Senator Hassan Takes to Senate Floor on Fifth Anniversary of January 6th Insurrection

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH) delivered remarks on the floor of the Senate to mark the fifth anniversary of the January 6, 2021 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. Senator Hassan’s remarks as delivered are available here and a transcript is below:

“Today, we mark the anniversary of the January 6 attack on our Capitol, on our law enforcement officers, and on our democracy itself. You have heard my colleagues recount the horrors of that day, and let me be clear, I, too, was in this chamber as the events unfolded. And what happened on January 6, 2021 was in fact horrible, brutal, frightening, violent, and in some terrible cases, lethal. To all members of law enforcement who responded that day and to their families, but especially to the Capitol Police, thank you. We are grateful to you, we cannot repay what we owe you, but you are in our hearts today.

But I come to the floor today because I find myself thinking not only about January 6, but thinking about another anniversary that we marked this week; 250 years since the start of 1776, the year of American independence.

It was 250 years ago yesterday that New Hampshire adopted its state Constitution after declaring its independence, at a meeting in Exeter, a town where my husband and I raised our two children.

This year, there will be no shortage of celebrations of the anniversary of our independence. But it will be up to us — today’s citizens of the United States — to decide as a country if these celebrations will represent an empty pageant, or a renewal of principle.

Because in this moment…a moment when our country is led by a government high on lawlessness and extremism; ambivalent toward freedom; inclined toward authoritarianism…the principles that our nation was founded on in 1776 feel far more distant than even 250 years.

Because while the attack on the Capitol may have happened 5 years ago, President Trump’s current, constant lawlessness makes every day feel like January 6.

So, today, it’s worth asking, what does January 6 mean for the spirit of 1776?

What does it mean for a nation built on “self-evident truths” that we have a President who continues to tell the lie – the fantasy – that the 2020 election was stolen?

What does it mean to be a country where just powers are derived from the consent of the governed, when we have a President who sought to overturn the voices and votes of the people in a bid to stay in power?

Our founders maintained that we’re endowed with certain inalienable rights; but we have a President who routinely attacks the right to due process and freedom of speech; who has sought to use the heavy hand of government to banish critics from the airwaves.

We declared independence, in the words of Jefferson, because we didn’t wish to be ruled by a King who “cut off our trade” and imposed “taxes on us without our consent.”

But today, we have a President unilaterally declaring costly trade wars on our allies and imposing hefty taxes on his citizens; a President who withholds the people’s tax money, already appropriated by Congress, based on his latest whim. The power of the purse is now the power of the President, because the majority in this body refuses to stand up to him.

Our founders didn’t draft a Constitution in order to build a more perfect union only to one day have a President who rejects his responsibility and sworn oath to uphold it; and our founders didn’t create two other branches of government, a legislature and judiciary, merely for a wayward executive to ignore them.

Our founders wanted the legislative and judicial branches to be checks on the presidency, but this president seems to think that the clear rules set out in the Constitution are merely a suggestion box.

Surely, as patriots risked their lives, treasure, and sacred honor to establish a breathtaking experiment in self-government, they didn’t intend to allow a President to use the long and hallowed arm of justice to target political foes, to ignore laws passed by the people’s representatives, or to pardon violent criminals who tried to overthrow our democracy in his name.

There is nothing remotely patriotic, remotely decent, about pardoning violent criminals who stormed our Capitol and assaulted police officers. Can anyone in the Administration look the families of the officers in their eyes, and explain why such a pardon could possibly be justified? Of course not.

But then again, this Administration doesn’t think it should have to. And make no mistake: the pardons may have voided the criminal convictions, but the wounds to the officers remain. As does the attack on our democracy.

When we talk about democracy, it’s easy for it to feel merely like an abstract principle. But my dad, a World War II veteran, stressed to me, even as a kid, that freedom and democracy made a real difference in people’s lives; democracy is, in short, the best way to solve problems without violence; with the votes of citizens instead of the voices of a violent mob.

Look no further back than over the course of this last year and you will see why democracy matters. Despite promising to bring down costs, the President has instead made life less affordable;

He’s taken away people’s health care, launched costly trade wars on our allies abroad while making everything more expensive at home, and has spent his days flattering himself, putting his name on buildings and constructing monuments in his own honor.

Are we really surprised that a man who tried to overturn the will of the people in a free and fair election, does not care about solving the problems that his constituents – the American people – face? If the president didn’t think he was accountable to the people’s will when he lost the election in 2020, why should we expect him to care about the priorities they want him to address after an election?

Democracy, of course, is about holding leaders accountable when they fail to make people's lives better. And this President disdains democracy because he simply can't deliver.

We’re blessed to live in a great country, and we can’t forget how unlikely our independence was. In 1776, we subsisted on gasps of hope; our plan little better than a prayer for recurring miracles, not just in Philadelphia, but later on the icy currents of the Delaware, in the snows of Valley Forge, by the sea at Yorktown.

1776 was a time when, in the words of Thomas Paine, “nothing but hope and virtue could survive.” Surely, we didn’t survive the hardships of our birth to only 250 years later allow the way of the despot, and the way of the mob, to become the way of the future.

Surely, we did not build a new nation, conceived in liberty, only for its Capitol to one day be stormed by a mob at the behest of a President, because he refused to acknowledge the basic right of every American to vote him out of office; to be free to disagree with him and reject him.

When the Declaration of Independence was signed, John Adams wrote in a letter that hundreds of years from now, people will celebrate the day with what he called “pomp and parade,” but he also added that it will “cost us to maintain this Declaration.”

So we have a choice to make as a country. On this 250th anniversary of the year of our independence, we have to decide whether we wish to be governed by the spirit of January 6, or the spirit of 1776.

What is this spirit of 1776? It’s the belief in government of, by, and for the people, not of, by, and for any one leader. Here, no leader is above the law, nor are they above the people whom they serve. Look around this city; our great monuments here were built by grateful citizens to honor others, they weren’t built by greedy leaders to honor themselves.

The spirit of 1776 knows that lawlessness and extremism don’t melt away on their own, and must be rejected, even when it means standing up to a President or to one’s own party. Political courage can be hard; regaining a freedom lost even harder.

And above all else, here, in the United States of America we know that we are not subjects to be ruled, we are citizens to be heard; this is America, this is where freedom rings.

Perhaps these sound like lofty principles; well, I’m from the Live Free or Die State. In New Hampshire, we know that principles like freedom matter. We know that they matter because people gave their lives for these principles…and they died for these principles in the hope that the rest of us might live by them.

So that’s why, on this January 6, I’m choosing to embrace the spirit of 1776; and I hope that freedom-loving Americans of all political stripes do too.

Thank you, Mister President, I yield the floor.”

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SIGNED INTO LAW: Senator Hassan’s Bipartisan Legislation to Increase Pension for Medal of Honor Recipients

WASHINGTON – In case you missed it, the bipartisan Medal of Honor Act, which increases pensions for Medal of Honor recipients, was signed into law. U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH), a member of the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, helped lead the Senate version of this bill, which will increase the monthly pension for living Medal of Honor recipients to $67,500 annually. The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration bestowed by the United States. There are 61 living Medal of Honor recipients.

“While we can never fully repay the debt that we owe to Medal of Honor recipients for their extraordinary service and sacrifice, we can help ensure that these heroes and their families receive the support that they have earned and deserve,” said Senator Hassan. “This commonsense, bipartisan legislation will help ease the financial burden on these service members and their families. It’s also an important way to thank these extraordinary Americans who risked their lives above and beyond the call of duty.”

This bipartisan bill is part of Senator Hassan’s ongoing work to support service members, veterans, and their families access the benefits and support they have earned and deserve. She helped develop and pass into law the bipartisan PACT Act, a historic bill that fundamentally reforms and improves the ways in which veterans exposed to toxic substances receive health care and benefits from the VA.

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Heinrich Statement on 5 Years Since January 6 Insurrection

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) issued the following statement to recognize five years since the insurrection at the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021.

“On January 6, 2021, I witnessed things I never thought I’d see at the United States Capitol. I saw our democracy under attack — pushed to the brink by rioters who violently forced their way into the United States Capitol to stop the certification of a free and fair election. And they did it at the urging of President Trump.

“Those rioters assaulted U.S. Capitol Police officers. They beat officers with flagpoles, fire extinguishers, and hockey sticks. They used stun guns, tasers, and bear spray. They crushed officers in doorways with stolen police shields.

“It was due to the bravery of our U.S. Capitol Police officers, D.C. Metro Police officers, National Guardsmen, and Capitol staff that our democracy stood that day. Five officers—Brian Sicknick, Howard Liebengood, Jeffrey Smith, Kyle DeFreytag, and Gunther Hashida—lost their lives in the aftermath of that attack.

“But one of Trump’s first acts of office was to pardon over a thousand of the criminals who attacked our brave law enforcement officers that day. That is not justice.

“Every year, January 6th reminds us that democracy is not automatic. It is not a given. It is a constant work in progress that we must fight for — from day to day, year to year, generation to generation. As we enter the second year of a second Trump administration, our democracy is once again being pushed to the brink – but we cannot let it break.

“Today, let us remember the darkness of that day. Let us thank the police officers who stood the line and defended our democracy. And let us carry forward the lesson of January 7. Because while rioters’ chants still echoed outside, while injured officers were still being treated, and while the halls of the Capitol were left in disarray, my colleagues and I returned to the Senate floor.

“We did our duty. We certified the results of the 2020 presidential election. That is what democracy demands. And that is what we must continue to defend.”

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Growth, Regional Projects Drive Forrest County’s 2026 Legislative Agenda

By Kristen Kaylor, Alexa Hatten, Jaydon Koss and RHCJC News

FORREST COUNTY, Miss.—As state lawmakers prepare for the 2026 legislative session, leaders in Forrest County say growth-related infrastructure and regional partnerships are among their top priorities—from industrial development to mental health services and long-term utility upgrades.

In Forrest County, those priorities are shaped by rapid growth, cross-county collaboration and aging infrastructure.

Growth and Regional Partnerships

Terri Bell, president of Forrest County’s Board of Supervisors and District 5 elect, said the county is focused on managing growth while strengthening partnerships with neighboring communities. Bell pointed to several joint projects with Lamar County, including the Eagle One Mega Site off Highway 11 and a new mental health facility expected to be built in the coming year.

The Eagle One site, once complete, is designed to attract a large manufacturing company to the area. Bell said the project could bring jobs and spur additional business development, creating long-term economic opportunities for the region. The site is currently in the early stages, with work underway to extend water and sewer infrastructure. Bell said the counties expect the site to be shovel-ready no later than 2027.

“It’s going to be a great opportunity for our area,” Bell said.

Bell also highlighted a joint effort between Forrest and Lamar counties to develop a crisis stabilization unit in Purvis. The facility will serve individuals experiencing mental health crises or substance abuse issues, providing temporary care before patients are transferred to longer-term treatment facilities if needed. Bell said Pine Belt Mental Health will assist with operational expenses, and officials are exploring the possibility of expanding services in the future.

“It will be a temporary type of location, but they will try to stabilize the patient,” Bell said. “I think this is going to be a great thing for our community.”

Beyond larger regional projects, Bell said Forrest County has continued to focus on basic infrastructure needs, particularly road and bridge improvements. Over the past year, the county has spent about $2 million on chip-sealing and paving roads in rural areas. Officials are also working to replace wooden bridge pilings with concrete supports at several locations to improve long-term stability.

Petal Priorities Tied to Growth

In Petal, Mayor Tony Ducker said continued growth has increased the city’s reliance on coordination with state and federal lawmakers, particularly as infrastructure demands rise. Ducker praised recent collaboration among local, state and federal officials, including U.S. Rep. Mike Ezell, state Rep. Larry Byrd, U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith and U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker.

Ducker said Ezell helped secure about $1.75 million in federal funding for the city, while Byrd assisted in obtaining $500,000 for a new entryway at the Robert E. Russell Sportsplex.

While recreational improvements are important, Ducker said his broader goal is to leave the city in strong condition for future leaders. He pointed to major infrastructure projects, including Petal’s final lift station upgrade and the installation of a second water pump beneath the Leaf River. That project is tied to the city’s long-standing wastewater partnership with Hattiesburg.

Growth has also raised expectations among residents, Ducker said, particularly as Petal maintains one of the top five school districts in the state amid ongoing debates around school choice. In response, the city has prioritized visible improvements funded by tax revenue, including road paving, water line upgrades and expanded recreational amenities.

Ducker described the city’s restaurant and hotel tax as a “game changer,” allowing Petal to invest in parks, sidewalks and trails. He also emphasized the role of grants in funding projects such as improvements to Petal River Park, completion of the Mathews Branch sidewalk project and a future sidewalk extension that would allow residents to travel by foot or bicycle from City Hall to Hattiesburg.


Kaine Statement on Fifth Anniversary of Jan. 6 Capitol Attack

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA), a former civil rights attorney, released the following statement on the fifth anniversary of the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol instigated by President Donald Trump:

“Five years ago today, Donald Trump incited thousands of his supporters to storm the U.S. Capitol and try to block the peaceful transfer of power. The resulting violent insurrection led to the tragic deaths of five law enforcement officers from Virginia. My heart is with their loved ones on this sad anniversary. Trump has spent the intervening time trying to rewrite history, and the very day he was sworn in for a second term in office last year, he pardoned or commuted the prison sentences of more than 1,500 of the Jan. 6 insurrectionists – including those convicted of crimes like seditious conspiracy, assaulting law enforcement, and using a deadly weapon.

These are the actions of a weak, small person. Trump’s actions disrespect the law enforcement officers who bravely defended the Capitol from the violent mob. And they are blasphemous to the democracy that our forefathers fought a revolution to ordain and establish.”

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Video: Kaine Honors Five Virginia Police Officers Lost as a Result of Jan. 6 Insurrection and Condemns Trump’s Efforts to Rewrite History

FULL VIDEO OF KAINE’S SPEECH IS AVAILABLE HERE.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) spoke on the Senate floor to commemorate the fifth anniversary of the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol that led to the tragic deaths of five law enforcement officers from Virginia. The attack was instigated by President Donald Trump in his efforts to block the peaceful transfer of power, and in the years following, Trump has attempted to rewrite history on what really happened on January 6, 2021. On his first day back in office, Trump pardoned or commuted the prison sentences of more than 1,500 of the Jan. 6 insurrectionists – including those convicted of assaulting law enforcement and using a deadly weapon.

“One of the things about January 6, 2021, that's very memorable in my mind is that we were all together. We were all here in the midst of a most momentous occasion, the certification of the 2020 election result … as the Sergeant at Arms told us that the Senate was under attack,” said Kaine. “I want to begin with this, just telling you the names of the five police officers who lost their lives defending this Capitol. All five were residents of Virginia.”

“Brian Sicknick was a member of the Capitol Police from Springfield, Virginia. He was 42 years old. He had served with the Capitol Police for 13 years. He was attacked directly by that mob on January 6, and one day later, on January 7, he died from multiple strokes that occurred just hours after that attack.”

“It's a little painful to say the other four names that I'm going to now read to you and describe were four police officers who lost their lives by suicide – who were here, defending this Capitol, defending us, defending me – and were so traumatized by this seat of democracy being attacked by a mob that they lost their lives by suicide in the days and weeks after the attack,” Kaine said.

Kaine continued, “The first was a friend of mine… Howie Liebengood, a Capitol Police Officer who grew up in Vienna, Virginia. He was 51 years old. He was a 15-year veteran of the U.S. Capitol Police. Howie was an interesting guy because of his tie to the Senate. His father had worked for the Senate during Howie’s entire life. This was his family. It wasn't just his job … He was here protecting the Capitol on January 6. He saw this place that had been his home under attack … His wife, Serena, who's also gotten to be a friend, said that he went into a deep depression after this … And one day, shortly after that attack, he came home, and Serena said he seemed to be in a very distant mood, and he went upstairs, and a few minutes later, died by suicide.”

“So there was a provision in the benefit for Capitol police officers that, frankly, was a national provision for most that, you could receive a benefit if your death was in the line of duty … But there was an exclusion if you died by suicide … And we got that law changed so that law enforcement officers who die by suicide after a traumatic event, such as that attack, can at least try to make their case that that death was not in vain, but it was a death that was connected to your law enforcement career,” said Kaine.

Kaine continued, “Jeffrey Smith was a Metropolitan Police Officer who lived in Fairfax. He was 35 years old. He was a 12-year patrolman with the Metropolitan Police Department. Like Howie, he died shortly after the attack, by suicide.”

“Kyle DeFreytag was a Metropolitan Police Officer from Alexandria, Virginia. He was 26 years old. Whole life before him. Five-year veteran of the Metropolitan Police Department. Died after the attack, after defending this Capitol, after defending us, by suicide.”

“Finally, the fifth was Gunther Hashida, who was also from Metropolitan Police. Lived in Dumfries, Virginia, longtime resident of Northern Virginia. 43 years old. An 18-year veteran of the Metropolitan Police Department. Also took his life after the attack by suicide.”

“These are law enforcement officers, who are tough people, who see a lot of tough stuff, but they weren't prepared. They weren't prepared to deal with an attack on the Capitol motivated by the President of the United States … Their names should not be forgotten. Their names should be displayed in the Capitol,” Kaine remarked.

“As the Capitol Police – together with the Metropolitan Police – were battling to stop the attack, a few hours in, the television showed Virginia state police cruisers arriving so that Virginia officers could help defend democracy. And I went over to Senator Warner, my colleague and friend of now 46 years, and I said, ‘Mark, the last time there was an insurrection against the government of the United States – 160 years ago – Virginia was leading it. Virginia was leading it, and here we are, and the Virginia State Police are arriving at the Capitol to save the Union from an insurrection fomented by the commander-in-chief of the United States.’”

Kaine concluded, “Every state has a motto, but Virginia's is the only one that is kind of a warning … ‘Thus be it always to tyrants,’ ‘Sic semper tyrannis.’ Those who put this together, they used the future verb tense because they knew tyranny was not something that was just in the rear-view mirror … The Founders believed we had to be on guard against tyranny. The Founders also believed with confidence that virtue would prevail over tyranny. But not without our effort … I am motivated by the notion that if we put our shoulders to the wheel in this great democracy, at 250, virtue can win out over tyranny. We can turn this year of 250 into a celebration of American democracy, not a requiem, not a wake, not a saying-goodbye, but a revitalization.”

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Video: Kaine Slams Trump’s Illegal, Unpopular, Likely Corrupt War Against Venezuela on Senate Floor

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere and a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), spoke on the Senate floor at length about President Donald Trump’s illegal, confusing, dangerous, unnecessary, unpopular, and likely corrupt war against Venezuela.

Broadcast-quality video of Kaine’s speech is available here.

Kaine, alongside U.S. Senators Rand Paul (R-KY), Chuck Schumer (D-NY), and Adam Schiff (D-CA), is forcing a vote this week on a War Powers Resolution to block the use of the U.S. Armed Forces to engage in hostilities within or against Venezuela unless authorized by Congress.

Kaine’s full speech as prepared is available here:

The news that President Trump had ordered an invasion of Venezuela on Saturday to capture Nicolas Maduro was a shock but not a surprise. Beginning with unauthorized military strikes against unknown persons in boats in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific starting in early September, and continuing through the massing of U.S. military assets in the region over the past several months, the likelihood of this happening has been obvious to even a casual observer.

In November, I forced a vote on a privileged bipartisan war powers resolution to explicitly prohibit the use of the U.S. military to strike Venezuela without congressional approval. The Administration had not provided any clear rationale for its military pressure campaign, much less any legal rationale or request for congressional authorization for military action against the country.

All Democrats supported my resolution, and two Republicans did so as well. But there were insufficient Republican votes to pass it. Many of my Republican colleagues told me that President Trump was only bluffing and voted no for that reason. In the aftermath of this invasion, with the Administration claiming it has the right to seize Venezuelan oil and “run Venezuela” under the supervision of the U.S. Secretaries of Defense and State, and the President threatening to put boots on the ground and conduct additional strikes to control the country, we see that this was no bluff.

After this Administration’s actions over the weekend – which resulted in several injuries to U.S. servicemembers – Congress must tell the American people where it stands. I again ask my colleagues to vote on a resolution specifying that we should not wage military action within or against Venezuela unless Congress votes to authorize it. We’ll have that vote later this week, but I wanted to speak at some length tonight about why this is such an important vote for the Senate, the United States, and the world.

Speaking as the lead Democrat on the Foreign Relations Committee’s Western Hemisphere panel, I know far too well the despotic nature of Maduro’s rule in Venezuela. I have condemned it for years, as have all of my colleagues in the Senate. I have advocated forcefully for a democratic transition in Venezuela and supported Maria Corina Machado’s efforts to bring democracy to the country. This is not about whether Maduro is a bad guy – obviously, he is.

Because here’s the thing – I also speak as a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, as a military Dad, and as a former missionary in Latin America. The use or misuse of American troops is very personal for me. And the role that the United States plays in Latin America has been a lifelong field of study and lived experience.

I was a 21-year-old student at Harvard Law School when I decided that I needed to take a year away from my studies to decide what to do with my life. I wrote a letter to Jesuit missionaries working in Honduras and offered to come volunteer with them. I found myself in El Progreso in September 1980, where I worked during that academic year to run a small technical school, teaching teenage boys carpentry and welding.

This was the pivotal year in my life and it put me on a path to serve others – as a civil rights lawyer for 18 years and an elected official for 30 years and counting. It fortified my Catholic faith, forged my fluency in Spanish, and taught me so many lessons about myself, my own country, and the circumstances under which so many people live in settings far less comfortable than what I was used to. I have drawn on those lessons every day for the last 45 years.

The families I worked with showed me how to live with grace under the most challenging conditions. And the Jesuit missionaries – Brother Jaime, Father Ramon, Father Patricio, and others – showed me how serving other people is the path to happiness. I can never repay the good they did for me, but my life has been an attempt to do so ever since.

The lessons of my time in Honduras were not all pleasant. When I was there, it was a military dictatorship and also one of the poorest countries in the Americas. People prayed for the day when they might have the ability to choose their own leaders. They hoped that they might have a future with a path out of the grinding poverty surrounding them. And I learned, much to my sorrow, of the many instances in which misery throughout the region was spread by the actions –sometimes intentional and sometimes not – of the United States.

When I was in Honduras, the military dictatorship suppressed political opposition and dissent and was supported by the U.S. in doing so. A long history of U.S. intervention in the country to protect the interests of American fruit companies left a legacy of corruption and underdevelopment whose consequences are still felt today.

Toward the end of my time in the country, the U.S. began secretly funding a band of rebels in southern Honduras to wage destabilizing military action against the government of neighboring Nicaragua, which had been ruled for decades by the U.S.-backed Somoza dictatorship until it was overthrown in 1979.

Another neighbor, El Salvador, was in the midst of a devastating civil war in which a right-wing government used U.S.-trained military and security personnel to murder civilians, including Catholic Bishop Oscar Romero, a few months before I arrived, and four American missionaries –Maura Clarke, Ita Ford, Dorothy Kazel and Jean Donovan – a few months after I arrived. This civil war led to more than 65,000 civilian deaths.

Yet another neighbor, Guatemala, had a similar longstanding civil war initiated after the U.S. engineered the overthrow of its popularly-elected government in 1954. This war lasted for nearly 40 years, with as many as 200,000 deaths and one million refugees.

This was all shocking to me as I tried to teach carpentry and welding to teenagers. The conflicts were at my doorstep, with refugees from violence in neighboring countries flooding into Honduras and the murder of bishops, priests and nuns spreading fear among the missionaries I worked with. And I was confronted with a most painful question: Why was the United States, my country, a nation that I loved, backing military dictatorships, death squads, overthrows of governments at the expense of poor people who were struggling so hard just to feed their families?

I came home a changed person – energized to serve others just as my mentors had – but also deeply concerned about the role the U.S. had played in many Latin American nations. This part of our history is not often taught here at home, because we have reason to be ashamed of much of it. But it is remembered very well throughout Latin America, and they see a U.S. military invasion of a sovereign nation today, to seize its oil, as a very sinister repeat of decades, generations, even centuries of a painful history.

The Trump Administration released a National Security Strategy in early December, and it announced a clear plan for the Americas: “After years of neglect, the United States will reassert and enforce the Monroe Doctrine to restore American pre-eminence in the Western Hemisphere and to protect our homeland and our access to key geographies throughout the region.” The Strategy prioritizes the Western Hemisphere first among all regions of the world.

The Monroe Doctrine goes all the way back to the 1820s. Let’s be clear about what it is. In the Doctrine, President James Monroe and his Secretary of State John Quincy Adams declared that the Americas were off-limits for European colonization or interference. While it was a foreign policy doctrine about the Americas, it wasn’t fundamentally about building good relationships with our neighbors.

Rather, it was about keeping Europe away. Initially, Latin American leaders appreciated that the U.S. clearly stated that European colonizers no longer had free rein to continue past practices that had used the region for plunder and slavery. But, over the years, Latin American leaders also came to see that the Monroe Doctrine had evolved to be more about American dominance than American partnership.

In the early 1900s, President Teddy Roosevelt expanded the doctrine to also assert the right of the United States to intervene in the domestic politics of all nations in the region. The Roosevelt Corollary was declared after economic challenges in Venezuela threatened the nation’s economy, thereby increasing the likelihood of default on international debts.

How ironic that Venezuela thus became the first use of the doctrine to justify U.S. military intervention into another nation’s domestic affairs, rather than just a defensive action to keep a European nation from intervening. The people of Venezuela know this history well, even though Americans have largely forgotten it.

This reinterpretation of the doctrine to allow U.S. intervention led to escalating U.S. military interventions in the region – Colombia, Haiti, Honduras, Nicaragua, Cuba, and the Dominican Republic were all affected in the first half of the 20th century. During World War II, the U.S. invoked the Monroe Doctrine to occupy Greenland after Germany occupied Denmark.

In more recent years, President Eisenhower authorized U.S. assistance for the overthrow of the Guatemalan government and a coup against the government of Brazil, President Kennedy authorized a U.S.-backed invasion of Cuba. President Johnson authorized U.S. troops to invade the Dominican Republic, President Nixon authorized U.S. support to assist the toppling of the government of Chile, President Reagan secretly funded the Contra War against Nicaragua and authorized an invasion of Grenada and the first President Bush authorized the invasion of Panama.

The collapse of the Soviet Union led to a few decades of relative calm in the relations of the United States and its neighbors, as we turned our attention to the global war on terror. But now President Trump pledges to revitalize the doctrine of American dominance in the Hemisphere and go ever further. In his own words:

“And the Monroe Doctrine is a big deal, but we’ve superseded it by a lot, by a real lot. They now call it the Donroe Doctrine.”

I’m not sure which marketing genius came up with the name “Donroe” Doctrine. It sounds comical, but it’s anything but humorous to Latin American nations whose history books are filled with examples of the U.S. using the military to interfere in their domestic politics.

And that brings us to President Trump’s invasion of Venezuela to arrest and depose its de facto leader and seize its oil. Nicolas Maduro was an incompetent dictator who stole the last election, which he clearly lost, and has presided over the economic collapse of a nation that was recently one of the most prosperous countries in the region.

But multiple things can be true, and it is also true that President Trump's haphazard initiation of a unilateral war against the country is a mistake of historic proportions that will make our country, region, and world less secure. And I hope to convince my colleagues – whether they believe the war is a good or bad idea – to stand up and support the constitutional requirement that the U.S. not wage war without a vote of Congress.

I assert that the military action against Venezuela is:

—illegal

—confusing in its true motives

—harmful to U.S. interests in the region

—a dangerous precedent if followed by our adversaries

—unnecessarily and suspiciously secret

—a frightening return to unnecessary forever wars

—unpopular and potentially corrupt

—profoundly disrespectful to U.S. troops

First, the war is illegal. As I’ve argued on the floor of this body for 13 years, and to presidents of both parties, only Congress can declare war – or in the modern phrase contained in the 1973 War Powers Resolution, authorize the use of military force in hostilities. This legislation was passed in response to the abuses of President Nixon, and builds off of one of the clearest parts of the Constitution: Congress, and only Congress, initiates war – and once initiated, the President, as commander-in-chief, executes the declared war.

The text of the Constitution is clear and its meaning is additionally clarified by the notes taken during the debate in Philadelphia concerning the adoption of the Constitution, the Federalist Papers written by those involved in drafting the Constitution and correspondence between the Founders of our nation. A narrow exception has been long understood – the President as commander-in-chief has the power and duty to defend the nation from ongoing or imminent attack without prior congressional approval. But any war that is offensive in nature, or that would be sustained beyond that initial point of self-defense, needs congressional authorization.

The Administration has advanced no credible legal basis, under American or international law, to invade Venezuela, depose its leadership, seize its oil, and run the country. There is a legal opinion issued by the Administration to justify military strikes against boats in international waters. The Administration has been unwilling to share that rationale publicly, and I know why – it is laughably weak. And the Administration knows this. After the U.S. military rescued survivors from a boat strike in October, it returned these alleged narco-traffickers to their home countries for release rather than prosecuting them, because it knew that the flimsy legal rationale allowing their targeting would not stand up when scrutinized by American courts.

While I’m not yet at liberty to share the many weaknesses of the classified legal opinion, it does not violate any rule of classification to say what is not in the opinion. There is nothing whatsoever about the legal rationale that would allow for military action against the sovereign nation of Venezuela.

The assertion of the Administration that this is not military action but a law enforcement operation doesn’t pass the smell test or the laugh test. The coordinated military mission, massing of ships and aircraft, deployment of forces on land, dropping of bombs and seizure of a country’s main political leader is the very definition of hostilities. The Saturday operation alone involved more than 150 aircraft, including fighters, bombers, surveillance platforms, drones, and refueling tankers launched from at least 20 bases across the Western Hemisphere. The killing of untold Venezuelan civilians and military personnel, the number is 80 and climbing – by the U.S. armed forces is hostilities. American troops were wounded in this invasion – that is the essence of hostilities.

Deep concerns about the legality of this military operation are widespread in the Pentagon, among the American public, and among American allies. Unless and until the invasion of Venezuela and the ongoing operation to seize its oil and run its government are authorized by Congress, it is illegal.

Second, the reason for this war is deeply confusing to the American public because of the mixed messages sent by the Administration. If you listen to Secretary Rubio, it’s about countering narco-trafficking. If you listen to other officials, it’s about changing the Venezuelan regime. If you listen to President Trump, it’s about seizing oil or carrying out a “Donroe” Doctrine that allows the U.S. military to smash and grab anything we want anywhere in the hemisphere. Why can’t the Administration get its story straight?

Narco-trafficking is a horrible scourge responsible for massive death in the U.S. and elsewhere. But President Trump has shown by the pardons of narco-traffickers Ross Ulbricht and Juan Orlando Hernandez that he cares little about narco-trafficking. The charges handed down against Nicolas Maduro are eerily similar to the same charges that were successfully prosecuted against Hernandez – using his position as head of state to manage a massive operation to smuggle drugs into the US. But President Trump recently pardoned Hernandez in a shocking move. That proves that fighting narco-trafficking is not the goal here.

The likely goal is President Trump’s desire to seize control of Venezuela’s oil reserves. That explains his admission that, while he chose not to notify Congress of the invasion in advance, he did disclose his war intent to his friends at American oil and gas companies. This is a war for plunder to benefit campaign contributors. And that explains why the President did not want to seek congressional authorization for this invasion and occupation. What American parent wants to send their son or daughter to war, to risk injury or death, to seize the oil of another nation, on behalf of the President’s billionaire friends?

Third, this attack endangers American influence in the region by pushing nations away from the United States and towards China. We’ve seen in recent years how China has ramped up investments in the Americas. They’ve taken advantage of our focus on the Middle East to expand their influence in our neighborhood. Many of the Chinese investments are hollow, even predatory. And our neighbors often say: “We’d rather deal with you than with China, but they are here offering help, and you are nowhere to be found.”

But faced with a choice between a Chinese offer of partnership and investment and an American “Donroe” Doctrine that asserts dominance, no self-respecting sovereign nation will knuckle under and agree to be subservient. We have slashed USAID and other humanitarian and civil society programming in the region. We have imposed massive tariffs that hurt the American economy and the economies of our neighbors. And now we assert the right to invade at will to seize assets of a sovereign nation? We will find ourselves with less and less influence in the region closest to our shores as a result, and our chief adversary is likely to grow stronger. This was the point of a Chinese Latin America strategy document released just last month. The invasion of Venezuela plays right into China’s hands.

Another downside to this attack is this – increased chaos and instability leads to more migration. Attacking Venezuela and, as President Trump has suggested, other nations in the region is likely to lead to even more desperate people crossing borders to immigrate, including to the United States. This has happened again and again throughout the history of the region and will only continue and accelerate if Donald Trump has his way.

Fourth, the invasion of Venezuela by American troops to topple its leadership and seize its oil sets a dangerous precedent in the world that will be picked up by power-hungry dictators who are adversaries of the United States. If the U.S. can invade Venezuela, what is wrong with Russia invading Ukraine or China invading Taiwan? If the U.S. is right to dominate the Western Hemisphere, is Iran wrong, then, to try and dominate the governments of Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, or Yemen? If we can interfere to destabilize Venezuela’s leadership, is it equally acceptable for foreign nations to interfere, without consequence, in American domestic politics?

The entire international legal order that the U.S. helped construct since World War II has been based on respect for the sovereignty of nations and the rejection of those who would violate that principle. It has worked wonders for our economy and our national security, and in advancing our interests across the world. The U.S. has not been perfect in upholding the principle, and others haven’t either. But the principle is worth upholding, and the U.S. plays a leadership role – for good or bad – by its actions. The invasion of Venezuela has given a green light to more invasions by others in a way that is bad for the world and will harm U.S. interests as well.

Fifth, the invasion of Venezuela and the boat strikes preceding it have been suspiciously secret, with critical details shielded from public scrutiny by Congress and the American public. The first boat strike occurred on September 2, so we are now four months into this operation. Close to 200 people have been killed in dozens of strikes and the Venezuela invasion. Americans have been injured. The Administration has removed a head of state, intends to seize its oil assets, and proclaimed that we will run Venezuela. And yet there has not been a single public hearing in the House or the Senate about this major military campaign! The Administration has only been willing to offer limited information, on occasion, to members in classified settings. It has offered next to nothing to the American people.

I know the legal rationale for the boat strikes is deeply inadequate. But I cannot fully explain why, because the rationale has only been offered to me to read in a classified setting.

I know the targeting criteria for who gets bombed in international waters has at least one critical flaw that would, I believe, be shocking to Americans. But I can’t describe it because I only know about it from review of classified material.

I’ve seen the video of America striking shipwrecked sailors on September 2, who didn’t even know that President Trump had placed them on a secret list to be targeted. But I can’t describe it fully because the Administration – while proudly and immediately displaying video of the first strike that destroyed their ship – chose to hide the video of the murderous second strike from Congress and the public for nearly two months, and continues to hide the shocking evidence from public scrutiny.

If the Administration believes this cause is so righteous, what is it afraid of? Put the facts before Congress and the American public in a public setting where they can be subjected to the questions that should precede U.S. involvement in a military campaign of this kind.

And if my colleagues in this body believe these actions are justified, what are you afraid of? Why haven’t the chairs of the Armed Services, Foreign Relations, and Intelligence committees in both Houses called for public hearings on this important matter? They’ve been repeatedly urged to do so and have thus far resisted. But America shouldn’t tolerate a war waged in the dark, in which oil executives get better notice of our military plans than members of Congress or everyday citizens.

Sixth, the invasion of Venezuela represents a dangerous slide to the kind of forever wars, or permanent war footing, that this President specifically campaigned against. In the first year of his second term in office, President Trump has carried out unilateral and unauthorized military hostilities against or within Iran, Nigeria, Venezuela and boats in international waters. The Venezuela invasion also comes with a pledge to occupy the country in some fashion to seize its oil. And the President has suggested the possibility of using the American military against other nations as well – Cuba, Mexico, Colombia, Panama, Greenland and our NATO ally Denmark. Where does this end? If this President – or any President – can wage war on multiple continents, in secret and without congressional notice, consultation, debate or vote, we will have transformed the U.S. from the world’s chief diplomat into the world’s chief bully. Is this what the American people want?

Seventh, the invasion of Venezuela without congressional authorization is deeply unpopular in Virginia and in the nation. Polling suggests that, even after the exemplary performance by American troops, 63% of Americans do not believe the U.S. should have invaded Venezuela without congressional approval. This is not about an abstract constitutional principle. It’s based on an instinctive wisdom among the American people that says war should be a last resort and it shouldn’t be entered into upon the say-so of one person but instead only after careful deliberation.

The American people are not asking for more wars! They are telling us that housing costs too much, that food costs too much, that health care costs too much, that childcare costs too much, that energy costs too much. They want us to fix the American economy – stop the tariffs and the chaos and focus on making everyday life better for them. President Trump’s endless foreign adventurism is very likely padding his own pocket and helping out oil companies and other cronies and donors. But it’s not helping everyday people. Instead, they are seeing higher costs, fewer jobs and slower growth – and a distracted President focused instead on airstrikes and ballrooms. It’s long past time for the President to work on what he promised as a candidate, instead of dismissing affordability as a hoax.

Finally, the invasion of Venezuela and threats of unilateral military action against other nations is profoundly disrespectful of our nation’s military. Our troops are not a palace guard to be used by a President in chaotic ways around the globe or deployed against Americans here at home. The juvenile decision to rebrand the Department of Defense as the Department of War – completely without legal authority and sure to be abandoned as soon as this Administration exits the stage – sends a loud message to our troops and their families. People like my oldest son volunteer to serve because they love this country and want to defend it against all enemies, foreign and domestic. They take that oath, just as all government officials do.

People of integrity don’t see their military service as measured by how much they wage war against others – they see it as a patriotic commitment to defend the United States and its allies. And a nation committed to ill-conceived and secretive wars waged without adequate debate and consideration will see, over time, a decreased willingness to serve by those whom we would most welcome as military leaders.

I’m unaware of any military service in Donald Trump’s family. I wish he’d come to Virginia and talk to military families about what it means to wonder whether your kid or spouse might get sent to war tomorrow. I’ve had those conversations with Virginians who saw their family members repeatedly deploy during the 20-year Global War on Terror and are now hoping for some respite. I’ve had those conversations with Virginians serving on warships in the Red Sea while getting fired at by Houthi militias. And I’ve had those conversations with Virginians whose families are part of the military assets poised to strike Venezuela and other Latin American nations. They signed up for a tough job, and they are always ready to do it. But they want the civilian leadership of the nation to be wise in decision-making about how to use military force, wise when making the decision to put their lives on the line. And wise decision-making requires careful deliberation and debate, not impulsive action such as this Venezuelan invasion, where we now find it hard to answer basic questions about what comes next.

Let me conclude with a positive message about President Trump’s National Security Strategy and a final plea to my Senate colleagues.

I believe that the National Security Strategy is right in placing the Americas as the top priority. We’ve ignored our own neighborhood for too long and, when we have focused on it, it has usually been to keep other nations away rather than to build partnerships that strengthen the Americas. The Trump Administration’s decision to make the Americas the top priority makes it unique among recent Administrations and, if done correctly, I believe it offers us a great path forward to deepen the ties among the more than 1 billion people who live in this Hemisphere.

Getting this right is critical to our well-being. How can we match up economically with nations like China or India, each with more than a billion citizens? The productivity of the more than 340 million Americans is second to none, but at some point the scale of our chief competitors becomes very hard for us to match. But if we strengthen ties throughout the Americas – call it an Americas First policy – in security and education and trade and diplomacy and humanitarian assistance and democracy – we can more than match the might of the world’s most populous countries.

We won’t achieve that through dominance or invasion. We’ve tried it before and it hasn’t worked. It produces hostility, suspicion, and resistance. It chases nations that could be friends into the arms of our adversaries. But we can achieve much through respectful partnerships and by giving the attention to our American neighbors that we’ve often reserved solely for countries in Europe or the Middle East. We’ve tried this positive approach on occasion – FDR’s Good Neighbor Policy and President Kennedy’s Alliance for Progress – but too often lapsed back into the profound failure of the Monroe Doctrine mindset. President Trump’s instinct to prioritize the Americas is the right one. But doing it the right way, not repeating the mistakes of the past, is the key to making it a success.

And finally, a plea to my Senate colleagues. The vote on our bipartisan resolution to say no war in Venezuela without congressional authorization is about many things. It’s about Venezuela, war, the use of U.S. troops, our complicated history in the region, the example we set, and our position in the world. But it’s also ultimately about what it is to be a U.S. Senator.

In recent months, this body has rejected my resolutions saying that the Senate should have a role if we go to war with Iran or Venezuela or launch strikes on unknown boats in international waters.

The Senate has actually voted in favor of its own irrelevance! We have the opportunity to change this. We have the opportunity to say, forcefully: Mr. President, the Constitution demands that you need to consult us before going to war!

Cast a vote that accords with the Constitution and honors the relevance of this institution. If you believe that a war to topple the Venezuelan government and seize its oil is justified, you should be willing to vote in support of it. You should be willing to introduce an authorization for use of military force, put it on the floor, and advocate for it. If you don’t, as I don’t, you should be willing to vote against it. But don’t outsource this power, carefully vested in the Article I branch by our founders, to this President or any President. You were sent here for a reason. You were sent here to have courage. You were sent here to stand up for your constituents. And there is no more important power for the Congress to maintain than the power to send our sons and daughters into war.

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ICYMI: Kelly Won’t Back Down as Hegseth Censures and Threatens Demotion

“We have a right in our country to speak out about the government, to say things about the president. They can’t take that away from us.”

In case you missed it, Arizona Senator Mark Kelly went on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, NPR’s Morning Edition, ABC’s Good Morning America, and MS NOW’s The Rachel Maddow Show to call out Pete Hegseth’s censure and threats to demote him—making clear he won’t back down. Kelly warned that these actions are meant to chill the speech of service members, veterans, and every American, and infringe on Americans’ right to speak out about their government.

Sen. Kelly speaks to Jon Stewart on Comedy Central’s The Daily Show.

Watch and download all four interviews here. See clips and highlights below:

The Daily Show with Jon Stewart: Sen. Mark Kelly – “I’m Not Backing Down”

“We have a right in our country to speak out about the government, to say things about the president. They can’t take that away from us.”

NPR’s Morning Edition: Sen. Mark Kelly calls Hegseth’s demotion threat the ‘height of hypocrisy’

“KELLY: It sends a chilling effect to service members – retired service members especially across the country, but anybody who served in the military and any U.S. citizen – that if you speak out against this president, they’re going to come after you.”

Good Morning America: ‘Absolutely not’: Mark Kelly says he wouldn’t change troop message or ‘back down’ after censure

“Let me make this perfectly clear, though, Gabby and I are not people that back down,” Kelly said on Tuesday during an appearance with his wife, former Rep. Gabby Giffords, on “Good Morning America.” “From anything, from any kind of fight.”

Sen. Kelly and former Rep. Gabby Giffords speak on ABC’s Good Morning America.

The Rachel Maddow Show: ‘I’m never going to back down’: Mark Kelly pushes back against Hegseth’s intensifying crusade

“I’m surprised that they’re continuing down this path and taking these steps to try to silence me, silence other members of Congress, silence retired members of the military, former service members, really silence the American people. I mean, this isn’t only about me; this is about all of us.”


WATCH: In a Senate Floor Speech, Kelly Reflects on January 6th Capitol Insurrection, Condemns Efforts to Rewrite History

“Let’s call it what it was. This was an insurrection.”

Today, on the fifth anniversary of the January 6th insurrection, Arizona Senator Mark Kelly took to the Senate floor to reflect on his firsthand experience that day and to warn against ongoing efforts by President Donald Trump to minimize, excuse, or rewrite what happened.

In his remarks, Kelly recounted being on the Senate floor as Arizona’s electoral votes were challenged, described when it became clear how much worse it could have been, and encouraged all Americans to continue participating in our democracy.

Kelly detailed how quickly the situation escalated and how close the attack came to turning deadly: “Only later did we fully understand how close this came to something far worse. We didn’t know that our colleague Mitt Romney was literally running for his life—a target because he had the courage to speak the truth about the results of the election. We didn’t know that, at that very moment, Capitol Police officers were being pinned in doors, beaten with flagpoles, and attacked with bear spray.”

Kelly made clear who was responsible for the January 6th Insurrection: “Let’s call it what it was. This was an insurrection. An insurrection aimed at stopping the peaceful transfer of power. An insurrection aimed at overturning a free and fair election. January 6th did not happen spontaneously. It did not happen by accident. It happened because Donald Trump refused to accept that he lost.”

Kelly warned that efforts to minimize January 6th and pardon those who carried out the attack are dangerous: “No one has done that more than Donald Trump. He has even used the powers of his office to hand out pardons to let off people who attacked police officers. These pardons do not just erase sentences. They send a message—’it’s okay if you commit violent acts, as long as they are in support of Donald Trump.’ And in the year since those pardons, we have seen exactly who these people are.”


Klobuchar Statement on the 5th Anniversary of January 6 Insurrection

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) released the following statement on the five-year anniversary of the January 6, 2021 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol:

“Americans will never forget what happened on January 6, 2021: Violent insurrectionists attacked our democracy and stormed the Capitol with the goal of overturning a free and fair election. Thanks to the heroism of our Capitol Police officers, democracy prevailed. Five years later, it remains incumbent on all of us to ensure what happened that day never happens again.

“While we came together on a bipartisan basis after the insurrection to improve security at the Capitol and to strengthen our electoral process, the President’s pardons, his blatant disregard for the law, and his attempts to rewrite history are an insult to law enforcement and undermine our democracy. We will keep fighting to protect and strengthen our democracy — as we have for nearly 250 years.”

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Luján Statement on 5th Anniversary of January 6 Attack on U.S. Capitol

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) issued the following statement on the 5th anniversary of the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol:

“Today marks five years since the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, one of the darkest days in our nation’s history. Having just been sworn in to the U.S. Senate, I was inside the Capitol that day and witnessed the fear, confusion, and violence firsthand as a mob incited by President Trump overran the building and tried to stop the peaceful transfer of power. Despite this attack, our democracy did not break.

“Members of Congress, Capitol Police officers, staff, janitorial workers, and countless others who simply came to work were all put in danger. As we remember this dark chapter, we must also be clear-eyed about the present. President Trump’s actions to rewrite history and pardon those responsible for this violent attack dishonor the truth and send a dangerous message to the nation.

“On this day, I am thinking of the law enforcement officers who stood up to defend the Capitol, and of those who lost their lives in the line of duty. We will never forget them or their sacrifice. As a nation, we must come together to protect our democratic institutions and ensure that political violence is never normalized or rewarded in our country.”

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Merkley Statement on House & Senate Negotiated Interior-Environment FY 2026 Appropriations Bill

Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley, the Ranking Member of the Senate Interior-Environment Appropriations Subcommittee, released the following statement after the House and Senate negotiated text of the Interior-Environment FY 2026 Appropriations bill was released:

“This bill is far superior to a Continuing Resolution for funding the core programs covered by the Interior Subcommittees of the House and Senate.

“Although not as strong as I would prefer, this bill honors Congress’s Power of the Purse by providing new backstops to hold the Trump Administration accountable for dispersing funds in accordance with Congressional direction.

“This bipartisan bill protects funding for operating and protecting our public lands, making it clear that Congress intends to fight back against any attempt to sell off our public lands.

“The bill removes dozens of poison pill riders and funds clean air and clean water programs.

“It supports Tribal nations by funding trust and treaty responsibilities.

“Ultimately, this bill is a bipartisan assertion of Congress’s power and priorities in the face of Trump’s illegal maneuvers, and I’ll work to get it passed into law.”

Key Points & Highlights – Protecting Public Lands

Public Lands: The bill rejects President Trump’s efforts to shortchange America’s cherished landscapes by ensuring that resources remain in place to fully support longstanding operations of the National Park System, the National Wildlife Refuge System, National Conservation Lands, and the National Forest System. The bill provides the funding necessary to maintain personnel at prior year levels, rejecting President Trump’s efforts to entrench damaging staffing cuts, and requires the staffing levels necessary to be able to provide visitor services, facilitate Tribal consultation, ensure public safety, and carry out the science necessary to respond to growing natural threats and increased visitation.

National Park Service: The bill provides $3.27 billion for the National Park Service, including $2.87 billion for the operation of the National Park System, which is $1.15 billion higher than the level requested by President Trump. The bill provides the resources to sustain fiscal year 2024 staffing levels and provides the funding necessary to support a full complement of seasonal staff during fiscal year 2026. The bill also provides $205 million for the Historic Preservation Fund, including specified funding of $23.75 million for Tribal Historic Preservation Offices and $62.15 million for State Historic Preservation Offices. The bill provides funding typically allocated for Line Item Construction Projects with funding for park repairs, while awaiting information about specific construction projects that are shovel-ready.

Forest Service: The bill provides $6.13 billion for the Forest Service, excluding additional funding for the Wildfire Suppression Operations Reserve. Of this amount, $3.7 billion is provided for the Forest Service’s non-wildland fire management responsibilities—providing sufficient funds to sustain appropriate staffing levels. The bill rejects the steep $1.4 billion cut to the Forest Service’s non-fire budget proposed by President Trump. The bill provides funding for the Forest Service to improve forest restoration and fire risk reduction efforts on federal lands and through cross-boundary partnerships. It also provides $177 million for hazardous fuels reduction projects, $31 million for the Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Program, and $6 million for the Legacy Roads and Trails program to prioritize fish passage improvements and repurposing unnecessary roads as trails. The bill also provides specified funding of $61.5 million for federal and cooperative research programs, $58 million for cooperative and forest health management programs, $5.5 million for Community Forest and Open Space Conservation, $37 million for Urban and Community Forestry, and $19 million for International Programs and Trade, all programs and grants to states that President Trump has proposed eliminating.

Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF): The bill allocates $900 million for federal land acquisition and financial assistance to states provided through the LWCF under the Great American Outdoors Act. This program is critical for improving recreational access to our federal lands, protecting iconic landscapes, delivering grants to states and local governments to create and protect urban parks and open spaces, and providing farmers and ranchers with easements to allow them to continue to steward their private lands in the face of development pressures.

Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILT): The bill fully funds payments to counties through the PILT program, which are estimated at a total of $550 million.

Key Points & Highlights – Protects Full Funding for Wildland Firefighting

Supporting Federal Wildland Firefighters: The bill provides funding for the permanent pay fix and job series for federal wildland firefighters to prevent a devastating pay cut for the firefighting workforce. The pay fix was enacted as part of the fiscal year 2025 continuing resolution and began as a temporary bonus for Forest Service and Department of the Interior firefighters provided in the Infrastructure and Investment in Jobs Act. The bill does not endorse the consolidation of federal wildland firefighting into one agency as proposed in President Trump’s budget request. Instead, it specifically provides funding to continue wildland firefighting using the longstanding practice of funding both the U.S. Forest Service and the Department of the Interior to allow Congress to consider legislative proposals for such a major change.

Wildfire Suppression: The bill fully funds essential wildfire preparedness and suppression efforts by providing $4.25 billion for wildfire suppression, of which $2.85 billion is for the Wildfire Suppression Operations Reserve Fund. The Reserve Fund provides the Forest Service and the Department of the Interior with anassured amount of funding to be used when major fire activity requires expenditures exceeding regular base suppression operations funding. This funding level—in addition to carryover balances—is anticipated to meet projected needs for fiscal year 2026 wildfires.

Key Points & Highlights – Protects Full Funding for Tribal Programs

Tribal Programs: In total, the bill provides $12.1 billion for Tribal programs across the Department of the Interior and the Indian Health Service. The bill rejects nearly $1 billion in cuts to Tribal programs that President Trump proposed, and it sustains funding for Tribal governments to provide basic governmental services across Indian Country.

Indian Health Service (IHS): The bill provides $8.2 billion in total resources for IHS—a program increase of $87.1 million over fiscal year 2025—to maintain critically important health care services and maintain staffing for doctors, nurses, and health services staff at existing and newly opened facilities.

Importantly, the bill rejects President Trump’s proposal to eliminate advance appropriations for IHS, which were provided in a historic first in fiscal year 2023. The bill provides an advance appropriation for fiscal year 2027 of $5.3 billion to ensure budget certainty for a health care system that provides health services to 2.5 million people across Indian Country. This advance appropriation will provide the funding IHS needs to provide essential health services to patients in thefollowing fiscal year. Finally, the bill provides the funding necessary for staffing at newly constructed facilities and to ensure that IHS has the health care providersneeded to meet increased patient demand.

Supporting Tribal Self-Governance and Essential Services: Rejecting President Trump’s proposed $911 million cut, the bill provides an increase of $35.4 million for a total of $1.93 billion in funding for the Bureau of Indian Affairs’ operations of Indian programs. These are the essential government services for critical areas like roads, housing improvement, natural resources protection, Tribal courts, economic development, and social services. This funding enables Tribal governments to exercise self-determination and is crucial to upholding the federal government’s trust responsibility.

Tribal Public Safety and Justice: The bill rejects President Trump’s proposed $107 million cut to Tribal public safety and justice programs and instead boosts funding to support and invest in these programs by providing an increase of $14.5 million above fiscal year 2025 for a total of $570 million. This funding supports police services, special initiatives to address Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons cases, Tribal courts, and the hiring of detention and corrections officers.

Maintaining Investments in Tribal Schools: The bill rejects President Trump’s proposed $187 million cut to funding for Tribal schools and instead maintains $1.37 billion for the Bureau of Indian Education to support a school system of 183 schools and 33 Tribal colleges and universities delivering educational services to nearly 57,000 students. The bill provides $1.1 billion for education programs and operations for teachers and school staff. This includes funding to support school operational requirements, staffing, operating costs, Native language programs, scholarships, and support for school connectivity and remote learning capabilities. The bill also provides $234 million for construction of educational facilities to help keep pace with maintenance and build critical new facilities. These investments in school facilities are critical to improve educational opportunities and service delivery for Native American students.

Tribal Sovereignty Payments: The bill fully funds Tribal Sovereignty Payments, which consist of contract support costs and 105(l) lease payments, including the increased contract support costs associated with third-party billing for IHS as a result of the June 2024 Supreme Court ruling on Becerra vs. San Carlos Apache Tribe. These are required payments that provide funding for Tribes’ administrative overhead costs for self-governance under the Indian Self-Determination Education and Assistance Act. Ranking Member Merkley strongly supports reclassifying these costs to align with a series of court rulings finding that they are a mandatory obligation of the federal government, which is also important so that growth in these costs does not threaten funding for other critical Tribal programs.

Key Points & Highlights – Investing in Clean Air and Water

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA): The bill provides $8.82 billion in essential funding for EPA’s critical responsibilities to protect our environment and the American people’s health—$1.8 billion above the level in House Republicans’ bill and $4.7 billion above the level requested by President Trump. It increases funding levels for state and Tribal assistance grant programs and the geographic programs. It also protects Energy Star, the voluntary energy efficiency labeling program, which President Trump sought to eliminate.

The Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds, which provide funding for water and wastewater projects, are funded at the fiscal year 2025 levels of$2.76 billion; this is $660 million above the level in House Republicans’ bill and $2.46 billion above the level requested by President Trump. The Hazardous Substance Superfund program continues to receive its core funding from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).

The bill also maintains funding for all categorical grant programs that states rely upon, and in some specific cases, increases these programs, like state and local air quality management, pollution control, and nonpoint sources programs—nearly all of which were eliminated in President Trump’s budget request.

The bill enables EPA’s research mission to continue cutting-edge research and retain key scientific expertise, such as research into air and energy, safe andsustainable water resources, and sustainable and healthy communities.

Key Points & Highlights – Cultural Programs

Smithsonian Institution: The bill fully protects funding for the Smithsonian Institution by providing $1.081 billion, a small reduction of $10 million that reflects the end of a one-time construction project, while also increasing funding for its world-class museums. The bill rejects President Trump’s proposal to shutter the National Museum of the American Latino. It also rejects his proposal to eliminate the National Endowments for the Arts and Humanities and instead continues funding of $207 million for each endowment.

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VIDEO: Sen. Moran Speaks on Senate Floor to Honor the Legacy of the Plainville Times

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) today spoke on the Senate floor to honor the legacy of his local hometown newspaper, the Plainville Times, following the paper’s final edition before merging with the Stockton Sentinel to become the Sentinel-Times.

“Growing up in this small town in western Kansas, I saw firsthand how the newspaper supported the community and brought neighbors, friends and even strangers together,” said Sen. Moran. “Community journalism pulls us together. National journalism has the habit of tearing us apart.”

“Rural papers bring community residents together for special moments,” continued Sen. Moran. “It’s where we see when we have a new birth. It’s where we see when we lose a fellow citizen. It’s where we celebrate with others about a 50th wedding anniversary. It’s the joys of graduations and holiday celebrations. It's about ribbon cuttings. It’s the pain of funeral services and natural disasters, and really everything in between.”

During his remarks, Sen. Moran paid tribute to the Times’ editor, Candace Rachel, publisher, Frank Mercer, and staff members, Bret Greenwood and Tonia Goertz. He also congratulated the owners of the Stockton Sentinel, Bart Hamilton and Susan Hamilton Schnider, and he recognized the Plainville Times’ past editors, Harlan Lill and Carol Van Dyke.

Click HERE to Watch Sen. Moran’s Full Remarks

Sen. Moran’s full remarks as delivered:

“Mr. President, my hometown is Plainville, Kansas. Population, according to Google this morning, 1,746. And I rise this morning to recognize and pay tribute to my hometown newspaper, the Plainville Times.

“Several months ago, the headline of the paper – the very top story – was ‘Newspaper for Sale.’ Last month, the Times published its final edition as a standalone newspaper and announced it will merge with the neighboring town’s newspaper, the Stockton Sentinel, to continue news coverage for local residents.

“So, I take sadness in the demise, the departure of my hometown paper. I take pleasure and pride in its continuation with news being covered by the Times-Sentinel.

“For more than a century, the Plainville Times has served the surrounding communities by providing information, education and timely reporting. The paper first began in 1800, though it changed its name several times over the years, and it became known as the Plainville Times in 1904.

“Growing up in this small town in western Kansas, I saw firsthand how the newspaper supported the community and brought neighbors, friends and even strangers together. Community journalism pulls us together. National journalism has the habit of tearing us apart.

“Over the years, the Plainville Times has kept the community informed on important local issues – like a new business coming to town, a city council meeting or the score of the high school football game.

“Rural papers bring community residents together for special moments. It’s where we see when we have a new birth. It’s where we see when we lose a fellow citizen. It’s where we celebrate with others about a 50th wedding anniversary. It’s the joys of graduations and holiday celebrations. It's about ribbon cuttings. It’s the pain of funeral services and natural disasters, and really everything in between.

“Community journalism is important to the future of communities across Kansas and the nation. Today, community journalism faces growing challenges with a rapidly changing media environment, as well as workforce struggles and financial strains. Many rural newspapers have limited staffs, and it is not uncommon for one person to fill the roles of reporter, photographer and editor.

“Those who dedicate their lives to this profession – and so many instances in newspapers across Kansas, I find the person that’s just doing the job because nobody else would do it. Despite these challenges, that newspaper, including the Plainville Times, leaves lasting marks on the rural towns they cover.

“As a kid growing up in Plainville, then representing my hometown as a member of Congress and now as a United States Senator, I happened to know – had the opportunity to know and speak with, get acquainted with – the Times’ editors during my lifetime, including Harlan Lill, who was the editor when I was a kid, Carol Van Dyke, who then replaced him, and the current editor, Candace Rachel, who I grew up with in my hometown.

“She’s a longtime native of Plainville, and Candace is deeply committed to our community and has devoted her life to providing news and information to Kansans. Whether I’m attending a Lions Club meeting or visiting the local high school, Candace is always there with her pen and pad and a camera slung over her shoulder. She’s one of those editors who does it all.

“Candace is always there at everything. She loves supporting local sports, the athletes, their parents, their families. She loves to celebrate the victories and bemoan the losses. She always can be spotted on the sidelines of the local football field, the basketball courts and at baseball games.

“I appreciate her. I appreciate her love for our community, and I appreciate the way she treats every citizen of my hometown with the greatest of respect.

“I want to thank the Times’ publisher, Frank Mercer of Main Street Media, as well as its staff members, Bret Greenwood and Tonia Goertz, for their commitment to local journalism.

“Over the years, the Plainville Times has been dedicated to pursuing the truth, informing the local communities and providing a critical service to rural America. The paper has gained a reputation for being informative, fair reporting and it has earned recognitions from the Kansas Press Association for its work.

“With the merging of the Plainville Times with the Stockton Sentinel, Stockton incidentally being our cross-county rival, the unified paper will continue to cover Plainville and Rooks County. That’s the good news.

“And I want to congratulate the owners of the Stockton Sentinel, Bart Hamilton and Susan Hamilton Schneider. I’m grateful for their investment in local journalism and their support for Stockton, Plainville, for Palco, for Demar and Zurich, for Codell, for the communities that make up our small county.

“I look forward to staying informed on local news. I receive the Plainville Times every week and when it comes, I get home, it’s in a stack of newspapers that I’ve yet to read, the very first one, and my wife would say my first comment, ‘Oh, the Plainville Times is here.’

“I look forward every week to seeing what’s going on in my hometown, and I appreciate the publication that has provided me and so many others with information. The Plainville Times, and now the Stockton Sentinel-Times, will be important to every resident who lives in the area.

“I again thank those who made this newspaper what it is, and I congratulate and wish the best for those who will make what this newspaper will become. Thank you, Mr. President. I yield back.”

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Murkowski Leads Senate Passage of Landslides, Earthquakes Reauthorizations

Washington, DC — Last night, U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) secured unanimous consent for the Senate to pass two bills: her S. 1626, the National Landslide Preparedness Act Reauthorization Act, and S. 320, the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program Reauthorization Act, which she is cosponsoring alongside Senator Alex Padilla (D-CA). The bills will modernize and continue federal funding for critical programs that help predict, prepare for, and respond to these natural disasters.

“Earthquakes and landslides are active threats that have taken lives and damaged property across Alaska in recent years,” Senator Murkowski said. “Our passage of these bills puts us on track to ensure that federal agencies have the resources they need to help keep communities safe both back home and around the country. I thank my colleagues for working cooperatively to pass these measures and urge the House to take them up and send them to the President as soon as possible.”

S. 1626 reauthorizes and updates landslide-focused programs and activities at the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), National Science Foundation (NSF), and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Ketchikan, Wrangell, Sitka, Haines, and Seward are among numerous Alaska communities that have endured devastating landslides. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) cosponsored the bill.

S. 320 reauthorizes the National Earthquake Hazard Reduction Program (NEHRP) to support maintenance of earthquake measurement resources and equipment. It will also continue the buildout of the ShakeAlert early warning system. According to USGS, “Alaska is the most earthquake-prone state and one of the most seismically active regions in the world.”

Both bills will now be sent to the House of Representatives for their consideration.

Murkowski is also working to advance two additional measures related to natural hazards that impact Alaska: S. 1052, her bill to reauthorize National Volcano Early Warning and Monitoring System, and a measure related to tsunami warning, research, and education.

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On 5 Year Anniversary of January 6th Insurrection, Senator Murray Slams Trump Pardons of Violent Criminals & Calls on Congress & Americans to Stand Up for Democracy

Murray: “The real fight is to ensure we learn the lesson of the January 6th Insurrection. Because there is no reason to think the same insurrectionists—that are now free—and the same President—now bolder than ever in challenging our laws and our Constitution—won’t try, once again, to get their way through threats and through violence.”

Murray: “President Trump’s allies in Congress, to this day, have refused to hang a plaque honoring our Capitol police officers for their sacrifice… Speaker Johnson has turned a plaque that was meant to be proof of their bravery, into proof of his own cowardice.”

***WATCH: Senator Murray’s full floor speech***

Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, took to the Senate floor, alongside other Senate Democrats, to mark the fifth anniversary of the January 6, 2021 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. Senator Murray slammed Trump’s blanket pardons of violent criminals who attacked police officers on January 6th and Republican attempts to rewrite history, and discussed the dangers facing American democracy as Trump continues to endorse political violence and spread lies about the 2020 election. Murray also called out Republicans for their continued refusal to honor Capitol Police officers who put their lives on the line and suffered severe injuries protecting Members of Congress on January 6th.

“The same forces that ignited the insurrection five years ago are still here. The same lies are still being spread about the 2020 election, you just heard some of them, by the same bad faith actors. The same President who told the crowd—just hours before the violent insurrection—that he would march to the Capitol with them is now accusing Democrats of treason, and sharing calls to execute them. And the same violent people—the people who stormed and battered our Capitol Police, the people who brought bats, and knives, and zip ties, the people who left blood and feces, and broken glass littered throughout the halls of this building, they’re walking free today—because President Trump thinks they were the victims,” Murray said on the Senate floor today.

“But no matter how many criminals Trump pardons, no matter how many lies he tells, and no matter how loudly he tells them—no President can rewrite history unless we stand by and let him,” she continued.

“The challenge before us, at this moment, is greater than just fighting for truth and history. It is not enough to make sure we simply remember the truth of the January 6th Insurrection. The real fight is to ensure we learn the lesson of the January 6th Insurrection. Because there is no reason to think the same insurrectionists—that are now free—and the same President—now bolder than ever in challenging our laws and our Constitution—won’t try, once again, to get their way through threats and through violence.”

On President Trump’s first day in office last year, he granted full, complete, and unconditional pardons to over 1,500 people charged with committing crimes in the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol, and commuted the sentences of 14 others, including leaders of the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers, far-right militias. Among those pardoned by Trump were 169 people who pled guilty to assaulting police officers on January 6th.During the siege of the Capitol that day, over 80 U.S. Capitol Police Officers were assaulted, as well as over 60 officers from the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Police Department. Last January, following Trump’s pardons of violent criminals, Senator Murray introduced and tried to pass a resolution condemning the pardons of individuals who were found guilty of assaulting Capitol Police Officers. Republicans blocked passage of the simple resolution twice. Senator Murray has spoken at length about her experience on January 6th, on lockdown inside the Capitol building while it was being stormed by insurrectionists.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, approximately 1,572 defendants were federally charged with crimes associated with the attack of the U.S. Capitol on January 6th. This includes approximately 598 charged with assaulting, resisting, or impeding law enforcement agents or officers or obstructing those officers during a civil disorder, including approximately 174 defendants charged with using a deadly or dangerous weapon or causing serious bodily injury to an officer. As proven in court, the weapons used and carried on Capitol grounds during the January 6th attack include firearms; pepper spray; tasers; edged weapons, including a sword, axes, hatchets, and knives; and makeshift weapons, such as destroyed office furniture, fencing, bike racks, stolen riot shields, baseball bats, hockey sticks, flagpoles, PVC piping, and reinforced knuckle gloves.

At least 33 pardoned January 6th insurrectionists have now been convicted of, charged with, or arrested for additional crimes since the insurrection, including: child sexual assault, production of child pornography, possession of child pornography, rape, conspiracy to commit murder of Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents, kidnapping, sexual assault, aggravated robbery, reckless homicide, driving under the influence causing death, illegal possession of firearms, domestic violence by strangulation, burglary, vandalism, grand theft, stalking, violation of protective orders, threatening public officials, and drug trafficking.

Senator Murray’s remarks, as delivered on the Senate floor today, are below:

“Five years ago, my husband and I sheltered in place, right here in this building, and prayed that our lock would hold.

“Five years ago, we had to hunker down in the Capitol as alarms blared, glass shattered, and rioters stormed the halls of this building chanting ‘hang Mike Pence.’

“We heard them just outside the room I was, feet away from this chamber, they were looking for any lawmaker they could find, screaming ‘kill the infidels.’ We felt them bashing against our door trying to get in.

“We held our breath and waited for what seemed like forever. And this time every year—it feels like I am still holding my breath.

“Because I know it wasn’t just my husband and I that were in danger that day and it wasn’t just the windows that were shattered.

“It was our democracy that was under attack, our democracy—and the very idea that we use our voices and our votes in this country, not violence.

“And the same forces that ignited the insurrection five years ago are still here. The same lies are still being spread about the 2020 election, you just heard some of them, by the same bad faith actors.

“The same President who told the crowd—just hours before the violent insurrection—that he would march to the Capitol with them is now accusing Democrats of treason, and sharing calls to execute them.

“And the same violent people—the people who stormed and battered our Capitol Police, the people who brought bats, and knives, and zip ties, the people who left blood and feces, and broken glass littered throughout the halls of this building, they’re walking free today—because President Trump thinks they were the victims.

“On his first day in office Trump pardoned rioters who assaulted officers with pepper spray and metal poles. Trump pardoned people who crushed police with riot shields.

“Trump pardoned an insurrectionist who violently punched, slapped, and swatted police—and even choked one officer to the ground.

“Trump pardoned someone who plunged a stun gun into a Capitol police officer’s neck.

“Trump pardoned those people, and many like them, with no care for how dangerous or violent they were.

“He even let the leader of the Proud Boys out of prison!

“And the story doesn’t end there. Because several people that Trump let out of prison—are now back in jail for other crimes, gun charges, breaking and entering, burglary, fatal drunk driving accidents, child pornography, aggravated kidnapping, sexual assault—even plotting to kill the FBI agents who investigated them.

“Months after Trump pardoned Christopher Moynihan—one of the first rioters to breach the police barricades—he was arrested again for threatening the life of Leader Jeffries.

“Make no mistake, Trump’s mass pardons were a dangerous endorsement of political violence—telling criminals you can beat cops within an inch of their lives, as long as it’s in service to President Trump.

“They are also part of an all-out effort by President Trump and his allies to now rewrite the history of the insurrection of that day.

“President Trump’s Justice Department just took down the public database that laid out thousands of investigations.

“He just put up a website that blames Capitol police for escalating the situation. Seriously—Trump isn’t just siding with the rioters, he is trying to blame our law enforcement.

“And President Trump’s allies in Congress, to this day, have refused to hang a plaque honoring our Capitol police officers for their sacrifice.

“We lost a Capitol Police officer that day. Several others took their lives in the trauma that followed. Capitol Police officers suffered severe injuries—cracked ribs, smashed spinal disks, brain injuries, even the loss of an eye.

“And yet—Speaker Johnson has turned a plaque that was meant to be proof of their bravery, into proof of his own cowardice.

“But no matter how many criminals Trump pardons, no matter how many lies he tells, and no matter how loudly he tells them—no President can rewrite history unless we stand by and let him.

“I, for one, am never forgetting the truth of that day—it is burned into my brain, and I am never letting our country forget it either. This is a battle I have no doubt we can win.

“But the challenge before us, at this moment, is greater than just fighting for truth and history. It is not enough to make sure we simply remember the truth of the January 6th Insurrection. The real fight is to ensure we learn the lesson of the January 6th Insurrection.

“Because there is no reason to think the same insurrectionists—that are now free—and the same President—now bolder than ever in challenging our laws and our Constitution—won’t try, once again, to get their way through threats and through violence.

“Trump has already made clear where he stands on democracy. He made it clear five years ago when he promised to march on the Capitol. He made it clear last year when he pardoned everyone who actually did storm the Capitol. He makes it clear every single day.

“That is why it is incumbent, on all of us in this country, to be just as clear where we stand on democracy—especially when it comes to standing up to Trump.

“Our government—of the people, by the people, for the people—is an amazing accomplishment. But it is not automatic, or inevitable.

“It takes work. It takes people speaking up. It takes Congress listening, and acting. At the end of our day, our democracy is only as strong as our resolve. It is only as enduring as our courage.

“January 6th was a day that tested that resolve. It was a day that tested that courage. Frankly, some people in this body failed that test.

“But five years ago today, as I sheltered in place, steps away from right here, it wasn’t just the locks that held. The courage of our Capitol police held. And, most importantly, the resolve of some leaders to put country before party held.

“To my colleagues, and to the American people: I know we can continue to protect this democracy. But only if we tell the full truth about the threat that we faced five years ago, and the challenges we face today.”

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