ICYMI: Kelly: “Stand up for yourself and don’t back down.”

In case you missed it, Arizona Senator Mark Kelly joined ITV News’ Talking Politics podcast and The News Agents podcast with a simple message to anyone being attacked by President Donald Trump: don’t back down. Kelly warned the Trump administration is trying to intimidate critics and chill free speech and said it is his constitutional responsibility to speak out because America is strongest when we defend the rule of law and stand with our allies.

Sen. Kelly speaks on Talking Politics.

Watch the full Talking Politics interview here and the full The News Agents interview here. See key excepts below:

From TalkingPolitics,onhis message to anyone Trump targets…

“My suggestion to people is do not back away. That’s what they want.

“So, whether you’re an individual, a retired service member like myself, a U.S. senator, or a country that feels like this guy has stepped over the line, my suggestion is to stand up for yourself and don’t back down.”

From The News Agents, onhis responsibility to speak out…

“I serve on the Armed Services Committee and the Intelligence Committee. My job, I view it, my constitutional responsibility is to point out when I think this president is doing the wrong thing. […] I think we we’ll get a better outcome if we continue to stand up to this guy.”

From TalkingPolitics,onthe importance of working with our allies…

“I think being a strong leader is important. I think sticking up for our national interests is important, but we can do it in a way that doesn’t alienate our allies, and we don’t try to punish our allies. I think we’re stronger together and we can mutually benefit by a strong relationship.”

Sen. Kelly speaks on The News Agents.

From TalkingPolitics,onwhy this fight is bigger than him…

“I am not losing any sleep over this guy. I’ve been through a lot worse than this. I mean, I’ve nearly been shot down multiple times. I’ve had a missile blow up next to my airplane, an SA6 in the first Gulf War. A Triple A. I’ve almost flown into the ground a bunch of times. I flew on a spaceship built by the lowest bidder that could nearly blow up on me. So, I’ve been through a lot in my life. I am not going to let this guy intimidate me.

“I feel like I’m sticking up not only for 2 million retired service members and their right to say what they believe, but another 350 million Americans who, if they watch what’s going on with me and I don’t stick up for them, they’re going to be they’re going to back away from saying anything that is negative about this administration.

“I’ve got to tell this administration and this president and the Secretary of Defense that they cannot violate my constitutional rights because that matters and should matter to all Americans.”

From The News Agents, on refusing to back down…

“He threw Don Lemon, a journalist, he threw somebody like you guys in jail for doing their jobs. He has attacked law firms–got them to back down. Media companies—got them to back down. Universities—got them to back down. He’s not getting me to back down because this is too important. It’s not just about me.

“Donald Trump, he’s got a couple options here. He can continue to put the full force of the Department of Defense and the Department of Justice up against me, or he can go—I don’t want to use the wrong word here. What do you guys say? Bugger off. He can do that.”


Lee Introduces Count the Crimes to Cut Act

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Mike Lee (R-UT) and Chris Coons (D-DE) introduced the Count the Crimes to Cut Act aimed at addressing the bloated federal criminal code. The bill is cosponsored by Senators Ted Cruz (R-TX), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Roger Wicker (R-MS), and Peter Welch (D-VT).

“Our federal criminal code is massively over-inflated, with thousands of crimes making it impossible for anyone to fully understand the criminal liability they face,” said Senator Mike Lee. “We cannot fix what we refuse to measure, and this bill ensures Congress and the public have the facts necessary to make smarter, safer policy decisions.”

“We need to reexamine the sprawling system of federal crimes and penalties tucked into new laws and inserted into old ones that Congress has created over decades,” said Senator Chris Coons. “This bipartisan, commonsense bill will create a database of all federal crimes, so lawmakers can determine the reforms needed to make the law fairer, saner, and more effective.”

"Criminal laws are opaque and scattered across thousands of pages of statutes and regulations, preventing Americans from understanding when they might be crossing into criminal conduct,” said Senator Ted Cruz. “Congress has a responsibility to make the criminal code knowable and accessible to enhance transparency, accountability, and clarity in federal criminal law. I’m proud to join Senators Lee and Coons in introducing this bipartisan bill.”

“Meaningful criminal justice reform requires more than good intentions—it takes a serious examination of what’s already on the books,” said Senator Peter Welch. “Congress has a responsibility to understand the full scope of the federal criminal code to promote public safety. This bipartisan legislation will increase transparency, reduce overcriminalization, and ensure due process in our criminal justice system.”

Background

Currently, the full scope of criminal liability remains unknown to citizens, businesses, and even lawmakers, as there is no complete, accessible list of all federal crimes. The federal code includes thousands of offenses. This bipartisan bill, which already passed the House of Representatives by voice vote as H.R. 2159, restores transparency and accountability to the federal criminal code.

Under the Count the Crimes to Cut Act:

The Attorney General must report a list of all federal criminal statutory offenses, including the elements for each offense, the potential criminal penalties, prosecution data from the past 15 years, and mens rea requirements.

Heads of key federal agencies must also conduct a report with the same requirements as the Attorney General on criminal regulatory offenses enforceable by their departments.

Both the Department of Justice and agencies must establish publicly accessible online indexes of these offenses for easy reference.

The Count the Crimes to Cut Act will help create a modern federal criminal code that better respects constitutional principles of federalism and ensures that federal resources are used in that way that best supports public safety. The bill has been endorsed by the National District Attorneys Association, the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, the Federal Defenders, Families Against Mandatory Minimums, the Due Process Institute, the R Street Institute, and Right on Crime.

Read the full text of bill here.

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Heinrich, Luján Demand Further Investigation into Trump Administration’s Unlawful Dismantling of the Minority Business Development Agency

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) sent a letter demanding the Government Accountability Office (GAO) investigate potential violations committed during the U.S. Department of Commerce’s illegal dismantling of the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA), the only federal agency tasked with promoting the growth and competitiveness of minority-owned businesses. As a member of the Senate Commerce Committee, Senator Luján called on the Trump’s Commerce Department to provide an update on the status of the MBDA which the administration has tried to illegally dismantle.

On March 14, 2025, President Trump issued an Executive Order aimed at eliminating the MBDA and other federal agencies. Despite an earlier commitment from U.S. Department of Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick that he would not eliminate the MBDA, following Trump’s Executive Order, the Commerce Department proceeded to carry out the illegal dismantling of the MBDA.

In April 2025, 21 State Attorneys General filed a lawsuit seeking to put a stop to the destruction of the MBDA. In May 2025, the federal district court issued a Preliminary Injunction that prohibited further implementation of Trump’s Executive Order and directed the Commerce Department to reverse its dismantling of the MBDA. In November 2025, a Permanent Injunction ordered the Trump Administration to reverse its actions and restore MBDA’s personnel and grantmaking capacities. The Commerce Department ignored these court orders and took several actions to dismantle the MBDA, including terminating the funding for at least nine MBDA business centers and sending Reduction in Force (RIF) notices to terminate the last 24 employees still working at the agency.

“[N]ew information has come to light indicating Secretary Lutnick and other Department officials may have violated — and may continue to violate — a May 13, 2025, Preliminary Injunction and subsequent November 21, 2025, Permanent Injunction issued by a federal district court ordering the Trump Administration to reverse its actions against the MBDA and restore its personnel and grantmaking capacities,” the senators wrote to GAO Comptroller General Orice Williams Brown. “Congress has a compelling interest in ensuring executive branch officials comply with court orders guarding against unlawful attempts to dismantle federal agencies like the MBDA, which Congress statutorily authorized and funded on a bipartisan basis.”

“Although the Department later rescinded the RIFs after Congress passed legislation requiring it do so and before the district court could rule on whether the Department’s actions violated the court’s order, the court admonished the Administration ‘that it is never acceptable to violate a court order’ and warned any such violations may ‘warrant further Court action,’” the senators continued. “These developments, coupled with the Department’s lack of transparency regarding its actions toward the MBDA, raise serious questions about the sufficiency of the Department’s protocols for ensuring compliance with the district court’s orders and whether Department leadership is violating the court’s clear commands.”

The senators concluded their letter by urging the GAO to expand its investigation to include possible violations of federal district court orders by Commerce Department leadership and to assess whether the Department has taken adequate steps to ensure compliance.

The letter was led by U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.). Alongside Heinrich and Luján, the letter was signed by U.S. Senators Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisc.), and Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.).

The senators’ letter follows a June 2025 letter in which Heinrich and Luján slammed the Trump Administration for its illegal dismantling of the MBDA and asked the GAO to investigate whether actions by Trump Commerce Department officials or others in the Administration violated Congressional directives, the extent to which they undermined MBDA’s Congressional mandate, and whether any officials have engaged in misconduct.

Senator Luján championed an amendment in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to make the MBDA permanent. He also secured passage of a provision to double the funding level for the MBDA’s Rural Business Development Center Program and to expand this program’s eligibility to include all Minority-Serving Institutions, which will expand opportunities for New Mexico’s colleges and universities. Additionally, in 2021, Senator Luján championed legislation to make permanent and expand the reach of the Minority Business Development Agency.

In May 2025, Heinrich sent two letters to Keith Sonderling, Acting Under Secretary of the MBDA, demanding he turn over key documents and information related to the dismantling of the MBDA and that he detail the Trump Administration’s compliance with a federal court injunction blocking their illegal dismantling of the agency.

In October 2024, Heinrich led the unveiling of a new, larger office space for the New Mexico Minority Business Development Center in Albuquerque to expand support for local businesses across the state. Heinrich wrote the legislative provision that established and funded the New Mexico Business Center in 2020, securing more than $2.5 million in federal resources through the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Minority Business Development Agency for its staffing and programming.

The full text of the letter is available HERE and below.

Acting Comptroller Brown:

On June 3, 2025, we requested the Government Accountability Office (GAO) conduct a comprehensive review of the actions taken by the Department of Commerce (Department) under the leadership of Secretary Howard Lutnick to unilaterally dismantle the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA). Since then, new information has come to light indicating Secretary Lutnick and other Department officials may have violated—and may continue to violate—a May 13, 2025, Preliminary Injunction and subsequent November 21, 2025, Permanent Injunction issued by a federal district court ordering the Trump Administration to reverse its actions against the MBDA and restore its personnel and grantmaking capacities. Congress has a compelling interest in ensuring executive branch officials comply with court orders guarding against unlawful attempts to dismantle federal agencies like the MBDA, which Congress statutorily authorized and funded on a bipartisan basis. Accordingly, we request GAO expand its ongoing inquiry to evaluate whether Secretary Lutnick or other Administration officials have violated the court’s orders and assess the adequacy of the policies and protocols the Department has implemented, if any, to ensure compliance.

On January 29, 2025, Secretary Lutnick appeared before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and testified he did not support dismantling the MBDA. However, on March 14, 2025, President Trump issued Executive Order (EO) 14238, which purported to eliminate the MBDA and other federal agencies. Notwithstanding his testimony, Secretary Lutnick proceeded to unilaterally dismantle the agency—terminating almost all of MBDA’s staff and canceling its grant programs. Of the 40 individuals employed at the MBDA before the EO, only five employees remained working at the agency after Secretary Lutnick began implementing the order.

On April 4, 2025, 21 State Attorneys General filed a lawsuit seeking an injunction against any further implementation of the EO. As part of that case, an MBDA employee submitted a sworn declaration to the court explaining how the remaining five employees would “not be capable of carrying out MBDA’s statutorily mandated functions, administering its existing programs, or spending its appropriated funds” because it was “not possible for five employees to monitor the existing portfolio of grants for waste, fraud, and abuse, or to ensure that they are being used for authorized purposes consistent with the grant award,” all of which “requires consistent contact with grantees to monitor and evaluate grantee performance, train, conduct site-visits, and to ensure compliance” with the grants’ terms. The MBDA employee also informed the court that “MBDA allowed its contract with Salesforce to expire,” making it “particularly difficult” to adequately monitor grants without this management platform.

On May 13, 2025, the federal district court issued a Preliminary Injunction that both prohibited any further implementation of the EO and ordered the Department to reverse its implementation. This included “tak[ing] all necessary steps to restore” MBDA employees “involuntarily placed on leave or involuntarily terminated” and “resum[ing] the processing, disbursement, and payment of already awarded funding” and any “funds previously withheld” to the States due to the EO. Following the district court’s order, multiple Senators sent a letter to the Acting Under Secretary for MBDA seeking information about how the agency intended to comply with this Preliminary Injunction—but, consistent with Secretary Lutnick’s pattern of stonewalling Congress, the Department has refused to provide any relevant information.

Despite the court’s clear order, the Department has taken several actions that appear to violate its terms. First, in a September 2, 2025, letter to the Office of Inspector General, the Acting Director of MBDA Business Centers revealed that the Department had “terminated or discontinued” funding for at least nine MBDA business centers as of August 29, 2025—months after the district court’s order took effect. Then, on October 10, 2025, the Department sent Reduction in Force (RIF) notices to the 24 employees who then-remained working at the MBDA stating their positions were being eliminated due to supposed “lack of funding” and because their functions “are not consistent with the Secretary’s priorities.”

The Department implausibly claimed the RIF—which would eliminate every employee working at the MBDA and leave only one political appointee responsible for carrying out all of the agency’s required functions —would “not prevent the Department from fulfilling its statutory obligations.” In a sworn declaration, an MBDA employee explained to the court how effectuating these obligations requires “experienced MBDA employees to expend approximately 20 hours per week per grant” and affirmed it is “not feasible that one or two political appointees who lack training and experience in grants management” could carry out those duties. Although the Department later rescinded the RIFs after Congress passed legislation requiring it do so and before the district court could rule on whether the Department’s actions violated the court’s order, the court admonished the Administration “that it is never acceptable to violate a court order” and warned any such violations may “warrant further Court action.”

These developments, coupled with the Department’s lack of transparency regarding its actions toward the MBDA, raise serious questions about the sufficiency of the Department’s protocols for ensuring compliance with the district court’s orders and whether Department leadership is violating the court’s clear commands. Therefore, to supplement the review requested in our June 3, 2025 letter, we request GAO also examine and provide a detailed report on the Department’s compliance—or lack thereof—with the May 13, 2025, Preliminary Injunction and November 21, 2025, Permanent Injunction issued by the District Court of Rhode Island in State of Rhode Island v. Trump, and any policies or protocols the Department has implemented to ensure its compliance.

Sincerely,

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Luján, Barrasso 988 Bill Advances in Senate 988 Bill Advances in Senate

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) and John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) applauded the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee for recently passing their bipartisan legislation to increase the efficiency of the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline through assessing challenges to transmitting geolocation information.

“The 988 hotline is a vital resource for New Mexicans facing mental health crises and has saved lives across the country. Committee passage of our bipartisan legislation is an important step to make 988 more reliable and responsive for those in need,” said Sen. Luján. “This bill is an important step in understanding how to further improve location information for 988 calls, so we can ensure people are connected with local resources and emergency services when necessary.”

“The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is a vital tool that saves lives in Wyoming and across the country,” said Sen. Barrasso. “Our bipartisan bill makes important updates to this lifeline and will help us assess barriers to transmitting geolocation data with calls so we can better connect callers with local emergency services. With committee passage, we’re one step closer to getting this bill across the finish line in the Senate.”

In 2024, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) took action to require service providers to route phone calls to 988 to the nearest call center based on geographic location. Last July, the FCC took steps to require geo-routing for texts. Previously, calls and texts were routed based on the phone’s area code, often resulting in a geographic mismatch.

The 988 Lifeline Location Improvement Act is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), James Risch (R-Idaho), and Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.).

This legislation is supported by the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) and the Association of Public Safety Communications Officials International (APCO).

Background:

The 988 Lifeline Location Improvement Act would:

Instruct the FCC to open a Notice of Inquiry (NOI) to address the challenges to transmitting geolocation information with calls to the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.

Direct the FCC to consider legal authorities, protection of consumer privacy, feasibility, technical implementation standards, assessment of funds, technical challenges for callers with disabilities, and current technology available.

Require GAO to conduct a study and submit to Congress a report on the opportunities and challenges related to implementing geolocation in consultation with representatives from telecommunications, emergency centers, 911 service providers, small and rural local governments, community mental health centers, and individuals who have experience providing services for people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have hearing loss.

Full text of the legislation can be found here.

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This Week in Las Cruces, Luján Meets With Local Officials, Highlights Federal Funding Secured for Local Communities, and Holds RECA Outreach Event

Las Cruces, N.M. – This week, U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) held a series of events where he met with local leaders, engaged with local community members, and highlighted federal funding he secured to support health care, strengthen broadband access, and bolster infrastructure in the Las Cruces region. Senator Luján also led a public outreach forum to raise awareness about expanded compensation available through the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA).

“This week, I had the opportunity to be in Las Cruces meeting with local leaders and seeing firsthand how federal investments are making a real difference for our communities,” said Senator Luján. “From expanding access to health care and behavioral health services to strengthening broadband and local infrastructure, these federal dollars are being put to work right here in Southern New Mexico. New Mexicans are always at the center of my work, and I will continue using my position to bring federal investments back home.”

Visit to Amador Health Center

On Tuesday, Senator Luján visited Amador Health Center to meet with the health center’s leadership and celebrate federal funding secured for the facility. During the visit, Senator Luján specifically highlighted federal funding he secured for Amador Health Center’s project to expand access to behavioral health services in Doña Ana County.

Broadband Roundtable

Afterwards, Senator Luján joined the New Mexico Office of Broadband Access and Expansion (OBAE), community leaders, and employers for a roundtable discussion to examine broadband workforce needs in New Mexico. During the roundtable, Senator Luján highlighted the launch of a statewide broadband workforce development program made possible federal funding he worked to secure.

RECA Outreach Event

Also on Tuesday, Senator Luján held a public outreach forum to raise awareness about expanded compensation available through the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA). During the forum, Senator Luján facilitated multiple presentations by experts and advocates on how to apply for compensation through the Department of Justice (DOJ) and provided information about resources available to aid applicants.

Mesilla Town Hall Visit

On Wednesday, Senator Luján visited Mesilla Town Hall to meet with local officials and celebrate federal funding secured for the Town of Mesilla’s Town Hall. During the visit, Senator Luján highlighted $1 million in federal funding he secured to support the renovation of the Mesilla Town Hall complex.

Tour of El Caldito Soup Kitchen

Finally, Senator Luján wrapped up his series of events by visiting El Caldito Soup Kitchen to meet with staff and discuss how the soup kitchen is serving the community. During Senator Luján’s visit, he highlighted federal funding he was able to secure for new kitchen equipment, helping strengthen El Caldito Soup Kitchen’s capacity to serve the Mesilla Valley.

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Merkley, Collins, Warnock Lead Bipartisan Group of Senators to Urge Education Department’s Timely Execution of Federal TRIO Programs

Washington, D.C. – Today, Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley, Maine’s U.S. Senator Susan Collins, and Georgia’s U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock led a bipartisan group of Senators in urging U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon to ensure the timely delivery of federal funds from TRIO. TRIO is a long-standing set of federal programs that help approximately 840,000 students prepare for, enter, and graduate from college—specifically low-income and first-generation students.

“Unfortunately, in recent years, the Department of Education has failed to award grants to TRIO recipients in sufficient time,” the bipartisan group of Senators wrote. “These delays can result in increased strain on program administrators and, more importantly, students. By delaying the execution of these programs, programs may be forced to make difficult decisions, including laying off staff or scaling back services. This has a direct impact on the timeliness and quality of TRIO services, and it may result in students losing access to the help they need to succeed in college.”

The Senators stressed, “Congress annually appropriates funding for TRIO on a bipartisan basis, and the FY26 Consolidated Appropriations Act, which President Trump signed into law, appropriated $1.191 billion for TRIO programs.”

Joining Merkley, Collins, and Warnock in signing the bipartisan letter were U.S. Senators Angela D. Alsobrooks (D-MD), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Chris Coons (D-DE), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Angus King (I-ME), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), James Lankford (R-OK), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Edward J. Markey (D-MA), Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Jack Reed (D-RI), Jim Risch (R-ID), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Peter Welch (D-VT), and Ron Wyden (D-OR).

Previously, Merkley and Warnock led another bipartisan group of 34 Senators—including Collins—in demanding the Education Department immediately release critical grant funding for TRIO programs.

Full text of Merkley, Collins, and Warnock’s bipartisan letter can be found by clicking here and follows below:

Dear Secretary McMahon:

As strong supporters of the Federal TRIO Programs, we write to urge the Department of Education to ensure the timely execution of the upcoming Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 TRIO grant competitions for Talent Search and Educational Opportunity Centers. Specifically, we ask that the Department of Education issue the Notice Inviting Applications for new Talent Search and Educational Opportunity Centers by March 1, 2026, so that award notices can be released no later than June 30, 2026, and programs can begin promptly on September 1, 2026.

Federal TRIO programs support postsecondary access, retention, and completion for low- income, first-generation students from all backgrounds. These programs help approximately 840,000 students prepare for, enter, and graduate from college each year. Congress annually appropriates funding for TRIO on a bipartisan basis, and the FY26 Consolidated Appropriations Act, which President Trump signed into law, appropriated $1.191 billion for TRIO programs.

As you know, the Federal TRIO programs operate on a competitive five-year grant cycle, and for FY26, the Department of Education is expected to issue grant competitions for Talent Search and Education Opportunity Centers. The Talent Search program focuses on low-cost, early interventions for students in grades 6-12, and has had successful results. For instance, the Department’s own data shows that 22% more Talent Search students enroll in college than students in the bottom income quartile nationally. Educational Opportunity Centers, which prepare adult learners for entry into the workforce, are also similarly effective. For example, data from the Department of Education shows that 73% of eligible Educational Opportunity Center participants applied for college admission.

Unfortunately, in recent years, the Department of Education has failed to award grants to TRIO recipients in sufficient time, despite the fact that the Higher Education Act requires the Secretary to inform TRIO applicants about the status of their application for continued funding “at least 8 months prior to the expiration of the grant or contract.” For example, last year, the Department of Education delayed releasing more than $600 million in federal funding for over 2,000 TRIO programs, which impacted over 650,000 low-income, first-generation students.

These delays can result in increased strain on program administrators and, more importantly, students. By delaying the execution of these programs, programs may be forced to make difficult decisions, including laying off staff or scaling back services. This has a direct impact on the timeliness and quality of TRIO services, and it may result in students losing access to the help they need to succeed in college.

As such, the FY26 Consolidated Appropriations Act included language to direct the Department of Education to “ensure that the notices inviting applications for new awards for the Talent Search and Educational Opportunity Centers grant competitions are published no later than December 1, 2025” and “to take steps necessary to issue grant award notifications for all TRIO programs (both new and non-competing continuation award notices) no later than June 30, 2026.”

While December 1 has already passed, the intent of that language is clear—to ensure that the FY26 TRIO competitions and grant award notifications are released in a timely manner. As such, we ask that the Department of Education launch the grant competition for Talent Search and Educational Opportunity Centers by March 1, 2026, so that award notices can be released no later than June 30, 2026, and programs can begin promptly on September 1, 2026.

We are deeply concerned that any delays in the Talent Search and Educational Opportunity Centers competition process will result in irreversible damage to our students, families, and communities, as many rely on the vital programs and services provided by TRIO programs. Therefore, we respectfully urge you to ensure that the upcoming Talent Search and Educational Opportunity Centers competition is conducted in a timely manner.

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Warren, Merkley Slam Education Secretary McMahon’s Attempts to Block Congressional Oversight, Renew Push for Data on Student Loan Servicers’ Performance

“Under your tenure as Secretary, ED has not only ignored repeated Congressional requests for servicer performance data but now appears to have progressed to active obstruction of efforts to obtain this information directly from the servicers.”

Text of Letter (PDF)

Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) pushed Education Secretary Linda McMahon on concerns that the U.S. Department of Education (ED or the Department) is apparently obstructing Congressional efforts to hold federal student loan servicers accountable for underperformance.

“Servicers’ history of egregious failures have caused undue financial and emotional distress for borrowers in the past, and the public deserves to know whether loan servicers are meeting their obligations to borrowers and their contractual obligations to ED,” wrote the senators.

Over the past year, Senator Warren has sent multiple letters to Secretary McMahon requesting data on student loan servicers’ performance and the impact of the ongoing dismantling of ED on customer service for borrowers. The letters sought comprehensive performance data for each federal student loan servicer, including call abandonment rates, customer satisfaction scores, and average speed to answer calls. Senator Warren even held an in-person meeting with Secretary McMahon in June 2025, during which the Education Secretary promised to provide complete responses to written requests regarding oversight of loan servicers and other problems facing student borrowers.

Servicer performance data has traditionally been published by ED upon Congressional request. However, President Trump’s ED has repeatedly ignored lawmakers’ requests for this data while claiming that it continues to “review the performance of all our current contractors” and that Federal Student Aid (FSA) is “prioritizing efforts to improve customer service to students and parent borrowers.”

After the Department failed to provide service performance data, Senator Warren led five other members of the Senate in writing to the five federal loan servicers—MOHELA, EdFinancial, Maximus, CRI, and Nelnet—directly. These servicers did not provide the requested information, indicating that ED had blocked them from complying and instructed them to redirect the request to the Department.

“ED has repeatedly refused to comply with Congressional requests for basic servicer performance data and now appears to be refusing to allow federal student loan servicers to provide this information, despite previous Administrations granting such requests,” wrote the senators. “Given ED’s directive that Congressional requests to the servicers should be redirected to ED itself, we hope this indicates that ED is now prepared to provide specific and substantive responses to our questions.”

The senators sent ED a copy of the original questions sent to the five servicers in addition to new questions about ED’s communications with the servicers regarding the release of the requested data, with a deadline of March 5, 2026.

Senator Warren has led the fight to make our higher education system more affordable, cancel student loan debt, and hold student loan servicers accountable for incompetence and malfeasance. She launched the Save Our Schools campaign in a coordinated effort to fight back against President Trump’s attempts to abolish the Department of Education.

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Wyden, Merkley, Colleagues Investigate Trump’s Repeal of Bedrock Climate Safeguard

Senators sound alarm over political motivations to undermine climate science and harm public health

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley said today they have joined Senate colleagues in launching an investigation into Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin’s decision to repeal the bedrock scientific determination underpinning the EPA’s ability to regulate greenhouse gas emissions.

The endangerment finding, which was finalized in 2009, was repealed as a part of the Trump administration’s rollback of pollution standards for vehicles. The repeal is happening at the same time that the EPA has decided it will no longer account for health costs in clean air rulemaking and will only consider costs to industry.

“You have described the endangerment finding as the ‘holy grail of climate change religion,’ and stated that under your leadership, EPA would be ‘driving a dagger through the heart’ of climate regulation,” the senators wrote in their letter to EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin. “In media appearances and official communications, you framed repeal as ‘the largest deregulatory action in the history of the United States,’ emphasizing cost savings and ideological opposition rather than engagement with the statutory endangerment standard—or with the massive costs to human health and welfare that greenhouse gas-driven climate change imposes.”

In 2009, following the Supreme Court decision in Massachusetts v. EPA, the EPA determined that greenhouse gases harm public health and welfare. This determination, known as the endangerment finding, provided the legal basis for U.S. climate policy. It is grounded in extensive peer-reviewed science and confirmed by successive National Climate Assessments and reports from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Trump’s repeal ignores more than half a century of science and constitutes a formal denial by EPA that greenhouse gases pose a threat to public health and welfare—a position that defies decades of scientific evidence, agency precedent, Supreme Court rulings, and, perhaps most importantly, the lived experiences of millions of Americans.

Not only do the administration’s public comments make clear that it regarded repeal of the endangerment finding as a predetermined objective, but internal documents also reveal that EPA was moving to finalize the rescission before completing its required regulatory review. Before the nearly 600,000 public comments were reviewed, Trump’s EPA was already informing agency staff of its plans for repeal. According to public reporting, “internal agency notes and presentation slides show that you ‘intend[ed] to sign off . . . on the final policy and legal justifications for repealing the so-called endangerment finding and . . . climate rules for cars and trucks…’”

To justify the proposed repeal, Zeldin initially signaled he would rely in part on a Department of Energy (DOE) report written by an illegally formed federal working group of known climate deniers with close ties to fossil fuel and polluting industry actors. The report is filled with clear errors, cherry-picked data, and misrepresented facts that peddle the lie that human-caused climate change is not a threat.

“A federal judge … ruled that the DOE violated federal law when Secretary Wright hand-picked the five researchers and convened the Working Group in secret, finding that its formation and operation breached the Federal Advisory Committee Act’s requirements for transparency, public meetings, and balanced viewpoints… The collapse of the Working Group effort simply underscores that EPA attempted, and failed, to manufacture support for a conclusion the established scientific record does not and cannot sustain,” the senators wrote.

“When an agency signals that the outcome of a proceeding is preordained, public participation becomes performative rather than meaningful, undermining the legitimacy of the rulemaking process and violating basic principles of administrative law. The Administrative Procedure Act prohibits agencies from engaging in rulemaking when decisionmakers have an ‘unalterably closed mind.’ … Presidential policy preferences do not give EPA carte blanche to bypass statutory mandates to engage in good faith with sound science and public input in favor of predetermined outcomes,” the senators concluded.

The letter was led by U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I. In addition to Wyden and Merkley, the letter was cosigned by Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and U.S. Senators Angela Alsobrooks, D-Md., Michael Bennet, D-Colo., Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., Lisa Blunt Rochester, D-Del., Cory Booker, D-N.J., Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., Chris Coons, D-Del., Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., Dick Durbin, D-Ill., Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., John Hickenlooper, D-Colo., Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, Tim Kaine, D-Va., Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., Andy Kim, D-N.J., Angus King, I-Maine, Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., Ben Ray Luján, D-N.M., Ed Markey, D-Mass., Chris Murphy, D-Conn., Patty Murray, D-Wash., Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., Alex Padilla, D-Calif., Jack Reed, D-R.I., Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., Adam Schiff, D-Calif., Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., Tina Smith, D-Minn., Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., Mark Warner, D-Va., Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Peter Welch, D-Vt.

The full letter is here.

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Wyden, Merkley Won’t Attend State of The Union, Will Instead Hold Virtual Town Hall for Oregonians on February 24

The Fate of The Union: Senators to co-host virtual town hall the same day as the State of the Union to answer Oregonians’ questions about protecting the Constitution and resisting Donald Trump’s assaults on the Bill of Rights.

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today announced they will not attend the State of the Union speech on Tuesday, February 24 and will instead co-host a live on-line town hall that day with People’s Town Hall to offer all Oregonians the opportunity to ask questions as well as share their ideas and viewpoints.

“Sitting through Donald Trump’s unhinged ramblings about his unconstitutional schemes does nothing to help Oregonians justifiably concerned about his attacks on the economy and the law as well as his desperate diversions from the Epstein investigation,” Wyden said. “Rather than hearing a so-called State of the Union from a self-absorbed liar, I’ll hear the truth from my fellow Oregonians in the best state of the union.”

“After a year in office, Trump has made America poorer and sicker,” said Merkley. “We know Trump says one thing but then does another. He ran for president promising to help working people, but in office he’s only helped the rich and powerful. Trump is putting up red tape for families and rolling out the red carpet for billionaires. Every day of the week, I’ll choose to boycott the wannabe dictator and connect with Oregonians.”

The on-line town hall on Tuesday, February 24 will begin at 2:30 pm PT (3:30 pm MT) and can be watched here on YouTube. Oregonians who want to ask a question during the virtual town hall can submit their questions in advance here.

“Direct dialogue with our leaders is a cornerstone of our democracy, and it’s never been more important for our elected representatives to listen to the people they work for: their constituents,” said Nathan Williams of People’s Town Hall, a town hall series from the founders of Town Hall Project. “People’s Town Hall is proud to host this important conversation with Senators Wyden and Merkley and their fellow Oregonians.”

Both Senator Wyden and Senator Merkley hold a town hall in each of Oregon’s 36 counties every year.

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Sen. Moran Applauds President Trump’s Federal Judicial Appointments for Kansas

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) released the following statement regarding President Trump’s appointment of Jeffrey Kuhlman, Tony Mattivi and Anthony Powell to fill vacancies on the U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas:

“I applaud President Trump’s appointment of Jeffrey Kuhlman, Tony Mattivi and Anthony Powell, dedicated public servants whom I was pleased to recommend for the United States District Court for the District of Kansas. After a lengthy process where I had the opportunity to meet with many qualified candidates who expressed interest in serving on the bench, these individuals stood out for their deep commitment to serving Kansas and our country, pursuing justice and upholding the rule of law. I am grateful for the President’s confidence in these candidates, and I look forward to their confirmation process in the Senate.”

Jeffrey Kuhlman is a partner at Watkins Calcara, Chtd., a law firm in Great Bend. He previously served as a judicial law clerk for U.S. District Court Judge Eric F. Melgren in Wichita and, prior to that, he worked as an attorney at Hinkle Law Firm. He earned a bachelor’s degree in history, with a minor in political science, from Kansas State University and graduated cum laude with a law degree from Antonin Scalia Law School at George Mason University.

Tony Mattivi was appointed to serve as the Director of the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) in 2022. He previously worked as vice president and general counsel for MedCor. Prior to this, he was a federal prosecutor, serving as an assistant U.S. attorney for Kansas from 1998 to 2020. In this role, he prosecuted a number of high-profile cases and led the U.S. Department of Justice team that convicted three Kansas militia members who plotted an attack on Somali Muslim refugees in Garden City. He is a graduate of Metropolitan State University and holds a law degree from Washburn University School of Law.

Anthony Powell has served as the Kansas Solicitor General since his appointment in 2022. He previously served as a judge for the Eighteenth Judicial District, where he served Sedgwick County from 2002 until he was appointed to the Kansas Court of Appeals in 2013. Prior to that, he was a member of the Kansas House of Representatives for eight years, where he served as Majority Whip. He practiced at Martin & Churchill in Wichita and previously worked for Congressman William Broomfield and Senator Bob Dole. He earned his undergraduate degree from George Washington University and his law degree from Washburn University School of Law.

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Moreno Applauds Trump Administration for Filing to End Cleveland Consent Decree

WASHINGTON – Today, Senator Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio) applauded the Department of Justice’s (DOJ)’s filing to terminate the Obama-era consent decree. The end of the consent decree will finally allow local law enforcement officers to do their jobs and protect our communities.

“Radical anti-police liberals kneecapped Cleveland police officers for over a decade, allowing DC lawyers to rob taxpayers of tens of millions of dollars with obscene fees,” said Senator Moreno. “Their goal wasn’t police reform, it was police decapitation. Now President Trump has liberated the Cleveland Police Department, and I expect the Mayor to fully support the officers in their mission to clean up the city. Cleveland can’t wait for more posturing or politically correct statements.”

Background:

Since Senator Moreno was elected, he has been a leading voice in urging the termination of the Cleveland consent decree. In February 2025, Senator Moreno wrote a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi urging the department to reexamine Cleveland’s Obama-era consent decree policy to help restore public safety to Cleveland and other cities plagued with decades-old consent decrees.

In March 2025, the out-of-state consent decree monitor, Karl Racine, had a drunken altercation at a Cleveland casino. Following consistent inappropriate and likely unethical behavior, Senator Moreno filed a complaint with the District of Columbia Bar Association urging an investigation and called for his removal. Racine subsequently resigned.


Murray Leads WA Delegation in Supporting Governor’s Request for Major Disaster Declaration for Public Assistance to Repair Damage from Historic December Flooding

***LETTER HERE***

Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, led Washington state’s entire Congressional delegation in a letter to President Donald Trump urging him to approve Governor Bob Ferguson’s request for a Major Disaster Declaration for Public Assistance to help repair state infrastructure damaged in December’s historic flooding. Preliminary damage assessments performed in partnership with FEMA over the past two months estimate damage totaling $182.3 million. This is the second of two Major Disaster Declaration requests from Governor Ferguson.

“As members of the Washington state delegation, we write in support of Washington state’s February 17 request for a Major Disaster Declaration for Public Assistance due to devastating flood damages incurred from December 5 through 22. We implore you to approve the request for assistance as quickly as possible,” Murray and the other members of the delegation wrote. “The surge of rain in Washington state strained the state’s aging infrastructure, resulting in several levee breaches, leaving residents vulnerable to dangerous floods. In the middle of the night, residents of the city of Pacific were forced to quickly evacuate after a levee failed along the White River. While state and county officials have worked quickly to reinforce the breached sections, these are short-term solutions that leave our communities at risk of future extreme weather events.”

From early to mid-December 2025, severe storms and devastating flooding battered Washington state, threatening critical infrastructure as well as lives, property, businesses, and livestock across the state. The flooding caused severe damage that wreaked havoc in communities across Washington state, and is among the most devastating natural disasters to ever hit the state.

“An initial damage assessment revealed extensive and widespread damage to critical infrastructure and local economies. Highway 2, one of the two major year-round connections between eastern and western Washington state through the Cascade Mountains, suffered several washouts of the roadway which temporarily closed access along the corridor. Extensive repairs led by the Washington State Department of Transportation allowed for a partial reopening, but 14 miles of the highway in Tumwater Canyon will remain closed for months. The only available local detour has been reduced to one-lane due to slope failures, and any cross-state detour to I-90 would add several hours per trip. Thousands of residents and businesses call the Highway 2 corridor home and are negatively impacted by the damage of these storms, not to mention the hundreds of farmers and producers that rely on Highway 2 as a gateway to access the seaports along Puget Sound,” the Members continued.

Joining Senator Murray in the letter to President Trump were Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), and U.S. Representatives Suzan DelBene (D, WA-01), Rick Larsen (D, WA-02), Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D, WA-03), Dan Newhouse (R, WA-04), Michael Baumgartner (R, WA-05), Emily Randall (D, WA-06), Pramila Jayapal (D, WA-07), Kim Schrier (D, WA-08), Adam Smith (D, WA-09), and Marilyn Strickland (D, WA-10).

“This extreme weather event has put significant stress on Washington state’s infrastructure, emergency response teams, and communities across the state. Throughout this crisis, state, local, Tribal, and federal first responders have stepped up and worked tirelessly to keep our communities secure,” Murray and the delegation concluded. “We are incredibly grateful for their diligent work and careful coordination to keep Washingtonians safe and informed throughout this disaster.”

If FEMA approves Public Assistance as part of the major disaster declaration, Washington will qualify for grant funding up to 20 percent of the total damage assessment – in this case, a maximum of $36.6 million. Last month, Senator Murray led the Washington delegation in supporting Governor Ferguson’s request for federal Individual Assistance to aid survivors. That application is pending.

Back in December 2025, Senator Murray led Washington state’s entire Congressional delegation in a letter to President Donald Trump urging him to approve Governor Ferguson’s request for an expedited Emergency Declaration for the devastating storms and severe flooding hitting Washington state—that request was approved.

The full letter is available HERE and below:

Dear Mr. President,

As members of the Washington state delegation, we write in support of Washington state’s February 17 request for a Major Disaster Declaration for Public Assistance due to devastating flood damages incurred from December 5 through 22. We implore you to approve the request for assistance as quickly as possible. The surge of rain in Washington state strained the state’s aging infrastructure, resulting in several levee breaches, leaving residents vulnerable to dangerous floods. In the middle of the night, residents of the city of Pacific were forced to quickly evacuate after a levee failed along the White River. While state and county officials have worked quickly to reinforce the breached sections, these are short-term solutions that leave our communities at risk of future extreme weather events.

An initial damage assessment revealed extensive and widespread damage to critical infrastructure and local economies. Highway 2, one of the two major year-round connections between eastern and western Washington state through the Cascade Mountains, suffered several washouts of the roadway which temporarily closed access along the corridor. Extensive repairs led by the Washington State Department of Transportation allowed for a partial reopening, but 14 miles of the highway in Tumwater Canyon will remain closed for months. The only available local detour has been reduced to one-lane due to slope failures, and any cross-state detour to I-90 would add several hours per trip. Thousands of residents and businesses call the Highway 2 corridor home and are negatively impacted by the damage of these storms, not to mention the hundreds of farmers and producers that rely on Highway 2 as a gateway to access the seaports along Puget Sound.

This extreme weather event has put significant stress on Washington state’s infrastructure, emergency response teams, and communities across the state. Throughout this crisis, state, local, Tribal, and federal first responders have stepped up and worked tirelessly to keep our communities secure. We are incredibly grateful for their diligent work and careful coordination to keep Washingtonians safe and informed throughout this disaster.

We reiterate our full support for the February 17 request for a Major Disaster Declaration for Public Assistance. We appreciate you in advance for your prompt attention to this urgent matter.

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Murray, Warren, Sanders, Baldwin, Warren Call for Watchdog Investigation of Trump’s Efforts to Dismantle Education Department

Senators warn moving critical programs to agencies with no education policy experience could delay funding, increase administrative burden, raise program costs

Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), a former chair and senior member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP), joined Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies, and Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Ranking Member of the HELP committee, in sending a letter to Acting Comptroller General of the United States, Orice Williams Brown, urging the nonpartisan Government Accountability Office (GAO) to open an investigation into the Department of Education’s (ED) transfer of grant programs to agencies with no expertise in education policy, such as the Department of Labor—a key step in the Trump administration’s efforts to illegally dismantle and eventually abolish ED.

“We are deeply concerned that the administration’s decisions to (transfer) grant programs in this manner delayed crucial funding that millions of students and schools rely on, created administrative inefficiencies, increased the cost of program administration, and compromised the quality of technical assistance provided to states and grantees,” wrote the senators.

In May 2025, the Trump administration formalized an interagency agreement (IAA) through which it moved the day-to-day management of career and technical education and adult education grant programs, including Perkins V and AEFLA, from ED to DOL. Perkins V grants annually provide over $1.4 billion in funding for career and technical education programs for about 11 million students around the country. AEFLA provides over $700 million in annual funding for adult education opportunities, most often for people without a high school degree or who are English language learners. In 2024, AEFLA served about 1.3 million adult students.

“These programs are a critical pathway to the middle class and can play a key role in reducing poverty and enabling employment,” the Senators continued.

ED is reportedly paying DOL around $1 million to cover the cost of administering these programs during FY25 and FY26. Public reporting suggests that the transfer of these programs has been deeply flawed, leading to weeks-long delays in grant disbursements and harming students and schools.

“The reports raise questions about whether the transfer has actually reduced alleged ‘duplication of effort,’ or just created inefficiency,” said the Senators on the need for GAO investigation into the review the transition of adult education programs to the Department of Labor.

In November 2025, ED announced six additional IAAs, pointing to the May IAA as a template for their work to dismantle the Department. These IAAs transferred significant responsibilities for grant administration for dozens of programs for early childhood, elementary, secondary, and postsecondary education out of ED.

The lawmakers asked GAO to investigate these IAAs — and any future IAAs — and the agreements’ impacts on program costs, timely access to funding, access to services, and quality of technical assistance for grantees.

The full letter is available HEREand below:

Dear Acting Comptroller General Brown:

We write to request a comprehensive investigation into the impacts of the Trump administration’s interagency agreement (IAA) transferring significant responsibilities for career and technical education (CTE) and adult education grant administration from the Department of Education (ED) to the Department of Labor (DOL) as part of its stated efforts to dismantle ED. We further request that your agency investigate the planning, implementation, and impact of the six additional IAAs announced on November 18, 2025, related to transferring significant responsibilities for grant administration for dozens of programs for early childhood, elementary, secondary, and postsecondary education out of ED, and any subsequent IAAs, as they are implemented.

We are deeply concerned that the administration’s decisions to implement CTE and adult education grant programs in this manner delayed crucial funding that millions of students and schools rely on, created administrative inefficiencies, increased the cost of program administration, and compromised the quality of technical assistance provided to states and grantees.

CTE programs provide students with academic, technical, and employability skills and prepare them for postsecondary learning opportunities or work. This makes CTE a critical pathway to the middle class, especially for students facing socioeconomic barriers to well-paying jobs, which helps reduce income inequality. States use federal funding for CTE programs to close racial and gender equity gaps within CTE. Congress unambiguously authorized and appropriates funding for CTE to ED. In 2018, Congress reauthorized the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act (Perkins V). By requiring that federally funded CTE programs integrate both academic and technical skills, the passage of Perkins V reaffirmed the importance of integrating career and technical education into the education system and our nation’s public schools, not purely viewing these programs as job training. Congress appropriated over $1.4 billion in Perkins V grant funding to ED for Fiscal Year 2026; this funding is critical to the education of the roughly 11 million students who participate in CTE programs around the country.

Adult education programs provide adults—often, those without a high school degree or who are English language learners—with foundational literacy, math, and problem-solving skills. In addition to expanding access to affordable education, these programs are a critical pathway to the middle class and can play a key role in reducing poverty and enabling employment. Congress annually appropriates funding to ED to support adult education programs under the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA), providing over $700 million in funding in 2026. In 2024, AEFLA served 1.3 million adult students.

ED’s Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education (OCTAE) is responsible for administering grant programs under Perkins V and AEFLA. Specifically, ED is responsible for allocating Perkins V and AEFLA funds to states, and states in turn distribute funds to local CTE and adult education program providers.

However, in May 2025, ED and DOL secretly signed an IAA under which DOL is to provide day-to-day administration of ED’s Perkins V and AEFLA programs. This was the first in a series of unprecedented IAAs through which the Trump administration has attempted to transfer ED’s statutory requirements to other agencies, with the political goal of illegally dismantling and eventually abolishing the Department. The Trump administration framed the OCTAE IAA as a measure to improve efficiency, reduce “duplication of effort,” and improve the quality of program administration. But subsequent media reports document that the transition of OCTAE’s grant administration from ED to DOL has faced significant challenges—including technical problems, increased bureaucracy, and communication lapses. According to one report, many of these challenges have been linked to the transition from ED’s unified grants management system to DOL’s setup, in which two separate systems are used to administer grants. That same report also suggested that the launch of money-transfer processes for CTE programs was delayed by weeks. Reporting also indicates that ED is paying DOL around $1 million to cover the cost of DOL administering these programs during FY25 and FY26. Separately, reporting suggests that ED’s November 2025 IAA moving other programs to DOL has slowed work due to IT issues and logistical challenges.

These reports raise concerns that the transfer of adult education and CTE program funding to DOL has resulted in administrative failures and has imposed barriers to states’ timely access to Perkins V and AEFLA grants. Furthermore, the reports raise questions about whether the transfer has actually reduced alleged “duplication of effort,” or just created inefficiency. Given these concerns, we request that GAO review the transition of the administration of ED’s Perkins V and AEFLA programs to DOL. Additionally, as ED’s later-announced IAAs from November 2025 are implemented, we also request that GAO investigate the extent to which those IAAs create inefficiencies or compromise grantees’ timely access to funding; undermine the quality, scope, and timeliness of technical assistance and support provided to grantees; jeopardize services for students; impose administrative burdens on state or local educational agencies; weaken federal support to protect the rights of students, children, youth, and families under federal education laws; and affect other indicators of program integrity and quality.

In its work investigating the OCTAE and other IAAs, we ask that GAO consider the following questions and issues, as applicable:

How much did the OCTAE IAA cost ED and DOL to implement in fiscal years 2025 and 2026?

To what extent did states face challenges in accessing Perkins V and AEFLA grants? To what extent are local Perkins or AEFLA grantees facing challenges in accessing federal Perkins or AEFLA funds? What steps have ED and DOL taken to identify and address these challenges, and how much did any such steps cost?

To what extent did ED and DOL develop and implement comprehensive plans for transitioning Perkins V and AEFLA grant administration to DOL’s payment system? To what extent did any delays or inefficiencies in such plans affect states’ access to Perkins V grants?

To what extent has DOL’s payment system failed to meet user needs for administering Perkins V and AEFLA grants since the OCTAE IAA was implemented? If significant failures occurred, what steps did ED and DOL take to correct such failures, and how much did those steps cost?

What issues were identified as part of testing DOL’s payment system for use with Perkins V and AEFLA grant administration?

What system issues remain unresolved, and does DOL have plans to address them? How have any such issues affected states and grantees? Has DOL made progress on implementing such plans?

Please identify any deficiencies/gaps between DOL’s payment system and the G-5 system that ED used to administer this program, and if possible, provide information about whether administering this program through DOL has been more costly, time-consuming, or resource-intensive.

Has the DOL transfer increased or decreased government efficiency? How has the cost of administering CTE and adult education programs changed since the OCTAE IAA was implemented?

Prior to the OCTAE IAA’s implementation, to what extent was ED’s CTE and adult education grant administration and technical assistance duplicative of DOL’s responsibilities, as the Trump administration alleges?

To what extent did the quality and availability of technical assistance provided to states and local grantees change due to the OCTAE IAA? What gaps are grantees still reporting in the provision of technical assistance?

How has the OCTAE IAA changed reporting processes for grantees under the Consolidated Annual Reports (CARs)?

Please identify any major statutory or regulatory responsibilities delegated to ED that are not being met due to shifts in responsibilities under the IAA, including reviewing and approving changes to state plans; monitoring state and local compliance with statutory requirements, including accountability and improvement requirements; and meeting all reporting requirements under federal law.

Thank you for your assistance in this matter.

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NEWS: Senator Alex Padilla to Deliver Democratic Spanish Response to President Trump’s State of the Union Address

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) announced that he will deliver the Democratic Spanish language response to President Trump’s State of the Union Address on Tuesday, February 24, 2026. U.S. House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.-08) and Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) also announced that Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger will deliver the Democratic Response to the speech.

“Americans don’t need another speech from Donald Trump pretending everything is fine when their bills are too high, paychecks are too low, and masked and militarized federal agents are roaming our communities violating Constitutional rights on a daily basis. We refuse to accept his failed economic agenda that makes billionaires richer while middle class Americans see their health care costs rise. We refuse to accept a federal government that weaponizes enforcement agencies against immigrants and U.S. citizens alike. And we refuse to accept attacks on the right to vote. There is a better path — one that lowers costs, safeguards our democracy, and reins in rogue federal agencies. Americans demand and deserve accountability, stability, and a government that works for them. That’s what I’ll be discussing on Tuesday,” said Senator Padilla.

“The son of two Mexican immigrants and California’s first Latino U.S. Senator, Sen. Alex Padilla is a devoted public servant, extraordinary trailblazer and fierce fighter for Californians and the diverse community he represents. As Donald Trump, Kristi Noem and MAGA extremists have tried to silence the voices of our Latino brothers and sisters, Senator Alex Padilla has consistently fought back and proven Democrats will not bend the knee to this out-of-control administration. House Democrats are proud to have Senator Padilla leading the way as we communicate to Spanish-speaking households across the nation,” said Leader Jeffries.

“As the son of immigrants, Senator Padilla knows firsthand what opportunity in America can mean — and he’s spent his career fighting to keep that promise alive. From lowering costs to defending our democracy, he’s delivered for working families. His message will stand in sharp contrast to President Trump’s chaos and self-dealing,” said Leader Schumer.

Senator Alex Padilla is the first Latino elected to represent California in the United States Senate. A life-long California, Padilla grew up in a working-class community in the San Fernando Valley before earning a degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Returning home after earning his degree, Senator Padilla was inspired to enter public service in response to California’s anti-immigrant Proposition 187. Padilla went on to be elected to the Los Angeles City Council, to the California State Senate, and as California’s first Latino Secretary of State where he oversaw a historic expansion of voting rights and voter participation, strengthening access to the ballot for millions of Californians.

First appointed to the Senate in January of 2021 to fill the vacancy of Vice President Kamala Harris, Senator Padilla won a full term in November 2022. In the Senate, Padilla has been a leader on issues ranging from immigration, to voting rights, to climate change, with the goal of ensuring everyone has the same fair shot at the American dream his own family had.

Senator Padilla’s full biography is available here.

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Padilla, Schiff, Colleagues Demand Trump Administration Immediately Reverse Politically-Motivated Termination of $600 Million in Public Health Grants

Senators from targeted states, Democratic committee leadership blast Trump’s politically motivated health cuts

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senators Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff (both D-Calif.) and nine other Senators demanded that the Department of Health and Human Services immediately reverse their recent politically motivated termination of $600 million in public health grants for California, Colorado, Illinois, and Minnesota.

“This funding supports core state and local public health infrastructure in each of these states, and any effort to impose such deep cuts is a threat to public safety. We demand that the administration immediately and definitively reverse course in its effort to rescind critical public health funding from communities in these states,” wrote the Senators.

Last week, the Trump Administration blatantly targeted states represented by Democrats by eliminating critical Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) funding for public health infrastructure and testing and treatment of lethal diseases including HIV, despite every state in the country receiving such funds to conduct virtually identical activities. The Senators called out how the Administration’s reckless cuts directly diminish our country’s collective ability to respond to emerging health threats, leaving us more vulnerable, and urged them to swiftly reverse course.

“Indeed, only these four states were the subject of terminations, despite every state in the country receiving such funds to conduct virtually identical activities. It appears instead that these grant terminations are politically motivated. Public health threats, including infectious diseases, are not bound by states lines and they do not care about political affiliations. Terminating these grants make those living in the specific communities served by these programs less healthy and it increases the risks to the health of all Americans,” continued the Senators. “The safety and health of our communities should not and cannot be contingent on political whims.”

In addition to Padilla and Schiff, the letter is led by Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), and Tina Smith (D-Minn.).

Full text of the letter is available here and below:

Dear Secretary Kennedy,

We write you today to express deep concern about the Trump administration’s decision to abruptly and unjustifiably terminate a reported $600 million in public health grants for California, Colorado, Illinois, and Minnesota administered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This funding supports core state and local public health infrastructure in each of these states, and any effort to impose such deep cuts is a threat to public safety. We demand that the administration immediately and definitively reverse course in its effort to rescind critical public health funding from communities in these states.

CDC’s priorities statement lists “a commitment to modernizing public health infrastructure and enhancing our approach to health data” as a key strategic priority, alongside “empowering communities and strengthening public health systems for a safer, healthier nation.” The administration has allegedly deemed the $600 million in grant funding as “inconsistent with agency priorities.” Despite this claim, the administration’s effort guts essential public health infrastructure, as well as testing and treatment for lethal diseases, including HIV. Should the administration move forward with these planned cuts, basic public health infrastructure in California, Colorado, Illinois, and Minnesota will be threatened.

In fact, the Department of Health and Human Services has provided no explanation for how these grants are “inconsistent with agency priorities”. That is because there is no defense of these actions on those grounds – a review of the grants being terminated demonstrate that these are overwhelmingly exactly the kind of activities CDC should be supporting in communities across the country. Indeed, only these four states were the subject of terminations, despite every state in the country receiving such funds to conduct virtually identical activities. It appears instead that these grant terminations are politically motivated. Public health threats, including infectious diseases, are not bound by states lines and they do not care about political affiliations. Terminating these grants make those living in the specific communities served by these programs less healthy and it increases the risks to the health of all Americans.

The largest cuts target the Public Health Infrastructure Grant (PHIG) program – funding that serves as the backbone of hundreds of local health agencies. In California, PHIG funds emergency dental services for low-income children, and funds critical health care workforce education, including training for nurses and epidemiologists. Such deep cuts to PHIG funding would also result in hundreds of job terminations for public health workers who have dedicated their careers to protecting communities in California. In Illinois, cuts to PHIG would eliminate approximately one hundred employees from the Illinois Department of Public Health– upending financial stability for workers and their families and reducing the state’s capacity to prevent lead poisoning in children and monitor disease outbreaks. The loss of PHIG funding in Colorado will significantly degrade public health infrastructure and capabilities across the State, ranging from reduced diabetes care for low-income residents, to elimination of resources for rural Coloradans who lack access to local care providers, to harming the State’s ability to respond to immediate public health needs and future public health emergencies. In Minnesota, these grant terminations will lead to the immediate termination of 75 Minnesota Department of Health FTEs, immediate loss of organizational support for 50 rural local public health departments, including two very small “frontier” public health departments, and elimination of core public health activities, including the norovirus and food safety program which includes a statewide foodborne illness complaint system, making it riskier for Minnesotans to trust the food supply of real, whole foods. In addition, these cuts to public health funding will jeopardize Tribal health programs in California, Colorado, and Minnesota that address chronic disease and uphold the federal government’s treaty obligations.

These latest grant terminations also fall on the heels of your recent attempt to terminate 2,800 grants and $2 billion in funding supporting mental health and substance use prevention and treatment programs nationwide, as well as your attempt to pause all activities under CDC’s PHIG program nationwide. Those actions were so reckless and deadly that both decisions were reversed within 24 hours. Effectuating similar terminations to lifesaving public health programs, but targeting them to Democratically governed and represented states is solely vindictive and should be immediately reversed. Funding provided by CDC has improved the well-being and health status of communities across the United States. Investment in public health infrastructure nationwide is essential to achieving this administration’s stated goals of improving population health, strengthening resilience, and reducing long-term healthcare costs. Weakening this infrastructure diminishes our collective ability to respond to emerging health threats, leaving our country more vulnerable.

To that end, we demand the Trump administration immediately and definitively reverse all efforts to gut CDC public health funding for California, Colorado, Illinois, and Minnesota, and to abandon this kind of politically-motivated effort in other states. The safety and health of our communities should not and cannot be contingent on political whims, and we look forward to working with you to ensure robust support for America’s public health infrastructure.

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Padilla, Schiff Join Democratic Colleagues in Demanding the VA Rescind Draconian Abortion Care Ban for Veterans

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff (both D-Calif.) joined Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), and 27 other Senate Democrats in calling on U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Doug Collins to immediately rescind the VA’s extreme and cruel new policy that bans the VA from providing abortion counseling and care to veterans, even in cases of rape, incest, and health endangerment. In their letter, the Senators lambasted the Trump Administration for continuing to betray brave American heroes.

“Our Veterans put their lives on the line to safeguard our freedoms, yet you and President Trump — who has never served a day in his life — are denying our heroes the care they have earned,” wrote the Senators. “Refusing to provide abortion care in cases of rape and incest is cruel and can compound existing mental health conditions for Veterans, who are already at an elevated risk for experiencing sexual assault and rape.”

The Senators also highlighted how this decision would effectively deny abortion care to veterans living in states with abortion restrictions or bans.

“Women are the fastest growing segment of the Veteran population and approximately 462,000 women Veterans of reproductive age are enrolled in VA healthcare,” continued the Senators. “More than half of these women Veterans live in states with abortion bans or restrictions. … the VA might have been their only opportunity to access urgently needed abortion care.”

In addition to Padilla, Schiff, Duckworth, Hirono, Murray, and Warren, the letter is also signed by Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.).

The letter is endorsed by the Service Women’s Action Network (SWAN), Planned Parenthood Action Fund, Guttmacher, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA), SPARTA, National Women’s Law Center (NWLC), and Modern Military Association of America.

Senator Padilla has been a longstanding champion for veterans’ health care. Last year, Padilla hosted a roundtable with Representative Mike Levin (D-Calif.-49) in San Diego alongside VA service providers to highlight the importance of protecting veterans’ benefits and discuss concerns regarding the Trump Administration’s plan for mass cuts to the VA workforce.

In December, Padilla, Schiff, Representative Lateefah Simon (D-Calif.-12), and Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.-11) demanded answers from Secretary Collins about the VA’s decision to unilaterally cancel the construction of a Community Based Outpatient Clinic in Alameda, California.

Full text of the letter is available here and below:

Dear Secretary Collins:

We write to express our extreme concern regarding your final rule (“Reproductive Health Services,” 90 FR 61310) banning the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) from providing abortion counseling and care to Veterans and their families including in cases of rape, incest or health endangerment. In light of the devastating harm this will cause to Veterans and their loved ones, especially those living in states with extreme abortion bans, we urge you to rescind this policy without delay.

Women are the fastest growing segment of the Veteran population and approximately 462,000 women Veterans of reproductive age are enrolled in VA healthcare. More than half of these women Veterans live in states with abortion bans or restrictions. Further, about 62,000 reproductive-age women enrolled in the Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs (CHAMPVA) also live in such states.

In response to the devastating Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization ruling in 2022, which erroneously overturned the nearly five decades of precedent establishing a constitutional right to abortion, VA promulgated an interim final rule allowing the Department to offer abortion counseling and abortion care in cases of rape, incest, life or health endangerment of the pregnant Veteran or CHAMPVA beneficiary. For Veterans living in abortion ban states, this rulemaking acknowledged that the VA might have been their only opportunity to access urgently needed abortion care. It also removed the Department’s full, no-exceptions ban on abortion care and counseling. VA finalized this rule in March 2024.

The United States is facing a healthcare crisis. This is especially true for Veterans living in states that are hostile to abortion who depend on their local VA facility for their healthcare. As such, we were disturbed by your August 2025 decision to publish a proposed rule to reinstate the ban on abortions and abortion counseling at VA—a failure for all who have served our country. We were similarly concerned by the U.S. Department of Justice’s (DOJ) December 2025 slip opinion memo rolling back this essential healthcare and VA’s subsequent internal directive to comply with the DOJ opinion immediately. VA took these actions before issuing its final rule regarding this policy change, which VA published on December 31, 2025.

Veterans are particularly vulnerable to health complications during pregnancy and are at higher risk of certain factors associated with maternal morbidity and mortality compared to non-Veterans. For example, in 2024, the Government Accountability Office reported that mental health conditions, such as depression or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), are more common among pregnant Veterans than non-pregnant Veterans and pregnant women in the general population. These conditions may put Veterans at increased risk for gestational diabetes and hypertensive disorders such as preeclampsia—a pregnancy-related high blood pressure disorder that can lead to the onset of seizures or coma. Providing abortion care only when, purportedly, Veterans’ lives are in danger and forcing VA providers to decipher this uncodified policy on their own, fails to address pregnant Veterans’ health risks in such situations. Your chaotic, unclear and negligent directive will require VA providers to make the impossible determination of whether a Veteran is close enough to death to be covered under the “threat to life” exception before providing needed medical care.

Refusing to provide abortion care in cases of rape and incest is cruel and can compound existing mental health conditions for Veterans, who are already at an elevated risk for experiencing sexual assault and rape. An estimated one in three women Veterans report experiencing sexual assault or harassment while serving in the military, and military sexual trauma is associated with a range of mental health and other medical conditions that can result in devastating maternal health outcomes.

Before your cruel change to VA’s abortion policy, the Department allowed abortion care only in certain, limited circumstances. Your policy will now ban VA providers from even discussing abortion with their Veteran patients. It will block pregnant Veterans whose health is in danger, or who are survivors of rape or incest, from getting the basic counseling or care that they need and deserve.

Our Veterans put their lives on the line to safeguard our freedoms, yet you and President Trump —who has never served a day in his life—are denying our heroes the care they have earned. Implementing this shameful and indefensible policy over the winter holidays, without public notice, and before finalizing your proposed rule adds further insult to injury. We vehemently oppose your actions and demand the final rule, the DOJ slip opinion and VA’s internal directive be rescinded immediately.

Sincerely,

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Padilla Secures Over $33 Million for 17 Projects Across the Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO, CA — Today, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) announced that he secured over $33 million in federal funding for 17 projects across the Bay Area through Fiscal Year 2026 appropriations bills. This funding is part of the $241,794,366 in total Congressionally Directed Spending funding that Padilla delivered for California for FY 2026.

“I am proud to help secure millions in federal funding to support transformative projects that will deliver lasting improvements for Bay Area communities,” said Senator Padilla. “These investments will support local governments and non-profits working on the ground in our communities. They will strengthen our environment, improve public safety, increase the affordable housing stock, and bolster critical cargo infrastructure. As Californians struggle with the rising cost of living under President Trump’s harmful economic agenda, these crucial investments will make a tangible difference for Bay Area residents.”

Projects across the Bay Area that will receive federal funding include:

Oakland Inner Harbor Turning Basin Widening – $8 million: This project will help widen Inner and Outer Harbor Turning Basins to better accommodate larger vessels that are expected to call the Port of Oakland with increasing frequency.

Hamilton Airfield Wetlands Restoration – $4.40 million: This project supports the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in developing nearly 2,500 acres of restored wetlands near the airfield.

Community HousingWorks Development – $3 million: This project supports Community HousingWorks with infrastructure improvements and affordable housing development in the Bay Area.

Santa Rosa Environmental Infrastructure Llano Trunk Sewer Line – $2.29 million: This project supports the rehabilitation, including engineering design and environmental mitigation, of the Llano Trunk sewer line.

Evelyn Avenue Affordable Housing Redevelopment – $2 million: This project supports construction of a five-story development with 143 permanent affordable housing units for low-income households, in partnership with Charities Housing.

Marin County Environmental Infrastructure – $2 million: This project installs a new pipeline to connect Marin Water’s Soulajule Reservoir to Nicasio Reservoir.

Oakland Ferry Terminal Modernization Project – $1.98 million: This project modernizes the Oakland Ferry Terminal with updated facilities, passenger amenities, and accessibility improvements.

East Bay Regional Communications System Improvements and Upgrades Project – $1.92 million: This project upgrades radio infrastructure and enhances emergency communication capabilities in the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District.

Tenderloin Neighborhood Pedestrian Safety Signal Upgrades – $1.50 million: This project upgrades pedestrian safety signals in San Francisco’s Tenderloin neighborhood to improve crosswalk safety and accessibility.

South County Service Wi-Fi Project – $1.10 million: This project installs Wi-Fi connectivity on Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board transit vehicles serving South County for improved passenger experience.

Transportation Program to Help Postsecondary Students Access Education – $1 million: This funding will allow the City College of San Francisco to partner with regional transit operators to establish and fund its own program, while also making it permanently eligible for regional funding and cementing it as an established program for years to come.

County of Santa Clara – Small Business Resource at the Vietnamese American Services Center – $1 million: This project establishes a small business resource center at the Vietnamese American Services Center in Santa Clara County.

Crime Victims Initiative – $900,000: This project establishes a Crime Victims Initiative to provide assistance to victims and their families in Alameda.

Fairfax-San Anselmo Children’s Center Safety Upgrades – $850,000: This project supports Marin County with critical safety upgrades, including seismic retrofitting, HVAC improvements, and general renovations, for the Fairfax-San Anselmo Children’s Center.

Fire Equipment Enhancements – $850,000: This project will purchase a new fire engine as the City’s current one is 11 years past its useful life. This fire engine will serve the entire City of Union City and the broader Alameda County region during an emergency.

Brooklyn Basin Blight Removal and Shoreline Improvements – $250,000: This project will help remove blight/plant disease and illegally dumped materials along the estuary, as well as fund efforts to raise the shoreline and address sea level encroachment.

Mid Coastline Water Treatment Plant – $50,000: This investment will fund infrastructure upgrades to the wastewater treatment plant in Half Moon Bay to prevent flooding and coastal erosion in San Mateo County. The project will benefit approximately 27,000 residents — including nearly 3,000 very low- and low-income residents — across El Granada, Miramar, Montara, Moss Beach, Princeton Harbor, and the City of Half Moon Bay.

More information on these appropriations bills is available here, here, and here.

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Padilla Statement on Trump Administration’s Reckless Cancellation of Yosemite Reservation System

SAN FRANCISCO, CA — Today, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), a member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, issued the following statement after the Trump Administration announced that it would terminate Yosemite’s reservation system:

“After already scaling back Yosemite’s reservation system, the Trump Administration’s shortsighted move to eliminate it altogether will diminish the visitor experience for Californians and tourists alike. With our national park system already strained by Donald Trump’s funding and staffing cuts, this decision will limit outdoor recreation opportunities, degrade the Park’s natural resources, and strain local businesses that rely on a steady stream of Park visitors.

“Yosemite’s reservation system has proven effective at preventing overcrowding, especially during peak season, while increasing visitations to this natural treasure. I urge the Administration to reinstate Yosemite’s plan, and I call on my colleagues to pass my RESERVE Federal Land Act to strengthen the reservation process and increase equitable access to our nation’s public lands.”

Last year, Senator Padilla pushed Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum to allow Yosemite to implement its preferred reservation system, emphasizing its importance in managing park visitation while preserving Yosemite for future generations. Last May, Padilla introduced the Review and Evaluation of Strategies for Equal Reservations for Visitor Experiences (RESERVE) Federal Land Act to expand access to public lands, improve the visitor reservation process, and enhance transparency in how fees are collected for federal lands and national parks.

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Ricketts Praises Appointment of Dr. Jay Bhattacharya as Acting Director of CDC

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Pete Ricketts (R-NE) released the following statement praising the Trump administration’s decision to appoint Dr. Jay Bhattacharya as acting director of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.“When I was Governor, Dr. Jay Bhattacharya consulted while we developed Nebraska’s highly successful response to the COVID-19 pandemic. He showed great intellectual honesty and courage when he offered alternative suggestions about how to handle the pandemic. Dr. Bhattacharya demonstrated the importance of holistic, risk-based, and scientific thinking. He will do excellent work as acting director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.”


Sen. Rick Scott Announces Kevin O’Leary as State of the Union Guest

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Senator Rick Scott announced businessman and entrepreneur Kevin O’Leary as his guest for President Trump’s State of the Union address next Tuesday.

Kevin O’Leary is an entrepreneur, investor, author, and television personality recognized globally for his roles on Shark Tank, Dragons’ Den, and The Lang & O’Leary Exchange. He co-founded SoftKey Software Products, later known as The Learning Company, which became a leader in educational software and sold to Mattel for $3.7 billion. As founder of O’Leary Ventures and O’Shares Investments, he has built a diverse portfolio across finance, technology, and consumer products. Kevin O’Leary is also the bestselling author of the Cold Hard Truth book series and a regular business contributor to major media networks. He speaks on entrepreneurship, leadership, finance, and economic outlook.

In April 2025, Mr. O’Leary appeared before U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging at Senator Scott’s request as committee chairman to testify as an expert witness about Communist China’s exploitation of American investors and the threats the CCP poses to retirees and American seniors. Watch the full hearing HERE.

Senator Rick Scott said, “I am pleased to welcome my friend, Kevin O’Leary, as my guest to the State of the Union. Kevin is a fellow Floridian, a successful entrepreneur, and has long been a voice for economic growth in America. Kevin understands what the American Dream means and like me, has lived his dream building businesses and creating jobs. As I fight every day to protect and preserve the American Dream for every family in Florida and across our great nation, I am proud to know that friends like Kevin are working hard in the private sector to create jobs, expand opportunities, and support the hardworking entrepreneurs that power America forward toward a stronger future.”

Kevin O’Leary said, “Senator Rick Scott and I share a strong commitment to empowering entrepreneurs and small businesses – the true backbone of the American economy. We believe the American Dream is our nation’s greatest export, and it begins with the strength and opportunity reflected in the State of the Union. I am honored to attend the address as the senator’s guest and look forward to the important conversations ahead.”

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Schatz Secures $2 Million Earmark For Construction Of New Pu‘uhonua O Wai‘anae Homeless Village

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) secured $2 million in congressionally directed spending, also known as an earmark, in this year’s appropriations deal for construction of the new Pu‘uhonua O Wai‘anae homeless village. The funding will be used to construct water, sewer, and road infrastructure for the permanent supportive housing site that will house 250 homeless individuals and provide wraparound services.

“Because of the leadership of the late Twinkle Borge, the dedicated staff, and the generosity of volunteers and supporters, Pu‘uhonua O Wai‘anae has become a refuge for hundreds of people. It’s a place where people struggling to get by can find a safe space to stay and a supportive community to help them get back on their feet,” said Senator Schatz, a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee. “We’re working to make sure communities like this get all the federal resources they deserve.”

Schatz visited the construction site of the new Pu‘uhonua O Wai‘anae last year where he met with staff to discuss the needs of the community.

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