Congressman Valadao Introduces Bill to Help Connect Vulnerable Veterans to Stable Housing

WASHINGTON – Today, Congressman David Valadao (CA-22) introduced the Improving Mental Health Care and Coordination for Homeless Veterans Act. This bill would require the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) homeless program staff to identify and support veterans who are homeless or at risk of homelessness in order to identify appropriate housing options and mental health care.

“After serving our nation, veterans deserve timely access to quality care, including stable housing and mental health support when needed,” said Congressman Valadao. “I'm proud to introduce the Improving Mental Health Care and Coordination for Homeless Veterans Act to help ensure vulnerable veterans don't slip through the cracks by strengthening VA coordination and accountability and helping connect them with the benefits they've earned."

"The Improving Mental Health Care and Coordination for Homeless Veterans Act, championed by my friend and colleague Rep. Valadao, is critically needed legislation that would require VA employees to conduct assessments for homeless veterans who may need mental health care and support,” said Chairman Bost. “It should go without saying that our homeless veterans deserve the best care and support, and they should receive the assistance they need to get their lives back on track – without VA bureaucracy getting in the way."

The Improving Mental Health Care and Coordination for Homeless Veterans Act would:

Ensure VA conducts a comprehensive assessment within three days of identifying a veteran in need of homeless program services.

Require VA to evaluate both immediate and long-term mental and physical health needs and develop a clear plan of support.

Direct VA to identify appropriate housing options as part of each assessment.

Ensure assessment information is consistent with and included in the veteran’s electronic health record.

Read the full bill here.


Vindman Hosts Global Maternal Health Roundtable at Mary Washington Hospital

Fredericksburg, Va. — Congressman Eugene Vindman (Va.-07) today convened a maternal health roundtable with the Southern Black Girls and Women’s Consortium at Mary Washington Hospital, bringing together state and local officials, health care leaders, clinicians, and community advocates to address maternal health trends and persistent disparities.

The discussion focused on identifying high-impact policies and programs that can save lives, elevating provider perspectives, and developing cross-sector calls to action. Participants also outlined actionable priorities to advance maternal health policy in the Virginia General Assembly and Congress, alongside community-based solutions to improve outcomes for mothers and families.

“Too many women, and disproportionately Black women, face unacceptable risks during pregnancy and childbirth,” said Vindman. “We must do better as a country. The insights shared during today’s roundtable with local leaders and the Southern Black Girls and Women’s Consortium will help inform concrete priorities we can advance in Congress, the General Assembly, and our communities to strengthen maternal health and better support all families. In a country as rich in resources as America, maternal health outcomes should never depend on race, income, or ZIP code.”

The roundtable was attended by Dr. Christopher Newman, President and CEO of Mary Washington Healthcare; State Senator Jennifer Carroll Foy; Delegate Candi Mundon King; Delegate Briana Sewell; Delegate-Elect Nicole Cole; Delegate-Elect Stacey Carroll; and Vice Chair Andrea O. Bailey. Providers shared frontline insights on challenges and opportunities to strengthen care delivery.

“Mary Washington Healthcare was proud to host this vital discussion on maternal health,” said Christopher Newman, MD, MBA, President and CEO, Mary Washington Healthcare. “Addressing disparities, especially for black mothers, requires collaboration and action. We are committed to ensuring every mother receives safe, high-quality care and to working with partners to improve outcomes for all families.”

“After giving birth to my twins, I was sent home prematurely despite my complaints. I was later taken to the hospital where I learned that I would have died if my husband did not rush to get me emergency care. Almost 90% of all maternal deaths are preventable. Black women are over three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications than white women. The legacy of racial prejudice still exists in modern-day maternal healthcare. That is why I have worked for years to pass bills to support doulas and doula organizations like Birth in Color, expand access to Medicaid and collect data related to maternal mortality. We must continue to improve Black maternal health outcomes through partnerships, community engagement and leadership from elected officials,” said Virginia State Senator Jennifer Carroll Foy.

“The global maternal health townhall with Congressman Vindman and The Southern Black Girls and Women’s Consortium demonstrated the power of bringing together federal leadership and grassroots advocacy,” said the Honorable Candi Mundon King, Incoming Secretary of the Commonwealth. “When we create spaces for honest dialogue about maternal health disparities, we move closer to solutions that save Black mothers’ lives—not just in Virginia, but across our nation.”

“Black maternal health is not just a medical issue, it is a matter of equity, dignity, and justice, particularly in the South and across the Global South, where systemic barriers too often determine who survives pregnancy and childbirth,” said Chanceé Lundy, Executive Director, Southern Black Girls and Women’s Consortium. “Black women in the South face some of the highest maternal mortality rates in the nation, driven by inequitable access to care, racial bias, and underinvestment in community-based solutions. We appreciate this opportunity to co-host this Black Maternal Health roundtable with Congressman Vindman because it demonstrates the power of cross-sector collaboration to center lived experience, advance policy, and invest in approaches that save lives locally and globally. When we listen to Black women and resource trusted community leaders, we create systems of care that honor dignity and protect families.”

The conversation strengthened collaboration among policymakers, clinicians, and community leaders, reinforcing a shared commitment to coordinated action to improve maternal health across the region.

BACKGROUND

Maternal mortality remains a serious challenge, with deep disparities in outcomes. Black women are nearly three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications than white women, and maternal mortality in the United States far exceeds that of other industrialized nations. More than 80 percent of pregnancy-related deaths are preventable through timely, high-quality care and respectful treatment.

Vindman has long worked to address these challenges through legislative action. He introduced the Dads Matter Act, which supports healthier families by increasing fathers’ involvement immediately before and after birth to improve maternal outcomes. He also introduced the Caring for Grieving Families Act, which ensures women who experience a miscarriage or stillbirth are not charged more for prenatal care than women whose pregnancies go to term.

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Senator Baldwin, Colleagues Urge Big Oil Executives to Proceed With “Extreme Caution” as Trump Plots Seizure of Venezuelan Oil

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) announced she joined her colleagues in urging oil industry giants Chevron, ExxonMobil, and ConocoPhillips to proceed with extreme caution as President Trump plots to illegally seize Venezuela’s oil reserves. The Senators explain that, despite his statements, the President does not have the authority to pay oil companies for their potential new projects in Venezuela without Congressional approval. The Senators warn the big oil companies that they should not expect U.S. taxpayer dollars to subsidize any oil redevelopment projects in Venezuela.

“President Trump has been candid that his objective in Venezuela is for the U.S. to have access to its oil reserves,” wrote the Senators.

“When President Trump says he will pay the oil companies with revenue seized from Venezuela that he will ‘control,’ be on notice: The President of the United States has no Constitutional authority to appropriate funds to pay oil companies for doing his bidding. Only Congress has the Constitutional authority to appropriate funds. The President cannot obligate federal funds without Congressional approval, including to reimburse or subsidize corporations for private sector projects.”

“Your company should not expect Congress to finance or reimburse oil sector reconstruction projects, absent explicit advance approval, and Congress will scrutinize and possibly reverse any financing package proposed by the Administration without explicit Congressional approval,” the Senators continued.

The letter was led by Senator Peter Welch (D-VT) and also co-signed by Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Ed Markey (D-MA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI).

Full text of the letter is available here and below.

Mr. Wirth, Mr. Woods, Mr. Lance,

The United States has no right to attack another country to seize its oil. President Trump has been candid that his objective in Venezuela is for the U.S. to have access to its oil reserves. In recent days, President Trump has said:

“We're going to be taking out a tremendous amount of wealth out of the ground… We’re going to have our very large United States oil companies, the biggest anywhere in the world, go in, spend billions of dollars.”

“A tremendous amount of money will have to be spent, and the oil companies will spend it, and then they’ll get reimbursed by us or through revenue.”

And in a social media post late Tuesday, President Trump said that “Venezuela will be turning over between 30 and 50 MILLION barrels of High Quality, Sanctioned Oil, to the United States of America,” a quantity that would be worth between $1.8 billion and $3 billion, according to the New York Times.

When President Trump says he will pay the oil companies with revenue seized from Venezuela that he will “control,” be on notice: The President of the United States has no Constitutional authority to appropriate funds to pay oil companies for doing his bidding. Only Congress has the Constitutional authority to appropriate funds. The President cannot obligate federal funds without Congressional approval, including to reimburse or subsidize corporations for private sector projects.

Many of us are vehemently opposed to the United States “running Venezuela.” We are opposed to a United States occupation of Venezuela to seize that country’s oil assets. Your company should not expect Congress to finance or reimburse oil sector reconstruction projects, absent explicit advance approval, and Congress will scrutinize and possibly reverse any financing package proposed by the Administration without explicit Congressional approval.

We urge your company to proceed with extreme caution, to publicly affirm that it does not intend to seek or expect U.S. taxpayer dollars to support its activities in Venezuela, and to commit to ensuring full public transparency regarding any communication with Executive Branch officials related to U.S.-Venezuela policy.

Sincerely,

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WATCH: Baldwin Takes to Senate Floor to Stop GOP Attacks on Affordable Care Act and Attempt to Kick People Off Coverage

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) took to the Senate floor to rail against Republicans’ repeated attacks on the Affordable Care Act (ACA), including the Trump Administration’s effort to terminate health insurance for 1.8 million Americans and raise costs on millions more. Today, Senator Baldwin voted to reverse the Trump Administration’s rule that forces Americans to jump through more hoops to get insurance on Healthcare.gov, shortens the enrollment period, and will lead to even more Americans having their health care terminated. This rule comes after Republicans and Donald Trump failed to extend tax breaks that help 22 million Americans afford their care. January 15th marks the final day of Open Enrollment to purchase any coverage for 2026.

In August, the Trump Administration finalized a rule that will raise the annual cost of insurance on 23 million Americans, shorten the annual open enrollment periods, and introduce more red tape for eligible Americans to get coverage, including by requiring people to submit more documentation. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) estimates that the rule will cause up to 1.8 million Americans to lose their ACA Marketplace coverage this year. This rule comes as the Enhanced Premium Tax Credits that helped 22 million Americans afford their coverage last year expire, which is estimated to terminate four million Americans’ insurance and jack up costs for millions more.

For months, Senator Baldwin has been pushing to extend these tax credits and leads legislation that would make them permanent. In November, Senator Baldwin forced a Senate vote to extend the ACA enhanced premium tax credits for one year. Senate Republicans voted to stop Baldwin’s effort to add her amendment that would have extended the tax credits to the government funding bill before the Senate.

Last year, Senator Baldwin traveled the state, making stops in Weston, Green Bay, Milwaukee, and Mount Horeb to highlight how the expiration of these tax credits will hurt working families, small businesses, and farmers. She’s also hosted roundtables with constituents while in D.C., including with Wisconsinites from La Crosse, Eau Claire, and Milwaukee, in addition to meeting with Wisconsin farmers who use the Affordable Care Act.

A full recording of Senator Baldwin’s floor speech is available here.

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Barrasso: Republicans Won’t Stop Until the Depth of the Minnesota Fraud is Uncovered

“Our Working Families Tax Cuts law fights fraud. We strengthened eligibility requirements for Medicaid. We ensured illegal immigrants do not receive taxpayer-funded healthcare. We put in place work requirements for Medicaid and for Food Stamps. These policies protect taxpayers and increase accountability.”

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Senate Majority Whip, today spoke on the Senate Floor about Minnesota’s Medicaid fraud schemes. The fraud in Minnesota stands to cost taxpayers upwards of $9 billion.

Senator Barrasso also shared how the Working Families Tax Cuts Act cracks down on fraud and protects taxpayer dollars.

Sen. Barrasso’s remarks as prepared:

“When the government wastes even a dollar of your taxpayer money, you have a right to know what happened. When emboldened criminals steal money intended to help single moms and children in poverty, you have a right to be angry. Americans are infuriated by the staggering fraud unfolding today in the state of Minnesota. The past few weeks have shown how deep the corruption has turned out to be.

“Investigators have uncovered fraud schemes across 14 Minnesota Medicaid programs. Joe Thompson – U.S. Attorney in Minnesota – has spent his career prosecuting fraud. Based on his extensive investigation, he believes criminals have stolen at least $9 billion from those Minnesota Medicaid programs. That is half of the total amount of money Minnesota spends for Medicaid programs in that state. Today, the fraud is so prevalent that Thompson says the state has ‘developed a fraud tourism industry.’ Can you imagine such a thing? A ‘Fraud Tourism Industry.’

“Here’s how these schemes work. Fraudsters set up fake businesses and nonprofit organizations. The criminals claim to provide services such as housing, food, and healthcare assistance. Then, they bill Medicaid for services they never provided. They enroll children in programs they don’t need.

“In 2021, taxpayers paid $4.6 million for something called Minnesota’s Integrated Community Support Medicaid Program. Three years later – due to criminal fraud – spending for that program ballooned to more than $170 million. That’s 37 times as much in just three years.

“Taxpayers similarly paid $21 million in 2021 for something called Minnesota’s Housing Stabilization Services. In the first six months of 2025 – due to criminal fraud – taxpayers paid nearly triple that amount.

“A Medicaid program claiming to help Minnesota children with autism cost $6 million in 2018. By 2023 – due to criminal fraud – it cost taxpayers over $192 million.

“Daycare fraud is one of these brazen schemes. Last month, an independent journalist visited 10 state-funded daycare sites in the Twin Cities of Minnesota. He found no children at the daycare centers. Middle of the day. No children there. One year ago, a local reporter visited several of the same sites. This reporter found no children at the daycare centers. These are supposed daycare centers. They’re getting paid to take care of children.

“Here is one of those sites. It is the now-infamous ‘Quality LEAR-ING Center.’ LEAR-ING. Instead of Learning. Misspelling the name of the daycare center. That’s an obvious red flag for fraud. There were 95 violations for that site alone between 2019 and 2023. Those violations include ‘no records for 16 children.’ Yet in Minnesota, taxpayer dollars continued to flow.

“These aren’t one-off abuses. We now know that the fraud scheme used in the state’s childcare program has been used to defraud other social service programs. The New York Times says the fraud is ‘staggering in its scale and brazenness.’

“The Department of Justice has charged 98 defendants in Minnesota Medicaid fraud-related cases. So far, 64 of these defendants have been convicted. Last month, one defendant was found guilty of stealing $14 million from Medicaid. She also stole nearly half a million dollars from a child nutrition program. That stolen money was supposed to be used to provide 200,000 meals for hungry children. Instead, the defendant sent hundreds of thousands of dollars overseas. She bought real estate in Kenya in Africa.

“This organized, systemic theft has gone on for years under the state’s Democrat leadership. It exploded under Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz. The Democrats have permitted schemes stacked upon schemes to drain money meant for those in need. Republicans will not allow this massive theft of taxpayer dollars to be ignored.

“We are taking a comprehensive approach to root out fraud in Minnesota and across the country. Our Working Families Tax Cuts law fights fraud. We strengthened eligibility requirements for Medicaid. We ensured illegal immigrants do not receive taxpayer-funded healthcare. We put in place work requirements for Medicaid and for Food Stamps. These policies protect taxpayers and increase accountability.

“Additionally, Republicans are conducting aggressive congressional oversight. On Friday, the entire Senate Republican Conference demanded Governor Walz explain his actions. We asked nine detailed questions. Questions such as why Minnesota failed to adopt key fraud prevention measures – measures the Department of Health and Human Services recommended to Minnesota in May. Governor Walz knew about this widespread fraud. He refused to do anything to stop it.

“Senate Republicans are ready to give the Trump administration the manpower it needs to tackle fraud in Minnesota and wherever else it appears. The Trump administration has asked the Senate to confirm a new Assistant Attorney General position – a position that will focus on fraud. The United States Senate will get that person in place and on the job quickly.

“The Trump administration has taken other bold and deceive actions to stop fraud. To further strengthen enforcement efforts, the Department of Justice has doubled the number of attorneys handling these fraud cases. The Treasury Department is cracking down on businesses in Minnesota for alleged money laundering. The Department of Health and Human Services under President Trump froze federal funding for fraud-prone programs in Minnesota.

“If Senate Democrats cared about stopping fraud, why are they preparing to vote today to loosen eligibility and income verifications for Obamacare subsidies? That is what the Congressional Review Act resolution from Democrat Senator Mark Warner of Virginia does. Eliminating these vital protections invites more fraud. It means subsidies go to individuals who don’t qualify for them. Congress should not make it easier to defraud American taxpayers. That is the wrong direction to take after the biggest fraud scandal in Minnesota history.

“Protecting taxpayer dollars should not be a partisan issue. The fraud scandal in Minnesota should be a wake-up call for every American taxpayer. Our federal government spends nearly $1.5 trillion each and every year to feed, house, treat, and care for vulnerable families and children. Medicaid, food stamps, and other social programs are often called a lifeline. Years of waste, fraud, abuse, and corruption have pushed those who truly need help to the back of the line.

“Republicans will not stop until the depth of this fraud is uncovered and prosecuted. Republicans are committed to preventing it from happening again.”

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Blumenthal, Schiff, Dingell & Fitzpatrick Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Enhance Disaster Preparedness & Response for Seniors & People with Disabilities

[WASHINGTON, DC] – U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Adam Schiff (D-CA) and U.S. Representatives Debbie Dingell (D-MI) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) today introduced the

Across the country, the frequency and severity of natural disasters is increasing, posing greater risks to older adults, people with disabilities, and others with access and functional needs. The REAADI for Disasters Act strengthens coordination between federal, state, tribal, local, and non-governmental agencies and gives voice to vulnerable populations to ensure their needs are met in a natural disaster.

“Our REAADI for Disasters Act ensures that our most vulnerable populations are not left behind in disaster planning,” said Blumenthal. “Seniors and people with disabilities are disproportionately impacted by natural disasters—it is critical that their voices are included in disaster preparedness efforts. Our bipartisan measure supports and involves older adults and people with disabilities in disaster planning so that federal, state, and local partners are better equipped to meet their unique needs in a crisis.”

“When Los Angeles faced some of the most devastating wildfires in our history one year ago, it was clear there was an urgent need to improve our crisis planning. In particular, we need to make sure we have the resources in place to help individuals with disabilities and older adults with emergency preparedness and response,” said Schiff. “I’m proud to work alongside Senator Blumenthal on this legislation to ensure people with disabilities and seniors have a voice in the preparation and response efforts when disaster strikes.”

“Natural disasters are continuing to increase in frequency and intensity, and it’s critical that we keep up with disaster preparedness plans that include all residents of a community,” said Dingell. “Individuals with disabilities, seniors, and those with mobility challenges are often forgotten, even though they face higher risks for death or injury during disasters. The REAADI for Disasters Act will ensure aging Americans and those with disabilities have a stronger voice in the preparation, response, and mitigation of disasters.”

“Disaster preparedness is ultimately a test of whether government understands how people actually live. Seniors and Americans with disabilities depend on systems that span health care, transportation, housing, and civil rights—and when those systems fracture in a crisis, lives are placed at risk. The REAADI for Disasters Act brings those responsibilities together into a single, accountable framework, so when disaster strikes, protection remains steady and reliable even when everything else is not,” said Fitzpatrick.

The REAADI for Disasters Act is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Peter Welch (D-VT), Edward J. Markey (D-MA), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), and John Fetterman (D-PA) and U.S. Representatives Jimmy Panetta (D-CA) and Jared Huffman (D-CA).

Specifically, the REAADI for Disasters Act:

Establishes a National Advisory Committee on Disability Rights and Disasters to study the needs of individuals with disabilities, older adults and others with access and functional needs and make recommendations for best practices at the local, state, and federal levels for ensuring older adults and people with disabilities are included in all aspects of disaster preparedness, including in the areas of: accessible communication, protection of civil rights, accessible transportation and evacuation, accessible emergency sheltering, and accessible health and medical services;

Creates a network of centers focused on training and technical assistance, as well as research, to assist states and localities to better involve and support people with disabilities and older adults during and post-disasters;

Directs states and local governments to develop specific crisis standards of care for people with disabilities and older adults during a period of a disaster or a public health emergency;

Establishes a Disaster Human Services Emergency Fund within the Department of the Treasury to allow the Secretary of the Treasury to rapidly respond to the immediate human service needs resulting from a declared or potential public health emergency or disaster.

Directs the Government Accountability Office to review the spending of disaster funds by federal agencies and states to ensure funds have been spent in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Covered activities include emergency shelters, services, and reconstruction of buildings;

Creates a competitive grant program to pilot strategies for greater inclusion of people with disabilities and older adults in disaster preparation, response, recovery, and mitigation; and

Requires the Department of Justice to examine how the civil rights of people with disabilities and older adults are or are not upheld during and following disasters.

Full bill text is available here.

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U.S. Senators Katie Britt, Bill Cassidy, Colleagues Blast Tim Walz for Rampant Child Care Fraud, Demand Accountability for American Taxpayers

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Katie Britt (R-Ala.), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, and the entire Senate Republican conference are demanding accountability from outgoing Minnesota Governor Tim Walz amid widespread reports of fraud and abuse of federal child care funding in Minnesota.

“The fraud and abuse uncovered in Minnesota is eroding trust in programs designed to help working families access safe, affordable child care,” said Senator Britt. “Under the failed leadership of Governor Walz, American families are put last. It is absolutely imperative action is taken to stop this criminal misconduct and ensure those who are complicit are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Republicans are committed to getting answers regarding this egregious misuse of federal funds and restoring accountability to American taxpayer dollars.”

The letter was written in conjunction with the Trump administration, which has paused child care funding to Minnesota and other states pending verification and audits of how funds were used. There is also a current federal investigation into large-scale fraud in Minnesota’s social services programs.

“Every American should be angry. These federal funds are supposed to be used for improving children’s lives. Every dollar stolen is a dollar taken away from a family who needs it,” said Dr. Cassidy. “President Trump and Senate Republicans will end this fraud and abuse in our government.”

“The allegations of fraud coming out of Minnesota are egregious,” said Leader Thune. “It’s exactly the kind of fraud that Senate Republicans went after with the Working Families Tax Cuts, which included commonsense reforms to make sure that benefits are going to people for whom they are actually intended. I’m grateful to Chairman Cassidy for leading this effort to help get to the bottom of this and ensure the responsible stewardship of taxpayer dollars.”

You can read the full text of the letter here.

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VIDEO: Capito Joins America’s Newsroom

To watch Senator Capito’s interview, click here or on the image above.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), a member of Senate Republican Leadership and lifelong sports fan and competitor, joined FOX News’ “America’s Newsroom” to discuss West Virginia’s Save Women’s Sports Act, which the Supreme Court of the United States is hearing oral arguments on today in West Virginia v B.P.J. Senator Capito, who joined an amicus brief[HT1] in support of the law, has been a leading voice in the Senate on the importance of protecting women and girls’ sports at every level.

HIGHLIGHTS:

ON THE IMPORTANCE OF PROTECTING WOMEN’S SPORTS: “You wouldn’t think we would need legislation, this is simply a matter of fairness and really commonsense. And I think that’s the way the Court will see this. We’ve come a long way since Title IX, 1972 when I myself was playing for my college, it made a huge difference in availabilities and opportunities for women in sports all over this country. We can’t erase that history, and we want to continue moving forward as we have with girls’ sports. By allowing for unfair and even unsafe competition in some instances, they’re working to destroy great milestones we’ve achieved over the many many years.”

ON THE NEED TO HAVE THIS ISSUE SETTLED: “This is a very commonsense issue on both sides of the aisle. We need to have this settled. We need to know that girls are going to be playing in sports with girls only and that it’s going to be a fair playing field. When this is all said and done, there’s going to be a sigh of relief from our institutions who have women’s sports, but also who have sports clubs for the younger ages. This is an issue that shouldn’t even be questioned, but unfortunately this is where we are. My colleagues everywhere would like to see this settled.”

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VIDEO: Capito Speaks in Support of Women’s Sports at Senate GOP Press Conference

To watch Senator Capito’s remarks, click here or on the image above.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, at the Senate Republican Leadership press conference, U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), chairman of the Senate Republican Policy Committee (RPC), spoke in support of West Virginia’s Save Women’s Sports Act, which was argued before the Supreme Court of the United States today.

Senator Capito’s remarks as delivered:

“Today is an important day across the street at the United States Supreme Court.

“It’s considering an issue that has been discussed widely, we actually talked about it several months ago with Senator Tuberville leading the way, and that’s the issue of transgenders playing in women’s sports.

“You all know I’m a big sports fan. I played myself, I still play, and I have a daughter who played Division 1 volleyball and I have four granddaughters who play.

“It’s just not fair what we’ve seen be allowed to happen. 29 states across the nation have passed laws banning transgenders from playing in women’s sports.

“This [issue] is all the way at the Supreme Court and the reason I’m talking about it today is our Attorney General J.B. McCuskey and his team argued the West Virginia law before the Supreme Court today.

“We’ll be anxiously waiting for what the Supreme Court rules on, how they rule, and what kind bearings this will have on the protection of sports for our girls and women to make it fair and safe for our female athletes for the next generations.”

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Cassidy Applauds Trump Administration for Investing in Louisiana Alumina Refinery

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy (R-LA) applauded President Donald Trump, the United States Department of War, and Concord Resources Holdings Limited, in conjunction with Pinnacle Asset Management, L.P., for investing $450 million into the Atlantic Alumina Company LLC (ATALCO) in Gramercy, Louisiana, saving 500 Louisiana manufacturing jobs. In November, Cassidy urged the Administration to help keep our nation’s last domestic alumina refinery, ATALCO, open.

“President Trump is committed to securing American jobs and American supply chains,”said Dr. Cassidy. “By keeping ATALCO open, we’re saving 500 Louisiana jobs and cutting our reliance on China. That’s a win for our state and a win for our country.”

“This deal represents a strategic approach to bolstering our national security through critical mineral independence. We applaud the action taken by the U.S. government, including Sen. Cassidy and the Louisiana congressional delegation, in strengthening this region and our country,”said Jason Kellman, Chief Investment Officer, Pinnacle Asset Management, L.P.

“We are proud to collaborate with the United States Government as ATALCO expands domestic alumina and gallium production, marking a meaningful step forward in securing the United States’ critical mineral supply,”said Scott Kellman, Managing Partner, Pinnacle Asset Management, L.P.

Background

Since 1959, alumina produced by ATALCO has been used as the essential raw material for aluminum metal required for American aerospace, defense, and automotive supply chains, while the Company’s chemical grade alumina has supplied important industries aligned with the national interest, including catalysts for oil and gas refineries, refractories, fire suppressants, ceramic casing for semiconductors, and municipal water treatment. Both alumina and gallium are essential minerals for production of aerospace and defense systems, catalysts, semiconductors, and next-generation energy technology.

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Cornyn, Colleagues Introduce Resolution Commending Trump’s Operation Absolute Resolve in Venezuela & Arrest of Narcoterrorist Maduro

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) led Senators Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Kevin Cramer (R-ND) today in introducing a resolution commending President Trump’s Operation Absolute Resolve, praising the bravery and gallantry of United States service members and law enforcement officers who participated in the arrest of Nicolás Maduro to bring him to justice, and supporting President Trump’s efforts to assist the Venezuelan people in their fight for freedom.

Text is below, and you can view the full resolution here.

“Whereas, between 2000 and 2013, Nicolas Maduro served in various offices in the Government of Venezuela, including in the National Assembly, as Minister of Foreign Affairs, and as Vice President;

Whereas, on April 14, 2013, Nicolas Maduro came to occupy the office of President of Venezuela following the death of former Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, and later through an election that was marred by irregularities;

Whereas, on May 20, 2018, Nicolas Maduro declared victory in a fraudulent presidential election in which major opposition parties and leaders were banned from participating and of which more than 50 countries, including the United States, refused to recognize the results;

Whereas, on January 23, 2019, the National Assembly of Venezuela refused to recognize Nicolas Maduro as President of Venezuela and named, as the Interim President of Venezuela, Juan Guaido, who was so recognized by the United States and more than 23 other countries;

Whereas, on July 28, 2024, Nicolas Maduro declared victory in a second fraudulent presidential election, the results of which were not recognized by more than 50 countries, including the United States, the European Union, and numerous Latin American and Caribbean nations;

Whereas, on January 10, 2025, Nicolas Maduro held an illegitimate presidential inauguration in Venezuela, which was condemned by the Government of the United States;

Whereas, according to a March 2020 estimate by the Government of the United States, under Nicolas Maduro, Venezuela was a major transit country for cocaine shipments to the United States, South America, and Europe, accounting for 200 to 250 metric tons annually (or 10 to 13 percent of the estimated global production of cocaine);

Whereas the Department of State found that the Maduro regime “failed to make any meaningful efforts to stem drug production or trafficking and in fact created conditions that allow drug traffickers and other transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) to operate with impunity”;

Whereas drug trafficking in Venezuela enriched and empowered the family of Nicolas Maduro, including his wife, Cilia Flores, who took bribes to ensure safe passage of trafficked cocaine, and his son, Nicolas Ernesto Maduro Guerra, who allowed state assets to be used in drug trafficking;

Whereas the Cartel de los Soles is a Venezuelan drug trafficking organization comprised of high-ranking Venezuelan officials who abused their positions in the Venezuelan government and military to flood the United States with cocaine and harm Americans;

Whereas, effective November 24, 2025, the Department of State designated the Cartel de los Soles as a foreign terrorist organization;

Whereas Nicolas Maduro helped manage and ultimately led the Cartel de los Soles as he rose to power in Venezuela;

Whereas Tren de Aragua is a transnational criminal organization, originating in Venezuela, which engages in mass illegal migration to the United States and commits brutal crimes, including murder, kidnapping, extortion, and human, drug, and weapons trafficking, with the objective of harming United States citizens;

Whereas numerous members and leaders of Tren de Aragua have been indicted on murder-for-hire, drug trafficking, firearms, and other offenses within the United States;

Whereas, effective February 20, 2025, the Department of State designated Tren de Aragua as a foreign terrorist organization;

Whereas Tren de Aragua coordinated with, and operated in conjunction with, the Maduro-led Cartel de los Soles to flood the United States with cocaine;

Whereas, the Revolutionary Forces of Colombia (FARC) and its successor organizations, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia – People’s Army (FARC-EP) and Segunda Marquetalia and the National Liberation Army (ELN), control drug trafficking routes in the border region between Venezuela and Colombia;

Whereas, the FARC was designated as a foreign terrorist organization on October 8, 1997, prior to its dissolution, its successor organizations, the FARC-EP and Segunda Marquetalia, have been designated as foreign terrorist organizations since November 30, 2021, and the ELN has been designated as a foreign terrorist organization since October 8, 1997;

Whereas, the Department of State found the FARC, FARC-EP, and ELN maintained close ties to the de facto authorities of Venezuela and Maduro continued to give safe haven to these organizations;

Whereas the United States has imposed individual, financial, and sectoral sanctions on the Government of Venezuela, the Maduro regime, and its supporters, including by—

prohibiting the Government of Venezuela from accessing United States financial markets beginning on August 24, 2017;

establishing a framework on November 1, 2018 to block the assets of the Government of Venezuela in the United States in certain economic sectors;

generally freezing the assets of the Government of Venezuela in the United States beginning on August 5, 2019;

imposing Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctions on September 12, 2024, and January 10, 2025, on numerous Venezuelan officials who enabled Maduro to maintain power despite his 2024 election defeat;

imposing Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctions on December 11, 2025 on nephews of Cilia Flores and others who engaged in deceptive and unsafe oil-shipping practices to provide financial resources to support the Maduro regime; and

imposing Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctions on December 19, 2025 on several additional family members and associates of Nicolas Maduro and Cilia Flores for being complicit in, or directly engaging in, transactions that supported the Maduro regime;

Whereas, on June 11, 2022, Nicolas Maduro signed a 20-year cooperation agreement with the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran designed to resist global sanctions against the 2 regimes;

Whereas Iran’s terrorist proxy, Lebanese Hezbollah, which has found safe haven in Venezuela, engages in drug trafficking, money laundering, and illicit smuggling to fund its terrorist activities around the world;

Whereas the Maduro regime was supported by Lebanese Hezbollah as a hub for transnational organized crime and international terrorism in the Western Hemisphere;

Whereas, beginning in 2006, the Secretary of State has annually determined that Venezuela has failed to comply with the first section 40A of the Arms Export Control Act (22 U.S.C. 2781), which requires full cooperation with United States antiterrorism efforts;

Whereas the People’s Republic of China and the Chinese Communist Party provided critical support to empower the Maduro regime to stay in power in Venezuela through the sale of Chinese military radar, riot control vehicles, and digital tools to control the Venezuelan people’s access to information;

Whereas the Russian Federation helped the Maduro regime evade United States sanctions, including through subsidiaries of the Russian state-controlled Rosneft Oil Company, which brokered the sale and transport of Venezuelan crude oil in 2020;

Whereas the Russian Federation both provided military equipment and sent its military personnel to lend support to the Maduro regime in an effort to increase its footprint in the Western Hemisphere;

Whereas the November 2025 National Security Strategy of the United States of America states, “We will deny non-Hemispheric competitors the ability to position forces or other threatening capabilities, or to own or control strategically vital assets, in our Hemisphere”;

Whereas, in 2020, Nicolas Maduro, Cilia Flores, and other Maduro regime officials were indicted in the Southern District of New York on charges including narco-terrorism, conspiracy to import cocaine, and possession of machine guns and destructive devices;

Whereas, in 2025, a superseding indictment was filed in the Southern District of New York and both Nicolas Maduro and Cilia Flores remain under indictment and will have to answer for their crimes in a court of law;

Whereas President Trump offered multiple diplomatic off-ramps, but was repeatedly rebuffed by Nicolas Maduro;

Whereas, on January 3, 2026, the United States military, in cooperation with the intelligence community and law enforcement agencies, carried out “Operation Absolute Resolve”, a meticulously planned operation resulting in the successful capture of Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores; and

Whereas Operation Absolute Resolve precisely targeted and neutralized Venezuelan air defenses and the Cuban intelligence agents responsible for Maduro’s personal protection, demonstrating the United States military’s superior capabilities integration and professionalism: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the Senate—


Cornyn Highlights Bill to Deport Illegal Aliens After Drunk Driving Convictions

WASHINGTON – Today on the floor, U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) highlighted his recently introduced Stop Illegal Aliens Drunk Driving Act, which would strengthen current immigration laws to ensure aliens who drive drunk and kill or seriously maim someone can be arrested, detained, and removed from the United States as aggravated felons and also permanently bar them from obtaining an immigration status like asylum or holding a Green Card. Excerpts of Sen. Cornyn’s remarks are below, and video can be found here.

“What makes these tragedies so heartbreaking is the knowledge that many of these victims could have lived but for the Biden administration’s open-border policies and its failure to act responsibly and enforce the law.”

“Every 42 minutes, someone dies in a crash involving alcohol, and as we’ve seen in the news, many of these crashes have been caused by illegal aliens, who jeopardize the safety of law-abiding Americans.”

“Texans have not been spared the harm committed by such aliens, as we saw in the case of Arturo Cruz-Badillo. Cruz-Badillo is a Mexican national, who had seven – seven – DWI convictions, a conviction for battery, and was removed from the United States three separate times, but despite all of these criminal convictions and removal for illegal entry in the United States, he was once again found re-entering illegally last August, hiding in a commercial cargo trailer.”

“As a father of two daughters, I believe the danger that illegal aliens pose to the safety of Americans is simply unacceptable. It ought to be unacceptable to all of us and not tolerated.”

“For this reason, I’m introducing the Stop Illegal Aliens Drunk Driving Act to address this discrepancy in federal law, where these DUIs, repetitive driving under the influence, driving while intoxicated, are simply winked at or ignored.”

“Americans deserve to be safe while driving on our roads.”

“We simply cannot continue the status quo of allowing aliens, who entered our country illegally or were allowed by the Biden administration’s open border policies, and who decide to drive drunk or under the influence, we can’t allow them to continue to endanger the American public.”


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Patrick McCann (202) 224-2353

January 13, 2026

Cotton, Senators to Wright: Ban Chinese Nationals from American Laboratories

Washington, D.C. — Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) and Senate Energy and National Resources Committee Chairman Mike Lee (R-Utah), along with Senators John Barrasso (R-Wyoming), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Jim Risch (R-Idaho), James Lankford (R-Oklahoma), Jerry Moran (R-Kansas), Todd Young (R-Indiana), Jim Justice (R-West Virginia), Dave McCormick (R-Pennsylvania), and Ted Budd (R-North Carolina) today sent a letter to Department of Energy Secretary Chris Wright urging action against the Chinese foreign nationals infiltrating our national laboratories compromising American AI innovation, particularly regarding the Genesis Mission.

In part, the Senators wrote:

“Genesis Mission was launched to help the U.S. win the race with China for AI supremacy by harnessing untapped prowess in this space at our national laboratories. Continuing to give access to the cutting-edge work performed at these laboratories to Chinese nationals who will turn everything they know over to the CCP directly undermines the purpose of Genesis Mission. Therefore, we respectfully recommend that you mitigate threats to Genesis Mission by promulgating a policy prohibiting the national laboratories from granting Chinese nationals access to any national laboratory site, information, or technology.”

Full text of the letter may be found here and below.

January 13, 2026

The Honorable Chris Wright

Secretary, Department of Energy

1000 Independence Avenue, SW

Washington, D.C. 20024

Dear Secretary Wright:

We applaud President Trump for his continued commitment to ensuring American dominance in the field of artificial intelligence (AI). America’s long-term scientific advancements and national security depend on the U.S. winning the global race for technology. The “Genesis Mission,” a modern-day Manhattan Project the President launched last November via executive order, is necessary to achieve this victory, and harnessing the deep expertise found across the Department of Energy’s seventeen national laboratories is key to Genesis Mission’s success. We are concerned, however, that the thousands of Chinese foreign nationals who are granted access to, or work at, our labs could compromise Genesis Mission, and we urge you to take the necessary steps to protect it.

China is our main competitor in the race for AI dominance, a position it occupies only because it has stolen American intellectual property and technologies and co-opted them over the years. This is widely accepted and well-documented, and yet for decades we continue to give Chinese national scientists access to our national laboratories, which employ America’s best and brightest scientists who work on critical military, economic, and scientific technologies. In fiscal year 2024, approximately 3,200 Chinese nationals were approved for access to national laboratory sites, information, or technologies. This number does not include those with lawful permanent resident status, which means there are likely hundreds, perhaps thousands, more individual Chinese citizens working in our labs.

As you may know, simply requiring these individuals to be properly vetted prior to granting them access is not a sufficient safeguard. First, the sheer number of Chinese nationals coming to the labs outpaces the capacity of the Department of Energy’s Office of Intelligence and Counterintelligence to vet them. Second, efforts to vet will likely fail to yield affiliations with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) because of China’s efforts to obfuscate them. Lastly, scientists and researchers who might not directly work for the Chinese government can be compelled in one way or another by the regime to turn over what they have learned during their time at a national laboratory.

Genesis Mission was launched to help the U.S. win the race with China for AI supremacy by harnessing untapped prowess in this space at our national laboratories. Continuing to give access to the cutting-edge work performed at these laboratories to Chinese nationals who will turn everything they know over to the CCP directly undermines the purpose of Genesis Mission. Therefore, we respectfully recommend that you mitigate threats to Genesis Mission by promulgating a policy prohibiting the national laboratories from granting Chinese nationals access to any national laboratory site, information, or technology.

The best way to protect Genesis Mission, and the rest of the important work done throughout the labs, is to put an end to Chinese national scientists and researchers working at them.

Sincerely,

Tom Cotton

United States Senator

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Sen. Cruz Brief Prompts Supreme Court to Review Ninth Circuit Asylum Decision

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Federal Courts, Oversight, Agency Action, and Federal Rights, filed an amicus brief urging the Supreme Court to overturn a Ninth Circuit ruling. The ruling held that an illegal alien stopped on the Mexico side of the U.S.–Mexico border is deemed to have “arrived in the United States,” despite never physically entering the country. The decision to review this case by the U.S. Supreme Court comes after Sen. Cruz led a cert-stage brief last year.

Excerpts from the amicus brief are below, and the full text of the brief can be viewed here.

“The Biden Administration invited chaos at the border by abandoning metering in November 2021. By May 2023, border processing facilities had ‘reach[ed] overcapacity.’ The system was overwhelmed. At one point, the Biden Administration lost track of nearly 85,000 sponsored alien children, underscoring a systemic inability to manage migration at the scale the Biden Administration was facilitating.

“The Ninth Circuit’s ruling below, if not reversed, will entrench that chaos by barring the executive branch from utilizing metering to pace the flow of aliens into the United States. In doing so, that court badly misconstrued plain statutory text, usurped the policymaking authority of the political branches, granted millions of aliens a right to seek asylum never authorized by Congress, and made a hash of other provisions of the Immigration and Nationality Act.

“At every turn, the Ninth Circuit’s decision defies text and common sense, and—if not reversed—it will yield untold chaos at the southern border.”


Daines at Supreme Court: Girl’s Sports are for Girls Only

U.S. SENATE – U.S. Senator Steve Daines today attended the Save Women’s Sports Rally on the steps of the Supreme Court in Washington D.C. during oral arguments for two cases defending women’s sports.

“Girl’s sports are for girls only, and men should never be allowed to play on women’s sports teams. This is common sense and biological truth. Leftists are trying to destroy Title IX to push their radical agenda and it simply harms the women that Title IX was created to protect. As a dad of two girls, I will always stand for truth and I’m proud of all the women here at the Supreme Court today fighting for fairness and equality in women’s sports,” said Daines.

###


Duckworth, Durbin File Amendment to Appropriations Bill to Restore Funding for Chicago Harbor Lock

The amendment would provide $16.6 million in federal funding to the Chicago Harbor Lock, which is a significant increase from the $298,000 currently allocated to the lock in the Energy and Water Appropriations bill

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Committee on Appropriations, filed an amendment to the Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26) Energy and Water Development Appropriations Act to restore to recent funding levels the Chicago Harbor Lock. Currently, the appropriations bill, as well as the President’s proposed budget, only allocates $298,000 for the operation and maintenance of the Chicago Harbor Lock, which is a $16.4 million cut from the lock’s funding level in FY24, which was the last regular appropriations cycle before the full-year continuing resolution (CR) for FY25. If passed, the Senators’ amendment would ensure that the Chicago Harbor Lock receives $16.6 million in federal funding in order to support not only the lock’s operations, but any planned, future work.

The Chicago Harbor Lock provides 24/7 lock operations for commercial towboat and deep draft barges, government, passenger and recreational vessels. It is the second busiest U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) lock in the nation with more than one million commercial passengers and significant recreational traffic. The lock is also used to release water from the Chicago River into Lake Michigan to prevent flooding in downtown Chicago.

“Our harbors and water infrastructure play a critical role in maintaining Chicago’s status as a leader in the global economy,” Duckworth said. “The work the Chicago Harbor Lock does on a daily basis is essential for controlling flooding, managing municipal water supplies, moving goods to market and keeping our supply chains resilient not just for the region but for the nation—but we can’t fully reap these benefits if the Trump Administration continues to recklessly cut millions from Illinois’s infrastructure. I’m proud to work alongside Senator Durbin and our local leaders to restore the federal funding for the lock that our state needs and deserves.”

“Nestled along the city’s shoreline, the Chicago Harbor Lock is one of the busiest locks in the country as it safely shuttles through both commercial and recreational boats. A lock this large, one that our city depends on, should have access to the critical resources it needs to safely and efficiently run its operations,” Durbin said. “I’m introducing an amendment with Senator Duckworth to ensure that the Chicago Harbor Lock receives funding that matches its high-quality operations.”

A copy of the amendment is available here.

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Duckworth, Durbin Join Colleagues in Urging Administration to Restore Funding for Full-Service Community Schools

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined their colleagues in urging Secretary of Education Linda McMahon to reverse the Department of Education’s decision to discontinue $168 million in Full-Service Community Schools grants across 12 states, including Illinois. In the letter led by U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and Bernie Sanders (I-VT), the Senators expressed deep concern that the abrupt cuts to this funding in the middle of the school year will force schools to shut down essential programs that support students’ academic performance and facilitate families’ access to food, housing and health care, among other services.

“We write to express our strong opposition to the Department of Education’s (“the Department”) recent action on December 12th, 2025, to discontinue $168 million in Full-Service Community Schools grants serving students across 12 states. Pulling expected federal grant funds from public schools in the middle of the school year, built around community partnerships and parent engagement, is just plain wrong. Congress authorized and appropriated funds specifically for the Full-Service Community Schools program because research shows community schools improve student academic achievement, reduce chronic absenteeism, and support student wellbeing. We demand that the Department fully reinstate all Full-Service Community Schools grants that were abruptly discontinued,” the Senators began.

In the letter, the Senators also criticized the Department’s vague claim that the grants—which have existed for over 15 years—violate civil rights law and stressed that these grant cancellations run directly counter to Congressional intent and long-standing bipartisan support for this program that serves students and families all across the country.

“The Department claims that affected grantees violate civil rights law or conflict with the administration's policy priorities, but this rationale lacks any specificity. Grant recipients received letters providing few details, and just one week or less to appeal. These discontinuations directly contradict bipartisan congressional intent for this program. In 2023, Congress increased annual funding for the Full-Service Community Schools program from $25 million to $150 million, which was maintained in fiscal year 2024 and 2025 appropriations laws, reflecting bipartisan recognition that schools serving high-poverty communities require comprehensive support. All federal grants must abide by applicable requirements, but the Department has failed to produce legitimate reasons, including any grantee performance-related information, to discontinue multi-year grants that Congress authorized and appropriated, that grantees are implementing successfully, and that provide essential services to our underserved students,” they wrote.

“We demand that you reinstate all community school grants that have been abruptly discontinued and respectfully suggest that the Department refocus its efforts to support community schools in their efforts to meet the needs of and improve education outcomes for all students,” they concluded.

Along with Duckworth, Durbin, Van Hollen and Sanders, the letter was also cosigned by U.S. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and U.S. Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Andy Kim (D-NJ) and Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD).

Full text of the letter is available below and on Senator Duckworth’s website:

Dear Secretary McMahon:

We write to express our strong opposition to the Department of Education’s (“the Department”) recent action on December 12th, 2025, to discontinue $168 million in Full-Service Community Schools grants serving students across 12 states. Pulling expected federal grant funds from public schools in the middle of the school year, built around community partnerships and parent engagement, is just plain wrong. Congress authorized and appropriated funds specifically for the Full-Service Community Schools program because research shows community schools improve student academic achievement, reduce chronic absenteeism, and support student wellbeing. We demand that the Department fully reinstate all Full-Service Community Schools grants that were abruptly discontinued.

The Full-Service Community School grant program supports school districts and public schools in their mission to meet students’ needs so they can succeed academically and in life, focusing on the school as a community center that can connect families to food, housing assistance, medical care, and other services. Community leadership and school coordinators partner to co-locate services and provide cost-effective resources that are deemed necessary by the families they serve—a community-based approach that has been successful in both rural and urban areas. Multiple studies show that community schools lead to more positive academic outcomes for students and more successful schools. Discontinuing these grants puts students’ progress in jeopardy.

On December 12th, 2025, the Department abruptly discontinued $168 million in grants to community schools just two weeks before their next round of funding was set to arrive. Across the country, nineteen grant recipients received letters alerting them that, effective immediately, their projects would no longer receive future federal funding under their approved grant awards, including in many rural communities. Your decision is forcing schools and community partners to eliminate vital services for students and families in the middle of the academic year, with no transition period or alternative support.

Full-Service Community Schools grants are generally authorized for five years, providing schools and partners with the stability to plan for the reliable delivery of services. The grants that were abruptly cancelled had either two or three years remaining in their approved five-year projects. This unnecessary termination of education funding is alarming families, disrupting carefully-planned programs that support children, and jeopardizing services for thousands of students in underserved communities. Schools that built partnerships with community organizations, hired staff, and made multi-year commitments to families now face breaking those promises through no fault of their own.

The Department claims that affected grantees violate civil rights law or conflict with the administration's policy priorities, but this rationale lacks any specificity. Grant recipients received letters providing few details, and just one week or less to appeal. These discontinuations directly contradict bipartisan congressional intent for this program. In 2023, Congress increased annual funding for the Full-Service Community Schools program from $25 million to $150 million, which was maintained in fiscal year 2024 and 2025 appropriations laws, reflecting bipartisan recognition that schools serving high-poverty communities require comprehensive support. All federal grants must abide by applicable requirements, but the Department has failed to produce legitimate reasons, including any grantee performance-related information, to discontinue multi-year grants that Congress authorized and appropriated, that grantees are implementing successfully, and that provide essential services to our underserved students.

We demand that you reinstate all community school grants that have been abruptly discontinued and respectfully suggest that the Department refocus its efforts to support community schools in their efforts to meet the needs of and improve education outcomes for all students.

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Duckworth Meets with Growth Energy, Highlights Importance of U.S. Biofuels for Americans and the Economy

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today met with officials from Growth Energy, the nation’s leading biofuel trade association, to underscore her support for ethanol production, as well as her commitment to helping strengthen our national and energy security, expand year-round E15 sales, drive down gas prices, support our farmers, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and drive rural economic opportunity in Illinois and across the country. Photos from the meeting can be found on the Senator’s website.

“Investing in clean energy has a positive ripple effect for our nation,” said Duckworth. “When we prioritize homegrown biofuels and year-round E15, we’re encouraging job growth, prioritizing our national security, reducing gas prices, protecting our environment and securing Illinois’s leadership in the energy sector for years to come. I was glad to meet with Growth Energy leaders today to discuss my commitment to clean energy initiatives, and I will continue to do everything I can to support our biofuel manufacturers across the state at the federal level.”

Duckworth met with a variety of renewable energy leaders today, including Illinois-based companies such as Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) of Chicago and John Deere of Moline.

In the Senate, Duckworth has been a leader in advancing biofuels. As a founding co-chair of the Senate Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Caucus, she has been a strong advocate for expansion of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) by utilizing the domestic biofuels and agricultural sectors. To help increase the availability of E15 biofuels, Duckworth helped introduce the bipartisan Nationwide Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act of 2025 and the bipartisan Next Generations Fuel Act to allow the year-round, nationwide sale of ethanol blends higher than 10 percent. Duckworth additionally helped introduce the bipartisan Home Front Energy Independence Act to ban Russian oil and expand use and production of biofuel that’s grown in the American heartland, while providing American families with a less expensive option to fuel their vehicles. Earlier this year she helped introduced the Farm to Fly Act to help accelerate the production and development of SAF.

While the Trump Administration continues to do everything in its power to decimate the international trade and domestic agricultural sector, Duckworth, as a member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, remains an outspoken advocate for increased trade of Illinois pork, biofuels and agricultural goods across the globe and helped secure significant wins for Illinois and American agriculture. After Duckworth’s visit in 2023, Japan announced a regulatory change that will lead to an increase in imports from U.S. biofuel producers, supporting our farmers and growing Illinois’s economy, and following a prior trip to Taiwan in 2022, she helped secure a commitment from Taiwan to purchase an estimated $2.6 billion of our Illinois’s corn and soybeans.

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Durbin, Coons, Reed, Rosen Meet With Chinese Ambassador To The United States

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) along with U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-DE), Jack Reed (D-RI), Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and Jacky Rosen (D-NV) met with Chinese Ambassador to the U.S., Xie Feng, to discuss a broad range of issues including U.S. agricultural exports to China, the war in Ukraine, tariffs, fentanyl, critical minerals, and Taiwan.

“At a time when the U.S. and China have a number of shared interests, as well as areas of disagreement, I commend Ambassador Xie for meeting with us to discuss a variety of important issues,” said Durbin. “I hope China can help bring an end to the war in Ukraine and also ease tensions in the South China Sea.”

“I appreciated today’s candid discussion with Ambassador Xie today and the opportunity to raise serious concerns on a number of issues in the U.S.-China relationship,” said Coons, Ranking Member on the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense. “China can and should play a more constructive role in a number of pressing issues facing our world, whether combatting climate change or managing the threats from Russia, North Korea, and Iran. It is my hope that we will continue to manage our competition responsibly.”

“I appreciated the opportunity to have this important discussion with the Chinese Ambassador to express my concern regarding China’s troubling relationships with Iran and Russia, during this time of heightened geopolitical tensions, while also exploring areas of potential collaboration,” said Rosen. “While we have many policy differences with China that we must work to address, we have a responsibility to continue to engage diplomatically with countries around the world.”

Photos of the meeting are available here.

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Durbin, Duckworth File Amendment To Appropriations Bill To Restore Funding For Chicago Harbor Lock

The amendment would provide $16.6 million in federal funding to the Chicago Harbor Lock, which is a significant increase from the $298,000 currently allocated to the lock in the Energy and Water Appropriations bill

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Committee on Appropriations, and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) filed an amendment to the Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26) Energy and Water Development Appropriations Act to restore to recent funding levels the Chicago Harbor Lock. Currently, the appropriations bill, as well as the President’s proposed budget, only allocates $298,000 for the operation and maintenance of the Chicago Harbor Lock, which is a $16.4 million cut from the lock’s funding level in FY24, which was the last regular appropriations cycle before the full-year continuing resolution (CR) for FY25. If passed, the Senators’ amendment would ensure that the Chicago Harbor Lock receives $16.6 million in federal funding in order to support not only the lock’s operations, but any planned, future work.

The Chicago Harbor Lock provides 24/7 lock operations for commercial towboat and deep draft barges, government, passenger, and recreational vessels. It is the second busiest U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) lock in the nation with more than one million commercial passengers and significant recreational traffic. The lock is also used to release water from the Chicago River into Lake Michigan to prevent flooding in downtown Chicago.

“Nestled along the city’s shoreline, the Chicago Harbor Lock is one of the busiest locks in the country as it safely shuttles through both commercial and recreational boats. A lock this large, one that our city depends on, should have access to the critical resources it needs to safely and efficiently run its operations,” Durbin said. “I’m introducing an amendment with Senator Duckworth to ensure that the Chicago Harbor Lock receives funding that matches its high-quality operations.”

“Our harbors and water infrastructure play a critical role in maintaining Chicago’s status as a leader in the global economy,” Duckworth said. “The work the Chicago Harbor Lock does on a daily basis is essential for controlling flooding, managing municipal water supplies, moving goods to market and keeping our supply chains resilient not just for the region but for the nation—but we can’t fully reap these benefits if the Trump Administration continues to recklessly cut millions from Illinois’s infrastructure. I’m proud to work alongside Senator Durbin and our local leaders to restore the federal funding for the lock that our state needs and deserves.”

A copy of the amendment is available here.

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Durbin, Marshall Reintroduce The Credit Card Competition Act

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-KS) reintroduced the Credit Card Competition Act, which will increase competition in the credit card market and put an end to the Visa-Mastercard duopoly that is squeezing small businesses—and, ultimately, consumers. President Trump endorsed the legislation early this morning

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

“Americans are struggling with everyday purchases like groceries and gas, and credit card swipe fees inflate those already exorbitant prices,” said Durbin. “By bringing real competition to credit card networks, which is currently dominated by the Visa-Mastercard duopoly, we can reduce swipe fees and hold down costs for Main Street merchants and their customers. Let’s pass the Credit Card Competition Act as soon as possible.”

“The average American family is being ripped off by Big Banks, who profit billions from swipe fees while hardworking Americans pay the price. It’s time to bring real competition to a credit card network market dominated by Visa and Mastercard — and drive down the cost of everyday goods,” said Marshall. “The American Dream doesn’t work when the system is rigged, and this bill helps level the playing field. I’m grateful to have President Trump’s support, and I look forward to working with Senator Durbin to get this across the finish line.”

Senators Durbin and Marshall introduced the Credit Card Competition Act last Congress. The legislation was cosponsored by then-Senator JD Vance (R-OH), and Senators Peter Welch (D-VT), Josh Hawley (R-MO), and Jack Reed (D-RI). This legislation would increase competition in the credit card processing market by requiring large banks with more than $100 billion in assets to enable at least two unaffiliated card networks (including one outside Visa/Mastercard), helping lower swipe fees for small businesses and passing savings on to consumers.

Full text of the legislation can be found here.

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Durbin Successfully Passes Bill To Combat Nonconsensual, Sexually-Explicit Deepfake Images

Durbin on passage of the DEFIANCE Act: “On a measure of this importance, it’s important to come together as political parties. Now, let’s pass this in the House and make it the law of the land”

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today successfully passed his Disrupt Explicit Forged Images and Non-Consensual Edits Act (DEFIANCE Act) on the Senate floor via a live unanimous consent request.

“I rise today to ask the Senate to pass the DEFIANCE Act—bipartisan legislation that gives victims of nonconsensual, sexually-explicit deepfakes the tools they need to fight back against those who exploit them,” Durbin began.

“I want to thank the Senate cosponsors of this legislation, including my Republican co-lead, Senator Lindsey Graham. And I have been proud to partner with Representative Ocasio-Cortez, who introduced this legislation in the House with seven Republican and six Democratic cosponsors. Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez herself is a publicly-confessed victim of explicit deepfakes. I commend her for working to create tools for victims in the fight against this despicable crime,” Durbin continued.

Durbin then outlined historic momentum for his DEFIANCE Act, including the passage of the TAKE IT DOWN Act, polling showing a supermajority of Americans supporting the measure, and the tragic proliferation of non-consensual, sexually-explicit deepfakes on X’s Grok.

“Imagine losing control over your own likeness and identity. Imagine how powerless victims feel when they cannot remove illicit content, cannot prevent it from being reproduced repeatedly, and cannot prevent new images from being created. The consequences can be profound. Victims may endure threats to their employment, education, or reputation, or suffer additional criminal activity such as extortion and stalking. Many experience depression, anxiety, and fear being in public. And in the worst cases, victims have been driven to suicide,” Durbin continued.

Durbin then made the unanimous consent request to pass his legislation. No Senator objected.

“It feels good to see the Senate actually passing legislation. It’s rare. And on a measure of this importance, it’s important to come together as political parties. I want to thank Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez for her leadership on this issue and her bravery. Now, let’s pass this in the House and make it the law of the land,” concluded Durbin.

Video of Durbin’s remarks on the Senate floor is available here.

Audio of Durbin’s remarks on the Senate floor is available here.

Footage of Durbin’s remarks on the Senate floor is available herefor TV Stations.

The bipartisan, bicameral DEFIANCE Act would grant survivors the right to take civil action against individuals who knowingly produce, distribute, solicit and receive, or possess with the intent to distribute nonconsensual sexually-explicit digital forgeries.

The bill is championed by Durbin, U.S. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY-14), U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC), and U.S. Representative Laurel Lee (R-FL-15). In 2024, the Senate unanimously passed the DEFIANCE Act, but House Republicans stalled the bill.

The volume of “deepfake” content available online is increasing exponentially as the technology used to create it has become more accessible to the public. The overwhelming majority of this material is sexually-explicit and is produced without the consent of the person depicted. A 2019 study found that 96 percent of “deepfake” videos were nonconsensual pornography.

One researcher found that:

The number of nonconsensual pornographic “deepfake” videos available online has increased ninefold since 2019;

Such videos have been viewed almost four billion times;

Monthly traffic to the top 20 “deepfake” sites increased by 285 percent from July 2020 to July 2023; and

Search engines directed 25.2 million visits to the top five most popular “deepfake” sites in July 2023 alone.

The bill text is available here.

In addition to Durbin and Graham, original cosponsors of the DEFIANCE Act are U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Angus King (I-ME), Mike Lee (R-UT), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Peter Welch (D-VT), Chuck Schumer (D-NY), and Josh Hawley (R-MO).

In addition to Ocasio-Cortez and Lee, original cosponsors of the DEFIANCE Act are U.S. Representatives Kat Cammack (R-FL-03), Chris Deluzio (D-PA-17), Debbie Dingell (D-MI-12), Mike Lawler (R-NY-17), Ted Lieu (D-CA-36), Nancy Mace (R-SC-06), Max Miller (R-OH-07), Brittany Pettersen (D-CO-07), and Jeff Van Drew (R-NJ-02).

The legislation is endorsed by the National Women’s Law Center, National Center on Sexual Exploitation (NCOSE), Raven, Public Citizen, Sexual Violence Prevention Association, Democratic Women’s Caucus, UltraViolet, Joyful Heart Foundation, My Image My Choice, Reclaim Coalition, SIECUS: Sex Ed for Social Change, American Association of University Women (AAUW), End Rape on Campus, Foundation Ra, Explain the Asterisk, Protect America’s Daughters, Sexual Assault Response Coalition (SARC), Students Against Sexual Assault, What Were You Wearing, Rooting Movements, Recognize Violence, Change Culture (RVCC), and Street Grace.

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Gallego, Kelly Re-introduce Bipartisan, Bicameral Bill to Ratify and Fund Yavapai-Apache Nation Water Rights Settlement

WASHINGTON — Today, Arizona Senators Ruben Gallego and Mark Kelly introduced the Yavapai-Apache Nation Water Rights Settlement Act, bipartisan, bicameral legislation to ratify and fund the Yavapai-Apache Nation Water Rights Settlement Agreement. The bill resolves the Nation’s longstanding water rights claims, strengthens water reliability in the Verde Valley, and helps protect flows in the Verde River.

The Yavapai-Apache Nation Water Rights Settlement Act authorizes $1.039 billion to construct and maintain critical water infrastructure, including the Cragin-Verde Pipeline and a surface water drinking plant. The settlement confirms the Yavapai-Apache Nation’s right to 4,610 acre-feet of water per year, promotes water conservation, and supports long-term protection of the Verde River. It also includes a land exchange with the U.S. Forest Service to secure lands contiguous to the Middle Verde Reservation, strengthening community resilience and environmental stewardship.

A house companion, H.R. 8949, was introduced by Representative Eli Crane (R-AZ-02).

“Few things in Arizona are more precious than water. Arizona’s Tribal communities understand that better than most,” said Senator Gallego. “That’s why I’m proud to help introduce this bill to finally codify the Yavapai-Apache Nation’s water rights and invest in infrastructure to bring clean, reliable water to the Nation and surrounding communities, now and in the future.”

“Families and businesses in the Verde Valley and surrounding communities need a reliable water supply, and the Yavapai-Apache Nation deserves a fair, lasting resolution to its water rights,” said Senator Kelly. “This agreement honors Tribal sovereignty, invests in critical water infrastructure, and helps safeguard the Verde River. It’s a big step forward for the Nation and for every community that depends on this river, and we’ll work together to get it done.”

“I’m honored to introduce this legislation to help secure long-term water security for the Yavapai-Apache Nation, develop critical infrastructure, and finally move toward a permanent solution,” said Rep. Crane. “After visiting and meeting with tribal leaders and surrounding communities, it was clear how much certainty and stability this bill would provide. I’m proud to fight for rural Arizona.”

See what Arizona leaders and stakeholders are saying about the Yavapai-Apache Nation Water Rights Settlement Act of 2026:

“The State of Arizona proudly supports the Yavapai-Apache Nation Water Rights Settlement, which will bring increased water security and sustainability to the Verde Valley and help ensure every Arizonan has access to the water they need to thrive,” said Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs. “My administration is committed to partnering with Tribes on all water resource matters, including settling outstanding water rights claims. These rural communities have waited decades for this settlement, and it is time we get it done to ensure water reliability for generations to come.”

“In addition to finally resolving the Nation’s water rights, this historic legislation will provide for the development of water infrastructure to import new water sources to the Verde Valley and our Reservation homeland, safeguarding the Nation’s water future, while also helping to protect the Verde River and local groundwater supplies for everyone who relies on these critical resources,” said Yavapai-Apache Nation Chairman, Buddy Rocha, Jr. “On behalf of the Nation and our many leaders who have worked on this Settlement over the years, I want to thank Senator Kelly and Senator Gallego for reintroducing the Yavapai-Apache Nation Water Rights Settlement Act and for their longstanding commitment to the Nation’s water certainty. The Nation also wants to recognize the remarkable commitment to this Settlement by our settling parties, the State of Arizona, the Town of Camp Verde, the Town of Clarkdale, the City of Cottonwood, Salt River Project, and the Central Arizona Water Conservation District.”

The Yavapai-Apache Nation Water Rights Settlement Act is supported by the Salt River Project Agricultural Improvement and Power District & Salt River Valley Water Users’ Association, City of Cottonwood, Town of Camp Verde, Town of Clarkdale, Central Arizona Project, City Payson, Gila County, and Chino Valley.

Click here to read the bill text. Click here for a summary.

1/13/26


Gillibrand, Colleagues Urge USDA To Expedite Farmer Assistance

U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) joined Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) and nine of their Senate Democratic colleagues in pressing U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Brooke Rollins to expedite and increase payouts, especially for specialty crop farmers, in disaster and economic assistance programs in the face of trade uncertainty, rising input costs, and natural disasters.

“Farmers across the country and in New York are facing soaring input costs, increasing uncertainty caused by this administration, and the growing impacts of natural disasters, and they cannot afford further delays in critical assistance,” said Senator Gillibrand. “New York’s farmers are the backbone of our Upstate economy, and I will continue pushing this administration to ensure farmers in New York and across the nation have the resources they need to thrive.”

“As farmers face continued trade uncertainty, rising input costs, and natural disasters, we encourage you to expedite economic and disaster assistance that will benefit all farmers, including specialty crop growers,” wrote the senators. “While significant assistance flowed quickly to farmers in the summer and fall, payments were limited to 35 percent of approved applications.”

“As a result, less than $6 billion out of the $16 billion available has been paid out to farmers more than a year after Congress provided the funds and nearly three years after some farmers faced losses,” the senators continued. “Farmers are talking to their lenders right now to make plans. Adjusting the factor and making additional top-up payments now will expedite assistance now when farmers need it most.”

The senators also highlighted that of “the Farmer Bridge Assistance program of $12 billion, just $1 billion of that total is for specialty crops, sugarbeets, and other crops.” The senators urged USDA to develop “a program that reflects the unique needs of specialty crop growers. We also encourage you to ensure this assistance truly meets the needs of all farmers.”

Along with Gillibrand, Klobuchar and Slotkin, the letter was signed by Senators Michael Bennet (D-CO), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Tina Smith (D-MN), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Adam Schiff (D-CA), and Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD).

The full letter is available here and below.

Dear Secretary Rollins,

As farmers face continued trade uncertainty, rising input costs, and natural disasters, we encourage you to expedite economic and disaster assistance that will benefit all farmers, including specialty crop growers. Specialty crop growers face tight margins, limited risk-management tools, and increasingly volatile markets and need timely relief. We know that the U.S. Department of Agriculture has implemented funding included in the American Relief Act of 2025 for economic losses in 2024 and natural disaster losses in 2023 and 2024. We were encouraged that disaster assistance for losses in 2023 and 2024 announced last summer used a simplified pre-filled application for Stage 1 that topped-up indemnities paid under Federal Crop Insurance and the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program.

While significant assistance flowed quickly to farmers in the summer and fall, payments were limited to 35 percent of approved applications. As a result, less than $6 billion out of the $16 billion available has been paid out to farmers more than a year after Congress provided the funds and nearly three years after some farmers faced losses. It appears that nearly all Stage 1 applications have been submitted to USDA as payments on USDA’s dashboard have leveled off in recent weeks.

We are concerned that the subsequent announcement of the second stage of disaster assistance extended the deadline for both stages through the end of April 2026 and would delay decisions to adjust the factor on payments until at least May. This timeline means that farmers will have to wait until late spring or summer for a major portion of the assistance. Farmers are talking to their lenders right now to make plans. Adjusting the factor and making additional top-up payments now will expedite assistance now when farmers need it most.

Additionally, with your recent announcement of the Farmer Bridge Assistance program of $12 billion, just $1 billion of that total is for specialty crops, sugarbeets, and other crops, even though specialty crop sectors have been hit hard by lost markets, rising input costs, labor shortages, and ongoing economic uncertainty. No further details have been released about how the $1 billion in aid will be structured, which likely means it will be well into 2026 before any payments are issued. As you develop this assistance, we strongly urge you to look at the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program Stage 2 and the Marketing Assistance for Specialty Crops programs as guides for developing a program that reflects the unique needs of specialty crop growers. We also encourage you to ensure this assistance truly meets the needs of all farmers.

Thank you again for your work on implementation of this critical assistance and for due consideration of our suggestions to ensure all farmers are able to access aid quickly.

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Gillibrand Response To Trump Threat To Stop Federal Funding For New York

Today, in response to President Trump’s threat to stop payments to states with immigration enforcement policies he disagrees with, including New York, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand issued the following statement:

“President Trump’s continued partisan targeting of New York and other states that did not support his election is yet another broken promise from him. At a time when working Americans are already struggling under his administration’s inflation and tariffs, he continues to try and withhold your tax dollars, making life even harder for ordinary Americans. Funding for essential programs like Medicare, Social Security, health care, child care, education, law enforcement, anti-hunger initiatives, and transportation is not his to withhold. I would encourage our attorney general to again file suit against these illegal acts. She has beaten him in court before and can do so again.”

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Gillibrand Statement On Inflation Numbers

Today, in response to the newly released December Consumer Price Index report and inflation numbers indicating that American families are paying 2.7% more than last year under Trump’s economy, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand issues the following statement:

“Candidate Trump promised over and over again in 2024 to ‘end inflation.’ He boasted that if he won, ‘prices will come down,’ he would ‘drive prices down,’ ‘groceries will be cheaper,’ and ‘we will be slashing energy and electricity prices by half within 12 months.’

“As president, he has called affordability a ‘hoax,’ claimed ‘inflation is stopped,’ and told Americans ‘don’t be dramatic’ about higher costs because of his policies.

“Nearly a year into his administration, President Trump has broken his promise and dismissed Americans’ concerns. Costs aren’t down, they are up — and American families are paying the price.”

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Schumer, Gillibrand Announce $3.9 Million In Federal Funding For Central New York Projects

Senators Say Pending Legislation Includes Critical Fed Funding For Water Infrastructure Improvements & Syracuse University’s Semiconductor Research

Schumer, Gillibrand: Fed $$ Secured For Central NY Communities!

Today, U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer and U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand announced that they secured $3,973,000 in federal funding for critical Central NY projects in the fiscal year (FY) 2026 spending bill currently being voted on in the House of Representatives and expected to come to a vote in the Senate later this month. The senators personally secured funding for these projects as congressionally directed spending.

“I’m proud to have secured more than $2.7 million in federal funding to help our Central New York community. From supporting Syracuse University’s cutting-edge semiconductor research to improving our water infrastructure, the federal investment will flow to help communities improve quality of life all while creating good-paying jobs,” said Senator Schumer. “I will always fight to deliver funding to help lay the foundation for Central New York to thrive.”

“I’m proud to have secured these federal dollars that will drive real growth across Central New York by creating jobs and delivering the services New Yorkers rely on,” said Senator Gillibrand, member of the Senate Appropriations Committee. “From advancing the critical research at Syracuse University to removing dangerous lead pipes from local water systems, this funding will support projects that help communities across the region grow and thrive. I’ll keep working to bring home resources that strengthen our communities and make a real difference for working families.”

The federal funding comes from the FY 2026 spending bill that is being voted on in the House of Representatives later today and will be sent over to the Senate later this month and includes the Commerce, Justice, and Science spending bill, the Energy and Water Development spending bill, and the Interior spending bill.

A full list of funded projects is below:

$1,092,000 for City of Syracuse for Lead Service Replacements

The city will contract with a third party to complete 3,000 replacements over the next twelve months and this request will cover the cost of 800 of the replacements in this portion of the overall project.

$1,092,000 for Onondaga County Water Authority (OCWA) for Lead Service Line Replacements

OCWA will use federal funds to replace customer-owned lead service lines and improve drinking water quality throughout its service area.

$1,039,000 for Syracuse University for Semiconductor Thermal Noise Testbed

The project will build a new semiconductor thermal noise testbed to explore the manufacturing and testing of extremely low thermal noise materials for applications in quantum sensing, fundamental science and semiconductor manufacturing.

$750,000 for Town of Throop for The Town of Throop Creation of Water District #3

The project will create a new water district in the Town of Throop, which currently contains only two water districts, leaving much of its rural population relying on poor quality, independently owned and operated wells for their drinking water.

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Schumer, Gillibrand Demand Trump Administration Immediately Reverse Reckless Pause On Offshore Wind Projects, Warn Move Will Raise Energy Costs, Kill Jobs & Threaten Grid Reliability

Trump DOI Halted Five Offshore Wind Projects, Including New York’s Empire Wind 1 And Sunrise Wind, Putting Over 1.7 Gigawatts Of Power And Electricity For 1.1 Million Homes At Risk

In Letter To Interior and Defense Secretaries, Senators Demand Immediate Reversal Of Pause And Access To Classified Defense Reports Used To Justify Decision

Washington, D.C. — After Trump’s Department of the Interior (DOI) abruptly paused leases for five offshore wind projects, including two off the coast of New York, U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer and U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibranddemanded the administration immediately reverse what they called a reckless pause that threatens to raise electricity bills, kill good-paying union jobs, and undermine grid reliability.

“Even a short pause on these fully permitted, under-construction offshore wind projects risks permanent harm,” the senators said. “It will increase electricity costs for families, eliminate jobs, and weaken the reliability of our electric grid in New York and across the country.”

Schumer and Gillibrand said Empire Wind 1, by Norwegian developer Equinor, and Sunrise Wind, by Danish developer Ørsted, have already begun construction and would deliver a combined 1,734 megawatts of power to New York’s electric grid, enough to power approximately 1.1 million homes. If the projects do not resume, thousands of union workers risk losing their jobs and tens of millions of dollars in wages. The senators warned that halting these shovel-ready projects comes at a time of rising energy costs and shrinking reliability margins for all New Yorkers. The New York Independent System Operator (NYISO), the nonpartisan, independent electric reliability entity for New York State, has cited both Empire Wind 1 and Sunrise Wind as projects critical to ensuring near term reliability in the New York City and Long Island regions, respectively

The senators also emphasized that they take national security concerns seriously, noting that both developers completed all required consultations with the Department of Defense (DOD) as part of the federal permitting process. The senators also emphasized that the project developers should be granted access to the information to allow them to work with the DOD to mitigate concerns.

“As part of our constitutional oversight responsibilities, we are demanding access to the classified Department of Defense reports DOI is using to justify this pause,” the senators said, requesting access for their offices, including appropriately cleared staff, no later than January 23, 2026.

The December 22, 2025 lease pauses come after the Trump administration paused Empire Wind 1 in the spring of 2025. Since Empire Wind 1 resumed construction, Equinor has invested $1.5 billion into the project. Equinor’s expected $2 billion of additional investment in 2026 is at risk if they cannot resume construction.

Schumer and Gillibrand said they will continue pressing the administration to reverse course immediately and allow these projects to move forward, protecting New York’s energy supply, workers, and families.

A copy of Schumer and Gillibrand’s demand to the Department of the Interior and Department of Defense can be found here.

The Empire 1 wind Project, located about 14 miles southeast of Long Island, was scheduled to provide power next year with 54 turbines in the Atlantic Ocean. The project would be the first offshore wind power source connected to New York City and the project is over half complete.

The Sunrise Wind project, located about 30 miles east of Montauk, was also expected to be operational around the same time. The project is about 40% complete.

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