Congressman Pete Sessions (TX-17) Announces Federal Partnership with Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller to Establish Agriculture Freedom Zones Nationwide

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congressman Pete Sessions today announced a formal federal partnership with Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller to advance legislation establishing Agriculture Freedom Zones (AFZs) nationwide, recognizing that food security is national security and must be treated as a strategic federal priority. Farmland is the foundation of America’s food security, and the families who steward that land sustain our national strength through its productive use.

The proposed legislation will create a voluntary, incentive-based federal framework designed to protect America’s most productive farmland while responsibly guiding large-scale development toward areas less critical to domestic food production. The initiative reflects growing concerns about the rapid conversion of prime agricultural land and the long-term implications for America’s supply chain resilience, water resources, and national sovereignty.

Agriculture Freedom Zones would align federal tax policy with strategic land-use priorities by encouraging resource-intensive development, such as data centers, renewable energy facilities, and other major infrastructure projects, to locate in marginal lands, brownfields, arid regions, or areas with existing infrastructure capacity. By doing so, the policy seeks to preserve irreplaceable farm and ranchland that underpins America’s domestic food supply.

Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller emphasized the urgency of the issue, stating:

“Congressman Pete Sessions has seen firsthand the dramatic impact data center expansion is having on landowners, family-run agricultural operations, and rural Texas communities,” Commissioner Miller said. “These facilities consume vast amounts of land and water resources that are vital to food production and our national security. He shares my belief that a properly structured tax incentive could help restore balance by encouraging responsible siting decisions and protecting the agricultural resources that sustain rural America.”

Congressman Sessions underscored that safeguarding agricultural capacity is not simply an economic concern, but a matter of national defense and strategic independence.

“At a time of global instability and increasing competition, America cannot afford to weaken its agricultural foundation,” said Congressman Sessions. “Our farmers and ranchers feed our nation and support global markets. If we allow prime farmland and critical water resources to be permanently lost without a national strategy, we risk compromising our food supply and our national security. This legislation ensures we protect our agricultural strength while continuing to support innovation and economic growth.”

Under the forthcoming federal bill, Agriculture Freedom Zones would unlock targeted federal tax incentives, including capital gains tax deferrals, reduced long-term investment rates, and tax-free appreciation for extended holdings. The incentives are designed to steer growth away from prime agricultural land and toward areas more suitable for development.

Congressman Sessions represents Texas’ 17th Congressional District, which includes rural communities and agricultural producers who form a critical part of the state and national economy. Through this federal partnership with Commissioner Miller, he aims to establish Agriculture Freedom Zones as a nationwide framework that balances responsible development with the protection of America’s food-producing capacity.


Rep. Sewell Statement on President Trump's State of the Union Address

Washington D.C. — U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell (AL-07) released the following statement in response to President Trump's 2026 State of the Union address:

"No amount of lies or insults from this president can distract from his record of broken promises. The reality is that life in America is more expensive than ever, and everyday Americans are struggling to make ends meet. Instead of lowering prices, Trump's tariffs have cost the average family an extra $1,700. Instead of making us healthier, Trump slashed our health care in order to give tax breaks to billionaires. And instead of going after violent criminals, Trump has sent masked federal agents to terrorize our communities, resulting in the deaths of innocent American citizens.

"At every turn, Donald Trump has shown that he would rather enrich himself and his wealthy donors than do anything to help regular people. Despite the bluster we heard last night, Americans across the political spectrum agree that our country is on the wrong track.

"Congressional Republicans have fallen in line, but I will not. I will continue fighting to make life more affordable. I will continue to defend against attacks on our most vulnerable communities. And I will continue to stand up for our democracy, our the right to vote, and the freedoms that we as Americans hold dear."

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Brown, Pressley, and Velázquez Introduce the Healthy Hair Act

Washington, DC – Congresswoman Shontel Brown (OH-11), Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez (NY-07) and Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) today introduced the Healthy Hair Act, legislation to effectively ban formaldehyde from hair products.

The Health Hair Act would designate hair straightening or hair smoothing products containing formaldehyde as adulterated under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, prohibiting their sale or distribution in the United States. Congressional Black Caucus Chair Yvette Clarke (NY-09) is an original cosponsor of the bill, which is cosponsored by 13 members of the House of Representatives.

Bill text can be found here.

Formaldehyde, a known carcinogen, has been linked to increased cancer incidence, respiratory illness, and reproductive harm, including fibroids. Formaldehyde is a common element in hair relaxers and straighteners that are largely marketed to Black women. Black women are also more likely to develop uterine cancer, and twice as likely to die from it, which has also been linked to exposure to hair products.

“It is time to get hair products that are making us sick off the shelves, out of stores, and out of salons. The evidence builds every day that chemical hair relaxers and straighteners are killing Black women, and this is a public health and consumer safety crisis that must be addressed. Since the FDA continues to delay, Congress must move first. I am proud to introduce the Health Hair Act with Congresswoman Velazquez and Congresswoman Pressley because women, hairdressers, and their families deserve better,” said Congresswoman Shontel Brown.

"The FDA had every opportunity to ban formaldehyde in hair products, and their failure to act has put the health of millions of women at risk. No one should have to choose between straightening their hair and their health, especially Black women and salon workers who face the greatest risks. This bill will finally ban these dangerous chemicals and make clear that Congress will not stand by while consumers are exposed to a known carcinogen. If the FDA won't act, we will," said Congresswoman Nydia M. Velázquez.

“Whether in schools, in the workplace, or in our everyday lives, Black women have been overlooked, punished, and criminalized for our hair. Not only does that come at an emotional cost, but a physical one too,” said Congresswoman Pressley. “The beauty products marketed to Black women and girls and found in our salons contain toxic, unregulated chemicals—leaving us to disproportionately suffer from adverse health impacts like cancer. Black women, girls, and salon workers should be able to show up without putting our health at risk. That’s why I’m proud to introduce the Healthy Hair Act with Reps. Brown and Velazquez to regulate these hazardous products and affirm our right to safer alternatives.”

“The link between chemical hair straighteners and extreme harms like cancer is not a matter of debate, nor has it been for years. This is the reality for countless Black women across America who, whether due to their workplaces’ demands, society’s pressures, or simply their personal preferences, turned to these carcinogenic products to alter their hair texture. Products we know to be dangerous have no place on the shelves of our stores and salons, and no business being anywhere close to our bodies. I am proud to fight alongside my colleagues to protect consumers and salon workers from the proven unsafe side effects of hair straightening products and bridge the health inequities that too often leave Black women and girls behind," said Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke.

The Healthy Hair Act is cosponsored by: Rep. Joyce Beatty, Rep. Yvette Clarke, Rep. Jasmine Crockett, Rep. Jahanna Hayes, Rep. Summer Lee, Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton, Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove, Rep. Robin Kelly, Rep. LaMonica McIver, Rep. Ayanna Pressley, Rep. Terri Sewell, Rep. Nydia Velázquez, and Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman.

The bill is also endorsed by the Clean Beauty Coalition.

In 2023, following a push from Brown and Pressley, the Food and Drug Administration announced a proposed rule to ban formaldehyde. Last year, Brown, Velazquez, and Pressley called on the Trump Administration to cease delay and implement the rule, but the FDA has continued to delay action.

Brown is the author of the U-FIGHT Act, separate legislation to create a new federal grant program for the detection and treatment of uterine fibroids. Brown is also a co-lead of Congresswoman Clarke’s Uterine Cancer Study Act, which requires additional federal research into the relationship between chemical hair straighteners and uterine cancers.

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Congresswoman Simon Celebrates House Passage of Bipartisan Bill to Require Federal Regulations are Informed by Best Information Possible

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Yesterday, Congresswoman Lateefah Simon’s (D-CA-12) fourth bill, the “Information Quality Assurance Act” (IQAA), passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 362 to 1. Congresswoman Simon and Republican Conference Chair Lisa McClain’s (R-MI-09) bipartisan bill would require that the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) update guidance to improve the quality of information and evidence that federal agencies use to promulgate federal regulations.

“My bill, the Information Quality Assurance Act, will ensure that federal regulations that ensure our safety and help small businesses thrive are rooted in the best science and evidence.” said Congresswoman Simon. “I am proud to represent the top public university in the world and numerous bio-innovation companies that are at the forefront of development – I know that expertise drives excellence, and our governance should reflect this excellence. I urge the Senate to swiftly take up this commonsense legislation to ensure our government operates at the highest level possible for Americans.”

Federal regulations shape every aspect of Americans’ lives from health care access and affordability to small business operations. The IQAA would require that the best, reasonably available scientific, technical, and economic information is relied on when agencies are issuing regulations. The bill would also require that federal agencies report any models or information it utilizes and allow the public to comment on these models. This bill will promote evidence-based policymaking, increase transparency, and improve public input into the federal policy making process.

As a freshman member of Congress, Congresswoman Simon has effectively worked across the aisle to move legislation that will modernize government operations and support small businesses. Since coming to Congress in January 2025, she has passed four bills through the House of Representatives including: the “Main Street Parity Act,” the “Assisting Small Businesses, Not Fraudsters Act,” and the “ThinkDIFFERENTLY About Disability Employment Act.”

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Congressman Sorensen Statement in Response to the State of the Union Address

WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Eric Sorensen (IL-17) released the following statement in response to President Trump’s State of the Union address:

“Tonight, Trump delivered a speech that failed to address the real challenges that our nation is facing. Ask working families, small business owners, and farmers and they’ll tell you that costs are too high, Trump’s tariff scheme is destroying economic opportunity, and workers just can’t get ahead. They’ll tell you that our neighbors are scared to go to work, school, and the doctor’s office because of ICE,” said Congressman Sorensen. “My neighbors in Central and Northwest Illinois elected me to fight for them and provide real results. No matter what partisan games people in Washington try to play, I will always remain laser focused on making life easier for the hardworking people I serve.”

Congressman Eric Sorensen represents Illinois’ 17th District in the United States House of Representatives. Prior to serving in Congress, Sorensen was a local meteorologist in Rockford and the Quad Cities for more than 20 years. His district includes Illinois’ Quad Cities, Rockford, Peoria, and Bloomington-Normal.


House Passes Rep. Stevens’ Bipartisan Bill to Help Small Businesses Safely Navigate AI

Washington, D.C. –This week, Congresswoman Haley Stevens (D-MI) passed yet another piece of legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives—her bipartisan Small Business AI Advancement Act. The legislation, which was co-led by Congressman Mike Collins (R-GA), passed the full House on Monday after advancing unanimously out of the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee last summer. The bill now heads to the Senate for approval.

Small businesses are increasingly finding new ways to use AI to facilitate their operations, ranging from logistics to design to customer service to cybersecurity. The Small Business AI Advancement Act ensures small businesses have access to clear guidance so they can compete and grow without unnecessary risk. It directs the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to develop and distribute guidance to help small businesses understand, evaluate, and adopt AI technologies, including technical standards, best practices, and case studies.

“As someone who works closely with Michigan manufacturers and small businesses, I know innovation works best when businesses have the information they need to succeed,” said Rep. Stevens. “This legislation helps ensure Michigan’s small businesses aren’t left behind in our 21st-century economy.”

The bill also requires NIST to update these resources every two years and report back to Congress after four years with feedback from small businesses and recommendations for improvement. The approach builds on NIST’s successful Small Business Cybersecurity Corner, a widely used resource that has helped strengthen cybersecurity practices across small businesses nationwide.

Passing bills like the Small Business AI Advancement Act is what makes Stevens the most effective Democratic lawmaker from Michigan and the most effective Democrat in Congress on science and technology issues.

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Rep. Subramanyam Statement Following the State of the Union Speech

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Representative Suhas Subramanyam (VA-10) released the following statement after President Trump’s State of the Union speech:

“President Trump’s speech made one thing clear: he is not living in the same reality as the American people. He claimed prices are down, inflation is lower, and life is better than it was a year ago. Families at the grocery store and small business owners balancing their books know better. They feel the squeeze every single day.

In contrast, Governor Abigail Spanberger offered something this country desperately needs: a positive vision for the future of the greatest country on earth. A future where hard work actually pays off. A future where the economy doesn’t just benefit the wealthiest few.


Congresswoman Tenney Launches Community Project Funding Process for Fiscal Year 2027

Washington, DC — Congresswoman Claudia Tenney (NY-24) today announced the launch of the Community Project Funding (CPF) process for Fiscal Year 2027 (FY27). The deadline for this year's submissions is March 9th at close of business.

The CPF process is an important way for members of Congress to advocate for projects that directly benefit our communities across New York’s 24th District. It ensures transparency, accountability, and congressional oversight in the funding process rather than leaving critical decisions solely to Washington without local input. The CPF program allows eligible local governments and non-profit organizations to submit requests for federal funding for high-priority community projects. All proposals are thoroughly vetted, must demonstrate strong local support, and are subject to strict oversight requirements.

All CPF applications supported by Congresswoman Tenney’s office must meet rigorous eligibility standards outlined in the appropriations guidance and include a clear, detailed plan to execute funds responsibly and efficiently. Tenney’s office works closely with applicants to ensure that any awarded funds are used appropriately and deliver meaningful results for the district.

Local elected officials and non-profit organizations interested in submitting applications or seeking additional information should email: AppropriationsRequestsNY24@mail.house.gov.

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Congresswoman Tenney’s Statement on President Trump’s State of the Union Address

Washington, DC – Congresswoman Claudia Tenney (NY-24) today issued the following statement on President Trump’s State of the Union Address.

“President Trump’s State of the Union made it unmistakably clear: America is back on track and the state of our Union is strong. After years of reckless spending, soaring inflation, open borders, and weak leadership, we are finally restoring strength, stability, and common sense. Inflation has come down dramatically from the Biden-era 40-year high to 2.4 percent, gas prices have fallen to a four-year low, and mortgage rates are easing. Under President Trump, private sector job creation is booming by growing real opportunity for American workers,” said Congresswoman Tenney.

“House Republicans worked with President Trump to pass the Working Families Tax Cuts, delivering historic relief for the American people. This bill provided an expanded deduction for seniors, and cut taxes for hardworking Americans earning between $55,000 and $80,000 by eliminating taxes on tips and overtime, and by permanently expanding the Child Tax Credit. Families are keeping more of their hard-earned money and small businesses are hiring and investing. We are investing in rural healthcare, strengthening Medicaid by removing waste, fraud and abuse, modernizing air traffic control, unleashing American energy production, and securing our border after years of chaos. These are the results that matter to families across Upstate New York.”

“Under President Biden, inflation crushed middle-class families, energy costs soared, and our enemies were emboldened. President Trump has reversed course with peace through strength, energy dominance, secure borders, and pro-growth economic policies that put American workers first. The State of the Union is strong and getting stronger because we are focused on lowering costs, expanding opportunity, and restoring accountability in Washington. I will continue working alongside President Trump to deliver policies that strengthen our economy, secure our nation, and ensure the people of NY-24 are never left behind again.”

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Congressman Valadao Updates FY27 Appropriations Deadlines

WASHINGTON – Today, Congressman David Valadao (CA-22) updated his Fiscal Year 2027 (FY27) appropriations deadlines.

Community Project Funding requests

The deadline to submit Community Project Funding requests is Monday, March 9 at 11:59 PM PT. Click here for the FY27 Community Project Funding request portal.

Non-Defense programmatic funding and language requests

The deadline to submit non-Defense funding requests is Friday, March 6 at 11:59 PM PT. Click here for the FY27 non-Defense Appropriations request portal.

Defense programmatic funding and language requests

The deadline to submit Defense funding requests is Friday, March 6 at 11:59 PM PT. Click here for the FY27 Defense Appropriations request portal.

Our office encourages entities to complete their requests as soon as possible.

For questions regarding Defense Appropriations; Legislative Branch Appropriations; Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations; or Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations; please reach out to Kellie Hartl at Kellie.Hartl@mail.house.gov.

For questions regarding Energy and Water Appropriations; National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs Appropriations; Homeland Security Appropriations; or Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations; please reach out to Olivia Speno at Olivia.Speno@mail.house.gov.

For questions regarding Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations; Financial Services and General Government Appropriations; Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations; and Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations; please reach out to William Klepp at William.Klepp@mail.house.gov.

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Valadao, Bonamici Work to Identify Foreign Trade Obstacles for Specialty Crop Growers

WASHINGTON – Today, Congressman David Valadao (CA-22) joined Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01) to reintroduce the Specialty Crops Reporting on Opportunities and Promotion Act (Specialty CROP Act). This bipartisan, bicameral bill makes key improvements to the annual U.S. Specialty Crops Trade Issues Report to identify major trade barriers so specialty crop growers can boost sales in foreign markets. Senate Finance Committee Chairman Mike Crapo (R-ID) and Ranking Member Ron Wyden (D-OR) introduced the companion legislation in the Senate.

“Specialty crops are a cornerstone of California agriculture—especially in the Central Valley—but while our state is a top exporter, our growers have unfortunately faced many challenges over the last few years,” said Congressman Valadao. “Many of our California-grown specialty crops rely on customers overseas, but due to unfair trade practices, burdensome labeling standards, and blockades in foreign markets, it makes it difficult to stay competitive. Our specialty crop producers deserve to compete on a level playing field in the global marketplace, and this bipartisan bill would take necessary steps to identify and combat unreasonable trade barriers more effectively.”

“The specialty crops are a vital part of Oregon’s economy,” said Congresswoman Bonamici. “Unfortunately tariffs, market uncertainty, and other global factors have hit specialty crop growers hard. I’m pleased to introduce the Specialty CROP Act to improve the USDA’s existing specialty crops trade report to better improve the competitiveness of U.S. specialty crops exports.”

“Specialty crop production is central to Idaho’s economy and our identity as a state,” said Senator Crapo. “Idaho farmers can outgrow the world, but high tariffs and burdensome labeling requirements imposed by foreign nations threaten our rural communities and keep agricultural producers from accessing global markets. Detailed and up-to-date information from USDA and USTR will help specialty crop growers navigate foreign markets and inform congressional and presidential efforts to address trade barriers and expand export opportunities.”

“The world is hungry for grown-in-the-U.S. blueberries, potatoes, wine and other produce. But all too often our farmers and producers are stymied by unreasonable blockades in foreign markets,” said Senator Wyden. “Our bipartisan bill will help rural Americans by identifying unfair foreign trade barriers and creating specific plans to cut through that red tape.”

The Specialty CROP Act would:

Improve the annual U.S. Specialty Crops Trade Issues Report to:

Explicitly require participation and engagement from the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR).

Highlight specific trade barriers that limit the export competitiveness of specialty crops in specific markets, including tariff and non-tariff barriers.

Include an assessment of whether each trade barrier is subject to a U.S. FTA or international agreement.

Include specific information with respect to actions taken, or expected to be taken, by the U.S. government to address or resolve each trade barrier.

Require a request for comment from both the public and the Agricultural Technical Advisory Committee (ATAC) for Trade in Fruits and Vegetables.

Require the report be made public, while allowing for a classified annex to protect U.S. national security and economic strategy.

Continue to define “specialty crop” as “fruits and vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, horticulture and nursery crops, including floriculture.”

Read the bill here.


Vindman, National Capital Region Delegation Send Letter Demanding Urgent Water Infrastructure Repairs and Modernization Following Potomac Spill

Washington, D.C. — Congressman Eugene Vindman (D-Va.-07) joined 13 of his National Capital Region delegation colleagues in demanding the full authorization and funding of federal programs to repair and modernize critical water infrastructure nationwide, including urgent repairs to the Potomac Interceptor. The request follows a failure in the Potomac Interceptor pipeline which resulted in nearly 250 million gallons of sewage spilling into the Potomac River.

In a letter addressed to leaders of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Members requested specific funding to rehabilitate and modernize the Potomac Interceptor, in addition to the reauthorization of and increased funding for the Clean Water State Revolving Fund which helps states and localities repair and modernize wastewater infrastructure. Members also urged the prioritization of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ (USACE) comprehensive study to identify a backup water supply for the Washington region, which currently lacks a secondary water source.

“Congress must play a role in solving this crisis, investing in our nation’s wastewater infrastructure, and preventing this and similar crises from recurring. The failure of the Potomac Interceptor is an acute crisis for our region…” wrote the Members. “The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has stated that ‘our water infrastructure is aging and in need of repair to withstand the challenges of the 21st century.’ EPA’s most recent Clean Watersheds Needs Survey found that our wastewater infrastructure will require more than $630 billion in repairs and updates over the next two decades, far outpacing local and state capacity.”

“These steps are essential to respond to the devastating sewage spill from the Potomac Interceptor, and to spare other communities from facing similar crises in the future, which will inevitably occur without immediate investments in our nation’s water infrastructure,” the members continued.

The letter is also signed by U.S. Representatives Bobby Scott (D-Va.-03), Jennifer McClellan (D-Va.-04), Don Beyer (D-Va.-08), Suhas Subramanyam (D-Va.-10), James Walkinshaw (D-Va.-11), Johnny Olszewski (D-Md.-02), Sarah Elfreth (D-Md.-03), Glenn Ivey (D-Md.-04), Steny Hoyer (D-Md.-05), April McClain Delaney (D-Md.-06), Kweisi Mfume (D-Md.-07), Jamie Raskin (D-Md.-08), and Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC-AL).

Full text of the letter here and below.

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Dear Chair Graves and Ranking Member Larsen:

As Members of Congress from Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia, we write to urge the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure (Committee) to take urgent action to repair and modernize the Potomac Interceptor, a major regional wastewater conveyance pipeline for D.C., Maryland, and Virginia. Since January 19th, and escalating since February 7th, a failure in the pipeline has resulted in nearly 250 million gallons of sewage spilling into the Potomac River, creating serious environmental and health concerns for our constituents.

We have been closely monitoring the spill since it occurred, and are thankful that local partners and governments have already taken steps to manage its most immediate impacts and have remained in regular communication with our offices. The University of Maryland and local partners like Potomac Riverkeepers have monitored water quality and provided consistent public updates. The Maryland Department of the Environment, the Maryland Department of Health, the Virginia Department of Health, and the D.C. Department of Energy & Environment, have all issued public notices or advisories to inform the public about the quality of the river. Meanwhile, D.C. Water has implemented emergency measures to prevent sewage from further spilling into the Potomac River while it installs medium- and long-term repairs. While those repairs will take time and cannot reverse the environmental and health impacts of the spill, they are essential steps toward ending this crisis.

Now, Congress must play a role in solving this crisis, investing in our nation’s wastewater infrastructure, and preventing this and similar crises from recurring. The failure of the Potomac Interceptor is an acute crisis for our region, but its failure was caused by the same aging infrastructure that exists across the country. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has stated that “our water infrastructure is aging and in need of repair to withstand the challenges of the 21st century.” EPA’s most recent Clean Watersheds Needs Survey found that our wastewater infrastructure will require more than $630 billion in repairs and updates over the next two decades, far outpacing local and state capacity. Like other infrastructure included in that survey, the Potomac Interceptor’s age made it vulnerable to failure. The conduit, which runs from Virginia and Maryland to D.C. Water’s Blue Plains Advanced Wastewater Treatment Plant, opened in 1964—more than 60 years ago.

We therefore request that the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure urgently act to repair the Potomac Interceptor. We also ask that you fully authorize and fund federal programs that prevent these crises for our region and others nationwide. Specifically, we request that the Committee:

Reauthorize, and increase authorized funding levels, for the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF). The CWSRF was specifically designed by Congress to help states and localities repair and modernize wastewater infrastructure like the Potomac Interceptor. Reauthorizing this program at or above the levels set in the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act is essential to enabling communities across the country to avoid wastewater spills and other crises.

Authorize specific funding to rehabilitate and modernize the Potomac Interceptor. Unlike other water systems nationwide, the Washington region’s system includes the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) as a major infrastructure owner and manager. As the Committee prepares the biennial updates to USACE’s funding priorities and projects as part of the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA), we ask that you authorize urgent funding for comprehensive rehabilitation and modernization of the Potomac Interceptor. That funding will allow for structural repairs, pipe lining, ventilation improvements, access structure replacement, odor and corrosion control upgrades, and modernization of monitoring systems.

As part of WRDA 2026, direct USACE to prioritize the execution of the comprehensive study on a backup water supply for the Washington region required by section 8201(a) (14) of WRDA 2022 as modified by section 1351 of WRDA 2024. Unlike other major metropolitan areas, the region lacks a secondary water supply, which would provide critical redundancy in the event of a future crisis. The region cannot afford a delay in identifying that second source or a narrowing of the study to focus only on near-term or small-scale measures.

These steps are essential to respond to the devastating sewage spill from the Potomac Interceptor, and to spare other communities from facing similar crises in the future, which will inevitably occur without immediate investments in our nation’s water infrastructure. To deliver those investments, we also ask the Appropriations Committee’s subcommittees on Energy and Water Development, and on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies, to fully fund the CWSRF and authorized Potomac Interceptor repairs as they prepare Fiscal Year 2027 appropriations bills.

On behalf of the communities facing the most severe impacts from the failure of the Potomac Interceptor, we thank you for your attention to this urgent issue. We are willing and prepared to work with the Committee to secure real, long-term solutions to our region’s, and our country’s, wastewater infrastructure issues.

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Vindman, Virginia Delegation Send Letter Urging Vance to Prioritize Detention of Virginia Constituent in Azerbaijan

Washington, D.C. — Congressman Eugene Vindman (Va.-07) joined his Virgina Delegation Democratic colleagues in sending a letter to Vice President JD Vance ahead of his trip to Azerbaijan earlier this month. In the letter, the members urged Vice President Vance to raise concerns about the detention of Virginia constituent Dr. Gubad Ibadoghlu in Azerbaijan and the country’s broader human rights record.

The letter is cosigned by Virginia delegation members, including U.S. Senator Mark R. Warner and U.S. Representatives Bobby Scott (D-Va.-03), Don Beyer (D-Va.-08), Jennifer McClellan (D-VA-04), Suhas Subramanyam (D-Va.-10), and James Walkinshaw (D-Va.-11).

“We welcome the Administration’s continued high-level engagement with both countries and recognize the importance of sustained U.S. leadership in supporting lasting peace. Recent progress in negotiations offers a meaningful opportunity to reinforce stability, prosperity, and respect for international norms,” wrote the members. “In that spirit, we respectfully urge you to raise with Azerbaijani leadership serious concerns regarding the treatment of Dr. Gubad Ibadoghlu, whose family is based in Virginia, as well as broader human rights issues that bear directly on the durability of any negotiated peace.”

“Credible international observers have documented politically motivated prosecutions, restrictions on independent media, and allegations of mistreatment in detention. We are also concerned about the broader population of political prisoners in Azerbaijan, as documented by international human rights organizations and advocacy groups such as the Free Voices Collective,” the members wrote.

“Dr. Ibadoghlu is a respected economist who was arrested in Azerbaijan in July 2023, reportedly beaten while in custody, and charged under circumstances widely viewed as politically motivated. Although transferred to house arrest in April 2024, he remains in legal limbo, has been denied a timely trial, and continues to face serious health concerns following inadequate medical care during detention,” the members continued. “On behalf of his Virginia-based family, we ask that you raise his case directly with Azerbaijan’s leadership and emphasize that meaningful progress in bilateral relations must include resolution of cases such as his.”

“In your engagements with Azerbaijan’s leadership, we ask that you to raise this specific case and make clear that meaningful partnership with the United States is strengthened by respect for due process, academic freedom, independent journalism, and the protection of peaceful expression,” the members concluded.

Full text is available hereand below:

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Dear Mr. Vice President,

As Members of the Virginia delegation, we write in advance of your upcoming travel to Azerbaijan and Armenia. We welcome the Administration’s continued high-level engagement with both countries and recognize the importance of sustained U.S. leadership in supporting lasting peace. Recent progress in negotiations offers a meaningful opportunity to reinforce stability, prosperity, and respect for international norms. In that spirit, we respectfully urge you to raise with Azerbaijani leadership serious concerns regarding the treatment of Dr. Gubad Ibadoghlu, whose family is based in Virginia, as well as broader human rights issues that bear directly on the durability of any negotiated peace.

Recent diplomatic progress on the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict has occurred in parallel to deepening concerns regarding civil society and due process within Azerbaijan. Credible international observers have documented politically motivated prosecutions, restrictions on independent media, and allegations of mistreatment in detention. We are also concerned about the broader population of political prisoners in Azerbaijan, as documented by international human rights organizations and advocacy groups such as the Free Voices Collective.

Dr. Ibadoghlu is a respected economist with longstanding ties to the U.S. as an alumnus of multiple U.S. government supported academic exchange programs, including the Fulbright Scholarship at Duke University and the Junior Faculty Development Program at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Dr. Ibadoghlu was arrested in Azerbaijan in July 2023, reportedly beaten while in custody, and charged under circumstances widely viewed as politically motivated. Although transferred to house arrest in April 2024, he remains in legal limbo, has been denied a timely trial, and continues to face serious health concerns following inadequate medical care during detention. His treatment has received bipartisan condemnation via Senate Resolution 398, which also calls for his immediate and unconditional release. On behalf of his Virginia-based family, we ask that you raise his case directly with Azerbaijan’s leadership and emphasize that meaningful progress in bilateral relations must include resolution of cases such as his.

Dr. Ibadoghlu’s case illustrates broader concerns with Azerbaijan’s troubling human rights record, as outlined in the Department of State’s August 2025 release of Azerbaijan’s Country Report on Human Rights Practices. In your engagements with Azerbaijan’s leadership, we ask that you to raise this specific case and make clear that meaningful partnership with the United States is strengthened by respect for due process, academic freedom, independent journalism, and the protection of peaceful expression. As the bilateral relationship deepens, including through engagement in the Armenia-Azerbaijan peace process and associated economic and regional development initiatives, we believe that this positive trajectory should create new opportunities for constructive engagement on the release of other unjustly imprisoned individuals, particularly those with a clear nexus to the United States.

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ICYMI: Senator Banks Discusses Dalilah Law on the Ingraham Angle

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Last night, Senator Jim Banks (R-Ind.) joined Brian Kilmeade on The Ingraham Angle to discuss The Dalilah Law.

Click the image above for the full discussion

Full Remarks below:

Senator Banks: “This is a national crisis. Just last week, a 64-year-old man was killed in Indiana by an illegal from India. The week before that, four Amish men killed by an illegal from Kyrgyzstan. And then late last year, we had a National Guard soldier driving a Humvee on a highway in Indiana in a training exercise was sideswiped by an illegal from the country of Georgia.”

“All of these illegal truck drivers given CDLs or trucking licenses from states like California, Pennsylvania, New York. They go to fake truck driving schools and then Democrat States give them a license and allow them to drive a semi-truck on a highway, and they end up killing people because they can’t read English, they

can’t speak English, they don’t know our driving customs. We got to crack down on

it and stop it.”

“…Dalilah, a beautiful seven-year-old girl. I just spoke to her dad, Marcus, just before I came on the show. And Brian, I have three daughters… knowing what she’s gone through and what so many others go through. It’s very personal. But the law, as President Trump said, the Dalilah law says that we’re going to take away CDLs, truck driving licenses from illegals that Joe Biden allowed to come into this country. We’re going to withhold federal funding from states that give driver’s licenses to illegals. And then when you take that truck driving test to get the CDL, it will be conducted in English. I mean, this is all common sense. We should be doing it already.”

“This isn’t just about the safety of families on the road. These illegals are taking really good paying jobs away from Americans. Democrats say all the time that illegals do the work that Americans don’t want to do. These jobs are six -figure jobs. I mean, truck drivers are hardworking men and women. They make good money, and illegals are flooding into our country. Shady companies are hiring them to drive semi-trucks.”

“You saw last night the Democrats wouldn’t stand up when President Trump said we will pass the Dalilah law. They wouldn’t even stand up and applaud for it.”

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Senator Banks Introduces the Dalilah Law to Get Illegal Truckers Off America’s Roads

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today,Senator Jim Banks (R-Ind.) introduced the Dalilah Law. This legislation would require states to take specific measures to get illegal alien truck drivers off America’s roads to receive federal Department of Transportation funding.

At last night’s State of the Union, President Trump called on Congress to pass legislation called “the Dalilah Law” barring any state from granting commercial driver’s licenses to illegal aliens.

Senator Jim Banks: “Too many people have been hurt. Too many have been killed. Americans are paying the price because illegal drivers are being handed commercial driver’s licenses like candy and put behind the wheel of 80,000-pound trucks. That stops now. The Dalilah Law makes it clear: if you are here illegally, you do not get a CDL. We need to act and we need to act now.”

Read the full text here.

Key Provisions of the Dalilah Law:

The Dalilah Law would require states to take the following action items as a condition of Department of Transportation funding:

Limiting trucking licenses to United States citizens, lawful permanent residents, and certain work visa holders only.

Revoking all trucking licenses currently issued to illegal aliens and aliens with temporary status, whether or not such persons have work authorization.

Offering CDL knowledge and skill tests in English only.

Earlier this week, Senator Banks sent a letter to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration Administrator Derek Barrs for an immediate investigation into potential “chameleon carrier” trucking networks operating in Indiana. Read the full letter here.

Last week, Senator Banks launched the Truck Safety Tipline for truckers and those who work in the trucking industry to share concerns about carriers employing or contracting with drivers who are not legally in the United States, who are not authorized to drive a truck, or who cannot meet required English-language safety standards.

Senator Banks spoke about the Dalilah Law and his Truck Safety Tipline on the Senate Floor this afternoon.

Background:

Dalilah Coleman is a 1st-grader who was severely injured in a six-car pileup caused by an illegal alien driving a semitruck with a CDL. The driver crossed the border in 2022 and was released into the country by the Biden administration.

On June 20, 2024, Partap Singh—an illegal alien from India—caused the multi-car pileup while driving a commercial 18-wheeler in the sanctuary state of California. Governor Newsom’s Department of Motor Vehicle’s issued him a commercial driver’s license.

According to the Dalilah’s father, the crash resulted in her inability to walk, talk, eat orally, or attend kindergarten as planned. She was in a coma for three weeks and required six months of hospital treatment before her family could bring her home. While in the hospital, she had a craniectomy and was without half of her skull for four months.

Dalilah experienced a broken femur, skull fractures, and has since been diagnosed with diplegic cerebral palsy, global developmental delay, and will need life-long therapy.

Last week in Hendricks County, Indiana, 64-year-old Terry Schultz from Carmel was killed by an illegal alien from India driving a semitruck who ran a red light at the intersection of U.S. 36 and County Road 525 East.

Earlier this month, a Kyrgyzstani national who crossed the southern border illegally in December 2023 and was let into the U.S. by the Biden administration by using the CBP One cell phone app killed four Indiana men after swerving into oncoming traffic on State Road 67 in Jay County. The victims of the accident include a 50-year-old father, his two sons, ages 19 and 25, and one other person.

In November 2025, a Georgian national who entered the country illegally during the Biden Administration in 2022 and was granted a commercial driver’s license by New York State caused a crash that killed Indiana National Guardsman Terry Frye. When the authorities tried to communicate with the foreign driver at the scene, they discovered that the driver could not speak English and required a translator, according to the Boone County Sheriff’s Office.

In October 2025, an illegal alien from Serbia and Montenegro driving a semi-truck on U.S. Highway 20 in Portage, Indiana caused a multi-car accident that killed a 54-year-old. Despite being in the United States illegally since 2011, the driver owned two trucking companies that received over $36,000 in COVID-19 relief funding.

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Barrasso, Lummis Celebrate Wyoming’s 2026 Olympic Athletes

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators John Barrasso and Cynthia Lummis, both R-Wyo., spoke on the Senate floor celebrating the success of Wyoming’s three Olympic athletes who represented Team USA in the 2026 Winter Olympic Games.

Breezy Johnson from Jackson Hole, who competed in Alpine Skiing, won America’s first gold medal in the Olympics. Jaelin Kauf from Alta, who won two silver medals in Single and Dual Mogul Skiing, is now the most decorated mogul skier in U.S. Olympic history. Anna Gibson from Jackson Hole, who made history as the first American woman to compete in Ski Mountaineering, finished in fourth place in the mixed relay race.

Click here to watch remarks by Senator Barrasso

“The 2026 Olympic Games were the most successful Winter Games in our nation’s history. Team USA won an astonishing 12 Gold Medals – the most Gold Medals our country has ever won in the Winter Olympics. America brought home the second most medals of any country – 33 medals overall. This was a record-setting year for Team USA. And Wyoming is no small part of the success,” said Senator Barrasso. “So, congratulations to our Wyoming Olympic champions. They’ve done so much to make history. We’re so very proud of all of them. They make our state and our nation very proud.”

Click here to watch remarks by Senator Lummis.

“Mr. President, these three women remind us that greatness is not born in stadiums, but it’s built in gymnasiums, and on training courses, on ski mountains, and early morning trainings, weight rooms, and in your diet, your exercise. And particularly in tight-knit communities that support these athletes. These communities believe in one another, they believe in celebrating each other’s hard work,” said Senator Lummis. “Wyoming has always stood for toughness, independence, and quiet excellence. Breezy, Jaelin, and Anna carried that spirit with them to the world stage. They made Wyoming, and the entire country, so proud. Mr. President, we are lucky to call them ours.”

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Barrasso Questions BLM Nominee on Wyoming Field Offices and Rock Springs RMP

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) secured commitments from Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Director nominee Stevan Pearce to help ensure BLM field offices in Wyoming remain open long-term and amend the Biden administration’s Rock Springs Resource Management Plan (RMP) to free up millions of acres of land in southwest Wyoming for multiple-use.

BLM Director nominee Stevan Pearce testified at today’s Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources hearing.

On Amending Rock Springs Resource Management Plan:

“Congratulations on your nomination – I enjoyed working with you when you chaired the Congressional Western Caucus, and I am looking forward to working with you in your new role once confirmed.

“We spoke yesterday in my office specifically about the BLM and the critical role it plays in the lifeblood of the economy in the state of Wyoming.

“Specifically, we talked yesterday about the Rock Springs RMP, the Resource Management Plan.

“It was something that the last administration came out with, and they rejected any input from the state of Wyoming, but accepted comments from around the world. Including, apparently, bots from China.

“And it would have locked up millions of acres of lands that local communities, that the entire state rely upon.

“The Governors, the state legislature, the county commissioners, and local communities all strongly opposed the plan.

“Will you commit to working with my office and the state of Wyoming to amend what I believe was a disastrous plan?”

On Ensuring Longevity for BLM Field Offices in Wyoming:

“We’re very fortunate in Wyoming to have field offices for the Bureau of Land Management throughout our state.

“This allows the federal agency to better serve our rural communities, and many of these offices are located near natural resources all across the state.

“The field offices are located in our more rural areas, directly near our agriculture and energy interests and industries, such as in Buffalo, Cody, Newcastle and Pinedale.

“I’m hearing from local leaders who would like to make sure that there is certainty for the next few years in terms of field offices staying in these communities.

Would you be willing to commit to working with my office to ensure longevity for our Wyoming field offices?”

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Barrasso Slams Democrats for Ignoring Working Families

“What Americans saw last night was quite simple. Republicans stood with them. Democrats didn’t. They didn’t stand for much. Republicans cheered for lower taxes, for safe communities, and safer elections – secure elections, elections people have faith in.”

WASHINGTON D.C. – U.S. Senator John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Senate Majority Whip, today delivered remarks slamming Democrats for their refusal to stand for hardworking American families during last night’s State of the Union Address.

Senator Barrasso discussed how the Republicans’ Working Families Tax Cuts law cut taxes for Main Street Businesses, farmers, and ranchers. He continued by comparing the Republican prosperity agenda to the Democrat demand for higher taxes.

Click HERE to watch Senator Barrasso’s remarks.

Remarks as delivered:

“Mr. President, I come to the Floor having just heard the Minority Leader, and he talked about the State of the Union address last night. I heard the same speech that he did. I thought it was outstanding. Apparently, the difference is that I was actually listening.

“The American people agree with me in terms of what they saw and heard and witnessed last night with Donald Trump’s State of the Union.

“What Americans saw last night was quite simple. Republicans stood with them. Democrats didn’t. They didn’t stand for much. Republicans cheered for lower taxes, for safe communities, and safer elections – secure elections, elections people have faith in.

“Senator Schumer said that he thought the speech was delusional. The American people didn’t think that.

“Immediately after the State of the Union, CNN conducted a poll. Here’s what they found: 62% of the viewers said that President Trump’s economic and immigration policies would move the country in the right direction. That’s what we’ve been trying to do for the last year – get the country back on track. Those are the commonsense policies for which the Democrats refused to stand.

“The President said to the whole body, he said, ‘If you agree with this statement, then stand up and show your support.’ He then read the statement: ‘The first duty of the American government is to protect American citizens, not illegal aliens.’ Every Republican stood up. Not the Democrats. They sat silently.

“This is the first responsibility of a government of a nation: to protect its citizens. Why in the world would Democrats refuse to stand for such a statement, such a basic understanding of what the role of government is in our lives, what our Founding Fathers fought for in the Revolutionary War?

“Here we are 250 years into the United States and the Democrats in the Senate, House, and the Chamber last night don’t believe that that’s the responsibility of government – the number one first duty – to protect American citizens, not illegal aliens? That is delusional on the part of the Democrats. It’s astonishing.

“I’m happy to see CNN report that so many Americans agree that we’re getting the country back on track. Doing what we should do, what we were elected to do: to provide safety and prosperity for the American people.

“What do the Democrats stand for? Raising taxes. They sit on their hands when it comes to protecting American citizens. Their priorities are wrong.

“We are in a shutdown right now with the Department of Homeland Security. Why? Because they want to stand with the illegal immigrant criminals instead of the safety and security of the American people. And for me that was the most telling moment of the evening.

“And the American people will not forget that. They will not forget that visual. They will not forget seeing the President of the United States make his statement and the Republicans jump up and cheer and the Democrats sit in silence.

“Last night we heard about the great American comeback. The President’s remarks proved two things: our country is strong, and our fellow citizens, boy, they are courageous. And we heard great stories of courage last night.

“More than a dozen heroes were honored, rightfully so. Heroes like 100-year-old Navy pilot, retired Captain Royce Williams, and the helicopter pilot, Chief Warrant Officer Eric Slover – both of whom received the Congressional Medal of Honor. Well earned, well done, well deserved. Heroes like Pennsylvania mom Megan Hemhauser, who homeschools her two children and works in the evenings as a waitress. Heroes like Coast Guard rescue swimmer Scott Ruskan, who rescued many young girls from the deadly Texas flood.

“These American heroes remind me of two sailors that I met this past weekend. I was on a Navy destroyer within firing distance of Iran. These sailors from Wyoming were nine time zones away from home in Wyoming. One that I talked to is from Gillette, Wyoming. He went to Sheridan High School, but he’s from Gillette. His father works in a coal mine in Gillette. Another from Wheatland, Wyoming. His father works at the power plant. Both of them said that President Trump and Republicans had saved their fathers’ jobs. And they asked me to give that thanks to the President.

“And I did that last night as a member of the Escort Committee when I met with the President before he entered the Chamber to deliver the State of the Union. He knows that what he’s doing is making a difference for the working men and women of our country, for the jobs in our communities, for good-paying jobs, and for American energy. That’s what we’re doing for America.

“The success that the President outlined last night is just the beginning. It’s being felt by working families everywhere around the country. People are going to continue to feel that success because of our Republican comprehensive economic plan.

“Being from Wyoming, my focus is small businesses that make our state thrive. Wyoming is proud to be a small business state. 99% of our businesses are small businesses. Two out of three jobs in our state are all from small businesses. What we’re talking about is farmers, ranchers, construction workers, energy workers, so many more. People who feed our country, people who power our homes, people who make our communities better.

“During the previous administration, small businesses struggled. They choked on a witch’s brew of higher taxes and burdensome regulations. Punishing good people for honest work did not make life in America more affordable. It made it more challenging. It led to higher costs. It led to smaller paychecks. It led to fewer jobs. That’s what the Biden administration and the Democrats did.

“But now, because of our Working Family Tax Cuts law, taxes on small businesses are going down and they’re going to stay down. The Working Family Tax Cuts law is already helping create jobs. This year, in every state, new Main Street jobs are going to be created. Small businesses receive a permanent tax cut. In my home state of Wyoming, 50,000 small businesses will benefit from them.

“The Working Family Tax Cuts law encourages investing here at home. Small businesses can now write off 100% of their cost for new equipment. It’s called full expensing. It matters to the small businesses in Main Street all around this great nation.

“Full expensing simply means that small businesses will be able to build more and grow faster. They can invest in their business and their workers. Faster growth means lower costs for families. It means more jobs. It means bigger paychecks. That’s what the American people want.

“The Working Family Tax Cuts law supports farmers and ranchers. They receive major relief from the dreaded Death Tax. And this relief is permanent. Death tax relief has significant consequences for rural livelihoods and for feeding our country. Now, families across Wyoming will not have to worry about whether they can keep the farm or the ranch when grandmom or grandpop passes away. They want to keep it in the family. In the past, they had to sell it to pay the tax man. That’s wrong.

“All these changes mean immediate savings for small business owners, for their employers, as well as for their customers. This year, small business owners will receive about $27 billion in additional tax refunds. That’s money in their pockets. And because these provisions are permanent, small businesses can hire, invest, and grow with confidence, now and in the future. The only people who don’t want this success to continue are the Democrats.

“People in Wyoming – thinking of a small community in Wyoming – like Newcastle, Wyoming. Great place. I go every year. They do Madness on Main Street. All the small businesses are out. They have tables out. The firefighters do a pancake breakfast. That’s what America is all about. Small communities, local community jobs, local schools where they still teach the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence. Kids can actually recite it. They stand up. I’ve been in their classrooms.

“It’s astonishing what’s going on in small communities and schools all across America. That’s what President Trump was talking about and what he’s doing for small business in our communities and rural America. But that’s not what we saw with the Democrats.

“No, how did they respond last night after the President’s magnificent speech? Well, they chose the newly elected Governor of Virginia to deliver their State of the Union response. She was sworn in just a month ago. But this is the mindset now of this far-left party over there – the Democrats.

“Because since she was sworn in last month as the Governor of Virginia, she has introduced 50 new taxes – 50 new taxes. Democrats in Virginia are trying to raise taxes on barbershops, nail salons, dry cleaners, and gyms. Every one of those – if we were talking about Newcastle, Wyoming – would hurt Newcastle, Wyoming, and other small communities in Wyoming. But that’s what Virginia wants to do. That’s what the liberals who run the House, the Senate, and their new Governor, who the Democrats chose as the face of the Democrat party – somebody who has been in office one month and has introduced 50 new taxes. Barbershops, nail salons, dry cleaners, and gyms – tax them all.

“She wants to raise sales taxes on firearms and ammunition by 11%. That’s not something that works in Wyoming. She wants to give in-state tuition benefits for illegal immigrants. That’s not something the American people agree on. She wants to ban gas-powered leaf blowers. She is still living in that age of focusing on the carbon footprint instead of what we need in America today, which is all the energy – and affordable energy. That’s who the Democrats chose to give the response, a person who wants to put sales taxes on everyday services all across the state.

“I said it before; I’ll say it again: Democrats are committed and determined to raise your taxes. What they’re doing in Virginia is just a roadmap to the radical policies the Democrats want all over this country. Remember, it was the Democrats under Joe Biden who brought us the worst inflation in 40 years. Democrats who voted last year to raise taxes by $4 trillion. Democrats stood for higher taxes last night, but not for tax cuts. Not for working Americans. Not for American heroes. Not for the priorities of the safety of the American people. Nope. The Democrat agenda continues to be higher taxes, higher prices that the American people cannot afford.

“Affordability isn’t improved by taxing and by spending more government money. It’s improved by allowing the American people to keep more of what they earned so they can make the decisions for themselves of what to spend, what to save, what to invest. Americans are better off today because Republicans cut taxes, because we protect farmers and ranchers, because we support small businesses. And after just one year, inflation is falling, wages are rising, and more Americans are working.

“This is the great American economic comeback. This is what we heard from the President last night. This is what we are proud of: a record of providing safety and prosperity for the American people. And there is more work to be done, as the President said.

“Our nation is returning to a position of safety, security, and prosperity. And for small businesses in Wyoming and all across America, the future is bright.”

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Bennet, Shaheen, Tillis, Colleagues Support Ukraine on Fourth Anniversary of Russia’s Full-Scale Invasion

Washington, D.C. — Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet, a member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, joined U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), the co-chairs of the Senate NATO Observer Group, and several other Senate colleagues to introduce a bipartisan resolution recognizing the fourth anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The resolution reaffirms the Senate’s support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, condemns Russia’s continued attacks on Ukrainian civilians and critical infrastructure, and underscores the importance of strong, binding U.S. and transatlantic security guarantees to secure a just and lasting peace.

In addition to Bennet, Shaheen, and Tillis, U.S. Senators Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Dave McCormick (R-Pa.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), John Curtis (R-Utah), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Todd Young (R-Ind.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), and Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) co-sponsored this resolution.

“For four years, the Ukrainian people have shown us what it looks like to fight and die for democracy, for their country, and for the West. Their involuntary war with Putin – and the resolve they have shown – offers the greatest example of how to fight back against authoritarian aggression. They have fulfilled a duty on the front lines that we will struggle to repay,” said Bennet. “The United States must work with our allies to ensure continued military, intelligence, and economic support for Ukraine. Amid Putin’s intransigence and daily attacks on civilians across Ukraine, Congress must also make Russia pay a further price for its aggression and clarify the U.S.’s long-term commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty and security. Only by demonstrating our firm resolve can the United States and our allies support Ukraine to negotiate a just and durable end to this unprovoked war and successfully defend the principle of a Europe whole, free, and at peace.”

“As Russia’s brutal and illegal full-scale invasion enters its fourth year, this bipartisan resolution sends a clear message that the United States stands firmly with the Ukrainian people, but that more must be done to bring the war to a just end,” said Shaheen. “I recently traveled to Ukraine and led the first congressional delegation to Odesa since the start of the invasion, where we saw firsthand the resilience and ingenuity of Ukrainians rebuilding under constant attack. Russia is not winning this war, reflected by Putin’s recent escalations by striking civilian infrastructure, targeting U.S. businesses and prolonging the suffering of the Ukrainian people. That’s why Congress must continue to support Ukraine and place real pressure on the Kremlin. That pressure must include sanctions against Russia’s shadow fleet to cut off Putin’s ability to fund the war and must be done in conjunction with our allies. For this war to have a just and lasting peace, we must also put in place comprehensive, ironclad security guarantees.”

“As we mark the fourth anniversary of Russia’s illegal and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, the United States must continue to stand with the Ukrainian people and work with our allies to ensure Russia is held accountable for its aggression,” said Tillis. “This resolution underscores our bipartisan support for Ukraine’s freedom and independence and reaffirms our commitment to helping secure a durable and lasting peace.”

“Four years ago, Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale military invasion of Ukraine, thinking Russian forces would easily win in a matter of weeks. The Ukrainian people thought otherwise, repelling one of the world’s largest militaries and fearlessly defending their democratic nation. Putin’s tragic blunder only strengthened Ukraine’s resolve, expanded NATO, and further exposed his bankrupt regime and nostalgia for Soviet tyranny. Today, the United States Senate is reaffirming its continued support of Ukraine’s fight for freedom from Russian tyranny,” said Durbin.

“Four years ago, Russia launched an inhumane and unprovoked attack against Ukraine, creating the largest war in Europe since World War II,” said Grassley. “I’m proud to join my colleagues in introducing this bipartisan resolution to stand with Ukraine in the pursuit of peace, call for the return of abducted children and end the terrible bloodshed.”

“Today marks four years since Vladimir Putin’s unprovoked assault on peaceful Ukraine, and allies and autocrats alike are watching how America will bring a just end to this war,” said Whitehouse. “As Trump betrays our longtime alliances to help the murderous aggressor, I went to Kyiv and Odesa last week to reaffirm our support of the people of Ukraine. If Trump wants peace, he should repurpose frozen Russian funds for Ukraine and disrupt the shadow fleet that fills Putin’s war coffers.”

“The Ukrainian people have shown incredible resilience in the wake of Vladimir Putin’s heinous invasion. I’m disgusted by the Trump Administration’s refusal to hold Putin accountable,” said Kaine. “The United States is safest when we stand with the free peoples of the world against those who would oppress them. As a member of the Armed Services and Foreign Relations Committees, I will continue to do all I can to support Ukraine and stand against totalitarian regimes.”

“Four years after Putin’s illegal invasion, Ukraine still stands—and democracies must remain united in standing with them,” said Curtis. “This resolution reaffirms our unwavering support for Ukraine’s sovereignty, rejects Russia’s brutal aggression, and underscores that any lasting peace must be backed by strong security guarantees.”

“After four years of Putin’s brutal war of choice, Russia is no closer to breaking the spirit of the Ukrainian people nor their will to fight for their sovereignty and freedom,” said Duckworth. “I’m proud to join this resolution that underscores and reiterates the Senate’s strong bipartisan support for Ukraine and its people as they bravely fight back against Putin’s invasion. We will continue standing with them and condemning Putin’s aggression in Ukraine.”

“As Putin’s unjust war reaches its fifth year, the resolve of the Ukrainian people remains unbroken,” said Moran. “The U.S. and our allies must stand firm in our commitment to supporting Ukraine’s sovereignty and deterring Russia’s ongoing aggression until a just and lasting peace is achieved.”

“In the four years since Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, the Ukrainian people have been bravely fighting to defend their country,” said Rosen. “The United States must continue to stand with our ally as they defend themselves against Putin’s brutal aggression, and we must ensure that Ukraine has a seat at the table in any negotiations regarding their future.”

Specifically, this bipartisan resolution:

Affirms that any negotiated settlement must respect Ukraine’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and include Ukraine as the central party to discussions regarding its future.

Underscores the importance of coordination with NATO, European, and other likeminded allies to work together as part of any coalition to defend Ukraine intended to deter future Russian aggression against Ukraine and bolster Ukraine’s long-term defense capabilities.

Calls upon Congress and the President to impose additional financial pressure on Vladimir Putin’s Russia and third-country enablers of Russia’s war to deter further unnecessary aggression against the Ukrainian people and force Putin to meaningfully engage in peace talks for a lasting peace.

Highlights Russia’s escalatory attacks, including the specific targeting of American companies operating inside Ukraine to try and discourage American investment.

Commends the resilience of the Ukrainian people as they continue to defend their country against Russians aggression.

The text of the resolution is available HERE.

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Blackburn Statement on President Trump’s State of the Union Address

“The state of our union is stronger than ever, and President Trump did a tremendous job laying out the accomplishments Republicans have achieved over the last year on the issues that matter most to the American people,” said Senator Blackburn. “President Trump is digging us out of Joe Biden’s economic ditch, ensuring Americans can keep more of their hard-earned tax dollars, deporting illegal aliens, lowering the cost of prescription drugs, locking up violent criminals, protecting children from chemical and surgical mutilation, and restoring common sense across the federal government. This is what an American comeback looks like.”

RELATED


ICYMI Video: After Trump Doubles Down on Anti-Voter Legislation, Blumenthal Slams Republicans for Threatening Integrity & Fairness of Elections

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – In case you missed it, U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) today spoke on the Senate Floor to condemn President Donald Trump’s mounting attacks on voting rights. Blumenthal’s remarks come after President Trump called for the nationalization of elections and urged Congress to pass legislation that would disenfranchise millions of eligible American citizens in his State of the Union Address.

“President Trump has called for the nationalization of American elections. Now, Americans may ask themselves, ‘What is nationalization of elections?’ Well, you need to look no further than the so-called SAVE America Act, which would create absolutely horrendous burdens for all Americans registering to vote and then in fact voting. It would create burdens for states, which have the constitutional responsibility to administer elections,” Blumenthal said.

Blumenthal continued, “The SAVE America Act requires voters not just to present voter identification, it enables voter purges and federalizes that requirement in a way that is antithetical to all the principles of our Constitution that maintain state responsibility for voting.”

Blumenthal underscored how the anti-voter SAVE America Act would undermine citizens’ access to the ballot box: “Voting by noncitizens, which is the issue the bill claims to address, is already illegal and, as has been proven time and time again, voter fraud rarely, if ever, occurs. But while the problem is a fake, the bill would have real effect. It would make the sacred act of voting exponentially more difficult for all Americans. Over 20 million American citizens, one in ten voting-age Americans, simply don’t have the access to the documentation that this bill would require to vote.”

“Two hundred and fifty years ago, America broke from the chains of monarchy and chose democracy, a government that’s supposed to be by and for the people. But as we approach this nation’s birthday, we are challenged as never before to defend democracy,” Blumenthal concluded.

A video of Blumenthal’s remarks is available here. The full transcript is available below.

U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT): Thank you Mr. President.

Mr. President, I’m here to mark a solemn anniversary. Yesterday marked the fourth anniversary of Vladimir Putin’s unprovoked, unjustified, brutal full-scale invasion of Ukraine. He sought to extinguish a democracy. He sought to erase a whole people's identity, their culture, their way of life, their language. He sought to redraw the map of Europe by force, against all of the norms and accepted rules that have preserved the peace for decades since World War II. He failed. Four years later, Ukraine stands proudly, resolutely, bloody, scarred but unbroken.

Russia is not winning. There is a false narrative, in fact, that Russia is prevailing because it is taking bits and tiny pieces of territory at humongous cost in lives and resources. That false narrative must be dispelled, and I am here to say to my colleagues, to America, to the world: we know Ukraine can win if it has the tools to prevail. It has the will and the determination, unquestionably. It has the courage and the strength. It needs the weapons and the economic sanctions that will enable it to prevail.

Peace is our devout hope, but peace will be achieved only through strength because Vladimir Putin is unserious about peace now and will become serious only by demonstration unequivocally and unambiguously of strength.

I’ve just come back from a trip to Ukraine, both to Kyiv and to Odessa, meeting the engineers who are repairing the electric generation sources that Putin has bombed. He's bombed all of the non-nuclear sources.

Children who have been kidnapped and saved and brought back, they’re among the 20,000 that Putin has abducted. President Zelenskyy, who remains absolutely firm in his determination to lead the people of Ukraine to push back the Russians. And in Odesa, the front-line forces in the black sea, who are not only detecting but destroying the evading drones and missiles and the faith community there who have remained so absolutely supportive.

The fact is that Putin is bombing not only Ukrainian civilians in their hospitals, homes, education centers, and school rooms—he's also bombing American businesses. Of the 600 major corporations with operations in Ukraine, almost half of them, 300, have been damaged or destroyed in some way by Putin's bombing, drones, missiles. Putin is attacking Ukraine, but he's also attacking America. And America should be outraged by these attacks on American businesses.

In the meantime, my main takeaway from this trip, my ninth, was the incredible endurance and resilience of the Ukrainian people. But they don't want our applause. They want ammunition. They want weapons, not words. So I'm here to advocate, on this fourth anniversary, that we give them the tools they need to prevail because they are fighting on.

This conflict is the most destructive in Europe since World War II. Entire cities have been reduced to rubble. Tens of thousands have been killed. Millions have been displaced. Families sleep under the threat nightly of drone and missile attacks. And they're fighting not only for their homes and their children but for a principle that protects us all. We all have a stake in it. Our national security is at risk here, and the principle is that borders cannot be changed by tanks and terror. Sovereignty is not negotiable, and democracy is not disposable through force.

I’ve traveled to Ukraine, in fact, nine times, and I've met soldiers defending their homeland with extraordinary guts and grit. I've met parents who have lost sons and daughters in Russian bombing. I've met parents whose kids were taken across the border in a really grotesque campaign of abduction and indoctrination, war crimes that stain the people of Russia, not just their leaders.

And the world has demanded accountability, designating Vladimir Putin as a war criminal. He's not seeking peace. He's seeking domination. He is unserious about the negotiations that are taking place right now. He wages war not only with artillery and armor but with cyberattacks, propaganda, disinformation, energy blackmail, systematic brutality. And he believes that time is his ally. He believes that democracies grow weary and that America will blink, and we must prove him wrong.

The Senate has demonstrated bipartisan resolve before, and it must do so again now. We've proven that when freedom is under assault, this body will rise above partisanship. We need to sustain that unity and make unmistakably clear to Putin and the people of Russia that aggression carries consequences.

That means advancing stronger sanctions on Russia's war economy, designating Russia a state sponsor of terrorism if it fails to return those abducted children, shutting down the Kremlin's shadow fleet, transporting oil and gas to the countries that are buying it and fueling Russia's war machine. And, in fact, sanctions and even tariffs targeting those countries, focusing on them because they are truly enabling this slaughterous invasion by Vladimir Putin.

The Russian assets that are now in bank accounts in Europe can be used to finance the purchases of weapons, Tomahawks, F-16s, interceptors for the Patriot system, 155s, all the munitions and weaponry that Ukraine needs to win.

We must be unified in this chamber and so must America across this great land, with other democracies that are under attack through the hybrid warfare that Putin is waging. We have reaffirmed our deep partnership with the Ukrainian people, their parliament, their president, and as Ukraine conducts the business of democracy while sandbags literally line their hallways, we must be behind them.

Four years of this unjustified invasion and Ukraine is fighting not only for itself but for all of us, all democracies. Russia remains the most immediate and direct threat to NATO. Supporting Ukraine is not about charity. It is a strategy. Appeasement is not a strategy, nor is hope. Appeasement and reliance only on hope are the way to further conflict, wider war, which we must avoid.

Ukraine has endured these four years standing strong for democracy, and they are not only in this fight for themselves, they know that peace going forward is also at stake. Democracy is at risk.

And I want to shift to the democracy that is at risk here at home, the democracy that is dependent on free and fair elections, the democracy that we must preserve against efforts to degrade and decimate it.

President Trump has called for the nationalization of American elections. Now, Americans may ask themselves, “What is nationalization of elections?” Well, you need to look no further than the so-called SAVE America Act, which would create absolutely horrendous burdens for all Americans registering to vote and then in fact voting. It would create burdens for states, which have the constitutional responsibility to administer elections. It would require Americans to use their driver's license or other governmental issued ID's alone in registering to vote.

Now, I support the requirement that voters identify themselves when they go to vote. It is mandated in Connecticut. I do it every time I go to vote, presenting my driver’s license. But the SAVE Act is not about voter identification. It is about voter purges. In effect, it would require states to provide information, private information that is not available to the public, to the federal government which would then purge voter rolls.

Purging voter rolls is an anathema when it relies on inaccurate ICE information. And that’s essentially what the SAVE America Act would require. The SAVE America Act requires voters not just to present voter identification, it enables voter purges and federalizes that requirement in a way that is antithetical to all the principles of our Constitution that maintain state responsibility for voting.

I am proposing that we also protect our elections by ensuring that ICE cannot be used at the polls, that ICE agents and officers be barred from the polls. We need to make sure that there is an absence of intimidation and fear when voters approach the polls because otherwise they’ll be discouraged from voting. ICE has no business in front of voting booths. It has no right or responsibility at the polls.

The discouragement of voters is happening in real time: sending Tulsi Gabbard to Fulton, Georgia, continuing the false narrative that somehow there was fraud in the Georgia vote, continuing the false narrative that there is voting fraud rampant in the nation. The statistics and the facts prove that contention absolutely wrong. The intimidation of poll workers, the demand for voting information, all of it absolutely unjustified.

So, President Trump is pushing Republicans in Congress to pass the SAVE America Act, a bill that would constitute the most significant restriction on the right to vote in generations. He’s devoted a full web page to the bill on the White House website. And, ironically, it would make it harder to vote than to buy an assault rifle.

Voting by noncitizens, which is the issue the bill claims to address, is already illegal and, as has been proven time and time again, voter fraud rarely, if ever, occurs. But while the problem is a fake, the bill would have real effect. It would make the sacred act of voting exponentially more difficult for all Americans.

Over 20 million American citizens, one in ten voting-age Americans, simply don’t have the access to the documentation that this bill would require to vote. Voting identification in some form ought to be required, but not in a way that this bill does it—restrictively and discriminatorily.

Two hundred and fifty years ago, America broke from the chains of monarchy and chose democracy, a government that’s supposed to be by and for the people. But as we approach this nation’s birthday, we are challenged as never before to defend democracy, to defend it in Ukraine by supporting the brave freedom fighters there and by supporting it here by defending and advocating the right of every American to vote in free and fair elections.

Thankfully, we still have our democracy. It's under threat as never before. But, as the saying goes, democracy is not a spectator sport. We will have it only as long as we can keep it, as Benjamin Franklin said to the person who asked him about it after the Constitutional Convention. We have a republic only as long as we can keep it.

We need to emulate the courage of the people of Ukraine and of our founding fathers and to fight back against President Trump's effort to silence us and to potentially threaten our democracy.

Thank you, Mr. President. I yield the floor.

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Booker, Goldman Introduce Bill to Strengthen Ethics Oversight on the U.S. Supreme Court

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) introduced the Supreme Court Ethics and Investigations Act, legislation aimed at promoting ethical conduct and accountability for ethics violations within the U.S. Supreme Court. U.S. Representatives Daniel Goldman (D-NY-10) and Hank Johnson (D-GA-04) introduced companion legislation in the House.

Numerous allegations of ethical improprieties and undisclosed conflicts of interests and gifts, along with refusals to recuse by Supreme Court justices have eroded the public’s trust in the Court and increased demand for more transparency and accountability in the nation’s highest court.

The Supreme Court Ethics and Investigations Act is a critical first step towards improving ethical standards among the justices and holding justices accountable when they commit ethics violations. Specifically, the bill would establish two new offices within the Supreme Court:

An Office of Ethics Counsel that would provide regular ethics training and advise justices on ethics issues, including disclosing gifts and deciding when to recuse from cases

An Office of Investigative Counsel that would investigate potential instances of ethical impropriety by justices and report the findings to Congress.

“America is facing a constitutional crisis, and now more than ever, we need a Supreme Court that stands with the American people and defends the Constitution. Over the past several years, allegations of undisclosed gifts and conflicts of interest have undermined trust in the court’s decisions, and we must take action.” said Senator Booker. “I am proud to reintroduce legislation that holds Supreme Court Justices accountable for violating common-sense ethical standards, so that we can work toward restoring the trust in the Supreme Court the American people deserve.”

“The highest court in the land should be held to the highest ethical standards—yet repeated revelations of ethical improprieties have eroded trust in our judicial system at a time when the need for that trust is so important,” said Senator Hirono. “The American people should be able to trust that Supreme Court justices arrive at their decisions fairly and objectively. This legislation is a critical first step toward addressing ethics violations and increasing transparency to ensure Americans can have faith in the integrity of the Supreme Court.”

“The Supreme Court has operated for far too long without an enforceable code of ethics and the result is a court plagued with ethical problems. From accepting gifts from those with interests before the Court, to luxury travel, the actions and conflicts of interest among several of the Justices have undermined public confidence in the Court. This legislation is a much-needed step in holding Justices accountable and establishing the means necessary to investigate instances of ethical impropriety,” said Senator Schiff, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

“It’s no surprise that repeated allegations of Justices accepting lavish paid vacations and other conflicts of interest have decimated public trust in our nation’s most powerful court. Since the Court has decided to disregard its ethical obligations, Congress must step in to hold Justices accountable,” said Senator Welch. “This legislation is a necessary step toward increasing transparency and accountability in the Supreme Court and restoring public trust in this vital democratic institution.”

“Americans have lost trust in our nation’s highest court,” said Representative Goldman. “For the health of our democracy, we must restore faith in the Supreme Court by holding Supreme Court justices to the same ethics standards as all other federal judges. This legislation is a critical first step to ensure that the highest court no longer has the lowest ethical standards.”

“We need to restore public confidence in the Supreme Court, and that comes from true transparency and accountability,” said Representative Johnson, Ranking Member of the Judiciary Subcommittee over Courts. “The Supreme Court Ethics and Investigations Act would provide that accountability by creating an Office of Investigative Counsel within the Court to probe potential instances of ethical impropriety by justices and report back to Congress. I am proud to help lead this effort, which will help us hold our highest court to the highest ethical standards.”

This legislation is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Alex Padilla (D- CA), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Mazie Hirono (D- HI), and Peter Welch (D-VT).

The Supreme Court Ethics and Investigations Act is endorsed by the following organizations: CREW, Court Accountability, Demand Justice, End Citizens United, Fix the Court, and POGO.


Boozman Recognized for Championing Policies to Support Arkansas Manufacturing and Growth

Sen. Boozman is presented the AEM Champion of Industry award by Jay Allen and AEM leaders.

WASHINGTON—U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Chairman John Boozman (R-AR) received the Association of Equipment Manufacturers’ Champions of the Industry Award for his leadership supporting pro-growth policies that benefit the agriculture and construction industries, advancing rural infrastructure priorities and demonstrated dedication to American manufacturing. Boozman was presented the award by Jay Allen, CEO and President of Allen Engineering Corporation in Paragould, Arkansas.

“I am proud to be recognized by the Association of Equipment Manufacturers for championing the businesses and workforce in Arkansas as well as nationally that create innovative tools to power American agriculture, construction and infrastructure,” said Boozman. “Passing pro-growth tax policies that help manufacturers operate efficiently and expand, in addition to supporting deployment of advanced technologies benefits our communities and economy. We look forward to advancing more shared priorities that support good jobs and long-term success.”

“The Association of Equipment Manufacturers is proud to recognize Senator Boozman who earned this distinction for working in a bipartisan manner to advance policies that drive growth, innovation, and opportunity for our industry,” said AEM Senior Vice President of Government and Industry Relations Kip Eideberg. “These lawmakers have demonstrated an unwavering ability to work with colleagues across the aisle and have positively contributed to a public policy environment that is predictable, certain, and conducive to economic growth and job creation. We are grateful to each of them for their steadfast leadership on behalf of our industry.”

AEM is a national leader in advancing construction and agriculture equipment manufacturers and the industries they serve. The Champions of Industry award, presented for the fifth time in the association’s 131-year history, recognizes Members of Congress who steadfastly support the equipment manufacturing industry and bipartisan, commonsense solutions to the country’s toughest challenges.


Boozman Praises Corps of Engineers Reforms, Applauds New Leadership

WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator John Boozman (R-AR), a member of the Environment and Public Works Committee (EPW), embraced Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works Adam Telle’s commitment to build “infrastructure over paperwork” across all functions of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in a hearing focusing on the Corps’ projects, programs and priorities.

Telle and Boozman discussed the need to streamline processes and provide clarity to deliver more timely, viable and effective projects in Arkansas and nationwide.

“Congress and our project sponsors continue to encounter inconsistent explanations between districts, divisions, and headquarters when it comes to project readiness and work plan prioritization. These inconsistencies slow projects and create confusion for local partners,” said Boozman.

“One of the features of ‘building infrastructure not paperwork’ has to do with harmonizing and making consistent the work that we do from district to district. We have to make sure that we have consistency. A state like yours that is divided among multiple districts…ought to get the same customer service and same level of support, same level of transparency whether they’re in the Little Rock District or the Memphis District. This is something that I’ve been working on since I took this job. General Graham has been a big help ensuring that we can have a consistent and coherent program across the enterprise,” Telle said. “This is not trying to centralize our work here in Washington. This is about empowering our commanders.”

Boozman also raised the value of Section 214 Funding Agreements in expediting the permitting process for critical infrastructure projects in Arkansas.

“Many permit applicants including state and local governments, and private developers, rely on the Corps for timely review of permits and consultations. [These] agreements have been successful in Arkansas, very successful. For example, the Arkansas Department of Transportation has been able to fund a liaison to the Corps, increasing coordination and advancing key infrastructure projects,” Boozman said.

“These are authorities where this committee has given us the ability to do what you said –– we have this huge demand for our work whether it’s in the infrastructure part of our work or in the permitting part of our work. Our districts have been incentivized, in the past, to hold all that work for themselves. We would be foolish to not take advantage of expertise and expand our capacity beyond just what we are able to deliver. So ‘building infrastructure and not paperwork’ is all about leveraging our partners, and 214 is a good example of that,” Telle said.

Boozman thanked Telle for his support during the Dardanelle Lock and Dam Spillway failure in August 2025 that threatened to cut off power for thousands of Natural State residents. This incident exposed significant vulnerabilities for the regional energy grid with immediate and negative impacts as the facility provides power for public and rural electric customers, manages flood control and supplies cooling water for Arkansas Nuclear One.

In 2025, Boozman supported Telle’s nomination to serve in his current position and secured his commitment to ensuring Arkansas would receive the Corps’ full support and resources for critical projects. Boozman and Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR) hosted Telle in Arkansas in January 2026 for roundtable discussions on cybersecurity threats to public utilities and the energy grid.


Boozman, Peters Champion Veterans in Hospice Care

WASHINGTON—U.S. Senators John Boozman (R-AR), a senior member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, and Gary Peters (D-MI), a former Lieutenant Commander in the U.S. Navy Reserve and member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, have introduced the Gerald’s Law Reauthorization Act of 2026 to ensure terminally ill veterans are not prevented from receiving a monetary burial allowance if they pass away at a facility not affiliated with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

Previously, VA was only able to offer funds for burial and funeral expenses for veterans hospitalized at the VA at the time of death through the “Non-Service-Connected Burial and Plot Benefit.” Gerald’s Law, which Boozman and Peters worked to include in the Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Veterans Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act, updated this policy to ensure veterans aren’t penalized for remaining in non-VA hospice when they pass away. The legislation is named after Army veteran Gerald “Jerry” Elliot, whose family was denied the benefit after he passed away in a non-VA facility. This bipartisan reauthorization measure would extend the expanded benefit, currently set to expire in October of this year, through 2030.

“Veterans receiving hospice care who spend their last days in security and familiarity all deserve access to the hard-earned benefits they were promised including their final arrangements,” said Boozman. “Allowing the men and women who have worn our nation’s uniform to make end-of-life decisions based on comfort – not cost – is only right, and I am pleased to work in a bipartisan fashion to ensure they are laid to rest with this dignity.”

“Today, because of late Michigander Gerald Elliot’s story, our veterans can no longer be denied critical VA benefits if they choose to receive hospice care outside of a VA facility,” said Peters. “Now, it’s time to extend the commonsense law that we worked to enact so that our nation’s veterans and their families can continue to depend on the burial benefits they have earned during their service.”

Gerald’s Law has received support from American Veterans (AMVETS), the Veterans of Foreign Wars, Paralyzed Veterans of America, The American Legion, Combined Arms, Disabled American Veterans and the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors.