Hickenlooper, Cortez Masto, Colleagues Demand Plan from Trump Admin to Combat Insider Trading in Prediction Markets

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senators John Hickenlooper and Catherine Cortez Masto joined ten of their Senate colleagues to demand Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) Chair Michael Selig provide his plan to combat insider trading, manipulation, and fraud in prediction markets. The letter to Selig follows reporting that trading volume for the market on whether Venezuela President Nicolás Maduro would be out of power by the end of the month spiked just six and a half hours before Maduro’s capture was announced.

“A newly created Polymarket account invested $30,000 on Friday in favor of Maduro’s exit, netting more than $436,000 in profit after Maduro was taken into custody Saturday morning. Polymarket even began offering a contract around 3 a.m. Saturday – an hour and a half before President Trump’s official announcement – on whether Maduro would be in U.S. custody by January 31. The trading volume for this contract reached $1.3 million,” wrote the senators.

“Furthermore, the CFTC is expressly prohibited from allowing event contracts that involve gaming. The CFTC itself has made this clear… By abdicating its responsibility to stop gaming in event contracts, the CFTC is violating both the letter and intent of the law and raising serious insider trading and now national security risks,” continued the senators.

Just last year, six individuals accused of participating in an illegal sports betting scheme using insider information received federal charges. Unlike legal sportsbooks, prediction markets do not alert gaming regulators about betting irregularities, which restrict the use of insider information in wagers. The letter also asks the CFTC to address event contracts that create wagers on military operations or other matters of national security risk, which could expose sensitive information to foreign adversaries like China or Russia.

Full letter text is available HERE and below.

Dear Chairman Selig:

As the newly sworn in Chairman of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), we want to bring to your immediate attention concerns about insider trading facilitated through event-based derivative contracts. While Polymarket US, a registered CFTC Designated Contract Market (DCM), has not fully launched in the United States, suspicious trading on Polymarket’s non-registered exchange raises concerns about the lack of safeguards against insider trading. By analyzing trading volume, The Wall Street Journal found traders on Polymarket appeared to anticipate the imminent U.S. military capture of Venezuela’s leader Nicolás Maduro. This improbable increase in trades against Maduro’s continued authority in Venezuela mere hours before Maduro’s capture exemplifies the dangers of unregulated gaming and raises national security concerns.

As reported by The Wall Street Journal, the market for whether or not Maduro would be out of power by the end of the month climbed shortly before 10 pm on Friday, January 2 – nearly six and a half hours before President Trump announced Maduro and his wife were “captured and flown out of the Country” – after previously remaining steady in the low single digits for weeks on Polymarket’s betting site. A newly created Polymarket account invested $30,000 on Friday in favor of Maduro’s exit, netting more than $436,000 in profit after Maduro was taken into custody Saturday morning.3 Polymarket even began offering a contract around 3 a.m. Saturday – an hour and a half before President Trump’s official announcement – on whether Maduro would be in U.S. custody by January 31. The trading volume for this contract reached $1.3 million.

Per my previous bipartisan letter with Senators Curtis, Gallego, Slotkin, Schiff, Padilla, and Rosen to your predecessor, Acting Chair Caroline Pham, we raised concern that by claiming to be federally regulated by the CFTC, issuers of sports event contracts can avoid a myriad of state gaming laws, including integrity monitoring. Legal sportsbooks have a long history of alerting regulators and law enforcement of betting irregularities, and just a few months ago, federal charges were brought against six individuals accused of participating in an illegal sports betting scheme using insider information. A key factor in uncovering the scheme was a suspicious $80,000 parlay placed at a legal sports book that ultimately paid out $1.1 million.

Additionally, event contracts, such as contracts speculating on Maduro’s continued leadership or if the U.S. will capture him, raise serious national security concerns. If prediction market contracts that implicate military operations or other national security considerations are manipulated by insider information, or even listed, it is possible for foreign adversaries to use this to their advantage. The law (17 CFR § 40.11) also expressly prohibits a registered entity from listing an agreement, contract, transaction or swap that involves, relates to, or references terrorism, assassination, war, gaming, or an activity that is unlawful under any state or federal law.

The CFTC has a clear statutory mandate (7 U.S. Code § 9) to prohibit manipulation and false information in connection with any swap, or contract of sale of any commodity in interstate commerce, or for future delivery on or subject to the rules of any registered entity. The CFTC must ensure appropriate enforcement actions are taken if there are any instances of manipulation or fraud in event contract trading. This would include collaborating with state commodities regulators where trades are made.

Furthermore, the CFTC is expressly prohibited from allowing event contracts that involve gaming. The CFTC itself has made this clear. In the CFTC’s final rule promulgating Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act’s statutory language, the CFTC wrote that “its prohibition of certain ‘gaming’ contracts is consistent with Congress’s intent to ‘prevent gambling through the futures markets’ and to ‘protect the public interest from gaming.’” By abdicating its responsibility to stop gaming in event contracts, the CFTC is violating both the letter and intent of the law and raising serious insider trading and now national security risks.

As such, we respectfully request answers to the following questions:

1. Have CFTC-regulated exchanges listed similar contracts to Polymarket relating to Maduro’s capture?

2. Are there other instances of suspicious trading of Maduro-related event contracts facilitated through U.S. registered DCMs?

3. When Polymarket US fully launches, how will the CFTC ensure its event contracts comply with all relevant rules and regulations, particularly 17 CFR § 40.11 and 7 U.S. Code § 9?

4. According to Polymarket US Rulebook, “no person shall take action or direct another to take action based on non-public Order information, however acquired.” How will the CFTC ensure Polymarket US complies with this provision?

5. In response to the previous letter, when asked how the CFTC ensures that athletes, referees, team employes, and others do not manipulate outcomes; how the CFTC enforces the anti-manipulation requirements of sports event contract marketplaces; and how often the CFTC examines against those requirements, the CFTC responded:

The CEA and CFTC regulations require that all DCMs comply with 23 Core Principles on an ongoing basis. Division of Market Oversight (DMO) is responsible for DCM oversight, and evaluates a DCM’s compliance with certain integrity-related core principle requirements related to its self-regulatory program, including Core Principle 2 (Compliance with Rules); Core Principle 4 (Prevention of Market Disruption); Core Principle 12 (Protection of Markets and Market Participants); and Core Principle 13 (Disciplinary Procedures). DMO performs rule enforcement reviews (RERs), CFTC regulation § 38.5 requests, and quarterly update calls.

How will DMO ensure Polymarket US complies with the 23 Core Principles on an ongoing basis?

6. How does the CFTC monitor suspicious trading activity in event contracts? If so, what is the process for identifying and remedying insider trading?

7. Does CFTC regulation 180.1 (17 CFR 180.1) apply to instances of fraud and manipulation in event contracts?

8. Has the CFTC, including DMO or any other CFTC oversight or enforcement arm, ever investigated an event contract for insider trading?

9. Has the CFTC coordinated with state commodities regulators or other appropriate state agencies with oversight of gaming activities?

We ask that you provide responses to our questions no later than February 9, 2026. We hope you and your team take the time to provide a detailed and thorough response, as is your responsibility to Congress. Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Sincerely,

###


Hickenlooper, Gallego, Colleagues Call Out Trump Admin for Diverting Federal Agents for Immigration Enforcement, Sacrificing American Safety

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators John Hickenlooper and Ruben Gallego, along with 28 of their Senate colleagues, called out the Trump admin’s reckless decision to divert thousands of federal law enforcement agents away from their critical public safety work to detain and deport primarily non-violent immigrants.

“The Trump administration says mass deportations keep us safe, but pulling agents from human trafficking and drug cases and using masked officers in unmarked vehicles only terrorizes communities and endangers families,” said Hickenlooper. “Americans deserve to know exactly how this administration is prioritizing its agenda over our families’ safety.”

Despite overwhelming evidence that the majority of immigrants arrested by this administration have no criminal backgrounds, the Trump administration has reassigned federal agents working on cases involving child exploitation, drug trafficking, sanctions evasion, cyberattacks, domestic extremism, and foreign adversaries to assist in immigration-enforcement operations.

Reporting shows nearly 25% of agents at the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and 80% of agents at the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) have been reassigned. Staff diversions are especially dangerous at Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) – one of the primary agencies responsible for combatting child exploitation, human trafficking, fentanyl smuggling, and cartels. HSI personnel themselves have warned that these reassignments are dismantling one of the country’s most effective child protection and national security forces.

In their letter, the senators demanded to know the number of federal agents diverted to immigration enforcement; a list of all investigations paused, terminated, or reassigned; and the results of any internal assessments to gauge the impacts of these diversions.

Hickenlooper has consistently pushed for more oversight and transparency for federal immigration enforcement efforts, and has worked to help families desperately searching for loved ones arrested by ICE. Hickenlooper has visited the ICE detention center in Aurora multiple times to conduct congressional oversight visits and raise concerns with ICE officials regarding delayed communication with congressional offices, irregular process changes, reports of ICE pressuring detainees to voluntarily depart instead of proceeding through a judicial process, and facility conditions.

In August, Senator Hickenlooper’s office led the effort to get a mother and her 7-year-old son from Chaffee County released from the family detention center in Dilley, Texas. The mother had no criminal record and an active asylum claim – she and her son were held for two months before their release.

In November, Hickenlooper called for the immediate release of a Durango father and his two young children after ICE arrested them while they were on their way to school. Following ICE’s failure to release the family, Senator Hickenlooper spoke directly with DHS Secretary Noem, demanding ICE release them from custody after they reported being physically abused while in ICE detention. Despite having active asylum claims and no criminal record, DHS refused.

In response, Hickenlooper and Senator Jon Ossoff opened an inquiry into ICE’s unlawful obstruction of congressional oversight.

Full text of the letter available HERE and below.

Dear President Trump, Secretary Noem, and Attorney General Bondi:

We write to express profound alarm at your administration’s decision to strip federal law enforcement agencies of thousands of personnel that keep Americans safe and redeploy them to arrest, detain, and deport immigrants. The fact that the majority of those arrested have no criminal background confirms that this mass diversion is not grounded in threat assessments, operational necessity, or any coherent security strategy. You have pulled agents away from some of the federal government’s most critical criminal investigations, weakening the very work that ensures public safety. In a world in which we must prioritize the use of limited resources, an agent arresting primarily non-violent immigrants necessarily means one less agent available to catch child predators and drug traffickers. This diversion represents a deliberate choice: a stunning abdication of the basic responsibilities of the executive branch to the American people, and a direct threat to the security of communities across the country.

Your administration has reassigned agents from across the federal government to fuel a politically motivated deportation agenda that bears little relationship to actual security or safety priorities. These agencies range from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), U.S. Marshals Service, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and Department of Defense to the Bureau of Prisons (BOP), Internal Revenue Service, Department of State, U.S. Secret Service, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), Department of Energy, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and Customs and Border Protection (CBP). Agents have been pulled off complex cases mid-investigation— cases involving child exploitation, drug trafficking, sanctions evasion, cyberattacks, domestic extremism, and foreign adversary activity—allowing dangerous criminals to roam free on our streets.

The effects are especially devastating at HSI—an agency the U.S. relies on to combat child exploitation, dismantle human trafficking networks, stop fentanyl pipelines, and combat cartels and other criminal organizations. Over the past decade, HSI has rescued nearly 10,000 children from exploitation, abuse, and trafficking, including through its Cyber Crimes Center, Child Exploitation Investigations Unit. These rescues rely on highly specialized agents, forensic interviewers, digital-evidence teams, and long-term partnerships with state, local, and international law enforcement entities. Yet, entire HSI units have reportedly been reassigned en masse to immigration enforcement, primarily sweeping up immigrants who present no security threat to the U.S. This is not an abstract concern—according to reports of one investigation into a violent sexual child abuse case, the agents working the case were redeployed to immigration enforcement, causing the case to stall. Each day agents fail to arrest the perpetrator is another day this child must suffer heinous exploitation. In diverting these agents, children who would have been identified and rescued are now left in harm’s way.

Compounding these harms, technology companies that submit tens of millions of suspected child abuse files each year have already reported a collapse in follow-up from federal investigators. Leads are not being pursued, evidence is aging out, and perpetrators are exploiting the vacuum. Meanwhile, HSI personnel themselves have warned that these reassignments are dismantling one of the country’s most effective child protection and national security forces. To mitigate the damage, these employees have, at times, tried to advance cases at nights or on weekends to keep them from being abandoned. Redirecting these investigators to pad deportation statistics is not simply irresponsible—it is a dereliction of duty with life-or-death consequences that puts the safety of our children in jeopardy.

The damage is not limited to HSI but reverberates across the entire federal law enforcement apparatus. At the FBI, nearly one quarter of all agents have been pulled off mission to focus on immigration enforcement—an extraordinary contraction of investigative capacity at a time of rising cyber, counterintelligence, and violent crime threats. At ATF, you have eviscerated firearms trafficking enforcement by reassigning 80 percent of special agents to immigration

cases. This has left the agency on pace for a 90 percent decline in dealer-license revocations, its most effective tool for shutting down corrupt gun dealers who funnel weapons into criminal networks. No modern administration has ever attempted a reallocation of this scale or recklessness.

The national security implications are dire. According to one report, a major joint FBI-HSI investigation into illicit Iranian oil shipments—a scheme believed to fund designated terrorist organizations—has suffered from the redeployment, to the point where ships and cash have “disappeared” before they could be seized. Moreover, redirection of employees at DHS’ intelligence office has reduced the amount of critical information shared with local law enforcement authorities, impairing their ability to protect Americans from terrorist attacks. Not only is the administration letting terrorists off the hook, but you are doing so to chase publicity oriented deportation quotas, separating families and sowing chaos in the process.

The dangerous consequences even extend to America’s cyber and critical infrastructure defenses. CISA specialists who protect hospitals, water systems, pipelines, energy grids, and election infrastructure from foreign cyberattacks have been transferred to support immigration and deportation operations. Days after reports of the redeployment were released, CISA itself issued a directive warning that federal systems are under siege from a nation-state-affiliated cyber threat. On top of these reductions, reports indicate that the FBI has or plans to cut its Cyber Division staff by half. In an environment of escalating cyber risk, this redirection of expertise is not merely shortsighted—it puts Americans directly in harm’s way. Weakening U.S. cyber defenses at this moment creates avoidable national security vulnerabilities—openings that sophisticated foreign actors are already probing and prepared to exploit.

Taken together, these actions are more than just a routine shift in administration priorities; they represent a systematic dismantling of the very institutions that protect Americans in their homes, online, and in their communities. The fact that the majority of individuals arrested during immigration enforcement operations to date have had no criminal history belies the administration’s claim that it is targeting the “worst of the worst.” Instead, it suggests that federal law enforcement capacity is being sacrificed to fuel a politically orchestrated deportation drive.

That tradeoff is indefensible, and it puts Americans at risk to serve a political narrative, not a security strategy. Given these significant concerns, we request that you provide the following documents and information, as well as a briefing to our staff, by January 19th, 2026:

1. A full accounting of personnel diverted to immigration enforcement from all federal agencies since January 20, 2025, including numbers, assignment duration, and mission details.

2. A list of all investigations paused, terminated, or reassigned as a result of, in whole or in part, these diversions, including those related to child exploitation, cyber intrusions, human trafficking, drug smuggling, domestic extremism, terrorism financing, and violent crime.

3. Any threat, risk, or operational assessments informing the decision to divert personnel. If there are no such assessments, please explain what information was used to make the decision.

4. All formal taskings or communications directing agencies to provide personnel for immigration enforcement surge operations.

5. Any internal objections raised by agency leadership or career investigators regarding the diversions, and how these objections were addressed.

6. Any internal assessments completed to gauge the impacts of these diversions, including on investigations into child exploitation, human trafficking, cybercrime, counter narcotics, and national security investigations.

Federal law enforcement agencies exist to protect the American people—to dismantle criminal networks, safeguard children, secure critical infrastructure, and counter foreign threats. Diverting these experts from their missions without strategic justification or operational need endangers public safety and undermines national security. We urge your administration to provide the requested information promptly and to reassess these reckless decisions.

Sincerely,

###


The athletes, coaches, lawmakers and officials who have picked a side in the SCOTUS women's sports battle

More than 352 athletes, coaches, lawmakers and officials have taken a side in the upcoming SCOTUS review

By Jackson Thompson Fox News

With the U.S. Supreme Court set to rule on two cases focused on the issue of biological males in women's sports, hundreds of prominent figures in sports and politics have publicly taken a side.

At least 77 amicus briefs have been filed for the upcoming court review, some in support of the trans athlete plaintiffs and some in support of the "save women's sports" defendants. Famed athletes, coaches, U.S. lawmakers and other state and federal government officials have signed onto those briefs, declaring their allegiance in the historic legal battle.

Here's a breakdown of who is on which side:

Athletes, coaches and sports officials supporting the "save women's sports" defendants

• Martina Navratilova, 59-time Grand Slam Champion tennis player

• Donna de Varona, Olympic gold medalist swimmer and world record holder

• Summer Sanders, Olympic gold medalist swimmer

• Riley Gaines, 12-time NCAA All-American swimmer and SEC record holder

• Reka Gyorgy, Olympic swimmer and 2× ACC champion

• Lauren Miller, professional women’s golfer

• Hannah Arensman, professional cyclocross cyclist and national champion

• Laura Wilkinson, Olympic gold medalist and world champion diver

• Pamela Behrens Golding, Olympic athlete

• Jill Sterkel, Olympic swimmer and former University of Texas head swim coach

• Nancy Hogshead, Olympic gold medalist swimmer

• Lacey John, Olympic silver medalist and NCAA Woman of the Year

• Connie Paraskevin, Olympic speed skater and track cyclist

• Mary T. Plant, Olympic gold medalist and world record holder swimmer

• Sippy Woodhead, Olympic swimmer and world record holder

• Inga Thompson, Olympic cyclist

• Jacqueline Zoch, Olympic rowing medalist

• Lynn Silliman Reed, Olympic bronze medalist rower

• Kelly Rickon Mitchell, Olympic rower (1980 & 1984)

• Marshi Smith, NCAA champion swimmer and ICONS co-founder

• Carol Brown, three-time Olympic rower and bronze medalist

• Mary I. O’Connor, Olympic rower and orthopedic surgeon

• Patricia Spratlen Etem, Olympic rower and public health executive

• Valerie McClain, Olympic rower and World Championship medalist

• Jan Palchikoff, Olympic rower and sports administrator

• Jennifer Sey, U.S. national champion gymnast and former Levi Strauss global brand president

• Lauren Bondly, U.S. national champion triathlete and engineer

• Janel Jorgensen McArdle, Olympic silver medalist swimmer

• Barry Switzer, Super Bowl–winning NFL head coach

• Gregg Troy, U.S. Olympic head swim coach

• Frank Busch, five-time Olympic swimming coach and former USA Swimming national team director

• Dennis Pursley, five-time Olympic swimming coach and Hall of Fame inductee

• Jack Bauerle, Division I collegiate swim coach and lifetime achievement award recipient

• Kris Korzeniowski, Olympic rowing coach

• Peter Mallory, three-time U.S. women’s Olympic rowing coach

• Nikola Vajda, World Rowing (FISA) official and founder of Crystal Lake Rowing Club

• Vincent J. Ventura, U.S. national team rowing coach and Olympic silver medal coach

• Jim Livengood, former Division I athletic director (Arizona State, Washington State, UNLV)

• Lisa Larsen Rainsberger, Boston Marathon champion and high school track coach

• Kerri Walsh-Jennings, three-time Olympic gold medalist beach volleyball player

• Jocelyne Lamoureux-Davidson, Olympic gold medalist ice hockey forward

• Monique Lamoureux-Morando, Olympic gold medalist ice hockey forward

• Rhi Jeffrey, Olympic gold medalist swimmer

• Alison Townley, former associate executive director of the Women’s Sports Foundation

• Diane Vreugdenhil, Olympic rower

• Catrina Allen, professional disc golf world champion

• Diana Anglin-Miller, NCAA champion cheerleader and gym owner

• Allison Arensman, professional cyclist

• Sarah Powers Barnhard, professional volleyball player and coach

• Cindy Bater, U.S. national team rowing athlete and coach

• Lauren Belden, high school cross-country and track athlete

• Marianne Bosco, competitive fencing athlete

• Bonnie Brandon, six-time All-American swimmer at the University of Arizona

• Mariah Burton Nelson, former professional women’s basketball player

• Monika Burzynska, NCAA swimmer at the University of Pennsylvania

• Paula A. Cabot, former Women’s Sports Foundation research director and rugby player

• Cissy Cochran, elite masters swimmer and coach

• Scott Cochran, strength and conditioning coach (collegiate and professional athletics)

• Madisan Debos, NCAA track athlete

• Jade Dickens, USA Powerlifting athlete

• Sonni Dyer, Division I collegiate triathlon head coach and Olympic alumni coach

• Evie Edwards, competitive cyclist and parent of youth female athlete

• Stephanie Elkins, Olympic swimmer

• Wendy Enderle, competitive athlete

• Kelly Funderburk, Olympic artistic gymnast

• Tom Funderburk, NCAA champion golfer

• Dianna (DeeDee) Fussner, professional masters disc golf athlete

• Lori Garrison, NCAA softball athlete

• Shawna Glazier, competitive cyclist and triathlete

• Meredith Gordon Remigino, former NCAA Division I cross-country and track athlete at Yale

• Annie Grevers, U.S. national team swimmer

• Angie Griffin, competitive athlete

• Jan Harville, Olympic rowing coach

• Sarah Hokom, professional disc golf world champion

• Ceci Hopp St. Geme, NCAA champion distance runner

• Vicki Huber-Rudawsky, two-time Olympian and NCAA champion distance runner

• Jen Hucke, two-time NCAA champion volleyball player at Stanford

• Raime Jones, NCAA swimmer

• Samantha Keddington, former professional disc golf athlete and coach

• Danielle Keen, professional disc golf athlete

• Ronda Key, competitive disc golf athlete

• Alexandra Kleinfehn, USA Powerlifting athlete

• Lauren Lackman, elite amateur athlete

• Kendall Lewis, competitive athlete

• Donna Lopiano, six-time national champion and former University of Texas athletic director

• Lisa Marshall, competitive athlete

• Riona C. McCormick, competitive rower

• Kim McGinnis Russell, international lacrosse coach and national team coach

• Cynthia Millen, former NCAA and international swimming official

• Cynthia Monteleone, masters track athlete

• Linda Muri, three-time world champion rower and elite rowing coach

• Macy Petty, former NCAA volleyball player

• Keri Phebus Olson, NCAA champion tennis player

• Joy Rako, former NCAA Division III track and field athlete

• Genoa Rossi, NCAA water polo athlete and U.S. junior national team member

• Linnea Saltz, three-time Big Sky Conference champion runner

• Samantha Santa Ana, high school softball and cross-country athlete

• Jennifer Sees, NCAA pole vaulter and high school track coach

• Jeri Shanteau, U.S. national team swimmer and national champion

• Sharon Shapiro, NCAA champion and U.S. national team gymnast

• DeNee Shepherd, professional disc golf athlete

• Bre Showers, NCAA champion artistic gymnast

• Anne Simpson, NCAA rowing athlete

• Bronwyn Sims, gymnastics coach and athlete

• Kathy Smith Connor, U.S. national team swimmer

• Lori Stenstrom, national champion athlete and former American record holder

• Steve Stenstrom, former NFL quarterback

• Tracy Sundlan, Olympic-level track and field coach and administrator

• Minna Svärd, competitive athlete

• Becky Switzer, Olympic and NCAA women’s gymnastics coach

• Maya Tait, NCAA rowing athlete

• Hollister (Holly) W. Turner, former associate executive director of the Women’s Sports Foundation

• Stephanie Turner, competitive athlete

• Val Whiting, national champion and former WNBA player

• Sara Younger-Merrill, US Rowing Level II coach and assistant referee

• Reese Eckard, Oregon state championship high-jumper

• Madelyn Eischen, Oregon high school varsity track athlete and high-jumper

• Alexa Anderson, Oregon state championship pole vaulter and high-jumper

• Sophia Castaneda, Oregon state record holder for fastest sophomore girl 400-meter runner

Athletes, coaches and sports officials supporting the trans athlete plaintiffs

• Megan Rapinoe, two-time FIFA Women’s World Cup champion and former co-captain of the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team

• Layshia Clarendon, former WNBA All-Star point guard and first openly trans and nonbinary player in WNBA history

• Lori Lindsey, former U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team midfielder and World Cup veteran

• Aimee Mullins, Paralympic track and field world-record holder and former Chef de Mission for Team USA

• Breanna Stewart, two-time Olympic gold medalist and two-time WNBA MVP

• Sue Bird, Olympic gold medalist, WNBA champion, and Basketball Hall of Famer

• Grete Eliassen, six-time X Games medalist in freestyle skiing

• Serena Gray, former USA Volleyball national team member and NCAA tournament semifinalist

• Molly McCage, Olympic-level volleyball player and League One Volleyball champion

• Cassidy Lichtman, former U.S. Women’s National Volleyball Team member and Stanford All-American

• Phaidra Knight, USA Rugby Player of the Decade and World Rugby Hall of Fame inductee

• Maya Satya Reddy, former professional golfer and three-time NCAA All-American

• Julie Foudy, two-time FIFA Women’s World Cup champion and two-time Olympic gold medalist

• Madison Bugg, former Stanford volleyball player and professional volleyball athlete

• Gaby Vincent, former NWSL professional soccer player and U.S. Women’s U-23 national team member

• Meike Babel, former WTA Top-30 professional tennis player and collegiate coach

• Esther Lofgren, Olympic gold medalist rower and world record holder

• Carley Knox, former NCAA Division I soccer athlete and president of business operations for the Minnesota Lynx

• Becky Sauerbrunn, two-time FIFA Women’s World Cup champion and former U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team captain

• Taylor Fricano, professional volleyball player with seven years at the elite international level

• Samantha Mewis, FIFA Women’s World Cup champion, Olympic medalist, and NWSL champion

• Nikki Hiltz, U.S. Olympic track and field athlete and nine-time national champion

• Sophia Gibb, Paralympic silver and bronze medalist swimmer and world champion

• Mary Osborne Gilbert, professional surfer

• Imani Dorsey, NWSL champion and U.S. Soccer social impact award recipient

• Brenda Villa, four-time Olympic medalist and former captain of the U.S. Women’s National Water Polo Team

• Lynn Biyendolo, Olympic gold medalist and four-time NWSL champion

• Erin Ayala, collegiate soccer player and coach

• Elizabeth Tobey, collegiate track and field athlete

• Adam Myerson, national-level cyclist and elite-level coach

• Lucie Vagnerova, international track and field competitor

• Rosy Metcalfe, elite collegiate rower

• Amy Rusiecki, NCAA track and field athlete

• Emma McKay, collegiate soccer player

• Maddy Frey, collegiate track and field athlete

• Rachelle Depner, competitive elite-level cyclist

• Jared Weybright, collegiate soccer coach and former player

U.S. lawmakers and government officials supporting the "save women's sports" defendants

• Sen. Jim Banks, R-Ind.

• Sen. Ted Budd, R-N.C.

• Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La.

• Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va.

• Sen. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho

• Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D.

• Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C.

• Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-Miss.

• Sen. James C. Justice, R-W.Va.

• Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla.

• Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan.

• Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo.

• Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla.

• Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C.

• Sen. James E. Risch, R-Idaho

• Rep. Robert Aderholt, R-Ala.

• Rep. Brian Babin, R-Texas

• Rep. Andy Barr, R-Ky.

• Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo.

• Rep. Buddy Carter, R-Ga.

• Rep. Andrew Clyde, R-Ga.

• Rep. Mike Collins, R-Ga.

• Rep. James Comer, R-Ky.

• Rep. Russ Fulcher, R-Idaho

• Rep. Brandon Gill, R-Texas

• Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga.

• Rep. Harriet Hageman, R-Wyo.

• Rep. Pat Harrigan, R-N.C.

• Rep. Mark Harris, R-N.C.

• Rep. Diana Harshbarger, R-Tenn.

• Rep. Clay Higgins, R-La.

• Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla.

• Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky.

• Rep. Lisa McClain, R-Mich.

• Rep. Addison McDowell, R-N.C.

• Rep. John McGuire, R-Va.

• Rep. Carol Miller, R-W.Va.

• Rep. Mary Miller, R-Ill.

• Rep. Riley M. Moore, R-W.Va.

• Rep. Barry Moore, R-Ala.

• Rep. Tim Moore, R-N.C.

• Rep. Andy Ogles, R-Tenn.

• Rep. Hal Rogers, R-Ky.

• Rep. John Rose, R-Tenn.

• Rep. Mike Rulli, R-Ohio

• Rep. Steve Scalise, R-La.

• Rep. Mike Simpson, R-Idaho

• Rep. Daniel Webster, R-Fla.

• Solicitor General of the United States D. John Sauer

• Assistant Attorney General of the United States Harmeet K. Dhillon

• Deputy Solicitor General of the United States Hashim M. Mooppan

• Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General of the United States Jesus A. Osete

• Assistant to the Solicitor General of the United States Max E. Schulman

• Attorney for the United States Andrew G. Braniff

• Attorney for the United States Christopher C. Wang

• Attorney General of the State of Alabama Steve Marshall

• Attorney General of the State of Arkansas Tim Griffin

• Attorney General of the State of Florida Ashley Moody

• Attorney General of the State of Indiana Todd Rokita

• Attorney General of the State of Kansas Kris Kobach

• Attorney General of the State of Kentucky Russell Coleman

• Attorney General of the State of Louisiana Liz Murrill

• Attorney General of the State of Mississippi Lynn Fitch

• Attorney General of the State of Missouri Andrew Bailey

• Attorney General of the State of Montana Austin Knudsen

• Attorney General of the State of Nebraska Mike Hilgers

• Attorney General of the State of Oklahoma Gentner Drummond

• Attorney General of the State of South Carolina Alan Wilson

• Attorney General of the State of South Dakota Marty Jackley

• Attorney General of the State of Tennessee Jonathan Skrmetti

• Attorney General of the State of Texas Ken Paxton

• Attorney General of the State of Utah Sean Reyes

• Attorney General of the Commonwealth of Virginia Jason Miyares

• Attorney General of the State of Wyoming Bridget Hill

U.S. lawmakers and government officials supporting the trans athlete plaintiffs

Top Democrat lawmakers who signed an amicus brief to support trans athletes in an upcoming Supreme Court review include Sen. Tammy Baldwin, Sen. Alex Padilla, Sen. Adam Schiff, Rep. Nancy Pelosi, Rep. Alexadria Ocasio-Cortez, Rep. Ilhan Omar, Rep. Hakeen Jeffries, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Rep. Pete Aguilar and Rep. Jasmine Crockett. (Courtesy of House.Gov, Senate.gov, Congress.gov)

• Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis.

• Sen. Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii

• Sen. Edward J. Markey, D-Mass.

• Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore.

• Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash.

• Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif.

• Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif.

• Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass.

• Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore.Rep. Pete Aguilar, D-Calif.

• Rep. Becca Balint, D-Vt.

• Rep. Karen Bass, D-Calif.

• Rep. Joyce Beatty, D-Ohio

• Rep. Donald Beyer, D-Va.

• Rep. Suzanne Bonamici, D-Ore.

• Rep. Jamaal Bowman, D-N.Y.

• Rep. Cori Bush, D-Mo.

• Rep. Salud Carbajal, D-Calif.

• Rep. Tony Cárdenas, D-Calif.

• Rep. André Carson, D-Ind.

• Rep. Kathy Castor, D-Fla.

• Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-Texas

• Rep. Judy Chu, D-Calif.

• Rep. Katherine Clark, D-Mass.

• Rep. Yvette Clarke, D-N.Y.

• Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, D-Mo.

• Rep. Jim Clyburn, D-S.C.

• Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman, D-N.J.

• Rep. Gerald Connolly, D-Va.

• Rep. Joe Courtney, D-Conn.

• Rep. Jason Crow, D-Colo.

• Rep. Danny Davis, D-Ill.

• Rep. Sharice Davids, D-Kan.

• Rep. Susan DelBene, D-Wash.

• Rep. Diana DeGette, D-Colo.

• Rep. Madeleine Dean, D-Pa.

• Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn.

• Rep. Mark DeSaulnier, D-Calif.

• Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Mich.

• Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Texas

• Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-Texas

• Rep. Bill Foster, D-Ill.

• Rep. Lois Frankel, D-Fla.

• Rep. Sylvia Garcia, D-Texas

• Rep. Jesús "Chuy" García, D-Ill.

• Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Calif.

• Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J.

• Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash.

• Rep. Hank Johnson, D-Ga.

• Rep. Mondaire Jones, D-N.Y.

• Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson, D-Texas

• Rep. Sara Jacobs, D-Calif.

• Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y.

• Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Texas

• Rep. Bill Keating, D-Mass.

• Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif.

• Rep. Andy Kim, D-N.J.

• Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Ill.

• Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Calif.

• Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández, D-N.M.

• Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif.

• Rep. Alan Lowenthal, D-Calif.

• Rep. Ben Ray Luján, D-N.M. (at time of signing)

• Rep. Stephen Lynch, D-Mass.

• Rep. Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y.

• Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney, D-N.Y.

• Rep. Lucy McBath, D-Ga.

• Rep. Grace Meng, D-N.Y.

• Rep. Gwen Moore, D-Wis.

• Rep. Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y.

• Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton, D-D.C.

• Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y.

• Rep. Frank Pallone, D-N.J.

• Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.

• Rep. Chellie Pingree, D-Maine

• Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass.

• Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md.

• Rep. Deborah Ross, D-N.C.

• Rep. Raul Ruiz, D-Calif.

• Rep. Jan Schakowsky, D-Ill.

• Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash.

• Rep. Jackie Speier, D-Calif.

• Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif.

• Rep. Mark Takano, D-Calif.

• Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich.

• Rep. Norma Torres, D-Calif.

• Rep. Lori Trahan, D-Mass.

• Rep. Juan Vargas, D-Calif.

• Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla.

• Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif.

• Rep. Susan Wild, D-Pa.

• Rep. Nikema Williams, D-Ga.

• Rep. Gabe Amo, D-R.I.

• Rep. Yassamin Ansari, D-Ariz.

• Rep. Nanette Barragán, D-Calif.

• Rep. Wesley Bell, D-Mo.

• Rep. Shontel M. Brown, D-Ohio

• Rep. Julia Brownley, D-Calif.

• Rep. Greg Casar, D-Texas

• Rep. Sean Casten, D-Ill.

• Rep. Gilbert R. Cisneros Jr., D-Calif.

• Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Tenn.

• Rep. Angie Craig, D-Minn.

• Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas

• Rep. Chris Deluzio, D-Pa.

• Rep. Maxine Dexter, D-Ore.

• Rep. Sarah Elfreth, D-Md.

• Rep. Adriano Espaillat, D-N.Y.

• Rep. Dwight Evans, D-Pa.

• Rep. Lizzie Fletcher, D-Texas

• Rep. Valerie P. Foushee, D-N.C.

• Rep. Maxwell Alejandro Frost, D-Fla.

• Rep. Jimmy Gomez, D-Calif.

• Rep. Al Green, D-Texas

• Rep. Jared Huffman, D-Calif.

• Rep. Glenn Ivey, D-Md.

• Rep. Julie E. Johnson, D-Texas

• Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove, D-Calif.

• Rep. Robin L. Kelly, D-Ill.

• Rep. Greg Landsman, D-Ohio

• Rep. Rick Larsen, D-Wash.

• Rep. George Latimer, D-N.Y.

• Rep. Summer L. Lee, D-Pa.

• Rep. Sam T. Liccardo, D-Calif.

• Rep. Ted W. Lieu, D-Calif.

• Rep. Doris Matsui, D-Calif.

• Rep. Sarah McBride, D-Del.

• Rep. April McClain Delaney, D-Md.

• Rep. Jennifer McClellan, D-Va.

• Rep. Betty McCollum, D-Minn.

• Rep. James P. McGovern, D-Mass.

• Rep. LaMonica McIver, D-N.J.

• Rep. Rob Menendez, D-N.J.

• Rep. Kelly Morrison, D-Minn.

• Rep. Kevin Mullin, D-Calif.

• Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn.

• Rep. Chris Pappas, D-N.H.

• Rep. Scott H. Peters, D-Calif.

• Rep. Brittany Pettersen, D-Colo.

• Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Wis.

• Rep. Mike Quigley, D-Ill.

• Rep. Delia C. Ramirez, D-Ill.

• Rep. Emily Randall, D-Wash.

• Rep. Luz Rivas, D-Calif.

• Rep. Andrea Salinas, D-Ore.

• Rep. Linda T. Sánchez, D-Calif.

• Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon, D-Pa.

• Rep. Bradley S. Schneider, D-Ill.

• Rep. Hillary Scholten, D-Mich.

• Rep. Robert C. "Bobby" Scott, D-Va.

• Rep. Terri A. Sewell, D-Ala.

• Rep. Lateefah Simon, D-Calif.

• Rep. Eric Sorensen, D-Ill.

• Rep. Shri Thanedar, D-Mich.

• Rep. Mike Thompson, D-Calif.

• Rep. Jill N. Tokuda, D-Hawaii

• Rep. Paul D. Tonko, D-N.Y.

• Rep. Ritchie Torres, D-N.Y.

• Rep. Lauren Underwood, D-Ill.

• Rep. Nydia M. Velázquez, D-N.Y.

• Rep. James R. Walkinshaw, D-Va.

• Rep. Frederica S. Wilson, D-Fla.

• Attorney General of the State of New York Letitia James

• Attorney General of the State of Hawaii Anne E. Lopez

• Solicitor General of the State of New York Barbara D. Underwood

• Solicitor General of the State of Hawaiʻi Kalikoʻonālani Fernandes

• Deputy Solicitor General of the State of Hawaiʻi Lauren K. Chun

• Deputy Solicitor General of the State of Hawaiʻi Andrew Z. M. Teoh

• Assistant Attorney General of the State of New York Judith N. Vale

• Assistant Attorney General of the State of New York Mark S. Grube

What to know about the cases

Idaho and West Virginia are among almost 30 states with laws preventing transgender students who identify as female from competing on girls' sports teams sponsored by public schools and colleges. In 2020 and 2021, the trans athlete plaintiffs successfully challenged the laws in Idaho and West Virginia, respectively, to enable their participation on women's and girls' sports teams.

Both trans athletes are represented by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).

The justices will examine whether the landmark federal law, Title IX forbidding sex discrimination in education, applies in these inclusion cases.

Idaho in 2020 became the first state to pass such restrictions with the Fairness in Women's Sports Act.

Both sides in the legal dispute have accused the other of peddling false and misleading facts, terminology and narratives about enforcement of the state laws, and the stakes for both transgender and cisgender athletes.

The Supreme Court in July agreed to hear the separate appeals from the states and is expected to issue final, binding rulings on the merits by late June.

"Idaho’s women and girls deserve an equal playing field," said Idaho Attorney General Raul Labrador, who is expected to argue the case in Tuesday's public session. "For too long, activists have worked to sideline women and girls in their own sports."

States with such laws, and groups and lawmakers supporting them, say the issue is about common sense and student safety.

Lawyers will tell the high court there are inherent physical differences between females and males, and these legislative acts would ensure those they call "male" or "boy" students cannot compete on girls’ sports teams involving competitive skill or contact.

But LGBTQ+ rights supporters say such laws and labels are clearly discriminatory and were never a big issue until some states sought to politicize them.

Meanwhile, two West Virginia female students and their families came forward with the allegations against one of the trans plaintiffs ahead of oral arguments for the case next week. Fox News Digital is not disclosing the name of the trans athlete because the individual is a minor.

Bridgeport High School female student Adaleia Cross, who is a former track and field teammate of the trans athlete when the two were at Bridgeport Middle School, alleges the trans athlete made comments to her that constituted sexual harassment in the girls' locker room. Cross, who is one year older than the trans athlete, said she quit the track and field team at Bridgeport High School last year as a sophomore to avoid sharing a locker room again with the trans athlete once that athlete reached high school.

Cross' mother, Abby, told Fox News Digital what the trans athlete allegedly said to her daughter when they shared the girls' locker room during the 2022-23 school year. Adaleia was in eighth grade, and the trans athlete was in seventh.

Abby Cross alleged that the trans athlete made extremely graphic and vulgar sexual threats to her daughter and other girls on the team.

The ACLU has responded to the Cross family's allegations.

"Our client and her mother deny these allegations and the school district investigated the allegations reported to the school by A.C. and found them to be unsubstantiated. We remain committed to defending the rights of all students under Title IX, including the right to a safe and inclusive learning environment free from harassment and discrimination," read an ACLU statement provided to Fox News Digital.

The Cross family's attorneys at Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) have responded to the ACLU's statement.

"Our client has sworn under oath and under penalty of perjury in numerous cases about the events that took place between her and the male athlete. As a result of the situation, [Cross] had to step away from the sport she loved entirely and sacrifice a key element of her school experience to protect herself," read an ADF statement provided to Fox News Digital.

ADF is also representing the state of West Virginia against the trans athlete in the case that is set to be reviewed by the Supreme Court.

Former Lincoln Middle School girls' track and field runner Emmy Salerno alleges the trans athlete used "intimidation tactics" against her after Salerno refused to compete against the trans athlete during an event in the 2024 spring season.

"After we stepped out, it was an immediate personality change. He didn't want to talk to me. He just wanted to stare at me, and just stare down," Salerno told Fox News Digital.

Salerno said there was an incident where the trans athlete followed her while they were at a local basketball game, making intimidating stares, and Salerno was concerned the trans athlete would try to "fight" her.

"At the basketball game when he just followed me everywhere, I kind of felt like, ‘Is he going to try to fight me?’" Salerno said. "'Is he going to try and sneak up behind me and punch me?'"

The ACLU has not responded to Fox News Digital's request for a response to Salerno's allegations.


Taxation & Representation, Jan. 2026

January 12, 2026

Tax Worldview

OECD Announces Pillar Two Agreement: On Monday, the Organisation of Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) announced a “Side-by-Side package” under the Pillar Two global minimum tax regime that reflects the June 2025 framework between the United States and the G-7. Critically, the package establishes a safe harbor under which U.S.-headquartered groups can elect to be exempted from the global minimum tax’s income inclusion rule and undertaxed profits rules, provided certain conditions are met. The package introduces several GLOBE simplifications and safeguards, including a Simplified ETR safe harbor, new safe harbors for eligible substance-based tax incentives and jurisdictions under the side by side system and an evidence based “stocktake” process to maintain a level playing field across Inclusive Framework Members.

The new framework applies for fiscal years beginning on or after Jan. 1, 2026, while the package extends the transitional country-by-country reporting safe harbor to fiscal years beginning on or before 2027.

Legislative Landscape

Senate Confirms Theurer in En Bloc Package: Before Congress adjourned for the holiday recess, the Senate confirmed Derek Theurer to be deputy undersecretary for legislative affairs as part of an en bloc package of 89 nominees. He will be responsible for acting as the liaison between the Treasury Department and Congress to address any issues that lawmakers may have. He will also continue to perform the duties of deputy treasury secretary.

Krishnamoorthi, Warner Introduce the Investing in American Workers Act: On Dec. 16, Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) and Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA) introduced companion versions of the Investing in American Workers Act. The bill would create a 20% tax credit for employers increasing spending on training for certain employees, prioritizing programs such as registered apprenticeships and credential-leading initiatives. It would also incentivize small businesses and tax-exempt entities to utilize the credit by allowing it to be applied against payroll taxes.

Miller, Horsford Unveil Draft of the Digital Asset PARITY Act: On Dec. 20, Reps. Max Miller (R-OH) and Steven Horsford (D-NV) released a draft of the Digital Asset Protection, Accountability, Regulation, Innovation, Taxation and Yields (PARITY) Act. The draft bill would treat regulated dollar-pegged stablecoins as cash equivalents and proposes a $200 per transaction de minimis rule. It also would align digital assets with securities by applying the wash-sale and constructive sale rules, permit the mark-to-market election for dealers/traders of digital assets and extend securities-lending principles to digital assets, among other provisions. Additionally, the draft bill would address phantom income of miners/stakers and clarify that passive-fund staking does not qualify as a trade or business.

Lawmakers Send Letter to Bessent on Staking Treatment: On Dec.18, Rep. Mike Carey (R-OH) led a letter to Acting Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Commissioner and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent urging him to review the application of Revenue Ruling 2023-14 to cryptocurrency staking rewards. The lawmakers contend that stakers should be treated as first owners of newly created property and taxed only upon sale, rather than upon receipt. They also stressed that the current guidance is burdensome and misaligned with tax principles, and they requested updated guidance along with answers to questions about the IRS’ analysis, policy rationale, administrative barriers and plans for revisions.

Ossoff, Hyde-Smith Introduce the Support Small Business Growth Act: On Dec. 16, Sens. Jon Ossoff (D-GA) and Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS) introduced the Support Small Business Growth Act. The bill would create a new payroll tax deduction for small businesses with less than 15 employees. The deduction would phase out beginning in tax year 2028 and fully expire in 2033.

Justice, Warner Introduce the Child Care Supply Tax Credit Act: On Dec. 18, Sens. Jim Justice (R-WV) and Mark Warner (D-VA) introduced the Child Care Supply Tax Credit. The bill would create a refundable tax credit to licensed child care facilities serving at least six children, covering wages paid to direct-care workers (excluding supervisors and directors), with nonprofits eligible via a direct-pay option.

Energy-Tax Mainlines

IRS Provides Safe Harbor for Carbon Capture Verification Standards: On Dec. 19, 2025, the IRS issued Notice 2026-01, which provides a safe harbor for eligibility determinations for taxpayers claiming the Section 45Q Carbon Capture and Sequestration credit. The guidance allows sequestration data to be verified by an independent engineer or geologist beginning in tax year 2025 to ensure continued compliance until a long-term solution replaces the greenhouse gas reporting framework. The change follows the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)’s September proposal to terminate its Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program (GHGRP) for industrial facilities. Current regulations require section 45Q credit claimants to use for verification of sequestration volumes.

Residential Clean Energy Credits Expire: On Dec. 31, the section 25C energy-efficient home improvement credit and section 25D residential clean energy credit expired under the accelerated termination adopted by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA, Public Law 119-21). The section 25C credit allowed taxpayers to claim a 30% credit for qualified energy efficient improvements, residential energy property or home energy audits not exceeding $1,200 annually. A separate $2,000 annual limit applied for heat pumps, heat pump water heaters and biomass stoves and boilers. The section 25D credit allowed taxpayers to claim a credit for residential solar electric generating and heating property, small wind energy property, geothermal heat and battery property. Both credits were terminated for property placed in service after Dec. 31, 2025.

W&M Committee Democrats Introduce the American Affordability Act: On Dec. 18, the House Ways and Means Committee Democrats introduced the American Affordability Act. The bill covers housing, child care, education, health care, and labor issues. It also addresses energy and transportation costs by restoring the following credits to their pre-OBBBA status:

• Section 25D Clean Energy Home Improvement Credit

• Section 45Y and 48E Investment and Production Tax Credits

• Section 45X Advanced Manufacturing Production Credit

• Section 45V Hydrogen Production Credit

• Section 48C Advanced Energy Project Credit Program

• Section 30D Clean Vehicle Credit

• Section 45Z Clean Fuels Production Credit

• Section 179D New Energy Efficient Commercial Buildings Deduction

• Section 168 Cost Recovery for Property

• Section 25E Previously Owned Clean Vehicle Credit

• Section 45W Qualified Commercial Clean Vehicle Credit

• Section 30C Alternative Fuel Vehicle Refueling Property Credit


Two South Mississippi students selected for U.S. Senate Youth Program

By WLOX Staff

GULFPORT, Miss. (WLOX) - Two South Mississippi students have been chosen to participate in the United States Senate Youth Program and will represent the state alongside Sen. Roger Wicker and Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith during the 64th annual USSYP Washington Week.

William Crosby Parker II, a senior at Gulfport High School, and Nial Chen, a senior at Ocean Springs High School, were selected from among the state’s top student leaders.

The two Coast students will be part of a group of 104 high schoolers to take part in the week-long event in March. The group is made up of two students from each state, the District of Columbia, and the Department of Defense Education Activity.

The USSYP week-long study of the federal government allows students to meet with senators, the president, a Supreme Court justice, and other high-level officials. Each student will also receive a $10,000 scholarship.

Crosby Parker

Parker is a student representative to the Mississippi State Board of Education. He also founded the Gulfport IMPACT Mentorship Program and the Boys and Girls Club Summer Robotics Program. Parker is captain of the school’s golf and cross country teams. He also runs track and was one of three students awarded this year’s GHS Scholar Athlete award.

He also received this year’s Lindy Callahan Scholar Athlete award, which recognizes the senior with the highest GPA (4.53) playing multiple sports.

He plans to conduct artificial intelligence research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Parker also received an Air Force ROTC scholarship and plans to join the military to develop a career of service.

Nial Chen

Chen is the senior class president at Ocean Springs High School. He serves as the Communications Director for the city’s Mayor’s Youth Council and is a member of the Secretary of State Ambassadors. Chen is involved in the high school tennis team, the Superintendent Advisory Council, and the National Honor Society.

Chen leads an initiative providing free lessons in vocabulary, grammar, and American culture to first-generation Chinese students.


Kaine Statement on Trump Justice Department’s Attempt to Bully the Federal Reserve

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) released the following statement regarding the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) criminal investigation into the Federal Reserve and subpoena of Chair Jerome Powell following an unprecedented year-long pressure campaign from the Trump Administration:

“The Federal Reserve was designed to be independent from the executive branch so it could make decisions based on data and current economic conditions—not the whims of any President. This investigation into the Federal Reserve and Chair Powell is yet another example of the Trump Administration attempting to strongarm an independent government body and official into doing what Trump wants—not what’s best for the American people. Our economy needs stability and a clear strategy to tackle the affordability crisis Americans are facing every day. Trump undermining Fed independence will have negative implications on America’s financial stability, and lead to higher borrowing costs and inflation for families across the country.”

Kaine has been a leader in standing up to President Donald Trump’s ill-advised economic policies, including his reckless broad-based tariff regime. In November, Kaine passed three pieces of bipartisan legislation to undo Trump’s global tariffs and his tariffs on Canada and Brazil. The House has refused to bring these bills to a vote, even as a November poll found that 65 percent of Americans disapprove of how Trump is handling tariffs, and a December poll found that just 36 percent of Americans approve of Trump’s handling of the economy.

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Statement from Senator Kelly

Today, Arizona Senator and Navy combat veteran Mark Kelly released the following statement:

“Pete Hegseth is coming after what I earned through my twenty-five years of military service, in violation of my rights as an American, as a retired veteran, and as a United States Senator whose job is to hold him—and this or any administration—accountable. His unconstitutional crusade against me sends a chilling message to every retired member of the military: if you speak out and say something that the President or Secretary of Defense doesn’t like, you will be censured, threatened with demotion, or even prosecuted.

“Every servicemember knows military rank is earned, not given. It’s earned through the risks you take, the sacrifices you and your family make, the leadership you display, and the respect you earn from the superiors who recommend you for promotion. From the moment I drove through the gates of Naval Air Station Pensacola, to when I was shot at over Iraq and Kuwait, to when I landed Space Shuttle Endeavour on its last mission, I gave everything I had to this country and I earned my rank of Captain, United States Navy.

“Now, Pete Hegseth wants our longest-serving military veterans to live with the constant threat that they could be deprived of their rank and pay years or even decades after they leave the military just because he or another Secretary of Defense doesn’t like what they’ve said. That’s not the way things work in the United States of America, and I won’t stand for it.

“In 1986, at just 22 years old, I took an oath to protect and defend the Constitution. I have fulfilled that oath every day since, but I never expected that I would have to defend it against a Secretary of Defense or President. But I’ve never shied away from a fight for our country, and I won’t shy away from this one. Because our freedom of speech, the separation of powers, and due process are not just words on a page, they are bedrock principles of our democracy that has lasted 250 years and will last 250 more as long as patriotic Americans are willing to stand up for our rights.


King, Deluzio Lead Bipartisan, Bicameral Legislation to Improve Awareness of Veterans Benefits in the Workplace

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME) and U.S. Representative Chris Deluzio (D-PA17) have introduced bipartisan, bicameral legislation to help veterans better understand the benefits and services available to them through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The Thomas M. Conway Veterans Access to Resources in the Workplace Act would require employers with more than 50 employees to post a flyer in a visible location at their businesses outlining the benefits veterans are entitled to receive in return for their service to the country. Joining King and Deluzio on the legislation is U.S. Senator Jim Banks (R-IN) and U.S. Representative Nick LaLota (R-NY01).

While Maine employers are already required by state law to display veterans’ benefits flyers in the workplace, passage of this legislation at the federal level would expand the policy nationwide.

“Veterans have sacrificed greatly in service to our country, so we owe it to them to make it as easy as possible to find information about the resources and benefits that are available to them,” said Senator King. “The Thomas M. Conway Veterans Access to Resources in the Workplace Act would take a commonsense Maine policy and make it a national practice – and would require employers to display posters with information about state and federal veteran benefits like the Veterans Crisis Line, disability compensation, healthcare, workforce training programs, legal services, and more. This legislation is an easy, low-barrier way to ensure veterans across the country are aware of the resources they have earned and could help veterans feel comfortable gaining access to those services.”

“My fellow veterans signed a blank check to this country, and in return, our government makes a sacred promise to deliver the care and benefits that they've earned,” said Congressman Deluzio. “I'm proud to join with my colleagues and so many Steelworkers today to introduce the Thomas M. Conway Veterans Access to Resources in the Workplace Act—an important step to help bring informative resources about veterans’ rights and benefits into the workplace.”

Specifically, the Thomas M. Conway Veterans Access to Resources in the Workplace Act would:

Require the Department of Labor and Department of Veterans Affairs to create a printable notice containing state and federal veterans’ resources for employers to post in the workplace.

The notice will include information on the Veterans Crisis Line, information on how to apply for VA benefits, and state benefits available to veterans.

Require both government and non-government employers with over 50 employees to post this information prominently in the workplace.

The bill is named in memory of former United Steelworkers International President and Air Force veteran Tom Conway, who dedicated his life fighting for Steelworkers, veterans, and their families. Along with the United Steelworkers International Union (USW), the Thomas M. Conway Veterans Access to Resources in the Workplace Act is endorsed by the following unions: International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM), Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA), International Union of Painters and Allied Trades (IUPAT), Department of Professional Employees, AFL-CIO (DPE), Communication Workers of America (CWA), Iron Workers International, United Mine Workers of America (UMWA), International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), AFL-CIO, International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF), Service Employees International Union (SEIU), International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (IFPTE), International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE), and Union Veterans Council, AFL-CIO.

Representing one of the states with the highest rates of military families and veterans per capita, Senator King is a staunch advocate for America’s servicemembers and veterans. As a member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee (SVAC), Senator King has fought to ensure veterans experience a smooth transition from active duty to civilian life. Last year, Senator King was honored by the Disabled American Veterans as its 2025 Legislator of the Year. In 2024, he was recognized by the Wounded Warrior Project as the 2024 Legislator of the Year for his “outstanding legislative effort and achievement to improve the lives of the wounded, ill, and injured veterans.”

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ICYMI: Luján, Wyden, Markey Urge Apple and Google to Remove X and Grok from App Stores Following Grok Generating Illegal Sexual Images at Scale

Washington, D.C. — In Case You Missed It: In response to X Corp’s Grok AI tool being used to generate nonconsensual sexualized images of women and children at scale in recent days, U.S. Senators Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), and Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) urged Apple and Google to immediately remove the X and Grok apps from their app stores until the company’s Chief Executive Officer, Elon Musk, addresses these disturbing and likely illegal activities.

NBC News: In an open letter to Apple CEO Tim Cook and Google CEO Sundar Pichai, Sens. Ron Wyden of Oregon, Ed Markey of Massachusetts and Ben Ray Luján of New Mexico asked the companies to “enforce” terms of service that appear to ban the activity that was surging on X and is still possible on Grok.

The New York Times: Grok’s production of sexually explicit images has drawn outrage from officials across the world, including Britain’s prime minister, Keir Starmer, and U.S. Senators Ron Wyden, Democrat of Oregon; Ed Markey, Democrat of Massachusetts; and Ben Ray Lújan, Democrat of New Mexico, who sent a letter last week asking Apple and Google to remove the application from their online stores.

Reuters: In a letter published on Friday, senators Ron Wyden of Oregon, Ben Ray Luján of New Mexico and Edward Markey of Massachusetts said Google and Apple “must remove these apps from the app stores until X’s policy violations are addressed.”

CNBC: In an open letter to Apple CEO Tim Cook and Google CEO Sundar Pichai on Friday, Sens. Ron Wyden of Oregon, Ed Markey of Massachusetts and Ben Ray Luján of New Mexico said the tech giants should, “immediately remove the X and Grok apps from their app stores until the company’s Chief Executive Officer, Elon Musk, addresses these disturbing and likely illegal activities.”

The Hill: U.S. lawmakers have also joined this chorus of voices. Sens. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) and Ed Markey (D-Mass.) wrote to Apple and Google on Friday, asking the tech giants to remove X and Grok from their respective app stores.

Broadband Breakfast: Democratic Sens. Ben Ray Luján of New Mexico, Ron Wyden of Oregon, and Edward Markey of Massachusetts pressed Apple and Google to remove the X and Grok apps from their app stores, citing reports that the Grok artificial intelligence tool had been used in recent days to generate nonconsensual sexualized images of women and children – in the lawmakers’ words, “the most heinous type of content imaginable.”

The Verge: In a letter to Apple CEO Tim Cook and Google CEO Sundar Pichai, Sens. Ron Wyden (D-OR), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), and Ed Markey (D-MA) wrote that “X’s generation of these harmful and likely illegal depictions of women and children has shown complete disregard for your stores’ distribution terms.”

KTSM: U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Luján, D-New Mexico, has joined with a two other U.S. senators to ask Apple and Google to remove the X and Grok apps from their app stories until the company address what the senators are calling “nonconsensual sexualized images of women and children” being generated by the Grok AI tool.

In recent days, X users have used the Grok AI tool to nonconsensually generate sexual imagery of real, private citizens, including sexualized depictions of children and modified depictions of women being sexually abused, humiliated, hurt and even killed. Researchers have also discovered that the Grok app has reportedly created more than 70 sexualized images of children since August. Musk has reportedly encouraged this behavior, including reacting to these trends with laugh-cry emojis.

Apple and Google’s app store policies are clear that they prohibit disturbing and offensive content, which includes nonconsensually generated sexual images of children and women. The companies’ failure to act in response to Grok’s production of disturbing and likely illegal content, including potentially child sexual abuse materials, contrasts with their speedy decisions to remove apps that allow users to lawfully report immigration enforcement activities, following pressure from political leadership at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

The full letter is available here.

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Luján, Cortez Masto, Grassley, Push to Protect Americans’ Personal Information from China, Other Foreign Adversaries

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), and Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) reintroduced the Internet Application Integrity and Disclosure (App ID) Act to help protect Americans online. This legislation would require operators of websites and mobile applications to disclose if their applications have been developed, are controlled, or store data within adversarial countries, such as China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran.

“The internet plays an essential role in our daily lives, and with its rapid growth comes a responsibility to protect users from foreign adversaries,” said Senator Luján. “I’m proud to co-sponsor the bipartisan Internet App ID Act to protect Americans online and help ensure they know when their sensitive data may be accessed by foreign actors.”

“While the internet has revolutionized how we live, work, and play every single day, we have to be doing more to protect the privacy of American citizens,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “There are millions of websites and apps out there, and my Internet App ID Act is an essential piece of legislation that will help American consumers make informed decisions to protect their data from being controlled or accessed by foreign adversaries.”

The Internet App ID Act would help prevent foreign adversaries – like China, Iran, Russia, and North Korea – from being able to utilize apps to store, expose,and transfer the personal data of American citizens without greater transparency. Failure to properly disclose or presenting false information would result in fines from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).

To better safeguard Americans’ data, the Internet App ID Act would:

Require anyone that maintains a website or application to disclosewhether:

An app is owned, wholly or partially, by an adversarial country;

An app stores or maintains user data within an adversarial country; or

An adversarial country or a government-owned entity has access to user data

Allow the FTC to enforce violations of the law.

Full bill text is available HERE. Summary of the bill is available HERE.

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Lummis, Wyden Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Protect Blockchain Developers from Money Transmitter Requirements

Washington, D.C.— U.S. Senator Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Senate Banking Digital Assets Subcommittee Chair, joined U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) in introducing the Blockchain Regulatory Certainty Act, bipartisan legislation that clarifies that software developers and infrastructure providers who do not control user funds are not money transmitters under federal law.

“Blockchain developers who have simply written code and maintain open-source infrastructure have lived under threat of being classified as money transmitters for far too long,” said Lummis. “This designation makes no sense when they never touch, control, or have access to user funds, and unnecessarily limits innovation. This bill gives our developers the clarity they need to build the future of digital finance without fear of prosecution for activities that pose no money laundering risk. It’s time to stop treating software developers like banks simply because they write code.”

“Forcing developers who write code to follow the same rules as exchanges or brokers is technologically illiterate and a recipe for violating Americans’ privacy and free speech rights,” said Wyden. “I’m all for regulating digital asset exchanges to make sure people pay the taxes they owe. Senator Lummis and I are sending the message that while the government can regulate digital assets, it shouldn’t tell developers what code they’re allowed to write.”

BACKGROUND:

The Blockchain Regulatory Certainty Act establishes clear federal standards for when blockchain developers and service providers are exempt from money transmitter regulations. Under current law, many developers face regulatory uncertainty that has driven innovation offshore and subjected them to conflicting state regulations.

This bill:

• Exempts non-controlling developers and providers from federal money transfer requirements, ensuring those who create software, maintain distributed ledgers, or provide infrastructure support are not classified as money transmitters solely for these activities.

• Clearly defines “non-controlling developer or provider” as any person or business that develops or maintains distributed ledger technology but does not have the legal right or unilateral ability to control, initiate, or effectuate transactions involving users’ digital assets without third-party approval.

• Clarifies protected activities including creating or publishing software for distributed ledgers, providing maintenance services to blockchain networks, offering hardware or software for customer self-custody solutions, and providing infrastructure support to maintain distributed ledger services.

• Maintains state authority to enforce state laws consistent with federal standards while preventing states from imposing money transmitter requirements on developers engaging solely in the protected activities outlined in the bill.

Bill text can be found here.

In 2024, Senators Lummis and Wyden sent a letter to U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland raising significant concerns that the U.S. Department of Justice diverged from the clear, logically sound, and well-established definition of “money transmission” established by the Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network.


Merkley Continues Town Halls with 9 In-Person Conversations in January

Senator holding nine in-person conversations in Benton, Clatsop, Columbia, Lane, Lincoln, Linn, Multnomah, Tillamook, and Washington counties January 16-18

Washington, D.C. — Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley announced today he will continue his town halls with in-person community conversations in Multnomah, Washington, and Columbia counties on Friday, January 16, conversations in Lincoln, Tillamook, and Clatsop counties on Saturday, January 17, followed by conversations in Lane, Benton, and Linn counties on Sunday, January 18.

Merkley will be joined by U.S. Representative Val Hoyle for the Lane County town hall and Janelle Bynum for the Linn County town hall.

The eight events continue Merkley’s 2026 town hall tour of Oregon, where he will hold a community conversation in each of the state’s 36 counties.

“I’m looking forward to again visiting wonderful communities all over our state. By talking directly to folks in each county my team and I can go to work for the interests and needs most important in each corner of our 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.

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

Friday, January 16

Multnomah County Town Hall

Time: 10:00 am PT

Location: Oregon Convention Center Exhibit Hall E

777 NE Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd, Portland, OR 97232

Washington County Town Hall

Time: 12:30 pm PT

Location: Conestoga Recreation Center Gymnasium

9985 SW 125th Ave, Beaverton, OR 97008

Columbia County Town Hall

Time: 3:30 pm PT

Location: John Gumm Building Auditorium

251 St Helens St, St Helens, OR 97051

Saturday, January 17

Lincoln County Town Hall

Time: 10:00 am PT

Location: Newport High School Gymnasium

322 NE Eads St, Newport, OR 97365

Tillamook County Town Hall

Time: 2:00 pm PT

Location: Tillamook High School, Auditorium

2605 12th St, Tillamook, OR 97141

Clatsop County Town Hall

Time: 6:00 pm PT

Location: Warrenton High School, Gym

1700 S Main Ave, Warrenton, OR 97146

Sunday, January 18

Lane County Town Hall – with U.S. Representative Val Hoyle

Time: 12:00 pm PT

Location: Thurston High School Gymnasium

333 58th St, Springfield, OR 97478

Benton County Town Hall

Time: 3:00 pm PT

Location: Philomath High School Auditorium

2054 Applegate St, Philomath, OR 97370

Linn County Town Hall – with U.S. Representative Janelle Bynum

Time: 5:30 pm PT

Location: Linn-Benton Community College Russell Tripp Performance Center

6500 Pacific Blvd SW, Albany, OR 97321

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“Ring the Alarm Bells”: Merkley Publishes New Analysis of Trump’s Authoritarian Playbook

Washington, D.C. – Today, Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley released a new analysis outlining the ten rules of Trump’s authoritarian playbook to ensure all Americans understand what our country is facing.

As he writes in the introduction, “Authoritarianism isn’t down the street or around the corner — it is here right now.”

The full report can be found by clicking here.

“People think of democracies dying at the hands of men with guns. But, in the modern era, they more often die at the hands of elected officials who erode the separation of powers to solidify a strongman state,” Merkley said.

“We now have all three ingredients of such a strongman state: a rubber-stamp Congress doing the President’s bidding; a Supreme Court finding “invisible ink” in the Constitution to enhance the President’s powers; and a power-hungry president behaving like a king, breaking the law and violating the checks and balances of our Constitution.

“There are ten powerful rules in the authoritarian playbook. Trump and his team are aggressively executing all ten. It is essential to understand and interrupt those efforts before authoritarian power becomes entrenched. That will require robust citizen action and an unmistakable rejection of authoritarianism at the next election. Both are essential to restore and revitalize our democracy.”

Merkley has been speaking out to ring the alarm bells as Trump entrenches his authoritarian grip. On October 21, 2025, Merkley spoke on the floor of the U.S. Senate to speak directly to the American people and denounce the Trump Administration’s authoritarian takeover of the country. He spoke for 22 hours 37 minutes—the third longest speech in Senate history.

Merkley also introduced a resolution condemning authoritarianism in all its forms and opposing the implementation of authoritarian policies in the United States of America.

The booklet, titled “Ring the Alarm Bells: The Ten Rules of Trump’s Authoritarian Playbook,” will be distributed at Senator Merkley’s town hall meetings, which he holds in each of Oregon’s 36 counties. It’s also available online by clicking here.

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Murkowski Releases Statement on Investigation into Fed Chair

Washington, DC — Following the launch of a Department of Justice investigation into Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) released the following statement:

“After speaking with Chair Powell this morning, it’s clear the administration’s investigation is nothing more than an attempt at coercion. If the Department of Justice believes an investigation into Chair Powell is warranted based on project cost overruns—which are not unusual—then Congress needs to investigate the Department of Justice. The stakes are too high to look the other way: if the Federal Reserve loses its independence, the stability of our markets and the broader economy will suffer. My colleague, Senator Tillis, is right in blocking any Federal Reserve nominees until this is resolved.”

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Visit our website at http://murkowski.senate.gov


Murray Floor Remarks on CJS, Energy & Water, Interior Funding Bills as Senate Takes Up Package

Senate advances package in 80-13 preliminary procedural vote following House passage of the package in a 397-28 vote on Thursday

Package of funding bills rejects draconian cuts and policies pushed by President Trump, House Republicans—and reasserts congressional control over key funding decisions

ICYMI: Murray, Top Appropriators Release Three-Bill Minibus

***WATCH: Senator Murray’s remarks***

Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, delivered remarks on the Senate floor on the Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies; Energy and Water Development; and Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies fiscal year 2026 appropriations bills as the U.S. Senate takes up the package following passage in the House last week. The Senate voted 80-13 to take up the bill in its first procedural vote on the package tonight.

Text, summaries, and more information on the three bills in the package are available HERE.

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

“The spending bills that we write are not just numbers on a page—they affect the daily lives of Americans across the country in very real ways. Like whether or not they can afford their electric bill, or whether families have clean drinking water at home, whether communities have the infrastructure to prevent flooding and respond to devastating weather events—like the ones we saw in my home state of Washington last month, and whether they have the resources they need to keep people safe.

“These are the issues at stake—the issues that are on my mind each year as I work to negotiate our appropriations bills. It’s a responsibility I take extremely seriously—and it’s why, from day one, I have vowed to rip up President Trump’s budget and write a new one. Because this president, and his budget director, Project 2025 author, Russ Vought, want to slash over $160 billion dollars in essential investments for American communities and working families.

“They actually tried to cut our entire non-defense budget by over one-fifth! But even that number disguises the much deeper cuts they have pushed to key programs—in some cases, cuts House Republicans adopted in their own bills, alongside hundreds of extreme poison pill provisions.

“Democrats said: no way. Absolutely not. And we made clear that our conferenced bills had to be closer to the bipartisan Senate levels that ensured our bills cleared our Committee with overwhelming support. And throughout these negotiations, our ranking members and I have focused on protecting funding that our communities rely on, rejecting the sweeping, devastating cuts, and eliminating far-right poison pill riders.

“Now this week, the Senate is taking up the package the House cleared last week in an overwhelming vote, which contains the CJS, Energy and Water, and Interior funding bills. In each of these bills, I am very happy that we protected critical funding and fought off poison pill riders.

[CJS Bill]

“In the CJS bill, we rejected Trump’s plan to slash the funding for scientific research and the National Science Foundation’s budget by 57 percent, [cut] NASA’s science budget in half, and devastate NOAA and climate research that all of us rely on for accurate weather forecasting—whether we know it or not!

“Trump also wanted to cut funding to prevent violence against [women] by $215 million—which was truly heartless. Democrats protected that funding—and increased it by $7 million. And we shot down Trump’s proposals to merge and weaken important federal agencies like the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Office on Violence Against Women and COPS Office under the Office of Justice Programs.

[Interior-Environment Bill]

“Similarly, the Interior bill protects the Forest Service from over a billion in Trump cuts, protects clean water programs from those massive cuts, protects air and pollution grants from outright elimination, protects the pay of our federal wildland firefighters, and it rejects nearly $1 billion in Trump cuts to tribal programs for school, safety, and self-governance.

[Energy and Water Development Bill]

“As Ranking Member of Energy and Water, I worked especially hard to make sure these bills definitively rejected Trump’s damaging proposals and made major investments that are absolutely critical to both my home state of Washington and our nation.

“President Trump’s proposal would have raised Americans’ energy bills by cutting energy and grid programs, including eliminating the weatherization assistance program — but Democrats saved them and, in fact, secured more assistance to help lower families’ energy bills.

“And not only did we reject Trump’s $2 billion cut to the Army Corps of Engineers, we actually increased funding—and spelled out, in line-item after line-item, exactly how the funding is to be spent. Because last year, Trump and Russ Vought blatantly defunded Army Corps construction projects in blue states like Washington and California—and steered hundreds of millions of dollars to red states instead. I called that out for what it was—a politically-motivated abuse of power that was only possible because we were operating on a slush fund, full-year CR.

“This year, we made sure that Trump and Russ Vought cannot muck around again and turn crucial flood prevention projects—like the Howard Hanson Dam in Washington state—into political hostages. I’m very proud that I was able to write in much-needed funding for the Howard Hanson Dam in this bill, alongside crucial funding for many of our nation’s ports and harbors.

“The Energy and Water bill protects investments in water infrastructure, hydroelectric power, and scientific discovery—so our national labs can keep doing the cutting-edge work we all rely on. It rejects Trump’s proposals to gut clean energy funding, zero out solar, wind, and hydrogen research programs, and eliminate several independent agencies that support economic development across the country.

“Now, throughout these bills, I was glad to work with Chair Collins and address indirect costs to ensure that our scientific research can continue without drastic interference and disruption.

[Extending Thanks]

“M. President, I’d like to thank some of my fellow leaders on the Appropriations Committee who came to the table, for serious, hard negotiations to put these bills together. This was not easy work—and it was done under a very challenging timeline—but we are showing what can still get done when both sides work together.

“I want to start by acknowledging and thanking Chair Collins and her staff—who have worked extraordinarily hard with my staff throughout this process, and we are continuing to work. I also want to thank House Chairman Tom Cole and Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro and all their staffs. I’d like to thank Senator Kennedy—my counterpart on the Energy and Water subcommittee, Senator Moran and Senator Van Hollen—our leaders on the CJS subcommittee, and Senator Murkowski and Senator Merkley—our Interior subcommittee leads. And of course—their counterparts in the House, Representatives Fleischmann and Kaptur on Energy and Water, Rogers and Meng on CJS, and Simpson and Pingree on Interior. Our ranking members, along with the Chairs in both the House and Senate, did a tremendous job working together to get these bills done.

[Reasserting Congress’ Power of the Purse]

“These bills reassert Congress’ power over key spending decisions, and that could not be more important. These bills will put an end to some of the truly unacceptable, and partisan, retaliation we’ve seen from the Office of Management and Budget by telling this administration exactly how Congress has decided funding must get spent.

“That is a huge improvement from the status quo we have with Republicans’ yearlong slush fund CR that gave Trump and Vought way more power to decide how to spend our taxpayer dollars and which projects and priorities to fund. Over the last year, we have seen them abuse the power that terrible slush fund CR gave them to rob our communities and completely remake federal spending priorities without so much as talking to Congress.

“That is why, right now, it is so important that we end that slush fund authority and reassert our power as lawmakers by passing these full-year spending bills that specify exactly how funds are to be spent just as we had always done until last year.

[Importance of Passing Bills]

“So, with the next funding deadline coming up, it is crucial that we pass our bills, protect the funding families count on, reject Trump’s heartless cuts, and put power back in the hands of the American people and their elected representatives, where it belongs. That is what this package does—and what I am intent on doing with the rest of our bills as well.

“My north star is always: what can I do that does the most for folks back home in Washington state? How can I protect the programs that hardworking people count on? How can I deliver real wins that make families’ lives better?

“So, to all of my colleagues, who share my outrage at how Trump has trampled over our spending laws and my grave concern over his damaging cuts and absurd, harmful budget proposals, I will continue to join you in pushing back against his agenda on the Senate floor.

“These are not the bills we’d have written on our own—I know that. They are not the bills I’d write on my own. But they do mark a significant improvement over the status quo—where Trump and his agency heads can rewrite parts of the budget without Congress, and they are vastly better than the Trump budget plan—which was full of horrific cuts and extreme policies. So, I will continue to work with my colleagues to make sure programs that protect our communities and save families money don’t get axed.

“Passing funding bills that we shape and write is one of the most important ways we wield our power and make the voice of our constituents heard. It is one of the most fundamental jobs of Congress—to write these bills to decide how our taxpayer funds get spent.

“So, I urge my colleagues to join me this week in voting to pass this next package of bills and reassert our power. So that we can put forward and pass into law bills that aren’t only bipartisan, but that make sure our constituents come first.

“In fact, just yesterday we put out a bipartisan package for our SFOPS and FSGG funding bills. It is a package that, once again, saves crucial investments in our communities, and our small businesses, and America’s global leadership. I’ll have more to say on that soon.”

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Padilla, Wyden Lead Amicus Brief Challenging Republican Attempts to Suppress Mail-In Voting

Pending SCOTUS case could make it harder for millions of Americans to vote by mail

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration and California’s former Secretary of State, and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) led their colleagues in filing an amicus brief in Watson v. Republican National Committee, a landmark mail-in voting case that will be argued before the U.S. Supreme Court later this year.

In 2024, the Republican National Committee (RNC) challenged a Mississippi law that allows ballots postmarked by election day to be received up to five days after election day, arguing that this law violates federal law setting the timing of elections. If the 5th Circuit’s ruling is affirmed by the Supreme Court, vote-by-mail in more than a dozen states — including California and Oregon — will be thrown into disarray as huge numbers of voters, particularly rural, military, and overseas voters, could be disenfranchised.

“Despite Trump and Republicans’ baseless attacks, vote-by-mail remains one of the most effective and secure ways to make sure every eligible citizen can make their voice heard — especially for servicemembers, rural voters, and Americans living overseas,” said Senator Padilla. “We should be making it easier for Americans to vote, not bowing to Donald Trump’s flagrant attempts to suppress voting rights to cling to power. We are urging the Court to reject this blatant interference with California and other states’ election laws that protect Americans’ fundamental right to vote.”

“Republicans will stop at nothing in their crusade against vote-by-mail because they’re afraid they can’t win elections on their own merits,” said Senator Wyden. “The Supreme Court needs to see this case for what it really is: a thinly-veiled attempt at full blown voter suppression by Donald Trump and his far-right fan club. I’m all in to protect the fundamental rights of every American to make their voice heard on election day.”

The amicus brief filing comes just days after the Trump Administration’s latest attempt to suppress mail-in voting. Closures and consolidation of U.S. Postal Service (USPS) facilities as well as a recent rule change by USPS will result in mail less frequently being postmarked on the day it is received. As a result, mail-in ballots received by the USPS near or on election day could receive a delayed postmark and be invalidated.

“Many states, including Oregon, have adopted sensible policies to allow mail-in-ballots to be counted so long as they are postmarked no later than Election Day,” wrote the Senators. “The Fifth Circuit’s ruling undermines the viability of these laws and threatens the disenfranchisement of voters, especially those living abroad or in rural areas.”

Padilla and Wyden were joined by U.S. Senators Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), and Mark Warner (D-Va.) in filing the amicus brief.

As Ranking Member of the Senate Rules Committee with oversight over federal elections, Senator Padilla has led the charge opposing President Trump’s attempts to restrict the right to vote across the country, including his attacks on vote-by-mail. A day after the November 2025 elections, Padilla led a floor block sounding the alarm on the Trump Administration’s ongoing efforts to rig election rules one year out from the 2026 midterms. Last October, Padilla and Congresswoman Joyce Beatty (D-Ohio-03) announced the Voter Purge Protection Act to prevent the Trump Administration’s voter purge efforts, including by prohibiting the removal of individuals from the voter rolls due to changes in residence or not voting in previous elections. Padilla also warned that Trump may declare an election-related national emergency after the White House alarmingly hired former “Stop the Steal” and Trump campaign lawyer Kurt Olsen as a “special government employee” to “investigate” the 2020 election again, five years later.

Before coming to the Senate, Padilla established automatic and same-day voter registration, upgraded California’s voting systems to meet higher security standards, and expanded mail-in and in-person early voting as the chief elections officer for the most populous state in the nation. Full text of the amicus brief is available here.

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