Luján Statement on DHS Funding “NO” Vote, Announces Over $50 Million for New Mexico Projects

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) issued the following statement after voting against a funding package that did not include needed reforms to rein in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE):

“Under the Trump administration, our nation has witnessed federal immigration agents kill two American citizens in Minneapolis, while the administration has responded with outright lies and escalation. With ICE operating out of control under Secretary Noem and Stephen Miller, I cannot support a funding package that does not include accountability and meaningful reforms to end this violence.

“Although ongoing bipartisan negotiations to reform ICE and protect our communities are a step in the right direction, these critical reforms must be enshrined in the law to earn my support. I’m hopeful that we will reach that point in the coming weeks when the Senate takes another vote. New Mexicans are demanding action and accountability, and that is what I am focused on getting done.”

Following the fatal shootings of two U.S. citizens in Minneapolis, Senator Luján announced that he would oppose the Homeland Security funding bill without real accountability and demanded the resignation or firing of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Stephen Miller.

While opposing the funding package on the Senate floor that did not include reforms to DHS and ICE, Senator Luján worked through the appropriations process to deliver key wins for New Mexico:

“I’m proud to deliver over $50 million in federal funding to support critical projects that expand housing, strengthen health services, and boost infrastructure across our state,” said Senator Luján. “These investments will support projects that improve the lives of New Mexicans in every corner of our state. Throughout the appropriations process, I’ve fought to bring federal dollars back home.”

In the Senate-passed appropriations bills, Senator Luján secured $50,040,000 for local projects.

Additionally, in the Senate-passed appropriations bills, Senator Luján secured key health care provisions. Senator Luján’s Honor Our Living Donors Act, legislation to increase organ donations and save lives, was adopted as part of the passage of the appropriations bills. Further, Senator Luján secured key provisions advancing Pharmacy Benefit Manager (PBM) reform that provides transparency and helps lower costs for patients.

In the Transportation, Housing and Urban Developmentappropriations bill, Senator Luján secured:

$3,000,000 for the Youth Development, Inc.’s early childhood development center. Secured by Senators Luján and Heinrich.

$3,000,000 for La Cosecha Community Supported Agriculture’s Raices Sagradas Eco-Wellness and Food Hub project. Secured by Senators Luján and Heinrich.

$2,900,000 for the Pueblo of Acoma’s Senior Center home improvements. Secured by Senator Luján, Senator Heinrich, and Representative Vasquez.

$2,500,000 for Santa Fe County’s Trauma-Informed Housing project. Secured by Senators Luján and Heinrich.

$2,000,000 for the City of Albuquerque’s modernization of the Westside Emergency Housing Center. Secured by Senator Luján, Senator Heinrich, and Representative Vasquez.

$2,000,000 for the City of Albuquerque’s senior stability site. Secured by Senator Luján, Senator Heinrich, and Representative Stansbury.

$1,800,000 for the Town of Mountainair’s downtown Mountainair roadway improvements. Secured by Senators Luján and Heinrich.

$1,600,000 for the Ports-to-Plains Corridor Interstate Planning – Raton I-27 / I-25 interchange alignment study. Secured by Senators Luján and Heinrich.

$1,512,000 for the Pueblo of Jemez’s Pueblo Hazard Remediation and Revitalization. Secured by Senator Luján, Senator Heinrich, and Representative Leger Fernández.

$1,500,000 for Bernalillo County’s affordable housing development. Secured by Senator Luján.

$1,500,000 for Tierra Del Sol Housing Corporation’s Vado New Horizons development project. Secured by Senators Luján and Heinrich.

$1,210,000 for the City of Bloomfield’s East Blanco Road. Secured by Senators Luján and Heinrich.

$1,000,000 for the Pueblo of Sandia for the Middle Rio Grande Pueblos Irrigation and Acequia Infrastructure Improvements. Secured by Senator Luján and Representative Stansbury.

$1,000,000 for the Region 9 Education Cooperative’s early childhood center. Secured by Senator Luján.

$1,000,000 for the Pueblo of Acoma Housing Authority’s Cedar Hills Affordable Housing project. Secured by Senators Luján and Heinrich.

$850,000 for the City of Las Vegas’ South Pacific Road improvements. Secured by Senator Luján and Representative Leger Fernández.

$850,000 for the City of Las Cruces’ innovation and industrial park improvements. Secured by Senator Luján and Representative Vasquez.

$700,000 for Cuidando Los Niños’ facility expansion project. Secured by Senator Luján and Senator Heinrich.

$620,000 for the Village of Mosquero’s housing project. Secured by Senator Luján.

$605,000 for San Joaquin del Rio de Chama land grant’s community center renovations and upgrades. Secured by Senator Luján.

$600,000 for the City of Bloomfield’s Solar and Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure. Secured by Senator Luján.

$519,000 for the Navajo Division of Transportation’s N321 Environment Assessment and Roadway Improvements project. Secured by Senator Luján.

$500,000 for the City of Lordsburg to refurbish the special events center. Secured by Senator Luján.

$500,000 for the McKinley County Red Rock facility improvements. Secured by Senator Luján.

$412,000 for the Angel Fire Airport (AXX) for snow removal equipment. Secured by Senator Luján.

$300,000 for the Espanola Valley and Los Alamos Habitat for Humanity’s affordable home construction. Secured by Senator Luján.

$250,000 for the Sunland Park Drive Intersection Phase I project. Secured by Senator Luján and Representative Vasquez.

$250,000 for the City of Carlsbad’s Police Department renovation. Secured by Senator Luján and Representative Vasquez.

Programmatic Highlights:

Senator Luján secured a provision for his RIDE/HALT Act that states the Appropriations Committee’s support for the timely issuance of impaired driving safety standards.

Senator Luján secured a provision directing the Office of Commercial Space Transportation (AST) to implement a technical escalation process through which disputes can be adjudicated.

In the Labor, Health and Human Services appropriations bill, Senator Luján secured:

$1,540,000 for the University of New Mexico’s Project ECHO, a rural health telemonitoring training program. Secured by Senator Luján.

$1,484,000 for the University of New Mexico to provide services to individuals and their families experiencing overdose or other substance use crises. Secured by Senators Luján and Heinrich.

$1,135,000 for Central New Mexico Community College’s effort to expand innovative clean-energy and transmission technology training across New Mexico. Secured by Senators Luján and Heinrich.

$1,135,000 for the City of Albuquerque’s comprehensive behavioral health and substance use disorder center for individuals experiencing homelessness. Secured by Senators Luján and Heinrich.

$1,000,000 for San Juan College to train students to earn their Class A, commercial driver’s license. Secured by Senator Luján.

$798,000 for the University of New Mexico to train individuals in data science and language acquisition research in rural and Tribal communities. Secured by Senator Luján.

$762,000 for New Mexico State University for professional development and curriculum building surrounding the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Secured by Senators Luján and Heinrich.

$750,000 for Gallup Community Health to provide comprehensive, community-based health care to McKinley County. Secured by Senators Luján and Heinrich.

$516,000 for Amador Health’s project to expand access to behavioral health services in Doña Ana County. Secured by Senator Luján.

$512,000 for the University of New Mexico’s District Partner Teacher Residency to support K-12 public education by preparing teacher residents with a comprehensive training approach. Secured by Senators Luján and Heinrich.

$500,000 for the National Forest Foundation–New Mexico to create an acequia youth corps that creates an entry pathway for youth to begin careers in conservation. Secured by Senator Luján.

$500,000 for the International Association of Firefighters (IAFF) Local 244 to provide behavioral health services to first responders. Secured by Senator Luján.

$500,000 for the Hispano Roundtables’ program to provide science, technology, engineering, arts & mathematics (STEAM) education to students across New Mexico. Secured by Senators Luján and Heinrich.

$333,000 for Las Cumbres Community Services kinship care program, allowing grandparents to raise their grandchildren. Secured by Senators Luján and Heinrich.

$307,000 for the San Juan County Partnership program to prevent youth substance use. Secured by Senator Luján.

$250,000 for Explora to foster science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) workforce exploration for middle and high school students. Secured by Senators Luján and Heinrich.

$40,000 for Northern New Mexico College to train future health care professionals in the Española area. Secured by Senator Luján.

Programmatic Highlights:

The Oral Health Literacy Act, to continue the oral health literacy strategy to reach underserved communities, was funded at $300,000.

Project ECHO/Technology-Enabled Collaborative Learning, a telehealth education and health care model, was funded at $8.5 million.

The Pregnant and Postpartum Women Treatment Program, to provide residential treatment services for pregnant and postpartum women with a substance use disorder, was funded at $38.9 million.

Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program, to compensate workers who suffer from occupational illnesses tied to their work at the Department of Energy, (EEOICP) was funded at $68 million.

Head Start programming, a fundamental early childhood education program, was funded at $12.4 billion.

Impact Aid programming, providing assistance to federally impacted schools, was funded at $1.6 billion.

Native American Programs, including Native American Language Preservation, were funded at $60.5 million.

Autism research from the Autism CARES Act will be funded through the $2.9 billion for the National Institutes of Mental Health.

Strengthening Communities of Recovery Act and Building Communities of Recovery Act, expanding recovery support services, were funded at $2 million.

Language encouraging the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services to study Mobile Stroke Units was also included.

In the Financial Services and General Government appropriations bill, Senator Luján secured:

$1,500,000 for Santa Teresa Port of Entry to complete the project design and environmental impact statement for the modernization and expansion of the port. Secured by Senator Lujáns and Heinrich.

$1,000,000 for the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center’s Indian Pueblo Entrepreneur Complex. Secured by Senators Luján and Heinrich.

$633,000 for the Northern Rio Grande National Heritage Area’s Entrepreneurial Academy at Los Luceros and Española. Secured by Senators Luján and Heinrich.

$200,000 for the City of Albuquerque’s Southern New Mexico Technical Assistance Program. Secured by Senator Luján.

$167,000 for Vida Mejor Capital’s Technical Assistance Navigation Services Center for Small Rural Business Project. Secured by Senators Luján and Heinrich.

Senator Luján secured programmatic funding and language for New Mexico-based universities and companies in the Defense appropriations bill:

$20,000,000 for integrating real-time space domain awareness capabilities into the U.S. Space Force operations to track, monitor, and respond to threats, ensuring space security and operational superiority.

$10,000,000 for autonomous rendezvous, proximity, operations, and docking (RPOD) technologies.

$6,000,000 to modernize the U.S. satellite control network and provide resilient satellite communications and data transmission.

$6,000,000 for developing a space manufacturing scale-up operation that improves resource sharing and coordination between innovative space companies.

$5,000,000 for the Classified Ready Employee Workforce program at New Mexico State University (NMSU) to develop a pool of classified-ready professionals with the skills required to pursue successful careers in support of national security.

$3,500,000 to advance solar cell production for defense applications and increase domestic capacity.

$3,500,000 to design and produce additive-manufactured materials under extreme heat fluxes experienced in advanced propulsion systems and hypersonic weapons.

$3,000,000 to accelerate the deployment of AI technologies for health monitoring of satellites.

$2,000,000 for advancing a combined space plus ground-based sensor network for persistent monitoring of the Geosynchronous orbit.

The bill fully funds the 3.8% across-the-board pay raise for servicemembers, as well as the junior enlisted pay raise. It also fully funds a 1% pay raise for civilians.

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Lummis Praises President Trump’s Fed Chair Selection

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Senate Banking Digital Assets Subcommittee Chair, released the following statement reacting to President Trump selecting Kevin Warsh to serve as the next Chairman of the Federal Reserve.

“Now more than ever, we need a Federal Reserve that embraces digital assets and financial innovation, not one that shuns advancement,” said Lummis. “I applaud President Trump’s decision and look forward to hearing Kevin Warsh’s plans to undertake needed reforms to the make the Fed more transparent and accountable to Congress.”

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McConnell on FY26 Defense Appropriations, Work Ahead

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Defense Subcommittee, delivered the following remarks today on the Senate floor prior to the vote on the conferenced Fiscal Year 2026 Defense Appropriations bill:

“Hard power is the cornerstone of U.S. national security. It’s the credibility behind our commitments to defend core interests. And investing accordingly is among Congress’ core responsibilities.

“I’m proud that the Senate will uphold that responsibility today by passing full-year defense appropriations for the remainder of fiscal year 2026. Our action today is urgent and important, overdue and yet insufficient. Allow me to briefly remind our colleagues what this vote represents:

“About a year ago, I offered the incoming Administration a few recommendations on the nature of American power and what it would take to sustain it in the face of grave and growing threats. I urged them to push for sustained, year-on-year increases to the defense topline, to prioritize investments in the industrial base that equips both America and our allies, and expand the use of multi-year procurement contracts to solve glaring shortages of critical munitions.

“Suffice it to say, the President’s advisors didn’t initially seem to heed this advice. In fact, senior budget and defense officials welcomed the first full-year continuing resolution for the military in history – a move that effectively left the Pentagon operating on President Biden’s budget and handicapped President Trump’s effort to restore peace through strength. Then, they went about trying to internally cut 10% from the military services, setting arbitrary budget reduction quotas that shortchanged growing military requirements.

“Even the Administration’s first official budget request left much to be desired. Indeed, defense appropriators received an FY26 defense budget request from OMB that would have amounted to a net cut after inflation, a continuation of the Biden approach to discretionary appropriations.

“As the President’s foremost national defense priorities came into focus – from homeland missile defense to a shipbuilding renaissance – the inadequacy of his Administration’s budget request became even more undeniably clear. And what about the budget reconciliation process that could have been optimized to make one-time investments in critical sectors of the defense enterprise?

“Administration budget officials treated it like a shell game, instead. Much of the Defense Subcommittee’s most arduous work in recent months has been helping the armed services address real, urgent operational shortfalls that were created when much of Washington decided to pretend that one-time infusions of cash could take the place of consistent annual appropriations.

“To be clear, this was not the intention of my friend, Chairman Wicker, who’s been a far-sighted advocate for sustained increases in annual defense spending. But OMB’s effort to shift major, long-term funding priorities from the base budget to reconciliation did not suddenly obviate the need for steady full-year appropriations.

“In fact, it created additional challenges. The full-year bill we’re passing today reflects great efforts on the part of Senate appropriators to make up for growing funding shortfalls that are stifling the Department’s ability to deliver the President’s military priorities. These aren’t small shortfalls, either. The Administration has acknowledged FY26 funding gaps of at least $40 billion.

“The President’s golden dome and golden fleet will not be built on a bronze budget. That’s precisely why Senate Appropriators marked a bill that would have exceeded the President’s budget request by $22 billion. The conferenced bill we’re voting on today comes in at $14 billion below that topline.

“The final bill is only $8.4 billion above the President’s request. Clearly, that’s not enough to cover an official request for $28 billion in munitions that came in while we were conferencing our bill.

“Clearly, it’s not enough to cover the $40 billion in shortfalls identified by the Department. But within our limited topline, this bill makes modest but important downpayments on key priorities for the military: critical munitions, shipbuilding, sixth generation fighter aircraft, missile defense, and more.

“In any event, it was always clear that glaring challenges – particularly to industrial capacity and defense innovation – would not be solved in a single budget cycle. This is the business of years upon years, and it will require at the most basic level a renewed recognition of the centrality of hard power.

“Twelve months into the President’s term, I’m hopeful that appropriators will have more allies in our work to deliver consistent and increasing full-year resources.

“The President, for his part, indicated an ambitious goal for the coming year: an FY27 defense budget of $1.5 trillion.

“Needless to say, building toward this target next year would be a bit easier had we been able to make more headway this year. Going forward, every stakeholder is going to have to acknowledge that we can’t nip-and-tuck our way to building the military we need to meet the growing threats.

“When Administration officials tell the Department at the eleventh hour to finally make more room for investments in critical munitions, they ought to be ready to join us in advocating for a higher topline… not expect warfighters to take it out of hide.

“Regardless of whether we are willing to put our money where our mouth is on the national defense, we face adversaries who are. And they’ll continue to pose growing threats to our security and our interests.

“So again, our work is far from over. But as we take this significant step in the right direction, I would be remiss in not acknowledging the dedicated, collaborative efforts of colleagues who recognize the importance of the task at hand, particularly Chair Susan Collins – clearly the most outstanding Appropriations Chair in the time that I’ve been here – and my counterpart, Ranking Member Coons, both have been fabulous supporters.

“I’m also deeply grateful to the talented professional staff who have given so many nights and weekends to pull FY26 defense appropriations across the finish line. On the Majority side, they include Rachel DaPieve, Laura Forrest, Megan Handal, Cole Hodge, Alexa Lorick, Todd Phillips, Kathryn Plunkett, Kim Segura, Tom Shaffer, and Elise Stebick, and of course their fearless leader, Robert Karem. We’ve been friends and collaborators for a long time and there’s nobody better on this subject. And I know my team has appreciated close collaboration with their counterparts on the Minority staff, including Gabriella Armonda, Dylan Byrd, Abigail Grace, Brigid Kolish, and Ryan Pettit, led by Rob Leonard.

“My sincere thanks are with each of them for their devotion to such a worthy task. But as Henry Kissinger observed, ‘each success only buys an admission ticket to a more difficult problem.’ So, after taking the weekend to catch their breath, I’ll look forward to welcoming the team back to the appropriations salt mines next week.

“The President’s $1.5 trillion defense budget for FY27 is a worthy goal, and after Congress finishes its work on FY26, we’ll stand ready to do our part and help him achieve it.”


Markey, Merkley, Van Hollen, Wyden Urge Trump to Keep Longstanding Ban on South Korean Nuclear Enrichment, Reprocessing

Letter Text (PDF)

Washington (January 30, 2026) – Senators Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), co-chairs of the Nuclear Weapons and Arms Control Working Group, along with Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) today wrote to President Trump urging the strongest possible non-proliferation measures in any revised nuclear cooperation agreement with South Korea. The senators’ letter follows the White House’s release of a fact sheet on November 13 outlining the Trump administration’s plans to allow uranium enrichment and spent fuel reprocessing for peaceful uses in South Korea. The Trump administration’s action reverses long-standing bipartisan U.S. policy to prevent the spread of enrichment and reprocessing technologies to limit the risk that those capabilities could be used to produce fissile materials for weapons.

In the letter, the senators wrote, “South Korea’s complicated history with nuclear weapons, and your role in that history, makes your policy shift particularly concerning. South Korea has had an interest in nuclear weapons stretching back to the 1970s and conducted illicit activities that were investigated by the United Nations. In 2016, you suggested that South Korea should develop nuclear weapons. In 2024, the Biden administration designated South Korea a ‘sensitive country,’ a term used for states that pose a proliferation risk. At the time, the former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol was being impeached for declaring martial law. Yoon had suggested that South Korea may need to pursue nuclear weapons to deter North Korea.”

The senators continued, “Providing latent nuclear capability to South Korea would also undermine U.S. non-proliferation efforts. For example, the United States is currently negotiating a 123 agreement with Saudi Arabia, which has also expressed nuclear weapons aspirations and is also seeking to enrich uranium. As some of us wrote to your State Department on November 17, 2025, the Administration should apply the strongest ‘gold standard’ protections to prohibit enrichment and reprocessing in all nuclear cooperation agreements. Agreeing to weaker nonproliferation measures with South Korea would make it harder to hold the line on Saudi Arabia, undermining the existing global nonproliferation regime and exacerbating tensions across the Middle East.”

The senators request answers to the following questions by February 13, 2026:

Does the Administration intend to revise its 123 agreement with South Korea? If so, what revisions will be made? Is the Administration seeking “gold standard protections”?

Will the Administration inform the Senate Foreign Relations and the House Foreign Affairs committees about its intentions with respect to a revised 123 agreement with South Korea?

What nuclear technology is the Administration planning to provide to South Korea, who will provide it, when will it be transferred, and under what terms?

Is the United States considering constructing and operating enrichment and reprocessing facilities on South Korean soil?

Who will build the nuclear-powered attack submarines, where will they be built, what type of fuel will they use, and where will that fuel be produced?

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Merkley Starts February with Three More In-Person Town Hall Conversations

Senator holding three in-person conversations in Hood River, Wasco, and Clackamas Counties on February 6, 2026

Washington, D.C. — Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley announced today he will continue his town halls with in-person community conversations in Hood River, Wasco and Clackamas Counties on Friday, February 6, 2026.

“Every conversation helps lay out the current interests and needs of Oregonians so my team and I can work on their behalf. I look forward to this opportunity every year to visit and listen to communities across the state,” Merkley said.

Since taking office in 2009, Senator Merkley has kept his promise to hold an open town hall for each of Oregon’s 36 counties every year. The completion of these scheduled town halls will mark 20 for 2026, and 633 since Senator Merkley was first elected in 2009.

His upcoming town hall conversations are as follows, with additional details to be sent to local media ahead of each event:

Friday, February 6

Hood River County Town Hall

Time: 11:00 am PT

Location: Mt Hood Town Hall

6575 Hwy 35, Mt. Hood, OR 97041

Wasco County Town Hall

Time: 2:00 pm PT

Location: Mid-Columbia Senior Center

1112 W 9th Street, The Dalles, OR 97058

Clackamas County Town Hall

Time: 6:00 pm PT

Location: Clackamas High School

14486 SE 122nd Ave, Clackamas, OR 97015

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Republicans Again Block Merkley’s Push to Permanently Ban Pocket Rescissions

WASHINGTON, D.C. – As the Senate considers bipartisan legislation to set funding for a portion of the federal government, U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Ranking Member of the Senate Budget Committee, offered an amendment to codify a permanent ban on pocket rescissions by prohibiting the President from sending Congress a “special message” under the Impoundment Control Act within 90 days of the expiration of the funds proposed for rescission.

Merkley offered the amendment to an annual appropriations package to prevent the Trump Administration from unilaterally clawing back funding that Congress had enacted through bipartisan agreement. Serving in his Ranking Member role on the Senate Budget Committee and as a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Merkley offered the amendment to reaffirm that Trump cannot legally cancel billions in funding without Congressional approval.

“Last fall, the Trump Administration trampled on Congress’ authority by utilizing the illegal pocket rescission. It’s well past time for Congress to reassert its Constitutionally granted Power of the Purse,”said Ranking Member Merkley. “It is clear that Donald Trump and Russ Vought have no interest in following the law. That is why every step of the way in writing the annual appropriations package, I have introduced amendments that would prevent the Trump Administration from undermining bipartisan agreements by illegally impounding funds. My Republican colleagues need to stand up, do the right thing, and join us in reaffirming that Congress controls the federal budget, not Donald Trump and Russ Vought.”

In November, Merkley filed this amendment to the continuing resolution legislation that ended the shutdown. Merkley made a motion to call up this amendment; that vote failed on a party-line vote, and the Republicans blocked consideration of the amendment.

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Whitehouse, Warren, Merkley, Reed Introduce Bill to Empower States to Protect Americans from High Credit Card Interest Rates

Legislation to restore states’ ability to cap consumer loan interest rates reintroduced after Trump calls for cap

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Jack Reed (D-RI), and Jeff Merkley (D-OR) introduced legislation to protect Americans from sky-high interest rates for credit cards and other consumer loans. The Empowering States’ Rights to Protect Consumers Act would restore states’ ability to limit consumer loan interest rates for their residents and help address the record $1.23 trillion Americans hold in credit card debt.

“Too many Rhode Islanders are stuck under a mountain of credit card debt that is driven ever-higher by compounding interest rates and fees dictated by corporations,” said Senator Whitehouse. “Our bill will restore to states the ability to protect their own citizens from predatory rates and help get families more breathing room on their credit card bills.”

American families are drowning in credit card debt. According to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, balances hit a record $1.23 trillion in late 2025, as average interest rates climbed to nearly 22 percent. President Trump recently called for a one-year cap on credit card interest rates of 10 percent.

From Senator Warren, Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: “Americans are struggling under mountains of credit card debt with astronomically high interest rates of 25, 30, even 35%. Congress must act to bring down those interest rates at a federal level – but it’s also critical that states have the ability to deliver relief. Anyone who supports lowering costs for Americans should support this bill to allow states to do their jobs.”

“Allowing billionaire corporations to prey on working families hurts our entire economy, trapping hardworking Americans in the quicksand of debt,” said Senator Merkley. “We need to stand up for consumers and empower states to put in place protections to help break this cycle of debilitating debt for families across the nation.”

“Costs are rising, and stubbornly high credit card interest rates have trapped too many Americans with devastating amounts of debt. We need to empower states to protect their residents from these abuses and help them chart a realistic course for financial security,” said Senator Reed.

Since the country’s founding, each state had the ability to enforce usury laws against any lender doing business with its citizens. That changed with the Supreme Court’s 1978 decision in Marquette National Bank of Minneapolis v. First of Omaha Service Corporation, which ruled that a national bank is bound only by the lending laws of the state in which the bank is based. This rendered states powerless to impose lending restrictions against lenders headquartered in other states. The decision effectively ended usury protections in the United States, as big banks reorganized as “national banks” and moved to states with weak or non-existent consumer lending protections. Today, credit card divisions of major banks are in just a few states, consumers nationwide lack protection from excessive rates and fees, and local banks face unfair out-of-state competition.

The Empowering States’ Rights to Protect Consumers Act would restore the pre-Marquette powers of each state to protect its citizens with interest rate limits on national bank lending done within the state. In doing so, it levels the playing field so that intrastate lenders like community banks, local retailers, and credit unions are no longer bound by stricter lending limits than national credit card companies. For example, Rhode Island had strong state-level interest-rate protections for many years, but they have been whittled down after the Marquette decision. The Empowering States’ Rights to Protect Consumers Act would bolster Rhode Island’s ability to protect its citizens from usurious loans.

The legislation is endorsed by the Capital Good Fund and Americans for Financial Reform.

“With seventeen years of experience offering affordable personal loans, we know that high-interest debt devastates working families in Rhode Island and beyond,” said Capital Good Fund Founder and CEO Andy Posner. “The pandemic, inflation, and the current affordability crisis have made clear that consumers need both access to credit and strong protections against predatory actors. States like Rhode Island have taken steps to rein in abusive products, but loopholes remain. Senator Whitehouse’s legislation would give states the tools they need to close these loopholes and ensure a fair marketplace for all, which is why we strongly support the Empowering States’ Rights to Protect Consumer Act.”

“This legislation paves the way for states to step up and protect people from sky-high credit card interest rates,” said Tom Feltner, Associate Director of Consumer Policy at Americans for Financial Reform. “States have a critical consumer financial protection role to play that has only become more vital since the administration has attempted to shutter the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, halt its efforts to bring down costs, and roll back its work to enforce critical financial protections.”

The bill text can be found here.

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Wyden, Merkley, Colleagues Probe Collapse in IRS Investigations of Wealthy Tax Cheats Under Trump

Senators: IRS investigations into abusive tax schemes plummeted last year to lowest levels in the past decade

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today joined Senate colleagues to demand answers on how Republican funding clawbacks and DOGE staff cuts have gutted the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Division’s ability to investigate sophisticated tax schemes used by wealthy tax cheats.

“As one former head of the shuttered Justice Department Tax Division put it, ‘There is usual ebb and flow, but you can’t ignore this number.’ We write to ask how staffing cuts and other factors contributed to this decline, what impact it will have on revenues and deterring tax cheats, and how the IRS will adequately enforce the law in the face of substantial staffing and budget cuts,” the senators wrote to Treasury Secretary and Acting IRS Commissioner Scott Bessent and Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Division Chief Guy Ficco.

The IRS-CI 2025 Annual Report found that investigations into abusive tax schemes dropped 63 percent last year to a level roughly 40 percent below any other year in the past decade. This decline comes as sophisticated tax avoidance schemes have become more common, leaving billions in revenue uncollected while honest taxpayers foot the bill.

The letter details how IRS enforcement capacity has been systematically dismantled. Between January and May 2025, the IRS workforce shrank by 25 percent, and IRS-CI lost about 10 percent of its staff. The IRS-CI special agent workforce has been slashed by more than 20 percent since 2010. Meanwhile, the Trump Administration has pulled IRS-CI special agents away from tax enforcement to work on immigration efforts and crime task forces.

The senators noted that IRS-CI has a proven track record of recovering billions by taking down major schemes—including a $2 billion unreported income case involving the late billionaire Robert Brockman that recovered $750 million, and an offshore banking scheme where Credit Suisse helped conceal $4 billion in undeclared accounts, recovering $511 million. For every dollar spent, IRS-CI brings in $16 in direct returns, even before considering dollars saved through deterrence.

“Aggressive tax avoidance and abusive schemes are getting more sophisticated. When the IRS can’t pursue these cases, honest taxpayers pay the price,” the senators added. “Tax shelter promoters are watching. As one former Justice Department Tax Division leader warned, ‘Tax shelter schemes are a pretty lucrative business. If I’m a promoter, I’m watching press releases, reading the report, listening to try to hear the footsteps of enforcement coming up behind me.’ When those footsteps grow quieter, cheaters grow bolder.”

The senators concluded by requesting answers no later than February 27, 2026 to their questions about what caused the collapse and how IRS-CI plans to maintain enforcement capacity as it braces for another 20 percent loss in special agents over the next two years.

In May 2025, Wyden and nine Democratic colleagues wrote to Treasury Secretary Bessent asking whether the Department had analyzed how slashing the IRS workforce by up to 40 percent would likely allow ultra-wealthy tax cheats off the hook and hamper customer service for working families.

The letter was led by U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I. In addition to Wyden and Merkley, the letter is signed by U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., Angus King, I-Maine, Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., and Bernie Sanders, I-Vt.

The full letter is here.

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Sen. Moran Secures Federal Investment for K-State Olathe Advanced Manufacturing Program

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) – chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice and Science (CJS) – secured more than $5 million in federal resources for Kansas State University Olathe to purchase advanced manufacturing equipment. This funding was approved by Congress as part of a three-bill appropriations package, and it was signed into law by the President on Friday, January 23rd.

“The future of our state depends on a strong workforce that is equipped with the tools to meet tomorrow’s challenges,” said Sen. Moran. “Kansas State University Olathe’s advanced manufacturing program plays a critical role in training students for successful futures, while giving them the opportunity to build their careers here at home. By investing in programs like these, we can support our state’s workforce, strengthen the local economy and keep Kansas talent right here in our state.”

“Senator Moran has been a steadfast champion for Kansas and for the students and employers counting on a workforce ready for what’s next,” said Richard Linton, President, Kansas State University. “This investment in Kansas State University Olathe will help us expand advanced manufacturing training with the modern equipment today’s industry demands and create opportunity for learners, support Kansas companies, and keep homegrown talent right here in our state. We’re grateful for Senator Moran’s leadership and for this partnership that helps K-State grow solutions for Kansas, now and for generations to come.”

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Moreno Bill to Ban Welfare Recipients from Sending Remittances Abroad

WASHINGTON – Today, Senator Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio) introduced the Stopping Transfers of Public Funds Abroad Act to protect American taxpayers by penalizing welfare recipients who send remittances to foreign countries.

“For decades, Washington’s failed welfare program rewarded dependency while enabling fraudsters and criminals to exploit the system to take advantage of American taxpayers,” said Senator Moreno. “If an individual has enough cash to send money overseas, they have no business taking welfare benefits from hardworking Americans. The abuse ends now.”

The Stopping Transfers of Public Funds Abroad Act requires that individuals who want to conduct international wire transfers certify that they do not receive public assistance. If they fail disclose this information, Senator Moreno’s legislation fines them $100,000.


PASSED: Murray Secures Hundreds of Millions for Transportation & Housing Projects Across WA in Final Appropriations Bills; Boosts Funding for Medical Research, Housing, Child Care & More

In a major victory for Seattle’s biomedical research hubs and Washington families, Senator Murray prevents Trump’s devastating cuts to NIH and research into lifesaving cures and treatments

Murray led efforts to safeguard critical federal funding that underpins Washington state housing and homelessness safety nets

Murray protects Washington transit agencies from the downstream effects of catastrophic House Republican cuts to federal funding for public transit

As Congress’s top advocate for child care, Murray holds firm, secures funding boosts for federal child care and Head Start funding

Overall across 11 funding bills, Murray secures nearly $500 million in Congressionally Directed Spending for WA projects and helps set aside over $5 billion in programmatic funding for Washington state

Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, led Senate passage of five additional fiscal year 2026 appropriations bills and celebrated major wins for Washington state in the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies; Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies; Financial Services and General Government; and Defense Appropriations Bills. The bills passed the Senate by a 71-29 vote today.

Throughout negotiations as the top Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Committee, Senator Murray fought to protect the programs and investments that matter most to working families in Washington state, and reject Trump’s draconian proposed cuts and defeated every Republican poison pill rider—protecting investments in public health, education, affordable housing, transportation, biomedical research, and more—while reasserting Congress’ power of the purse.

Senator Murray secured over $121 million in Congressionally Directed Spending (CDS) in this legislation for local, community-based projects across Washington state. This figure is on top of the more than $5 billion Murray secured in direct funding for Washington state in the three-bill funding package that passed the Senate earlier in January. When combining all of the Fiscal Year 2026 funding bills Murray authored and passed, she secured nearly $500 million in Congressionally Directed Spending for WA projects and has helped set aside over $5 billion in programmatic funding for Washington state. This does not include funding for national programs that will later be allocated on a competitive or formula-specific basis.

A full, searchable list of funded CDS projects Senator Murray secured in this package is available HERE.

“I keep my promises—President Trump’s budget is in the trash, and an entirely new one is headed to his desk, waiting to be signed into law,” Senator Murray said.

“President Trump tried to demolish the NIH and the work it supports—an attack on Seattle’s world-class biomedical research institutions, and families searching for new treatments and cures for devastating diseases. I fought back and protected that funding so that the lifesaving cancer and vaccine research happening at Fred Hutch and so many other places can continue full steam ahead.

“I led efforts to safeguard critical federal funding for Washington state’s housing and homelessness programs from Trump’s attacks because families in our state deserve a roof over their heads.

“When House Republicans’ catastrophic cuts threatened to nearly defund federal funding for public transit entirely, I made sure that didn’t happen so that transit agencies like Sound Transit can keep pushing forward with the most ambitious public transit expansion in the country.

“Trump wanted to outright abolish the Department of Education—I pressed Congress to find its voice and say NO. And as a proud former preschool teacher, I stood up for parents and kids to secure funding increases for federal child care programs and Head Start—because Congress needs to focus on making life more affordable for working families.

“As long as I am at the table, Washington state’s priorities are going to be federal priorities. Even after tough negotiations, these funding bills better reflect our values—not Trump’s. I made certain that Congress–not Trump–had the final say on how our taxpayer dollars get spent.”

Highlights, key provisions, and funding Senator Murray secured in these 5 additional funding bills are below:

Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Bill

“At the start of Trump’s term, I met with top clinical researchers in Seattle and across our state, worried that the President might permanently undo decades of scientific progress by obliterating NIH—by passing this bill, we’ve outright rejected those efforts, securing a major victory for scientific progress and the groundbreaking biomedical research that powers so much of Western Washington’s economy,” Senator Murray said.

“Just a year ago, I had been hearing from educators across our state, worried about the complete decimation of the Department of Education. And while the damage Trump has done to federal investments in education can’t be overstated, I managed to rally bipartisan support in Congress to continue to fund and support so much of the critical work that the Department of Education does to support students, families and our local schools and universities here in Washington state.

“I was also able to secure tens of millions in Congressionally Directed Spending for community health centers and hospitals, Tribal health care facilities, early education programs, and so many other important community projects across Washington state that will help set kids and families up for success.

“As costs rise across the board in Donald Trump’s America, I fought hard to protect funding for Pell Grants and secure increased resources for Head Start, LIHEAP, and other programs essential to helping working families get by. Importantly, this bill keeps America at the forefront of lifesaving biomedical research—rejecting Trump’s catastrophic proposed 40 percent cut to NIH and blocking this administration from capping indirect cost rates, slashing NIH research grants, and other cruel efforts to destroy lifesaving research and families’ hope for new treatments and cures.”

Senator Murray secured:

$8.8 billion for the Child Care and Development Block Grant program (CCDBG)—an $85 million or increase over fiscal year 2025—and $12.36 billion for Head Start, an $85 million increase over last year’s funding level. Sustained annual increases of federal investments in child care and Head Start are critical in tackling the child care crisis and helping to ensure more families can find and afford the quality, affordable child care and early childhood education options they need.

Senator Murray also protected funding for Preschool Development Grants, which were proposed to be eliminated in both the President’s budget request and the House Republicans’ bill.

$48.7 billion, a $415 million increase for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to strengthen biomedical research, including $226 million for Senator Murray’s landmark 21st Century Cures Act. The bill delivers funding boosts for NIH’s Office of Research on Women’s Health (+$30 million), Alzheimer’s disease (+$100 million), cancer (+$128 million), allergies and infectious disease (+23 million), ALS (+$15 million), maternal mortality (+$10 million), diabetes (+$10 million), and rare diseases (+$10 million). Senator Murray continues to be the leading Democratic voice speaking out for more investments in biomedical research and protecting NIH, and this bill is an important step in preventing the Trump administration from decimating the biomedical research enterprise Congress has built in a bipartisan manner over decades, which has long been the envy of the world and drives medical innovation that has saved millions of lives.

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

The bill includes a new provision that prevents implementation of the Office of Management and Budget’s misguided policy for NIH to fund significantly more multiyear research grants in one lump sum. This poorly thought-out policy would significantly cut the number of research grants NIH awards — just as it did in fiscal year 2025 when it resulted in 2,000 fewer research grants being funded.

The bill also includes a new authority for NIH to address loopholes in sexual harassment reporting and strengthen accountability.

Protects $9.1 billion in funding for CDC—rejecting Trump’s plan to cut $4 billion from the agency.

Protects funding for reproductive health programs, including$287 million for Title X and $101 million for the Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program, rejecting Trump and House Republicans’ push to defund—and therefore eliminate—both programs.

The bill also includes $5 million in funding for a new initiative through the HHS Office of Women’s Health to support state/Tribal data collection efforts to improve access to forensic exams following sexual assault, furthering Senator Murray’s hard-fought efforts on the Survivors’ Access to Supportive Care Act.

The bill also includes $5 million for a new Menopause Research to Action initiative which will focus on scaling up promising research and care delivery models into routine clinical practice for mid-life women’s health care.

Rejects Trump’s proposal to eliminate SAMHSA and protects its funding, including a $5 million increase to the Mental Health Block Grant, an additional $5 million for the Substance Use Prevention and Recovery Services Block Grant, a $20 million increase for State Opioid Response grants, and a $15 million increase for the 988 Lifeline.

Protects and builds on investments in elementary and secondary education, and in public schools, teachers, and students, providing $79 billion in funding for the Department of Education—rejecting drastic cuts proposed by Trump and House Republicans. A senior member and former chair of the HELP Committee, Senator Murray has championed students and families at every stage of her career—fighting to help ensure every child in America can get a high-quality public education. Senator Murray has been leading the fight in Congress to push back against President Trump’s reckless efforts to dismantle the Department of Education and hurt students and families nationwide.

Title I-A grants receive $18.427 billion, an increase of $20 million.

IDEA Special Education State grant programs receive a combined $15.194 billion—a $20 million increase—rejecting Trump’s proposal to consolidate the Preschool grant program.

Protects investments in key federal workforce training programs that Murray reauthorized when she passed the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act in 2014 and has funded every year since. The legislation also rejects President Trump’s harmful proposal to block grant most workforce training programs.

Rejects Trump and House Republicans’ proposal to eliminate the Women’s Bureau, and protects $23 million in funding for the agency and includes new language requiring that amount to be spent by the Bureau.

$191 million for the Employee Benefits Security Administration for retirement security legislation and strengthen requirements to ensure private health plans comply with mental health and substance use disorder parity requirements.

$260 million for the Wage and Hour Division to work to combat exploitative child labor and prevent wage theft and worker misclassification.

$1.45 billion for Career and Technical Education (CTE) grants, and $729 million for adult education grants, to continue investing in further education programs that prepare Americans for the workforce.

Protects $140 million for the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR), rejecting Trump and House Republicans’ proposed $49 million cut to the agency—OCR is critical in enforcing federal civil rights laws that prohibit discrimination for schools, ensuring every student has a safe and stable learning environment.

$5 million for Senator Murray’s youth homelessness prevention demonstration program, a $1 million increase—based on her proposed preventing youth homelessness demonstration program—which will provide grants to state, local, and Tribal governments and non-profit community-based organizations to provide primary prevention services for youth at risk of homelessness.

Requires in law that DOL, HHS, ED, and AmeriCorps maintain adequate staffing levels to fulfill statutory responsibilities, including carrying out programs funded in the bill in a timely manner.

Senator Murray also secured $34.986 million for 26 CDS projects in the bill, which are listed HERE.

A full summary of the bill Senator Murray negotiated is available HERE.

Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Bill

“Washington state’s affordable housing and homelessness crisis was top of mind for me throughout negotiations—I worked hard to secure a nine percent funding boost for housing programs, and I made sure this bill rejected Trump’s devastating cuts and put new guardrails in place to stop his administration’s sabotage of homelessness assistance grants. We must do a lot more at every level of government to address the housing affordability crisis, but this bill takes important steps in the right direction,” said Senator Murray.

“House Republicans’ efforts to essentially zero out public transit funding was simply a nonstarter as long as I was going to be at the negotiating table. When House Republicans’ catastrophic cuts threatened to nearly defund federal funding for public transit, I made sure that didn’t happen so that transit agencies like Sound Transit can keep pushing forward with the most ambitious public transit expansion in the country.”

On $82 million for bus rapid transit in Spokane:

“I’m proud to be bringing home $82 million for bus rapid transit in Spokane—this funding will help people get to where they need to go, whether that’s for work, school, or the doctor’s office. When we build connections through public transit, we’re growing economic opportunity for small business owners and workers alike,” Senator Murray said.

On $100 million to build light rail for the I-5 Bridge Replacement:

“My commitment to the I-5 Bridge replacement project is unshakeable, and I am proud to secure $100 million to support light rail for this critical project—building light rail here will greatly improve connectivity between Vancouver and Portland, delivering a major win-win for Southwest Washington and Oregon,” Senator Murray said.

On investing in transportation across Washington state:

“Through this legislation, I was able to secure key infrastructure investments across our state, including $25 million for a new bridge program aimed at addressing critical needs in Adams and Grant Counties, alongside funding for so many other important local projects. I worked hard to secure new federal funding streams for Washington State Ferries, new resources for emerging pollutants and stormwater management to protect our salmon, and funding for aviation research, where Washington state is leading the way. And I made certain we boosted investments to retain and hire more air traffic controllers—I’ll always have their backs in Congress to ensure we keep people safe while flying—and critical aviation safety personnel to maintain oversight of Boeing,” said Senator Murray.

“These are investments that really matter to our communities—I will never stop fighting to make sure Washington state gets its fair share of federal funding.”

For housing, Senator Murray secured:

A $4.1 billion—or 6 percent—increase in rental assistance and homeless assistance programs, rejecting President Trump’s proposals to block-grant and impose harmful work requirements and time limits on these critical programs that support over 10 million Americans. This includes:

$38.4 billion for tenant-based rental assistance—a $2.4 billion boost—to continue to serve more than 2.3 million very low- and extremely low-income households nationwide.

$18.5 billion for project-based rental assistance, an increase of $1.6 billion above last year’s funding level, to continue to house more than 1.3 million very low- and low-income households nationwide.

$4.4 billion for the Homeless Assistance Grants Program, a $366 million increase over fiscal year 2025. The bill includes $107 million in new funding to address youth homelessness and $52 million in new funding to support survivors of domestic violence.

New guardrails to protect Continuum of Care (CoC) grants from Trump administration sabotage. The legislation requires HUD to automatically renew Continuum of Care grants that are expiring in 2026 if HUD does not make awards for fiscal year 2025 funds by the beginning of each quarter in 2026. Washington state, alongside other states and nonprofits, has sued HUD over their delay in getting fiscal year 2025 grants out the door and the radical and illegal policy changes the Trump administration has tried to make to how these funds are distributed—moves that have jeopardized housing for hundreds of thousands of Americans and jobs at organizations who assist people experiencing homelessness. Senator Murray held a roundtable in Everett last year to discuss Trump’s threats to CoC grants and her efforts to fight back.

Funding and new flexibilities to continue supporting over 50,000 Emergency Housing Vouchers for people experiencing homelessness and fleeing domestic violence and human trafficking. This program faced a funding cliff that, if left unaddressed, would have cut 110,000 individuals off from housing assistance.

Maintains $1.25 billion for the HOME Investment Partnerships Program, the largest federal block grant to states and local governments to expand the supply of affordable housing. President Trump and House Republicans tried to eliminate this program entirely.

Protects funding for the Community Development Block Grant Program and Native American Programs—important funding sources for state, local, and Tribal governments to carry out housing and economic development activities.

$156 million—a $16 million boost—for the Family Self-Sufficiency Program, to renew service coordinators that help Section 8 and public housing residents achieve self-sufficiency and economic independence. This program has been used by a number of housing authorities in Washington state to help families access services including job training, employment counseling, financial literacy, and homeownership counseling.

$25.712 million in Congressionally Directed Spending (CDS) for local affordable housing projects in communities across Washington state.

$15.9 million in Congressionally Directed Spending (CDS) for local projects providing critical resources like childcare, affordable food, diapers and hygiene supplies, and housing services.

For transportation, Senator Murray secured:

An $824 million increase to help modernize the air traffic control system, and full funding to support the FAA’s hiring surge of air traffic controllers.

$25 million for a new bridge grant program aimed at helping Adams and Grant counties with replacing or rehabilitating rural bridges impacted by the Bureau of Reclamation’s ongoing Odessa Ground Water Replacement project.

$25 million for urban ferry grants, $5 million above last year’s funding level. Washington State Ferries has successfully competed for funding through this program.

$20 million for rural ferry grants, equal to last year’s funding level. The legislation also includes new language to ensure Washington State Ferries can compete for this funding, and applies this new language to prior fiscal year funding that remains available for rural ferry grants.

$1.7 billion for the Federal Transit Administration’s Capital Investment Grants (CIG) program—rejecting House Republicans’ proposal to slash CIG funding by 98 percent.The legislation includes new provisions to force the Administration to execute the CIG program, including a table detailing which projects to fund at what amount, and requires DOT to make allocations according to the table no later than 120 days after enactment. In Washington state, the bill funds:

$100 million for the light rail component of the I-5 Bridge Replacement Program;

$82 million for Spokane Transit’s Division Street bus rapid transit project; and

$100 million for the Expedited Project Delivery program to support future Sound Transit projects.

$35.5 million for the ASCENT Center of Excellence led by Washington State University.

$15 million for the Joint Center of Excellence for Advanced Materials (JAMS), which includes the University of Washington.

$9 million and additional aviation safety personnel, including to support FAA’s oversight of Boeing, and report language to proactively address National Transportation Safety Board recommendations from the Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 incident in 2024.

$6.2 million in new funding for stormwater management technologies to reduce the impact of 6PPD on salmon-bearing streams.

$200 million for the Tribal Transportation Program, a $50 million increase over last year.

$100 million to help host cities throughout the country—including Seattle—provide transit service to support the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

$39.617 million in Congressionally Directed Spending (CDS) for local transportation projects in communities across Washington state.

Overall in the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Bill, Senator Murray secured $81.229 million for 29 CDS projects, listed HERE.

A full summary of the bill Senator Murray negotiated is available HERE.

Financial Services and General Government Bill

“This bill invests in our small businesses, increases funding for public defenders who make sure people’s Sixth Amendment rights are protected, and supports critical economic development programs that rural communities and Tribes in Washington state rely on,” said Senator Murray. “I’m excited to be bringing home in this bill $30 million for a new National Archives facility in the Seattle area, so it can better preserve Washington state’s rich Tribal and local history for generations to come. I was also able to secure $2 million for the Northwest Native Chamber for technical assistance for small businesses and to support Tribal entrepreneurship, and over $1 million to increase the number of child care providers in Southwest Washington—which is critical to addressing the region’s child care crisis.”

Among many other things, Senator Murray secured:

$1.766 billion for federal public defenders, a nearly 22 percent increase above fiscal year 2025. Fully funding defender services will help ensure defendants across the country will be represented by paid, effective counsel—protecting their Sixth Amendment rights.

$30 million for planning and design of a new long-term records storage facility for the National Archives and Records Administration’s facility in the Seattle area to continue providing our region’s federally recognized Tribes, local and state governments, and general population with access to invaluable historical resources. In 2019, the federal government attempted to sell the current property at Sand Point and relocate the contents. Each year since then, Senator Murray has worked to develop a long-term solution that keeps the records in the Seattle region and ensures the records and archives are safely maintained and accessible.

$28 million for the Native American Community Development Financial Institutions Program to support Native communities’ access to capital and financial services, and $20 million for the State Trade Expansion Promotion (STEP) Program, which helps small businesses improve their access to overseas markets and the value of their exports. The Washington State Department of Commerce has received funding under STEP for 10 years.

$46 million—a $5 million increase over fiscal year 2024—for the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program to support free tax preparation services for underserved taxpayers through community partner organizations.

Senator Murray also secured $5.034 million for 3 CDS projects in the bill, which are listed HERE.

A full summary of the bill Senator Murray negotiated is available HERE.

Defense Bill

“This compromise legislation provides a much-needed pay boost for our servicemembers and invests in critical infrastructure and repairs at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Washington state—I will always do everything in my power to support our servicemembers and military families,” said Senator Murray.

Among other things, Senator Murray secured in the legislation$186 million for accelerated dry dock infrastructure upgrades at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility. This funding will ensure that our submarines and aircraft carriers will remain combat-ready and that future maintenance schedules remain on schedule.

The legislation provides a 3.8 percent pay raise for servicemembers, increased funding for allowances permanent change of station costs and funding for bonuses and new resources to help military families make ends meet. The bill provides funding to help survivors of sexual assault and prevent sexual assault in the military—a longtime priority for Senator Murray—and funding to reduce suicide in the military.

The bill Senator Murray negotiated also provides key oversight of Child Development Centers (CDCs) and directs the Department to review its procedures related to child abuse investigations to ensure full transparency with military families. Senator Murray also secured $15 million for additional medical research to help better support our military families. This includes research for infertility associated with military aviators and aviation support personnel.

A full summary of the bill Senator Murray negotiated is available HERE.

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Senate Passes Five Funding Bills, Strips Out DHS Bill to Ensure Negotiations Proceed to Rein in ICE and CBP

Washington, D.C. — Today, in a 71-29 vote, the Senate passed five more fiscal year 2026 appropriations bills: the Defense; Financial Services and General Government; Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies; National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs; and Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies appropriations bills. The amended package strips the Homeland Security bill out of the six-bill package sent over by the House last week and starts a two-week clock to renegotiate the bill.

“Today, the Senate voted to pass five funding bills that invest in working families and reject President Trump’s catastrophic cuts—while splitting off the DHS funding bill and forcing Congress to take action to rein in ICE and CBP,” said Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee. “I said we’d put President Trump’s budget in the shredder, and that is exactly what Congress has done. President Trump fought to gut funding for cancer research, kick millions out of their homes, and slash investments in students across America—but Democrats fought back, so these bills do nothing of the sort. Because Democrats were at the table, we protected public education, affordable housing, and so many programs that working people count on every day. Importantly, passing these bills reasserts Congress’ power over spending and means that President Trump and his cabinet secretaries will no longer have the legal authority to unilaterally defund programs to fund their own priorities—or to pick and choose what projects get funding. There’s more work ahead to get these bills signed into law and to rein in Kristi Noem’s out-of-control Department of Homeland Security. If Republicans want Democratic votes for a Homeland Security funding bill, they need to work with us to rein in these rogue agencies.”

Text of the amended funding package will be available HERE.

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DEFENSE

“We are living through a dangerous moment, as our adversaries increasingly collaborate, and we need more than ever to strengthen our ties with our allies. We recognize that in the Senate, which is why this bill invests in next-generation weapons and munitions to deter Russia and China. It strengthens ties with partners and allies like Ukraine, NATO members, the Philippines, Australia, and Taiwan,” said Chris Coons (D-DE), Ranking Member of the Defense Subcommittee. “It also supports the service members, civilians, and their families who sacrifice so much to keep us safe by raising their salaries, adding more funding for child care, and funding new medical research programs. I am glad the Senate has passed this bill, and I urge the president to sign it as soon as possible so our service members can stop worrying about their pay and equipment and remain focused on keeping us safe.”

A summary of the Defense bill is available HERE. The bill report is available HERE.

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FINANCIAL SERVICES AND GENERAL GOVERNMENT

“The federal government must work effectively for all Americans, and we must ensure taxpayers get a strong return on their investment. While I would like more resources to prevent tax avoidance by the wealthiest and increased transparency in the bill, it provides critical funds for election security, economic development, small business support, and needed increases for federal public defenders as well as court security,” said Jack Reed (D-RI), Ranking Member of the Financial Services and General Government Subcommittee. “It also makes needed investments to protect American consumers, safeguard our democracy, support the agencies that work on behalf of the American people, and bolster national security.”

A summary of the FSGG bill is available HERE. The bill report is available HERE.

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LABOR, HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, EDUCATION, AND RELATED AGENCIES

“This bill sends a clear message to President Trump that the American people do not want to cut funding for cancer research, our students and schools, or for tools to fight the opioid epidemic,” said Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Ranking Member of the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Subcommittee. “Our bipartisan bill puts a check on the President and his continual habit of using the federal government like his slush fund to bankroll his pet projects while slashing programs families rely on. While this bill does not accomplish everything the people I work for are demanding, it will undoubtedly do good for American families. It will help ensure our schools are funded, people get the health care they need, and new cures and treatments for devastating diseases remain within reach. The House needs to pass this bill immediately and send it to the President’s desk.”

A summary of the LHHS bill is available HERE. The bill report is available HERE.

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STATE, FOREIGN OPERATIONS, AND RELATED PROGRAMS

“A year after President Trump began illegally and recklessly gutting American foreign assistance, this bill is proof that there remains broad, bipartisan support for critical investments that advance our national interests and promote our values. It preserves what’s working and restores funding for a range of priorities, including U.S. engagement in the Indo-Pacific, global food security in partnership with American universities, economic growth and development, and global health. The bill also sustains our investments in our diplomatic workforce and rejects the president’s efforts to retreat from multilateral institutions and shutter independent agencies like the U.S. Agency for International Development and the U.S. Agency for Global Media. Together, these investments will save lives, strengthen our alliances and partnerships around the world, rebuild American competitiveness, and make Americans safer at home,” said Brian Schatz (D-HI), Ranking Member of the State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Subcommittee. “Nevertheless, I’m disappointed by some of the steep cuts to important programs. We can’t do more with less when global instability is at an all-time high, and though we’ve enhanced transparency and oversight mechanisms and limited the flexibility that the administration abused over the last year, we should have gone further to counter the administration’s attacks on effective, longstanding programs and partnerships. This is only a first, but important, step in rebuilding American foreign assistance. Now that the bill is one step closer to becoming law, I look forward to ensuring it is faithfully implemented as Secretary Rubio committed to this week.”

A summary of the National Security-State bill is available HERE. The bill report is available HERE.

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TRANSPORTATION, HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT, AND RELATED AGENCIES

“Over the past year, the Trump administration has made repeated attempts to cut off federal support for vital infrastructure projects and housing programs, jeopardizing billions of dollars in funding for New York State alone,” said Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Ranking Member of the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Subcommittee. “I am proud that the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development funding bill that the Senate passed today makes major investments in keeping Americans safe, both in transit and in their homes. This includes significant new funding for the Federal Aviation Administration to maintain the safety of our air traffic control system; full funding for Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor and National Network; and critical support for important transit projects in New York. Amidst our nation’s ongoing affordability crisis, the bill also invests heavily in increasing the supply of affordable housing to lower housing costs, rejects the president’s irresponsible proposal to cut rental assistance for the over 10 million Americans who rely on HUD programs, increases funding for homeless assistance grants, and sustains targeted investments to support homeless veterans, youth, and survivors of domestic violence. I am encouraged that these initiatives had wide bipartisan support, and I will keep fighting to secure funding for our critical infrastructure, both in New York and across the country.”

A summary of the THUD bill is available HERE. The bill report is available HERE.

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Throughout negotiations on the five funding bills, Democrats fought to protect the programs and investments that matter most to working families across the country. Among much else, the five-bill package:

PROTECTS FAMILIES’ FINANCES: Invests in programs people count on every day—and rejects President Trump and House Republicans’ cruel cuts that would have taken money out of families’ pockets.

PROTECTS PELL GRANTS: Rejects President Trump’s push to cut the maximum Pell Grant by more than $1000 and protects the full $7,395 maximum grant.

KEEPS AMERICANS HOUSED: Rejects President Trump’s plan to slash rental assistance and put over 10 million Americans at risk of losing their housing and ending up on the streets—and instead boosts funding for rental assistance to keep Americans housed.

PROTECTS ENERGY SAVINGS: Provides $20 million more for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program to help working-class families afford to heat and cool their homes.

BOOSTS CHILD CARE FUNDING: Invests $85 million more in the Child Care and Development Block Grant and $85 million more in Head Start to help families find and afford the child care and early education they need.

PROTECTS WORKERS’ WALLETS: Rejects President Trump’s push to significantly cut funding for key agencies that address wage theft, unsafe workplaces, and violations of workers’ rights.

BOOSTS NIH & MEDICAL RESEARCH FUNDING: Rejects President Trump’s plan to slash NIH funding by 40% and instead invests $415 million more into NIH research to discover new, lifesaving treatments and cures. Prevents NIH from implementing OMB’s directive to fund more multi-year research grants in one lump sum, which would have resulted in thousands fewer grants being awarded—and thousands fewer chances of discovering the next medical breakthrough.

REJECTS TRUMP’S HEALTH CUTS: Rejects over $33 billion in proposed cuts to HHS.

REJECTS SUBSTANCE USE & MENTAL HEALTH CUTS: Rejects President Trump’s proposed $1 billion cut to substance use and mental health funding—and instead provides additional resources to help communities tackle the opioid crisis and connect Americans to mental health services.

PROTECTS PUBLIC HEALTH FUNDING: Rejects President Trump’s proposed 50% cut to CDC—instead sustaining essentially flat funding for the agency—and provides targeted funding increases for key pandemic preparedness programs.

INVESTS IN WOMEN’S HEALTH:Protects funding for Title X and the Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program, boosts funding for maternal health, and funds a new menopause initiative.

INVESTS IN STUDENTS’ FUTURES: Rejects $12 billion in proposed cuts at the Department of Education and instead strengthens investments in education while protecting key programs Trump sought to scrap.

INVESTS IN TACKLING HOMELESSNESS: Delivers $4.4 billion for Homeless Assistance Grants—a $366 million increase over fiscal year 2025—to help communities across the country address homelessness.

INVESTS IN MILITARY FAMILIES: Fully funds the 3.8% across-the-board pay raise for servicemembers, as well as the junior enlisted pay raise, and makes new investments to support military families.

INVESTS IN AMERICA’S NATIONAL SECURITY: Rejects proposals to cut off investments in security partnerships with America’s allies and delivers new funding to modernize our defenses.

SUPPORTS SMALL BUSINESSES: Rejects President Trump’s push to slash funding to invest in America’s small businesses, instead providing $1.25 billion for the Small Business Administration and the grants and loans it provides to communities nationwide.

INVESTS IN COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT: Rejects President Trump’s proposal to slash funding for the Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) Fund by 59%, as well as House Republicans’ proposed 15% cut—protecting current funding and ensuring adequate staffing levels to administer the Fund.

SUPPORTS PUBLIC DEFENDERS: Provides a much-needed 22% increase in funding ($1.766 billion) for Federal Defenders to reimburse panel attorneys who make up 40% of the federal defender workforce and help protect Americans’ Sixth Amendment right to counsel in criminal proceedings.

REJECTS CATASTROPHIC FOREIGN ASSISTANCE CUTS: Rejects President Trump and House Republicans’ most extreme cuts to investments in foreign assistance and America’s global leadership. The bill provides $19 billion more in funding than President Trump’s request—and $3.8 billion more than House Republicans’ bill.

REJECTS EXTREME REPUBLICAN RIDERS: Rejects all poison pill riders included in House Republicans’ draft bills.

REASSERTS CONGRESSIONAL CONTROL: Prevents President Trump and his cabinet secretaries from unilaterally deciding how to spend taxpayer dollars. Right now, the Trump administration has significantly more discretion to decide how to allocate federal funding thanks to Republicans’ yearlong continuing resolution for fiscal year 2025, which failed to provide detailed funding directives for hundreds of programs and turned over decision-making power to the executive branch to fill in the gaps itself. These bills provide detailed directives about how funds are to be spent, and they strengthen key oversight, accountability, and transparency measures to help ensure that Congress—not the executive branch—decides how taxpayer dollars are spent.

***An online version of this release is available here***

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Senator Murray Floor Remarks on Senate Passage of Five More Funding Bills

ICYMI: Senate Passes Five Funding Bills, Strips Out DHS Bill to Ensure Negotiations Proceed to Rein in ICE and CBP

***WATCH: Senator Murray’s remarks***

Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, spoke on the Senate floor after Senate passage of five more fiscal year 2026 appropriations bills she helped negotiate: the Defense; Financial Services and General Government; Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies; National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs; and Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies appropriations bills. The amended package stripped the Homeland Security bill out of the six-bill package sent over by the House last week and starts a two-week clock to renegotiate the bill.

More information on the bills can be found HERE.

Senator Murray’s remarks, as delivered, are below:

“Earlier tonight, we voted to pass five crucial funding bills—while splitting off the DHS bill so that Congress is forced to reckon with the horrific killings we have all witnessed, and negotiations can continue to secure the reforms Americans are demanding. This is the common-sense path forward that Democrats have laid out all week.

“We have a lot more work to do on DHS, and I will have a lot more to say as those negotiations continue. But I want to focus right now on the five bills we just passed—which fund 95 percent of the remaining federal budget.

[NORTH STAR IN NEGOTIATIONS]

“From the very start of this process, I made clear we needed to tear up Trump’s budget, and reassert Congress’ power of the purse, to make the voices of our constituents heard. Now, these are not the bills I’d write on my own—there is much more I want to do to rein in Trump and there is much more I want to do to invest in our communities.

“There is always more work to do—and that is especially true when Republicans control the House, the Senate, and the White House.

“But these bills show that when Democrats roll up our sleeves, demand a seat at the table, and drive the hardest bargain we can, we do have the power to reject devastating cuts proposed by President Trump, protect programs that families rely on, and take power back from this out-of-control administration.

“Truly, the difference between the bills we have in front of us and President Trump’s absurd budget request, or the House Republican budget that cuts like there’s no tomorrow, or another yearlong CR that enables all kinds of misuse and corruption by Trump, is night and day.

“Because Democrats were at the table, there are real, meaningful wins that we secured in this package: real funding that will help families struggling to get by, real progress to reject some of the sabotage Trump has done to our economy and our standing in the world, and real accountability that will help stop Trump and Vought from stealing from our states.

[LABOR-HHS-EDUCATION BILL]

“Just take a look at the Labor-H bill. Last year, Trump did everything he could to sabotage lifesaving medical research happening across the country. He fired thousands of federal researchers, he froze critical research mid-study, and he held up billions of dollars that should have been going to researchers nationwide, including in Washington state.

“Work on cancer treatments, Alzheimer’s, diabetes, heart disease—and much more—all of that was put in grave jeopardy. And if that weren’t enough—Trump proposed taking an ax to medical research with a whopping 40% cut! The bill that we just passed says—no, we are not doing that.

“Instead of slashing medical research funding by 40%, we are going to invest nearly half a billion dollars more. It rejects Trump’s plan to gut NIH funding. It, once again, rejects his illegal plan to set a cap that would devastate biomedical research institutes across the country.

“And it rejects Russ Vought’s scheme to have NIH award all of its multi-year grants in one lump sum—something that would mean thousands fewer grants awarded, and thousands fewer chances to discover medical breakthroughs.

“Protecting NIH funding is a huge deal for researchers across the country—including in my home state of Washington, where places like UW, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, and so many others are leading the way on medical research that saves lives.

“Now the Trump administration has also attacked our public health infrastructure in all kinds of ways.

“Earlier this month, his Administration came this close to outright canceling billions in funding for mental health care and substance use prevention and treatment before the outcry forced them to reverse course. Well, our bill rejects President Trump’s asks to rubberstamp his public health sabotage. Instead, it doubles down on lifesaving public health investments.

“It rejects Trump’s efforts to slash opioid response funds, it rejects his proposal to chop CDC in half, and it rejects his call to end programs like Title X, the Teen Pregnancy Program, essential HIV initiatives, and more.

“In another sign of just how out of touch Trump is, we’ve seen him attack child care—trying to rip out a cornerstone of our economy, regardless of how many kids and working parents it would hurt, regardless of how many small businesses it would send spiraling.

“Trump also tried to eliminate Preschool Development Grants. Our bill sustains this funding—and increases funding for programs like Head Start, and the Child Care Development Block Grant. Make no mistake, this was an uphill battle given the really tough funding constraints we faced this year—but I fought hard, and we got this done.

“This bill also rejects Trump’s dream of slashing public education funding—and instead provides a bit more for our K-12 schools.

“All told, we rejected $12 billion in proposed cuts at the Department of Education and President Trump’s request to abolish the Department. President Trump wanted to slash the maximum Pell Grant by over $1000—and we said absolutely not.

“And, right now, we are still learning new details about how Trump and his DOGE flunkies misused Americans’ Social Security information and did untold damage to the Social Security Administration.

“Every American should be outraged by the way this administration has tried to sabotage Social Security—and I made sure our bill increases funding so SSA can start to repair some of the damage. And that’s just in the LHHS bill.

[TRANSPORTATION-HUD BILL]

“In the THUD bill,Democrats refused to go along with Trump’s deep cuts to rental assistance programs. Instead of letting our billionaire President kick millions of Americans out of their homes, we are, in this bill, investing over $4 billion more in rental assistance to help families keep a roof over their heads.

“Instead of Trump’s plan to saw the Department of Housing and Urban Development in half, we secured an historic $7.2 billion increase that will help keep families in their homes, build more affordable housing, and address homelessness across the country.

“This bill provides $366 million more for homeless assistance grants.We rejected Trump’s push to zero out programs that help our low-income families with legal assistance when they face eviction, and give people a hand up, by helping them improve their financial security and job skills.

“Trump even wanted to eliminate several programs that support affordable housing and community development—this bill says no to all of that. It says—we are not going to stop making progress, and we are not going to stop building affordable housing and critical infrastructure in our communities. It also includes tens of millions of dollars I worked hard to secure for affordable housing projects in communities across Washington state.

“Make no mistake, there is way more we need to do to tackle the affordable housing and homelessness crisis—this is an issue that is always top of mind for me as a Senator from Washington state. But every bit of progress we can get, is progress we must take.

“When it comes to transportation, we were able to increase funding for air safety. We secured crucial investments for highways, bridges, ports, and more.

“We rejected the House Republicans’ plan to zero out funding for Amtrak, making sure to meet the full Amtrak funding request so our trains can keep running safely and on time.

“And we also rejected the House Republicans’ proposal to slash funding for Capital Investment Grants by an unthinkable 98 percent! Washington state, and many states, relies on Capital Investment Grants to fund many transit projects that really matter to our communities, so decimating our federal investment in public transit? Not on my watch.

“Instead, we secured $1.7 billion for CIG—and we took new steps to specify which projects to fund, at which amounts. For example—this bill sets aside $100 million for light rail on the I-5 bridge for the Interstate Bridge Replacement program, and $82 million for bus rapid transit in Spokane, both projects I’ve been fighting for, for a very long time.

“The guardrails we secured for CIG are one of several updates we fought for throughout these bills to protect those funds from political interference if Trump and Vought try to rob our communities again.

[FSGG BILL]

“The FSGG bill protects some crucial investments in our communities. We rejected Trump’s plan to slash funding for the Small Business Administration by 40 percent. We rejected Trump’s dream of eliminating Election Security grants. And we rejected his proposal to decimate the Community Development Financial Institution Fund.

“That is the CDFI Fund, and it helps communities take on all sorts of challenges like opening childcare centers, providing health services, building affordable housing, and growing small businesses. If Trump had his way—that would have been cut by nearly 60 percent.

“But he didn’t have his way—we worked to maintain the CDFI Fund at the current level. And to make sure it is adequately staffed so Trump can’t try to sabotage this work with mass firings again.

“We also took an important step to prevent Washington D.C. from not being able to spend its own taxpayer dollars again after House Republicans completely shortchanged our Capital last year.

[DEFENSE BILL]

“The Defense bill continues crucial investments and rejects President Trump’s dangerous proposals to further alienate our closest allies and defund important programs that keep our country safe.

“We refused Trump’s pitch to abandon our allies and eliminate funding for Ukraine and the Baltic Security Initiative. We rejected the House Republicans cuts to the Taiwan Security Cooperation Initiative. We rejected a proposal from Trump to cut defense medical research by 40 percent. And we refused Trump’s request for hundreds of millions of dollars to support his dangerous efforts deploying our military against our citizens.

“This bill also includes a much-needed pay boost for our servicemembers and invests in critical infrastructure and repairs at bases across our country, including at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard.

[SFOPS BILL]

“Lastly, the SFOPS bill is a compromise piece of legislation that rejects Trump’s decimation of our foreign assistance agencies and programs. It includes some tough cuts that I don’t support—but it does protect essential investments, and reaffirming that there is, in fact, a large bipartisan majority in Congress that continues to believe our investments abroad are smart and make America safer.

“This bill rebuffs Trump’s vision for a smaller America in a more chaotic world. It provides $19 billion more in funding than President Trump requested—and includes $9.4 billion for global health programs—more than double what Trump requested.

“It protects investments in nutrition programs, in reproductive health programs, for global vaccination efforts that Trump sought to outright eliminate, and to combat HIV, tuberculosis, and malaria.

“It restores funding Trump canceled for economic and development assistance projects tackling issues like education, water and sanitation, food security—including through university partnerships in red states and blue states that Trump had eliminated—and more.

“It rejects his efforts to eliminate all funding for the US to have a seat at the table at the UN and many other international organizations. It rejects the closure of USAID, the U.S. Agency for Global Media and its grantees, and other independent entities.

“And critically, this bill includes new transparency and oversight requirements to close loopholes that were abused by the Trump Administration and help ensure these funds are used as Congress intended.

[REASSERTING CONGRESS’ POWER OF THE PURSE]

“All told, these five bills we passed reject President Trump and House Republicans’ worst ideas to defund programs that Americans actually count on, and they reject every single new and extreme far-right policy rider that was put on the table.

“But as I mentioned at the top, these bills also do one other critical thing, really important: they reassert Congress’ power over spending. That is really important—and it’s something that has guided my thinking at every step of these negotiations.

“We have now passed 11 of our 12 funding bills for the year—and enactment of each of these bills takes power back from this corrupt president.

“Unlike the yearlong CR that passed last March, these bills provide literally hundreds upon hundreds of specific funding levels and directives that this administration must now, by law, follow.

“Is that the answer to all of this administration’s corruption? No, but it is meaningful and it does matter.

“That means that President Trump and his cabinet secretaries will not have the legal authority, again, to cut—or entirely defund—programs Congress, all of us, has funded, just to free up taxpayer dollars for their own priorities.

“And it means Russ Vought does not, again, have the legal authority to pick and choose what projects to fund—robbing blue states of funding and using federal dollars for political retribution.

“No doubt, there is a lot more I would have liked to do in these bills to rein in an out-of-control administration. And while I wish Republicans would have been willing to do more on that front—these bills take a big step forward in ensuring Congress, not Trump, not any president, decides how our taxpayer dollars get spent.

[REJECTING TRUMP’S BUDGET ROADMAP]

“Now—I said earlier—these bills are not what I would have written on my own, but I want to underscore—they are not even close to what President Trump wanted if he had his way.

“But in this country—our budgets aren’t written by presidents. We are not governed by kings. We are governed by the people.

“Like the moms and dads back in Washington state, who I hear from every day, and fight for every day thanks to Article I of our Constitution—it was those families, and this former preschool teacher, someone you might refer to just as a mom in tennis shoes who had the final say on how taxpayer dollars got spent.

“And that’s the beauty of America, M. President. The people elect this Congress and their representatives—preschool teachers, doctors, farmers, lawyers, and even astronauts—we all come together and we, Congress, decide how to fund America’s budget. Not the guy in the White House.

[THANKS]

“Now before I wrap up, I’d like to again acknowledge my colleagues across the Capitol who came to the table with us, to do the hard work of hammering these bills out.

“Getting these funding bills written, and passed, is not simple even under the best of conditions. But it’s so important—that we were able to come together, and write full-year bills that reassert our Congressional power of the purse, and protect so many investments our families rely on.

“So, I want to thank my counterparts— Chair Collins, Chair Cole, Ranking Member DeLauro, and all of their staff, for the endless work on all these packages.

“I’d also like to thank our subcommittee leaders Senator Baldwin and Senator Capito on LHHS, Senator Gillibrand and Senator Hyde-Smith on THUD, Senator Reed and Senator Hagerty on FSGG, Senator Coons and Senator McConnell on Defense, and Senator Schatz and Senator Graham on SFOPS.

“And I’d like to thank their counterparts in the house as well—Representatives: DeLauro and Aderholt, Clyburn and Womack, Hoyer and Joyce, McCollum and Calvert, and Frankel and Diaz-Balart.

[WORK AHEAD TO REIN IN ICE & CBP]

“Of course, our work is not done, there is always more work to do to hold Trump accountable, including the work Democrats have been demanding be part of the DHS funding bill.

“We pushed hard to force Republicans to join us at the table on this because it is plain as day to Americans across the country that ICE and CBP have gotten out of control. We have seen—with our own eyes—how citizens, peaceful protestors, and legal observers are being not just harassed, but assaulted, and detained, and even killed by Trump’s agents.

“The killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti really shock the conscience. They demand action. They demand accountability and justice. Democrats are insisting that happens.

“It’s a good thing that at least some Republicans are finally listening to the American people, who are outraged by what we’re all seeing and who are fed up with the insane lies we have heard from this administration.

“Now they need to join with us to finalize a serious deal, that holds DHS accountable. And I will be pushing very hard to make sure we secure common sense solutions that actually meet this moment and take the reins away from Stephen Miller and Secretary Noem.”

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