Hawley Exposes Fraud in State and Federal Programs and Dark Money Funding Web

WASHINGTON — Yesterday, U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) chaired a hearing in his Homeland Security Subcommittee exposing the widespread fraud in state and federal programs, as well as the dark money groups sponsoring radical left-wing subversion in America’s streets.

“You testified that about a trillion dollars you think is lost in fraud every year. Where’s this money going?” Chairman Hawley asked Haywood Talcove, CEO of Lexis Nexis Risk Solutions.

Talcove responded, “It goes to terrorism, it goes to child trafficking, it goes to drugs… and then it’s used to purchase luxury items, cars, purses, homes. That’s all funded by people like me that pay taxes… $115 million an hour.”

Senator Hawley asked, “How do they get their hands on it?”

Talcove answered, “They go into programs that they know elected and appointed officials won’t touch, and they can steal at scale. And what happened really was during the pandemic… they learned a valuable lesson: the government never runs out of money and the probability of getting caught is virtually zero.”

Senator Hawley asked Minnesota State Senator Mark Koran, “From your vantage point in the state, are the majority of these protests spontaneous or more organized?”

“They’re highly organized and coordinated. In Minnesota, we’ve seen a wide variety of coordinated efforts,” Senator Koran responded. “The agitation groups on the ground, there are a wide variety of them, some national, some very professional. In addition to local reports that state they’ve trained some 30,000 observers to get in the middle of the protests.”

Hawley continued, “How would you describe the tactics that are used during these protests?”

“What we’ve seen is a whole host of doxxing, highly coordinated efforts in doxxing. We’ve seen instance of violence against federal agents. I think in two cases, we’ve had agents that have had – one had their finger bitten off, and they’ve been pelted with frozen bottles, stones and every other type of thing, in addition to directly interfering with legal law enforcement,” Koran answered.

Hawley also questioned Seamus Bruner, Vice President of the Government Accountability Institute and an expert in dark money networks, asking, “Your organization specialized in following nonprofit funding and organizational networks. Based on your research, what organizations have been active on the ground in Minnesota?”

Bruner said, “We have tracked over $60 million [in payments]… to approximately 14 groups, some of them national, others on the ground.”

“How is it flowing to these groups? Do you have any sense?” the Senator continued.

“We’ve built a database that contains hundreds of thousands of rows from grants from networks of the Soros network, the Arabella funding network, as mentioned, the Neville Roy Singham funding network, many others… These massive NGOs that have billions of dollars to spend on all kinds of coordinated protests, or in this case, riot activity,” Bruner answered.

Senator Hawley concluded, “Over and over again we see this money through these same networks flowing in to create these riots, these protests, these divisions. There need to be prosecutions here. So, I just renew my call to the Department of Justice to investigate these groups, these dark money groups, untangle this web and bring prosecutions wherever you can, because the American people deserve to have control of their government.”


Hawley, Warren Introduce Bill to Break Up Big Medicine

WASHINGTON — Senators Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) introduced the Break Up Big Medicine Act to address rampant consolidation in the healthcare industry that drives up prices, squashes competition, and hurts working people.

“Americans are paying more and more for healthcare while the quality of care gets worse and worse. In their quest to put profits over people, Big Pharma and the insurance companies continue to gobble up every independent healthcare provider and pharmacy they can find,” said Senator Hawley. “Working Americans deserve better. This bipartisan legislation is a massive step towards making healthcare affordable for every American.”

“There’s no question that massive health care companies have created layers of complexity to jack up the price of everything from prescription drugs to a visit to the doctor. The only way to make health care more affordable is to break up these health care conglomerates,” said Senator Warren. “Our bill would be a monumental step towards ending the stranglehold that corporate giants have on our broken health care system.”

Giant healthcare conglomerates dominate the American healthcare system. The three largest pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) manage 80% of prescription drug claims, while just three prescription drug wholesalers control 98% of U.S. drug distribution. These corporate behemoths are vertically integrated, meaning one company can own or control every part of the healthcare supply chain—from health insurance companies and PBMs to pharmacists and physicians.

By controlling both the company that pays for healthcare services (e.g., a health insurer) and also the people that set the prices for those healthcare services (e.g., physicians), these conglomerates are steering business to their own affiliates. This not only harms patients and taxpayers but has also left independent doctors and pharmacies unable to compete. Since 2019, nearly 4,000 independent pharmacies have closed, and almost 80 percent of physicians now work for a corporate parent.

The Break Up Big Medicine Act addresses these structural conflicts of interest, which allow corporate giants to put profits over the interests of patients, taxpayers, employers, and independent providers. The legislation will:

Prohibit a parent company from owning a medical provider or management services organization and a PBM or an insurer;

Prohibit a parent company of a prescription drug or medical device wholesaler from owning a medical provider or management services organization;

Require that a company violating these conflicts of interest come into compliance within one year of the bill’s enactment;

Create automatic penalties if a company fails to comply in a timely manner, including disgorgement of profits and forced sales of assets;

Enable the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Justice (DOJ), state attorneys general, and private parties to bring lawsuits against violators; and

Allow the FTC and DOJ to review and block future actions that would recreate the conflicts of interest prevented by the bill.

This bill extends the structural separation provisions of Senator Hawley’s and Senator Warren’s Patients Before Monopolies Act to additional segments of the healthcare supply chain.


Univision: Senadores demócratas denuncian 'crueldad' en el trato del gobierno a menores no acompañados

Un grupo de 11 senadores demócratas denunciaron este miércoles que el Departamento de Seguridad Nacional (DHS) y Oficina de Inmigración y Aduanas (ICE) “tienen la intención de detener y expulsar a niños del país sin tener en cuenta las protecciones constitucionales o legales”, un plan que forma parte de la política migratoria de ‘tolerancia cero’ del presidente Donald Trump.

En una carta dirigida a Pan Bondi, fiscal general; Kristi Noem, secretaria del DHS; Tood Lyons, director interino de ICE; Daren K. Margolin, director de la Oficina de Revisión de Casos de Inmigración (EIOR); y Robert F. Kennedy, secretario del Departamento de Salud y Servicios Humanos (HSS), los legisladores instan al gobierno “detener las medidas de cumplimiento de la ley contra menores y a desarrollar políticas para protegerlos”.

“Desde que asumió el cargo, la administración Trump ha perseguido sistemáticamente a los menores migrantes no acompañados para su deportación. El año pasado, el DHS llegó al extremo de intentar deportar a un grupo de menores no acompañados a Guatemala en plena noche, sin el más mínimo debido proceso”, se lee en la misiva.

A finales de agosto del año pasado, el DHS intentó deportar a 10 niños entre 10 y 16 años a Guatemala, a pesar de que los menores habían dicho a los jueces que ventilaron sus casos que tenían miedo de volver a su país, de acuerdo con una demanda. Cuando los menores se encontraban a bordo de un avión en el que iban a ser expulsados, una jueza federal impidió la deportación y exigió garantías para que permanezcan en centros de acogida hasta que se emita una decisión permanente.

Hasta ese momento, unos 2,000 niños, la mayoría originarios de Guatemala, se encontraban bajo cuidado del DHS en decenas de centros con procesos de inmigración pendientes.

En julio del año pasado el DHS dijo en un comunicado que Noem se encontraba liderando los esfuerzos “para rescatar y detener la explotación de los 300,000 Niños no Acompañados (UAC) que la Administración Biden perdió o asignó a patrocinadores no verificados”.

Según el DHS, “a muchos de los niños que cruzaron la frontera sin compañía se les permitió ser asignados a patrocinadores que, en realidad, eran contrabandistas y tratantes sexuales”. Y que la Administración había localizado a esa fecha “a 13,000 de estos niños”.

El ministerio, sin embargo, no aportó evidencias que confirmaran las acusaciones de pérdida o de abusos.

Cabe señalar que durante la Administración Biden (2021-2025), la Oficina de Aduanas y Control Fronterizo (CBP) registró 315,949 detención de Menores no Acompañados, mientras que durante la primera Administración Trump (2017-2021) se registraron 326,875 detenciones (3,45% más que los arrestos ocurridos durante el gobierno de Biden).

Ante este escenario, el grupo de senadores demócratas señala que la administración “también ha detenido a un número cada vez mayor de menores no acompañados, ha enviado agentes a los hogares de los niños liberados, ha engañado a niños con pagos para que se autodeporten y ha multado a los menores con elevadas tarifas”.

“Las crueles acciones de la administración han puesto en grave peligro a los menores no acompañados y han exacerbado el miedo en un grupo ya de por sí vulnerable”, apuntan. E instan a los funcionarios “a que detenga las medidas de control erróneas contra los menores y desarrolle políticas destinadas a proteger a esta comunidad vulnerable”.

Los senadores también advierten que el gobierno de Trump “ha expresado su interés en localizar a los niños migrantes no acompañados que viven con patrocinadores y en protegerlos de la trata de personas y otras formas de explotación. Sin embargo, la amplia gama de acciones dirigidas a estos mismos menores contradice la intención declarada del gobierno”.

Denunciaron además que “durante meses, el gobierno ha desmantelado importantes protecciones legales que protegen a los menores no acompañados, ha intentado desmantelar las normas de bienestar infantil y ha aplicado medidas migratorias dirigidas a los niños y sus patrocinadores”, un escenario que cada día se vuelve más complejo y dificultoso para los más de 600,000 niños procesados durante el primer gobierno de Trump y bajo la administración Biden.

“Estas acciones han aumentado el número de niños deportados a condiciones peligrosas, han separado a más familias y han empeorado las condiciones de detención”, precisa la carta firmada por los senadores Edward J. Markey; Jeffrey A. Merkley; Richard Blumenthal; Martin Heinrich; Jacky Rosen; Angela D. Alsobrooks; Cory A. Booker; Chris Van Hollen; Andy Kim; Mazie K. Hirono; y Bernard Sanders.

En cuanto a registros de deportaciones, los senadores advierten que el gobierno de Trump “está batiendo récords de deportación de menores”. Y que, en abril de 2025, “más de 8,000 niños de 11 años o menos recibieron una orden de deportación, la cifra mensual más alta en más de 35 años”. A esto se agrega emisión de órdenes de deportación “de casi 15,000 niños menores de cuatro años”.

“La situación llegó a su punto álgido la noche del sábado del fin de semana del Día del Trabajo de 2025, cuando la Administración intentó expulsar ilegalmente del país a niños guatemaltecos no acompañados sin el más mínimo debido proceso”, en referencia a los 10 menores de origen guatemaltecos que ya se encontraban a bordo de un avión cuando una corte federal detuvo las expulsiones.

Ante esto, los senadores fijaron un plazo hasta el 23 de febrero para que el gobierno responda una serie de exigencias y preguntas, entre ellas:


NOTUS: The Energy Department Is Failing to Meet Oversight Requirements, Congress’ Watchdog Says

The Department of Energy’s Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations has lost the staff required to properly oversee about $27 billion in funded energy projects, according to a new assessment from the Government Accountability Office

The failure to meet those congressionally-mandated requirements stems from the Trump administration’s deep cuts to the agency’s federal workforce.

The Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations lost more than 80% of its staff in 2025, including every person hired to independently assess and monitor the costs of big, government-funded projects.

“Given the large decrease in staff resources, contract support, and proposed budget, OCED does not have the capacity to be an effective entity, and DOE does not have a plan to ensure it meets statutory requirements for project management and oversight without an effective OCED,” GAO officials wrote in their report.

GAO’s investigation is a rare window into the impacts of the sweeping cuts and overhauls the Trump administration has initiated across every part of the federal government.

As an arm of Congress, GAO is the only group that has the authority to independently investigate the Trump administration and audit how the administration is spending taxpayer dollars and following the instructions of Congress. The agency has repeatedly issued reports warning that the Trump administration’s overhaul of the executive branch has made the federal government increasingly ill-prepared for disasters, has led to the loss of skilled talent and has breached direct instructions from Congress.

DOE did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The GAO’s report lists a litany of ongoing concerns, including Department of Energy Secretary Chris Wright’s campaign to cancel renewable energy projects awarded during the Biden administration.

Over the course of the last year, the agency has canceled about 35 of the projects under OCED, or about a third of the total funding. However, the GAO found that the agency still has not decommitted funding for any of those projects. It is an open question what happens to the money if it is eventually returned to the agency’s coffers.

“This report confirms what we’ve known all along: the Trump administration is weaponizing the government to hamstring the clean energy sector, without reason or legal authority. And working families are paying the price,” Democratic Sen. Martin Heinrich told NOTUS in a statement.

Congress also required that DOE hire people who could independently assess whether the costs of an expensive energy project were reasonable before that project began construction. The agency no longer employs any of those independent staffers — and while DOE said a different office could conduct the assessments, that secondary office lost about 60% of its staff in 2025, too, according to the GAO.

Almost all project managers for existing and terminated projects have left the agency; 42 out of 45 groups that won funding from DOE told the GAO auditors that they lost their original project manager. About three-quarters of those groups have received new managers, but those new officials each are handling more projects and have less time for day-to-day oversight, according to the report.

The watchdog’s assessment concludes with a warning for the agency.

“Private companies, which are often funding more than 50 percent of these projects, may reconsider future partnerships with the federal government,” the GAO wrote.


Hickenlooper, Colleagues Launch Inquiry into Department of Defense’s Use of AI Software Known for Antisemitic Content

Last year, Elon Musk’s “Grok” chatbot promoted antisemitic conspiracy theories, praised Hitler on X/Twitter

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators John Hickenlooper, Jon Ossoff, Chris Van Hollen, Adam Schiff, Richard Durbin, and Reverend Raphael Warnock launched an inquiry with Department of Defense (DoD) Secretary Pete Hegseth, demanding answers over reports that DoD plans to use the xAI chatbot, Grok, despite reports that the chatbot has promoted antisemitic and other dangerous content.

Last year, there were numerous reported examples of Grok wrongfully spreading antisemitic posts and Holocaust denialism through its prompted engagement with neo-Nazi accounts. The posts ranged from praising Hitler to referring to itself as “MechaHitler.”

“We are particularly concerned by this development, given Grok’s reported recent track record promoting Holocaust denial, spreading racist ideologies, and generating deepfake pornography of children,” wrote the lawmakers. “In the summer of 2025, Grok issued several antisemitic comments and threads, including stating that it was skeptical that six million Jews were killed in the Holocaust. More recently, the chatbot produced fake pornographic images of real people. Grok’s generation of such content has triggered various investigations of the platform and the potential use of this model by a federal agency is troubling.”

Last year, Hickenlooper condemned the chatbot’s antisemitic posts and called on xAI to address their failure to create basic steps to minimize the promotion of antisemitism by their products. Hickenlooper serves as Ranking Member of the Senate Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Technology, and Data Privacy, which oversees the responsible use of emerging technologies such as AI and investigates harms against consumers.

Hickenlooper also previously proposed a “Trust, but Verify” framework for federal AI regulation. Hickenlooper’s proposal focuses on three policy areas: 1) AI transparency and user literacy, 2) consumer data protection, and 3) international coalition building. He also proposed the development of standards for third-party auditors who would be able to audit and certify AI companies’ compliance with federal regulations.

Hickenlooper previously called on the CEOs of X and Meta to respond to violent and explicit AI images generated online as well as urged the Department of Labor to prepare American workers to integrate with artificial intelligence in the workplace.

The senators’ letter is available HERE.

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Hickenlooper, Fischer, Bacon Reintroduce Bipartisan, Bicameral Foster Care Legislation

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators John Hickenlooper and Deb Fischer and Representative Don Bacon reintroduced the bipartisan Foster Care Stabilization Act, which would provide children in pre-placement foster care with better access to essential supplies like clothing, food, and other necessities.

Specifically, the bill would authorize grants to foster care stabilization agencies to provide emergency relief and improve pre-placement services.

“Children entering foster care are already carrying too heavy a burden,” said Hickenlooper. “We should do everything we can to ease that transition.”

“No child entering foster care should have to worry about basic necessities. I’m proud to partner with Senator Hickenlooper and Rep. Bacon to reintroduce this bill so children transitioning into foster care receive the support and resources they deserve immediately,” said Fischer.

“Children who enter the foster care system do not get to make their own choice and it’s unfortunate there are so many children who have gone to unstable homes,” said Bacon. “As a foster to adopt parent, I know the Foster Care Stabilization Act will help to reduce trauma that children experience in the foster care system because it would help them receive daily needs such as clothing, food, and safety, things many of us take for granted but mean so much to a child. I thank Senators Fischer and Hickenlooper for their partnership and leadership in reintroducing this important legislation to support children entering foster care.”

The transition into foster care can be a difficult experience for children, who often lack basic supplies such as clothes or other personal necessities.

Foster care stabilization agencies address these challenges by providing children with the emergency supplies and assistance they need – restoring dignity to kids entering the foster care system and setting them up for success with their future foster care family.

The Foster Care Stabilization Act would authorize $3 million in U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) demonstration grants that could be used to:

Hire personnel

Secure clothing or personal necessities for foster youth

Purchase food and food preparation equipment for foster youth

Offer services to prevent and respond to child abuse

Address any other emergency assistance needed to promote the safety and self-sufficiency of foster youth.

Full text of the legislation is available HERE.

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Hickenlooper, Senate Democrats Call On Secretary Noem to Reverse Termination of TPS for Haiti

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senators John Hickenlooper, Lisa Blunt-Rochester, and the entire Senate Democratic Caucus demanded that Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem reverse her directive to terminate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haiti. The policy was expected to take effect February 3, 2026, though it was temporarily blocked by a federal judge.

“The Republic of Haiti remains gripped by extraordinary political instability and the deterioration of civil society,” the Senators wrote. “Armed gangs control significant territory, violence and kidnappings have escalated, and basic governance functions have effectively collapsed. Access to healthcare, food, and public services is severely limited, and large portions of the population remain displaced. Consequently, these conditions continue to meet the statutory criteria that justified the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) original TPS designation and have only worsened over time.”

“When DHS last extended TPS for Haiti in June 2024, the department cited persistent insecurity, humanitarian need, and the inability of the Haitian government to safely receive returning nationals,” the Senators continued. “Those same conditions persist today. The department’s subsequent decision not to extend TPS represents a departure from its own recent findings. It would expose individuals to grave danger, family separation, and undermine the very humanitarian purpose Congress intended TPS to serve.”

“We urge DHS to act in accordance with the law, facts on the ground, and America’s longstanding commitment to humane immigration policy,” the Senators concluded. “DHS should immediately extend TPS for Haitian nationals and provide certainty to affected families and communities across the United States.”

The full text of the letter can be found HERE and below.

Dear Secretary Noem:

We write to express our deep concern over your November 2025 decision to terminate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haiti, effective February 3, 2026. Although a federal judge has temporarily stayed the termination of TPS, preserving protections while litigation continues, hundreds of thousands of Haitians lawfully living and working in the United States remain in legal uncertainty despite the catastrophic humanitarian and security crisis in Haiti that prevents a safe return.

The Republic of Haiti remains gripped by extraordinary political instability and the deterioration of civil society. Armed gangs control significant territory, violence and kidnappings have escalated, and basic governance functions have effectively collapsed. Access to healthcare, food, and public services is severely limited, and large portions of the population remain displaced. Consequently, these conditions continue to meet the statutory criteria that justified the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) original TPS designation and have only worsened over time.

Ending TPS would also impose immediate economic harm on communities across the United States because Haitian TPS holders are essential to the American workforce and economy. Haitian nationals contribute billions of dollars in economic activity each year and are highly represented in critical sectors such as healthcare, construction, food processing, and logistics. In states like Delaware, Florida, New York, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Ohio, and Georgia, they have found opportunity in many communities by filling workforce needs that are vital to local economies. Across the country, Haitian immigrants have started businesses, own property, and have given back through faith-based and community organizations. In other words, allowing TPS protections to lapse would disrupt employers, families, and communities overnight and threaten to forcibly remove Haitians from their homes.

When DHS last extended TPS for Haiti in June 2024, the department cited persistent insecurity, humanitarian need, and the inability of the Haitian government to safely receive returning nationals. Those same conditions persist today. The department’s subsequent decision not to extend TPS represents a departure from its own recent findings. It would expose individuals to grave danger, family separation, and undermine the very humanitarian purpose Congress intended TPS to serve.

We urge DHS to act in accordance with the law, facts on the ground, and America’s longstanding commitment to humane immigration policy. DHS should immediately extend TPS for Haitian nationals and provide certainty to affected families and communities across the United States.

Sincerely,

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Hirono, Colleagues Introduce Legislation to Create $130 Billion Fund to Help Rebuild Public Schools Nationwide

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) joined Senator Jack Reed (D-RI), Representative Bobby Scott (D-VA), and over 95 colleagues in introducing a bicameral bill that would target new federal infrastructure funding to help local school districts address school building and modernization needs. The Rebuild America’s Schools Act of 2026 would improve public school infrastructure and environments to ensure school facilities are safe, healthy, sustainable, and offer positive learning environments for all students.

“Too many public schools across the country face critical underfunding, resulting in deteriorating facilities that have become health and safety risks for teachers and students,” said Senator Hirono. “Our students deserve to learn in safe, healthy, and modern environments to ensure they receive the quality public education they need to best prepare them for the future. This legislation is a significant investment not only in public education infrastructure, but also in our students’ futures and the surrounding community.”

For decades, school infrastructure has been underfunded. National spending for K-12 school buildings falls short by an estimated $90 billion annually, according to a 2025 analysis by the 21st Century School Fund. The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) reports 54% of U.S. school districts need to update or completely replace multiple building systems in their schools, according to a 2020 analysis.

This legislation will create a federal-state partnership for school infrastructure and will provide, over five years, a total of $130 billion in direct grants and school construction bonds to help fill the annual gap in school facility capital needs, while creating nearly two million jobs. The money and financing would be available to local school districts and would be targeted to physical and digital infrastructure upgrades, with an emphasis on schools of greatest need with facilities that pose health and safety risks to students and staff.

Specifically, the Rebuild America’s Schools Act would:

Create a $100 billion grant program and $30 billion tax credit bond program targeted at high-poverty schools with facilities that pose health and safety risks to students and staff;

Create over 2 million jobs based on an Economic Policy Institute analysis that each $1 billion spent on construction creates 17,785 jobs;

Require states to develop comprehensive state-wide public databases on the condition of public-school facilities. (Most states do not track school facility conditions, and this would provide much-needed insight into the condition of our public schools.); and

Improve broadband and Wi-Fi in public schools.

The legislation is endorsed by a broad coalition of organizations, including: 21st Century School Fund; American Federation of Teachers: Education, Healthcare, Public Services; American Library Association (ALA); American Institute of Architects (AIA); American School Superintendents Association (AASA); BlueGreen Alliance (BGA); Build America’s School Infrastructure Coalition (BASIC); Children & Nature Network (C&NN); Council of the Great City Schools (CGCS); Craven County Schools (CCS); Green Schoolyards America; Greenbank Associates; Healthy Schools Campaign; Heart of America (HOA); International Association of Sheet Metal Air Rail and Transportation Workers (SMART); International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers (IUBAC); Kentucky School Plant Management Association (KSPMA); National Council on School Facilities (NCSF); National Education Association (NEA); National School Plant Management Association (NSPMA); North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE); Rentokil Terminix; SafeTraces; The National Association of Federally Impacted Schools (NAFIS); UndauntedK12; and the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC).

In addition to Senators Hirono and Reed, the bill is cosponsored in the Senate by Senators Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Ed Markey (D-MA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Ben Ray Lujan (D-NM), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Tina Smith (D-MN), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI). In addition to Representative Scott, the legislation is cosponsored by 80 of his colleagues in the House.

The full text of the legislation is available here.

Senator Hirono has been a strong and consistent advocate for federal programs that provide support for public schools, including through school infrastructure. Last year, Senator Hirono introduced the Impact Aid Infrastructure Partnership Act, which would provide an additional $1 billion in supplemental funding for school infrastructure projects within federally-impacted schools districts. In addition, she has also been an advocate for other programs that support students. In January, she held a K-12 education roundtable with local education leaders and groups to discuss the U.S. Department of Education’s (ED) recent decision to transfer dozens of programs to other agencies that have limited capacity and no experience administering these kinds of programs. She has also hosted multiple spotlight forums, most recently hosting one in December titled “Dismantling Education: What the Trump Administration’s Illegal Attacks on Federal Programs Mean for Students, Families, and Educators,” which highlighted the dangerous consequences of the Trump Administration’s efforts to dismantle ED for our nation’s students, families, educators, and schools—among others.

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Hirono, Colleagues Welcome Buddhist Monks on Walk for Peace

~Photos are available here ~

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) joined her Democratic Congressional colleagues in welcoming nineteen Buddhist Monks as they finished their 2,300 mile-long Walk for Peace.

“I’m glad to welcome the Venerable Monks who have traveled thousands of miles to spread their message.” said Senator Hirono. “Their journey reminds us that leading with compassion and striving for peace can bring us all together. I thank them for showing that each of us can do something to call attention to the fact that there can be peace in this world.”

In October, the Venerable Monks started their journey in Fort Worth, Texas. For the past 15 weeks, they have traveled the country spreading their messages of peace, kindness, and compassion. The Venerable Monks were also joined by their rescue dog, Aloka, which means “enlightenment” in Sanskrit. Over their 2,3000-mile-long journey, the Venerable monks faced immense challenges from severe weather to a tragic car accident that resulted in an injury.

Senator Hirono was joined by her Democratic Congressional colleagues including: CAPAC Chair Grace Meng, Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Democratic Whip Katherine Clark, Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, House DPCC Chair Debbie Dingell, CAPAC Chair Emerita Judy Chu, CAPAC member Senator Andy Kim, Representatives Ami Bera, Suhas Subramanyam, Derek Tran, Wesley Bell, Gil Cisneros, Steven Horsford, Jimmy Panetta, Jan Schakowsky, Lateefah Simon, Tom Suozzi, and Democratic Caucus members Senator Lisa Blunt Rochester and Representatives Maxine Dexter, Adelita Grijalva, Jennifer McClellan, and Johnny Olszewski.

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Fitch Joins Bipartisan Call for Congress to Pass Kids Online Safety Act

By Therese Apel

JACKSON — Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch joined a bipartisan coalition of attorneys general Tuesday in urging Congress to pass the federal Kids Online Safety Act, warning that social media platforms pose growing threats to children’s physical and mental health.

In a letter signed by 40 attorneys general from across the country, Fitch and her colleagues called on House and Senate leaders to approve legislation that would strengthen protections for minors online and hold technology companies more accountable.

“Social media platforms promise connectivity, but that is not without consequences,” Fitch said in a statement. “These platforms pose serious physical and mental health risks to our children. Parents are desperate for help because they are up against the best digital engineers with the unlimited resources of their social media cartel employers.”

Fitch said states have begun taking action to protect children but need support from federal lawmakers.

“It is time for Congress to join the fight, update the rules of the game, and help protect children with laws written to address the digital age,” she said, noting her support for the legislation sponsored by U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tennessee, and co-sponsored by Mississippi Sens. Cindy Hyde-Smith and Roger Wicker.

The attorneys general expressed particular concern about the House version of the bill, H.R. 6484, saying its broad preemption language could undermine existing and future state laws aimed at protecting minors online. The group said the Senate version, S. 1748, better preserves state authority while imposing a “duty of care” requirement on social media companies.

Fitch is currently defending Mississippi’s own online child safety law, the Walker Montgomery Protecting Children Online Act, in a lawsuit brought by the technology industry group NetChoice. The case was recently argued before the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

The push for federal action comes as attorneys general across the country have launched investigations and lawsuits against major social media companies, including Meta and TikTok, over allegations they target and exploit underage users. The coalition said mounting evidence shows that addictive design features used by the platforms are harming children and teens.

Fitch said stronger federal protections are urgently needed as those legal battles continue.

Along with Mississippi, the letter was signed by attorneys general from Connecticut, Hawaii, Ohio, Tennessee and more than 30 other states and territories.

Fitch has also promoted online safety through her #BeAwareBeforeYouShare campaign, which highlights the dangers children face on social media and includes testimony from families affected by online exploitation.


Glenn Medical Center designation restored

Tri-County News

WILLOWS — The federal government is restoring Glenn Medical Center’s designation as a federal critical access hospital following a bipartisan deal written by U.S. Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), late Congressman Doug LaMalfa (R-Richvale), and Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.).

In a news release from Schiff’s office, Thursday stated that the law is a “critical step” to reopening the shuttered hospital, which closed in late October after losing its critical access designation.

“Glenn Medical Center’s Critical Access designation, secured through bipartisan legislation, is a major milestone for our community. Thank you to Senator Schiff and the late Congressman Doug LaMalfa for their leadership,” Glenn County Supervisor Jim Yoder said in the release. “This designation is a crucial step toward reopening our facility and restoring local access to quality health care.”

The legislation also prevents major federal funding cuts to Medicare, according to the release.

“This critical moment for Glenn County’s residents would not have been possible without the incredible work of the late Congressman Doug LaMalfa,” Schiff said in the release. “His efforts to get this bill across the finish line will save lives and forever be a part of his legacy. I likewise want to recognize the work of Sen. Hyde-Smith of Mississippi, who was a great partner in moving this bill in the Senate. Around the country, rural hospitals are in trouble and under enormous financial stress.”

County Supervisor Jim Yoder expressed gratitude for the bipartisan effort. “Glenn Medical Center’s Critical Access designation, secured through bipartisan legislation, is a major milestone for our community,” said Yoder. He thanked Schiff and LaMalfa for their leadership.

Amy Micheli, Chief Operations Officer of American Advanced Management, highlighted the importance of the designation. “This moment is deeply meaningful for Glenn County and for everyone who believes rural communities deserve access to local, lifesaving care,” said Micheli. She noted that while the designation does not immediately reopen the hospital, it restores hope for the future.

Last month, Schiff announced the inclusion of his bipartisan legislation in a health funding agreement while touring the recently closed Glenn hospital facilities.


Yellow Creek to receive $4 million for expansion and growth

For the Daily Corinthian

President Donald Trump recently signed an appropriations bill that provides $4 million to the Yellow Creek State Inland Port Authority in Northeast Mississippi. These funds, secured by Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith and Representative Trent Kelly, will support the further expansion of the Port’s main terminal on the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway and a rail connection for manufacturers in its Burnsville intermodal industrial park.


Senator Justice Joins President Trump at White House to Tout Renewed Use of Coal Plants to Power Military Installations

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Senator Jim Justice released a statement following his visit to the White House, where President Trump signed an Executive Order directing the Department of War to enter power purchase contracts with over three dozen coal power plants:

“This is good policy that simply makes sense. Clean coal has always been there to power our country forward, and now instead of allowing these plants to rust out, our own military will be the spark to revive these coal-fired power plants. Millions of dollars in investment, jobs, guaranteed energy, and safeguarding national security – this is a home run by President Trump in my book,” said Senator Jim Justice.

BACKGROUND:

Senator Justice has a staunch record of supporting the coal miners and the industry, including securing a significant coal tax credit in President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill.

Sen. Justice has been a consistent presence in the field of energy legislation, and has spoke extensively on the importance of maintaining a strong coal industry.

Recently, Senator Justice introduced the National Miners Day Resolution to celebrate the contributions of America’s miners.

Under President Trump’s recent Executive Order:

The Secretary of War, in coordination with the Secretary of Energy, is directed to approve long-term Power Purchase Agreements or similar contracts with coal-fired energy production facilities to serve Department of War installations.

The electric grid and baseload power for national security are set to be strengthened, because U.S. energy is our ticket to prosperity and security.

Coal mining and plant regulations will be eased, ensuring American energy dominance.

# # #


Kaine, Klobuchar, Warner, Schumer & Wyden Praise House Passage of Legislation to Repeal Trump’s Tariffs on Canada

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), and Mark R. Warner (D-VA), as well as Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Ranking Member of the Senate Finance Committee Ron Wyden (D-OR), praised the U.S. House of Representatives’ passage of legislation to repeal President Donald Trump’s International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) tariffs on Canada. The senators led bipartisan legislation in the Senate to challenge Trump’s tariffs on Canada, and it passed the Senate in February by a 50-46 vote. The House legislation was led by U.S. Representative Gregory W. Meeks (D-NY-05). The House’s vote comes after Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA-04) used a procedural loophole to prevent privileged resolutions like this one from receiving a vote on the House floor last year.

“President Trump’s tariffs on Canada have weakened our economy and caused millions of Americans to pay more for everyday goods, businesses to lose revenue, and tourism to the United States to decline,” said Kaine. “I’m glad the House finally joined us in passing bipartisan legislation that would repeal President Trump’s tariffs on our longstanding ally Canada. Today’s vote makes clear that the American people aren’t interested in the higher prices and economic uncertainty created by President Trump’s chaotic trade policies. The Senate should pass it to once again rebuff these ridiculous tariffs.”

“Congress has sent President Trump a clear, bipartisan message: he cannot continue to abuse his power and unilaterally wage a trade war against one of our strongest allies. Canada is Minnesota’s top trading partner, but these chaotic tariffs are jeopardizing that relationship—and increasing costs for Minnesota families,” said Klobuchar. “We can’t afford to keep raising costs, hurting businesses, and eliminating jobs by attacking our neighbor and ally.”

“It is unacceptable that Virginians and businesses across the Commonwealth are paying the price for Trump’s misguided trade war with Canada,” said Warner. “It is Congress’s responsibility to intervene and put an end to the President’s reckless policies that are inflating costs for working families and destroying the U.S.’s bilateral relationship with one of our closest allies and trading partners. I am glad the House has broken Speaker Johnson’s blockade and joined the Senate in voting to remove these tariffs on Canada.”

“Congress has spoken with bipartisan clarity: it’s time to give Americans relief and end Trump’s tariff tax,” said Leader Schumer. “Both chambers have now rejected his phony ‘emergency’ and his fabricated trade war. The Supreme Court should take notice. This price-spiking tariff tax is raising costs on everything from groceries prices to energy bills — all because Trump chose chaos over common sense. It’s time to deliver relief.”

“The Senate has voted four times, on a bipartisan basis, to overturn Trump’s tariffs and give families some relief from high prices,” said Wyden. “With today’s vote in the House, it’s clear the tide has turned against the President’s price-hiking trade policies, and Congress should send legislation repealing the tariffs to Trump’s desk as soon as possible.”

Specifically, the legislation would terminate the February 1 emergency declaration that President Trump used to launch his trade war with Canada, and would eliminate the tariffs on Canadian imports implemented as a result. President Trump’s order cited the IEEPA, an unprecedented use of IEEPA’s emergency provisions in the law’s nearly half-century history. The IEEPA tariffs are among the largest tax increases on American families in recent history.

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Kaine, Welch Lead Letter Pushing Administration to Immediately End Deportation Flights to Iran

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Senator Peter Welch (D-VT), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, led a letter to U.S. Secretary of State and National Security Advisor Marco Rubio pushing the Trump Administration to immediately end deportation flights to Iran. Last month, it was reported that the Administration resumed the deportation of dozens of Iranians, many of whom could be persecuted, tortured, or even executed if they are forced to return to Iran. That reporting came amid massive demonstrations in Iran, the Iranian government’s violent crackdown on protesters, and threats from President Donald Trump to use U.S. military force against the current Iranian regime.

“Given Iran’s horrific human rights record, we are deeply concerned that the Trump administration is returning people to a country where they may be persecuted or tortured, in violation of U.S. and international law,” wrote the senators. “As you know, the United States has long been a safe haven for Iranians fleeing oppression and persecution by the Iranian regime because of their political ideology, religious beliefs, or sexual orientation. In the eyes of the regime, some of these ‘crimes’ are punishable by death, and deportees have stated they’ll likely face such sentences if sent back to Iran.”

The senators continued, “Yet despite your acknowledgement of the Iranian government’s wanton disregard for basic human rights, the Trump administration has chosen to return Iranian citizens to the very place that they fled for their lives.”

“Throughout your career in the Senate, you were an advocate for Cubans escaping oppression and persecution by the Castro regime and for the protection of political dissidents and religious minorities around the world. We were glad to work with you on these issues,” the senators concluded. “Now we ask you and the Trump administration to ensure that the United States does not violate U.S. and international law by returning people who have a well-founded fear of persecution and torture by the brutal Iranian regime.”

In addition to Kaine and Welch, the letter was cosigned by U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Adam B. Schiff (D-CA), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Jeffrey A. Merkley (D-OR), Angela D. Alsobrooks (D-MD), Michael F. Bennet (D-CO), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Cory A. Booker (D-NJ), and Alex Padilla (D-CA).

Full text is available here and below:

Dear Secretary Rubio,

In late September, the media and Iranian American human rights advocates began reporting that the Trump administration had reached a deal with the Islamic Republic of Iran to deport Iranian citizens back to Iran.[1] According to these reports, the administration sent 45 people to Tehran via Qatar in late September or early October. Some of these individuals stated that they “begged not to be sent to Iran because they feared for their lives.” Once they landed in Tehran, they said that they were “made to fill out forms explaining why they had left Iran and sought asylum in America,” and were “called in for interrogation by the intelligence wing of the Revolutionary Guards Corps.”[2] On December 7, 2025, the administration deported another approximately 50 Iranian citizens to Iran, this time through Kuwait. On January 25, yet another flight deported approximately 14 Iranians; the number would have been much higher if not for a major measles outbreak at the detention site and widespread bipartisan pushback.

Given Iran’s horrific human rights record, we are deeply concerned that the Trump administration is returning people to a country where they may be persecuted or tortured, in violation of U.S. and international law. As you know, the United States has long been a safe haven for Iranians fleeing oppression and persecution by the Iranian regime because of their political ideology, religious beliefs, or sexual orientation. In the eyes of the regime, some of these ‘crimes’ are punishable by death, and deportees have stated they’ll likely face such sentences if sent back to Iran.[3]

Iran’s violations of human rights are extensive, well-documented, and horrifying. Basic rights, like those of the freedom of expression, religion, and assembly are not only infringed upon – they are violently suppressed through torture, imprisonment, forced disappearances, and executions. You and others in the Trump administration spoke extensively about the horrors of the Iranian regime when attempting to justify the June 22, 2025, U.S. military strikes on Iran’s nuclear program. More recently, you personally have spoken against the regime’s violent suppression of protesters that experts believe have left more than 6,800 people dead – a figure that continues to climb.[4] Yet despite your acknowledgement of the Iranian government’s wanton disregard for basic human rights, the Trump administration has chosen to return Iranian citizens to the very place that they fled for their lives.

Throughout your career in the Senate, you were an advocate for Cubans escaping oppression and persecution by the Castro regime and for the protection of political dissidents and religious minorities around the world. We were glad to work with you on these issues. Now we ask you and the Trump administration to ensure that the United States does not violate U.S. and international law by returning people who have a well-founded fear of persecution and torture by the brutal Iranian regime.

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Kelly: “This is the master alarm flashing for our democracy”

Today, Senators Mark Kelly (D-AZ) and Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) held a press conference on Capitol Hill to discuss reports that President Trump’s Department of Justice tried and failed to secure a federal grand jury indictment against the two of them.

Sen. Kelly speaks on Capitol Hill.

Watch and download the full press conference here. See key excerpts below:

Kelly warned that Trump is abusing power to intimidate critics and send a chilling message to anyone who speaks out: “Yesterday, we saw the great lengths that Donald Trump and his administration will go to abuse power in order to silence and intimidate anyone who disagrees with them. We learned, through the media, that federal prosecutors tried and failed to get an indictment against us from a grand jury. This is outrageous.

“I want to be clear about something: This is not a ‘good-news’ story. This is a story about how hard Donald Trump and his cronies are trying to break our system in order to silence anyone who lawfully speaks out against them. And to send a signal to every American that they better think twice before they speak out, or else they might be next.”

Kelly described the push to criminally charge senators for speech as an authoritarian move: “Federal prosecutors went to a grand jury to seek criminal charges against members of the United States Senate for something we said. They tried to have us charged and thrown in jail because we said something they didn’t like. Because we repeated what the law actually is.

“This happened here. This is straight from the authoritarian playbook, but it didn’t happen in Russia or China. In Russia and China, we see these things. This didn’t happen decades ago. It happened less than a mile from this building. in the United States or America, yesterday.”

Kelly cautioned that Trump’s retaliation campaign is a direct threat to the Constitution: “This is the master alarm flashing for our democracy. It is threatening the very foundations of our system. That we have the right to free speech. To lawfully speak out about and protest our government, without fear of retaliation. That we have a Congress whose responsibility and obligation is to oversee and criticize, when necessary, the executive branch. That we have a Department of Justice that is independent and loyal to the Constitution, not to one man.

“Donald Trump and his lackeys are putting all of that at risk for their own power. They don’t care about everyday Americans. They don’t care about the struggles people are facing with rising costs and a crappy economy. They don’t care about using the justice system to go after real criminals. They care about themselves, their own power, and their own wealth.”

Kellyurged Republicans to speak out: “Where are they? Where are the free speech absolutist Republicans now, who were so concerned about the weaponization of government? What happened to them? Where are they as Donald Trump tries to throw Senators and Representatives in jail for what they say?

“The best moment for them to stand up would have been in November, when Donald Trump said we should be hanged for this video. But the next best moment is right now. Because our democracy has been around for 250 years, but it isn’t guaranteed.”


King Blasts Administration’s Attempt to Whitewash American History at National Parks

WASHINGTON, D.C. –U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME), Ranking Member of the Senate National Parks Subcommittee, is urging the Department of Interior to protect historical accuracy within the “monuments, memorials, statues, markers, or similar properties” under the National Park Service (NPS) jurisdiction. In a letter to Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, King requests information pertaining to Executive Order 14253 “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History,” and Secretarial Order 3431, “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History” which together directs the Department to remove or alter properties that present American history in a negative light.

King wrote in the letter, “In the months following the issuance of SO 3431, public reporting has indicated a widespread effort, particularly within the National Park Service, to eliminate references to topics which, in the view of the Department, may portray aspects of American history in a negative light. Without a doubt, there are episodes throughout American history which we are not and should not ever be proud of. However, the Department bears a responsibility as a steward of historical places and resources, to ensure that every visitor to any unit of our National Park System has access to a complete, unbiased, and historically accurate accounting of our nation’s history.

“We have a grand history with many crowning achievements, but we have also had dark turns, as well—slavery, Jim Crow and the treatment of our Native Americans certainly among them,” King continued. “If we don’t recognize and acknowledge our mistakes, the danger of repeating them—or some variation thereof—is greatly magnified.”

“Several years ago, I was passing through the Frankfort airport in Germany and struck up a conversation with one of the airport officials. In that conversation, I learned that it was compulsory in his high school to visit one of the World War II death camps, certainly a jarring and unpleasant experience, but one which educated him about the horrors that had been perpetrated in his country. Contrast this with the deliberate policy of deleting and minimizing the disturbing moments in our history and you can understand why I find this policy so offensive,” King concluded.

As a lifelong advocate for conservation and Chairman of the Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on National Parks, Senator King is among the Senate’s most prominent voices advocating for conservation. Senator King helped lead the passage the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA) into law; the legislation that included the Legacy Restoration Fund (LRF). Because of his work, in 2020, Senator King was awarded the inaugural National Park Foundation (NPF) “Hero” Award. Since the creation of the LRF, Senator King has pushed park leaders to discuss funding maintenance efforts, maintaining a sufficient NPS workforce, and managing growing park visitation. Currently, he is working on bipartisan legislation, the America the Beautiful Act, to reauthorize the National Parks and Public Land Legacy Restoration Fund (LRF) and increase its funding to address serious maintenance backlog and ensure that America’s public lands can be enjoyed for generations to come.

Senator King’s work on the National Parks Subcommittee is the culmination of more than four decades of work on land conservation efforts in Maine, including helping to establish the Land for Maine’s Future program in 1987 and supporting extensive conservation projects during his time as Governor. Under King’s leadership in his eight years as Maine governor, he put more Maine land under conservation than in the state’s 175 year history.

The full text of the letter can be found here and below.

+++

Dear Secretary Burgum;

I write today with concern regarding the Department of Interior’s (the Department) implementation of Executive Order 14253 “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History,” and Secretarial Order 3431, “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History.” EO 14253 directs the Department to identify “monuments, memorials, statues, markers, or similar properties” under the Department’s jurisdiction, and to ensure that such properties do not contain content that “inappropriately disparages Americans past or living,” directing the Department to focus instead on “the greatness of the achievements and progress of the American people or, with respect to natural features, the beauty, abundance, and grandeur of the American landscape.” SO 3431 subsequently implemented this EO and directs the heads of the land management Bureaus, including the National Park Service, Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Indian Affairs, and Bureau of Reclamation, to conduct a review and to identify properties to be removed or altered.

In the months following the issuance of SO 3431, public reporting has indicated a widespread effort, particularly within the National Park Service, to eliminate references to topics which, in the view of the Department, may portray aspects of American history in a negative light. Without a doubt, there are episodes throughout American history which we are not and should not ever be proud of. However, the Department bears a responsibility as a steward of historical places and resources, to ensure that every visitor to any unit of our National Park System has access to a complete, unbiased, and historically accurate accounting of our nation’s history.

Whitewashed history is not history, it is fiction, and misleading fiction at that. It’s not pleasant to recount that Theodore Roosevelt’s visit to the Dakotas was occasioned by the fact that he lost both his wife and his mother on the same day, but to tell his story omitting that disturbing fact would miss a seminal moment in this great leader’s life.

By the same token, removing references to slavery—the dominant reality for the first third of our nation’s history and the proximate cause of the most cataclysmic event in that history—is a gross violation of one of the National Park Service’s core missions—to educate our citizens and illuminate the pivotal events that have made us who we are.

We have a grand history with many crowning achievements, but we have also had dark turns, as well—slavery, Jim Crow and the treatment of our Native Americans certainly among them. If we don’t recognize and acknowledge our mistakes, the danger of repeating them—or some variation thereof—is greatly magnified.

Several years ago, I was passing through the Frankfort airport in Germany and struck up a conversation with one of the airport officials. In that conversation, I learned that it was compulsory in his high school to visit one of the World War II death camps, certainly a jarring and unpleasant experience, but one which educated him about the horrors that had been perpetrated in his country. Contrast this with the deliberate policy of deleting and minimizing the disturbing moments in our history and you can understand why I find this policy so offensive.

As vice chair of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee’s subcommittee on the National Park Service, it is my prerogative and my responsibility to conduct oversight of the National Park Service. As such, I respectfully request your response, in writing, to the following questions no later than February 27, 2026.

1. Please describe, in detail, the process by which the Department has executed the review and removal or alterations of properties as directed by SO 3431, taking care to specifically answer each of the following questions in your response;

a. Is there a specific office within the Department responsible for identifying properties to be evaluated for alteration or removal pursuant to SO 3431?

b. Are subject matter experts, including scientists and historians, consulted as part of the review of each property identified for possible alteration or removal?

c. What is the scope of tribal consultation as part of SO 3431 reviews?

d. Where, within each of the land management Bureaus, is the final approval to remove or alter a proposed property given?

e. Does the Department have a centralized record-keeping system to identify all properties which have been altered or removed pursuant to SO 3431?

f. Has the Department taken efforts to preserve any physical property, record, or resource altered or removed pursuant to SO 3431? Where and how are these properties, records, or resources being stored?

2. Does the Department have a list of all properties, within the National Park System, which have been determined to be “non-compliant” with SO 3431?

a. If yes, please provide that complete list to the authors of this letter.

3. Does the Department have a list of new signage, displays, or other properties created for the purpose of replacing properties identified for removal as part of the SO 3431 review?

a. If yes, please provide a detailed list of all new signs, displays, or other properties created for the purpose of replacing properties removed pursuant to SO 3431, including the associated cost for each new article.

4. Does the Department contest the factual accuracy of any monuments, memorials, statues, markers, or similar property which was modified or removed subject to S.O. 3431?

a. If so, please provide a comprehensive list, indicating which monuments, memorials, statues, markers, or similar properties were removed subject to S.O. 3431, and clearly explaining the factual inaccuracy which was identified in each case.

b. If not, please provide a justification as to why a property identified as historically accurate was subject to modification or removal for each case.

Sincerely,

###


King, Cramer, Colleagues Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Protect Job Training Benefits for Disabled Veterans

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Angus King (I-ME) and Kevin Cramer (R-ND), both members of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee (SVAC), have introduced legislation aiming to protect job training benefits for disabled veterans. The Ensuring Benefits for Disabled Veterans Act would address an unfair rule in federal law that creates unnecessary delays when veterans with service-connected disabilities attempt to access earned education and employment benefits. The bill is also being introduce on a bipartisan basis in the House of Representatives, to build momentum and awareness around remedying this challenge facing America’s veterans.

The Department of Veterans’ Affairs (VA) administers the Veteran Readiness and Employment program (VR&E), which helps qualifying veterans with service-connected disabilities with job training, starting their own businesses, independent living services, education, employment accommodations, and resume development. The type of service offered are unique to fit the goals and needs of each veteran. Under current law, veterans who use GI Bill education benefits before accessing the VR&E program can be prevented from accessing their VR&E benefits for years due to VA rules. Veterans who use VR&E first are not subject to the same penalty, creating an unfair disparity that disproportionately affects veterans with disabilities. This legislation ensures that veterans who would like to access the VR&E program are not penalized based on the order in which they use their earned education benefits.

“Our veterans served this country with grit and class, and now it is our turn to return the favor and provide commonsense access to the benefits they have rightly earned and deserve,” said Senator King. “The Ensuring Benefits for Disabled Veterans Act will help veterans access their benefits more efficiently – ensuring all veterans with disabilities can pursue their education without becoming tangled in red tape. This simple fix will make it easier for veterans to access benefits they have earned, making sure they can learn the skills they need to transition to the next phase in their life, beyond the military.”

“Our veterans, as we know, give so much in service to our country and we owe them so much,” Senator Cramer said. “For those who choose to continue their education, the system should be fair and flexible. That’s all we’re asking. No veteran should lose opportunities or benefits simply because of an arbitrary sequencing requirement. Only a bureaucrat could come up with something like that. Our bill corrects the oversight to ensure that all veterans can use their earned benefits in a way that works best for them.”

"AMVETS strongly supports the Ensuring Benefits for Disabled Veterans Act, which repeals an outdated limitation that prevents veterans from accessing both the VA’s Veteran Readiness and Employment (VR&E) program and educational assistance benefits. Disabled veterans should never be forced to choose between rehabilitation and education when both are critical to achieving meaningful, long-term employment,” said American Veterans (AMVETS) National Executive Director Joe Chenelly.

“Veterans’ paths to meaningful employment are not one-size-fits-all. By removing unnecessary barriers between VA education benefits and the Veteran Readiness and Employment program, this legislation would modernize VA policy and put veterans’ long-term success first. The VFW applauds Rep. Peters for advancing a commonsense fix that better reflects today’s transition realities,” said VFW National Legislative Service Associate Director Joe Grassi.

"The Ensuring Benefits for Disabled Veterans Act is a meaningful fix that puts veterans first. For too long, the outdated 48-month rule has penalized disabled veterans who rely on both the GI Bill and the Veteran Readiness and Employment program to pursue education and employment related training or rehabilitation. Repealing this rule ensures fairness, reduces unnecessary red tape, and empowers veterans to get the resources they need to succeed. IAVA is proud to stand with our partners in support of this legislation, and we urge Congress to move quickly to pass it,” said Dr. Kyleanne Hunter, CEO, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA).

The legislation is also cosponsored in the House by Representatives Scott Peters (D-CA), John Rutherford (R-FL), and Morgan McGarvey (D-KY).

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. On the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee (SVAC), he works to ensure American veterans receive their earned benefits and that the VA is properly implementing various programs such as the PACT Act, the State Veterans Homes Domiciliary Care Flexibility Act, and the John Scott Hannon Act. Last year, Senator King was honored by the Disabled American Veterans as its 2025 Legislator of the Year. He was also 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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Klobuchar Statement on Effort to Repeal Canadian Tariffs

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar released a statement on the passage of legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives to repeal President Trump’s International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) tariffs on Canada. In October, similar bipartisan legislation led by Senators Klobuchar, Kaine, Paul and Warner passed the Senate 50-46.

“Congress has sent this Administration a clear, bipartisan message: they cannot continue to abuse their power to wage a trade war against one of our strongest allies. Canada is Minnesota’s top trading partner, but these chaotic tariffs are jeopardizing that relationship—and increasing costs for Minnesota families,” said Klobuchar. “We can’t afford to keep raising costs, hurting businesses, and eliminating jobs by attacking our neighbor and ally.”

The legislation would terminate last year’s emergency declaration that the Administration used to launch a trade war on Canada and would eliminate the tariffs on Canadian imports implemented as a result.


Senator Lee Proposes Bipartisan Rehabilitation Incentives to Reduce Repeat Crime

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) today submitted a letter to the U.S. Sentencing Commission proposing bipartisan sentencing guidelines that will incentivize early rehabilitation to reduce repeat offenses and increase public safety. U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-DE), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), James Lankford (R-OK), Thom Tilliis (R-NC), and Roger Wicker (R-MS), along with U.S. Representatives Laurel Lee (R-FL), Don Bacon (R-NE), Lucy McBath (D-GA), Burgess Owens (R-UT), and Deborah Ross (D-NC) co-authored the letter.

“Under federal law, courts should consider the history and characteristics of a defendant when imposing sentence. However, the Sentencing Guidelines currently treat an unrepentant offender the same as one who sincerely seeks rehabilitation after committing a crime,” said Senator Mike Lee. “Ignoring this distinction wastes time and money and gives criminals no incentive to change. The amendment under consideration will better effectuate the federal statute and allow law enforcement to focus resources on keeping the most dangerous criminals off our streets. I applaud the U.S. Sentencing Commission for its ongoing work to improve the Sentencing Guidelines and urge continued efforts to improve public safety by accounting for significant differences between defendants.”

“Committing a federal crime forever changes the life of the victim, the lives of their family, and the lives of the perpetrator,” said Senator Chris Coons. “We recognize that and punish it appropriately, but when that same individual makes the choice to rehabilitate, to give back to their communities, to try to make amends with their victims, even before they go to prison — we don’t afford them the same recognition. Our justice system should encourage rehabilitation by changing sentencing guidelines to take pre-sentencing rehabilitation into account.”

“Guidelines already account for various kinds of post-offense misconduct through its calculation of criminal history, relevant conduct, and other adjustments; it is time that it account for post- offense rehabilitation as well,” said Congresswoman Laurel Lee.

Read exclusive coverage by the Washington Reporter here.

Access the full text of the letter here.

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Luján Joins Schumer and Wyden to Block Trump From Enriching Himself Off The Backs Of American Taxpayers

NYT: How Trump Has Pocketed $1,408,500,000

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), member of the Senate Finance Committee, Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), and U.S. Senators Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member, and Peter Welch (D-Vt.), member of the Senate Finance Committee, introduced the Stop Presidential Embezzlement Act that would claw back any financial benefit to President Donald Trump resulting from his corrupt lawsuits against his own government agencies, including his $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS and Treasury Department.

“As American families struggle to pay their bills and keep up with rising costs under the Trump administration, President Trump and his family have enriched themselves by the billions at the expense of American taxpayers. No president should be allowed to profit from the presidency while so many families struggle to afford groceries, health care, and basic necessities,” said Senator Luján. “This president must be held accountable. That is why we are introducing legislation to stop President Trump from profiting from the presidency and from abusing his power to sue his own government agencies.”

“Donald Trump’s greed knows no bounds,” said Leader Schumer. “As American families struggle to make ends meet or put food on the table, Donald Trump tries to enrich himself at the expense of American taxpayers. Suing your own government to extract billions from taxpayers is corruption, plain and simple. Senate Democrats will fight to stop Trump from turning the presidency into a personal piggy bank.”

“Saying that Trump’s lawsuit against his own government creates a conflict of interest does not begin to describe the depth of corruption behind what he’s doing,” said Senator Wyden. “At a time when so many American families are struggling to get by, it’s a shameful abuse of office for Trump to put himself in line to pocket billions of taxpayer dollars. The only reason Trump is talking about donating this money is because even he realizes what he’s doing is indefensible with the public, and given that he’s a lifelong cheat and conman, there’s no reason to trust he’d even follow through with the donation anyway. Odds are he’d find a way to profit from any settlement or throw it into some vanity project like his fancy ballroom, so Congress needs to shut it down immediately.”

The Stop Presidential Embezzlement Act would impose a 100 percent tax on any settlement a president, vice president, cabinet member, or member of Congress receives from the government as a result of a lawsuit filed while in office.

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Luján Presses FAA for Answers After El Paso and Santa Teresa Airspace Closure

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) issued the following statement after the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced it had lifted the temporary closure of airspace over El Paso, after earlier stating the closure would last 10 days:

“El Paso airspace has been reopened, and commercial and non-commercial flights have resumed. Keeping our communities informed and safe is critical. I’m demanding answers from the FAA and the administration about why the airspace was closed in the first place without notifying appropriate officials, leaving travelers to deal with unnecessary chaos.”


Luján, Scott Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Develop, Demonstrate, and Deploy Technologies to Accelerate Nuclear Waste Cleanup

Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) and Tim Scott (R-S.C.) introduced the Combining Laboratory Expertise to Accelerate Novel Solutions for Minimizing Accumulated Radioactive Toxins (CLEAN SMART) Act, legislation that would build on the success of the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Network of National Laboratories for Environmental Management and Stewardship (NNLEMS) to accelerate nuclear waste cleanup. The CLEAN SMART Act would codify and properly fund NNLEMS to leverage the best available science and technology of the nation’s national labs to support DOE’s cleanup efforts.

DOE, acting through the Office of Environmental Management (EM), currently holds responsibility of finishing cleanup at 15 sites across our nation that hold nuclear waste from the Manhattan Project and the Cold War. Unfortunately, costs to decommission these remaining sites continue to grow and are estimated to near $700 billion for a completion date near the end of the century. As DOE launches the Genesis Mission to advance scientific research and innovation, the CLEAN SMART Act provides critical support by strategically integrating cutting-edge technologies like AI and high-performance computing into environmental remediation. This integration is designed to revolutionize the cleanup processes at DOE sites, including at Los Alamos National Laboratory.

“Across the country, our National Labs—like Sandia and Los Alamos—are home to our brightest minds who drive innovation and scientific advancement,” said Senator Luján, Founder and Co-Chair of the Senate National Labs Caucus. “As we continue to address our nation’s environmental legacy from the Manhattan Project and the Cold War, I’m proud to partner with Senator Scott to introduce the CLEAN SMART Act to leverage the expertise of our National Labs to speed up the cleanup process while saving taxpayers billions. I’ve long fought to improve the lives of those impacted by nuclear waste, and I look forward to working with my colleagues to get this bill signed into law.”

“America’s national laboratories reflect the best of American innovation, including the world-class work being done at the Savannah River National Laboratory in South Carolina,” said Senator Tim Scott. “The CLEAN SMART Act takes a bipartisan approach to harnessing that expertise to accelerate nuclear cleanup while protecting taxpayer dollars. I am proud to work with Senator Luján to deliver practical solutions and ensure these sites are cleaned up efficiently and responsibly.”

“I applaud Senators Luján and Scott for promoting the role of innovation in the cleanup and management of our defense nuclear sites. The emergence of new technologies like artificial intelligence creates significant opportunities to accelerate progress and lower costs. Unlocking this potential, however, will require the combined talent of our national laboratories working together,” said American Nuclear Society CEO Craig Piercy.

Specifically, the CLEAN SMART Act would:

Codify and fund the Network of National Laboratories for Environmental Management and Stewardship;

Improve interagency coordination on environmental management research, including on areas of basic research;

Direct DOE to maintain a comprehensive technology development and deployment plan that promotes the full range of R&D options; and

Mandate corrective actions when sites exceed cost thresholds to mitigate cost overruns, incorporating recommendations from the U.S. Government Accountability Office.

Full text of the bill can be found here and summary of the bill is here.

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Lummis Introduces Legislation to Protect States from Unfair Clean Air Act Penalties

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) today introduced legislation to ensure fair and consistent air quality designations by clarifying that states will not be penalized under the Clean Air Act for emissions originating outside U.S. borders. The Foreign Emissions and Nonattainment Clarification for Economic Stability (FENCES) Actprotects producers from unnecessary compliance burdens caused by events beyond their control, such as foreign wildfires or dust storms. Representative August Pfluger (TX-11) introduced companion legislation in the House of Representatives.

“Wyoming companies should not be punished for pollution they did not create and cannot control when seeking federal permits,” said Lummis. “Penalizing businesses for foreign emissions stifles innovation, undermines economic growth, and adds red tape to an already broken permitting system. This legislation maintains strong Clean Air Act standards while restoring common-sense policies that recognize the limits of state control.”

“Washington shouldn’t punish local communities for pollution they don’t control,” said Pfluger. “The FENCES Act stops EPA from assigning nonattainment to counties and metro areas based on sources outside their authority, including foreign emissions and wildfire smoke. I’m proud to have Senator Lummis leading this effort in the Senate, and I’m grateful for her partnership as we modernize and strengthen America’s broken permitting system.”

Read the full bill text here.

Background:

States throughout America are being unfairly penalized for pollution originating outside U.S. borders, including from natural events such as Canadian wildfires. While current law allows states to adjust their air quality plans when foreign emissions interfere with compliance, EPA guidance under the Biden administration narrowed those adjustments to human-caused emissions only. This change has created unnecessary regulatory hurdles for states and industries already working to meet Clean Air Act requirements.

The FENCES Act restores clarity by confirming that all foreign emissions, whether natural or man-made, are excluded when determining compliance with national air quality standards and during new facility permitting reviews. The bill also allows states to account for foreign emissions earlier in the regulatory process, providing greater certainty and efficiency.

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Hoyle, Merkley and Wyden Seek Coast Guard Study of Gold Beach and Bandon’s Needs

Washington, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Val Hoyle (OR-04) and Senator Jeff Merkley led a letter with Senator Ron Wyden to the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) requesting they conduct an updated assessment of Gold Beach and Bandon’s Search and Rescue Detachment Team (SARDET) existing stations rescue and safety needs along the coast.

In their letter to Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Kevin E. Lunday, the lawmakers shared that, “we have heard from our constituents, fishermen and local officials that the current level of coverage is simply not enough to keep people safe.”

In Gold Beach, the mouth of the Rogue River is often dangerous to cross, even to highly skilled boaters. Due to shifting conditions in the channel, the river bar has sudden and highly dangerous wave breaks. Sixty miles north in Bandon, over 23,000 boaters have to pass through a dangerous bar with unpredictable conditions. Emergencies are common along these points of the coast and local ports and captains are taking on the USCG’s responsibilities to warn the community of changing conditions and carry out rescues themselves.

“The ocean off the Oregon’s south coast is both beautiful and powerful. It is essential for the communities of Bandon and Gold Beach to have a Coast Guard presence again,” said Rep. Hoyle. “Whether it’s our commercial fisherman or tourists taking whale watching trips, a timely response by the U.S. Coast Guard when a boat gets in trouble could mean the difference between a rescue or a body recovery. I will continue to fight for a robust USCG presence along all parts of the Oregon’s coast. It is the surest way to protect lives.”

“A reliable Coast Guard presence is critical to keeping folks on the south coast safe where boaters—recreational and commercial—face extreme cold-water conditions, dynamic weather conditions, and shifting sand bars,” said Sen. Merkley. “I urge the Coast Guard to take a closer look at the seasonal staffing needs of the communities in Gold Beach and Bandon, prioritizing our local economies and public safety in the process.”

“Every minute matters whenever people are fighting for their lives in the Pacific Ocean along the Oregon Coast,” Sen. Wyden said. “I’ll keep battling side by side with Senator Merkley and Congresswoman Hoyle to provide the robust Coast Guard coverage needed by Oregonians living and working on the South Coast, as well as by visitors attracted to the region’s beautiful beaches.”

The lawmakers believe the conditions have significantly worsened since the Coast Guard pulled their seasonal presence in Gold Beach and Bandon. There has been an increase of on-water traffic and an increase in emergencies. At the same time, the Coast Guard recruiting numbers have improved, allowing for the possibility of increased bandwidth along the coast.

The full text of the letter can be found here.

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Markey, Merkley, Senate Colleagues Demand Answers from Trump Administration on Treatment of Unaccompanied Children

In the letter, the senators wrote, “Due to the Administration’s actions, immigrant children are being held in custody for substantially longer periods of time, including children never previously detained. Children released from ORR custody in January 2025 were held for an average of 37 days. In grave comparison, children released in August 2025 were held almost five times as long, for an average of 182 days. To make matters worse, the Administration has sought repeatedly to terminate the 1997 Flores Settlement Agreement, which sets minimum standards for the humane treatment of children in custody. It is unconscionable that this Administration believes that children belong behind bars and should be stripped of protections that ensure access to food, water, and other necessities while in detention.”

The senators continued, “Unsurprisingly, this Administration is breaking records for the deportation of young children. In April 2025, more than 8,000 children age 11 or under received a removal order—the highest monthly number in over 35 years. And in the first six months of the Administration, nearly 15,000 children under the age of four were ordered deported. The vast majority of these children did not have legal representation.”

The senators added, “Over the last year, the Administration has also launched an unprecedented attack on the sponsors and guardians of unaccompanied children. According to reporting, enforcement operations targeting parents and caretakers of immigrant kids have led to nearly 3,000 arrests. Instead of targeting violent criminals, the Administration appears to be using children as bait to easily locate and target family members and sponsors for deportation.”