Padilla, Durbin, Colleagues Urge Trump’s Justice Department to Cease Pressure Campaign to Obtain States’ Sensitive Voter Data, Purge Voter Rolls

Senators raise alarm on Attorney General Bondi’s attempt to coerce Minnesota Governor Walz into relinquishing the state’s voter registration list as a condition for the removal of ICE and CBP from Minneapolis following the rejection of DOJ’s lawsuits in two other states

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senators Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration, and Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, led 26 Senate colleagues in pushing the Department of Justice (DOJ) to stop its unlawful pressure campaign to coerce dozens of states into providing the Trump Administration their voter rolls, which include voters’ personally identifiable information. Despite lacking legal authority, DOJ has sued 24 states and Washington, D.C. for refusing to hand over their full voter registration lists. The Senators sounded the alarm that the Administration’s efforts risk unjustified voter roll purges, pose severe privacy and national security concerns, and subvert state and local election officials’ authority to maintain registration lists.

The letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi comes after she recently wrote to Minnesota Governor Tim Walz pushing him to surrender the state’s voter rolls as part of an exchange for the Administration calling off its dangerous deployment of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers and agents to Minneapolis, an operation that has already led to the unjustified killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti. That letter followed two recent federal court rulings rejecting DOJ’s voter roll lawsuits in California and Oregon.

After DOJ ignored a previous inquiry led by Senators Padilla and Durbin into the Administration’s efforts to amass state voter data and initial lawsuits against eight states, including California, the Senators demanded DOJ provide responses to their earlier queries, along with new questions on its continued pursuit of state voter rolls in the face of two federal court rulings rejecting its litigation and regarding the safeguards in place for handling the information it already has from millions of voters. The Senators also requested a briefing to the Senate Judiciary and Rules and Administration Committees, as well as Senators whose states have been sued by DOJ.

The Attorney General’s letter to Governor Walz “marked an unacceptable escalation of DOJ’s campaign to centralize state voter rolls and sensitive personal information under its control,” wrote the Senators. “It is also the clearest admission that the Department knows it lacks authority to obtain state voter rolls and is instead resorting to strong arm tactics and intimidation by force.”

“While most states are resisting this illegal voter roll grab, we are gravely concerned by the amount of sensitive data the Department has already amassed on millions of American voters,” continued the Senators. “The Department has failed to provide Congress, or the public, any information on how it is maintaining this vast amount of data, the guardrails in place to protect state voter information, how the data is to be used, or who in the federal government has access to this sensitive data.”

The Senators highlighted President Trump’s baseless claims of federal authority over elections, standing in stark contrast to American federalism and the Constitution, which outline clear roles for states and Congress but none for the Executive Branch. Trump erroneously claimed in a Truth Social post that “states are merely an ‘agent’ for the Federal Government in counting and tabulating the votes.”

Two weeks ago, federal judges in California and Oregon held that those states were not required to provide DOJ with unredacted copies of their voter registration lists. The court in California warned that “DOJ’s campaign to collect sensitive voter data … paints an alarming picture regarding the centralization of Americans’ information within the Executive Branch — without approval from Congress or Americans themselves.” The Senators pushed Attorney General Bondi to stop wasting taxpayer dollars through DOJ’s unchecked mass litigation pressure campaign that jeopardizes data privacy and could lead to voter purges.

Despite the Administration’s claims, voting by noncitizens is extremely rare, made even clearer by a review of Texas’ voter registration list of more than 18 million voters through the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Systemic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) program. The review flagged only 33 people — 0.000001% of registered voters — as potentially having voted illegally in the 2024 election.

As DOJ has sharply increased its possession of voter registrations and data, including from Texas and at least seven other states who have already relinquished their complete voter registration lists, the Senators stressed that recent changes to and the expanded use of the insufficiently tested SAVE program could lead to some individuals mistakenly being flagged as noncitizens, threatening their right to vote. DOJ’s pressure campaign, in collaboration with outside election denier groups, to coerce state voter registration lists and run them through the SAVE program has already led to issues. Last month, 70 county clerks in Missouri sent a letter to state House and Senate leadership underscoring that the flawed SAVE program has erroneously flagged individuals known by the county clerks to be U.S. citizens, including voters that the clerks personally registered at naturalization ceremonies.

In addition to Padilla and Durbin, the letter to Attorney General Bondi was also signed by Senators Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Angus King (I-Maine), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.).

Senator Padilla has led the charge in opposing the Trump Administration’s thinly veiled attempts to purge voter rolls and investigate unsubstantiated claims of widespread voter fraud. In addition to his previous letter with Senator Durbin condemning the Administration’s potential voter purges, Padilla, Senator Peters, and Senator Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) strongly opposed the reckless expansion of the SAVE program. Padilla and Congresswoman Joyce Beatty (D-Ohio-03) also announced the Voter Purge Protection Act last year to prevent the Trump Administration’s ongoing voter purge efforts, including by prohibiting the removal of individuals from the voter rolls due to changes in residence or not voting in previous elections. Additionally, Padilla recently delivered remarks on the Senate floor sounding the alarm on the Trump Administration’s repeated attacks to undermine future elections.

Last October, Padilla and Senator Peters filed an amicus brief supporting a lawsuit opposing the Trump Administration’s illegal ongoing attempts to purge state voter rolls across the country by developing a massive interagency database of Americans’ sensitive personal data. In September, Padilla condemned DOJ’s lawsuits against states for seeking to protect their sensitive voter information.

Full text of the letter is available here and below:

Dear Attorney General Bondi:

We write to urge the Department of Justice (the Department or DOJ) to stop its intensifying pressure campaign to coerce states into handing over their voter rolls, which include voters’ personally identifiable information (PII), in apparent violation of federal law. We strongly oppose the Department’s lawsuits against states, which are unauthorized attempts to centralize this data, that in addition to posing serious risks to voter privacy, data security, and national security, also invite unwarranted voter roll purges and undermine state and local election officials’ list maintenance efforts.

The unauthorized nature of these lawsuits was exposed by your January 24 letter to Minnesota Governor Tim Walz seeking voter rolls as a condition to ending the dangerous recent deployment of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents to the state that has cost two innocent Americans their lives. This letter marked an unacceptable escalation of DOJ’s campaign to centralize state voter rolls and sensitive personal information under its control. It is also the clearest admission that the Department knows it lacks authority to obtain state voter rolls and is instead resorting to strong arm tactics and intimidation by force. The whole country now sees this pursuit of state voter rolls for what it is, nothing more than an “apparent ransom.”

The Department should immediately schedule a briefing for relevant Senate offices and Committees and provide thorough written responses to previous questions from Congress about these activities. In light of the Department’s continued pursuit of state voter rolls, the millions of voters’ information it already has, and two federal court rulings rejecting its litigation, we raise further questions below.

Since early November 2025, the Department has sued an additional 16 states and the District of Columbia for failure to produce their full voter registration lists upon request, bringing the total number of states targeted by lawsuits to 24. DOJ lacks legal authority to compel states to turn over possession of their voter registration lists. Meanwhile, President Trump has made the Administration’s policy very clear, asserting, falsely:

“Remember, the States are merely an ‘agent’ for the Federal Government in counting and tabulating the votes. They must do what the Federal Government, as represented by the President of the United States, tells them, FOR THE GOOD OF OUR COUNTRY, to do.” [emphasis in original]

This statement, by a President who openly directs the Department’s activities, is a chilling assertion of illegal power that is completely at odds with federalism and our constitutional structure, which provides explicit roles for states and Congress but none for the Executive Branch.

On January 14 and 15, 2026, two federal judges in Oregon and California, respectively, clearly rejected two of DOJ’s voter roll lawsuits. In dismissing DOJ’s case against California for its voter rolls, the court stated, “[w]hile the DOJ has told this Court that its purpose for demanding the sensitive voter information of Californians is ‘voter roll maintenance enforcement and compliance,’ representations made by the DOJ elsewhere paint a starkly different picture that this Court cannot ignore.” The judge went on to discuss various statements by DOJ officials that led him to conclude that “the DOJ’s campaign to collect sensitive voter data . . . paints an alarming picture regarding the centralization of Americans’ information within the Executive Branch — without approval from Congress or Americans themselves.” The Department should take heed of those rulings and cease this litigation campaign that poses serious risks to voters’ data privacy, risks unwarranted voter purges, and will waste millions of federal and state taxpayer funds if it continues unchecked. The California court, in particular, correctly recognized that the Civil Rights Act of 1960’s Title III disclosure requirements on which the Department relies in these lawsuits were passed to end state policies that prevented Black Americans from voting. Thus, the Department may not use them as a blank check to amass any election data it wants – especially when the effect of that data collection could prevent eligible Americans from voting.

While most states are resisting this illegal voter roll grab, we are gravely concerned by the amount of sensitive data the Department has already amassed on millions of American voters. The Department has failed to provide Congress, or the public, any information on how it is maintaining this vast amount of data, the guardrails in place to protect state voter information, how the data is to be used, or who in the federal government has access to this sensitive data. The quantity of data in DOJ’s possession has dramatically increased now that Texas has recently joined at least 7 other states who have handed over their complete lists of registered voters during this pressure campaign from President Trump and DOJ. It bears noting that Texas already (and separately) processed its voter registration list, consisting of more than 18 million voters, through the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Systemic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) program. That review resulted in the referral of 33 people — 0.000001% of registered voters — to the Texas Attorney General as to whether they “may have” voted illegally in the 2024 election. Given recent changes to the SAVE program by DHS, we are concerned that individuals may be mistakenly identified as non-citizens by your activities and their voting rights undermined.

Without public transparency, it appears that DOJ is coordinating its voter roll acquisition campaign with DHS’s SAVE program along with outside election denier groups such as Cleta Mitchell’s Election Integrity Network. On November 18, ten states’ chief election officers wrote to you and Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem seeking clarification on whether your agencies had “actively misled election officials regarding the uses of voter data,” so far with no response. Last month, 70 county clerks in Missouri sent a letter to state House and Senate leadership describing the SAVE program as flawed given that it has erroneously flagged individuals known by the county clerks to be U.S. citizens, including voters the clerks personally registered at naturalization ceremonies. Just last week, DOJ admitted in court pleadings that rogue DOGE employees at the Social Security Administration (SSA) entered into a secret agreement to share SSA data unlawfully with an outside group for election-related purposes. The Department owes Congress and the public an explanation of what it plans to do with state voter roll data in its possession and what safeguards are in place to prevent further unauthorized misuse.

As Senators representing states being sued by DOJ for their voters’ personal information, we request the Department provide complete answers to the questions posed in the November 6, 2025 letter from Senators Padilla and Durbin, along with the following additional questions:

(1) Has the Department, at any other point in history, ever sought to accumulate the voter registration lists for every state in unison, for any purpose?

(2) How many states’ voter registration lists does the Department currently have in its possession? Which states?

a. In what format were the state voter registration lists received by the Department? By what means were they transferred to the Department?

b. What information is included in the voter files received by the Department beyond voter name and address? Do the voter files include date of birth, full or partial Social Security Number, and/or full or partial driver’s license number? Do the voter files include information about past participation in elections or voters’ affiliation with political parties?

c. Do the voter files received by the Department include records with addresses withheld from the public, like records relating to peace officers, public officials, or victims of domestic violence?

d. For states that have not shared voter rolls, is DOJ reaching out to local officials to request the information? If yes, who are you reaching out to, and has anyone shared such information?

(3) What Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs), Memoranda of Agreement (MOAs), Computer Matching Agreements (CMAs) – or other arrangements not committed to memoranda form – currently exist between the Department and the states regarding the state voter registration lists?

a. Does the Department have any MOUs, MOAs, CMAs — or other arrangements not committed to memoranda form — with other federal agencies for the use of the lists?

b. If so, which ones and for which purposes?

(4) Has the Department shared the state voter registration lists, or information contained therein, with any contractors, outside groups or other state/federal agencies or components beyond the Civil Rights Division? If so, which ones, for which purposes? Please provide any relevant MOUs, MOAs, matching agreements, or similar agreements outlining the terms or processes for sharing such data with outside groups or other state/federal agencies or components within DOJ.

(5) Where are the state voter registration lists stored? If electronically stored, what format or form? What type of network access is there?

a. What safeguards are in place to ensure that voters’ social security number, address, date of birth, party affiliation and any other PII found in state voter registration lists in the Department’s possession remain private and uncompromised?

b. When will the data be destroyed? If not destroyed, how long will the data be retained? For what additional purposes?

c. Has the DOJ Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) been consulted on cybersecurity best practices for storing this data?

d. In compliance with the Federal Information Security Modernization Act and 44 U.S.C.A. § 3554(b) in particular, has the Department “develop[ed], document[ed], and implement[ed] an agency-wide information security program” based on the required risk assessment and consistent with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) standards and guidelines issued pursuant to 40 U.S.C. § 11331?

e. Has the DOJ Office of Privacy and Civil Liberties been consulted on your activities to ensure that Americans’ rights are not undermined?

f. What actions is DOJ taking to ensure that others who have access to voter data have effective, mandated cybersecurity and privacy measures in place?

(6) Who at the Department has access to the state voter registration lists? Please provide a list of components and offices with access, including but not limited to those within the Civil Rights Division.

(7) Is DOJ running the voter registration lists through the DHS SAVE program? If so, is DHS retaining the information in any databases? Is DOJ running the data through any other databases or systems at DOJ or any other federal agencies? If so, which ones?

a. Is DOJ flagging potential voters for review or removal from state voter registration lists?

(8) Given that federal courts have now confirmed DOJ’s failure to comply with the requirements of the Privacy Act of 1974, has DOJ commenced an investigation into the criminal liability of employees associated with the effort to acquire the voter rolls?

The Department has a responsibility to respond to congressional correspondence and oversight requests in a timely manner. Due to the unprecedented nature of these actions by DOJ and the very real threat to the voting rights of millions of Americans voters, we seek written responses to these questions and those posed in the November 6, 2025 letter no later than February 11, 2026. In addition, we request a briefing on the Department’s activities regarding state voter rolls provided for Senate Rules and Judiciary Committees and Senators’ offices in states that are the subject of DOJ litigation on or before February 25, 2026.

Sincerely,

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Padilla Statement on “No” Vote Against Funding ICE and CBP’s Cruelty

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Immigration Subcommittee, issued the following statement after voting against a bill to fund the Department of Homeland Security, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP):

“How many more videos do Republicans need to see of masked agents grabbing people off the streets, violating the Constitution, and shooting United States citizens in broad daylight before they realize we must rein in DHS?

“Anything short of meaningful, enforceable reforms for Trump’s out-of-control ICE and CBP is a non-starter. These agencies have acted with impunity because Donald Trump and Kristi Noem have encouraged them to do so.

“They have terrorized American cities, killed U.S. citizens, and detained innocent children. They continue to go after people with no criminal backgrounds, including arresting U.S. citizens exercising their First Amendment rights. This is not about politics; it’s about decency, basic humanity, and standing up for the rule of law.

“ICE and CBP are not above the law. We need real oversight, accountability, and enforcement for both the agents on the ground and the leaders giving them their orders. I will not vote for anything less.”

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Peters and Slotkin Call on DHS Secretary Noem to Testify Following Shooting Deaths of Two U.S. Citizens

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

January 29, 2026

Jalelah Sofia Ahmed

peterspress@hsgac.senate.gov

WASHINGTON, D.C.– U.S. Senator Gary Peters (D-MI), Ranking Member of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, and Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) are demanding that Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem testify before the committee following the shooting deaths of two U.S. citizens by federal law enforcement officials in Minneapolis this month. The senators previously sent a separate letter to Chairman Rand Paul, urging him to conduct desperately needed oversight of DHS’ escalating use of excessive force. This week, Chairman Paul announced a committee hearing on February 12th with the heads of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). The senators are pressing for Secretary Noem to also testify publicly before the committee, as she is ultimately responsible for the Department’s actions.

“You have presided over an increasingly dangerous and untenable breakdown in trust in federal law enforcement across the country, and your actions in the wake of these tragedies have weakened the Department’s credibility, enflamed tensions, harmed public safety, and divided Americans,” wrote the senators. “You have authorized actions that have resulted in a vast overreach of the Department’s authorities and have cost innocent lives. Masked federal agents from DHS have violently assaulted peaceful protestors, arrested American citizens without cause, undermined protections under the Fourth Amendment, and shot and killed two Americans – Renee Good and Alex Pretti – who, contrary to your own baseless assertions, clearly did not pose a lethal threat.”

The senators continued: “The fact that you have doubled down to justify these indefensible killings in the face of widespread public outrage has caused DHS to lose credibility and calls into question your ability to lead this Department and its tens of thousands of federal agents entrusted to ensure public safety and to protect the homeland. Since your confirmation, you have failed to appear before this Committee for its annual hearing on threats to the homeland – even though you appeared before the House Committee on Homeland Security and have reportedly agreed to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee in the coming weeks. As the Secretary of Homeland Security, you have an obligation to appear before the Senate Committee with jurisdiction over DHS and the security of our homeland, as the urgency of this moment requires.”

In addition to calling on Secretary Noem’s immediate testimony, the senator’s letter serves as a formal notice for DHS to preserve all records related to the shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, as well as all other instances of excessive use of force by federal agents conducting immigration enforcement under this administration.

The full text of the letter can be found here.

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Reed Statement on One-Year Anniversary of DCA Midair Collision and Efforts to Improve Air Safety

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) solemnly reflected on the one-year anniversary of the January 29, 2025 midair collision between American Airlines Flight 5342 and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter at 8:48 pm near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA), which resulted in the deaths of all 67 people aboard both aircraft. The crash took the lives of two Rhode Islanders: Spencer Lane, 16, and his mother, Christine Lane, of Barrington, Rhode Island, who were killed along with several other members of The Skating Club of Boston who were aboard the American Airlines flight. Reed, who attended a special memorial for the victims last night at DAR Constitution Hall, stated:

“One year on, we honor the lives lost, the first responders who sprung into action when tragedy struck, and the progress being made to improve air safety.

“Among those who died were two special Rhode Islanders: Spencer Lane and his mother, Christine Lane, who were returning from a figure skating event in Kansas. The greater Barrington community and the tight-knit skating community continues to feel the loss of such kind, talented, caring, and hard-working people whose example continues to inspire and uplift. It was moving to hear Doug Lane, husband of Christine, and father of Spencer, speak last night about the tragedy and the courage and compassion of all the surviving families as they work to assist and support others.

“This was a tragedy that never should have happened in the first place. Systemic failures in airspace design, safety oversight, and risk management by the Federal Aviation Administration and the U.S. Army contributed to this horrific accident. The work continues to enhance safety for the flying public, not just around the airspace at DCA, but at all airports.”

The National Transportation Safety Board has made 33 safety recommendations to the Federal Aviation Administration, 8 to the U.S. Army, and additional recommendations to the U.S. Department of Defense and the U.S. Department of Transportation.

Reed is a cosponsor of a bipartisan U.S. Senate amendment to honor the victims of the midair crash.


Ricketts Advocates for Reduction in Permitting Red Tape, Making Government Work

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Yesterday, during a Senate Environment and Public Works Committee hearing, U.S. Senator Pete Ricketts (R-NE) highlighted his efforts to reduce bureaucratic red tape and make government work.

“When I was governor of Nebraska, I actually implemented Lean Six Sigma as part of our overall strategy in government — but it worked very well with streamlining our processes in permitting,” said Ricketts. “Our air construction permits were 110 steps long. We cut it down to 22 steps and were able to cut the time from 198 days down to 65 days. So, I think there’s an opportunity here as well to be able to streamline what we’re doing in permitting in a lot of ways that don’t impact any sort of environmental standards.”

“Nebraskans from across all industries, especially if you’re thinking about construction, transportation, agriculture, have all advocated for common sense reform to our permitting process. Because it does take too long,” said Ricketts. “Every single industry benefits from efficient and predictable regulation. Efficient, predictable regulatory frameworks drive down costs.”

Click here to watch more.


Ricketts Announces United States Military Service Academy Nominations

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Pete Ricketts (R-NE) announced the nomination of 36 Nebraskans to the United States Military Service Academies. These exceptional students now move forward in the selection process for admission to the Class of 2030, representing Nebraska’s next generation of military leaders.

“Nebraska’s commitment to our Armed Forces is second to none,” said Senator Ricketts. “Throughout the selection process, these nominees have demonstrated the high moral character and dedication required to lead. I am proud to nominate this impressive group of young Nebraskans to serve our country at our nation’s prestigious service academies.”

In total there are fourteen Air Force Academy, fifteen Naval Academy, ten Military Academy, and nine Merchant Marine Academy nominations.

The nominees are as follows:


Ricketts Celebrates Taiwan Energy Security and Anti-Embargo Act Passing Out of Committee

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Pete Ricketts (R-NE) celebrated passage of the Taiwan Energy Security and Anti-Embargo Act in the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations. The bill was previously introduced by Sens. Ricketts and Chris Coons (D-DE). Ricketts is Chairman and Coons is Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on East Asia, the Pacific, and International Cybersecurity Policy. This legislation aims to expand U.S. energy exports, particularly of liquified natural gas (LNG), to Taiwan. It encourages Taiwan’s use of nuclear energy and supports Taiwan’s energy infrastructure. It also ensures adequate flows of energy shipments to Taiwan in a contingency. Currently, Taiwan imports nearly all its energy. This makes Taiwan vulnerable to Communist China’s illegal, coercive, aggressive, and deceptive actions.

“Energy security is a glaring vulnerability for our Taiwanese partners. Unleashing America’s energy resources and expertise to strengthen Taiwan’s resilience serves both the U.S. and Taiwan’s national security interests,” said Senator Ricketts. “Dictator Xi Jinping would like nothing more than to coerce unification without war. He has told his military to be ready to seize Taiwan by 2027. I encourage my colleagues to quickly pass this bill on the Senate floor. It will help in disrupting Communist China’s aggression and ensuring they can’t force Taiwan to capitulate.”

The Taiwan Energy Security and Anti-Embargo Act would:

Encourage the U.S. government to prioritize and facilitate increased American energy exports to Taiwan, particularly LNG, and consult with Taiwanese government on strengthening its import and storage capabilities.

Advocate for U.S. engagement with Taiwan on cybersecurity, physical security, operational redundancy, joint training exercises, workforce development and emergency response planning to enhance energy infrastructure resilience capacity building.

Authorize the establishment of a U.S.-Taiwan Energy Security Center to foster dialogue and collaboration for academic cooperation in energy security and resilience.

Urge Taiwan to maintain nuclear power as an energy source and utilize new nuclear technologies like small modular reactors (SMRs), and for the U.S. to prioritize assistance and cooperation with Taiwan on nuclear energy.

Expand MARAD’s war risk insurance program to allow for coverage of foreign-flagged vessels transporting vital goods, such as energy resources, to Taiwan or other strategic partners when commercial insurance is unavailable due to heightened risks posed by military aggression.

BACKGROUND:

In May, U.S. Senator Pete Ricketts (R-NE), Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on East Asia, organized a tabletop exercise with Senator Chris Coons (D-DE) and other senators. The exercise was led by the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD). The two-hour exercise tasked the participating senators with responding to a Communist Chinese-focused coercive campaign targeting Taiwan.

The exercise reflected the real risk that a Chinese energy quarantine presents to Taiwan. In addition to importing 98% of its energy with limited supplier diversification, Taiwan also lacks adequate storage facilities, limiting its capacity to stockpile imports in the event of a crisis. The U.S. is the world’s leading exporter of LNG and possesses deep expertise in grid security, nuclear technology, and energy infrastructure. As a result, it can play an increased role in strengthening Taiwan’s energy security and resilience.


Ricketts Highlights National School Choice Week 2026

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S.Senator Pete Ricketts (R-NE) highlighted National School Choice Week 2026 and the importance of prioritizing common-sense education.

“As a father of three, I know that classrooms thrive when they’re tailored to the students. And not every child learns the same way. Children should be given a choice in their education. The quality of a kid’s education should not depend on their zip code,” said Senator Ricketts. “I support initiatives that will prioritize students’ needs.”

“Every Nebraska family has the right to decide how their child is educated,” said Senator Ricketts. “Parents know what their children need to succeed. That’s why I fight for school choice. These policies put Nebraska families first.”

Watch the video here.

TRANSCRIPT:

Senator Ricketts: “This week, we celebrate National School Choice Week.

“As Senator, common-sense education policy is a top priority.

“My mother was a proud Nebraska educator.

“I know how much Nebraska teachers do for students and families.

“We saw this especially during the pandemic.

“As a father of three, I know that classrooms thrive when they’re tailored to the students.

“And not every child learns the same way.

“Children should be given a choice in their education.

“The quality of a child’s education should not depend on their zip code.

“I support initiatives that will prioritize students’ needs.

“Every Nebraska family has the right to decide how their child is educated.

“Parents know what their kids need to succeed.

“That’s why I fight for school choice.

“These policies put Nebraska families first.

“They pair localized curriculum with parental decision-making.

“They provide access to education that helps every Nebraskan achieve their dreams.

“When I was Governor, I was committed to expanding educational opportunities for Nebraska students.

“I declared the first School Choice Week in Nebraska in 2015.

“We created scholarships for Nebraskans to attend the school of their choice.

“This was so parents could choose schools that best meet their child’s needs.

“My administration also started the Developing Youth Talent Initiative.

“This program gave middle schoolers hands-on experience in fields such as the trades, healthcare, and technology.

“We supported programs like the Nebraska Youth Registered Apprenticeship Program.

“We increased participation in registered apprenticeship programs.

“With programs like The Career Academy in Lincoln, we gave Nebraska youth the foundation to choose the educational pathway that best fits them.

“These programs give students hands-on skills that connect education with future opportunities.

“In the Senate, I am a co-sponsor of the 2026 National School Choice Week Resolution.

“This bill highlights diverse schooling options for young Nebraskans.

“It encourages parents to explore educational opportunities.

“It thanks parents and educators for inspiring the next generation of Nebraskans.

“With the Working Families Tax Cuts, we’re supporting parents and educators.

“The law delivers for Nebraska students.

“The Working Families Tax Cuts offers $1,700 in tax credits for donations to scholarship-granting organizations.

“This encourages Nebraskans to invest in educating the next generation.

“It also saves hard-working Nebraskans money that they can spend or invest in their kids’ future.

“It saves the average Nebraska family $2,400.

“It expands the child tax credit, helping families every year with an extra $2,200 for each child.

“It provides an increased child and dependent tax credit of 50%, plus a tax deduction of up to $7,500 for dependent care.

“These childcare benefits help families.

“The enhanced and now-permanent Paid Family Medical Leave tax credit means parents can spend more time with their kids.

“This week, I’m fighting on the Senate floor to invest in Nebraska education.

“The appropriations bills up for a vote would provide nearly $20 billion for Title I grants that help states and school districts support low-income students.

“That includes $1.5 billion to support careers and technical education.

“That also includes $225 million to support rural schools.

“This would support the education of all Nebraskans.

“It’s an investment in the next generation of Nebraskans.

“Not every kid learns the same way.

“We must make sure our kids’ education works for them.

“They deserve access to educational opportunities that help them succeed, regardless of economic background.

“I believe in localized education with parental control at the forefront.

“School choice policies defend these Nebraska values.

“School choice means choosing a better future for young Nebraskans.”


Sen. Rick Scott Announces CLEAR LABELS Act to Hold Drug Manufacturers Accountable and Strengthen Supply Chain Oversight

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Senator Rick Scott announced the Consumer Labeling for Enhanced API Reporting and Legitimate Accountability for Base Entity Listings (CLEAR LABELS) Act to add country of origin labeling requirements to the U.S.’s prescription drug supply chain. Many prescription drugs, and their active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), are manufactured overseas, particularly in Communist China and India, and current federal labeling requirements do not require public disclosure of where those ingredients or finished products are made. As a result, patients, pharmacists, and health care providers often lack visibility into where their medicines are made. The CLEAR LABELS Act would require prescription drug labeling to disclose the original manufacturers of generic drugs and APIs, giving patients, providers, and regulators clear, upfront information about a drug’s origins.

This legislation builds on bipartisan efforts led by Senator Scott as chairman of the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging, including an investigative report and more than a dozen inquiries to federal agencies and industry leaders requesting information on the U.S.’s dangerous overreliance on foreign-manufactured generic drugs.

Senator Rick Scott said, “Families want to feel safe; they want to know the drugs they take are safe, and they want to support American companies and American jobs. It is alarming just how many medicines Americans depend on are made overseas, in places like Communist China and India with limited transparency and oversight, leaving patients blindsided about where their drugs come from and unknowingly putting themselves at increased risk of death. My CLEAR LABELS Act takes a commonsense approach to fix that by requiring clear disclosure of the original manufacturers of these drugs and their components, known as APIs. Transparency is critical to protecting patient safety, strengthening oversight, and reducing America’s overreliance on foreign drug production. Americans deserve to have confidence that the medicines they take are safe, regulated, and clearly labeled.”

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Sheehy’s No Tax Dollars for Terrorists Act Passes Senate Foreign Relations Committee

U.S. SENATE – Senator Tim Sheehy today released the following statement applauding the Senate Foreign Relations Committee’s passage of the No Tax Dollars for Terrorists Act:

“There is no justification for a dime of U.S. taxpayer money finding its way into the hands of terrorists who openly call for ‘death to America.’ I’m glad to see the Foreign Relations Committee advance the commonsense No Tax Dollars for Terrorists Act and will keep fighting to get it over the finish line.”

The No Tax Dollars for Terrorists Act was introduced in the Senate in January of 2025 by Senators Sheehy, Hagerty (R-Tenn.), Tuberville (R-Ala.), and Daines (R-Mont.).

Background:

The No Tax Dollars for Terrorists Act makes clear it is the policy of the United States to oppose financial or material support to the Taliban by foreign governments and non-government organizations (NGOs). It also requires the State Department to develop and implement a strategy to oppose foreign countries providing support to the Taliban.

A 2025 SIGAR report found that since the Taliban took over in 2021, $10.72 billion has gone to Afghanistan with $3.83 billion of that coming directly from U.S. taxpayers. As much as 70 percent of this ended up in Taliban hands according to some estimations. While the Department of State canceled direct aid to Afghanistan in 2025, aid from foreign governments and non-government organizations, which receive U.S. taxpayer dollars, continues.


ICYMI: In Speech on Minnesota, Slotkin Calls for Accountability and Demands Noem Resign or be Impeached

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Last night, U.S. Senator Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) took to the floor of the U.S. Senate in response to the situation in Minneapolis, and the failure of leadership and accountability by the Trump Administration and the Department of Homeland Security.

In the speech, Slotkin called on Secretary Kristi Noem and White House Advisor Stephen Miller to resign, be fired, or in Noem’s case, be impeached. She stated that there needs to be consequences for what happened in Minneapolis. Slotkin continued to sound the alarm on the authoritarian tendencies of this administration, stating that if they can do this in Minneapolis, there is no stopping them from coming to other American communities.

Watch the speech here.

Download the speech here.

Key Excerpts:

Minneapolis

“Alex Pretti—37 years old, nurse at a VA hospital, shot multiple times and killed by Border Patrol agents while exercising his right to peacefully assemble.”

“The video shows us what happened—Alex was disarmed, defenseless, and not a threat when he was shot and killed.”

“Before him was Renee Good, shot and killed by ICE agents in her car on January 7.”

“Separate from those two, we have 32 people who died in ICE custody in 2025, including one in Baldwin, Michigan. Most fatalities in one year in more than 2 decades.”

Attacks on Freedoms

“It doesn’t matter if you’re a Democrat or a Republican. In Michigan we’ve seen political protests over the last 5 years… But I want people to imagine that if they’re doing this in Minneapolis, there is no stopping them or a future Administration doing this to you for what you care about.

“It’s lucky we grew up in this country, and we are taught over and over about the values of freedom of speech and peaceful protest.”

“What’s going on in Minneapolis runs against the fundamental freedoms of who we are as Americans.”

DHS Leadership Failure

“There needs to be accountability for this anti-American behavior.”

“Secretary Noem should resign. If she doesn’t, the President should fire her. And if she doesn’t get fired, she should be impeached.

“She sat in front of many of us for Senate confirmation and she has done nothing to defend the values she held her hand up to swear to protect.”

“A year ago, I was one of those people who voted for Kristi Noem. I voted yes. I come from the state of Michigan, and we have some of the biggest border crossings in America… we needed her to pay attention when we had issues… But she has proven over and over again that she does not deserve the title of cabinet Secretary.”

Moving Forward

“We need accountability. We need Steven Miller and Kristi Noem to resign.”

“But for what this body needs to do this week… we need to separate out the budgets for everything else from the Department of Homeland Security. We cannot trust this Administration to handle the deployment of federal forces in our streets without making some fundamental reforms to the Department of Homeland Security.”

“We need accountability for the people that are behind this. We also need fundamental reforms of ICE. We cannot leave the Administration to do it themselves.”

“We are asking for federal agents who show up in these cities to not play by different rules than the police who live and work in our communities.”

“We need prevention, we need reform, we need to separate the DHS budget and not shut down the government because the President won’t admit fault in Minneapolis. And we need to fundamentally remember who we are as Americans.”

“Those people who are standing up right now and exercising those rights are doing the most patriotic thing they can do. Standing up and calling out authoritarianism when we see it is the most patriotic thing we can do as Americans.”

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Coast Guard Considering Up To 4 More Icebreakers for Alaska, Commandant Tells Sullivan

Lunday: “One of the first [options] that I want [my team] to present…is for homeporting up to four icebreakers in Alaska.”

WASHINGTON— Today, U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), chair of the Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Coast Guard, Maritime, and Fisheries, convened a hearing examining the Coast Guard’s presence in the Arctic, where he received confirmation from Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Kevin Lunday that Alaska could receive up to four of the eleven Arctic Security Cutters announced as part of the U.S.–Finland Icebreaker Agreement and the ICE Pact. Funding for at least three Arctic Security Cutters, and the infrastructure to support them, was appropriated in the Working Families Tax Cuts Act (WFTCA), the largest investment in U.S. Coast Guard history—$25 billion, which passed last year through budget reconciliation. In addition to the icebreakers, Admiral Lunday reiterated that Alaska is on pace to receive many other Coast Guard assets secured by Sen. Sullivan through his work with the Coast Guard and his colleagues in Congress since joining the Senate.

As chairman of the Senate Commerce Subcommittee overseeing the Coast Guard, Sen. Sullivan played a key role in securing the Coast Guard’s historic investment, which included $300 million to support shoreside infrastructure for the homeporting of the USCGC Storis in Juneau, and allocated funding for 16 new icebreakers, 22 new cutters, more than 40 new helicopters, and $4.379 billion to repair docks, hangars, and shore facilities. Since taking office in 2015, Sen. Sullivan has made strengthening the Coast Guard’s presence in Alaska a top priority—reversing a period when the Coast Guard’s footprint in Alaska and the Arctic was due to shrink—by consistently pushing for increased funding and highlighting Alaska’s vast coastal geography and the life-saving missions the Coast Guard carries out across the state.

Click here to watch the full committee hearing.

“It’s time, in my view, for the Coast Guard to do more with more, and that's what we're able to do in this budget reconciliation bill,” Sen. Sullivan said in his opening statement. “The numbers the Coast Guard needs are historic in that $25 billion: 16 new icebreakers. By the way, we have two, one is broken, and the Russians have 54. It's time to close that icebreaker gap. We have almost $4.5 billion to repair and replace shoreside facilities and aging infrastructure. 22 new Coast Guard cutters, including OPCs and FRCs. 40 new helicopters, mostly H-60s. Six new C-130J aircraft. This is, as I mentioned, the biggest investment in Coast Guard history.

“The Coast Guard is being asked to do more across every theater: counter drug missions in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific, complex law enforcement actions against sanctioned dark fleet tankers, sustained operations in the Indo-Pacific and the Middle East, search-and-rescue, and combating illegal, unreported, unregulated fishing, what we call IUU fishing. At the same time, they must manage operational risk while transitioning from platforms that, as I mentioned, are decades beyond their intended service lives.

“Nowhere is the need for this investment clearer and more prominent than in the Arctic. Just months ago, I was with Admiral Lunday, where, for the first time ever, we commissioned and started to homeport an American icebreaker where the ice is: in Alaska. The U.S. Coast Guard icebreaker, the Storis, designated to be homeported in Juneau, Alaska, represents a generational investment in the Coast Guard and our national security. It also marks a long overdue shift in how the United States approaches the Arctic—not as a distant afterthought, but as a core strategic domain.”

Sen. Sullivan pressed Admiral Lunday for the Coast Guard’s plans and decision timeline for homeporting the new icebreakers, specifically the possibility of homeporting additional vessels in Alaska.

“Mr. Chairman, as I've told the team in December, when I asked them to develop options, they develop options,” Admiral Lunday said. “One of the first ones that I want them to present, among a range of options for consideration [and] decision, [to] me in consultation with Secretary Noem is for homeporting up to four icebreakers in Alaska. So, although we are still pending a decision, that's clear guidance I've given to the team.”

In his testimony, Admiral Lunday also expressed his support for expanding the shipbuilding capacity in Alaska as the shipbuilding industry grows in the state, particularly in Seward, Sitka, and Ketchikan. Lunday reiterated that federal cooperation with private companies to build and maintain ships will help provide greater cost efficiency for the Coast Guard. Lunday also committed to upholding one of the U.S. Coast Guard’s most critical missions: combatting illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing that is ravaging fish stocks in Alaska, especially by Chinese and Russian fleets. Sen. Sullivan recently secured the Senate’s unanimous passage of his Fighting Foreign Illegal Seafood Harvest (FISH) Act to combat IUU fishing by blacklisting offending vessels from U.S. ports and waters, bolstering the U.S. Coast Guard’s enforcement capabilities and partnerships, and advancing international and bilateral negotiations to achieve enforceable agreements and treaties.

Below is an overview of Sen. Sullivan’s work to bring more Coast Guard assets, personnel, vessels, infrastructure, and investments to Alaska.

Securing U.S. Coast Guard Construction and Infrastructure Funding for Alaska Installations: Since 2015, Congress has appropriated about $1.408 billion for infrastructure and construction-related projects in Alaska to support new and existing Coast Guard assets, giving many communities throughout Alaska significant investments in their infrastructure and local housing.

Securing Historic Investments in America’s Icebreaker Fleet: Sen. Sullivan led the charge to rebuild America’s polar icebreaking capacity—an urgent national priority as adversaries expand their presence in the Arctic. Through the FY 2025 budget reconciliation bill, he secured $4.3 billion for the procurement of two new Polar Security Cutters, with substantial progress toward a third, marking the most significant expansion of heavy icebreaking capability in U.S. history. He also worked to deliver $3.5 billion to procure three Arctic Security Cutters, the nation’s next-generation medium polar icebreakers. Additionally, he championed $816 million for more than ten new light and medium domestic icebreaking cutters, $1 billion for approximately 10 Fast Response Cutters (FRC), $4.3 billion for approximately 9 Offshore Patrol Cutters (OPC), $2.2 billion for approximately 40 MH-60 helicopters, and $1.1 billion for approximately 6 HC-130 aircraft.

Expanding Coast Guard Presence Across Alaska & Modernizing Coast Guard Infrastructure in Alaska: Sen. Sullivan worked relentlessly to grow the Coast Guard’s operational footprint across Alaska, ensuring cutters are homeported where they are needed most. He helped secure six Fast Response Cutters for Ketchikan, Kodiak, Seward, and Sitka; two Offshore Patrol Cutters for Kodiak; the homeporting of the USCGC icebreaker Storis in Juneau; a Waterways Commerce Cutter for Petersburg; and an 87-foot patrol boat for Valdez. These strategically placed assets dramatically expand maritime safety, security, and response capability across the state’s vast coastline.

Senator Sullivan has driven record federal investment into the Coast Guard’s Alaska infrastructure to support the service’s growing operational demands. This includes major upgrades in:

· Kodiak: $202 million for OPC and FRC homeports; $147.2 million for family housing, $40 million Child Development Center, $145 million for a new fuel pier; and $5 million to repurpose an aircraft hangar for MH-60 helicopter operations.

· Seward: $50 million for an FRC homeport and shoreside support facilities, $13.5 million in initial funding to address housing needs.

· Sitka: $65.9 million for an FRC homeport and WLB pier, and $6 million in initial funding to address housing needs.

· Ketchikan: $7.1 million for the FRC homeport.

· Juneau: $300 million for a new, modern Coast Guard pier to support expanded Arctic and Pacific operations.

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Thune: Republicans Invest in the Next Generation

Clickhereto watch the video.

WASHINGTON — U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) today delivered the following remarks on the Senate floor:

Thune’s remarks below (as delivered):

“Mr. President, there’s almost nothing parents won’t do for their children.

“From the moment they hand you that little bundle, your whole life becomes about giving them a better life.

“Ensuring that they have every opportunity that you can give them.

“And setting them up for success.

“Most often, that starts with a good education.

“So last year, Republicans set out to support parents and empower them to make the choices they believe are right for their children’s future.

“Mr. President, for decades now the 529 savings plan has been a powerful tool for parents to save for their kids’ education.

“At first, 529s could only be used for college.

“But in 2017, Republicans expanded the eligible uses of 529 plans to include K-12 expenses as well.

“And in last year’s Working Families Tax Cuts, Republicans again expanded 529 plans to include a number of education investments.

“Tutoring.

“Vocational education.

“Homeschool materials.

“And continuing education.

“And on top of that, we doubled the amount that you can spend from your 529 account to $20,000 per year.

“These reforms will help more Americans find success, whether they need a little help getting through algebra or want to pursue a career in the trades.

“Mr. President, as we mark School Choice Week this week, I also want to note how the Working Families Tax Cuts supports scholarships for students to attend the school that best suits them.

“I’m a proud product of public schools, the son of two public school educators, and both of our daughters graduated from our local high school.

“Students can get a great education at their public school, and they’re a point of pride for many communities.

“But I also understand that some parents would like to send their child to a school outside of their district or to a non-public school or choose to homeschool.

“My home state has been a leader in offering open enrollment, which allows students to go to the public school of their choice – even if it’s not the school closest to home – or to enroll in another school district altogether.

“South Dakota gets it.

“I’m not surprised that we were one of the first states to opt-in to the scholarship initiative created in the Working Families Tax Cuts, which encourages private support for scholarships that help students cover a variety of education expenses and enable them to take advantage of the type of educational freedom that South Dakotans have long enjoyed.

“And I’m glad to see that more than 20 states have already pledged to participate in this important initiative to encourage donations to K-12 scholarship funds.

“Mr. President, our bill doesn’t stop there.

“The Working Families Tax Cuts provided additional funding for Pell grants and created the Workforce Pell grant program, which will support students pursuing shorter-term job training programs that prepare them for in-demand, skilled jobs.

“And then there are our actions tackling the high cost of college degrees.

“Mr. President, the cost of a college education is out of control, and research suggests that a number of degree programs now have a negative return on investment.

“The answer isn’t throwing more federal dollars at the problem; it’s putting downward pressure on tuition and holding schools accountable for the value of the education they provide.

“And that’s what Republicans did last year.

“We implemented accountability measures to rein in high costs.

“We also streamlined student loan repayment programs, simplifying the process and providing much-needed clarity to folks repaying their loans.

“And we ensured that graduates won’t have to pay taxes on tuition assistance from their employer – a measure that I introduced and that this bill makes permanent.

“Mr. President, the education provisions in the Working Families Tax Cuts give the next generation more opportunities to get ahead and succeed.

“But before I close, I want to talk about another part of this bill that sets America’s next generation up for success.

“And that’s the new Trump accounts.

“These new investment accounts provide parents with another vehicle to save for their children’s future.

“To invest that money and let it grow over the years.

“And when those children turn 18, that money – thousands or tens of thousands of dollars – will be tax-advantaged and can be used for education, to start a business, or to buy their first home.

“In short, Mr. President, Trump accounts will help the next generation … get a head start on their American Dream.

“And for children born between 2025 and 2028, the government is offering an initial $1,000 investment in Trump accounts.

“We’ve also seen similar [initiatives] from philanthropists and matching commitments from various companies for their employees.

“And a number of those initiatives were announced during yesterday’s Trump Accounts Summit at the White House.

“Mr. President, musician Nicki Minaj was among those at yesterday’s summit.

“She grew up in a housing project in a family that faced its share of financial struggles, and she’s now raising her own family.

“She recently said of Trump accounts, and I quote, ‘This program will benefit everyone, decreasing the gap for future prosperity between children who traditionally aren’t born with a full bank account and children who are.’

“Mr. President, I hope that parents will take the opportunity to learn more about this option to invest in their children’s future.

“Because the more people learn, the more they’ll see the potential to set their children – and an entire generation of Americans – up for success.

“Mr. President, a good education is the key to opportunity.

“It’s one of the best gifts that parents can give to their children.

“Thanks to the Working Families Tax Cuts, the next generation will have greater educational freedom and be empowered to seize more opportunities and to find increased success.

“Our legislation puts our nation’s children on a smoother path to achieving the American Dream.

“And it gives a whole generation more opportunities to get ahead.”


Tuberville Highlights Community Care and the Importance of Modernizing the Veterans Health Administration During SVAC Hearing

WASHINGTON – Yesterday, U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) spoke with The Honorable Doug Collins, Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA), The Honorable John Bartrum, Under Secretary for Health at the VA, Mark Engelbaum, Assistant Secretary for Human Resources and Administration atthe VA, and Gregory Goins, Active Chief Operating Officer of Veterans Health Administration (VHA) at the VA. They spoke about the long overdue plans to restructure the VHA, the importance of strengthening Community Care, and domestic drug production through this reorganization.

Read Sen. Tuberville’s remarks below or on YouTube or Rumble.

TUBERVILLE: “Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Gentlemen, thanks for being here today and testifying. I’m grateful that Secretary Collins, under your leadership, our veterans are finally being put first in this reorganization plan. Mr. Secretary, and Mr. Engelbaum, you might wanna follow in on this too. I wanna talk about this graph behind me.

The red depicts the growth in employees since Fiscal Year 2019, and the blue shows the number of patients encountered over the same time. Between those five years, there was a 14% increase in the VHA employees, but only a 6% increase in patient encounters. Mr. Secretary, my colleagues across the aisle are saying rightsizing the VA hurts veterans, but this graph doesn’t support that. To me, it looks like we’re over-hired and you’re simply rebalancing the books to put more money towards our veterans. Is this correct?”

COLLINS: “Senator, you are correct. And I think one of the things that we’ve looked at in this whole organization is, for example, […] I have a sheet here listing out a hospital that had a 33% FTE growth, while only a 14% patient encounter growth. We had a 24% growth in FTE and a -6% in patient encounters. This is what we’re seeing. Mr. Engelbaum can explain that a little bit further.”

ENGELBAUM: “Thank you, Senator. And I’ll tag team with Mr. Goins a little bit on this.

But this is exactly what I said as I initially came on. I’ve always believed and firmly believe that the VA has provided wonderful medical care. What we haven’t done is done that in a cost-effective manner. That’s actually done more effectively. And the idea that throwing more employees at something actually increases our effectiveness is actually counter to what reality is. You’ve got more bureaucracy, more overhead that actually leads to slowing down, and it actually removes folks from actually supporting our veterans. So, we’ve been committed from the outset to do that, to reduce that, to bring that back into balance, and that’s what we’ve done.

We stated from the outset, and we looked at our reductions, but that is always tied to veteran care. We are committed to veteran care. We are committed to reducing bureaucracy and making sure that we enforce […] that as our standard, not just numbers of people that are employed by the Veterans [Affairs] Administration.”

TUBERVILLE: “Thank you.”

COLLINS: “Senator, could we get Greg Goins on this? Because he actually had to experience this in the field over the past few years.”

GOINS: “So there’s a couple of reason why this is really important, Senator. One, we don’t have a direct connection between workload and the number of resources we assign generally as an enterprise. That creates a tremendous imbalance where we offer people resources in the facilities, and it ends up becoming a wish list. It’s not directly connected to the actual demand that the veterans and their families have in that system. The reason that’s so important on an enterprise level is when we open a new clinic or an HCC, a healthcare center like in Fredericksburg, Virginia, and we need to add a lot of resources there because it’s a new organic location to serve a growing veteran population. We don’t have the ability to look at them and say, ‘Here are the resources.’ We ask them to take it out of hide. I have to look at a network director and say, ‘You’ve got a new clinic coming on board—figure out where to get the resources.’ Because, we factually have not looked at the places where we are losing veterans and tried to right size the workforce to match the demand. So, what we saw at the beginning of COVID is a massive ramp up in resources because we didn’t know what the demand was gonna be, and I understand that. The same thing happened in the private sector. We did the same thing when the PACT Act came along in anticipation of an increased demand. Frankly, that did not fully realize. We saw more reliance but not a full workload increases like we might expect. What happened in the private sector post-COVID is they went and laid off workers, and I’m happy we don’t do that. However, what we’ve got to do is understand our organization cannot withstand over time and be sustained with a 14% increase of personnel to support a 6% increase in workload over that same period. It’s unsustainable and it’s not right for the taxpayers.”

TUBERVILLE: “Thank you. I got two questions. I’m gonna put them into one, but they’re very different because you’ll cut me off if I don’t ask them at the same time. Number one, in my state of Alabama, we’re 40—I think all over the country—[our veterans are using] 42% Community Care. Where does this fit in in your reorganization?

Because we have to have it. And number two is, we need more domestic made drugs in the VA. And we’ve got people that can do it. But let’s start treating our veterans with domestic made drugs.”

COLLINS: “Yeah, Senator, thanks for that. Community Care is a huge part and it’s also most everybody that’s been in Congress for any time voted for this and it’s the law that we have to make Community Care available. It is a balancing act. We’re seeing that in our different states.

Some use it a little more depending on—and remember, I have to also make sure when anybody complains about a wait time for Community Care—that is the doctors in the community that are causing that, not me. I mean, so we have to look at that. So, but Community Care is important. The new contract that we have—CCN contract, next-gen contract—is gonna help us with third party administrators going forward as we, you know, we look at this. So, I think that’s gonna address your needs and concerns. And making sure this Administration, in particular, has looked at some our supply chains and supply lines so that we can’t have more American-made products so that we’re not caught behind.”

TUBERVILLE: “Yep. One thing about Community Care. I have complaints about Community Care hospitals and the VAs communicating. They’ve got to communicate better. Well, you know, they’re holding back MRIs and things like that. I’m just passing along—”

COLLINS: “Yeah, we’ll be happy talk about that. Again, another question will be—Mr. Chairman, we will be happy to talk about the reasons on that as we go.”

TUBERVILLE: “Okay.”

GOINS: “Can I add a comment here? I know them over time, Sir. I apologize.

But the very nature of that HSA, that new element within our organizational redesign, it is meant to directly address that. We have someone that is directly engaged with community stakeholders to include those community partners to make sure that that kind of stuff is corrected [in] real time instead of waiting for after the fact and being reactive.”

Senator Tommy Tuberville represents Alabama in the United States Senate and is a member of the Senate Armed Services, Agriculture, Veterans’ Affairs, HELP and Aging Committees.

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Tuberville, Rounds Introduce Legislation to Extend Protections for Unborn Children

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) joined U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-SD) in cosponsoring the Life at Conception Act that would legally recognize the right to life by extending 14th Amendment protections to unborn children.

“Since I got to Washington, I have been a champion for the unborn,” said Sen. Tuberville. “Every life is precious—no matter the stage—and deserves the protections we have in the Constitution. Life begins at the moment of conception, and anyone who would decry that basic truth is sick and evil. This year we welcomed our first grandchild into the world, and I was reminded just how sacred life is. I’m proud to partner with my colleagues to continue to fight for the most vulnerable among us.”

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

Sens. Tuberville and Rounds were joined by Sens. Jim Banks (R-IN), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), John Boozman (R-AR), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Steve Daines (R-MT), Bill Hagerty (R-TN), John Hoeven (R-ND), John Kennedy (R-LA), and Roger Wicker (R-MS) in cosponsoring the legislation. U.S. Rep. Eric Burlison (R-MO-07) led the companion legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives.

This legislation is endorsed by the National Pro-Life Alliance, Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, Students for Life Action, the Concerned Women for America Legislative Action Committee and the Family Research Council.

Read full text of the legislation here.

BACKGROUND:

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

MORE:

Tuberville Calls on Trump Administration to Reevaluate Safety of Dangerous Abortion Pill

Tuberville Applauds Trump Administration’s Reversal of Illegal, Taxpayer-Funded Abortion Policy at VA

Tuberville, Banks Make Push for Transparency in Medicaid Payments to Abortion Providers

Tuberville Continues to Champion the Unborn ahead of March for Life

Tuberville Holds Biden Administration Accountable for Taxpayer-Funded Abortions Facilitated by the Department of Veterans Affairs

What They Are Saying: Support Grows for Tuberville’s Stand Against Illegal DoD Abortion Expansion

Tuberville Blasts DoD’s Extreme New Abortion Policy, Holds Nominees on the Senate Floor

Tuberville Pushes Back against Biden Administration’s Attempts to Expand Abortion Access by Mail

Tuberville, Colleagues Introduce Permanent Ban on Taxpayer Funding for Abortions

Tuberville Statement on Supreme Court’s Final Opinion in Dobbs Case

Senator Tommy Tuberville represents Alabama in the United States Senate and is a member of the Senate Armed Services, Agriculture, Veterans’ Affairs, HELP and Aging Committees.

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Van Hollen, Colleagues Urge Trump Administration to Reverse Course on Rollback of Probationary Federal Employee Protections

Today, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) was joined by 11 of his Senate colleagues in urging the Trump Administration’s Office of Personnel Management (OPM) against implementing a rule that would severely weaken longstanding civil service protections for federal probationary employees.

In their letter submitted for OPM’s official comment period on its proposed rule regarding probationary and trial period appeals, the Senators expressed concern that the rule would shift the adjudication of termination appeals from the independent Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) to an internal OPM process overseen by a political appointee – a clear conflict of interest in which OPM could both decide which employees are fired and play referee in disputes over those firings. Further, they noted that eroding already limited protections for probationary employees and inviting political interference in workforce matters will harm the recruitment and retention of top talent in the federal civil service. The Senators stressed that these proposed changes are especially dangerous given the Administration’s recent abuses of probationary employees, including mass firings conducted last year that were deemed illegal by a federal court – and they urged OPM to reject the rule and work with Congress to protect a merit-based, nonpartisan federal workforce.

Joining Senator Van Hollen on this letter are Senators Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Edward Markey (D-Mass.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Alex Padilla (D-Cal.), Andy Kim, (D-N.J.), and Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.).

“We write in strong opposition to the Office of Personnel Management’s (OPM) Proposed Rule – Streamlining Probationary and Trial Period Appeals,” the Senators began. “Probationary employees, mostly in the competitive service, long had narrow, but critical, appeal rights to the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB). These protections covering discrimination based on partisan political reasons or marital status, and terminations based on conditions arising prior to federal employment were already limited in scope and difficult to prove. However, the proposed rule would harm probationary employees by replacing an independent MSPB review with an internal OPM process overseen by a political appointee, eliminating judicial review, eroding civil service protections and merit system principles, and impacting the recruiting of top talent for the federal workforce.”

“Congress intentionally sought to prevent precisely the outcome where the agency that sets personnel policy also adjudicates claims that those policies are being applied incorrectly or unlawfully. This proposed rule runs directly contrary to that framework, effectively recreating parts of a discredited system that Congress intentionally abandoned,” they continued. “Under this proposed rule, OPM could direct agencies to make probationary terminations and then adjudicate those same actions, eliminating any meaningful independence.”

“As members of Congress, we have seen the critical services that the nonpartisan, highly skilled federal workforce provides to the American public. We must ensure that the civil service is insulated from political retaliation and has a right to due process all while hiring and retaining top talent. This rule is antithetical to those aims. We urge OPM to reject this proposed rule and work with Congress to effectively manage workforce operations,” the Senators concluded.

Text of the letter can be viewed here and below.

Dear Director Kupor,

We write in strong opposition to the Office of Personnel Management’s (OPM) Proposed Rule – Streamlining Probationary and Trial Period Appeals [OPM-2025-0013]. The proposed rule seeks to restructure the process by which certain employees who are terminated during their probationary periods appeal these decisions. Probationary employees, mostly in the competitive service, long had narrow, but critical, appeal rights to the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB). These protections covering discrimination based on partisan political reasons or marital status, and terminations based on conditions arising prior to federal employment were already limited in scope and difficult to prove. However, the proposed rule would harm probationary employees by replacing an independent MSPB review with an internal OPM process overseen by a political appointee, eliminating judicial review, eroding civil service protections and merit system principles, and impacting the recruiting of top talent for the federal workforce.

The Civil Service Reform Act of 1978 split the former Civil Service Commission into distinct agencies with distinct missions. Relevant here, it assigned personnel policy making to OPM and adjudication of workforce appeals to the MSPB. Congress intentionally sought to prevent precisely the outcome where the agency that sets personnel policy also adjudicates claims that those policies are being applied incorrectly or unlawfully. This proposed rule runs directly contrary to that framework, effectively recreating parts of a discredited system that Congress intentionally abandoned.

The rule seeks to move the appeals adjudication to OPM’s Merit System Accountability and Compliance (MSAC). However, the MSPB has the experience, precedents, and procedures to review these probationary employee appeals that MSAC does not have. MSAC lacks the balanced governing board of the MSPB, reports directly to the OPM Director, and has no demonstrated capacity to handle a surge in these types of appeals. Through MSPB review, there is a prudent separation between the agency setting personnel policy and the agency deciding if these policies are being applied lawfully. Under this proposed rule, OPM could direct agencies to make probationary terminations and then adjudicate those same actions, eliminating any meaningful independence.

This conflict of interest is not hypothetical. While federal civil servants across the country give their talent, expertise, and dedication to serve the American public by providing critical services, the Trump administration has already demonstrated its desire to politicize the federal workforce, even taking illegal actions against probationary employees. As part of their dismantling of the federal workforce, the administration sent letters to probationary employees that cruelly and wrongly claimed they were fired for subpar performance at the direction of OPM. Recognizing the unlawfulness of these actions, a federal court ruled that the Trump administration illegally fired roughly 25,000 federal probationary employees. These actions underscore how probationary status has been abused in practice by an administration willing to weaponize personnel processes for political ends.

In light of this demonstrated pattern of unjust and illegal treatment of probationary employees, this proposed rule is especially dangerous to civil service protections, as it eliminates requirements for hearings and discovery during the appeals process that would be typical at the MSPB. Partisan political discrimination cases frequently rely on nuanced motive, credibility, and informal communications. This evidence cannot be meaningfully assessed without discovery or witness testimony. Without access to evidence or a neutral factfinder, the burden placed on employees becomes effectively insurmountable. Under this proposal, appeals would be limited to a paper-only, agency-controlled record, with hearings provided only if OPM deems them “necessary.” As a result, this structure makes such claims nearly impossible to prove and, in practice, could amount to a sham review process. In a worst-case scenario, an administration could rely on external indicators—such as voter registration data or political activity—to justify removals, while denying employees any meaningful opportunity to challenge those decisions so long as discriminatory motives or reasons for termination were not explicit.

Additionally, the American public deserves a merit-based, nonpartisan civil service that recruits and retains the best talent across the nation. The administration has called for the recruitment of top scientific and technical expertise in the federal government. However, talented prospective employees become less likely to join a workforce where political influence and diminished due process create instability and risk. Recent mass firings including highly skilled employees in AI and technical fields with strong performance records have already caused significant reputational harm to the federal government’s brand as an employer, signaling to prospective recruits that even excellent performance offers no protection. The proposed rule and the administration’s attack on the civil service undermines its ability to keep and hire top talent by building uncertainty for new employees and creating less flexibility for managers.

As members of Congress, we have seen the critical services that the nonpartisan, highly skilled federal workforce provides to the American public. We must ensure that the civil service is insulated from political retaliation and has a right to due process all while hiring and retaining top talent. This rule is antithetical to those aims. We urge OPM to reject this proposed rule and work with Congress to effectively manage workforce operations.


Van Hollen, Curtis, Kim Bipartisan Bill to Support Taiwan’s International Presence, Counter China’s Economic Coercion Earns Key Committee Approval

Today, U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and John Curtis (R-Utah) – both members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee – and Andy Kim (D-N.J.) announced the Foreign Relations Committee’s unanimous passage of their Taiwan Allies Fund Act. This bipartisan legislation strengthens Taiwan’s global network by authorizing $30 million over three years to provide foreign assistance to Taiwan’s official and unofficial partners subjected to coercion and pressure from the People’s Republic of China.

“The People’s Republic of China is waging a campaign of intimidation against countries seeking to develop relations with Taiwan, in an attempt to isolate it from allies. Our bipartisan legislation counters Beijing’s coercion by supporting Taiwan’s global relationships and limiting the impact of Beijing’s attempts to undermine Taiwan’s partners. I appreciate the Committee’s bipartisan, unanimous vote to advance this legislation and will continue working toward full Senate passage,” said Senator Van Hollen.

“China’s goal is clear: to pressure Taiwan’s diplomatic partners into accepting Beijing’s claims over Taiwan and to silence international opposition to any move against Taiwan. We cannot allow nations to fall prey to China’s pressure campaigns, which is why we advanced this bipartisan legislation to counter efforts to intimidate and isolate Taiwan’s allies,” said Senator Curtis. “Our bill helps countries stand firm against the CCP, deepen ties with Taiwan, and ensure that U.S. dollars spent abroad make Americans safer, more secure, and more prosperous.”

“Taiwan is a critical partner of the United States – and one that faces relentless pressure by the PRC, including its efforts to pick off Taiwan’s diplomatic allies and pressure other countries not to deepen their unofficial ties with Taipei. This bipartisan legislation would provide a critical tool for the United States to work with Taiwan to bolster its diplomatic relationships and unofficial partnerships, push back on the PRC’s efforts to coerce those who engage with Taiwan, and underscore that we will not stand for efforts to isolate Taiwan,” said Senator Kim.


Van Hollen, Rounds Bipartisan Bill to Codify U.S.-Africa Leadership Program Earns Key Committee Approval

Today, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, announced the Foreign Relations Committee’s unanimous passage of his and Senator Mike Rounds’ (R-S.D.) Young African Leaders Initiative Act. This bipartisan legislation makes permanent the State Department’s Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI), the United States’ signature effort to invest in the next generation of African leaders.

“YALI has been central to the United States’ partnership-building efforts with nations across Africa – advancing our shared interests in expanding opportunity, strengthening civil society, and promoting peace in the region. As the continent’s youth population grows, our bill will make the innovative YALI initiative permanent – an important step toward building a better, brighter future for both the people of these nations and ours. I appreciate the Committee’s bipartisan, unanimous passage of this legislation, and I will continue working to move it across the finish line,” said Senator Van Hollen.

With a median age of 19, the continent is home to the world’s youngest population. Recognizing the immense potential of this rising generation of change-makers, YALI was launched in 2010 to support young African leaders as they spur growth and prosperity, strengthen democratic governance, and enhance peace and security across sub-Saharan Africa. This legislation also reaffirms the United States’ commitment to investing in Africa’s youth, promoting initiatives to enhance leadership skills, support entrepreneurship, and strengthen U.S.-Africa people-to-people ties.


Van Hollen Statement for the Record on the Minibus Appropriations Package

Today, U.S. Senator Van Hollen submitted the following statement for the record on the minibus appropriations package with funding for the Department of Defense; State and Foreign Operations; Financial Services and General Government; Department of Transportation and Housing and Urban Development; and Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education.

"M. President, we are considering an appropriations package on the floor this week, and there has rightfully been a lot of focus on the section of the bill that funds the Department of Homeland Security, a section that I and my Democratic colleagues continue to insist should be considered separately, as it was in the House, to secure essential reforms to end the Department’s abuses, stop the killings, protect people's rights, and ensure real accountability. Any additional funding for this unconstrained, lawless operation at DHS is unacceptable as we witness executions of civilians in our streets, unaccountable and warrantless raids, and in my home state of Maryland, inhumane conditions at the Baltimore Holding Center even as ICE moves to set up a warehouse with the capacity to process and detain 1,500 persons. I said I would not support one more dime for Trump’s lawless ICE operation and I meant it – not even for one more day.

But I also want to take a moment to speak to the rest of that funding package, which includes the work of five other Appropriations Subcommittees – Defense, State and Foreign Operations, Transportation and Housing, Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Financial Services and General Government.

I appreciate the work of the Democratic Ranking Members of these subcommittees and Vice Chair Murray, who secured some important provisions in the bill to reassert the Congressional power of the purse with specific spending directives in legislative text. For example, the Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education bill rejects the Administration’s effort to eliminate the Department of Education and cut Pell grants.

It also rejects the Trump proposal to cut NIH nearly in half and instead increases funding; and it successfully overrides the OMB directive that NIH fund more lump sum multi-year grants, which would otherwise result in fewer overall grants and less research activity. NIH, which is located in my home state of Maryland, is one of our greatest American success stories – where some of our brightest minds pursue treatments and cures to diseases that impact virtually every American family. This Administration has spent the last year attacking the critical work of NIH, cancelling grants and clinical trials and short-circuiting life-saving research. I am glad this bill roundly rejects that and requires the Administration to change course. At the same time, I am very disappointed that the bill does not reverse the rescission cut to public broadcasting, which provides critical services to Americans across the country, particularly in rural communities.

Indeed, while these bills make important investments and include some critical safeguards, I have serious concerns that they do not go far enough to protect the power of the purse and the federal employees who carry out the programs we fund, particularly as the Administration continues its efforts to strip away the protections that safeguard our non-partisan civil service and hollow out agencies. Without enhanced guardrails in this package, the Administration will continue to wreak havoc on the ability of our dedicated, merit-based civil servants to provide critical services to the American people.

I also have deep concerns about the State Foreign Operations bill – now called the National Security package. I know and appreciate the work of Vice Chair Murray and Ranking Member Schatz to preserve the legacy of U.S. foreign assistance in this bill after Elon Musk, Russell Vought, and their DOGE cronies took a chainsaw to USAID and the State Department.

The bill includes some new guardrails to prevent deeper cuts going forward, but it still reflects a $9 billion cut from FY25 levels. The largest share of those cuts comes from humanitarian assistance and development assistance.

Foreign aid is not a giveaway – it is an investment in the world we all live in. When your neighbor’s house is on fire, it is foolish to wait until the flames reach your own home. Conflicts, pandemics, and humanitarian collapse do not respect borders. Preventing wars from starting and stopping new diseases before they reach American shores costs far less than fighting those threats once they arrive here.

For less than one percent of the federal budget, we can help save the lives of the world’s most vulnerable children. Cutting that support is not fiscally responsible – it is morally indefensible. A Lancet study estimated that Trump’s foreign aid cuts will cost 14 million lives by 2030, including over 4.5 million kids. Thousands of children are already dying.

The bill also codifies an $850 million “America First Opportunity Fund” for an Administration that has proven itself to be a reckless and unlawful custodian of federal funding. This risks becoming a political slush fund, untethered from evidence-based programs and longstanding safeguards that ensure taxpayer dollars are used to advance genuine U.S. interests, not pet projects and foreign ventures that serve the interests of the Trump family, Trump campaign contributors, and his billionaire buddies at the expense of America’s national security interests.

The bill imposes a new cap on how much foreign assistance can be transferred to the Department of Homeland Security – an important check – but it still allows hundreds of millions of dollars to be transferred to an already bloated DHS for immigration enforcement. That is unacceptable.

I also object to the bill’s $3.3 billion in Foreign Military Financing to the Government of Israel with no conditions or guardrails. The Netanyahu government has spent years openly flouting international law and disregarding U.S. interests, advice, and warnings, including concerns ranging from blocking humanitarian assistance and ethnic cleansing in Gaza to continued settler violence and mushrooming illegal settlements in the West Bank.

I made clear on October 7, 2023, the day the heinous Hamas attack brutally killed over 1,200 people and seized over 200 hostages, that Israel had a right, indeed a duty, to go after Hamas. But the Netanyahu government’s response went way beyond targeting Hamas to imposing collective punishment on all the people of Gaza.

In Gaza, entire neighborhoods have been systematically destroyed. Throughout the war, more than 1.9 million Palestinians have been forcibly displaced, many of them multiple times, through military orders, bombardment, and the deliberate rendering of civilian areas unlivable. All of this has occurred with U.S.-funded weapons and equipment.

In the West Bank, 240 Palestinians, including 55 children, were killed by Israeli forces or settlers in 2025, according to OCHA. Even the IDF found that Israeli settler violence in the West Bank rose by about 25% in 2025. This violence happened with virtual impunity and in many cases with the complicity of Israeli forces in the area. Along with settler violence, Israeli settlement expansion continues to rise, with a record number of 9,629 settlement housing units being approved by the Israeli government in 2025, more than the previous six years combined. This includes approval for construction in the area known as E1, east of Jerusalem. Construction in E1 would effectively bisect the West Bank, preventing the development of a contiguous Palestinian state and sounding the death knell of the already diminishing prospects for a two-state solution. The Netanyahu government also retroactively legalized eight illegal outposts, half of which are located deep within the West Bank.

We should be using every tool at our disposal to ensure that the Netanyahu government complies with President Trump’s stated objective of a “credible pathway to Palestinian self-determination and statehood” and end its slow-motion annexation of the West Bank, destruction of neighborhoods in Gaza, and displacement of the Palestinian people.

Conditions on Foreign Military Financing and other types of assistance are not unusual – in fact they are the norm. Other U.S. partners – including long-standing recipients like Egypt, Lebanon, Pakistan, El Salvador, Colombia, and Mexico – have had their assistance routinely tied to human rights, accountability, or other statutory benchmarks. Yet this bill provides the Netanyahu government with a blank check and no meaningful guardrails. That double standard weakens U.S. credibility and undermines our commitment to our core values.

I appreciate that the Defense title in this bill funds a pay raise for our servicemembers and makes investments to support military families and critical work at Maryland’s military bases. But I am deeply disturbed by the way Trump has misused and wrongfully deployed our military, from our active duty forces to our National Guard.

The Trump Administration’s abduction of dictator Nicolas Maduro wasn’t a “law enforcement operation” or an effort to stop drug trafficking. It was about oil – seizing and controlling Venezuela’s oil for the benefit of Trump’s billionaire buddies. It is simply wrong to risk the lives of brave American soldiers to profit the Trump campaign’s political contributors.

And Trump has deployed the National Guard to D.C., Los Angeles, Memphis, and Chicago, manufacturing claims of emergency and chaos to use the Guard in domestic law enforcement and his mass deportation agenda rather than using Justice Department resources to work with local partners and keep communities safe. And as state and local leaders and courts have stood in the way of these deployments, Trump has threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act to bypass them and the restrictions of the Posse Comitatus Act.

Taken together, these abuses of power show an authoritarian Administration using the military for its own ends, not for U.S. national security. These concerns only reinforce my existing reservations about the continued uncontrolled growth in defense spending, especially when the Pentagon continues to fail independent audits for eight consecutive years.

Finally, I want to underscore a point regarding the Financial Services and General Government portion of this bill, which funds the General Services Administration. GSA, together with the FBI, is responsible for the FBI headquarters project. This bill provides no additional funding for that project, but GSA has funding available from prior year appropriations. There are still significant outstanding questions about this project and a security assessment and construction plan is underway and must be delivered to Congress as directed in the CJS Appropriations bill. From the start of this project, Congress has expected that the building would meet Level 5 ISC security requirements to safeguard the FBI mission, and GSA has shared its expectation that this project will meet that standard, though the security assessment is not yet complete. In order to ensure adequate Congressional oversight and use taxpayer resources responsibly, GSA should also pause activities until the plan is finished and Congress has reviewed it.

As a member of the Appropriations Committee, I recognize the challenges in negotiating these bills given the radical demands of the Administration and the complicity of too many of my Republican colleagues in the House and Senate. I appreciate the hard-won investments and safeguards in these bills, and the rejection of dozens of partisan House policy riders. That said, for the reasons I have outlined, and because I believe more can be done to rein in this Administration’s authoritarian impulses, I oppose this package."