disabilities so they can live and participate fully in their communities. The bill includes $1.1 billion for ACL’s senior nutrition programs, and it provides targeted increases for family caregiver programs and home and community-based supportive services.

Helping Families Afford Energy Bills: The bill includes $4.045 billion for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), a $20 million increase over fiscal year 2025, to help low-income households with home heating and cooling costs.

Key Points & Highlights – Department of Education

Department of Education: The bill provides $79.0 billion in discretionary funding for the Department of Education, an increase of $217 million over fiscal year 2025 and $12 billion more than President Trump’s budget request.

The bill rejects the Trump administration’s proposals to drastically reduce Department of Education funding and instead continues support for states, school districts, and institutions of higher education. It continues to appropriate funding to the Department of Education for the range of programs it is specifically authorized to carry out by a variety of longstanding, bipartisan authorization statutes that unambiguously place these responsibilities with the Department of Education. This includes funding for K-12 formula and competitive grant programs, career and technical education (CTE) and adult education programs, federal student aid, postsecondary competitive grants, civil rights enforcement and program administration, and oversight necessary to help states implement federal laws intended to improve educational outcomes for students and protect all students from discrimination. As the Trump administration continues to illegally offload the Department of Education’s responsibilities—creating new inefficiencies, costs, and risks to funding for states and schools and threatening educational outcomes—the agreement states that no authority exists for the Department of Education to transfer its fundamental responsibilities to other agencies. The bill also includes a new requirement for the Department to maintain the staff necessary to fulfill its statutory responsibilities, including carrying out programs and activities funded in this bill in a timely manner.

It also includes new measures to ensure the Department of Education makes formula grants available to states and districts on time, preventing funding from being withheld and creating chaos for students, teachers, and families.

Elementary and Secondary Education: The bill strengthens investments in foundational formula grant programs for elementary and secondary education and in public schools, teachers, and students—rejecting the $4.5 billion cut and proposed consolidations in President Trump’s budget request for a new $2 billion block grant program.

The bill boosts funding for Title I-A grants by $20 million above the fiscal year 2025 level to $18.4 billion. It rejects House Republicans’ proposal to rescind and cut a combined $4.7 billion from Title I-A. More than 80% of the nation’s school districts receive these funds, and nearly 25 million students go to schools receiving Title I funding. The bill also provides $15.19 billion, an increase of $20 million over fiscal year 2025, for all three IDEA Special Education State grant programs and retains each as a separate program. IDEA state grant programs support more than seven million students and children with disabilities and their families who receive IDEA services through these programs. The bill also continues all IDEA national programs, rejecting the proposal to consolidate those funds within IDEA state grant programs.

The bill also continues current investments across a range of other important formula and competitive grant programs authorized to improve teaching and learning in elementary and secondary schools, rejecting President Trump’s proposed elimination of $1.5 billion in total funding for nine important programs.

Career and Technical Education (CTE): The bill provides $1.45 billion for CTE grants and $729 million for adult education grants and appropriates such funding to the Department of Education to carry out these programs, rejecting President Trump’s call to eliminate federal support for adult education. The bill also includes new measures requiring both CTE and adult education formula grants to be awarded in a timely way to prevent any administration from withholding these critical funds, which occurred this past summer.

Higher Education: The agreement provides a total maximum Pell Grant award of $7,395 for the 2026-2027 award year, protecting the existing Pell Grant and rejecting President Trump’s proposal to slash the Pell Grant by over $1000. This coming school year, Pell Grants are expected to help over 7 million students at all stages of life pursue postsecondary education and further their careers.

The bill also rejects President Trump’s proposals to eliminate a range of postsecondary education programs. The bill also reasserts Congress’ power over key higher education spending decisions, preventing Secretary McMahon from having the authority to unilaterally cut and defund programs as she did in fiscal year 2025 under Republicans’ yearlong continuing resolution.

Instead, the bill sustains current funding for Federal Work Study and the Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant that provide additional need-based aid to students to help them afford postsecondary education. The bill also includes $70 million for the Teacher Quality Partnership program and $15 million for the Hawkins Centers of Excellence to help educator preparation programs address educator shortages. It also continues other investments available to recruit, develop, and retain an effective and diverse teacher and school leader workforce, including $90 million required to be used for the Supporting Effective Educator Development program. President Trump proposed defunding each of these programs.

The bill includes $1.191 billion for TRIO, level with fiscal year 2025; $388 million for GEAR UP, level with fiscal year 2025; $75 million for the Child Care Access Means Parents in School Program (CCAMPIS), level with fiscal year 2025; and $80 million for International Education programs. President Trump proposed defunding each of these programs.

The agreement also increases funding for all Title III and V programs that support HBCUs, Hispanic Serving Institutions, Tribal colleges, and other minority-serving institutions. The agreement rejects President Trump’s elimination of programs funded under the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE) and ensures the Trump administration will have to carry out FIPSE programs as instructed by Congress. Within FIPSE, the bill funds the Postsecondary Student Success Grant Program at $45 million, the Basic Needs Grant Program at $10 million, the Centers of Excellence for Veteran Student Success Program at $9 million, the HBCU, TCU, and MSI Research and Development Infrastructure Grants Program at $15 million, the Open Textbook Pilot at $7 million, the Rural Secondary and Economic Development Grant Program at $45 million, and the Transitioning Gang-Involved Youth to Higher Education program at $5 million.

The bill also sustains funding for the administration of student aid programs. This funding supports a wide range of activities, including: implementing the FAFSA; disbursing student aid; ensuring services are available to student loan borrowers; implementing more affordable repayment plans; and fixing longstanding issues in student loan forgiveness programs. Finally, the bill maintains provisions from the Senate bill to help Congress conduct oversight over the new higher education provisions contained in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.

Protecting Students from Discrimination: The bill rejects President Trump’s proposed cut of $49 million, or one-third of the total budget, for the Office for Civil Rights, and instead maintains its current budget of $140 million and requires the Department to support the staffing levels necessary for OCR to fulfill its statutory responsibilities. The Department of Education recently recalled more than 200 staff after reducing half the staff at OCR early last year and allowing its backlog of work to grow, denying students and families timely remediation of illegal discrimination.

Advancing Education Research, Statistics, and Assessments: The bill rejects the massive reduction of $532 million or 67% proposed in President Trump’s budget request for the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) and instead provides $790 million, a reduction of $3 million, for IES. The Trump administration’s significant workforce reductions and program delays at IES this year have caused it to fail to meet statutory requirements. The bill requires the Department to support staffing levels necessary for IES and the National Center for Education Statistics to fulfill their statutory responsibilities.

Key Points & Highlights – Department of Labor

Department of Labor: The bill provides $13.7 billion in discretionary funding for the Department of Labor, an increase of $65 million over fiscal year 2025 and $4 billion more than the budget request.

The bill rejects the harmful cuts proposed by President Trump, including his proposal to block grant our nation’s workforce training programs. The bill also includes a new requirement for the Department to maintain the staff necessary to carry out its statutory responsibilities, including carrying out programs and activities funded in this bill in a timely manner.

Workforce Development: The bill includes $2.9 billion for Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) formula grants, protecting essential investments made in recent years. It provides $285 million for Registered Apprenticeships and $105 million for YouthBuild. The agreement also rejects President Trump’s call to eliminate Job Corps and instead provides $1.76 billion and blocks the elimination of Job Corps Centers unless such closures meet statutory and regulatory requirements. Rejecting President Trump’s proposed cuts and continuing funding for these key workforce development programs will help grow the economy, provide workers with the skills they need to secure good-paying jobs of the future, and help American businesses compete globally.

Worker Protection: The bill rejects drastic reductions proposed in President Trump’s request and adopted in House Republicans’ bill and sustains key investments in DOL’s worker protection agencies charged with enforcing requirements for employers to pay workers what they earn and provide safe and healthy workplaces. The bill maintains $191 million in funding for the Employee Benefits Security Administration, which is responsible for, among other things, ensuring private sector employment-based group health plans comply with mental health and substance use disorder parity requirements. The bill also maintains $260 million for the Wage and Hour Division to support the Division’s work to recover wages workers are owed and to combat exploitative child labor. Last year, the Division secured nearly $259 million in back wages collected for nearly 177,000 workers nationwide.

The bill also provides current funding of $116 million for the Bureau of International Labor Affairs, $46 million more than President Trump’s budget request and a rejection of House Republicans’ proposal to outright defund the Bureau. These funds are used to support and enforce labor provisions of free trade agreements and trade preference programs and combat international child labor and forced labor. Finally, the bill rejects the proposed elimination of the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs and Women’s Bureau. Instead, the bill provides $100 million for OFCCP and current funding of $23 million for the bureau.

Key Points & Highlights – Related Agencies

Social Security Administration (SSA): The bill includes $15.0 billion for SSA’s administrative expenses—an increase of $554 million over fiscal year 2025. This is $50 million more than President Trump’s budget request and will help address staffing challenges and improve service to the public. The Trump administration has single-handedly and unnecessarily created chaos at SSA that has weakened Americans’ ability to get the benefits they are owed. The American public and the beneficiaries SSA serves—seniors, people with disabilities, and those who have recently lost a loved one—have paid the price, with unacceptable wait times to access the benefits and services they deserve, and that they have literally earned through a lifetime of work. SSA should focus on improving service after the harmful cuts and chaotic policies the Trump administration has put in place, and the resources in this bill will help them do that if they choose.

AmeriCorps: The agreement rejects President Trump push to eliminate AmeriCorps and instead sustains funding for all of AmeriCorps’ grant programs by providing a total of $1.25 billion to the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) to administer these programs. The bill also includes new provisions requiring any administration to award AmeriCorps state formula funding in a timely way and to ensure CNCS will award competitive grants in a timely fashion, as well. The bill also rejects attempts to rename AmeriCorps. This investment will continue support for AmeriCorps members serving in communities across the country and working to address pressing challenges, including responding to natural disasters, assisting in schools, supporting our veterans, promoting economic opportunity, and conserving and protecting the environment.

Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB): As a result of Congressional Republicans’ approval of the Rescissions Act of 2025—the first ever partisan rescissions bill signed into law—no funds are provided in the bill for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and the more than 1,500 locally owned public TV and radio stations nationwide that expected continued support. For over 50 years CPB funds and infrastructure investments supported local public media stations. Republicans’ devastating rescissions bill has severely hurt 120 stations that relied on CPB for more than 25% of their revenue and has already started to shutter local stations. In addition, dozens of other stations have eliminated staffing, programming, and service hours with more expected in the future.


Baldwin, Warnock Push Trump to Follow Through on Promise to Crack Down on Corporate Investors Buying Up Single-Family Homes

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, ahead of the President’s speech in Davos in which he pledged to outline housing policies, Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Revernd Raphael Warnock (D-GA) called on President Trump to support their bill and make good on his promise to take on large institutional investors who are buying up single-family homes. Specifically, the Senators urged President Trump to call on Congressional Republicans to pass their Stop Predatory Investing Act, legislation that ends tax breaks for Wall Street investors who are buying single-family homes, driving up prices, and locking Americans out of home ownership.

“It's Wisconsin families who should be buying homes in our neighborhoods – not big, wealthy out-of-state investors. For too long, big corporations and wealthy private equity firms have been allowed to ‘gobble up’ single-family homes just to pad their pockets, driving up housing costs in our neighborhoods and locking families out of homeownership,” said Senator Baldwin. “President Trump should make good on his promise and get behind our plan to crack down on Wall Street using Wisconsin communities to turn a profit and make housing more affordable for families.”

“In Atlanta, private equity owns roughly 25% of the single-family rental housing market—that kind of corporate greed is squeezing first-time homebuyers out of the market and pushing the American Dream further out of reach,” said Senator Warnock. “It’s time Congress did something about it. I’m calling on my Congressional colleagues to heed the President’s call and join our year-long effort to keep private equity from driving up housing costs.”

In a letter to President Trump, Senators Baldwin and Warnock urged President Trump to call on Congressional Republicans to immediately pass the Stop Predatory Investing Act, which would prohibit an investor who owns 50 or more single-family rental homes from deducting interest or depreciation on those properties. The legislation comes as there have been increasing reports of out-of-state corporate investors “gobbling up” homes to rent with the sole intent of making money.

In the second quarter of last year, real estate investors purchased one-third of all single-family residential properties sold, making investors the highest share of homebuyers in the past five years. Investors often use these properties as rentals, leading to corporate landlords driving up rent prices, evicting tenants, and poorly maintaining properties from sometimes states away.

A full version of this letter is available here and below.

Dear Mr. President:

We write to urge you to fulfill your promise to ban large institutional investors from buying up single-family homes by urging Congressional Republicans to immediately pass the Stop Predatory Investing Act. This legislation would make more homes available for middle-class families by cracking down on Wall Street investors that buy up affordable homes across the country, driving housing prices up and putting homeownership out of reach for too many Americans.

In the second quarter of last year, real estate investors purchased one-third of all single-family residential properties sold, making investors the highest share of homebuyers in the past five years. Using algorithms and all-cash offers, these institutional investors target the affordable starter-homes typically purchased by first-time homebuyers, pushing families out of the housing market. Investors often turn these properties into rentals, leading to corporate landlords driving up rent prices, evicting tenants, and poorly maintaining properties compared to smaller landlords.

Last week, we were encouraged to hear your commitment to ban large investors from buying single-family homes, a practice we have long argued is putting homeownership out of reach for far too many Americans. That is why we introduced the Stop Predatory Investing Act, which would deny certain appreciate and depreciation tax benefits for investors owning 50 or more single-family rental properties. Importantly, our legislation permits the sale of excess investor-owned properties back to individuals, families, and housing non-profits while promoting new construction by permitting tax advantages for homes financed using Low-Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC).

You have the opportunity to make homeownership more affordable for American families. If you are truly interested in ensuring Americans, not corporations, have access to the American Dream, we urge you to call on Congressional Republicans to pass the Stop Predatory Investing Act and send this commonsense legislation to your desk to be signed into law.

Sincerely,

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Blackburn Celebrates President Trump’s Historic First Year of Second Term

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Today, U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) released the following statement celebrating President Trump’s historic accomplishments in the first year of his second term:

“President Trump’s first year of his second term has ushered in a new Golden Age for the American people,” said Senator Blackburn. “He has ended the illegal alien invasion created by Joe Biden, unleashed American energy dominance, restored law and order, and advanced peace through strength on the world stage. Working families are reaping the benefits of the largest tax cut in American history signed into law by President Trump as inflation continues to fall and gas prices have reached their lowest levels in years. In Tennessee, we are seeing the tremendous results of President Trump’s crime crackdown through the Memphis Safe Task Force, which has arrested more than 5,000 dangerous criminals. With three years ahead, the best is yet to come as President Trump continues delivering on his promise to Make America Great Again.”

RELATED


ICYMI: Booker touts ‘monstrous leap’ for Senate Democrats online

In case you missed it, MS NOW highlighted how under U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ), leadership of the Democratic Strategic Communications Committee, Senate Democrats’ digital communication surged in 2025, leading to a 430% growth in online engagement and over 20 million new followers across Senate Democrats’ social media platforms.

See for yourself:

MS NOW

Cory Booker touts a ‘monstrous leap’ for Senate Democrats on social media

By: Ali Vitali

January 19, 2026

Key points:

If you’ve seen more Democratic senators across your social media feeds this past year, there’s a good chance it’s because of Sen. Cory Booker.

The 56-year-old New Jersey lawmaker — himself one of the most-followed politicians online — took over the messaging shop for Senate Democrats in 2025. And he’s been focused on expanding the reach of his colleagues by encouraging them to compete across new digital platforms.

“There were so many stories kind of punishing Democrats after the last election that the Republicans were doing a much better job messaging in places where people are,” Booker told MS NOW in a phone interview.

But a year into the endeavor, Senate Democrats have notched over half a billion engagements and more than 20 million followers across their social media accounts, according to the Senate Democratic Strategic Communications Committee’s internal tracking, shared first with MS NOW.

Their social media accounts on X, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, Threads, and Bluesky generated 430% more engagement than the year before. Now, according to charts like this one that Booker has shown his colleagues privately, Democrats dwarf Republicans.

“This is not just views,” Booker said. “This is a human being pushing a button to ‘like’ something or forwarding it to their friends or putting comments on it. So it’s a substantive metric, more than just scrolling and seeing something online.”

Engagement leads to followers. The 20 million new followers mark for Senate Democrats, an 80% increase over the last year.

“My colleagues, in this last year, found ways to center the issues and fight in ways that we just weren’t using before,” Booker said. He pointed to New Hampshire Sen. Maggie Hassan emotionally speaking about her son’s cerebral palsy during a hearing with Health and Human Services Sec. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., as well as Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., selling his Tesla in response to Elon Musk and DOGE.

…


VIDEO: Cassidy, Majority Leader Thune Highlight “No Tax on Tips” in Baton Rouge

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) today released a video recapping his recent visit with U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) to Phil’s Oyster Bar and Seafood Restaurant in Baton Rouge, where the two met with workers and restaurant patrons to discuss the benefits of the Working Families Tax Cuts bill.

“Waiters and waitresses and people bussing—they’re going to have more money in their pocket because of this,” said Dr. Cassidy. “That’s helping their bottom line when they go home.”

“We talked about no tax on tips, and it’s a significant amount of money,” said Leader Thune. “If you’re a small business owner, we made permanent some tax policy that is going to make it easier for them to keep more of what they earn.”

Cassidy and Leader Thune sat down with one of the managers and bartenders at Phil’s Oyster Bar to learn how they’re directly benefitting from “No Taxes on Tips.” They also met Anthony Piazza, the owner of the restaurant, who thanked them for their work.

“It was my honor to host Senator Cassidy and Majority Leader Thune at Phil’s Oyster Bar, and I’m grateful that they’re focusing on helping people here in Louisiana,” said Mr. Piazza. “Thanks to their work, my employees will be able to keep more of their money to care for their families. This is great for them, for this business, and for our entire community.”

Background

The Working Families Tax Cuts bill allows workers who earn under $150,000 to deduct $25,000 worth of tips from their income tax statement, in most cases.

Additionally, the Working Families Tax Cuts bill keeps taxes low, cuts taxes on overtime and Social Security, extends the Child Tax Credit, fixes our broken education system, supports our military, secures the border, and builds a business environment that creates better paying jobs.

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Congress Approves $51 Million for UMaine System Secured by Senator Collins

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Susan Collins, Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, announced that she advanced $51,000,000 in Congressionally Directed Spending for the University of Maine (UMaine) System in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 Commerce, Justice, and Science (CJS) Appropriations bill. The legislation, which was officially approved by the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives, will now be signed into law by the President.

“The brilliant faculty and students at Maine's public universities and at the flagship university are conducting cutting-edge research and making promising discoveries in a wide variety of fields,” said Senator Collins. “This funding to support these exciting projects across the UMaine System would promote workforce development, support marine research, and help to prepare the next generation of leaders. As the Chair of the Appropriations Committee, I will continue to advocate for this funding as the appropriations process moves forward.”

“These investments—made possible through Senator Collins’ advocacy—will expand research opportunities, improve infrastructure to enhance student learning, and support collaborative solutions that strengthen Maine’s economy and communities,” said Joan Ferrini-Mundy, University of Maine President and University of Maine System Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation.

“Maine’s blue economy, coastal communities from Calais to Kittery, and thousands of fishing families rely on the Gulf of Maine,” said Damian Brady, Professor of Oceanography at the University of Maine. “This federal investment will modernize the Gulf of Maine Ocean Observation System by expanding and redesigning the buoy and data collection network, integrating advanced sensors and AI-enabled analytics, and improving continuous real-time monitoring from offshore waters to the coast. These upgrades build on the pioneering platform originally launched by Dr. Neal Pettigrew and his research group at the University of Maine, and their continued leadership will create a system that delivers more reliable, actionable data and real-time information to those on the water—helping to make them safer and supporting the long-term resilience of Maine’s coastal communities and economy.”

“For more than three decades, the Maine Lobster Settlement Survey has provided valuable insight into juvenile lobster populations and how they respond to changing ocean conditions,” said Chris Cash, executive director of the University of Maine Lobster Institute. “This new funding will build on that foundation by adding study locations to the Maine Collector Survey and generating new data essential to sustaining Maine’s lobster industry and the communities that depend on it.”

Funding secured by Senator Collins for the UMaine System in the FY 2026 CJS Appropriations bill is as follows:

University of Maine Health Science Complex

Recipient: University of Maine System

Project Location: Orono, ME

Amount Requested: $45,000,000

Project Purpose: To support the construction of a health and life sciences complex.

Gulf of Maine Ocean Observation System

Recipient: University of Maine System

Project Location: Coastal counties from Washington County to York County, ME

Amount Requested: $5,000,000

Project Purpose: To expand the ocean observation system in the Gulf of Maine, which is used by the maritime and fishing industries.

American Lobster Settlement Index Expansion

Recipient: University of Maine System

Project Location: Walpole, ME

Amount Requested: $1,000,000

Project Purpose: To expand the Maine Collector Survey for lobster in the Gulf of Maine.

This builds on the $1.35 million Senator Collins secured for the UMaine System in the FY 2026 Agriculture, Rural Development, and Food and Drug Administration Appropriations bill signed into law in November.

In 2021, Congress reinstituted Congressionally Directed Spending. Following this decision, Senator Collins has secured more than $1.2 billion for hundreds of Maine projects for FY 2022, FY 2023, FY 2024, and FY 2026 (to date). As the Chair of the Appropriations Committee, Senator Collins is committed to championing targeted investments that will benefit Maine communities for years to come.

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Senator Collins Secures $45 Million for Landmark UMaine Health and Life Sciences Complex

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Susan Collins, Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, announced that she secured $45,000,000 in Congressionally Directed Spending (CDS) to support the construction of a new cutting-edge health and life sciences complex at the University of Maine (UMaine).

This significant federal funding announcement follows the University of Maine System’s release of an independent study that offered several suggestions to improve health care access in the State of Maine. This includes, “investing in research, nursing, and allied health programs; and building the physical infrastructure necessary for long-term success, including a proposed cutting-edge health sciences complex at the flagship,” campus in Orono.

This targeted investment, which was included in the Fiscal Year 2026 Commerce, Justice, and Science (CJS) Appropriations bill, is the largest single CDS secured in the history of the State of Maine.

“This funding will be a catalyst for UMaine and for the future of health care in our state,” said Senator Collins. “The new health and life sciences complex will help educate aspiring nurses, doctors, and other health care professionals here in Maine, preparing the next generation to meet the complex needs of our state. This funding will help ensure that Mainers benefit from important advances in medicine, other life sciences, and technology for years to come.”

“We are deeply grateful to Senator Collins for her steadfast leadership and her commitment to strengthening Maine’s future through the federal appropriations process,” said Joan Ferrini-Mundy, University of Maine President and University of Maine System Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation. “Her support for the planned UMaine Health and Life Science Complex will lead to transformation for our flagship university and the health and well-being of the people of Maine and beyond. This facility will prepare students across Maine and its public universities for the rapidly evolving world of modern life science, health care and innovation — where data, AI, advanced technologies, and interdisciplinary research shape every aspect of practice from the lab to the classroom to the patient. As Maine’s learner-centered R1 university, UMaine integrates workforce development, world-class research, and real-world problem-solving into every stage of education, empowering learners to generate new knowledge and become the innovators and professionals who will lead Maine’s health and life science sectors for decades to come.”

In 2021, Congress reinstituted Congressionally Directed Spending. Following this decision, Senator Collins has secured more than $1.2 billion for hundreds of Maine projects for FY 2022, FY 2023, FY 2024, and FY 2026 (to date). In the last five years, Senator Collins has successfully directed more than $500 million in federal appropriations to the UMaine System.

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Daines Travels to India to Advocate for Montana’s Pulse Crops and Reaffirm U.S.-India Strategic Partnership

Meets With Government Leaders, Members of Parliament, and Business Leaders

U.S. SENATE – U.S. Senator Steve Daines, member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, traveled to India January 17-19 to advocate for Montana’s pulse crops and reaffirm the U.S.-India strategic partnership. The trip included meetings in New Delhi with Minister of External Affairs Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Minister of Commerce and Industry Shri Piyush Goyal, members of parliament, and U.S. and Indian business leaders.

“I came to India to reaffirm our two countries’ shared values and strategic partnership and to advocate on behalf of Montana’s pulse crop farmers. I appreciated Minister Goyal for listening to our farmers’ concerns and will continue to work with President Trump to press this important priority,” said Daines.

“As we work to take the partnership between our two nations to the next level in cooperation, I will ensure that senior government officials will regularly travel to India. As a key member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee with extensive experience in Asia, Senator Daines’ meetings with official and private sector stakeholders in New Delhi were instrumental in advancing our bilateral relationship,” said U.S. Ambassador to India Sergio Gor.

During meetings with senior Indian officials and parliamentarians, Daines discussed growing U.S.-India defense cooperation, mutual efforts to secure supply chains, and the importance of the U.S.-India strategic partnership to ensuring our shared security and preserving a stable and open Indo-Pacific region. While in India, Daines pursued interests of the Trump Administration as well as the people of Montana, including urging favorable pulse crop provisions in any future trade agreements between the United States and India. Montana is the top producer of pulse crops in the United States, and India is the top consumer in the world. Daines sought acceleration of the active and ongoing talks towards concluding a fair and reciprocal bilateral trade deal.

Daines sent a letter to President Trump last week emphasizing the importance of treating pulse crops favorably in future trade agreements. Read the letter HERE.

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Duckworth Condemns Trump’s Increasingly Erratic Threats to Seize Greenland

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)—a member of the U.S. Senate Committees on Foreign Relations (SFRC) and Armed Services (SASC)—today released the following statement as Donald Trump continues to escalate his outrageous threats to take over Greenland from NATO ally Denmark, including new tariffs on eight European allies:

“Donald Trump’s escalating and increasingly erratic threats to take Greenland by force and economic coercion are as nonsensical as they are dangerous. Not only do the Greenlandic people not want a Trump takeover, but they could not be clearer that they are eager to strengthen their partnership with the United States to achieve the security and economic goals Trump is threatening invasion to secure.

“Trump’s latest foreign distraction isn’t simply unnecessary, it is also undermining our partners’ faith in the NATO alliance, which further emboldens Russia and puts our national security at greater risk. At a time when our allies across NATO have been steadily increasing their defense spending and leadership role in Ukraine, jeopardizing this progress is particularly stupid and detrimental to our interests. If he were actually focused on making Americans safer, he would be bolstering support for NATO—not threatening to steal a NATO ally’s land by force.


Durbin Blasts Kristi Noem On Targeting, Racial Profiling Of American Citizens By ICE Agents

Durbin: “To state the obvious, we are not a ‘papers, please’ country… American citizens generally do not have ‘immigration documents’, and to require them to carry such documents to avoid being violently stopped or interrogated by federal immigration agents is absurd and unconstitutional.”

SPRINGFIELD – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, called out U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem on her department’s threats to American citizens, as well as misstatements of law by senior Trump Administration officials.

In a letter to Noem, Durbin wrote: “I am outraged at the repeated targeting and racial profiling of U.S. citizens facing warrantless searches and detainment by federal immigration authorities. I am also deeply concerned by misstatements of law by U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) Chief Gregory Bovino—the senior Trump Administration official responsible for overseeing a series of broadly criticized immigration enforcement actions across multiple states… To state the obvious, we are not a ‘papers, please’ country. American citizens generally do not have ‘immigration documents,’ and to require them to carry such documents to avoid being violently stopped or interrogated by federal immigration agents is absurd and unconstitutional. There is no requirement in the law for U.S. citizens to carry identification to avoid arbitrary arrest and detention.”

Durbin continued by outlining applicable law and court decisions, writing: “The founders included explicit protections from unreasonable searches and seizures in the U.S. Constitution to prevent the types of arbitrary and indiscriminate arrests of U.S. citizens that are currently occurring in American cities. The Immigration and Nationality Act gives an immigration agent limited authority to question individuals that the agent has a reason to believe are noncitizens as to their right to be or remain in the United States. However, as Justice Kavanaugh noted in his concurrence in Vasquez Perdomo v. Dep’t of Homeland Security, ‘[t]o be clear, apparent ethnicity alone cannot furnish reasonable suspicion.’ He also stated that, ‘reasonable suspicion means only that immigration officers may briefly stop the individual and inquire about immigration status. If the person is a U.S. citizen or otherwise lawfully in the United States, that individual will be free to go after a brief encounter.’ Unfortunately, these caveats have not prevented an escalating number of arbitrary stops, arrests, and detentions of U.S. citizens by federal immigration agents.”

Durbin then highlighted the violent arrest of Mubashir, a 20-year-old Somali American in Minnesota. Video shows masked agents tackling Mubashir—who had stepped out for his lunch break—handcuffing him, and dragging him through the snow before placing him in a chokehold and pulling him into an unmarked SUV.

Mubashir is just one case of agents approaching numerous non-white individuals recently in Minneapolis and asking them where they were born and for their identification.

Durbin then contextualized these threats to American citizens, writing: “The Department’s cavalier attitude towards the law continues to lead to frequent abuses against American citizens… Immigration officials are targeting Black and Brown individuals and ignoring their desperate attempts to assert their citizenship—sometimes as they are chased, thrown to the ground, pulled into unmarked vehicles by masked men, handcuffed, and held for hours, even days.”

Durbin then shared the story of Maria Greeley—a U.S. citizen and Chicago resident—who was detained and restrained outside of her workplace, even after she provided documentation confirming her citizenship. Additionally, he offered the stories of Javier Ramirez, Leonardo Garcia, and Dulce Consuelo Diaz Morales.

Durbin concluded with an admonishment of these practices, before making a series of information requests, writing: “Terrifying experiences like these undoubtedly will become more commonplace for American citizens unless the Department abides by the law and reins in its reckless immigration enforcement operations. Please immediately issue a correction to the Department’s false statement that U.S. citizens must carry proof of citizenship and immediately instruct your employees that unconstitutional ‘citizen checks’ are not permitted and must immediately cease. Please also ensure that your law enforcement agents, including Mr. Bovino, receive sufficient training in how to constitutionally enforce the law.”

For a PDF of the letter to Secretary Noem, click here.

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Durbin Joins Small Business Owners In Springfield To Discuss Credit Card Competition Act

SPRINGFIELD – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today joined small business owners at Café Moxo in Springfield to discuss how his recently reintroduced bipartisan Credit Card Competition Act will increase competition in the credit card market and put an end to the Visa-Mastercard duopoly that is squeezing small businesses—and, ultimately, consumers.

Today, Visa and Mastercard control about 85 percent of the credit card market and refuse to negotiate fair terms with Main Street merchants. Currently, the average American family pays nearly $1,200 per year in swipe fees, while banks profit $111.2 billion annually from credit card swipe fees charged by Visa and Mastercard.

“As Illinoisans struggle to get by, big banks are seeing record profit margins that are more than six times the profit margins of retailers,” said Durbin. “By bringing real competition to credit card networks, we can reduce swipe fees and hold down costs for small business owners and their customers. It’s time to pass my Credit Card Competition Act.”

“Credit card processors charge more than $187 billion credit and debit card swipe fees each year. With no guardrails in place, these fees jumped 11.6 percent in just one year – siphoning money away from retailers that hire and invest in our communities. This proposal would increase competition and transparency, helping to drive down costs while supporting local businesses and protecting consumers,” said Rob Karr, president and CEO of the Illinois Retail Merchants Association. “We thank Sen. Durbin for his leadership and dedication to increasing fairness in the credit card marketplace.”

Durbin was joined by Mark Forinash, Owner of Café Moxo, Cindy Frisina, owner of Legendary Small Town Trading Co., Terry Boulander and Becky Baumgart, owners of Girls in White Satin, and Rob Karr, President and CEO of the Illinois Retailers Merchants Association.

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Durbin Statement On The Weaponization Of The Justice Department Against Minnesota Politicians

SPRINGFIELD – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, released the following statement after the Justice Department reportedly opened investigations into Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, and Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison over an alleged conspiracy to impede immigration agents:

“During his campaign and his presidency, President Trump promised ‘retribution’ against his enemies. He has made good on his promise, using the justice system as a shield for his cronies and a sword to attack his opponents.

“Instead of deporting ‘the worst of the worst,’ Donld Trump is targeting communities that didn’t vote for him, like Chicago and Minneapolis, rounding up tens of thousands of immigrants, or people who look like immigrants, with no criminal history, and attacking peaceful protestors exercising their First Amendment rights.

“Last time I checked, Governor Walz, Mayor Frey, and AG Ellison had the right to free speech as guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution—a document President Trump and AG Bondi swore to protect and defend.”

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One Year After Making History as Arizona’s First Latino Senator, Gallego Reflects and Looks Ahead

PHOENIX – One year after Senator Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) was sworn in as Arizona’s first Latino Senator, he returned to American Legion Post 65, where he celebrated his election victory, to thank the leaders and community members who have stood with him in his fight for the country Americans want and deserve.

For more information on Senator Gallego’s 2025 accomplishments, click HERE.

Read excerpts from his speech below:

“It has been a hard year, let’s be clear. We’ve been going through a lot as a country, as a community. I think we all hoped that things would be better. […]

“The country we want is not what we’re seeing right now. The country we want is the people in this building that are always putting drives together helping out our veterans, helping the homeless.

“The country we want is a country that allowed my mom to raise four kids on her own and send them all to college. That’s the country we want.

“The country we want is a place where people feel welcome and safe and people can walk the streets without being randomly taken at any point. That’s the country we want.

“We want a country where people have an opportunity no matter where they are in life. We want a country where people can start as the poorest of society and make it and be successful for their family. That’s why right now you guys feel this level of disappointment, because we know that country. We’ve had that country. You’ve all earned that country, and we have fought for that country – many of us with blood, sweat, and tears. We will have that country again. That’s the America we want.

“So I tell you right now, I know it’s been a rough year. I know I may not have met all of your expectations, and sometimes I have let you down, but I tell you right now that I will always fight for that country that you want and you deserve. Thank you for supporting me. Thank you for supporting my family, and thank you for continuing to believe in this great country. Because in no other world could I have been here.

“The chances of a boy being raised on the South Chicago – going from the floor of an apartment to the floor of the Senate is historic. It could only happen here in this country. It could only happen because you guys all believed in me. So thank you for believing me. Thank you believing in America. Let’s keep fighting for that America that we want.”


Gillibrand, Schumer Deliver Nearly $90 Million In Federal Funding To Support West Valley Demonstration Project Cleanup Efforts, Announce New Bipartisan Legislation To Clean Up Nuclear Waste, Protect Western New Yorkers

Today, following years of continued advocacy, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) announced that they have secured $90 million in federal funding in the just passed Energy and Water spending bill for the clean-up of the West Valley Demonstration Project. In addition, the senators announced they have introduced bipartisan legislation to support and extend the authorization for the cleanup and remediation of nuclear waste at the West Valley Demonstration Project site, a decades-old contaminated site in Cattaraugus County that continues to pose risks to public health and the environment.

The legislation would reauthorize the Department of Energy (DOE) to conduct nuclear waste management at the West Valley Demonstration Project (WVDP) through 2037 ahead of the project’s current authorization expiring in September 2026, and it would also increase the authorized funding level from $75 million to $150 million, reflecting the scope of the work while helping ensure the project remains on schedule. Representative Nick Langworthy (R-NY-23) introduced companion legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives.

“Western New Yorkers deserve to live safely in their communities without worrying about the serious health risks posed by decades-old nuclear waste,” said Senator Gillibrand. “After years of progress, let’s continue the cleanup and give families confidence in the health and safety of their community. I am proud to introduce this bipartisan legislation, and I will keep fighting to deliver the federal resources needed to protect public health and ensure Western New York has the resources it needs to thrive.”

“Families in Cattaraugus County and across Western New York deserve peace of mind knowing that decades old nuclear waste is out of their backyard. I am proud to deliver $90 million in federal funding in this year’s spending bill to ramp up clean up efforts for the West Valley Demonstration Project and to introduce bipartisan legislation to boost cleanup efforts to keep Western New Yorkers safe from nuclear waste,” said Senator Schumer. “If the progress on the West Valley Demonstration Project slows, the cleanup will only get more expensive and time consuming to decontaminate this site. I will keep fighting to deliver the resources needed to fully cleanup this site and protect Cattaraugus County residents and all New Yorkers from this environmental hazard.”

The WVDP was the site of the only commercial plant for the reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel in the country. It operated from 1966-72, at which point it shut down as it became economically unviable. This left behind hundreds of thousands of gallons of highly radioactive waste and widespread contamination.

Congress created the WVDP in 1980 to ensure DOE could clean up the site and protect New York communities. Last year, cleanup activities reached a critical milestone, with the successful demolition of the Main Plant Process Building. However, work continues as the project moves into its next phase of demolition and cleanup. While major progress has been made, reauthorization is critical to keep cleanup on track and prevent costly delays or the loss of highly specialized cleanup expertise.

For years, Gillibrand and Schumer have led efforts to clean up the site. The senators annually secure federal funding for the WVDP as part of the regular appropriations process, helping to keep cleanup efforts on track. In the Fiscal Year 2026 Energy and Water Development bill, the senators fought to secure $8.6 billion in federal funding for the Department of Energy to clean up nuclear sites across the country, an $80 million increase compared to last year and $470 million more than the president’s budget request. This funding includes close to $90 million for WVDP.

The cleanup project currently supports roughly 350 skilled workers employed by the West Valley Cleanup Alliance and its subcontractors and contributes tens of millions of dollars each year to the Western New York economy.

The full text of the legislation can be found here.

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Gillibrand Statement On Social Security Data Being Abused By DOGE Staff

Today, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, top Democrat on the Senate Aging Committee, released the following statement on the Trump administration admitting in court documents that DOGE staff at the Social Security Administration may have used Social Security beneficiary data to work with an advocacy group seeking to “overturn election results in certain states.” Additionally, the court filing reveals multiple flagrant violations of federal data security and personally identifiable information requirements.

“Americans who pay into Social Security and those who receive Social Security payments should not have to worry about their government giving out their personal information.

“The unauthorized harvesting of Americans’ Social Security data by the Trump administration and its DOGE task force is not just a breach of trust, but a violation of federal laws. This blatant abuse of power by these staffers cannot be ignored and must be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. At a time when seniors are already facing skyrocketing wait times and delayed benefits, the Social Security Administration must focus on serving the public, not handing over our private data to political extremists.”

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Grassley Law Returns Record-Breaking $6.8 Billion in Fraudulent Government Payments to Taxpayers

WASHINGTON – Under a law championed by Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), the federal government recovered over $6.8 billion in fraudulent payments in fiscal year 2025 (FY25), the largest single-year recovery in the history of the False Claims Act. Whistleblowers were responsible for helping recover a vast majority of this amount, over $5.3 billion. During that same period, whistleblowers filed 1,297 qui tam lawsuits, the highest number in a single year. Since Grassley strengthened the False Claims Act in 1986, it has recouped approximately $85 billion for taxpayers and saved countless more by deterring would-be fraudsters.

“The False Claims Act remains the government’s single greatest tool to fight waste. By empowering patriotic whistleblowers to shine a light on wrongdoing, the law continues to deliver for the American people, returning approximately $85 billion for taxpayers. I was proud to author the 1986 updates that supercharged the law, and I’m grateful for the DOJ’s work to aggressively utilize this critical tool to crack down on fraud and abuse,” Grassley said.

The False Claims Act consistently roots out fraud in health care. In FY25, $5.7 billion of the more than $6.8 billion in settlements and judgments were related to the health care industry. Specifically, DOJ focused on three major areas of fraud: managed care, prescription drugs and medically unnecessary care. These recoveries will restore funds to federal programs such as Medicare, Medicaid and TRICARE.

Read more about FY2025 False Claims Act settlements and recoveries HERE.

Background:

In 1986, Grassley updated the False Claims Act, the law enabling the government to recover taxpayer dollars from entities that defrauded federal agencies. A key provision in that update, known as qui tam, allows whistleblowers to bring lawsuits against alleged fraudsters on behalf of the government and share in any recoveries. The law has been so successful that Congress established similar programs at the Securities and Exchange Commission, Commodities Futures Trading Commission, the Internal Revenue Service and the Department of Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network to incentivize whistleblowers who expose fraud and wrongdoing.

Despite the False Claims Act’s overwhelming success, courts and defendants have attempted to mischaracterize and weaken the law. In June 2023, the Supreme Court issued a unanimous decision upholding the plain text and congressional intent of the law to hold accountable individuals who knowingly defraud the government. Grassley filed an amicus brief in that case.


ICYMI: Hawley Chairs Judiciary Hearing Uncovering Biden Administration’s Failure in Afghan Vetting Process

WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) chaired a hearing on the Biden Administration’s failure to properly vet Afghan nationals, leading to the shooting of two national guardsmen in Washington, D.C. in November. During the hearing, Senator Hawley exposed that millions of taxpayer dollars were funneled through non-profit organizations with known terrorist ties.

Senator Hawley asked Craig Adelman, the Deputy Inspector General of the Office of Audits, “In 2022, your office found that President Biden’s DHS allowed some Afghans into the country before they were fully vetted, including, if I remember correctly, one who had been liberated from prison by the Taliban. Do I have have that correct?”

“That’s correct,” Adelman replied.

Senator Hawley continued, “So, you investigated the vetting process. Did you find that the Biden administration’s DHS had a formal vetting process in place that they followed carefully?”

Adelman answered, “The Department could not provide us with a formal screening and vetting process at the start of the OAW (Operation Allies Welcome) process.”

Senator Hawley questioned, “Did the Biden administration require Afghans to to show identification at ports of entry?”

“We found over 30,000 did not have formal identification,” responded Adelman.

Senator Hawley went on to question Julie Marzouk, Principal and Founder of Marzouk Evolve Advocacy Consulting, “How is it that money, taxpayer money, ends up in the hands of an organization, multiple organizations, that have terrorist affiliations?”

Marzouk replied, “I think there’s plenty of fault to go around. The first should lie with the terrorist supporting nonprofit that presents itself as a legitimate civil rights organization…the Council of American Islamic Relations — CAIR.”

The Senator asked, “So this is a group that you say has ties to terrorism?”

“They were an unindicted co-conspirator in the 2008 Holy Land Foundation,” said Marzouk. “In that trial, the wiretap from the 1993 meeting in which CAIR was founded was brought into the federal public record in that meeting, they specifically state that they are going to present themselves as a legitimate civil rights organization while furthering the mission of Hamas.”

Hawley continued, “So you have an American court, an American court proceeding that finds that this entity has direct ties to Hamas, may be part of a Hamas funding network, that they’re getting money. How much money did they get from the federal government to shepherd Afghan parolees?”

Marsouk answered, “It’s very hard to track the funding because some state fiscal oversight portals show it more clearly than others. I can say with certainty that in California, they received $15 million. In the state of Washington, they received more than a million dollars. And I can say also that an affiliate of CAIR, which is called ICNA, the Islamic center for North America, which has its own documented ties to extremism and terrorism, was also sub granted $1 million.”

Senator Hawley concluded, “We need to find out where this money has gone. This is a scandal. This is corruption, and we’ve got to figure out how taxpayer money has ended up in the hands of yet another organization with terrorist attacks.”


Heinrich Advances Legislation to Combat Nonconsensual, Sexually-Explicit Deepfakes

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), founder and Co-Chair of the Senate Artificial Intelligence Caucus, applauded Senate passage of the Disrupt Explicit Forged Images and Non-Consensual Edits Act (DEFIANCE Act), bipartisan legislation that gives survivors of sexually explicit “deepfake” images and videos the tools to fight back and seek justice against those responsible for the proliferation of this content.

The legislation now heads to the U.S. House of Representatives for consideration.

“Senate passage of our DEFIANCE Act is a significant step in better protecting children and adults from being sexually exploited in AI-generated deepfakes and seek justice in court. For the sake of the survivors and human dignity, the House must pass this legislation immediately,” said Heinrich.

Survivors of sexually explicit “deepfake” images and videos often experience serious mental health and other harms, including worry about the images remaining searchable on the internet years into the future, where they could potentially be found by family, friends, and employers. Creation of nonconsensual sexually-explicit images is often also accompanied by bullying or extortion.

The DEFIANCE Act creates a federal civil remedy, allowing survivors to seek justice in court. The Act also strengthens confidentiality protections for survivors during court proceedings.

The legislation is led by U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC). Alongside Heinrich, the bill is cosponsored in the Senate by U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Angus King (I-Maine), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), and Mike Lee (R-Utah). In the U.S. House of Representatives, the legislation is led by U.S. Representatives Alexandria Ocasio Cortez (D-N.Y.) and Laurel Lee (R-Fla.)

In 2024, the Senate unanimously passed the DEFIANCE Act, but House Republicans stalled the bill.

The bill text is available here.

Heinrich also cosponsored and passed into law the TAKE IT DOWN Act, which criminalizes the publication of non-consensual intimate imagery (NCII), including AI-generated NCII, and requires social media and similar websites to have in place procedures to remove such content within 48 hours of notice from a victim.

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Heinrich to Hedge Funds: “Get Out of the Housing Market”

Heinrich Cosponsors Legislation to Kick Hedge Funds Out of the Housing Market, Lower Housing Costs for New Mexico Families

WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) cosponsored the Humans Over Private Equity (HOPE) for Homeownership Act, legislation to kick hedge funds out of the housing market and lower housing costs for New Mexico families.

“My message to hedge funds: Get out of the housing market. The American dream of home ownership should be in the hands of New Mexico families, not billionaire investors,” said Heinrich. “I’m proud to push for legislation that will kick hedge funds out of the housing market and help bring down housing costs for working families. Because every New Mexican deserves an affordable place to call home.”

Large-scale hedge fund investors have entered the housing market at an alarming rate. In 2011, no single entity owned over 1,000 single-family rental units. In 2022, large institutional investors and hedge funds owned about 700,000 single-family home rentals, and financial analysts forecast that this ownership footprint will grow to 40% of all single-family home rentals by 2030.

The HOPE for Homeownership Act will kick hedge funds out of New Mexico’s single-family housing market by:

Establishing a new tax penalty of 15% of the sale price (or $10,000, if greater) for hedge funds buying additional single-family homes;

Taking away depreciation and mortgage interest tax breaks; and

Imposing a new $5,000 per home tax penalty for hedge funds failing to fully sell off their currently owned single-family homes each year over a 10-year period.

The HOPE for Homeownership Act is led by U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.). Alongside Heinrich, the HOPE for Homeownership Act is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Angus King (I-Maine), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.). U.S. Representative Linda Sánchez (D-Calif.) and U.S. Representative Adam Smith (D-Wash.) are leading the House companion legislation.

The HOPE for Homeownership Act is endorsed by Americans for Financial Reform, Consumer Action, National Housing Resource Center, National Consumer Law Center (on behalf of its low-income clients), National Housing Law Project, and Private Equity Stakeholder Project.

A summary of the bill is here.

The full text of the bill is here.

As a member of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee, Heinrich has directly secured millions in investments for New Mexico renters and first-time homeowners.

In Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26) funding, Heinrich successfully secured $3.5 billion to prevent veteran homelessness, including:

$659 million to bolster the Supportive Services for Veteran Families Program, which will help meet the needs of veterans including help with the rising costs of household goods;

$703 million for case management and administration of Housing and Urban Development – Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing vouchers;

$277 million for the Grant and Per Diem Program, which will support transitional housing and assist veterans in achieving housing stability; and

$174 million for Veterans Justice Outreach and Legal Services for Veterans grants to award community-based organizations with funds to assist veterans with legal issues like accessing benefits, navigating family law, and securing safe and stable housing.

Additionally, Heinrich secured $1.715 billion in the FY26 funding for rental assistance to help ensure Americans living in rural areas have access to safe and affordable housing. Heinrich also secured $1 billion in Single Family Direct Loans to help more low-income families and first-time home buyers get mortgages.

As then-Chair of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies, Heinrich secured $1.6 billion for rental assistance in his FY24 Agriculture Appropriations Bill — an increase of $120 million over FY23. Heinrich’s FY24 bill also provided for a pilot program that decoupled rental assistance from Multifamily Direct Loans, preventing thousands of low-income families from losing rental assistance.

In the FY24 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill, Heinrich secured $1,100,000 for Santa Fe Habitat for Humanity to develop land into a mixed-income development focused on building 25 to 30 housing units for working families. In total, Heinrich has secured $14,500,000 in Congressionally Directed Spending (CDS) for Northern New Mexico to address the housing shortage.

In October 2024, Heinrich met with leaders from Santa Fe Habitat for Humanity and Homewise to announce his New Homes Tax Credit Act, legislation to build more housing and renovate homes for working families and see how the $1,100,000 he secured through the Appropriations process is helping Santa Fe Habitat for Humanity develop land and build housing for working families.

In May 2024, Heinrich and the N.M. Congressional Delegation welcomed $11,855,081 in federal funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to support public housing authorities build, renovate, and modernize public housing across New Mexico.

In February 2024, Heinrich and the N.M. Congressional Delegation welcomed more than $16 million in federal funding from HUD’ Continuum of Care program to support New Mexico projects that provide housing assistance and supportive services to people experiencing homelessness.

Additional background on Heinrich’s work to lower housing costs, help New Mexico families become first-time homeowners, and address the homelessness crisis.

Last August, Heinrich reintroduced the First-Time Homebuyer Tax Credit Act, legislation that aims to support middle-class New Mexicans purchasing their first home. The bill would establish a refundable tax credit worth up to 10 percent of a home’s purchase price – up to a maximum of $15,000 – for first-time homebuyers.

Last April, Heinrich and U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) introduced the Housing for All Act, legislation that will help address the housing shortage and homelessness crises in New Mexico. If passed, the bill will invest in proven solutions to address housing shortages and provide a historic level of federal funding for programs to bolster innovative, locally developed solutions to increase the housing stock in the state and help New Mexicans experiencing homelessness.

Last March, Heinrich demanded that U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Scott Turner follow the law and deliver $3.6 billion in Congressionally appropriated funding to support Continuum of Care program recipients, a vital local program aimed at curbing homelessness across the country, including in New Mexico.

Last January, Heinrich stood alongside the New Mexico Congressional Delegation in welcoming $17.1 million — a 5.3% increase from the previous year — to support New Mexico projects that provide housing assistance and supportive services to people experiencing homelessness through HUD’s Continuum of Care program.

In 2024, Heinrich introduced the New Homes Tax Credit Act, legislation that will provide tax credits to incentivize new investments and additional resources for single-family home construction and renovations for working families. In Albuquerque, Santa Fe, and Las Cruces, New Mexico, for example, this added housing inventory would benefit families with annual incomes of up to $103,680, $109,800, and $78,960, respectively.

Additionally, at a roundtable conversation with local educators in Albuquerque, Heinrich announced his Educator Down Payment Assistance Act, legislation designed to help more educators and school staff in New Mexico purchase a home and keep teachers in the communities where they teach.

As then-Chairman of the U.S. Joint Economic Committee (JEC), Heinrich released a report on housing supply in America, which found that underbuilding, restrictive zoning policies, and home financing hurdles have caused the supply of starter homes to shrink and prices to rise. High interest rates and mangled supply chains have also contributed to increased home prices. Heinrich also chaired a JEC hearing on the report. His full opening statement can be found here.

In 2023, Heinrich introduced the Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act, legislation to help build over 14,000 new affordable homes in New Mexico over the next decade, generating over $2.5 billion in wages and business income. The legislation will support the financing of more affordable housing by expanding and strengthening the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit, our country’s most successful affordable housing program.

Heinrich also introduced the Delivering Essential Protection, Opportunity, and Security for Tenants (DEPOSIT) Act, legislation to help an estimated 12,000 New Mexican families access rental housing through the Housing Choice Voucher Program to pay security deposits and get into a rental home.

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Hoeven Working to Save North Dakota Taxpayers Well Over $300 Million

Senator Outlines Impact of FY2026 ENDAWS & Flood Protection Funding Provisions

FARGO, N.D. – Senator John Hoeven, a member of the Senate Energy and Water Development Appropriations Committee, today held a press conference and roundtable to discuss the impact of the funding provisions that he secured in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 appropriations legislation, which benefit water supply projects and flood protection in the Red River Valley and will save North Dakota taxpayers more than $300 million in upfront costs and ongoing operating costs. Specifically, Hoeven worked to advance:

$50 million and authorization for the Eastern North Dakota Alternate Water Supply (ENDAWS) project:

The project uses existing federal infrastructure, including the Snake Creek Pumping Plant and the McClusky Canal, to save the Red River Valley Water Supply Project (RRVWSP):

$200 million in construction costs.

$4 million in annual operating costs, resulting from less elevation lift and a shorter pumping distance.

Hoeven is leading efforts to secure additional funding from the One Big Beautiful Bill (OB3).

The OB3 included $1 billion in funding for Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) water conveyance and storage projects, and Hoeven crafted and secured language in the bill to make ENDAWS eligible.

Since OB3 passed, Hoeven has been working with the Interior Department for additional funding for ENDAWS, and the OB3 funding awards are expected to be announced in the coming weeks.

ENDAWS will bring a more reliable, drought-resistant water supply to central and eastern North Dakota, serving over 30 communities and rural water systems.

The project received a completed Environmental Impact Study (EIS) and a signed Record of Decision (ROD) in 2021, following Hoeven and the North Dakota delegation’s efforts with the BOR.

His legislation directing the Corps to apply federal savings to reduce the local cost share of flood protection in the Red River Valley, with a goal of transferring $100-$120 million this year.

This is the 17th piece of legislation passed by Hoeven to advance flood protection for the Fargo-Moorhead region.

These savings are available due to Hoeven’s efforts to:

Pass legislation to construct comprehensive flood protection utilizing a first-in-the-nation, public-private partnership (P3), a model that saved time and money.

Secure the full $750 million federal cost share up front in 2022, which enabled the Army Corps to complete its work ahead of schedule and under budget.

This funding will enable the local sponsors to more quickly construct additional project features, helping to further reduce local costs and ensuring more comprehensive protection is in place sooner.

“Between the two provisions we passed last week, we are working to save North Dakota taxpayers well over $300 million. The federal ENDAWS project brings real savings to the Red River Valley Water Supply Project, reducing its construction costs by $200 million and saving $4 million in annual operating costs. At the same time, by enabling the Corps to build its share of flood protection more quickly, we have created savings that can be used to reduce the local cost share, with a goal of securing $100 million to $120 million for the local sponsors this year,” said Hoeven. “Under the original model, the federal government would’ve taken the lead on the entire flood protection project for the Red River Valley. This would’ve resulted in delays and cost overruns. Our first-in-the-nation P3 model, along with our work to fully fund the $750 million cost share up front, significantly reduced the federal construction timeline and costs. Our legislation transfers those savings to the local sponsors this year, which will reduce the local cost share and save taxpayer money.”

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HYDE-SMITH COSPONSORS PREGNANT STUDENTS’ RIGHT ACT AHEAD OF NATIONAL MARCH FOR LIFE

Measure Would Require Universities to Help Pregnant Students Carry to Term & Stay in School

WASHINGTON, D.C. – In advance of the annual March for Life on Friday, Senate Pro-Life Caucus Chair Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) signed as an original cosponsor of pro-life legislation to support pregnant college students by requiring colleges and universities to actively inform them of their rights and protections.

The Pregnant Students’ Rights Act (S.3627), introduced by U.S. Senator Ashely Moody (R-Fla.), is intended to help pregnant students carry a pregnancy to term without abandoning their academic career, such as modified class schedules, excused absences, and other resources.

“Standing up for life is more than just saying the right words. It means showing up with real support. For women in college, balancing coursework with pregnancy can be especially challenging, and they deserve to fully understand their rights to reasonable accommodations and protection from discrimination,” Senator Hyde-Smith said. “As chair of the Senate Pro-Life Caucus, I am proud to support this legislation and policies like it that empower pregnant women with the resources they need to thrive and nurture life.”

“Navigating college can be challenging, and unfortunately women who become pregnant can feel pressure choose between bringing life into this world or academic failure. No one should have to make this decision. My Pregnant Students’ Rights Act ensures students know what resources and support are available to them to stay in school, succeed, and care for their new baby,” Senator Moody said.

S.3627 would amend the Higher Education Act to ensure all college students who are pregnant or may become pregnant know their rights and protections to carry a pregnancy to term. It would require universities to inform students on how to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education if there is a violation of Title IX protections for pregnant students.

The measure would also require universities to disseminate information regarding the rights and protections for pregnant students to carry a pregnancy to term through emails, student handbooks, at orientation, on publicly available websites, and at student health or counseling centers. Information must include a list of campus resources to help pregnant students and new mothers, including school-provided accommodations.

Majority Leader John Thune and U.S. Senators James Lankford (R-Okla.), Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-La.), Jim Banks (R-Ind.), Ted Budd (R-N.C.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), and Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) also cosponsored the bill.

The Pregnant Students’ Rights Act is supported by Students for Life, Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, and March for Life Action.

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US senators call for punishment of Mexico for illegal fishing; they link red snapper to Gulf Cartel funding

The Department of Homeland Security indicates that the Coast Guard only intercepts one out of every five foreign vessels detected.

By Alelhí Salgado

Republican senators in the United States have asked the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and its NOAA Fisheries division to apply stricter measures against illegal fishing in Mexico carried out by small boats from Playa Bagdad, in Tamaulipas, which enter US waters in the Gulf of America to catch red snapper.

In a letter addressed to federal authorities, a copy of which is in the possession of EL UNIVERSAL , the legislators warned that these boats “do not operate as isolated or subsistence activities, but as organized operations,” and that reports from the Treasury Department increasingly link them to the Gulf Cartel , which they describe as one of the most dangerous criminal organizations in Mexico .

The document argues that illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing of red snapper has become a mechanism for criminal financing, as the illegally caught product manages to enter the US market.

Thus, the senators noted that “as long as access to the U.S. seafood market remains available without consequences for lawbreakers, interdictions alone will not significantly alter this behavior.”

Although fewer interdictions were recorded in 2025 than the previous year, lawmakers stressed that the volume of seized red snapper increased by 28%, reaching 15,859 pounds, which they attribute to the fact that the intercepted vessels are carrying larger and higher-value shipments destined for the U.S. market.

Furthermore, they cited a Department of Homeland Security report indicating that the Coast Guard only intercepts one out of every five foreign vessels detected, leaving nearly 80% of illegal incursions unstoppable and with the potential to integrate into “opaque” supply chains.

For the senators, this phenomenon is no longer just a fishing or environmental problem, but a matter of national security, as it "undermines U.S. fisheries management and national security" by funding transnational criminal organizations.

Therefore, they asked NOAA to promptly evaluate the use of its legal powers, including import restrictions, to prevent illegally caught red snapper from being sold in the United States and to eliminate the economic incentives that sustain these operations linked to organized crime.

Senators demand the US government ban exports of red snapper and snapper from Mexico

The senators recalled that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration had already issued negative certifications against Mexico for illegal fishing in 2021 and 2023, concluding that the country failed to stop incursions by boats into U.S. waters.

However, they pointed out that so far these sanctions have only resulted in restrictions on access to US ports , a measure that, they claimed, does not affect smaller vessels operating illegally, since these do not use US port infrastructure.

Therefore, lawmakers insisted and demanded a ban on imports of Mexican red snapper, arguing that this measure would be particularly effective because a significant portion of the illegally caught product ends up in the U.S. market, and by conditioning commercial access, law-abiding fishermen would be protected and pressure on red snapper populations would be reduced.


Senator Justice Visits Marshall Health Network – Rivers Health, Highlights Major Rural Healthcare Investments for West Virginia

POINT PLEASANT, WV – Today, Senator Jim Justice visited Marshall Health Network – Rivers Health to highlight major new investments, including nearly $200 million coming to the state through the Rural Health Transformation Program:

“Being here at Rivers Health puts it all into perspective. I know firsthand the challenges rural hospitals face, and that’s why I worked hand-in-hand with my Senate Republican colleagues to make sure this $200 million in funding was included. Rural hospitals like this one are the lifeblood of our communities, and this investment is going to make a real difference for both our patients and providers in West Virginia,” said Senator Jim Justice.

“Continued investments in rural health ensure our communities have access to timely, high-quality care close to home,”said Scott Raynes, president and CEO of Marshall Health Network. “The expanded and renovated emergency department will strengthen emergency care for residents of Mason County and surrounding communities, while positioning Rivers Health to meet anticipated growth in the region. We at Marshall Health Network want to thank Sen. Justice and all of our federal representatives for their continued focus on helping our state’s rural hospitals.”

The Rural Health Transformation Program Investment allows West Virginia to:

Attract and maintain healthcare providers in rural areas and regions facing shortages of medical professionals.

Provide education on emerging technologies to enhance healthcare accessibility.

Create initiatives that promote new approaches to patient care.

Expand availability of services for substance abuse treatment and behavioral health support.

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Senator Justice Visits Nucor Steel, Celebrates American Manufacturing Strength

MASON COUNTY, WV – Today, Senator Jim Justice released the following statement after visiting Nucor Steel, one of America’s leading steel manufacturers:

“Nucor has been an unbelievable partner to West Virginia since we began this journey together years ago. When I reflect on my time as Governor, landing Nucor in West Virginia as the state’s largest investment in our history is a shining moment that everybody should be proud of. This state-of-the-art facility is the result of practical investment in our people’s off-the-chart potential – and represents a true revival in this part of the country. I hope I’m back here to celebrate with Nucor when this facility is ready to go, because this is a massive accomplishment in the next chapter of both Nucor and the state of West Virginia. There is nothing better than American steel, and nothing better than steel made right here at home,” said Senator Jim Justice.

“Our Nucor team is grateful for the opportunity to host U.S. Senator Justice today and convey our appreciation for his ongoing support of our state-of-the-art sheet mill project. We are proud to share the significant construction progress as well as the continued growth of our team here in Mason County and the meaningful benefits this investment is already delivering to our local communities,” Johnny Jacobs, Vice President and General Manager of Nucor Steel West Virginia, said.

BACKGROUND:

As the Governor of West Virginia, Senator Justice announced that Nucor Steel selected Mason County as the site for their facility.

Senator Justice helped secure a $75 million investment to support Nucor Corporation’s additional $800 million investment in the Mason County sheet mill.

This brought the total investment to $3.5 billion, marking the largest economic development investment in both the state’s and the company’s history.

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