WATCH: Ranking Member Padilla Leads Fight Against SAVE America Act

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration, took to the Senate floor to lead the opposition to President Trump and Republicans’ anti-voter SAVE America Act. Padilla outlined how the voter suppression bill would make it harder for Americans to register and cast their ballot, eliminate popular voter registration methods, and force states to submit sensitive voter data to the Department of Homeland Security, potentially leading to voter purges — all to prevent accountability for Republicans’ failed policies that are raising costs for working families.

A transcript of Padilla’s full remarks, as delivered, is available below. Video of his remarks can be watched online here and downloaded here.

Remarks as Delivered:

Mr. President,

I too rise in opposition to S. 1383, the so-called “SAVE America Act.” I think a better name — more actually representative of the content of the bill — would be the “SAVE Republicans from the Consequences of Their Actions Act.”

Now, I have some other choice names for it too, but not exactly appropriate for the Senate floor, so we’ll stick to the SAVE Act just to be short.

Mr. President, last year, President Trump and Republicans in Congress promised the American people that they would lower costs — costs across the board, but specifically health care costs.

If you’ll recall, just a few months ago, they promised to do something about the 15 million people that were being kicked off their health insurance when they failed to extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits.

They failed on that promise.

The Administration’s war on clean energy has driven electricity prices up 13% since Trump took office.

So much for “all of the above” energy strategies!

So much for energy dominance!

The price of oil is up 40% and gasoline is up 25% and rising in these few short weeks since Donald Trump initiated an unauthorized war on Iran.

That’s the largest single-month increase in gas prices since Hurricane Katrina, just for context.

Now, I don’t need to tell you all that many people are struggling with the rising cost of rents or their mortgages while the Speaker of the House reportedly told House Republicans that the President thinks “no one gives a [bleep] about housing.”

Well, President Trump, listen to this: 76% of renters and non-homeowners asked in a recent poll by the National Association of Realtors [say] that they don’t think they’ll ever be able to afford to buy a house.

This Senate, at least, passed the bipartisan ROAD to Housing Act last week. And if our colleagues in the House got their act together, that bill has the potential to do a whole lot of good.

In addition to health care and housing, Congress urgently needs to act and deliver long-overdue disaster assistance for California and a number of other states and regions affected by disaster this last year.

So there’s a lot of truly pressing issues for us to be focusing on and taking action on right now. But are we addressing any of those on this to-do list this week?

No! Not even close!

Instead of focusing on the affordability crisis or trying to save us from endless wars, Senate Republicans are once again doing Donald Trump’s bidding.

This time, they’re making his conspiracy-fueled election “takeover” bill their top priority.

Now, since we’ve launched into this debate over the bill, we’ve already heard all sorts of debunked lies and misinformation and misrepresentations repeated over and over again by our Republican colleagues.

So let me make a few things very clear.

First of all, no, this is not a simple voter ID bill. The latest version of the SAVE Act is a Trojan horse actually. It’s a voter suppression bill, filled with poison pills and designed to change the rules of the election as we’re in the middle of primary election season already and the November election on the horizon. And for what? For partisan political gain?

The President himself has said that if this bill passes, Republicans “will never lose a race. For 50 years, we won’t lose a race.”

The lead sponsor of this bill in the Senate has stated, “Republicans will lose power — likely for a long time — if we don’t get the SAVE America Act passed.”

Colleagues, it doesn’t get any more obvious than that.

And here’s how it works: the voter ID rhetoric is actually a bait and switch.

The SAVE Act does not allow Americans to use their driver’s licenses or other common forms of ID to register to vote. That’s right. The SAVE Act does not allow Americans to use their driver’s licenses or common IDs to register to vote.

The SAVE Act would require a passport in order to vote –– something that half of Americans don’t have, not to mention the $165 it costs and a four to six week wait time to get one.

And if you’re one of the 148 million Americans who does not have a passport, but you’re otherwise eligible to vote, you will need to, what, maybe dig through the attic or call your parents to try to find your original birth certificate. That’s if you still even have it.

According to one survey, there’s an estimated 21 million people who lack access to these documents. That’s a big chunk of the electorate.

And if you’re one of the 69 million married women who chose to change your name when you got married, tough luck. Your name doesn’t match your birth certificate anymore, even if you can find the birth certificate.

So now you have to jump through additional hoops and bring your birth certificate and your marriage license to the election office. That is your recourse.

Because just to make this even more of a burden, the SAVE Act mandates that you bring these documents — and let me quote from the bill — “in person to the office of the appropriate election official” and sign an affidavit. That’s what the text of the bill says. And as a result, millions of women are going to face additional barriers to the ballot than their spouses have to face.

When does anybody have time for that? Some evening after work? Maybe on a weekend? That’s assuming elections offices are open in the evenings and on weekends.

So more than likely, someone’s going to have to take time off of work to register to vote or renew their registration.

What does the SAVE Act mean in practice if, heaven forbid, this passed and was signed into law?

Bottom line is the complete elimination of voter registration as we’ve known it for decades.

The voter registration drives that we see in communities and on college campuses — gone.

Online voter registration or mailing a voter registration card, which you sign under penalty of perjury, by the way — gone.

Motor voter — do you remember that element of the 1993 National Voter Registration Act that was passed with overwhelming bipartisan support of Congress, creating an opportunity to register to vote when you’re doing your business at the Department of Motor Vehicles? That too — gone, or thrown into chaos.

It seems like the goal is actually very, very clear — let’s eliminate opportunities for people to register to vote and have their voices heard in the elections.

Now, all of that was in the original SAVE Act, which thankfully, this Senate had the good sense to not even take up.

But this new version of the bill that is now before the Senate, we know was rushed through the House of Representatives and now seems to be rushed through the Senate without a single hearing. And this version is even worse.

How can it get worse? Folks, you’re gonna love hearing this. This bill mandates that all 50 states share their confidential voter roll information with Trump’s Department of Homeland Security.

That’s right. Let me say that again: every state would be required to hand over confidential voter data to Trump’s Department of Homeland Security, which, by the way, does not run elections. If they have any role in elections, it’s to assist state and local governments with cybersecurity, but they’re backtracking on that responsibility.

By the way, this is the same Department of Homeland Security which has been found in violation of 200 court orders since December alone, just in Minnesota alone.

And this is who the SAVE Act would entrust to take over voter list maintenance for every state in the nation? For what purpose?

So that political appointees of this Administration can go through the lists, again, every voter in every state, and order people that were on the voter rolls to be purged from those lists.

This isn’t a hypothetical folks. The fact is, they’re already test driving this power with states who are choosing to cooperate.

At least 12 states have provided the full statewide voter registration lists, including driver’s license information and social security information. They either did it voluntarily or they succumbed to the political pressure by Donald Trump.

And the results of this demonstration should alarm all of us.

ProPublica, the Texas Tribune, and other sources have found that, rather than identifying noncitizens on the rolls, DHS is sending back to the states “false positives,” directing people to be removed from the voter lists who are actually United States citizens and eligible to vote.

That’s right! This lawless and incompetent DHS is already trying to purge thousands of eligible Americans from the voter lists. And if this bill were to pass, it would supercharge those efforts with actual Congressional authorization. Is that what your goal is? Is that what you intend to do?

Not on my watch. Not on my watch!

But there’s even more troubling provisions in this voter suppression bill.

And if you listen to Donald Trump, or better yet, just check the White House website, it says, and once again, I quote, “No mail-in ballots,” with only a few very narrow exceptions.

So this bill would also ban “no excuse” absentee voting — which is widely used in 28 states across the country. And according to reports, President Trump himself has voted by mail.

Over 48 million people voted by mail in 2024. That’s about 1 in 3 voters across the country, or ballots cast across the country.

And let me be clear about something: this is not a blue state versus red state dynamic.

The list of states that offer no-excuse vote-by-mail include Alaska, Florida, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Montana, Nebraska, North Carolina, North and South Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.

But sadly, too many Republicans simply cannot admit that emperor Trump has no clothes when it comes to elections.

Why are we doing this? I got to suspect that there’s two primary reasons for this voter suppression effort.

First, because President Trump, and the agenda that this Republican majority has supported, has been so bad — not just so unpopular, but so harmful to American families — that they’re trying to limit who can have a voice in the midterm elections.

The second, clearly, is Donald Trump’s obsession with the Big Lie and his refusal to accept the fact that he lost the 2020 presidential election.

Now, we all know that after losing that 2020 election, Donald Trump encouraged a mob of his supporters to storm this building, the United States Capitol, including this very chamber, on January 6th.

Why? Because every single court case, every investigation, and recount confirmed the same exact thing: Donald Trump lost that election. But he felt like he needed to stop the peaceful transfer of power.

Thank God for all the officers from the more than 15 federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, as well as the National Guard, who protected the Capitol that day.

And I am grateful — I hope we’re grateful on a bipartisan basis — that we have a plaque commemorating their heroism finally hanging in the Capitol.

But here we are, six years later, and Trump is as obsessed as ever with vengeance.

Pursuing vindictive prosecutions of his perceived enemies.

Seizing ballots in Georgia because I guess he’s still trying to find those 11,870 votes.

Sending subpoenas for the 2020 CyberNinjas audit — yes, the one that found that Joe Biden won Arizona by even more votes than originally thought.

So, make no mistake, the SAVE Act isn’t about protecting our elections — it’s about attacking them.

Mr. President, as you can tell, I am strongly opposed to this anti-voter bill. And I will do everything in my power to defeat it.

And no, I’m not alone.

Senate Democrats will fight this voter suppression bill tooth and nail, day after day, night after night, for as long as it takes to protect our democracy.

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

Padilla has led the charge opposing President Trump and Republicans’ reckless attempts to restrict the right to vote. Earlier today, Padilla, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Representative Joe Morelle (N.Y.-25), and voting rights advocates held a press conference rejecting Trump and Congressional Republicans’ attempted election takeover, including through the SAVE America Act. Last month, Padilla took to the Senate floor to condemn Republicans’ attempts to pass the SAVE America Act. Last May, he stopped Senator Mike Lee’s (R-Utah) attempt to pass the anti-voter SAVE Act through the Senate by unanimous consent. He also convened a Rules Committee Democrats spotlight forum focused on Congressional Republicans’ SAVE Act and Trump’s illegal anti-voter executive order. As President Trump marked 100 disastrous days in office, Padilla led his Democratic colleagues on the Senate floor to speak out against the SAVE Act and the Trump Administration’s attacks on election integrity. Last April, he warned Secretaries of State, Lieutenant Governors, and Chief Election Officials across the country of the devastating potential impacts of the SAVE Act, concerns that have been echoed by top election officials across the country. Padilla also led a letter sounding the alarm on the devastating impacts on voting rights in Native American communities of the SAVE Act and Trump’s executive order.

In January, Senator Padilla and Senator Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) led 26 Senate colleagues in pressing DOJ to stop its unlawful pressure campaign to coerce dozens of states into providing the Trump Administration their voter rolls, which include voters’ personally identifiable information. Last October, Padilla and Senator Gary Peters (D-Mich.) filed an amicus brief supporting a lawsuit opposing the Trump Administration’s illegal ongoing attempts to purge state voter rolls across the country by developing a massive interagency database of Americans’ sensitive personal data. Additionally, Padilla and Representative Joyce Beatty (D-Ohio-03) announced the Voter Purge Protection Act last year to prevent the Trump Administration’s ongoing voter purge efforts, including by prohibiting the removal of individuals from the voter rolls due to changes in residence or not voting in previous elections.

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WATCH: Schumer, Padilla, Morelle, Voting Rights Advocates Reject Republicans’ SAVE America Act, Trump’s Attempted Elections Takeover

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration, U.S. Representative Joe Morelle (N.Y.-25), Ranking Member of the House Administration Committee, and voting rights advocates held a press conference rejecting Donald Trump and Congressional Republicans’ attempted election takeover, including through the SAVE America Act, an extreme voter suppression bill that the Senate is expected to begin to debate as soon as today. The push to pass the anti-voter legislation follows President Trump’s threat to stop signing legislation until its passage.

Schumer, Padilla, Morelle, and voting rights advocates from the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, Defend the Vote Action Fund, League of Women Voters of the United States, and the Brennan Center for Justice outlined their fight to protect the right of every eligible American to vote and ensure that vote is counted.

“The SAVE America Act isn’t a voter ID bill — it’s a voter suppression bill,” said Ranking Member Padilla. “Trump and Republicans want to get their hands on sensitive voter information, conduct mass voter purges potentially kicking off eligible voters, and make it as hard as possible for those Americans to re-register to vote. As long as this anti-voter bill is on the floor, Senate Democrats will fight it in full force and push back against this Administration’s lies.”

“The SAVE Act, the SAVE America Act, and the MEGA Act are nothing more than the latest tools in Republicans’ election-takeover toolkit. Don’t believe the lies and false justifications for this attempted voter suppression—American elections are already secure,” said Ranking Member Morelle. “We are laser-focused and will use every tool available to us to stop all forms of this attempt to take over our elections, and we will continue fighting to protect Americans’ right to vote.”

“Instead of lowering costs or ending the chaos they’ve created, MAGA Republicans are trying to make it harder for Americans to vote,” said Leader Schumer. “They know their agenda is failing, so they’re changing the rules. The SAVE Act isn’t about election security — it’s about voter suppression: putting Trump’s DHS in charge of who stays on the rolls, purging eligible voters, and blocking millions from registering. That’s not democracy, that’s election rigging. Democrats will fight it with everything we’ve got.”

“We have real problems in this country, and we all face them together, no matter whether we live in rural Georgia and work on a tractor or we’re a child care worker in California; whether our name is Maria or our name is Mary,” said Maya Wiley, President and CEO, The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights. “I say this because directly at the heart of this is to come for what we fundamentally built in the civil rights movement when we said you can’t stop us by rigging the rules when we have every right to vote because you don’t like how we vote. What we say is earn our vote; don’t block us from the ballot. And the thing to understand about the SAVE America Act that you’ve already heard — it’s about coming for the power of ‘We the People.’”

“Donald Trump has made clear he’ll do anything to hold onto power, including preventing eligible Americans from voting. The SAVE Act is part of his effort,” said Brian Lemek, Executive Director, Defend the Vote Action Fund. “This bill goes far beyond voter ID, putting barriers in the way of voting, eliminating common voter registration methods, and even forcing states to hand over sensitive voter data to the Department of Homeland Security. Americans don’t like it, don’t want it, and won’t stand for it.”

“The American people are not fooled by empty promises or political theater. We have seen this Administration pledge to protect our freedoms while simultaneously working to dismantle them. Make no mistake: the SAVE Act is one of the most brazen attacks on women’s voting rights in the League’s 106-year history. By creating a system of deliberate erasure for 69 million women, this bill doesn’t secure our elections; it architects exclusion. In a country where only 64% of eligible voters turned out to vote in the last Presidential election, this bill threatens to lock the door on nearly half the nation. Democracy must invite voters in, not lock them out. Reject this legislation,” said Celina Stewart, CEO of the League of Women Voters.

“The SAVE Act would be the most restrictive voting bill ever passed by Congress. It could block as many as 21 million American citizens from casting a ballot. Despite this, President Trump has made the bill a top legislative priority. For more than a year, his administration has taken steps to undermine our elections. The SAVE Act is just the latest example,” said Michael Waldman, president and CEO of the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU Law.

Trump and Republicans’ latest attempt to pass anti-voter legislation threatens to disenfranchise millions of eligible Americans in an election year by requiring all 50 states to hand over their unredacted voter rolls with sensitive personally identifiable information to the Trump Administration. The Trump Administration is seeking to build a national voter file by coercing states to provide sensitive voter data to the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Justice (DOJ), which will likely lead to Americans being purged from voter rolls using the flawed Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) Program. The SAVE America Act comes as DOJ has filed 30 lawsuits against states and the District of Columbia — including states led by Democrats and Republicans — for their refusals to turn over their unredacted voter lists.

Republicans’ SAVE America Act would eliminate most common forms of voter registration, including voter registration drives, online and mail registration, and same-day registration, reducing the number of voters who can register and participate in elections. It would also make voting significantly harder for as many as 69 million married women, along with seniors and rural, low-income, and minority voters. It would disenfranchise up to 21 million citizens who can’t readily access their passports and birth certificates. If enacted, the SAVE America Act would be effective immediately, sowing chaos in state election administration and fueling attacks against hardworking election officials by exposing them to new criminal liability.

The bill comes as Trump says that the federal government “should take over the voting” and that when it comes to elections, states are mere “agents” of the federal government. The Constitution gives power over elections to Congress and the states, not the executive branch. Trump has said that by passing the SAVE America Act, Republicans will “guarantee the midterms” and “never lose a race in 50 years.”

A video of the full press conference can be watched here and can be downloaded here.

Padilla has led the charge opposing President Trump and Republicans’ reckless attempts to restrict the right to vote. Last month, Padilla took to the Senate floor to condemn Congressional Republicans’ attempts to pass the SAVE America Act. Last May, he stopped Senator Mike Lee’s (R-Utah) attempt to pass the anti-voter SAVE Act through the Senate by unanimous consent. He also convened a Rules Committee Democrats spotlight forum focused on Congressional Republicans’ SAVE Act and Trump’s illegal anti-voter executive order. As President Trump marked 100 disastrous days in office, Padilla led his Democratic colleagues on the Senate floor to speak out against the SAVE Act and the Trump Administration’s attacks on election integrity. Last April, he warned Secretaries of State, Lieutenant Governors, and Chief Election Officials across the country of the devastating potential impacts of the SAVE Act, concerns that have been echoed by top election officials across the country. Padilla also led a letter sounding the alarm on the devastating impacts on voting rights in Native American communities of the SAVE Act and Trump’s executive order.

In January, Senator Padilla and Senator Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) led 26 Senate colleagues in pressing DOJ to stop its unlawful pressure campaign to coerce dozens of states into providing the Trump Administration their voter rolls, which include voters’ personally identifiable information. Last October, Padilla and Senator Gary Peters (D-Mich.) filed an amicus brief supporting a lawsuit opposing the Trump Administration’s illegal ongoing attempts to purge state voter rolls across the country by developing a massive interagency database of Americans’ sensitive personal data. Additionally, Padilla and Representative Joyce Beatty (D-Ohio-03) announced the Voter Purge Protection Act last year to prevent the Trump Administration’s ongoing voter purge efforts, including by prohibiting the removal of individuals from the voter rolls due to changes in residence or not voting in previous elections.

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Senator Peters Reintroduces Resolution Recognizing Reproductive Health Care Providers

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI) reintroduced a resolution honoring reproductive health care providers and staff by designating March 10, 2026, as “Abortion Provider Appreciation Day.” The resolution recognizes the work of medical professionals and staff who provide essential reproductive care despite legal restrictions, political interference, and threats to their personal safety. The reintroduction of this resolution follows a 2024 report by the National Abortion Federation, which showed a rise in major incidents, such as stalking and death threats, being directed toward patients, providers, and volunteers.

“I’m proud to again lead this resolution with Senator Hirono honoring the abortion providers and clinic staff who help women and their families receive the safe, quality health care they need,” said Senator Peters. “Despite constant threats and attacks from politicians and judges, they continue to work day in and day out to deliver critical and often lifesaving care. I will never stop fighting to protect these providers and the rights of the women and families that they serve.”

Peters led this resolution with U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI). The resolution demonstrates a commitment to reproductive health care providers and staff by:

Recognizing March 10, 2026, as “Abortion Provider Appreciation Day” to celebrate the courage of reproductive health care providers and the lifesaving care they provide to patients and families across the country;

Affirming the commitment of Congress to ensuring the safety of these health professionals, their ability to continue providing the essential reproductive care their patients need, and the right of patients to access this care regardless of where they live, free from violence and threats;

Condemning the decisions of the Supreme Court of the United States to limit abortion care, which has had a devastating impact on providers and the communities they care for, threatening their livelihoods.

The resolution is endorsed by several organizations leading the fight for reproductive rights, including Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA), Physicians for Reproductive Health, Reproductive Freedom for All, National Women’s Law Center, National Partnership for Women & Families, Power to Decide, Reproductive Freedom for All, and the National Organization for Women.

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Reed: So-called SAVE America Act is a Radical Voter Suppression Bill That Aims to Give Trump Unprecedented Power Over Elections Nationwide

WASHINGTON, DC – This week, at the insistence of President Trump, Senate Republicans are seeking to jam through the ultra-partisan voting suppression legislation misleadingly called the “SAVE America Act.” This bill will give the Trump Administration unprecedented power to interfere in state-run election systems, directly clashing with 250 years of constitutional law and American values.

Put simply, this bill is a continuation of Donald Trump’s assault on U.S. election systems that began after he lost the 2020 election. At that time, U.S. Attorney General Bill Barr refuted Trump’s claim that there was widespread fraud and his key lieutenants and advisers – including Vice President Mike Pence – refused to go along with Trump’s efforts to subvert the election. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) similarly disputed the president’s unfounded claims of election fraud. Moreover, Fox News paid a $787.5 million defamation settlement related to Trump’s lies about the 2020 election.

If the SAVE Act becomes law, President Trump will have powerful new tools to allow the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security to control elections and decide which American citizens will be allowed to even register to vote.

U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI), who last year fought to increase funding for election security grants to states by 200%, strongly opposes this radical voter suppression bill and notes the law already clearly states that it is illegal and a punishable crime for non-citizens to vote in federal elections. Rhode Island is among the majority of 38 states that already have voter ID laws.

Reed says this bill is designed to try and save one thing only: President Trump’s current Republican majority.

“This cynical, partisan bill is designed to preserve Donald Trump’s rubberstamp GOP Congress. States do a great job in running elections, which is why voter fraud is almost non-existent. But President Trump, through the Department of Justice, is trying to intimidate states like Rhode Island that already have voter ID laws in place into turning over the private and personal information of every voter,” said Reed. “This bill will help him build this big government database and impose massive new paperwork requirements for U.S. citizens wishing to vote. As experts have warned, it would disenfranchise millions of American voters and change election rules and requirements even as elections are already underway. This would cause chaos and place onerous burdens on individuals and state budgets alike.”

The League of Women Voters has warned that the so-called SAVE America Act could block millions of eligible Americans, particularly women, from registering to vote, and would create the heaviest burden on older voters who could have to make multiple trips to bureaucratic offices to find all the different paperwork they would need, with those who have moved over the years, gotten married, and divorced having the hardest time trying to prove they are eligible to vote.

Millions of eligible voters would be affected by the bill’s new paperwork requirements and would be required to show proof of citizenship, such as a passport or birth certificate, in person at an elections office to register or re-register to vote. Almost half of Americans do not have a U.S. passport. And voting experts report that over 20 million U.S. citizens of voting age do not have proof of their citizenship readily available. Not to mention the fact that people would have to take extra time and go stand in line to register, and then wait in even longer lines on election day.

The bill would also force states to give sensitive voter registration data to the federal government, which most states, including Rhode Island, have refused to do – a move that several federal courts have upheld – noting the federal government has no legal authority to demand this data, and when the founders wrote the Constitution, they explicitly put control of elections for federal officials in the hands of the states.

Further, the bill provides no funding and no phase-in period and would create a massive and costly new compliance burden on voters and unfunded mandates on already strained state electoral systems.

In states like Georgia, Louisiana, and Utah, where Republican officials have all conducted extensive voter roll audits, they reached the same conclusion: ‘non-citizens illegally registering or voting is not a systemic problem.’

Moreover, Reed notes that the Trump Administration’s budget and actions prove the so-called SAVE America Act’s real goal is the opposite of election integrity: The Trump Administration has already frozen election security support for states and cut funding for the cybersecurity network local officials rely on to share threat intelligence.

“The SAVE Act is a partisan power grab. It is a voter suppression ploy designed to try and give the Trump Administration unprecedented control of the machinery of voting nationwide. If passed, this bill would nationalize the electoral process – adding new costs, paperwork, and bureaucratic burdens to the voting process. It would also suddenly deliver every state’s voter rolls – including things like e mails and party affiliation of every voter nationwide – to the Trump Administration. Due to a lack of guardrails, this information could end up in the hands of party operatives and be used to target tailored political messaging or intimidate or mislead lawful voters,” said Reed. “It would also become the top target for hackers and make it harder for the local electoral workforce to do its job.”

Kansas already tried to implement a state-level version of the SAVE Act 15 years ago and it was an abject failure that should serve as a cautionary tale for Congress and other states following this path. Reports show that the Kansas’s documentary proof of citizenship law, known as the ‘SAFE Act,’ did not work in Kansas and came at the cost of disenfranchising over 30,000 Kansans, which was 12% of everyone seeking to register in the state for the first time, who were unfairly prevented from voting and saw their registrations suspended or deemed invalid because of the state’s law. The law was enacted to address an illusory problem. Only 3 noncitizens tried to register to vote in Kansas each year from 1999 through 2012. The law was eventually overturned by the courts and taxpayers had to fund costly lawsuits.

Reed points out that the SAVE Act fails to heed the lessons of the disastrous and disenfranchising Kansas law by proposing a costly and ineffective so-called ‘solution’ to a non-existent problem.

“Election administration should be fair, impartial, and by the book. That is the exact opposite of what the so-called SAVE America Act would do. President Trump’s reckless attempt to jam this bill through Congress would needlessly exclude millions of eligible American voters in all fifty states – especially women and minority voters. It would throw the entire electoral process into chaos, creating a technological and organizational mess, and necessitate costly legal challenges. But for Trump, chaos – not sound policy – is the point. This is a naked power grab and it must be stopped,” concluded Reed, who noted that President Trump’s extremely unpopular record this term includes dragging the nation into a war of choice; ripping health coverage from millions; increasing prices through unpopular tariffs; and tanking the economy.

“Donald Trump is the Election-Denier-In-Chief. When he loses, he lies and claims elections are rigged and stolen. But when he wins, he claims the results are legitimate. Now he can clearly see his presidency and party are poised to take an electoral beating at the ballot box this fall. So he seems to be going all in on gerrymandering and trying to nationalize elections,” stated Reed. “Voters can see right through it. There is no groundswell of support for this bill. It’s another misleading, extremist proposal that wreaks of anti-democratic despotism and desperation.”

As Alexander Hamilton wrote in the Federalist Papers: No 59: “With so effectual a weapon in their hands as the exclusive power of regulating elections for the national government, a combination of a few such men, in a few of the most considerable States, where the temptation will always be the strongest, might accomplish the destruction of the Union, by seizing the opportunity of some casual dissatisfaction among the people to discontinue the choice.”

In other words, Hamilton worried that putting elections into the hands of the federal government was a bad idea and someone could come along and corruptly abuse the system, which is a key reason the founders trusted this power to the states.


Ricketts on the Senate Floor: Ricketts Addresses Historic Nebraska Wildfires

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, on the Senate floor, U.S. Senator Pete Ricketts (R-NE) addressed the devasting wildfires in Western Nebraska. Senator Ricketts expressed his prayers for all Nebraskans affected by the disaster and applauded the heroic efforts of first responders.

“My home state of Nebraska is currently experiencing a natural disaster of unprecedented proportion for our state. We have a number of fires burning across the state that have burned up to 750,000 acres of Nebraska — that’s over 1%, approaching 2%, of the total land area of my state,” said Ricketts. “I ask all Nebraskans and all Americans to pray for the victims of this terrible fire. I had the opportunity, with Governor Pillen and Congressman Smith, to tour the areas that were burning on Saturday. Thank you to all of the firefighters — our volunteer firefighters — who were our first responders on the scene, who worked tirelessly to control this fire.”

“When it is safe, please make sure you are documenting the damage that you’ve incurred. The USDA Farm Service Agency has a Disaster Assistance Program,” said Ricketts. “After you’re safe and you’ve had a chance to document your damage, you can go to them to see what sorts of programs are out there. NebraskaCattlemen.org has the ability for people to donate to help out those impacted by this fire. So does the Red Cross and Salvation Army. As a federal delegation, we will continue to support the local efforts and the state’s efforts to control this fire and to help those impacted recover.”

Watch the video HERE.

TRANSCRIPT:

Senator Ricketts: “My home state of Nebraska is currently experiencing a natural disaster of unprecedented proportion for our state.

“We are experiencing the largest wildfires since Nebraska became a state, which started last week.

“We have a number of fires burning across the state that have burned up to 750,000 acres of Nebraska — that’s over 1%, approaching 2%, of the total land area of my state.

“We have had one fatality: Rosemary White, a grandmother of 12, died at a ranch near Arthur, Nebraska.

“We’ve also had hundreds, if not thousands, of people impacted by these fires.

“I ask all Nebraskans and all Americans to pray for the victims of this terrible fire.

“I had the opportunity, with Governor Pillen and Congressman Smith, to tour the areas that were burning on Saturday.

“Thank you to all of the firefighters — our volunteer firefighters — who were our first responders on the scene, who worked tirelessly to control this fire.

“By the time we arrived on Saturday, they’d had little sleep over the past several days and were exhausted.

“At six o’clock that night, a federal firefighter team came in to provide relief, and I thank those firefighters as well.

“Thank you to our Nebraska National Guardsmen.

“We have two Black Hawk helicopters with Bambi Buckets that are on site helping to control the fire by dumping water on it from an aerial perspective.

“I thank Iowa as well, because they have also loaned us two helicopters to be able to help out with this.

“The Governor was calling the fire departments of Omaha, Lincoln, and Columbus, seeking to get additional firefighter help to relieve the volunteers that were working so hard around the clock.

“Nebraska is a great place.

“We have great community spirit, and we saw it on full display as people pitched in to help combat these fires.

“But we have a lot of work to do.

“The Morrill fire has burned over 572,000 acres and is only 18% contained.

“The Cottonwood fire has burned over 131,000 acres and is only 40% contained.

“The Road 203 fire has burned 35,000 acres and is 36% contained.

“The Anderson Bridge fire has burned 17,000 acres and is only 60% contained.

“I know that Nebraskans will continue to work hard to preserve life and property and take care of their neighbors during this time.

“We’re no stranger to disasters, and Nebraskans always pitch in to help.

“I do want to say to my fellow Nebraskans: if you get the evacuation order, be prepared, because this fire has moved fast.

“We got some relief from the winds on Sunday, but they kicked up again on Monday.

“Those winds can drive that fire very, very fast.

“So be prepared to evacuate.

“Please don’t stay — if you stay too long, you’re putting yourself and the firefighters at risk who are trying to put out this fire and protect you.

“And when it is safe, please make sure you are documenting the damage that you’ve incurred.

“The USDA Farm Service Agency has a Disaster Assistance Program.

“After you’re safe and you’ve had a chance to document your damage, you can go to them to see what sorts of programs are out there.

“NebraskaCattlemen.org has the ability for people to donate to help out those impacted by this fire.

“So does the Red Cross and Salvation Army.

“In talking with our Ag Director, Sherry Vinton, over 30,000 cattle may be displaced because of this fire, and certainly there will be cattle losses because of it.

“We just don’t know the magnitude yet.

“It’s been very dry this winter in Nebraska, and this fire has burned out of control.

“But we have many brave Nebraskans — volunteers, firefighters, National Guard — who are working to get this fire under control.

“As a federal delegation, we will continue to support the local efforts and the state’s efforts to control this fire and to help those impacted recover.

“And again, I ask for the prayers of Nebraskans and all Americans to help us through this terrible tragedy.”


Risch, King Introduce Bill to Correct Veteran Burial Benefits

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jim Risch (R-Idaho) and Angus King (I-Maine) today introduced the Veteran Burial Benefit Correction Act, a legislative fix to correct a disparity in funeral and burial benefits for veterans who die from service-connected disabilities.

“Our nation’s veterans answered the call to serve and made incredible sacrifices for our freedoms,” said Risch. “My Veteran Burial Benefit Correction Act ensures our veterans who are injured or wounded during their service are laid to rest with honor and dignity.”

“Veterans who die as a result of their service to our nation deserve to be honored appropriately, and their families deserve our full support,” said King. “Our Veteran Burial Benefit Correction Act corrects an unintended disparity between service and non-service related deaths to even out the burial benefits for these veterans who served our country. On behalf of a grateful nation, it is the least we can do for these families.”

In 2020, Congress passed legislation that increased burial benefits for non-service-connected deaths and tied them to inflation. As a result, the benefit amount for non-service-connected deaths has surpassed that for service-connected deaths, which is capped at $2,000.

The Veteran Burial Benefit Correction Act corrects this imbalance by increasing service-connected benefits from $2,000 to $3,000 and tying them to the same inflation adjustment as the non-service-connected benefit.

The Veteran Burial Benefit Correction Act is supported by the Idaho Division of Veteran Services, the VFW, Gold Star Spouses of America, Vietnam Veterans of America, the National Funeral Directors Association, and TAPS.

“Honoring those who served our great nation should always be a priority, especially when a Veteran passes from a service-connected illness or injury. This Bill ensures we continue to honor those Veterans and ease the financial burden placed on grieving families when it is time to lay their Veteran to rest,” said Mark Tschampl, Director of Idaho Division of Veteran Services.

“Gold Star Spouses of America strongly supports legislation introduced by Senator Jim Risch to amend Title 38 of the United States Code to increase the burial and funeral benefit provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs for veterans who die from service-connected disabilities. While no financial benefit can ever compensate for the loss of a service member or veteran, this legislation recognizes the responsibility our nation holds to care for the families left behind. Ensuring that those who died as a result of their service are honored with dignity and that their families are not burdened with preventable financial strain, is a matter of basic respect and gratitude,” said Tamra Sipes, National President, Gold Star Spouses of America.


Rounds Introduces Legislation to Support Rural Transit

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) introduced the Investments in Rural Transit Act, legislation that would help rural transit providers improve their services. Rural transit operators provide essential lifeline services to millions of Americans, getting them to work, school, grocery stores, medical appointments and more.

“For rural South Dakotans who do not own a vehicle, transit services are a lifeline to reach their jobs, medical appointments, grocery stores and other necessities,” said Rounds. “This legislation aims to support the operators who provide these essential services, so that they may continue to get our rural residents where they need to go.”

”South Dakota’s public transit providers face significant issues including Federal funding shortfalls, reduced local match, and lack of regulatory reform,” said Barbara Cline, Executive Director of Prairie Hills Transit. “Public transit serves all citizens including workers, students, seniors, and individuals accessing medical care. We support the Investments in Rural Transit Act that allows continued access, independence, and economic participation across our communities.”

Senators Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) joined Rounds in introducing this legislation.

“High-quality, efficient public transit systems are important for Minnesotans who rely on them every day to get to the office, school, the doctor, and to make their lives work,” said Smith. “This bipartisan legislation would support reliable public transit in rural communities where it’s a lifeline.”

“Whether you are in a big city or a rural part of our state, every Wisconsinite should have access to good public transit. Unfortunately, that is just not the case in too many places and limited transit options are a significant barrier for folks trying to get to work, the store, or the doctor,” said Baldwin. “Our bipartisan legislation will invest in rural communities so workers and families are better connected to what they need.”

Specifically, the Investments in Rural Transit Act would:

Increase federal share for operating costs. Current law allows federal funding to cover 50 percent of a rural transit provider’s operating costs, such as fuel and labor. This bill would increase the federal share to 80 percent, providing relief to rural transit operators so they can improve their services.

Cut red tape. Rural transit providers are often small and efficient, but federal reporting requirements and other rules add significant administrative burdens to their operations without meaningful benefit. The bill directs the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) to work with rural transit agencies, Tribal transit agencies and state departments of transportation to recommend regulatory relief for these transit agencies.

Make procurement easier. Procuring new vehicles and equipment can be costly and complicated for rural transit agencies. Over the last several years, agencies have waited longer and paid more to purchase vehicles. The bill would allow transit agencies to partner in joint and cooperative procurements, saving money and easing the process for agencies and manufacturers alike. It also directs the Secretaries of Transportation and Energy to review opportunities for streamlining procurement of low- and no-emission vehicle infrastructure in rural areas.

Support Tribal transit agencies. The bill would also designate an Associate Administrator for Program Management and Tribal Transit to make certain Tribal transit is appropriately prioritized and elevated at FTA.

Click HERE for full bill text.

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NEWS: Sanders Calls for Senate Hearing to Correct Kennedy’s Dangerous Misinformation Campaign on Autism and Vaccines

WASHINGTON, March 17 — In the aftermath of Health and Human Services Secretary Kennedy’s repeated and dangerous misinformation campaign inaccurately linking vaccines to autism, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) today called on Chairman Bill Cassidy (R-La.) to hold a hearing to set the record straight on autism research and clarify that vaccines are safe and effective and do not cause autism.

In his letter, Sanders quotes Cassidy about the safety of vaccines: “You have correctly said: ‘I’m a doctor who has seen people die from vaccine-preventable diseases. What parents need to hear right now is vaccines for measles, polio, hepatitis B and other childhood diseases are safe and effective and will not cause autism. Any statement to the contrary is wrong, irresponsible, and actively makes Americans sicker.’ I could not agree more with that assessment. Unfortunately, Health and Human Services Secretary Kennedy and many others inside the Trump Administration do not.”

Since assuming office, Secretary Kennedy has waged an unprecedented war on science and vaccines that have saved millions of lives. He has directed the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to publish false information on its website suggesting that childhood vaccines cause autism despite the findings of more than 40 scientific studies in seven countries involving over 5.6 million people to the contrary. He has replaced the scientific experts on the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices with vaccine skeptics, including several who have promoted the debunked claim that vaccines cause autism. And most recently, he overhauled the National Institutes of Health (NIH)’s Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC), appointing 21 new non-federal members. Several of these appointees have publicly advanced false claims linking vaccines and autism.

“It is our responsibility to make sure that the American people understand the truth about vaccines and autism based on scientific evidence, not conspiracy theories. Therefore, I would like to work with you to schedule a hearing on this issue as soon as possible,” Sanders continued.

In addition to Sanders, many autism scientists and advocates have also sounded the alarm about Kennedy’s actions, including the Coalition of Autism Scientists, Autism Society of America, Autistic Self-Advocacy Network and the Autism Science Foundation.

Read the letter here.


ICYMI: Senator Schmitt Calls for Passage of the SAVE America Act on Fox News

WASHINGTON, DC — U.S. Senator Eric Schmitt (R-MO) joined Fox News’ Hannity to call for the Senate to pass the SAVE America Act.

Watch the full interview HERE.

Senator Schmitt on the Importance of the SAVE America Act:

“I think the Democrats want to cheat. Everybody knows this, right? When President Trump gave his really memorable and stirring second inaugural address, he talked about a return of common sense, and that’s really what this is about. These are 90/10, you know 80/20, 90/10 issues. You have to prove you’re an American citizen to vote, check. You have to show a photo ID to vote, check. You have to cut down on this mass mail in balloting scam we saw in 2020 where the Democrats try to cheat, check. you have to, by the way, we think men should not be able to compete in women’s sports, and we should stop and ban the transgender mutilation of our kids. These are all very common-sense issues Sean. The American people support it. The Democrats are on the wrong side of this, whether it’s Trump Derangement Syndrome or the left has totally captured Democrat party. They’re wrong on this. I think it’s a very important week for us in the Senate. I’ll be having that amendment as we go to the floor this week finally, on the SAVE America Act. This is a big priority for President Trump, but bigger than that, this is important for the American people to secure our elections and protect our kids.”

—

“Well, it’s showtime now, right? We’re going to be on the main stage this week, and I hope so. I think that we should spend as much time as necessary to get this done. What could be more important in our republic, Sean, than making sure we have secure elections, that people are who they say they are, that we don’t have illegal immigrants voting in our elections. This is the whole point.

—

We’re not going to know until we try, and this is the week I think we go to the gusto on this thing. This is very important, not only to President Trump, like I said, for the American people. If you want to understand why the Democrats let 15 million people in here illegally, they want to change how we elect people. They want people who are not here legally to vote, and this is our chance to stop it.”

###


Schmitt to Introduce Amendment to SAVE America Act Following Through on Trump Priorities

U.S. SENATE — U.S. Senator Eric Schmitt (R-MO) today announced he will be introducing a substitute amendment to the SAVE America Act to include President Trump’s priorities to restore election integrity, keep men out of women’s sports, and protect children from gender mutilation surgeries.

“The American people want to see a return to common sense, and this week the Senate will vote on the SAVE America Act to deliver on this mandate. I’ve worked closely with President Trump and the White House to introduce a substitute amendment that will save our elections, save women’s sports, and save our children from gender mutilation surgeries. It’s time to get this done,” said Senator Schmitt.

Schmitt’s amendment includes provisions to:

· Require all voters to show ID

· Require proof of citizenship to vote

· End mail-in balloting with exceptions for military, illness, travel, and disability

· Keep men out of women’s sports

· Protect children from transgender mutilation surgeries

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Slotkin Joins Senate Colleagues in Demanding DHS Reduce Delays for DACA Renewals

WASHINGTON D.C. — Today, U.S. Senators Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined 38 of their Democratic colleagues in a letter to outgoing Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Director Joseph Edlow demanding the Department reduce the delays in processing renewal applications under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. Created in 2012, DACA protects individuals who came to the United States as children from deportation. DACA recipients across the country are experiencing increasing delays in renewing their status.

“DACA has allowed hundreds of thousands of Dreamers an opportunity to pursue higher education and meaningful careers while remaining in the only home they have ever known,” wrote the Senators. “Delays in processing DACA renewals are increasing the instability and uncertainty that DACA recipients already face. These delays can have profound consequences. When renewals are not processed before expiration, recipients lose employment authorization and, in many cases, their jobs. Employers experience workforce disruptions, including in sectors such as health care and education and in small businesses. Hundreds of thousands of U.S. citizen children have a parent with DACA, and when their work authorization lapses due to slow renewals, families endure heightened financial instability.”

The Senators also call attention to the increased risk of detention and deportation faced by DACA recipients when their renewal applications are not processed before their status expires. According to the Department, as many as 270 DACA recipients have been detained and 174 have been deported.

“DACA recipients contribute billions of dollars annually to the national economy and serve vital roles in our communities. Administrative delays in DACA renewals undermine not only individual stability but also broader economic resilience,” concluded the Senators. “To reduce these disruptions and risks for DACA recipients, we urge you to reduce processing times for DACA renewal applications and reduce the volume of pending cases through timely renewals.”

Read the full letter here.

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Slotkin Legislation Puts Common-sense Guardrails on DOD AI Use Around Lethal Force, Spying on Americans and Nuclear Weapons

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Senator Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) introduced the AI Guardrails Act to establish left and right limits on how the Department of Defense can use AI. The bill establishes clear guardrails in three areas. It would ban the DOD from firing autonomous weapons to kill without human authorization, from using AI to spy on Americans and from using AI to launch nuclear weapons.

In a recent Senate Armed Services hearing, Slotkin pressed Trump Administration nominees on the use of AI. Watch that committee clip here.

“Congress is behind in putting left and right limits on the use of AI, and the first place to start should be at the Pentagon,” said Senator Slotkin. “My bill ensures a human is involved when deadly autonomous weapons are fired, AI cannot be used to spy on the American people, and that a human is on the switch to launch nuclear weapons. AI is going to shape the future of America’s national security, and we must win the AI race against China. But to do that, we need action that puts limits on AI in the Department of Defense. This is just common sense.

”The AI Guardrails Act codifies common-sense rules in the following areas:

The launch of lethal strikes using autonomous weapon systems. Human responsibility is at the core of military command and control. This legislation ensures humans are the ones authorizing when and how autonomous lethal weapon systems are fired.

Spying on Americans. The U.S. Constitution and our domestic laws provide protection against the U.S. Government’s potential abuse of authorities, including domestic mass surveillance. This legislation further prevents government invasion of individuals’ privacy and constitutional rights by clearly and explicitly prohibiting DoD’s use of AI for domestic mass surveillance.

The launch or detonation of nuclear weapons. Nuclear weapons are strategic capabilities that have the potential for mass destruction. As such, this legislation ensures the decision to launch nuclear weapons rests solely with the Commander-in-Chief, not machines. These safeguards would apply across the full AI lifecycle, from development and testing to deployment and post-deployment continuous monitoring.

Read a one-pager on the bill HERE and the full text of the bill HERE.

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Thune Joins Bret Baier on Fox News

Clickhereto watch.

WASHINGTON — U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) today joined Bret Baier on Fox News.

On the SAVE America Act:

“[I]f you look at the substance of the policy, this is about safe and secure elections in this country and making sure that … we have an election process that is actually with the right people, not … the illegals who are in this country, have an opportunity to vote. We want to make sure that if you’re in this country, you have to be a citizen of this country, actually, to exercise and cast your vote.

“So I think that’s a fairly simple position, and one that Democrats ought to eventually get on board with. But if they don’t, we will, I mean, it’s obviously an issue that we will be able to use … in the fall elections … The goal is to achieve a policy outcome, and that is to try and get a requirement in law that in federal elections, that you would have to be a citizen in order to register to vote, and you’d have to show an ID in order to vote in our elections.”

[…]

“What I’ve said all along, Bret, is that what we will do is we will guarantee a debate on this issue. Obviously, it’s a big priority for the president. There are a lot of people across the country who want to see this voted on. And we will guarantee a vote at the end of that, and we’ll see where people stand.”

[…]

“In the end, this is about really having a debate about the substance. And the substance of this bill is whether or not people who are in this country illegally, noncitizens, ought to be able to vote in American elections.”

On preserving the legislative filibuster:

“On the legislative filibuster right now … it’s a … very deeply held view by a lot of Senate Republicans, that if the Democrats want to go there, if at some point they decide they want to steal the car, fine, but we’re not going to hand them the keys to do it, and then own all the things that we would enable, all the things that Democrats want to do once they nuke the filibuster.

“But again, that’s a hypothetical. We don’t know it’ll happen. And if they get the majorities in the House and Senate and the White House at some point in the future, maybe they go down that path, we don’t know for sure. But I know that right now, there are a majority of Republican senators who don’t want to go down that path.”

On Democrats’ DHS shutdown:

“The Democrats are defending a position that not only were their reforms in the initial bill, which they helped negotiate and then walked away from, but since then, the White House has negotiated a number of subsequent reforms, including body-worn cameras, more money for those, audits for those, limitations on where ICE agents can go … places like hospitals, schools, those sorts of things.

“[The administration has] also made a number of changes with respect to how when they do these, when they’re conducting these operations, and how they’re identified, and making sure that people know who this is … The one thing that the administration did not want to give on, and I think it’s a legitimate concern, is masks.

“As long as you have sanctuary cities and a lot of these locally elected officials who are encouraging doxing of law enforcement officials … these are people who need to be protected, and they need to be able to conduct these operations and do their jobs in a safe way. And clearly … some of the things that Democrats are asking for are non-starters, but I think the White House has come a long ways to address the concerns Democrats have had and suggested a number of reforms, which, frankly, the Democrats in the Senate ought to take.”

[…]

“[Democrats] are holding all these agencies of government hostage – including TSA, including the cyber office, which runs all of our cyber operations. And here we are living in a dangerous world where we’re worrying about Iranian cyber operations. It’s FEMA … [and the] Coast Guard. There are a whole range of DHS functions that are funded by that appropriations bill that the Democrats are choosing not to open. Now, what they’ll tell you is … ‘We’re willing to fund them all, except ICE and CBP.’ But I don’t know how … you can defend a defund-law-enforcement, defund-the-police argument, which is essentially what they’re making.”

On President Trump’s foreign policy agenda:

“The president was absolutely right to recognize the threat that Iran’s nuclear program posed, not only to the region, but to the United States and our national security interests, and then also to recognize the huge advantage they have in conventional munitions, ballistic missiles, that could threaten the region … The president’s taking the right steps. This is long overdue.

“If you look at the mission objectives that are being achieved here, you’re taking out not only their missiles, their launchers, but also their production facilities. You’ve also already taken out their leadership.

“And the Strait of Hormuz is the challenge right now. But I think give our military leadership, war planners, and this administration an opportunity to make sure that that strait is open and that the shipping lanes are open to get the oil out of there. I think what you’re seeing right now [with] gas prices … [is] a temporary issue, but I think this president is clear-eyed and singularly focused on success and achieving our objectives. And once those have been achieved, I think we’ll be out.”


Thune: Democrats Put Political Games Above Public Safety, National Security

Clickhereto watch the video.

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

Thune’s remarks below (as delivered):

“Mr. President, today is day 32 of Democrats’ shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security.

“On Thursday, Democrats once again blocked the Senate from proceeding to a DHS funding bill – a bill, I should note, that already includes a number of reforms to immigration enforcement: more money for body cameras, deescalation training, and additional oversight of immigration enforcement activities.

“And getting on this bill would not have precluded additional reforms from being added.

“But for the fourth time now, Democrats stopped the Senate from proceeding to consideration of this legislation.

“Mr. President, for weeks Democrats have spoken about the urgent need for reforms to immigration enforcement.

“But it’s Democrats who have been the biggest obstacle to getting those reforms enacted.

“The Trump administration took a number of steps – on its own, I might add – to reform immigration enforcement.

“And on top of that, the White House made two substantial and serious offers to Democrats to legislate reforms – the most recent of which was sent more than two weeks ago.

“But Democrats couldn’t even be bothered to respond to the White House’s latest offer until late last night.

“Eighteen days, Mr. President – 18 days – for Democrats to even bother replying!

“And that offer – Democrats’ third – was basically the same as their first two offers.

“No compromise, and still filled with a number of nonstarters that would make it more dangerous for law enforcement officers to do their jobs.

“Meanwhile, on the Senate floor, the best Democrats have been able to offer is funding some DHS agencies and leaving others unfunded.

“It’s really pretty remarkable, Mr. President.

“Last summer, Democrats threw a fit over Republicans’ rescissions package that cut just $9 billion in federal spending.

“A fraction of a fraction of a percent of the entire federal budget.

“Now to hear Democrats talk, they seem to think that entire agencies – especially the agencies that secure our border and enforce immigration laws – are dispensable.

“The Democrat leader had the audacity to call this a ‘moderate’ plan last week.

“Mr. President, when did defunding law enforcement become a mainstream position in this country?

“Now, this might be considered moderate for Democrats, but I think the average American would view it as extreme.

“Mr. President, we are now a month into Democrats’ second shutdown since October.

“And like their record-long shutdown in the fall, the victims of this shutdown are beginning to pile up.

“TSA agents are working without pay.

“A significant number of agents are calling out sick, leading to long wait times and lines stretching into airport parking garages.

“CBS reports that 300 TSA agents have quit since this shutdown began.

“And that’s on top of the 1,100 agents who quit after Democrats’ shutdown in the fall.

“And it’s pretty darn understandable, if you think about it.

“What do you do when – for two out of the last six months – you have to work without pay?

“Well, that’s what Democrats have put these people through.

“So it’s more than understandable that they might be thinking that there’s got to be an easier way to earn a living.

“I heard from one TSA agent in South Dakota who is at the end of her rope.

“She writes, and I quote, ‘It is very hard to live without getting paid … I do not know how long I can keep doing this.’

“Well, that’s what happens, Mr. President, in a shutdown – real people get hurt.

“But if you ask the senior senator from [Hawaii] – a member of the Democrat leadership – he says, and I quote, ‘We are very serene with what is going on.’

“‘Very serene,’ Mr. President.

“I suppose that’s not a surprising statement considering the Democrat leader characterized Democrats’ last shutdown in the fall by saying, and I quote, ‘Every day gets better for us.’

“‘Very serene.’

“‘Every day gets better for us.’

“For Democrats, a government shutdown is just fine as long as it seems to be working for them politically – no matter whether it’s hurting hardworking Americans.

“No matter if it’s jeopardizing public safety and national security.

“And, Mr. President, make no mistake, Democrats’ shutdown is harming hardworking Americans and putting national security in jeopardy.

“Our country is facing a heightened threat environment right now.

“A few examples of that:

“Stryker – a medical tech company – was the victim of an Iran-linked cyberattack last week.

“ISIS-inspired individuals attempted to detonate bombs targeting protesters outside the home of the mayor of New York City last weekend.

“And on Thursday, we saw two tragic attacks take place.

“One of those, in Virginia, was perpetrated by an individual who was arrested in 2016 for attempting to provide material support to ISIS.

“The other – an attack on a Detroit-area synagogue – was perpetrated by an individual who is reported to have had connections to known or suspected Hezbollah terrorists.

“Mr. President, this is no time for Democrats’ political games.

“Republicans are at the table and ready to work whenever Democrats are done playing.”


Thune on the SAVE America Act

Clickhereto watch the video.

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

Thune’s remarks below (as delivered):

“I think as everybody knows, we are looking forward to having an important battle on the floor of the Senate this week on the SAVE America Act.

“And obviously, the message that came over from the House includes a couple of key components, one of which is that you have to prove citizenship to be able to register to vote in this country.

“And the second component is that you actually have to show an ID to vote in this country.

“We think those are both things that are overwhelmingly popular all across this country, no matter what your political party is.

“And to just sort of illustrate, I think, how this issue is something that a lot of people resonate with and connect to is the fact that pretty much everything you do in your daily life involves showing an ID.

“You know, whether it’s opening a bank account, you know, getting a hotel room, picking up prescription drugs, you need a card, in many cases, just to get into a library.

“I mean, these are things that are just basic, fundamental aspects of our everyday life.

“We certainly ought to be able to apply them to something as important as voting in this country.

“And if you think about it, even the Democrats who are complaining loudly about this required a photo ID to get into the Democrat National Convention.

“And there are a number of our colleagues, Democrat colleagues on the other side of the aisle, who require a photo ID just to attend their official events.

“So these are issues that are overwhelmingly popular with American people, as is the issue of ensuring that biological males cannot compete in women’s sports.

“We think that is also a no-brainer, it defies common sense not to agree with that.

“But that is an issue also that we intend to have a conversation about on the floor in the next few days.

“And we’ll look forward to putting the Democrats on record and showing just the lack of common sense that they apply to some of these basic issues where the American people agree with us.

“So it’ll be an interesting debate and … we’ll get on that bill this afternoon.

“We’ll pick up the message that came over from the House and start that conversation.

“And I’m looking forward to a vigorous, long, and spirited conversation on the floor of the United States Senate about these important issues.”


Thune: The SAVE America Act Protects Our Elections and Our Youth

Clickhereto watch the video.

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

Thune’s remarks below (as delivered):

“Mr. President, today we are kicking off an extended debate on the SAVE America Act – a package of commonsense measures united around two themes: protecting our elections, and protecting our youth.

“You’re going to hear me use the adjective commonsense a lot in this debate, Mr. President.

“Because if there’s any word that is suitable to describe the measures we’re considering, it’s that.

“Mr. President, if there’s anything essential to the integrity of elections, it’s ensuring that those who are registered to vote are eligible to vote – and that those who show up to vote at polling places are … who they say they are.

“And how do you do that?

“Well, by requiring that Americans show proof of citizenship when they register to vote – and that they show photo ID at polling places.

“That’s what the SAVE America Act would do.

“It’s just common sense.

“And polls show that the American people overwhelmingly agree.

“But to hear Democrats talk, you’d think that demonstrating citizenship or showing a photo ID is an intolerable burden.

“And yet, Mr. President, I haven’t heard Democrats complaining about the thousand other circumstances in which we require photo ID in this country.

“Democrats are aware that Americans have to show photo ID to get on a plane, right?

“And to start a new job?

“And when they head to the doctor’s office?

“And to rent a car?

“And to stay in a hotel?

“Heck, if you want to get a library card you have to show a photo ID.

“Do Democrats remember their 2024 convention – when attendees had to show a photo ID to get in?

“The senior Democrat senator from Georgia required photo ID to get into his recent rally.

“Mr. President, do Democrats hear themselves?

“Are they going to start boycotting libraries and airplanes and hotels for requiring a photo ID?

“Are they going to explain why they’re perfectly justified in requiring photo ID for their political rallies – but why it’s somehow an intolerable burden to ask people to show their photo ID when they go to vote?

“I expect they won’t.

“They’ll simply continue with their mindless, partisan opposition to commonsense ID requirements for federal elections.

“But let’s hit pause on that topic for a minute and go to another issue where common sense and the Democrat Party have parted ways.

“And that’s on the subject of transgender ideology.

“In their haste to embrace … transgender ideology, Democrats have put themselves in the absurd position of supporting the hijacking of women and girls’ sports by biological males.

“Yep, that’s right.

“The party that would portray itself as a defender of women has put itself on the record as willing to sacrifice women’s athletic opportunities for the sake of biological males.

“Now, Mr. President, no one should need an explanation of what the presence of biological males in women’s sports costs women.

“At the most basic level, women are losing out on a slot on the team.

“Every roster place that goes to a male is a roster place that doesn’t go to a female.

“And for women who are on the roster – well, the presence of a biological male can (and frequently does) rob them of opportunities to excel.

“Biologically, men possess physical advantages when it comes to sports – things like greater muscle mass and greater aerobic power – which means that, by and large, men are likely to dominate in women’s sports, taking wins and medal opportunities away from women.

“In an August 2024 United Nations report on violence against women and girls, they had this to say about the results of men participating in women’s sports, and I quote: ‘According to information received, by 30 March 2024, over 600 female athletes in more than 400 competitions have lost more than 890 medals in 29 different sports.’

“‘… over 600 female athletes in more than 400 competitions have lost more than [890] medals in 29 different sports.’

“The SAVE America Act would ensure that men are not allowed to hijack women’s sporting opportunities.

“And yet once again, we expect my Democrat colleagues to oppose keeping women’s sports for women.

“Mr. President, the idea that a female high school athlete might lose out on a college scholarship because her achievements were overshadowed by those of a biological male on her team is bad enough.

“But an even more dangerous consequence of the embrace of transgender ideology is the children who have become victims of irreversible gender transition procedures.

“And when I say children I mean children, Mr. President.

“Young men and women who are not old enough to vote.

“Who are years away from being able to legally drink.

“Who still need parental permission to take medicine at school.

“The New York Times reports, and I quote, ‘A review of hospital data from 2016 through 2020 identified about 3,600 patients aged 12 to 18 who had received gender-related surgery.’

“Aged 12 to 18.

“Can you imagine that, Mr. President?

“Can you imagine allowing a child not yet out of middle school to receive a medical procedure that will result in permanent mutilation of part of her body?

“This madness has to end.

“Multiple European countries have acted to rein in gender transition procedures for minors, and so have a number of U.S. states.

“The SAVE America Act would extend protection from these procedures to all children, whatever state they live in.

“Commonsense measures, Mr. President – require proof of citizenship to register to vote, require photo ID at the polls, protect women’s sports from being hijacked by biological males, and protect teenagers from life-altering, irreversible gender transition procedures.

“Measures, I might add again, Mr. President, supported by a majority of Americans.

“And measures we expect my Democrat colleagues to oppose.

“It’s unfortunate that common sense is not very common anymore in the Democrat Party.”


Tuberville Speaks at Alabama League of Municipalities Breakfast, Receives Hometown Hero Award

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) joined the Alabama League of Municipalities in their breakfast panel during the National League of Cities’ Congressional City Conference. During the panel, Sen. Tuberville touted Alabama’s many accomplishments over the last year and the importance of manufacturing and infrastructure in the state. At the conclusion of the discussion, Sen. Tuberville received the 2026 Hometown Hero Award for his efforts to strengthen Alabama communities and usher in growth for the state.

Read excerpts of Sen. Tuberville’s remarks below. View more photos from the event here.

“We all have to work together. When I came here, I put together a gameplan. I’m not used to shooting from the hip to try things out. You don’t do things that way—you run this like you run a football team. That means you have a plan, you hire good people, and to back up that plan, you put them out there and let them work. […] You do your job. […] It’s all about communication—it’s all about people working together. […] It’s all about winning or losing, but you can’t do it by yourself.”

“We can’t survive in this state in the future as a growing country, unless we get our share. We gotta have a gameplan. […] President Trump is in office, and he has put these tariffs all over the world to make sure manufacturing moves back [to America]. All you gotta do is drive around Alabama and look at these empty warehouses […] and realize it’s time to come home.”

“People are coming [to Alabama]. […] People want to move their manufacturing here. They come in my office and say they love Alabama. Then they go down the hall to Sen. Scott of Florida and tell him the same thing. It’s like recruiting in the SEC, we’ve got Tennessee, Mississippi, Florida, and Georgia. I can beat their ass, I promise you.”

“I didn’t come to the Senate to have ‘Senator’ in front of my name. That makes no difference to me. I had the best job I’ve ever had in my life as the head football coach at about five different universities. […] But you can see results here that makes a lot of difference in everybody’s life. […] We have a lot of work to do, so does everybody else. If you’ve got a plan and work together, we can do it. And that’s the reason I’m [here].”

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

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Warner Statement on Fire Aboard U.S.S. Gerald R. Ford

WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Vice Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, issued the following statement:

“I am grateful that all sailors aboard the U.S.S. Gerald R. Ford are reported safe, and that their hard work and training allowed them to control this fire. But the Ford and its crew have been pushed to the brink after nearly a year at sea, and they have been paying the price for President Donald Trump’s reckless military decisions. The reported scale of this fire, which has now left hundreds without beds amid this near-historic deployment, is incredibly concerning.

“Our sailors are doing their jobs. The president needs to start doing his: putting their safety, readiness, and dignity ahead of his impulsive decisions.”

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Warner Demands Answers on $10 Billion TikTok Deal

WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Vice Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, sent a letter to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent expressing serious concerns about the reported $10 billion payment to the Treasury as part of the Trump administration-brokered sale of TikTok’s U.S. operations.

In his letter, Warner wrote, “This arrangement, if true, would continue a pattern set by the Trump administration of exercising the power and authority of the government to benefit certain companies and individuals close to the President, and to extract financial concessions as a condition of doing so.”

The letter cites reporting from the Wall Street Journal that investors in the new TikTok deal – including Oracle, Silver Lake, Abu Dhabi's MGX, and other investors – have already paid $2.5 billion to the Treasury and will pay the remaining $7.5 billion in installments. Warner notes that the $10 billion figure represents roughly 71 percent of the new company’s publicly announced $14 billion valuation.

“Congress was addressing legitimate national security concerns when it passed the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act in 2024, limiting the reach of TikTok in the United States. Under the law, the restriction of TikTok went into effect on January 19, 2025, and allowed for a single extension delaying the restriction if certain conditions were met,” Warner noted. “President Trump issued four illegal extensions in the year leading up to this acquisition. The manner in which the administration handled this process raises a fear that the administration prioritized securing the well-connected investors’ ownership of TikTok over national security. The opaque, uncompetitive, and ad hoc process surrounding this government-brokered sale, with numerous clear conflicts of interest, has no analogue in modern American history.”

“In order to help determine if the process under which this administration conducted, assisted, or otherwise facilitated the TikTok acquisition complied with the intent of Congress and the law,” Warner wrote, he is seeking full documentation and explanations from the Treasury Department.

Warner’s letter requests detailed documentation from the Treasury Department addressing five key areas, including: the legal authority for approving the sale, the basis for requesting $10 billion, how the amount was determined, any involvement of President Trump, and the intended use of the funds given the Anti-Deficiency Act’s prohibition on spending non-appropriated funds.

The full text of the letter is available here.

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* High-quality photographs of Sen. Mark R. Warner are available for download here *


Warner Responds to NCTC Director Kent Resigning Over Trump's War of Choice

WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Vice Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, issued the following statement:

“Joe Kent’s record is deeply troubling, and in my view he never should have been confirmed to lead the National Counterterrorism Center. I strongly disagree with many of the positions he has espoused over the years, particularly those that risk politicizing our intelligence community.

“But on this point, he is right: there was no credible evidence of an imminent threat from Iran that would justify rushing the United States into another war of choice in the Middle East.

“Ignoring the facts to pursue a predetermined war puts American lives at risk and undermines our national security. The United States cannot be led into conflict on the basis of politics, impulse, or a president’s desire for confrontation. We have seen where this road leads before.”

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Warner, Sánchez Introduce Bicameral Bill to Strengthen Hospice Care for Patients, Protect Against Fraud

WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) and U.S. Rep. Linda T. Sánchez (D-Calif.) today introduced the Hospice Care Accountability, Reform, and Enforcement (Hospice CARE) Act to modernize the Medicare hospice benefit, protect patients and taxpayers from fraud, and expand access to essential services and caregiver support.

Medicare’s hospice benefit has remained largely unchanged since its inception in 1982. However, the hospice industry has changed dramatically both in terms of the types of providers delivering and patients receiving end-of-life services. At the same time, documented and burgeoning fraud and abuse have raised questions about how to ensure the benefit continues to promote patient access while safeguarding the Medicare Trust Fund.

The Hospice CARE Act would strengthen the Medicare hospice benefit through a combination of program integrity provisions and payment reforms to ensure it better meets the needs of terminally ill patients and their families.

“Making decisions about hospice and end-of-life care is one of the most difficult moments that families can endure, yet Medicare’s hospice benefit is out-of-touch with the needs of patients and providers,” said Sen. Warner. “I’m proud to introduce this legislation that will prioritize patient comfort at home as well as in a health care facility, and protect patients and taxpayers from bad actors attempting to steal essential resources.”

“Hospice should provide comfort and dignity at the end of life, yet the benefit has not evolved to meet families where there is need,” said Rep. Sánchez. “This bill strengthens and enhances Medicare’s hospice benefit so it provides the critical care patients and their families need – like respite care for caregivers and coverage of palliative treatments like dialysis and radiation – all while protecting the program from those trying to exploit it.”

Program Integrity: The bill creates additional safeguards to prevent fraudulent providers from enrolling in Medicare and increases oversight of hospices, especially new hospices. Specifically, it:

Temporarily prevents new hospices from enrolling in Medicare, while allowing exceptions for instances where additional access to care is needed.

Requires increased transparency of hospice ownership and managing control information, ensuring CMS’s enrollment records are up to date.

Increases survey frequency for new hospices to ensure they meet hospice health and safety standards and prohibits payments to hospices that do not submit required quality data to the Secretary, with appropriate exceptions.

Reduces the potential for inappropriate financial conflicts of interest when certifying individuals’ eligibility for hospice care, while allowing nurse practitioners and physician assistants to also certify eligibility.

Requires CMS to conduct additional oversight activities to ensure hospices are providing holistic and comprehensive care.

Provides patients with an explanation of benefits within 15 days of an individual’s hospice election to increase beneficiary awareness of hospice enrollment and prevent extended periods of fraudulent billing.

Payment Reform: The bill ensures that providers are incentivized to deliver high-quality care to individuals and their families. Specifically, it:

Revises the payment structure for routine home care to reward hospices for providing in-person care.

Increases payments to hospices for furnishing palliative radiation, chemotherapy, blood transfusions, and dialysis to address access barriers for individuals that require these costly treatments under a hospice election. Additionally, it creates an outlier payment policy to provide a backstop for providers delivering care to high-cost patients.

Adds home respite care to the Medicare hospice benefit, allowing individuals to receive respite care at home rather than in a facility, which is a key benefit for families and caregivers that are taking care of loved ones at the end-of-life.

Creates a new transitional inpatient respite benefit to support patients and families through their transition from a hospital into hospice care in the setting of their choice, allowing patients to move from hospital to general inpatient care to transitional respite, when appropriate. This new transitional payment seeks to eliminate the current pattern of care whereby terminally ill individuals are discharged from the hospital and inappropriately admitted to a skilled nursing facility in lieu of electing hospice care.

The full bill is available here.

“The American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine (AAHPM) greatly supports the work being done on the need to address hospice fraud,” said Kristina Newport, MD, FAAHPM, HMDC, chief medical officer for AAHPM. “Patients and families in need of the care, comfort and quality of life that hospice care provides need to trust that they are receiving the best possible services. We look forward to working with Representative Sánchez and Senator Warner on these important issues and to ensure that all patients have access to this vital care.”

“The Alliance thanks Representative Sánchez and Senator Warner for their commitment to ensuring Americans have access to high-quality hospice care. The reintroduction of the Hospice CARE Act reflects their dedication to meeting the evolving needs of our aging population and strengthening the long-term sustainability and integrity of the hospice benefit,” said Jennifer Sheets, chief executive officer for the National Alliance for Care at Home. “Hospice care is one of the most profound services our healthcare system offers, providing patients and families with compassionate, dignified care during life’s most difficult moments. As the number of Americans turning to hospice continues to grow, it is critical that the benefit keeps pace with how care is delivered today and what patients, families, and providers actually need. The Alliance looks forward to working with Representative Sánchez and Senator Warner and their congressional colleagues on this legislation. We are committed to being a constructive partner in any effort to protect what’s working, address what isn’t, and modernize the Medicare hospice benefit in ways that serve patients, families, and the future of care in our country.”

“Hospice is a vital and deeply valued benefit, with a critical role in America’s health care system,” said Katie Smith Sloan, president and CEO of LeadingAge. “At its best, compassionate, high-quality, person-centered care is delivered to beneficiaries and families by ethical, forward-thinking, competent providers, in keeping with the sector’s nonprofit origins, which established a standard of quality care. Currently, however, hospice is at an inflection point. Increased scrutiny – an appropriate response to fraudulent behavior of a limited group of bad actors – highlights the need for modernization. This moment calls for thoughtful reform to ensure this valuable benefit continues to serve patients and families, support high-quality providers, protect against the rise of dishonest players, and preserve the core promise of hospice care. Done right, changes will expand the benefit to support the realities of modern-day hospice care, address the benefit’s vulnerabilities now being exploited, and help ensure quality to support strong funding. We thank Congresswoman Sánchez and Senator Warner for their leadership on this bill and their longstanding commitment to the need for high quality care for people with serious illness and at the end of life. There is more work to do, and we look forward to continuing to work with Congresswoman Sánchez and Senator Warner to ensure this bill achieves these goals.”

“In addition to significant payment reforms and program integrity measures, this bill takes important steps towards improving access to care for individuals on hospice,” said David Lipschutz, co-director of the Center for Medicare Advocacy. “This includes incentivizing in-person clinical visits and care to higher-cost patients and allowing respite care to be provided in the home. It also would create a transitional 15-day inpatient respite period to give eligible patients and their families adequate time to arrange for a safe transition into receive hospice at home following a hospital stay.”

“The National Partnership for Healthcare and Hospice Innovation (NPHI) thanks Senator Mark Warner and Congresswoman Linda Sánchez for their continued leadership on improving the experience for patients and families at the end-of-life, including with today's introduction of the Hospice CARE Act of 2026,” said Tom Koutsoumpas, founder and CEO of NPHI. “This legislation provides an important opportunity to pursue thoughtful reforms to the Medicare hospice benefit that both preserve patient access and address ongoing concerns related to program integrity. While the bill represents meaningful progress toward modernizing the benefit and reducing incentives for fraud, waste, and abuse, NPHI believes certain provisions – particularly those related to payment reform – present opportunities for further discussion and refinement. We look forward to working closely with Senator Warner, Representative Sánchez, the Senate Finance Committee, and the House Ways and Means Committee to ensure the legislation delivers thoughtful reforms that strengthen the hospice benefit for mission-driven providers and the patients they serve.”

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ATL Mayor Dickens Endorses Warnock Provision Banning Private Equity in Housing

Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens endorsed Senator Reverend Warnock’s provision that bans large private equity corporations from mass purchasing single-family homes

The bipartisan 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, which includes Senator Warnock’s private equity ban, passed out of the Senate last week by a vote of 89-10

Georgia’s housing market is suffocated by private equity, with more than one in four single-family rental homes in Atlanta owned by large corporations

Mayor Andre Dickens: “A special thank you to Senator Warnock for his tireless leadership in stopping the spread of large corporate investors who harm our neighborhoods and for creating a clearer path to homeownership for thousands of Atlanta families”

Washington, D.C. – Today, Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens endorsed Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock’s (D-GA) legislation to ban large investors, including private equity, from mass purchasing single-family homes. The Senator’s provision, included as part of the comprehensive 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act package, was passed by the Senate by a vote of 89-10 on March 12.

“This landmark legislation strengthens our Neighborhood Investment Initiative by providing new tools to preserve housing, tackle blight, and hold bad actors accountable for practices that make it harder for the average person to get and keep a home,” said Mayor Andre Dickens. “By removing barriers to housing production and supporting homeownership, this bill helps expand opportunity and move Atlanta closer to a more equitable future for all. A special thank you to Senator Warnock for his tireless leadership in stopping the spread of large corporate investors who harm our neighborhoods and for creating a clearer path to homeownership for thousands of Atlanta families.”

“I’m thrilled that a provision that I negotiated to stop private equity and large corporations from mass purchasing single-family homes is on its way to becoming law,” said Senator Reverend Warnock. “Let me make it plain: private equity’s greed is squeezing first-time homebuyers out of the market and pushing the American Dream further out of reach. I thought Congress ought to get something done; that’s why I’ve worked tirelessly for months to get this over the finish line.”

Last spring, the Senator introduced a transformative housing package, including legislation to close tax loopholes that have helped large corporations mass purchase single-family homes, which served as a starting point for the bipartisan private equity ban that is on its way to becoming law as part of the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act.

The bipartisan housing package has already gained the support of 27 organizations, with more endorsements added each day.