Murphy To Surgeon General Nominee: You Lied To The Public About Financial Conflicts Of Interest

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) on Wednesday questioned Dr. Casey Means, a wellness influencer and President Donald Trump’s nominee for U.S. Surgeon General, during her confirmation hearing before the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee. Murphy confronted Dr. Means over allegations she exploited the trust placed in her as a medical doctor by promoting treatments and products to more than a million followers across several platforms without disclosing, or outright denying, her financial connections to the companies she was promoting.

Murphy confronted Means over the allegations in the complaint: “As you know, there is a pending complaint regarding your failure to adhere to [FTC disclosure] guidelines that basically makes the contention - and this committee has verified the data that underlies their complaint - that you routinely violated this policy, and that in fact, in the majority of your posts for many of the products you recommend, you did not transparently reveal your financial connection.”

Murphy highlighted an egregious case where Means brazenly lied to her followers about her financial conflicts: “There's a prenatal vitamin called WeNatal. Your filings before this committee show that you started receiving compensation in the spring of 2024. And yet, in September of 2024, you posted a video saying that you had no financial relationship to the company, [you were] ‘just a big fan.’ And then in October, you said, ‘Not sponsored, just love these,’ but in fact, you have documentation before this committee that showed when you said those things, you had a financial relationship. You had already started receiving money from that company, so you weren't telling the truth when you said you were just a fan, you were actually receiving money, correct?”

Listing off additional companies that Means promoted without disclosing her paid partnerships to followers, he continued: “Function Health, which is your lab testing platform - data shows that you disclosed your partnership with them less than a third of the time that you recommended their services online. Genova Diagnostics - you disclosed your sponsorship only two of the nine times that you promoted Genova. Daily Harvest - you disclosed your sponsorship on only three of the 14 posts recommending that product. Zen Basil Seeds - you disclosed your partnership, only two out of the 13 times that you recommended the product… over and over again, you seem to be, at scale, recommending products without telling your followers.”

He slammed Means’ long record of personally profiting off people looking to her for medical advice: “This seems systemic. It seems that in the majority of instances in which you were, as a medical professional, recommending a product, you were hiding the fact that you had a financial partnership. You seem to be in regular willful violation of the FTC rules. That is concerning as someone who agrees with Senator Cassidy that our focus has to be on restoring trust in the medical profession.”

A full transcript of Murphy’s questioning is available below.

MURPHY: Thank you, Mr. Chairman, good morning Dr. Means. Dr Means, are you familiar with FTC policy that requires those who are recommending products online to disclose their financial connection to those companies. In particular, the document from the FTC says this, “If you endorse a product through social media, your endorsement message should make it obvious when you have a relationship with the brand.” Are you familiar with that?

MEANS: Certainly.

MURPHY: So, as you know, there is a pending complaint regarding your failure to adhere to those guidelines that basically makes the contention, and this committee has verified the data that underlies their complaint, that you routinely violated this policy, and that in fact, in the majority of your posts for many of the products you recommend, you did not transparently reveal your financial connection. Let me give you an example.

MEANS: That's false.

MURPHY: Well, let me give you [an example]. So there's a prenatal vitamin called WeNatal. Your filings before this committee show that you started receiving compensation in the spring of 2024. And yet, in September of 2024 you posted a video saying that you had no financial relationship to the company, [you were] “just a big fan”. And then in October, you said, “Not sponsored, just love these” but in fact, you have documentation before this committee that showed when you said those things, you had a financial relationship. You had already started receiving money from that company, so you weren't telling the truth when you said you were just a fan, you were actually receiving money, correct?

MEANS: In any post where I said I am not receiving money, I had not been receiving money at that time,

MURPHY: But you had received partnership fees for this particular prenatal vitamin. In fact, prior to September and October, you had posted partnership links in which you get compensated based upon click throughs correct?

Means: I'm happy to look at whatever documentation you're talking about, but I do not- this is it's incorrect and it's a false representation. And just to be very clear, I've spent the last several months working with the Office of Government Ethics to be fully compliant with this process. I take it very seriously before, during, and after. If I am in office, I will be in full compliance with the Office of Government Ethics. I think, as I've talked about, conflicts of interest are incredibly important to rectify if we're in public service, and I am fully committed to continuing to work with that.

MURPHY: So let me give you some other examples. Function health, which is your lab testing platform, data shows that you disclosed your partnership with them less than a third of the time that you recommended their services online. Genova diagnostics, you disclosed your sponsorship only two of the nine times that you promoted Genova. Daily harvest, you disclosed your sponsorship on only three of the 14 posts recommending that product. Zen basil seeds, you disclosed your partnership, only two out of the 13 times that you recommended the product. This seems systemic. It seems that in the majority of instances in which you were as a medical professional recommending a product, you were hiding the fact that you had a financial partnership. You seem to be in regular willful violation of the FTC rules. That is concerning as someone who agrees with Senator Cassidy that our focus has to be on restoring trust in the medical profession. And yet, over and over again, you seem to be, at scale, recommending products without telling your followers. And you have 200,000 newsletter subscribers. You have almost a million Instagram followers, and in only three out of 14 times, when you were promoting daily harvest, you disclose that you're getting paid by them.

MEANS: It sounds like you have a lot to say about this issue, and I would be very interested to see how your staff looked at this data. I have a strong feeling that the way in which they gather this data is done intentionally, to create these claims that you're making.

MURPHY: I have the backup here. I mean, will you acknowledge that in many instances, when you were promoting these products, you did not disclose that you had a financial relationship?

MEANS: I don't think that's true if and if it has happened, if it inadvertently has happened, I would rectify that immediately. However I would, I would be interested to see how your your staff gathered, and I will conclude by saying-

MURPHY: I’ll send it to all the committee members. I mean, it's pretty incontrovertible evidence.


At HELP Hearing, Senator Murray Grills Trump’s Unqualified Surgeon General Nominee Casey Means for Cynical History of Discrediting Birth Control

Senator Murray: “You called for you called birth control pills a quote ‘disrespect of life,’ and said Americans quote ‘use birth control pills like candy.’ You also claimed—contrary to established science—that hormonal birth control has quote ‘horrifying health risks’ for women.”

***VIDEO of Senator Murray’s Q&A HERE ***

Washington, D.C. — Today, at a Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee hearing, the committee considered the nomination of Casey Means for Medical Director in the Regular Corps of the Public Health Service and Surgeon General of the Public Health Service. U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA)—a former chair and senior member of the HELP Committee—grilled President Trump’s unqualified nominee on her concerning and harmful claims regarding the safety of birth control and pressed her on whether she would call out misleading claims on vaccines for infants and antidepressants for pregnant women.

In 2018, Means dropped out of her surgical residency and in 2019, she started a functional medicine practice where she treated patients without an active medical license until 2021. A close ally of RFK Jr., Means provides unconventional wellness advice on social media and in her newsletter where she earns money promoting dozens of supplements and health technologies.

[BIRTH CONTROL]

Senator Murray began her questioning by pressing Means on her harmful and misleading statements about birth control, noting that Dr. Means has called birth control pills “a disrespect of life,” claimed Americans “use birth control pills like candy,” and asserted that hormonal birth control carries “horrifying health risks” for women. Senator Murray underscored that there are 18 FDA-approved contraceptive methods, both hormonal and non-hormonal, backed by decades of evidence showing they are safe and effective, and stressed that millions of women rely on birth control every day and deserve clear, evidence-based guidance from public health leaders. Senator Murray said: “Thank you Dr. Means for being here, let me start with this. You called birth control pills, and I’m going to quote a ‘disrespect of life,’ and said Americans quote ‘use birth control pills like candy.’ You also claimed—contrary to established science—that hormonal birth control has quote ‘horrifying health risks’ for women. Now here are the facts: there are 18 FDA-approved contraceptive methods—both hormonal and non-hormonal—and there are decades, decades, of evidence showing that every one of these birth control methods is safe and effective.”

“So, I wanted to ask you, help me understand, should women trust the FDA which approved all 18 methods of birth control after a very rigorous look at the evidence, or should they trust your statement that there are ‘horrifying health risks’ to birth control—which contradicts that evidence?” asked Senator Murray.

“Thank you, Senator Murray, for your question. I’m curious if you’re aware of what the side effects of hormonal contraception are?” Means replied.

Senator Murray pushed back, “I’m curious if you are with the FDA that went through all of these and rigorously looked at them, or as Surgeon General if you’re going to tell the truth to the American people?”

“I absolutely believe that these medications should be accessible to all women, and also, all medications have risks and benefits. And in our current medical climate, with the burden on doctors, doctors do not have enough time for thorough informed consent conversations. Some of the horrifying side effects of birth control that I have mentioned include blood clots and stroke risk in women who have clotting disorders, who are smokers, who have obesity–” replied Means.

“So, is it general?” asked Senator Murray.

“No, it’s not in general, I am very careful with my words and when I say those comments, which are taken out of context, I am speaking about particular women that can be hurt if there is not informed consent about their medical history, their lifestyle exposures, and their family history. I want those women, and I know you do too, to be able to have a thorough conversation with their doctor and know whether they are higher risk for side effects when prescribed the medication,” responded Means.

“Saying that is one thing, but saying on, you know, different shows that ‘birth control pills are a disrespect of life’ is very different,” said Senator Murray.

“I am passionate about women’s health, and I think it is disrespectful to women–” replied Means.

“Saying that people ‘use birth control pills like candy’ is very different than what you just said,” said Senator Murray.

“We prescribe a huge amount of hormonal contraceptive, and I do not believe most of those conversations have informed consent because of the pressures that doctors are under because of our broken health care system. I want what’s best for women as do you–and I want every woman who could be at risk for a side effect to know if a woman died because of a stroke or a blood clot because they did not have a thorough conversation–” said Means

“Dr. Means, I just have two minutes left and I have other questions. Let me move on. Thank you,” responded Senator Murray.

[MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH]

Senator Murray continued her questioning by pressing Means on key maternal and child health issues, including vaccine safety, infant health, and maternal mental health. She raised concerns about recent comments from FDA official Tracy Beth Hoeg casting doubt on the safety of RSV vaccines for infants and questioning the safety of antidepressants, including SSRIs, during pregnancy. Senator Murray stressed that the Surgeon General must provide accurate, evidence-based public health information and pressed Dr. Means’ ability to do so: “Tracy Beth Høeg, she’s an anti-vaccine skeptic, she was elevated by the Trump administration to serve as the top drug regulator at FDA. She made comments last week casting doubt on the safety of RSV vaccines for [babies]. As I’m sure you know, RSV can be deadly, even for healthy, full-term infants. Do you believe that Dr. Høeg is wrong to question the safety of RSV vaccines?” asked Senator Murray.

“I have not read that article or seen that quote. I would need to know what she said before I commented on that,” Means answered.

Senator Murray replied, “Well, you do know that RSV is the leading cause of hospitalization for infants?”

Means replied, “I do, I have a seventeen-week-old and I am very aware of that.”

“Do you hear her statement, as Surgeon General, would you contradict it?” Senator Murray asked.

“I certainly have absolutely no issue having very frank conversations with anyone in the administration if I believe that their statements are misguided in some way or not fully informed. That’s not a conversation I would have publicly first; I would have a private and direct conversation with anyone in the administration if I felt that patients were at risk because of views,” Means replied.

“I also want to ask you about maternal health. Mental health conditions are the leading cause of maternal death in the U.S., including suicide and overdose deaths. In her comments last week, Dr. Høeg, same woman, also expressed concern about the safety of the anti-depressants during pregnancy. Specifically, she called out SSRIs, the most commonly prescribed type, do you believe that SSRIs are dangerous for pregnant women?” Senator Murray continued.

“I don’t want to be a broken record here, but I do believe that every medication has risks and benefits and you need to have a nuanced conversation with your doctor before starting a medication. That is, I think, the most responsible position for any doctor to share,” Means answered.

“Well strong evidence has shown that SSRIs are safe in pregnancy, most do not increase the risk of birth defects, but untreated depression in pregnancy puts women at risk,” Senator Murray replied.

“Certainly, and I agree with you, but I still think a patient – I don’t think it’s responsible to make a blanket statement for all Americans,” Means responded.

“Okay, well, if confirmed as Surgeon General, it will be your job to give accurate and up-to-date public health information to the American people. I assume you will take that responsibility seriously,” Senator Murray concluded.

“I will, and I absolutely do. And I also believe that the American people are looking for a more nuanced conversation about health, and I believe that that will help restore trust in public health,” Means said.

Senator Murray, a longtime congressional leader on health care and public health issues, has been consistently holding Trump’s Department of Health and Human Services accountable. Murray has been a leader in raising the alarm over RFK Jr.’s nomination and handling of HHS since the beginning—speaking out on the Senate floor, holding numerous events, raising the alarm after meeting with him, and hammering the threat he poses to Americans’ health nonstop.

She spoke out forcefully against RFK Jr.’s ousting of the entire ACIP panel, including one ACIP member from Washington state. Senator Murray has held countless events across Washington state and in Washington, D.C. with doctors, patients, and former HHS officials to lift up how Trump and Republicans’ attacks on health care will be devastating for families. In early September, Senator Murray took to the Senate floor to reiterate her call for RFK Jr. to be fired after he pushed former CDC Director Susan Monarez out of her job for refusing to rubber-stamp vaccine recommendations without evidence.

On September 8th, Senator Murray called on Chairman Cassidy to compel RFK Jr. to testify publicly before the HELP Committee. At the September 17th HELP Committee hearing with former CDC Director Susan Monarez and former CDC Chief Medical Officer Dr. Deb Houry, Senator Murray pressed both witnesses on whether they would feel confident telling parents to trust ACIP’s vaccine recommendations now, after RFK Jr. purged the entire panel of experts and replaced them with unqualified anti-vaccine skeptics—Former CDC Director Monarez replied that she would be “very nervous” to tell parents to trust any recommendations coming from the new ACIP panel. Senator Murray also requested in September an independent, comprehensive Inspector General review by the HHS Acting Inspector General of recent actions taken at HHS to limit access to vaccines, and recent personnel changes at the CDC. In December, she spoke out against ACIP’s vote to end the recommendation of vaccinating all newborns for hepatitis B at birth, without any new evidence prompting the change. Murray continues to press Republican leadership to compel RFK Jr. to answer publicly before the HELP Committee for his nonstop assault on America’s public health infrastructure.

Senator Murray is a longtime leader in the fight to protect and expand access to reproductive health care. Over the course of her career, Senator Murray has fought to ensure widespread access to affordable birth control. She leads the Access to Birth Control Act, which would guarantee patients’ timely access to birth control at pharmacies nationwide—including by addressing pharmacists’ refusals to dispense contraception that prevent patients from obtaining their preferred form of birth control. She also pushed to ensure birth control was covered under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and led the fight against the Supreme Court’s Hobby Lobby ruling. Senator Murray is widely credited with leading the fight to make Plan B available over the counter.

As a leading Congressional champion of efforts to expand maternal health care and improve access to care for pregnant women, Senator Murray introduced the Healthy Maternal and Obstetric Medicine (MOM) Act, which would ensure that all women eligible for coverage through the Affordable Care Act (ACA) insurance marketplaces, as well as women eligible for other individual or group health plan coverage, can access affordable health care coverage throughout their pregnancies. The bill would establish a special enrollment period (SEP) for expectant mothers. Currently, marriage, divorce, having a baby, adoption, and changing jobs are considered qualifying life events that trigger a special enrollment period; however, becoming pregnant is not considered a qualifying event. The Healthy MOM Act would change that.

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Padilla, Schiff, Carbajal Lead California Lawmakers in Push to Protect California Coast From New Oil Drilling

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff (both D-Calif.), along with U.S. Representatives Salud Carbajal (D-Calif.-24), Jared Huffman (D-Calif.-02), Jimmy Panetta (D-Calif.-19), Mike Levin (D-Calif.-49), and Dave Min (D-Calif.-47), led 31 of their colleagues in condemning the Trump Administration’s plan to develop new offshore oil and gas leases in the Southern and Central California Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) planning areas. They also pushed President Trump and Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum to extend the current public comment period by 90 days.

The Trump Administration’s plan proposes opening vast swaths of previously protected federal waters to new oil and gas drilling for the first time in over 40 years, disregarding bipartisan opposition.

“California’s coastal economy supports roughly 511,000 jobs and generates over $51.3 billion in GDP from marine-economy activities — largely in tourism and recreation — meaning that new offshore drilling could jeopardize the livelihoods of thousands of working families,” wrote the lawmakers. “The 2015 Refugio oil spill and the 2021 Huntington Beach oil spill further underscored the ongoing risks of offshore drilling and reinforced our strong opposition to any expansion of offshore oil and gas development.”

The lawmakers also highlighted the risks offshore oil and gas development off the Southern and Central California coast pose to military readiness.

“Introducing additional offshore drilling infrastructure and associated hazardous materials into this already congested and mission-critical maritime space would increase operational risk, complicate training and testing activities, and heighten the potential for catastrophic consequences in the event of a spill—placing both military personnel and national security interests at unnecessary risk,” continued the lawmakers.

The lawmakers concluded by emphasizing that concerns over the Administration’s leasing plan are shared across party lines, and they urged the Administration to extend the current public comment period. They emphasized that California constituents submitted hundreds of thousands of comments over the 60-day public review of the five-year offshore leasing plan that closed January 23, with many comments expressing direct concerns with the impact of federal oil and gas leasing in the Pacific on coastal ecosystems and local economies.

“The administration’s leasing plan is a significant concern to Californians regardless of political affiliation, as both Democratic- and Republican-led cities have passed resolutions opposing new drilling in the Pacific,” concluded the lawmakers. “… For these reasons, we respectfully request a 90-day extension of the current public comment period on offshore oil and gas leasing in the Southern and Central California OCS Planning Areas. An extension will ensure that residents, local governments, Tribal Nations, small businesses, fishermen, environmental groups, and other stakeholders have adequate opportunity to review the proposal and submit comprehensive feedback that reflects the breadth of impacts this decision would entail.”

California’s push to limit new offshore drilling dates back to 1969, when an oil rig off the coast of Santa Barbara leaked 3 million gallons of crude oil into the ocean, blanketing beaches with a thick layer of oil and killing thousands of marine mammals and birds. That disaster remained the nation’s worst oil spill until the Exxon Valdez incident two decades later. More recently, incidents like the 2015 Refugio State Beach and the 2021 Huntington Beach oil spills have underscored how risky additional offshore drilling can be for coastal communities.

Senator Padilla has been leading the charge against offshore oil and gas leases. Last December, Padilla and Representative Huffman led 26 members of the California Democratic Congressional delegation in condemning the Trump Administration’s official draft 2027-2032 Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program that includes six lease proposals off the coast of Northern, Central, and Southern California. Immediately after the Trump Administration’s sell-off to Big Oil was announced, Padilla and Huffman issued a joint statement and hosted a press call slamming the move. The month before, Padilla and Huffman led over 100 lawmakers in demanding President Trump and Secretary Burgum immediately cease any plans to open new offshore oil and gas leases in U.S. federal waters off the Atlantic and Pacific coasts, in the Arctic Ocean and northern Bering Sea off of Alaska, and in the Eastern Gulf.

On Earth Day, Padilla and Huffman, along with Senator Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Senator Jack Reed (D-R.I.), and Representative Frank Pallone (D-N.J.-06), announced a pair of bills to permanently protect the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans from the dangers of fossil fuel drilling. Padilla and Huffman’s West Coast Ocean Protection Act would permanently prohibit new oil and gas leases for offshore drilling off the coast of California, Oregon, and Washington. In 2021, Senator Padilla joined West Coast Senators in calling on Senate leadership to include the West Coast Ocean Protection Act in the Senate version of the budget reconciliation bill after an estimated 126,000 gallons of oil spilled off the coast of California.

Full text of the letter is available here and below:

Dear Mr. President and Secretary Burgum:

As Members of the California Congressional Delegation, we write in strong opposition to the inclusion of the Southern California and Central California Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Planning Areas in the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management’s (BOEM) ongoing offshore oil and gas leasing process. The recent announcement of a public comment period on potential leasing in these regions — separate from the 60-day comment period that concluded on January 23, 2026 for the Draft Proposed Program (DPP) of the 11th National OCS Oil and Gas Leasing Program — has raised significant concerns among our constituents and stakeholders.

Since the devastating 1969 oil spill in Santa Barbara, California, there has not been a new or expanded lease in California state waters since 1969 or one in federal waters since 1984. This is in recognition that the waters off the coasts of Southern and Central California are economically and ecologically invaluable. Across the country, many of our communities depend on recreational and commercial fishing, tourism, outdoor recreation, and other industries that can be directly harmed by incompatible energy development. California’s coastal economy supports roughly 511,000 jobs and generates over $51.3 billion in GDP from marine-economy activities — largely in tourism and recreation — meaning that new offshore drilling could jeopardize the livelihoods of thousands of working families. The 2015 Refugio oil spill and the 2021 Huntington Beach oil spill further underscored the ongoing risks of offshore drilling and reinforced our strong opposition to any expansion of offshore oil and gas development.

In addition to the environmental and economic risks, offshore oil and gas development in the Southern and Central California OCS Planning Areas poses serious threats to military readiness and national security. California is home to the largest concentration of military forces in the nation, including more than 30 major installations and over 200,000 active-duty and reserve personnel. The Southern California coast supports some of the military’s most critical training and readiness activities, including multiple offshore range complexes and testing areas that span more than 156,000 square nautical miles.

These waters are essential to the operations of the U.S. Navy’s Third Fleet and the First Marine Expeditionary Force, which together form a cornerstone of U.S. power projection in the Pacific. Introducing additional offshore drilling infrastructure and associated hazardous materials into this already congested and mission-critical maritime space would increase operational risk, complicate training and testing activities, and heighten the potential for catastrophic consequences in the event of a spill—placing both military personnel and national security interests at unnecessary risk.

The administration’s leasing plan is a significant concern to Californians regardless of political affiliation, as both Democratic- and Republican-led cities have passed resolutions opposing new drilling in the Pacific. Moreover, our constituents have just engaged in a robust 60-day public review of the five-year offshore leasing plan released on November 24, 2025 and closed January 23, 2026—where they submitted hundreds of thousands of comments during that period. Many of those comments directly addressed federal oil and gas leasing in the Pacific and the associated risks to coastal ecosystems and local economies.

For these reasons, we respectfully request a 90-day extension of the current public comment period on offshore oil and gas leasing in the Southern and Central California OCS Planning Areas. An extension will ensure that residents, local governments, Tribal Nations, small businesses, fishermen, environmental groups, and other stakeholders have adequate opportunity to review the proposal and submit comprehensive feedback that reflects the breadth of impacts this decision would entail.

We urge your Administration to consider this extension in the interest of transparency and meaningful public participation. And, as you continue to consider new drilling in the Southern and Central California OCS planning areas—we are categorically opposed to any new drilling. Instead, we urge your Administration to abandon these proposals in recognition of the unacceptable risks they pose to coastal communities, our regional and local economies, and national security.

Thank you for your attention to this important matter.

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Padilla Secures Commitment From Senior Interior Nominee to Protect Chuckwalla National Monument

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) secured a commitment from Stevan Pearce, nominee for Bureau of Land Management Director at the Department of the Interior, to protect California’s Chuckwalla National Monument amid the Trump Administration’s efforts to abolish protections for America’s public lands. During today’s Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee hearing, Padilla highlighted Pearce’s concerning voting record on public lands as a former New Mexico U.S. Representative and pushed him to honor the monument designation for these sacred, ecologically significant lands in California’s eastern Imperial and Riverside counties.

Padilla emphasized that the monument has broad, bipartisan support. The Torres Martinez Desert Cahuilla Indians, the Fort Yuma Quechan Indian Tribe, the Cahuilla Band of Indians, the Chemehuevi Indian Tribe, and the Colorado River Indian Tribes (CRIT) have also formed the Chuckwalla National Monument Intertribal Commission to sustain their lasting commitment to safeguard these sacred lands. Padilla secured Pearce’s commitment, if confirmed, to meet with the Intertribal Commission to learn more about the monument and engage in meaningful Tribal consultation.

Excerpts from Padilla’s exchange with Pearce are available below.

Key Excerpts:

PADILLA: I’m going to echo some of the concerns and sentiments that some of my colleagues have raised about public lands and it is a bipartisan [issue] — I know Senator Risch especially was passionate earlier today. From a California perspective, the Bureau of Land Management manages nearly 15% of California’s land mass, so it’s critical for us that BLM and the BLM Director maintain these lands for future generations to enjoy and not just knee jerk sell them to the highest bidder. These BLM lands in California include Chuckwalla National Monument. For years, I worked with numerous Tribal leaders who led the effort to protect the natural resources in that area and to promote access to what is now Chuckwalla. It was a thoughtfully crafted proposal, as you and I discussed in my office, that took into account the input from stakeholders, conservationists, of course, energy developers, utilities, Tribal leaders, hunters, recreation groups, and others, and we ended up with universal local support from the state and bipartisan support here in the Senate and in Congress. As a result, as one of the outcomes of that, five tribes have even formed an Intertribal Commission to solidify their enduring commitment to protecting sacred lands in Chuckwalla. My question is clear and simple, Mr. Pearce. If confirmed, are you committed to honoring these monument designations? Yes or no?

PEARCE: Yes.

PADILLA: Thank you. That’s a great answer. Short, clear, concise, and on the record, and I appreciate your support for maintaining these protections, and please know that I also want to work with you to arrange a meeting with you and the members of the Intertribal Commission so you can learn more about Chuckwalla. Don’t expect you to be an expert on day one. Is that a meeting that you’re willing to commit to, should you be confirmed? … The meeting with the Tribal Commission that has been formed now that the monument designation has been finalized.

PEARCE: Senator, as a Representative of southern New Mexico, we had multiple Pueblos, we had Apache tribes, and we had Navajos. We worked extremely closely with all of those to accomplish objectives they were looking for in their lands. I would visualize very similar. The Native Americans sometimes are overlooked, from Washington.

PADILLA: Not just sometimes, far too often.

PEARCE: We became a voice for them, and would continue to do that.

PADILLA: Right, and we talked about meaningful, substantive consultation, not just the checking of a box that has happened so much over the course of history.

PEARCE: Absolutely.

Video of the exchange is available here.

Senator Padilla led the charge to establish the Chuckwalla National Monument. Padilla, Senator Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), former California Senator Laphonza Butler, and Representative Raul Ruiz (D-Calif.-25) urged President Biden to use his authority under the Antiquities Act of 1906 to designate the monument. Padilla, Butler, and Ruiz also introduced legislation to push for its establishment.

The Chuckwalla National Monument protects over 624,000 acres of California’s vast desert landscape. The monument designation protects important spiritual and cultural values tied to the land such as multi-use trail systems established by Indigenous peoples, sacred sites and objects, traditional cultural places, geoglyphs, petroglyphs, pictographs, and native plants and wildlife. It also provides more equitable access to nature for eastern Coachella Valley communities and surrounding areas.

Last year, Padilla condemned a Department of Justice legal opinion that could pave the way for the Trump Administration to eliminate or shrink California’s recently established national monuments, Chuckwalla and Sáttítla Highlands.

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WATCH: Padilla Leads Charge on Stopping Trump’s Attempts to “Take Over” Federal Elections

“It is not a voter ID bill; it is very much a voter suppression bill. It is very much a voter purge bill, and has so much more in that piece of legislation that should concern people.”

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration and California’s former Secretary of State, convened a Rules Committee Democrats spotlight forum titled “Protecting the Future of American Democracy: Stopping the Trump Administration’s Attempted ‘Takeover’ of Elections.”

In his opening remarks, Padilla blasted Trump’s escalating threats — echoed last night during his State of the Union Address — to assert control over elections and push for the passage of voter suppression legislation like the SAVE America Act. Trump has continued to base his election-rigging efforts on disproven conspiracy theories of widespread voter fraud. The President has also called on Republicans to “take over the voting” and attempted to implement his unconstitutional election executive order, among other anti-voter actions. Padilla delivered the Democratic Spanish language response to Trump’s State of the Union Address last night, pushing back on his relentless attacks against the right to vote.

Padilla also raised the alarm on Trump and the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) pressure campaign to seize unredacted voter registration lists from all 50 states, including sensitive personal information like their social security numbers, party affiliation, and voting history. He warned about DOJ’s possible coordination with the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) insufficiently tested and faulty Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) Program to potentially purge voters from the rolls. Last month, Attorney General Pam Bondi sent a letter to Minnesota Governor Tim Walz pushing him to hand over the state’s voter rolls as part of an exchange for the Administration calling off its dangerous deployment of ICE and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers and agents to Minneapolis.

“We long ago passed the part where they’re saying the quiet part out loud. When [Trump] uses language like he wants to ‘take over’ the elections on the tail end of years and years of The Big Lie, months and months of their effort to weaponize not just the Department of Justice anymore, but the Department of Homeland Security to obtain the voter files and the personal information of voters in every state in the nation.”

“We know the threat is real. We know that the executive order effort that he attempted last year to control how we do elections was ruled unlawful, but they followed that up with legislation making it harder for eligible Americans to register to vote, to stay registered to vote, to be able to cast their ballots.”

“[The SAVE America Act] is not a voter ID bill; it is very much a voter suppression bill. It is very much a voter purge bill, and has so much more in that piece of legislation that should concern people. And so sadly, today’s topic couldn’t be more timely.”

Padilla also blasted Republicans in Congress for refusing to push back more forcefully on the Trump Administration’s attacks on our democracy and the administration of elections. He emphasized that in the face of Republicans’ voter suppression efforts, Democrats need to keep up the fight to make it easier, not harder for eligible Americans to register and cast their ballots.

“The Chair of the Rules Committee, Mitch McConnell, has been outspoken, and continues to be, by the way, on his disagreement that the federal government should get involved with elections administration, including an Op-Ed he published in the Wall Street Journal just last year.”

“But that belief seems to be fading on the Republican side of the aisle, again, making conversations like today that much more important, not just timely. So even if just Democrats have to band together to make sure we’re putting a spotlight on this challenge, on this concern for our country and for the American people, then we’ll continue to do just that, and keep the spotlight on and the heat on to remind us we should be working to make it easier for eligible people to register and vote, not the opposite.”

Video of Senator Padilla’s full opening remarks is available here.

The panelists at today’s forum include Mo Ivory, a Fulton County, Georgia Commissioner; Rob Bonta, California’s Attorney General; Norm Eisen, Founder of Democracy Defenders and Former U.S. Ambassador to the Czech Republic; and Stephen Richer, Former Maricopa County, Arizona Recorder, Fellow at the CATO Institute, and CEO of Republic Affairs.

Read Fulton County Commissioner Ivory’s opening testimony, as prepared for delivery, here.

Read California Attorney General Bonta’s opening testimony, as prepared for delivery, here.

Read Democracy Defenders Founder and Former U.S. Ambassador to the Czech Republic Norm Eisen’s opening testimony, as prepared for delivery, here.

Read Former Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer’s opening testimony, as prepared for delivery, here.

The Rules Committee Democrats’ spotlight forum series continues to underscore the dangers of the Trump Administration’s unprecedented attacks on election security, integrity, and funding required to smoothly administer elections and protect American democracy. The first spotlight forum last May focused on Congressional Republicans’ Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act and Trump’s illegal anti-voter executive order, both of which threaten to disenfranchise millions of eligible American citizens. The second forum last July focused on Trump’s disturbing voter suppression tactics.

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WHAT THEY ARE SAYING: Elected Officials, Community Leaders, Latino Advocates, Labor Unions Applaud Senator Padilla’s State of the Union Spanish Response

Video of Padilla’s speech can be found here and can be downloaded here.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) highlighted the growing chorus of elected officials, California and national community organization leaders, Latino advocates, and labor unions who are applauding his Spanish language response to President Trump’s State of the Union Address.

Previous releases walking through his speech are available here in English and aquí en español.

A full list of supporter quotes is available here.

California Governor Gavin Newsom: “In his speech, President Trump painted a picture of fear and grievance. In his response, Senator Padilla laid out a vision focused on what actually matters: supporting working families, protecting rights, lowering costs, and standing up to Trump’s dangerous policies. The American people will choose the latter this November.”

California State Senate Leader Monique Limón: “The State of the Union failed to recognize the impact this administration has on California and the nation. From tariffs to healthcare to immigration – policies under this administration directly affect the millions of people living in the Golden State. The cuts from H.R. 1 could potentially cost California millions of dollars a day to help fill the gaps in essential services like health care, SNAP benefits, childcare, and more. Americans will directly pay the price for this administration’s decisions. I am grateful to Senator Padilla for amplifying the real impacts this administration is having on California.”

Senator Lena Gonzalez (D-Long Beach), Chair of the California Latino Legislative Caucus: “We are tired of the lies and the blatant disregard for the law by this federal administration. It’s time for real progress grounded in facts with sensible plans, not corrupt schemes that enrich billionaires while working families pay the price. I’m proud to stand with Senator Alex Padilla and grateful for his leadership in setting the record straight to help move our country forward.”

Majority Whip Assemblymember Mark González (D-Los Angeles): “Donald Trump has never had a stable relationship with the truth. Americans are NOT okay. Families are struggling to keep up with rising costs. Workers are watching their rights erode. Immigrant communities are living in fear as masked agents turn our neighborhoods into battlegrounds. Our standing in the world has been weakened by reckless leadership driven by ego instead of principle. Unconstitutional tariffs. Economic instability. Attacks on democratic norms. This is what happens when a man who sees himself as a king is allowed to treat government like a personal playground. We will not normalize this chaos. We will not sit quietly while institutions are hollowed out and communities are scapegoated. We will not allow the federal government to implode under the weight of one man’s ambition and temper tantrums. We will fight back, with facts, with organizing, with courage, and with unwavering commitment to the people we serve. I stand firmly with Senator Alex Padilla and am deeply grateful for his steady, principled leadership. In one of the most challenging chapters of our federal government, his commitment to truth, accountability, and democracy continues to shine. We are not powerless. And we are not backing down.”

Rep. Trey Martinez Fischer (D-San Antonio),Former Chairman of the Texas House Democratic Caucus and Mexican American Legislative Caucus: “Everyday Americans are working harder while their paychecks are getting smaller. The state of our union is unaffordable groceries, insurance and electricity costs are pricing our families out of the American dream, and our neighbors being terrorized on our streets. Last night, Donald Trump looked directly into the eyes of the American people and lied. Senator Padilla responded for us, for the people, and addressed the actual state of our union. He addressed the pressing concerns of Americans across the nation while uplifting the vital contributions of immigrants. He acknowledged the fear, uncertainty, and hardships our communities are facing completely alone, with their government abandoning them in their hour of need. Voters are listening. They know Trump has made our streets more dangerous. They know he has raised the cost of living and stripped people of their health care. They know that he will do anything to stay in power, including start wars and feign voter fraud. They’re tired of his lies, and they’ll show him they mean business in November. Thank you, Senator Padilla, for speaking for all of us.”

Erica Bernal-Martinez, CEO of NALEO (National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials): “In his Spanish response, Senator Alex Padilla spoke to the real concerns facing Latino communities — from fear and uncertainty around immigration enforcement to the economic pressures families are facing — while affirming the vital contributions of immigrants to our nation’s strength. As a former President of NALEO, he reflects the leadership of Latino public servants on the frontlines working to protect the right to vote, expand pathways to citizenship, and advance practical solutions that help families build stability and opportunity. We commend his continued commitment to principled, solutions-driven leadership grounded in our nation’s core values.”

Maria Teresa Kumar, President and CEO of Voto Latino: “Senator Padilla is the voice we need at this moment, and his message last night spoke directly not only to Latinos, but to all Americans about the unprecedented reality our country faces. Last night, Senator Padilla delivered an urgent call for civic participation in our electoral process as a form of resistance, an act of love, and orgullo (pride). His impressive political trajectory is one that should be celebrated and uplifted. He embodies the true spirit of public service to our nation. As a Senator from the great state of California and a dear personal friend, I congratulate him on his powerful response and heed his call to encourage all Americans to get involved, register to vote, and make their voices heard to protect democracy.”

Julián Castro, CEO, Latino Community Foundation: “Tonight, the American people heard little of what the federal administration will do to lower costs, protect their communities, and safeguard democracy. From violent and unconstitutional immigration raids to illegal tariffs that are hurting small business owners and consumers, the Latino community has borne a disproportionate impact of the administration’s policies with no relief in sight. The Latino Community Foundation sees a brighter America – one where children can go to school without masked agents roaming their neighborhoods, where entrepreneurs can grow their business free from economic uncertainty, and where the right to vote is respected, not denied. We thank Senator Alex Padilla, the first Latino to represent California in the U.S. Senate, who uplifted a strong positive vision for America’s future in his response to the president’s address tonight.”

Erica Lomeli Corcoran, Chief Executive Officer, UFW Foundation: “Sen. Padilla has always been an ally to the farm worker movement and a supporter of immigrant rights, and we are proud to see him deliver a Spanish rebuttal to the State of the Union Address. Sen. Padilla’s message was a unifying call that was incredibly needed. We need more leaders like Sen. Padilla, who not only talks the talk but also walks the walk. He was one of the only two senators to answer our Take Our Jobs challenge, spending a day working the fields in California alongside farm workers. We support his message of creating a better society not only for immigrants and farm workers, but for all who live and work in the United States. Americans demand and deserve accountability, stability, and a country that uplifts them. Si Se Puede!”

Angelica Salas, Executive Director, Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA): “President Trump’s State of the Union address was deeply disconnected from the lived reality of most Americans and profoundly insulting to the immigrant communities who strengthen and sustain this country every day. While working families struggle with rising costs, threats to civil liberties, and attacks on fundamental rights, the Trump Administration continues to choose distortion over truth and division over unity. His obsession demonizing immigrants overall erases the invaluable contributions of immigrants—workers, neighbors, and families who love this country and help it thrive. His hardline approach to immigration enforcement has sown terror, division, and discontent in every community across the homeland. We reject this dangerous narrative and stand firmly with our communities, and with leadership like Senator Padillas’s, rooted in truth, dignity, and respect for all people who call this nation home.”

Jerry Gonzalez, CEO, GALEO Impact Fund: “Donald Trump’s address failed to address the real challenges facing Georgia’s Latinx community, from protecting voting rights to advancing meaningful immigration reform and lowering costs for working families. Instead of division, our communities need solutions grounded in dignity, inclusion, and opportunity. GALEO Impact Fund is grateful for Senator Alex Padilla’s response, which lifted up a vision centered on protecting rights, strengthening democracy, and ensuring every family has a fair chance to thrive.”

California Community Foundation: “At the California Community Foundation, our mission is to ensure all Angelenos can access the good life, which depends on a thriving democracy that upholds our constitutional rights and core American values. At a moment when families are separated without due process, access to health care and housing is stripped from hardworking people, cost of living continues to squeeze families, and trust in our elections is under strain, the State of our Union can feel bleak and uncertain. It is in these moments that we must lift our voices to demand better. We are proud to stand alongside elected leaders working for our communities, not against them — including our fellow Angeleno, Senator Alex Padilla, who will deliver the Spanish Democratic response to the State of the Union tonight. At CCF, we will continue advancing work at the intersection of democracy, immigration, and community stability, because a strong democracy is essential to a thriving Los Angeles.”

Efrain Escobedo, Board Chair, Mi Familia Vota: “Saving our democracy begins with centering those in the cross-hairs of the Trump Administration’s enforcement assault. This response is a reminder that many of them are Latino, naturalized citizens, voters!”

Luz Gallegos, Executive Director, TODEC: “Si no tenemos campesinos vivos, fuertes, y presentes, no hay comida, no hay economia, no hay California.” // “Federal actions against our communities have targeted families that are barely making ends meet. We are grateful to Senator Alex Padilla for using his platform to stand up for what’s right — fighting for workers, immigrants, and the next generation of leaders. Now, more than ever, we need leaders in the U.S. Senate and in Congress to speak up for the families that keep our local economies running strong. We thank Senator Padilla for his remarks and his recognition of the dignity of millions of families with immigrant roots who call America home.”

Nilza Serrano, Chair of the Latino Caucus for the California Democratic Club and President of Avance, the largest Latino Democratic Club in the United States: “Senator Alex Padilla met the President’s State of the Union with clarity, courage, and a pragmatic vision rooted in reality, not rhetoric. At a time when we are hearing divisive, draconian proposals wrapped in chaos and grievance, Senator Padilla is doing what serious leaders do: he is holding the line. He is standing up not only for Latino families, but for every working family in this country that believes in democracy, dignity, and opportunity. We need leaders who challenge extremism with intelligence and integrity, and Senator Padilla continues to do exactly that.”

Antonieta Cádiz, Directora Ejecutiva de Climate Power En Acción: “Por más de un año hemos visto las consecuencias del liderazgo errático y fallido de Donald Trump. Esta noche hizo su mejor esfuerzo por continuar distrayéndonos con espejismos, pero sabemos la verdad. Nuestra comunidad vive con miedo, nuestro presupuesto está cada día más apretado, nuestras cuentas de electricidad están cada día más caras, tras eliminar inversiones esenciales para bajar los costos y disminuir la contaminación. Lo que él llama progreso económico son regalías para los más ricos mientras aprieta nuestros bolsillos.”

Blue Turn Indivisible: “Blue Turn Indivisible stands with Senator Padilla as he delivers the Democratic Spanish-language response to Trump’s State of the Union, speaking directly to all of us about what this moment really demands. We applaud his insistence that Americans deserve leaders who tell the truth about what is going on in the country and the world, are accountable to voters, defend our Constitutional rights, rein in rogue federal agencies instead of weaponizing them against our communities, and safeguard our multiracial democracy from authoritarian attacks.”

Indivisible San Francisco: “We are pleased and proud to see California’s first Latino Senator, Alex Padilla, representing us on the national stage to deliver the Spanish-language response to the SOTU. Thank you for stepping up to speak about our communities’ real economic challenges, MAGA attacks on voting rights, and accountability for the federal government’s weaponization of enforcement agencies against immigrants and US citizens alike.”

La Jolla Indivisible: “La Jolla Indivisible is proud that Senator Alex Padilla will deliver the Democratic Spanish language response to SOTU. We see every day how President Trump is undermining the health, welfare and financial viability of our communities, especially through his cruel immigration and deportation policies. Irreparable harm is being done to immigrant families who have lived and worked in our communities for years. We also thank you for speaking out and fighting to protect our Constitutional right to vote. Your leadership is vital.”

Indivisible Westside LA: “We are proud to see California’s first Latino Senator, Alex Padilla, representing us on the national stage to deliver the Spanish-language response to the SOTU. We stand with the Senator as he fights the regime’s out-of-control immigration and mass deportation agenda, Donald Trump’s failing economic policies, and the administration’s consistent attacks on voting rights and access to the ballot box.”

Indivisible East Bay: “Indivisible East Bay is proud to stand with our Sen. Alex Padilla, CA’s first Latino senator, and we look forward to his State of the Union response in Spanish. Sen. Padilla is standing up against the Trump Administration’s weaponization of DHS agencies and their lawless abuses including the atrocious conditions in Trump’s concentration camps. We join his urgent call to protect our elections which Trump and Republicans in Congress are trying to undermine. We stand with him in opposing Trump’s disastrous economic and healthcare policies and in calling out the corruption of the most criminal, self-dealing, and dangerous president in the history of our country. Thank you Sen. Padilla!”

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Sen. Rick Scott Visits Naples Lumber with Inspiring Business Owner in ‘American Dream at Work’ Series

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Senator Rick Scott released the third episode of his ‘American Dream at Work’ series, featuring Ron Labbe, owner of Naples Lumber & Supply Company in Naples, Florida. Senator Scott toured the facility and sat down with Ron to discuss how the government should operate like any family or business has to, and how reining in the burdensome regulatory environment can help small businesses create jobs, grow the economy, and help American families live their American Dreams. Watch episode one with Jon Taffer HERE and episode two with Fernando Mendoza, the owner and founder of Nando Grill, HERE.

As part of his American Dream at Work series, Senator Scott is traveling the state to highlight Florida’s entrepreneurs, their businesses, and the incredible work they’re doing to grow jobs and contribute to their communities. Senator Scott lived his American Dream – from growing up in public housing, to starting a family, building businesses, being elected Governor of Florida, and U.S. Senator – he continues working tirelessly to ensure every American has the same opportunity to live their American Dream.

Senator Rick Scott said, “The American Dream has always been about opportunity and the promise that if you work hard, you can make a better life for yourself and your family. Ron Labbe knows that well. I sat down with him to hear how he went from an hourly employee to owning Naples Lumber, how he’s inspiring others to do the same, and how policies like President Trump’s No Tax on Overtime make a huge difference. By shrinking government, reining in federal spending, and cutting taxes, we can Make Washington Work Better for businesses like Naples Lumber so hardworking Floridians like Ron can continue creating jobs, helping families succeed. Ron’s story, and the stories of so many Floridians like him, show that the American Dream is still alive and worth fighting for.”

Watch the third episode, featuring Ron Labbe of Naples Lumber HERE or below:

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Risch to BLM Nominee: Idahoans Do Not Want Their Public Lands Sold

Pearce Promises to Work with Senator Risch, Follow the Law

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho) today received assurances from Stevan Pearce, the nominee to lead the Bureau of Land Management, that he has no plans to sell off Idaho’s public lands.

Click here to watch.

Excerpts of the exchange below:

“Mr. Pearce, thank you for meeting with me. You know I’m a one issue guy on your appointment. I want to stress for people watching this today that we’re talking about a job that you’re appointed to manage the BLM. And I stress manage the BLM. The policy regarding the BLM, you understand, is the purview of this body you formerly served in. You agree with me on that?”

“I do, Senator,” said Pearce.

“There is no authority for you, for that matter, the President, to sell off public land. Do you agree with that?”

“I agree with you, Senator,” said Pearce.

“As I explained to you, this is a 98% issue in Idaho. In all my decades of serving the state, I have never received such passionate, unified messages as I have on this particular topic. Idahoans do not want their public lands sold. Period. Full stop. Public lands are really part of us and are sacred to us.”

[. . .]

“I appreciate that you understand the job you are being appointed to regards the management of these public lands – which I think you are very qualified to do – but as far as a wholesale selloff, you have nothing to do about it, no matter what you thought about it, there would be no way you could get this done without the concurrence of the United States Congress, which I can tell you, is extremely unlikely at this point.”

“Thank you, Senator. I appreciate the time that we were able to spend in your office. I came away with a very clear understanding of your position [. . .] When it comes to distribution of land, I look to you all to provide the groundwork. You all know your state, the parcels of land, much better than the people of Washington. That’s my commitment to you, that we will work with you on this and follow the law completely,” said Pearce.

Last year, Senator Risch led a successful effort to block a provision to sell public lands in the One Big Beautiful Bill. In January, Senator Risch met with Pearce to emphasize the importance of Idaho’s public lands and responsible resource management.


***VIDEO RELEASE*** Sen. Johnson Reacts to State of the Union on Mornings with Maria

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), joined Maria Bartiromo on Mornings with Maria to discuss President Donald Trump’s State of the Union speech, the national debt, military spending, government shutdowns, the SAVE America Act, the filibuster, and Republican priorities. The senator praised the President’s address, calling it “an inspirational speech celebrating America and its heroes.”

“I thought the crowning moment really was when President Trump just asked Democrats, would you reaffirm that the first duty of the American government is to protect American citizens, not illegal aliens? And I could not believe Democrats didn't stand for that,” Sen. Johnson said.

“Democrats create these enormous messes and rather than, you know, lend a hand, and try and help solve these problems, no, they train activists. They encourage their supporters to go and obstruct justice, putting them in harm's way. They get a couple of martyrs, and then they use that with, you know, the backing of the legacy media. So it would be nice if we had Democrats who are willing to acknowledge the fact that their Obamacare is a disaster, that they created this devaluation of the dollar that's making things unaffordable, that they opened the border, but we do not have partners. So that's why it takes very strong leadership and that’s what President Trump was providing,” Sen. Johnson continued.

“I, for one, like a president who’s optimistic, who celebrates America and Americans, and that was a very optimistic speech right there. Don't you want a president with a vision to make the country even greater? I mean, this is a great country, 250 years. It can be even better. That's the kind of leadership we want. That's the kind of leadership President Trump is providing,” Sen. Johnson concluded.

Watch the full video here.

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Schatz, Bonamici, Carter, Murkowski Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Advance Marine Carbon Dioxide Removal

WASHINGTON – Senators Brian Schatz (D-HI) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Representatives Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR) and Earl L. “Buddy” Carter (R-GA) introduced bipartisan legislation to strengthen marine carbon dioxide removal research and development in the United States.

Marine carbon dioxide removal (mCDR) can address climate change by enhancing the ocean’s natural ability to reduce carbon emissions through natural and technological strategies. Many of these technologies remain in the early stages of development, and the United States lacks a coordinated federal framework to guide research, monitoring, and public engagement.

The Removing and Sequestering Carbon Unleashed in the Environment and Oceans Act (ReSCUE Oceans Act) would establish the United States as a leader in mCDR research, development, and responsible testing by investing in science-based measurement tools, creating environmental and community safeguards, and strengthening coordination between federal research agencies.

“Carbon dioxide removal (CDR) is an essential tool in the fight against the climate crisis, in addition to being a driver of American innovation,” said Senator Brian Schatz. “Our bill will encourage research into marine CDR to ensure it’s safe, effective, benefits coastal communities, and protects ecosystems.”

“We must do all we can to reduce carbon pollution, which fuels more frequent and extreme weather events,” said Congresswoman Bonamici. “Marine carbon dioxide removal is a promising strategy that can enhance the ocean’s role as a natural carbon sink to absorb and store emissions. But we need more rigorous science, meaningful federal investment, and a clear research framework to safely deploy it. Oregon’s coastal communities understand the power and vulnerability of the ocean, and they should have a voice in studying mCDR. As Co-Chair of the House Oceans Caucus, I’m pleased to join my colleagues in leading this bipartisan legislation to explore responsible use of mCDR.”

"Marine carbon dioxide removal (mCDR) is an emerging tool to help us reduce and capture emissions while spurring economic innovation," said Rep. Buddy Carter. "Our oceans absorb 30 percent of global carbon dioxide emissions. Funding further research for mCDR will help us better understand this emerging and exciting technology, and I am proud to colead this legislation with Congresswoman Bonamici, Congressman Tonko, Senator Murkowski, and Senator Schatz."

“Alaska has unrivaled potential for carbon sequestration and carbon dioxide removal, both onshore and offshore. As the state with by far the most coastline, emerging marine options, such as seaweed and kelp farming, have shown great promise as we seek to responsibly reduce emissions on a net basis,” said Senator List Murkowski. “Our bipartisan, bicameral legislation will provide for new research and development of these technologies in close partnership with local governments, communities, and the private sector. As we seek to develop them the right way – fully protecting our marine environment – I’m excited by what lies ahead and the opportunities this will help create across Alaska.”

Specifically, the ReSCUE Oceans Act would:

Establish a dedicated research program and grants at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to evaluate mCDR efficacy and safety, including effects on ecosystems and coastal communities;

Invest in monitoring infrastructure to evaluate environmental effects, measure outcomes, develop mCDR standards and protocols, and make findings publicly available;

Develop a framework to designate mCDR field research sites to coordinate science resources and create clarity for researchers and communities;

Establish an interagency working group co-chaired by NOAA and the U.S. Department of Energy to develop a federal mCDR research plan with monitoring goals, standards, and clear safeguards;

Create a research code of conduct based on transparency and ecosystem protection to collect critical data to inform mCDR development, regulation, and siting; and

Leverage research, workforce, measurement, and standards development resources across federal science agencies, including the National Science Foundation, National Aeronautics and Atmospheric Administration, and National Institute of Standards and Technology.

This legislation is endorsed by Carbon180, Carbon Removal Alliance, Carbon To Sea Initiative, ClearPath Action, Climate Innovation Action, Ocean Conservancy, Ocean Visions, World Resources Institute, and Third Way.

Additional statements of support can be found here.

A one-page summary of the ReSCUE Oceans Act can be found here and a section-by-section summary of the bill can be found here. The full text of the legislation is available here.

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Sen. Scott hosts Black History Month fireside chat on economic opportunity and housing

WASHINGTON — Today, U.S. Senator Tim Scott (R-SC) hosted a Black History Month program featuring a fireside chat with U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Scott Turner on economic opportunity, housing affordability, and driving investment in historically underserved communities. The program highlighted the impact of Opportunity Zones and market-driven solutions, including the ROAD to Housing Act, as part of a broader policy-to-product pipeline connecting policy, capital, and community revitalization.

“This month, we celebrate Black history not just by reflecting on the past but by creating opportunity for the future. Today’s discussion with Secretary Turner was about more than policy – it was about connecting ideas, capital, and communities to unlock real economic growth,” said Sen. Scott. “By empowering entrepreneurs, expanding housing access, and driving investment in neighborhoods that need it most, we can give families the tools to build wealth, create jobs, and strengthen communities. Black History Month is a reminder that honoring our history also means taking bold action to ensure every American has the chance to thrive.”

Watch the full fireside chat here.

The fireside chat also explored how public-private partnerships and innovative investment strategies can unlock growth in areas that have historically lacked access to capital, helping families build wealth and create generational impact. Sen. Scott stressed that policies encouraging entrepreneurship, small business development, and housing access are key to building stronger, more resilient communities across the country.

View the photos from the event here.

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Sheehy Resolution Recognizing Army-Navy Game as America’s Game Passes Senate Unanimously

U.S. SENATE – A resolution introduced by Senator Sheehy recognizing the Army-Navy football game as America’s Game passed the Senate unanimously tonight. The resolution expresses the sense of the Senate that the Army-Navy game is a cornerstone of U.S. collegiate sports and calls on broadcasters, athletic associations and conferences, and universities to protect the game’s exclusive status and avoid scheduling other college football games during its regular time slot.

“For more than a century, the Army-Navy Game has been a celebration of patriotism, national unity, and our brave servicemen and women. I’m proud to lead this bipartisan resolution recognizing this historic rivalry as ‘America’s Game’ as we work to preserve the singular spotlight it deserves,” said Senator Sheehy.

This bipartisan resolution follows a January announcement by President Trump that he will take executive action to protect the Army-Navy game’s broadcast slot. Senator Sheehy was joined in introducing the resolution by Senators Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Dan Sullivan (R-AK), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), John Boozman (R-Ark.), Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), Jim Risch (R-ID), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Ted Cruz (R-TX), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), and Chris Murphy (D-Conn.).


Thune on President Trump’s Resolute State of the Union Address

Clickhereto watch the video.

WASHINGTON — U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) today delivered the following remarks on the Senate floor:

Thune’s remarks below (as delivered):

“Mr. President, it was a pleasure to hear from President Trump last night on some of the achievements of his first year in office – and his continued plans to make life better for hardworking Americans.

“It’s something to remember the situation the president was facing 13 months ago, when he took office.

“America – and Americans – had been through a lot under President Biden: a historic inflation crisis, and the worst border crisis on record.

“And on top of that, hardworking Americans were facing the prospect of a $2.6 trillion tax hike in 2026.

“President Trump and Republicans took office last January determined to turn the page on these crises.

“We knew things weren’t going to get fixed overnight.

“But we also knew that we could do a lot to make life better for hardworking Americans.

“And we got right to work.

“A prime order of business was stopping that $2.6 trillion tax hike on hardworking Americans … something we achieved with our signature 2025 legislation, the Working Families Tax Cuts.

“But we weren’t going to stop there.

“We were determined to put more money in American families’ pockets.

“And that, Mr. President, is exactly what we did.

“In addition to preventing a $2.6 trillion tax hike – and making permanent the tax relief Republicans passed in 2017 – the Working Families Tax Cuts implemented a slew of additional tax relief.

“We increased the child tax credit by hundreds of dollars – and linked it to inflation, so its value will never go down.

“We boosted the standard deduction, which is claimed by 90 percent of taxpayers in this country.

“We instituted a new $6,000 bonus deduction for lower- and middle-income seniors.

“We implemented no tax on tips and overtime – allowing hardworking Americans from nurses to ride-share drivers to keep more of their own money.

“And more.

“And Americans are already seeing this relief in the form of bigger tax refunds.

“But the Working Families Tax Cuts didn’t end with tax relief, Mr. President.

“We repealed Democrats’ natural gas tax and took steps to unleash American energy production, to ensure that Americans have a stable, plentiful, and affordable – affordable – supply of energy.

“We took measures to modernize the farm safety net, something very important to the financial wellbeing of farmers in my state of South Dakota and around the country.

“And, of course, the Working Families Tax Cuts also addressed border security and national defense.

“Thanks to President Trump’s work to stem the national security crisis at our southern border, encounters at our southern border are currently a tiny fraction of what they were under President Biden.

“And unlike under President Biden, individuals apprehended attempting to cross our southern border are not being released into the interior of the country.

“And the Working Families Tax Cuts bill helps ensure that we have the resources to maintain this kind of secure border for the long term.

“Mr. President, the Working Families Tax Cuts may have been our signature legislation last year.

“But it’s far from the only thing we’ve been doing to help make life … more affordable for hardworking Americans.

“The president and Congress have taken action to repeal a number of burdensome rules and regulations – regulations that would have driven up energy and appliance prices in this country.

“In this year’s health care appropriations bill, we prioritized measures to make prescriptions less expensive at the pharmacy.

“And we’re looking to soon take up major housing legislation to make home ownership more affordable and accessible for everyday Americans.

“My Democrat colleagues may talk a good game about helping hardworking Americans.

“But Republicans are actually putting in the work.

“We’re putting more money in Americans’ pockets and working hard to make life affordable for American families.

“And as President Trump made clear last night, we are just getting started.

“Mr. President, before I close, the president awarded medals to several military members last night, including the Medal of Honor to South Dakota native Royce Williams.

“Then-Lieutenant Williams heroically took on multiple Soviet MiGs during action off the Korean Peninsula in 1952, hitting not one but several of the aircraft before piloting his own heavily damaged plane back to an American aircraft carrier.

“I know from personal experience – my dad – that South Dakota has produced some incredible naval aviators, and we are incredibly proud of our South Dakota heroes, including Mr. Williams.

“And Mr. President, we are grateful for their service.”


Thune Joins America’s Newsroom on Fox News

Clickhere to watch the interview.

WASHINGTON — U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) today joined America’s Newsroom on Fox News.

On President Trump’s State of the Union address:

“The things that the president has done – the Trump newborn accounts, for example, child care tax credits, tax credits for employers who … are willing to build daycare facilities – there were so many things in [the Working Families Tax Cuts] targeted at working class families. No tax on tips, no tax on overtime, reducing taxes on seniors on Social Security.

“There have been some consequential and major pieces of legislation passed, policies that are going to be felt by the American people for years to come. And I think they’re going to start feeling that this next year, more specifically, when they file their tax returns and the refunds are significantly bigger than they were last year.

“This president is committed to safer streets, to more money in the American people’s pockets, and to new opportunities for Americans to get ahead. And I think those are the things that we need to be focused on as we head into this year and into the midterm elections.”

On the SAVE America Act:

“[W]e will [have a vote on the SAVE America Act]. We’ll put the Democrats on the record … The Democrats even in the chamber last night having to sit there and try and defend allowing noncitizens to vote in American elections, that is a losing proposition for them. So, we will get a vote on it.

“We are right now in the middle of a government shutdown, so we’ve got to try and get the government opened up first, but in due time … we will get that up on the floor … It is a stark contrast between Republicans and Democrats about how they want to handle elections in this country and this is going to put them … in a very difficult position. It’s an issue, if I were running as a Democrat in the midterm elections in November, I wouldn’t want to have to defend.”

On President Trump’s foreign policy agenda:

“I think that the president is preparing us to defend America’s vital national security interests, both in that region and here at home … We cannot abide, we cannot tolerate a nuclear Iran … [President Trump] made that clear in his speech last night [and] I think that’s something … that a big majority of Americans agree with.

“We have vital interests in that region, and obviously the capabilities that the Iranians have to hit a lot of our allies in the region is something that we have to be well attuned to as well. And I think the president is pursuing peace through strength by ensuring that America has the right assets in the right places at the right time, if necessary. Hopefully it won’t be necessary. If the Iranians come to the table, I think there’s potentially a deal that could be made there.”


Thune Joins Larry Kudlow on Fox Business, The Guy Benson Radio Show

“You saw the president’s vision for the future of this country, and then you saw the open borders, sanctuary cities … defund law enforcement, raise your taxes, reduce American energy independence Democrats sitting there on their hands at virtually every opportunity when they should have been up cheering … it’s unfortunate.”

Clickhere to watch Fox Business andhere to listen to The Guy Benson Show.

WASHINGTON — U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) today joined Larry Kudlow on Fox Business and the Guy Benson radio show.

On President Trump’s State of the Union address:

“[President Trump] crushed it … both in tone and substance … And I thought it was optimistic, it was hopeful … reflecting on America’s greatness and those who have come before us. Having a couple of those 100-year-old veterans in the audience … having the American … hockey team … congratulations to both the men and the women for their gold medals.

“But it was really the kind of message and speech that I think most people should find inspiring and aspirational and all that – except the Democrats in the chamber. So I thought what you also saw last night was kind of the two Americas. You saw the president’s vision for the future of this country, and then you saw the open borders, sanctuary cities … defund law enforcement, raise your taxes, reduce American energy independence Democrats sitting there on their hands at virtually every opportunity when they should have been up cheering … it’s unfortunate.”

[…]

“The president laid out a bold vision. And some of the things he talked about last night – on top of the things … that we got done in this last year through the first reconciliation bill – but … a housing bill, talking about something on additional energy development, permitting reform, AI. I think there’s some real areas that we can be working on and working with the White House, and hopefully in a bipartisan way … to get some solutions for the American people. But those are all things that kind of strike at the heart of this question of affordability. I think the president has zeroed in on that.

“What we believe are the answers as we look to the future … are safer streets, which the president has been dialed in and zeroed in on since he came to office and before; obviously more money in the American people’s pockets, and we have done that, and you’re going to see more of that … as the year wears on; and then obviously new opportunities to get ahead for working families, and there are so many areas in which the president has delivered on that.

“There’s more to do, but you look at just as an example, the Trump newborn accounts … [T]hat is a wonderful idea for the future and to get people saving for their kids. And I think that’s something that is going to serve the American people and working families well, well into the future.”

On the SAVE America Act:

“[W]e will vote on the SAVE America Act in one way, form, or another. And if the Democrats block it, I think it’s a great contrast to draw going into these fall elections. Do you want to be the people who are voting against actually requiring people to be American citizens to vote in American elections? I think that’s a fairly straightforward issue, but if the Democrats want to … stand in the way of that, then we’re obviously happy to litigate that in the fall elections.”

On the Democrats’ DHS shutdown:

“The president and his team have been … operating in good faith in terms of trying to get a solution here … We have now had [three] votes in the Senate … on the very bill the Democrats negotiated on the Department of Homeland Security, on that appropriations bill, and then subsequently walked away from and voted against it as recently as last night. And we’ll give them more opportunities to vote on that.

“[Republicans are] not going to do anything that jeopardizes or puts at risk law enforcement officials who are out doing their jobs. They have a right to be able to do their jobs, to do them in a safe way. And these sanctuary cities, which create these hostile environments where, puts not only … these law enforcement officials at risk, but also their families, that’s just crazy … There are a whole range of issues I think the White House has been willing to deal on, and the Democrats haven’t been there, because I think they see this as a political issue, and it’s really unfortunate, because nobody wins in a shutdown.”


Thune: Senate Will Prioritize Creating New Opportunities for Americans to Get Ahead

Clickhere to watch the video.

WASHINGTON — U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) today spoke at a press conference with Senate Republican leadership:

Thune’s remarks below (as delivered):

“We heard what I think was a very effective and powerful speech last night from the president of the United States.

“I thought it was really, really effective, both in terms of tone and then in terms of substance.

“And I think he highlighted some of the accomplishments that we’ve had working with him – Republican House, Republican Senate, in the majorities – and was able to go through some of the things that we’ve done.

“From securing the border to providing monumental, historic tax relief to the American people and to making sure that our national security interests are met so that we can maintain a safe country.

“And obviously, a lot of his focus was on safer streets, more money in your pocket, and new opportunities to get ahead for working families.

“So, good evening, but obviously a lot more to do.

“And he actually laid out sort of an agenda, which we look forward to working on.

“One of the things that will be immediately on that agenda is a housing bill, which gets at the heart of the affordability issue, particularly for younger Americans.

“And we’ve got a bill that’s out of the Senate Banking Committee that we hope to get teed up for consideration.

“We’ll try and get on that this week, or at least set up a vote to get on it next week, and I think … that would be a very substantial issue that we can deal with.

“I also think that, you know, the issue of energy is a big factor in the cost of everything when you’re talking about the affordability issue, and we’ve got some ideas and proposals to deal with that.

“I think technology and innovation is also something, artificial intelligence, I think there’s a path forward perhaps on some legislation to deal with that. We just heard from some folks who are experts in that field.

“But there’s just a lot of work to do.

“And obviously our focus, as I said, is going to be safer streets, more money in people’s pockets, and new opportunities for working families to get ahead.

“And those are the things in the next few weeks and months that we’ll be focused on.

“And we would hope, at least, that there would be some Democrats who would be willing to work with us.

“These are not, you know, partisan issues – nor is the issue of dealing with waste, fraud, and abuse in our government.

“That’s also something I think that is a real opportunity for us to address, and all of those ought to have bipartisan support.

“These are not partisan issues, and I’m hoping that there are some Democrats who want to do what is in the best interest of the American people and get away from kind of what we saw last week, which was essentially sort of two Americas when you observe what was happening in that chamber and the way the Democrats were reacting to what the president had to say.

“Whoever the president is – Democrat or Republican – you ought to have people who want to do what’s in the best interest of the American people, and I hope there’s still some Democrats around who want to do that.”


Tuberville Speaks with President Trump’s Surgeon General Nominee Casey Means

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) participated in a Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) hearing for the nomination of Casey Means to be Medical Director in the Regular Corps of the Public Health Service and Surgeon General of the Public Health Service. During the hearing, Sen. Tuberville and Dr. Means discussed the importance of training medical professionals about nutrition and the positive effect healthy dietary standards will have on combating chronic illnesses.

Read Sen. Tuberville’s conversation below or watch on YouTube or Rumble.

TUBERVILLE: “Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Dr. Means, thanks for being here. Congratulations on expanding your family. And I know it’s an exciting time for you. I also want to thank [the] Assistant Secretary of Health, Dr. Brian Christine, for being here. Thank you for your service. Dr. Means, I’ve listened to you and your brother, Calley, and I know he’s here. I don’t know how many tens of podcasts I’ve listened to, I learned a whole lot. Because I grew up in the health business. As a coach [for] 35 years, it was all about nutrition. So, the question I wanna ask you is, how do we get around this? I talk to people in the health care business, and in the medical field when we train our doctors, we don’t teach anything about nutrition. Everything’s about a ‘priority.’ And those priorities are fine. But we need to teach our doctors and nurses about nutrition, about what to put in their body. This epidemic we have going on of chronic disease as we’ve all talked about is out of control and getting worse. So, how do you prioritize that?”

MEANS: “Thank you so much, Coach. And I really, really enjoyed getting to know you throughout this process. Thank you. This is so key, what you’re talking about. Reforming medical education to focus on root causes. And one of the key root causes, modifiable factors of chronic disease is nutrition, as we all know, there has been incredible momentum already in the administration towards making this possible starting with the dietary guidelines for America, which came out about a month ago. This is the first time we’ve had a full throated, denunciation of ultra-processed food. And I think this is historic. It’s historic when the federal government says that out loud.

What that is going to do is impact medical education. It’s going to impact procurement regulations for billions of meals served and paid for by federal dollars every year. We’re gonna see real food, more real food, less ultra-processed food going into the national school lunch program, prisons, hospitals, and other federally funded organizations. This, I think, it’s a point that gets lost a little bit, that by just changing the dietary guidelines, it is going to trickle down into billions and billions of healthier meals for Americans. So, I think that’s step one.

I think, secondarily, we’ve got Dr. Marty Makary, an absolute hero who is approaching the GRAS loophole—the ‘generally recognized as safe’ loophole—through the FDA. So, this is a program where companies have essentially been self-reporting the safety of the ingredients that they’re putting in their foods with very, very little oversight, which has led to literally thousands of chemicals in our food system that we don’t know what they are or what they’re doing to our body. By addressing this loophole and starting to have much more scrutiny about what’s going into our food, this is going to trickle down to affect medical education, affect culture, affect what companies are putting in the food. The zeitgeist is going to shift about a lot of this because we’re gonna start to have transparency about what is even in our food system.

Additional things are happening that are just incredible around food. There was just $700 million put forward towards regenerative agriculture. So, we’re gonna have more investment in research and studying of soil health, water quality, nutrient density of food, and how that’s affecting our health. That’s gonna trickle into medical education. There’s a whole-person health initiative at the NIH that’s being put forward by Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, who’s doing an incredible job. That’s gonna study the systems biology perspective of the body, not isolated silos, but whole-body health. And when we look at the body as a system like that, nutrition has to play into it. So, this is just, you know, four or five of some of the stones that are being moved right now that all will lead to nutrition being a bigger part of our healthcare system. I think where I can help on that is elevating the work that’s being done [by] having conversations again across the whole medical community to help us in a really positive and unifying way move towards a more root-cause approach to health.”

TUBERVILLE: “You think that will be a hard item to push in our medical schools about nutrition? It shouldn’t be.”

MEANS: “I’ve had conversations with a number of deans of medical schools who are very, very passionate about this issue. They want to change. It feels hard because we have this behemoth healthcare system that operates a certain way. But right now, there’s cultural momentum, there’s political will, and I think the time is now to make generational changes that are gonna have a huge impact on all Americans. And I also think it’s an issue that all of us can work on together. It’s non-controversial. It’s positive. It’s unifying. And I think that’s what we need right now for Americans.”

TUBERVILLE: “It’s all about educating people. And sometimes people don’t wanna be educated, but I think the surgeon general and our whole Department of Health and Human Services, I think everybody’s on board with that. And if we do that, what Senator Sanders was talking about—the $5 trillion a year we spend—we can’t afford to do that anymore. I mean, we have to stop, and then the root cause is education. We have to educate people. Thank you very much.”

Senator Tommy Tuberville represents Alabama in the United States Senate and is a member of the Senate Armed Services, Agriculture, Veterans’ Affairs, HELP and Aging Committees.

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Warner & Kaine Accepting Congressionally Directed Spending Requests for Fiscal Year 2027

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) announced that they are currently accepting congressionally directed spending (CDS) requests for Fiscal Year 2027 (FY27). Since 2021, the senators have secured over $650 million in CDS for projects that upgrade infrastructure, expand affordable housing and health care, boost economic development, and more.

“Over the past several years, we’ve worked with Virginians to secure significant congressionally directed spending to support local community projects that expand health care access, increase affordable housing, improve infrastructure and transportation, and boost economic growth,” said the senators. “What’s been most amazing about this process has been visiting these communities after they receive funding to see up close the difference these resources are making. We’re excited to announce that our offices’ applications have opened for Fiscal Year 2027. We urge Virginia entities interested in applying for funding to visit our websites and learn more about the CDS process and how to apply.”

In Fiscal Year 2022, Congress restarted CDS—informally known as earmarks—to allow members of Congress to allocate federal funding for specific local projects in a manner that promotes transparency and accountability. This process is intended for state and local governments, educational institutions, and non-profits to secure a one-time, specified amount of funding for community projects. Warner and Kaine accept applications for funding requests jointly, so eligible entities only need to submit a request to one office. Every request goes through a thorough review process to determine if the project meets the criteria and demonstrates a substantial benefit to the community and Commonwealth.

More information on how to submit a CDS request is available here.

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