Ernst Works to Grow the Small Business Pet Economy

WASHINGTON – Today, Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship Chair Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) highlighted how Congress can support pet small businesses and their paws-itive impact on the economy by passing her bipartisan Made in America Manufacturing Finance Act.

Ernst noted that spending on pets reached a record high last year and called on the Senate to pass her legislation that would double the 7(a) and 504 loan limits from $5 million to $10 million for small manufacturers, so businesses like Blue-9 Pet Products in Maquoketa, Iowa can continue to modernize, grow, and train a new generation of American workers.

Download this high resolution picture here.

Watch Chair Ernst’s remarks here.

Ernst’s full remarks:

“Today folks, we are talking about our beloved pets and the entrepreneurial ecosystem that supports the ever-growing pet industry.

“Pets have a very special place in our lives, in our families, and even here in the Senate – and you can always ask Senator Justice who often travel with his dog, Babydog. They are there to greet us, support those with disabilities, and help our veterans regain their independence.

“Pets are abundant in Americans’ lives, with around 57% of households owning at least one. In rural areas, this number is even higher: 71% of households have pets, and 47% report owning more than one animal.

“As more Americans have welcomed pets into their homes, businesses supporting our animals thrived. This growth has continued in our current Golden Age, where spending on pets is estimated to have reached $157 billion in 2025, a record high, and a 75% increase since 2018.

“As the pet economy continues to grow, the number and variety of small businesses who support our pets continues to increase.

“Local vets, community trainers, and neighborhood pet stores are some of the first places people go to get support for their animals.

“Some of the small businesses we will hear from today participate in franchises throughout the country, serve on Main Street, and provide quality medical care when our pets need it most. They do all of this while investing in their employees and giving back to their communities.

“However, the difficulties pet small businesses face are no different to those who participate in any other sector of the economy.

“Accessing capital, navigating regulations, and recruiting qualified employees are just some of the many challenges these entrepreneurs encounter.

“We are here today to talk about how to support these business owners.

“We can start by passing my Made in America Manufacturing Finance Act, which will raise the Small Business Administration’s 7(a) and 504 limits from $5 million to $10 million for small manufacturers, like Blue-9 Pet Products, that manufactures pet training products in Maquoketa, Iowa.

“I am grateful to my colleagues, including Senators Coons, Young, Hickenlooper, and Husted for their bi-paw-tisan support.

“This bill has already passed the House, and I will continue to work to pass it through our Senate chamber.

“As small businesses and their employees navigate tax season, they will be able to invest more of their profits in their employees and business growth, thanks to the Working Families Tax Cuts that are now law.

“From pet groomers benefiting from the ‘no tax on tips’ provision to small business owners taking advantage of the qualified business income deduction, more of folks’ hard-earned money is staying in their own pockets.

“Today, we will also have a chance to examine the challenges businesses in rural areas face and the effective ways small business owners everywhere can recruit and retain employees.

“The pet economy is just as wide and diverse as the small businesses who participate in it. They care for our animals as their own, and it is important that we support them as they pursue growth and expansion of their businesses.

“I want to thank our witnesses for being with us today. We look forward to your testimony and hearing about your important work and the valuable services you provide to our communities.”

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Fetterman Continues Fight for Food Worker Rights in Reintroduction of SNAP Legislation

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Yesterday, U.S. Senator John Fetterman (D-PA) reintroduced the Food and Nutrition Delivery Safety Act to require Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) authorized retailers to treat delivery drivers fairly, pay good wages, ensure SNAP groceries are delivered safely, and protect SNAP users’ online data. He was joined by U.S. Senators Adam Schiff (D-CA), Michael Bennet (D-CO), and Ron Wyden (D-OR).

“SNAP is a lifeline for so many hard working families. We can protect the union way of life and food safety by introducing protections for workers,” said Senator Fetterman. “I’m proud to reintroduce the Food and Nutrition Delivery Safety Act with my colleagues to help protect consumers from cyber criminals and ensure safe delivery for all Pennsylvanians.”

The Food and Nutrition Delivery Safety Act would require the USDA Food and Nutrition Services (FNS) in collaboration with FDA, Food Safety and Inspection Service, and the Office of Science and Technology Policy, to establish standards for fair and safe working conditions for the drivers who deliver the food. Combined, these standards would:

Ensure that eligible SNAP purchases through online retailers would protect consumers’ digital privacy and cybersecurity

Ensure SNAP eligible food is delivered through safe handling procedures by delivery drivers

Prevent companies from undercutting labor standards for delivery drivers, including by requiring they pay prevailing wages

The House companion is led by U.S. Representatives Shomari Figures (D-AL) and John Mannion (D-NY).

The Food and Nutrition Delivery Safety Act is endorsed by the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW). Together this includes 1.2 million members across several industries and 31,000 members in Pennsylvania.

“We are proud to endorse the Food and Nutrition Delivery Safety Act. This crucial legislation would ensure that delivery workers within the SNAP delivery program are fairly compensated and have the tools and training necessary to do their jobs. Delivery workers, whether in-store UFCW members or workers who are part of the gig economy, play a critical role in ensuring that the nearly 42 million monthly SNAP recipients have food on their tables. Failing to enact these guardrails and compensate them justly sends a dangerous message about how essential workers are valued in this country. We applaud Sen. Fetterman (D-PA) and Rep. Figures (D-AL) for their leadership on this issue,” said UFCW International President Milton Jones.

Senator Fetterman has been a champion of both workers’ rights and food assistance for families across the commonwealth. In the 119th Congress, he has introduced legislation like the Food Secure Strikers Act, School Lunch Debt Cancellation Act, Enhanced Cybersecurity for SNAP Act, and Fairness for Victims of SNAP Skimming Act. His work across the Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee demonstrates his support for the integrity and longevity of SNAP, ensuring the 2 million Pennsylvanians who benefit can continue doing so.


Gallego, Colleagues Press DOD for Answers on the School Bombing and Civilian Casualties in Iran

WASHINGTON – Today, Senator Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) joined 45 Senate colleagues in pressing the Department of Defense to provide answers to the American people on the airstrikes on a school in Minab, Iran and civilian casualties in the Trump Administration’s war on Iran, as well as accountability for those responsible.

“We write with grave concern regarding the airstrikes on a girls’ elementary school that reportedly killed at least 168 people – mostly children – in Minab, Iran during the opening salvo of U.S. and Israeli operations on Iran on February 28. To be clear, the war against Iran is a war of choice without Congressional authorization. Nonetheless, as these military actions continue, the United States and Israel must abide by U.S. and international law, including the law of armed conflict. There must be a swift investigation into the strikes on this school and any other potential U.S. military actions causing civilian harm, and the findings must be released to the public as soon as possible, along with any measures to pursue accountability,” the Senators write to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.

“The results of this school attack are horrific. The majority of those killed in the strikes were girls between the ages of 7 and 12 years old. Neither the United States nor the Israeli Government has yet taken responsibility for this attack,” they note.

“There have also been reports of airstrikes that have hit multiple hospitals, cultural heritage sites, and other critical civilian infrastructure. This includes the use of explosive weapons in major Iranian cities and populated areas, including the capital, Tehran, which is home to approximately 9 million people. As of March 10, 2026, there have been over 1,245 civilians killed and over 12,000 civilians injured in the war, according to the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA). Massive civilian casualty incidents like the attack in Minab are not only detrimental to the Iranian people, who have already suffered so much at the hands of its own government, but they also undermine U.S. national security interests. These concerns are compounded by the reported use of artificial intelligence tools to select and prioritize targets in Iran,” the Senators stress.

The Senators go on to press for answers to the following questions:

Did U.S. forces conduct the strikes that struck the girls’ school in Minab, Iran on February 28, 2026? If not, did the United States play any role in planning, coordinating, or supporting the strikes?

If U.S. forces carried out the strikes on the school, what was the intended target? What led to the errant strike? At what command level was authorization granted? What weapons and systems were used in the strikes?

What analysis was done to determine the purpose of the building? When was this analysis completed? What measures were implemented to reduce the risk of civilian casualties? What was the intended military objective? Were AI tools used in planning or executing these strikes?

What analysis, if any, led the U.S. military to conclude that the expected civilian harm would not be excessive in relation to the concrete and direct military advantage anticipated?

You said U.S. forces would follow “no stupid rules of engagement.” Are you complying with rules to prevent the commission of war crimes? If so, what procedures are in place to implement those rules?

What steps has the U.S. military taken to prevent and mitigate civilian harm in its operational planning and targeting? Was a “no-strike list” established prior to the commencement of U.S. military operations in Iran?

Have any U.S. military operations in Iran utilized, or will any utilize, artificial intelligence tools, and if so, provide specifics of how they are being used and for what purpose? What human verification and redundancy policies are in place, if any, to evaluate the accuracy and legitimacy of AI-generated targets? Please provide a copy of any procedures service members use to verify AI-generated targets and recommend them for execution.

What role do civilian harm mitigation and response (CHMR) staff at CENTCOM play in operational planning and targeting? How has CENTCOM compensated for the reduction in resources dedicated to this effort, including the loss of dedicated civilian harm mitigation teams?

The U.S. has reported that it struck over 1,000 targets in just 24 hours. Given this volume, the compressed timeframe, and the presence of targets in populated areas, what steps and precautions has the U.S. taken to ensure compliance with the laws of war during these strikes? How has the U.S. implemented established CHMR policies and practices?


Gallego Slams the Administration for Financing Putin While He Helps Target U.S. Servicemembers

Leads Banking Dems in Call for Bessent to Testify

WASHINGTON – Today, Senator Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) led his Democratic colleagues on the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs in calling on Chairman Tim Scott (R-SC) to convene a hearing with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent over recently announced sanctions relief for Russia. This comes at the same time that Russia is providing intelligence to Iran to target American service members in the Middle East.

“The Trump Administration cannot simultaneously claim to be prioritizing U.S. military operations while offering sanction relief to Putin. The solution to a war started by President Trump must not be to reward the adversary helping Iran target American troops,” the Senators wrote. “After the Administration’s authorization, Russia will likely receive billions of dollars in exchange for its oil. Traders and vessels who continued dealing in sanctioned oil will also receive a windfall, incentivizing further evasion.”

The Trump Administration has scrambled to respond to a spike in oil prices after President Trump’s ongoing military strikes halted movement through the Straight of Hormuz.

“As a result, gas prices are skyrocketing for American families. Oil prices increased to over $110 per barrel, and gas prices soared 16 percent since the war started. This was not an unforeseeable consequence,” wrote the Senators. “However, it is clear President Trump had no plan for how military conflict in the Middle East would affect oil prices.”

The Trump Administration removed sanctions on Russian oil despite a law requiring 30 days’ notice to Congress before issuing licenses that significantly alters U.S. foreign policy with regard to Russia.

“We ask that you immediately schedule a hearing to allow Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to answer critical questions about the 30-day license, how it undermines U.S. sanctions, and the risks posed to American troops,” the Senators concluded.

Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Jack Reed (D-RI), Mark Warner (D-VA), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Lisa Blunt Rochester (DE), and Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD) also signed the letter.


Gallego Statement on Republicans’ Refusal to Fund TSA

WASHINGTON – Senator Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) released the following statement after Republicans once again blocked legislation to fund the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and other important DHS functions while talks on ICE and CBP proceed:

“Republicans are holding TSA agents’ paychecks, disaster relief, and our national security hostage because they refuse to confront the reckless chaos inside the Department of Homeland Security under Stephen Miller’s direction.

“We put forward a straightforward funding bill today: pay TSA agents and fund critical services– everything except ICE and CBP while we continue to negotiate. Republicans blocked it. That tells you everything you need to know about their priorities.

“They’re willing to risk airport security, hours-long airport lines, protection against potential terrorist attacks, and disaster response just to keep fueling this administration’s mass deportation agenda, no matter the cost to the American people.”


Gallego, Warren, Hawley, Cortez Masto, Britt Lead Senators in Reintroducing Bill to Hold Executives Accountable After Big Bank Failures

Bill reintroduction comes three years after Silicon Valley Bank’s failure

WASHINGTON – Today, Senators Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Josh Hawley (R-MO), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Katie Britt (R-AL), and nine additional Senators are reintroducing The Failed Bank Executives Clawback Act of 2026, which would help ensure that big bank executives are not allowed to collect massive paychecks and bonuses, disregard prudent risk management, and walk away scot-free if the bank blows up.

The bill would require the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) to hold executives of large failed banks — like Silicon Valley Bank, which failed three years ago today — financially responsible for some of the costs those failures impose on the rest of the banking system and the economy. The FDIC would have to claw back all or part of the compensation large bank executives received over the three-year period preceding a bank’s failure.

“When Silicon Valley Bank went under, hundreds of Arizonans lost their jobs, and thousands more lost their investments and savings. Meanwhile, the same irresponsible c-suite executives who ran the bank to the ground cashed in tens of millions of dollars in bonuses and stock then left the taxpayers holding the bag. That’s not how our system should work,” said Senator Gallego. “This bill would hold bank executives financially accountable and make sure they aren’t able to walk away rich while hardworking Americans lose their savings and jobs.”

“When big banks fail, weak regulators too often let the failed bank’s wealthy executives slip away into the night while American taxpayers foot the bill,” said Senator Warren. “This bill helps ensure that failed bank executives are held accountable for their risk-taking — and that they forfeit the huge bonuses they got while driving their bank into the ground.”

“Bank executives who make risky investments with customers’ money shouldn’t be permitted to profit in the good times, and then avoid financial consequences when things go south,” said Senator Hawley. “This legislation puts the executives’ own profits on the line, and that’s exactly as it should be.”

“Executives at major financial institutions should not get to make out like bandits after running their banks into the ground,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “We saw this happen with Silicon Valley Bank three years ago – when the bank failed, its leadership had already sold millions in company stock. Our bipartisan legislation will ensure these individuals are held accountable for threatening the financial stability of businesses and families in Nevada and nationwide.”

The Failed Bank Executives Clawback Act of 2026 is co-sponsored by Senators Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Mark Warner (D-VA), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Tina Smith (D-MN), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Raphael Warnock (D-GA), John Fetterman (D-PA), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), and Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD).


Amid Skyrocketing Gas Prices, Gillibrand Announces Bill To Refund Tariff Costs, Calls On Trump To Address Rising Cost Of Living

Today, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) held a virtual press conference to demand that the Trump administration prioritize bringing relief to American families instead of doubling down on unconstitutional foreign wars and reckless tariff policies that are driving up the cost of living for hardworking New Yorkers.

Gillibrand also announced new legislation to exempt small businesses from the latest round of President Trump’s tariffs and require the administration to refund businesses for tariff costs they’ve already paid.

“New Yorkers deserve better than President Trump’s illegal tariffs, reckless wars, and cost-increasing chaos,” said Senator Gillibrand.“President Trump must put the American people first, end the war with Iran, and revoke his harmful tariffs once and for all. I am proud to cosponsor legislation to give some relief to working New Yorkers and small businesses by refunding tariff costs, and I will continue to do everything in my power to shield New Yorkers from the president’s chaos.”

Last month, the Supreme Court struck down President Trump’s global “reciprocal” tariffs that he unlawfully imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). Following that ruling, a federal judge ordered the Trump administration to refund the billions of dollars that it took from U.S. consumers and businesses in the form of those illegal tariffs. Despite this, President Trump doubled down by announcing a sweeping new 10% tariff on nearly all imports entering the United States under a different legal authority, Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974. He has since pledged to increase those tariffs to 15%.

The Small Business Liberation 2.0 Act would exempt small businesses from paying Section 122 tariffs, refund small businesses for any Section 122 tariffs paid, and prevent price gouging for consumers because of Trump’s new tariff policy. The full text of this legislation can be found here.

Senator Gillibrand has opposed President Trump’s tariffs since the start of his administration. Last year, she joined 14 of her colleagues in introducing the Small Business RELIEF Act to end Trump’s Tariff Tax and refund small businesses their duties paid. She also sent a legal brief with 206 members of Congress emphasizing to the Supreme Court that these tariffs are illegal.

Senator Gillibrand also reiterated her call for President Trump to end his reckless war with Iran, which is driving up costs even further. Oil and gas prices have skyrocketed since President Trump struck Iran, making it more expensive for New Yorkers to heat their homes and power their vehicles. Regular gas in New York costs about 44 cents more per gallon than it did just last week.

Senator Gillibrand has made clear that she will not provide a blank check for President Trump’s reckless war in Iran. Last week, she voted yes on the Senate’s war powers resolution to reassert Congress’ responsibility, demand accountability, and send a clear message that military force must be debated, justified, and authorized before American lives are put at risk. She has repeatedly called for the president to prioritize lowering costs at home rather than reckless foreign wars abroad.

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Grassley Receives Inaugural Iowa TRIO Champion Award in Recognition of Outstanding Support for Iowa Students

WASHINGTON – Iowa TRIO awarded Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) its inaugural Iowa TRIO Champion Award in recognition of his work to support disadvantaged students. Grassley is a member of the Congressional TRIO Caucus.

The Federal TRIO Programs (TRIO) assist low-income individuals, first-generation college students and people with disabilities as they pursue an education. TRIO programs in Iowa serve thousands of students every year. In February, Grassley sent a letter to Secretary of Education Linda McMahon urging the agency to ensure the timely delivery of federal TRIO funds.

“Iowa TRIO is honored to award Senator Chuck Grassley our inaugural Iowa TRIO Champion Award. This award recognizes individuals and organizations that have supported and advocated for first-generation and/or low-income high school and college students in Iowa. Senator Grassley has been a long-standing champion of TRIO by allocating funds for our grants, being a dedicated member of the TRIO Caucus, and ensuring that programs are supported in Iowa. TRIO programs in Iowa serve more than 18,000 students annually since 1966. Iowa TRIO is grateful for the hard work Senator Grassley has done,” said Dr. Caleb Carver, Iowa TRIO President.

Download photos HERE.

Grassley this morning delivered remarks on the Senate floor recognizing TRIO’s achievements.

Floor Remarks by Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa

Senate President Pro Tempore

"National TRIO Day”

Wednesday, March 11, 2026

VIDEO

I want to recognize the 40th anniversary of a day we call “National TRIO Day.”

On February 24, 1986, a congressional resolution declared that February 28 should be designated “National TRIO Day.” And, at the same time, I come here to recognize the achievements of the TRIO programs.

Although there are now six distinct TRIO programs, the name “TRIO” originated from the Higher Education [Amendments] of 1968. That act consolidated a "trio" of programs under one overall program.

Today, these six programs include Upward Bound, Student Support Services, Talent Search, Educational Opportunity Centers and the Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement Program and [the] sixth, the Staff Development Training Program.

I am a long-time supporter of TRIO programs. I’m a member of the TRIO caucus in the United States Senate. [A]s a caucus member, I understand these programs provide critical support to low-income, first-generation college students and prospective students.

In 2025, 54 TRIO programs in Iowa served over 18,000 Iowans from sixth grade to graduate programs.

As we mark 40 years of the National TRIO Day, I commend the educators, commend the counselors and commend the staff, all who dedicate their careers to student success and, at the same time, I celebrate the generations of students whose lives have been transformed through TRIO.

I remain committed to supporting these vital programs so they may continue expanding opportunity and building stronger futures for Iowa and for the nation.


Senators Hassan, Shaheen Help Introduce Bill to Bring Back Direct File, Make Taxes Easier

**The Direct File Act would reverse the Trump Administration’s decision to cancel the successful and popular Direct File program**

(Washington, DC) – U.S. Senators Maggie Hassan (D-NH) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) helped introduce the Direct File Act, legislation that would reverse the Trump Administration’s decision to end the highly successful Direct File program. Before being canceled, the popular Internal Revenue Service (IRS) program allowed taxpayers to file their taxes online, for free and directly with the government. This bill would restart the Direct File program and make it permanent. The legislation is led by U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Chris Coons (D-DE) and Ron Wyden (D-OR).

“Our government needs comprehensive reform to both make it more effective at improving people’s lives and to modernize it to meet the needs of the 21st century. Especially during tax season, many Granite Staters are rightfully frustrated by our needlessly complicated tax code and the professional help that is often required just to file their taxes and get back the money they are owed by the government,” said Senator Hassan. “The IRS’s Direct File program, first launched in 2024, allowed Granite Staters and Americans to save more of their time and hard-earned money by filing their taxes for free online. But the Trump Administration decided to cancel the Direct File program, as part of what appears to be its mission to make life harder and more expensive for families. I’m glad to join my colleagues to introduce this important legislation that restores this common-sense tool and helps people get the money that they are owed.”

“With millions gearing up for tax filing season, it’s important to ensure Americans have the resources and support they need to tackle our overly complex tax system,” said Senator Shaheen. “Rather than simplify the tax system, the Trump Administration has done just the opposite—slashing critical employees and resources at the IRS while doing away with the Direct File program, which families across our country relied on to save time and money filing their taxes. I’m proud to join my colleagues on legislation that would ensure our tax system works for, not against, the American people.”

The average American taxpayer spends eight hours and $160 each year filing their taxes with tax prep companies. In 2024, IRS launched Direct File to save families time and money. 94% of users described their experience as “excellent” or “above average,” and more than 70% of taxpayers said they would use Direct File if they were eligible. If fully implemented, Direct File was expected to save families up to $23 billion annually in fees, time and tax credits.

However, the Trump Administration ended the program after extensive lobbying efforts by tax companies. This decision contradicts recommendations from the independent Government Accountability Office and Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration. By ending this program, the Trump Administration raises costs for Americans and makes the tax filing experience even more challenging.

In addition to directing the IRS to establish and operate a free online tax preparation and filing program, the Direct File Act would:

Prohibit the IRS from entering into agreements that restrict its ability to provide free online tax preparation or filing services

Direct the IRS to publish an annual report on use levels, patterns of usage and ways to improve access to Direct File

Direct the IRS to enable seamless integration between state tax filing systems and Direct File, including through information sharing and a new grant program for states

Reduce tax fraud by getting third-party income information to the IRS earlier in the tax season, allowing the agency to verify this information before issuing refunds

In addition to Shaheen and Hassan, 35 Senators cosponsored the legislation. The bill is endorsed by 115 unions, advocacy groups and national organizations.

Click HERE to view the bill text.

Click HERE to view summary of the bill.

Simplifying the tax system and ensuring Americans have the resources they need to file their taxes has been a long-time priority for Senator Shaheen. Ahead of this year’s tax season, Shaheen joined her colleagues in a letter warning that the IRS was woefully unprepared to assist the American people due to mass layoffs and chaos at the agency. Shaheen has also worked to protect Granite Staters who experienced challenges when using online tax services like TurboTax and introduced the Tax Filing Simplification Act to ease the fax filing process for millions of Americans and lower costs.

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Hawley Introduces Bill to Ban Chemical Abortion Drug, Hosts Press Conference Featuring Pro-Life Testimonies & Leaders

WASHINGTON — Today, U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) hosted a press conference to unveil his new legislation to ban the chemical abortion drug mifepristone and empower women harmed by the drug to sue its manufacturers. Congresswoman Diana Harshbarger (TN-01) will introduce companion legislation in the House.

At the press conference, women who used mifepristone shared powerful testimonies about how the abortion drug harmed them. Pro-life leaders also spoke to the urgent need to take mifepristone off the market.

“The science is clear: the chemical abortion drug is inherently dangerous to women and prone to abuse. Yet major companies like Danco Laboratories are making billions off it,” said Senator Hawley. “That’s why I am introducing new legislation to ban the use of mifepristone for abortion and empower women to sue its manufacturers. Congress must act now to protect the health and safety of women.”

“As a pharmacist, I believe every drug approved in the United States must meet the highest standards of safety, transparency, and medical oversight,” said Congresswoman Diana Harshbarger. “Yet the FDA under previous administrations has steadily dismantled critical safety safeguards surrounding the abortion drug mifepristone — removing in-person dispensing requirements, allowing the drug to be shipped through the mail, and limiting adverse-event reporting so that most serious complications are no longer tracked. Evidence now suggests that the real-world risks to women are far greater than the federal government has acknowledged. That’s why I’m proud to join Senator Hawley in introducing the Safeguarding Women from Chemical Abortion Act, to restore accountability and help ensure that women’s health — not politics — guides federal drug policy.”

The chemical abortion drug, mifepristone, is not safe for women. One recent study found that nearly 11% of women who use mifepristone experience sepsis, infection, hemorrhaging, an emergency room visit, or another serious adverse event within 45 days. New data indicates that these complications were even more common after safety measures—such as in-person dispensing—were removed by President Joe Biden.

Shady corporate manufacturers of the abortion drug are profiting handsomely while women are harmed. The maker of mifepristone, Danco Laboratories, first registered in the Cayman Islands and received backing from prominent liberal billionaires, including George Soros and private equity managers. Its ownership structure is designed to evade scrutiny and escape liability. In 2022, the company’s CFO said investments in the company had been “extremely profitable.” Chemical abortion rates, and the harm to women, have only increased since then.

The Safeguarding Women from Chemical Abortion Act would:

Withdraw the FDA’s approval of mifepristone for abortion.

Make distributing and labeling mifepristone for pregnancy termination violations of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.

Create a private right of action for women harmed by chemical abortion to sue manufacturers for damages.

This legislation is supported by Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, Family Research Council, Alliance Defending Freedom, Concerned Women for America, Live Action, Students for Life of America, Ethics and Public Policy Center, and the American Association of Pro-Life OBGYNs Action. Read their statements of support here.

Read the bill text of the Safeguarding Women from Chemical Abortion Act here.


Heinrich on Senate Floor: President Trump is dumbing down our history and cheapening our National Parks.

But he will not take our history from us.

WASHINGTON — Today, U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, led his colleagues in delivering remarks on the Senate floor in condemning and drawing attention to the Trump administration’s efforts to erase American history from public lands. Heinrich’s remarks follow his letter to the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) demanding answers about its efforts to remove signage referencing the nation’s history from National Parks Service (NPS) sites.

U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Ranking Member of the U.S. Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine), Ranking Member of the U.S. Energy Subcommittee on National Parks, and U.S. Senator Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), a member of the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, joined Heinrich in delivering remarks on the floor.

VIDEO: U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, delivers floor speech on Trump administration efforts to erase history on public lands, March 11, 2026.

“Not every chapter in this story is uplifting—but to understand who we are as Americans, and our journey to become what Ronald Reagan called a ‘shining city upon a hill,’ we have to learn from all of it,” said Heinrich. “We can’t erase or turn away from the hard parts. Because those parts, and how we learned and grew from them, are our shared history, and they should never be erased or twisted for politics. But that’s just what the Trump Administration is trying to do—to censor our history.”

“These lands – from Historical Parks and Historic Trails, to National Parks, Monuments, and Wilderness Areas – these lands hold the echoes of our ancestors. They hold the good and the bad. And knowing makes us stronger,” continued Heinrich.

“President Trump is dumbing down our history. He is cheapening our National Parks. But he will not take our history from us. We will tell these stories again and again, long after HE is relegated to the history books. And knowing the truth makes us stronger,” concluded Heinrich.

A video of Heinrich’s floor speech can be found here.

A transcript of Heinrich’s remarks as delivered is below:

Thank you, Mr. President.

Let me start off by pointing out that New Mexico is home to one of the most important living cultural landscapes in the United States.

You may have heard of it – it's known as Chaco Canyon.

It’s a World Heritage Site and a National Historical Park.

It is truly breathtaking.

If you’ve ever been there, and when you’re there with the immense sky above, you feel like time is converging.

Centuries and centuries of history.

The bustling lives of farmers, architects, builders, astronomers and religious leaders, converging with the scurry of nearby wildlife and the hushed murmurs of respectful visitors.

And these are all layered onto each other in what, for many, remains a living, sacred place.

It is designated a National Historical Park to tell the stories of the people who lived on this land long before America was even a nation, and those who continue to use these lands to connect to a story bigger than any one person.

Every year, millions of Americans and international visitors alike learn parts of our nation’s story through the places preserved and stewarded by the National Park System.

Places like Chaco Canyon.

These places tell the story of us.

How we became ‘America’, and how we have grown and changed as a nation.

It is a story of triumph, of hardship, of resilience, and, sometimes, of cruelty.

Not every chapter in this story is uplifting—but to understand who you are as Americans, and our journey to become what Ronald Reagan rightly called a “shining city upon a hill,” we have to learn from all of it.

We can’t erase or turn away from the hard parts.

Because those parts, and more importantly, how we learned and grew from them, are our shared history, our shared story, and they should never be erased or twisted for politics.

But that is just what the Trump Administration is trying to do — to censor our history.

One year ago, President Trump signed an executive order directing federal agencies to review how National Park Sites portray American history.

The Executive Order required officials to make sure that Park Service sites did not display content that, quote, “inappropriately disparage(s) Americans past or living.”

As a result of that Order, they’ve already removed some content, and much of it is in the most popular National Parks in the American West.

In a spreadsheet summarizing the Interior Department’s first review last year, Mother Jones found that from 33 sites in the Park Service region that includes my state, 81 submissions had been flagged for review.

And of those 81, the Department decided that 46 should be altered or removed entirely – over half.

But this isn’t only happening in the West.

Signs related to ecology and the Wabanaki cultural history were completely removed at Acadia National Park.

At Stonewall National Monument in New York, mentions of Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera – pioneering activists central to the 1969 Stonewall uprising – were scrubbed completely;

And this photo, showing what enslaved people experienced at the hands of their enslavers.

Let that photo sit with you for just a moment.

This photo, which shows how painful our history can be, was ordered to be removed because it is, quote, “disparaging of Americans.”

This is not disparaging.

This is truth. This is reality.

We cannot be a better nation or a stronger one if we ignore or hide from our own past.

We are a great nation because we have learned from our past, especially from our mistakes.

But we can’t do that when we take photos down like this one.

And, unfortunately, this was just one of the Trump administration’s attempts to h0llow out our American story.

Another came earlier this year when the Department of the Interior asked National Park staff to spend hundreds of hours reviewing their own exhibits to report signage that might be in violation of the Executive Order.

At Glacier National Park in Montana, mentions of climate change, of course, which is literally melting the very Glaciers the park was named after, those were erased.

And at Yellowstone, which was established on land from which the U.S. military forcibly removed Tribes, any mention of Native Tribes was ordered to be removed.

They’re even asking visitors to report any material they find “offensive”.

Well, Mr. President, I find THAT offensive.

Last June, the Trump administration instructed Park Service staff to post QR codes that visitors could scan to report signs they disagree with.

So far there has been little clarity on the process, and of course, zero public input.

But some brave public servants anonymously uploaded the list of reported violations to a public site.

Examples from across the country include the entirety of the Emmitt Till exhibit in Alabama...

...reviewing covers of books on the topic of slavery, including autobiographies...

...reviewing content in Junior Ranger Books about emancipation, the cause of the Civil War, and Freedmen’s colonies, because it might be, quote, “disparaging of Americans.”

So far, the Department has reviewed more than 2,000 pieces of media and has ordered the removal or alteration of hundreds of signs and exhibits.

And we know they aren’t done.

So what more could be at risk in the coming days?

In New Mexico, we have park service signs that share Tewa translations.

That’s a language that has been spoken in our part of the United States since long before the colonies were founded.

Because this language is a language other than English, these signs are at risk of removal.

Other park service signs in New Mexico include Spanish translations, and that should surprise no one, given our history under Spain and Mexico before being ceded to the United States in 1848.

In fact, New Mexico’s state constitution recognizes Spanish as a protected language.

But because these signs have a language that is not English, under the Trump administration, they risk removal.

Other exhibits at risk aren’t about language.

The Trump administration claims it is removing signs because they quote, “cast a negative light” on American history.

But Mr. President, this IS our history.

Someone just doesn’t want our history to be told.

That is putting the telling of our history at risk.

It is, in fact, already under attack.

And that is straight out of the authoritarian playbook.

It should anger every single American listening today.

When we erase information about who we are... when we silence people’s stories... we promote a narrative that ignores and manipulates what truly happened.

So let me tell you what they are trying to erase.

It is true that some of our forefathers founded this country on the enslavement of other human beings.

It is true that those human beings built much of this country, including the building we are standing in here today.

And we fought a civil war, and amended our constitution, and guaranteed rights to millions of Americans as a result of all of that.

Because we demanded better of our country and of ourselves.

It is true that some of our forefathers forced tribal people from their homes, making them walk hundreds of miles on death marches to resettle in small tracts of land far from the land that they knew.

And today, the daily work of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources and the Indian Affairs Committees is to protect the rights and advance the well-being of some of those same Tribes.

Because we demanded better, of our nation and of ourselves.

It is true that this country did not apply the American values of democracy and justice equally in the beginning.

And that women, Black people, Hispanics, Asians, Native Americans, LGBTQ, and persons with disabilities, just to name a few, all had to struggle to gain the same rights as other groups of people.

Because they demanded better, of our nation and for all of us.

Like the stories of families that traveled over oceans like mine did, and traveled over mountains to be a part of the “American Dream” —

— The story of those fights are the stories of how America became the country that it is and how we will continue to lead.

The hardships, the pain, the suffering – they aren’t false and they aren’t fictions.

They made us stronger.

And they don’t negate the progress we’ve made, or the pride that we take in our country as we continue to strive for a more perfect union.

Because every good story is rooted in place, I often say that public lands are the anvil on which our collective American identity was forged.

Because these lands preserve where much of that history happened.

These lands – from our historical parks, our historic trails, to our national parks and monuments and wilderness areas – these lands hold the echoes of our ancestors.

They hold the good, and the bad.

And knowing the truth makes us better, makes us stronger.

That’s what makes us demand more for our country, more for ourselves.

New Mexico tells us this.

Take the story of the Manhattan Project in my home state. We now have a National Historic Park to tell that story.

But you can’t tell that story of the dawn of the Atomic Age without telling the whole story.

Without recognizing the people from our New Mexico communities whose health was sacrificed to build those powerful devices.

You can’t hold up the amazing scientific advances made under J. Robert Oppenheimer’s supervision without also telling the story of his political persecution and the removal of his clearance.

George Orwell predicted a lot of things, and he once wrote: “The most effective way to destroy people is to deny and obliterate their own understanding of their history.”

Right now, President Trump is dumbing down our history.

He is cheapening our National Parks.

But he will not take our history from us.

We will tell these stories again and again, and again. As long as it takes, and long after HE is relegated to the history books.


Hickenlooper, Bennet, Hurd Urge Evaluation of UMUT Law Enforcement Capacity

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senators John Hickenlooper and Michael Bennet and U.S. Representative Jeff Hurd urged the Department of the Interior (DOI) Assistant Secretary of Indian Affairs, William Kirkland, to evaluate the law enforcement capacity needed to keep Tribal members and the community safe on the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe’s Reservation (the Reservation).

“The Ute Mountain Ute Tribe (the Tribe), primarily located in southwest Colorado and with boundaries extending into northern New Mexico and southeast Utah, prides itself on its sovereignty and self-reliance. However, the Tribe has struggled to ensure that its members are safe in their communities – and in their own homes. The Reservation’s remote nature, including an approximately 75-mile distance between the Tribe’s police station in Towaoc and its satellite community of White Mesa, Utah, contributes to delayed response times and inadequate policing,” wrote the lawmakers.

Tribal representatives told the lawmakers that there is only one law enforcement officer from the federal government and one law enforcement officer employed by the Tribe patrolling the nearly 600,000-acre reservation. The lawmakers stressed that over the last two years, violent crime has increased on the Reservation. In the absence of a proper law enforcement presence, the Tribe is concerned that violent crime will continue to persist and only intensify.

“It is the legal responsibility of the United States government to fulfill its trust obligations to the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe and protect its resources and its Tribal members. A 90-day analysis to determine the law enforcement capacity needed at the Ute Mountain Ute Reservation is essential to determining Tribal and community law enforcement needs, and will give the Tribe the ability to plan for future resource needs,” concluded the lawmakers.

The text of the letter is available HERE and below:

Dear Assistant Secretary Kirkland,

We write to express our concern with the Department of the Interior’s level of support for law enforcement resources on the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe’s Reservation (the Reservation). We request that the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) conduct a 90-day analysis to determine the law enforcement capacity needed to keep Tribal members and the community safe on the Reservation.

The Ute Mountain Ute’s Tribal Council has informed our offices that there is only one BIA-assigned law enforcement officer patrolling the nearly 600,000-acre reservation in addition to one officer employed by the Tribe. One BIA officer is inadequate to meet the needs of the nearly 2,000-member Tribe.

The Ute Mountain Ute Tribe (the Tribe), primarily located in southwest Colorado and with boundaries extending into northern New Mexico and southeast Utah, prides itself on its sovereignty and self-reliance. However, the Tribe has struggled to ensure that its members are safe in their communities – and in their own homes. The Reservation’s remote nature, including an approximately 75-mile distance between the Tribe’s police station in Towaoc and its satellite community of White Mesa, Utah, contributes to delayed response times and inadequate policing.

The Tribe has not assumed law enforcement functions under the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act. Instead, the Tribe is one of six Tribes that receive Direct Services through the BIA Office of Justice Services, District IV, for law enforcement needs. In previous years, ten BIA officers were assigned to patrol the Tribe’s land, but this capacity has precipitously decreased over time. Over the years, the Tribe has requested, and we have supported, greater law enforcement resources from BIA to address rampant crime and violence, but these requests have gone unanswered.

Over the past two years, the Tribe has seen significant growth in gun violence on the Reservation, in addition to domestic violence incidents and multiple stabbings. In December 2024, a gunman fired a semi-automatic weapon 24 times into a home, killing a 7-year-old boy who was in bed. And in August 2025, a gunman fired a semi-automatic weapon at a car, killing a 24-year-old woman. In January, the Ute Mountain Ute Tribal Council enacted a nightly curfew across the Reservation in an attempt to mitigate violence in the absence of adequate policing.

Without the necessary resources to appropriately police the Reservation, the Tribe is concerned that violent crime will only continue to persist and intensify. It is the legal responsibility of the United States government to fulfill its trust obligations to the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe and protect its resources and its Tribal members. A 90-day analysis to determine the law enforcement capacity needed at the Ute Mountain Ute Reservation is essential to determining Tribal and community law enforcement needs, and will give the Tribe the ability to plan for future resource needs. The outcome of such an analysis would provide a clearer picture of the prerequisites to keeping the Reservation safe and how they can best be met through a dedicated effort by the Administration and Congress.

We look forward to working with you to maintain the federal government’s trust responsibility to the Tribe and ensure the safety of its members.

Sincerely,

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Hickenlooper, Colleagues Lead Bill to Protect America’s Small Businesses, Consumers from Trump’s Latest Tariff-Taxes

Bill would exempt small businesses from paying the president’s latest round of tariff-taxes, protect Americans from price gouging

Adds to Hickenlooper’s effort to secure refunds for small businesses, workers

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator John Hickenlooper, member of the Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee, and six of his Senate colleagues introduced the Small Business Liberation 2.0 Act to protect small business owners and working Americans from paying the president’s latest round of tariffs.

“The Supreme Court already struck down the president’s tariff-taxes, yet the president seems determined to find new ways to tax working Americans,” said Hickenlooper. “Working families and small businesses deserve relief, not higher bills.”

After the Supreme Court’s decision ruled President Trump’s tariffs illegal, he announced a sweeping 15% tariff on all imports entering the U.S. under a different justification, Section 122 of the U.S. Trade Act of 1974. Specifically, the senators’ bill would exempt small businesses from paying Section 122 tariffs, refund small businesses for any Section 122 tariffs paid, and protect Americans from price gouging because of the president’s new tariff policy.

“Small businesses didn’t ask to be collateral damage in global trade fights. When tariffs are imposed overnight, it’s Main Street, not multinational corporations, that gets squeezed first,” said Richard Trent, Executive Director of Main Street Alliance. “The Small Business Liberation 2.0 Act recognizes that reality by exempting small businesses from these duties, requiring refunds for those already paid, and cracking down on price gouging that often follows tariff shocks. This legislation is a common-sense step to protect small businesses, stabilize prices for consumers, and ensure that trade policy doesn’t come at the expense of the entrepreneurs who power our local economies.”

“Tariffs continue to be a major concern for America’s small businesses: Small Business Majority’s research found that half of small business owners have increased the price of certain materials or products, 29% have delayed importing materials or goods and 22% have delayed business expansion plans as a result of tariff policies,” said John Arensmeyer, Founder and CEO of Small Business Majority. “Among firms that don’t import directly, our research also found that nearly half (45%) of small businesses buy from U.S. suppliers who import from other countries. Small businesses that rely on supply chain access managed by larger importers are even more likely to pay higher prices as they lack the negotiating and market power that larger businesses do, leading to inflated prices at the benefit of the supplier. The best way to give small businesses immediate relief from these ongoing tariff challenges is for Congress to pass legislation that would exempt small businesses from the new Section 122 tariffs while also directing federal agencies to take action to prevent larger suppliers that sell to small businesses from passing their tariff-related costs on to small firms.”

The Small Business Liberation 2.0 Act is also endorsed by National Small Business Association (NSBA), Small Business for America’s Future (SBAF), and Women Impacting Public Policy (WIPP).

Hickenlooper has always been an outspoken opponent of Trump’s reckless tariff regime. In February, he helped introduce the Tariff Refund Act of 2026 to force the Trump administration to fully refund businesses who paid their illegal tariffs. Last year, he introduced the Small Business RELIEF Act to exempt small businesses from the admin’s sweeping tariffs and give them refunds for the tariffs they have already paid. He also supported the challenge against the Trump administration that was considered in this Supreme Court decision, signing onto an amicus brief for the case. In October, Hickenlooper also helped pass the Senate effort to end the emergency declaration the White House has used to try to justify their illegal tariffs that have increased prices on Americans.

Over the summer, Hickenlooper chaired a field hearing of the Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee in Denver to highlight the strain the outdoor recreation industry is facing under the Trump administration’s chaotic tariffs.

The Trump administration has collected an estimated $175 billion in illegal tariff revenue, raising taxes on products from nearly every country on earth and jacking up prices for working families. It is also reported that Coloradans paid over $760 million in tariffs before the Supreme Court ruling. The Tariff Refund Act of 2026 will require the full refund of those funds to all importers, while prioritizing small businesses. This builds on Hickenlooper’s Small Business RELIEF Act which focuses only on small business refunds.

The Trump administration previously recognized that it must refund, with interest, any money unlawfully collected. However, it is unclear what timeline, process, or other guidelines the Trump administration would follow to provide refunds.

Full text of the bill available HERE.

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Hickenlooper, Colleagues Press Pentagon for Answers on the School Bombing, Civilian Casualties in Iran

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator John Hickenlooper, along with 45 of his Senate colleagues, demanded the Department of Defense carry out a swift investigation into airstrikes on a school in Minab, Iran and other civilian casualties in the Trump administration’s illegal war on Iran.

“The results of this school attack are horrific. The majority of those killed in the strikes were girls between the ages of 7 and 12 years old. Neither the United States nor the Israeli Government has yet taken responsibility for this attack,” the senators wrote.

Hickenlooper has consistently condemned the administration for sidestepping Congress and dragging America into a lawless war with no clear objective – one that has already taken American lives and that Americans overwhelmingly oppose. Hickenlooper voted for the bipartisan Iran War Powers Resolution, which would end further U.S. military intervention in Iran without explicit Congressional approval.

Text of the letter is available HERE and below.

Secretary Hegseth:

We write with grave concern regarding the airstrikes on a girls’ elementary school that reportedly killed at least 168 people – mostly children – in Minab, Iran during the opening salvo of U.S. and Israeli operations on Iran on February 28. To be clear, the war against Iran is a war of choice without Congressional authorization. Nonetheless, as these military actions continue, the United States and Israel must abide by U.S. and international law, including the law of armed conflict. There must be a swift investigation into the strikes on this school and any other potential U.S. military actions causing civilian harm, and the findings must be released to the public as soon as possible, along with any measures to pursue accountability.

The results of this school attack are horrific. The majority of those killed in the strikes were girls between the ages of 7 and 12 years old. Neither the United States nor the Israeli Government has yet taken responsibility for this attack. On March 4, you acknowledged that the United States was looking into the strikes at the school, saying “all I know, all I can say, is that we’re investigating that,” but shared no information about a timeline for review nor a commitment to accountability. A New York Times analysis of available evidence suggests that U.S. forces most likely struck the school amid attacks on an adjacent Iranian naval base, despite satellite imagery showing that the building had been walled off from the military base and used as a school since at least 2016. And U.S. military investigators themselves reportedly believe that U.S. forces were likely responsible.

There have also been reports of airstrikes that have hit multiple hospitals, cultural heritage sites, and other critical civilian infrastructure. This includes the use of explosive weapons in major Iranian cities and populated areas, including the capital, Tehran, which is home to approximately 9 million people. As of March 10, 2026, there have been over 1,245 civilians killed and over 12,000 civilians injured in the war, according to the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA). Massive civilian casualty incidents like the attack in Minab are not only detrimental to the Iranian people, who have already suffered so much at the hands of its own government, but they also undermine U.S. national security interests. These concerns are compounded by the reported use of artificial intelligence tools to select and prioritize targets in Iran.

These civilian harm events are not taking place in a vacuum. As Secretary of Defense, you set the tone for U.S. military conduct, and your recent comments send a clear message of disregard for the laws of war. On March 3, you said that Operation Epic Fury would have “no stupid rules of engagement.” On March 4, you said while describing U.S. military operations in Iran that there will be “death and destruction from the sky all day long.” This rhetoric only serves to endanger civilians, including American citizens, in the region and around the globe. The United States is a party to the Geneva Conventions and bound by international humanitarian law, including the principles of distinction, proportionality, and precaution. These are binding and non-negotiable standards designed to protect innocent human life, and it is unacceptable for the Secretary of Defense to suggest otherwise.

Your comments reflect a broader pattern of policies abandoning the Defense Department’s commitment to minimizing civilian harm in U.S. military operations. Under this administration, budgetary and personnel cuts at the Department have robbed military commands of crucial resources to prevent and respond to civilian casualties, including at U.S. Central Command and the Civilian Protection Center of Excellence, which supports commands in this work and was codified into law with bipartisan congressional support. You have also removed senior, nonpartisan Judge Advocate General (JAG) officers who provide essential legal guidance to U.S. service members, particularly regarding compliance with the law of armed conflict and U.S. policies aimed at reducing civilian harm. These actions, combined with your comments and the horrific reports of civilian casualties stemming from the war against Iran, suggest the administration has abandoned its duty to protect civilians.

We request answers to the following questions regarding the February 28 attack on the elementary school no later than March 18, 2026.

Did U.S. forces conduct the strikes that struck the girls’ school in Minab, Iran on February 28, 2026? If not, did the United States play any role in planning, coordinating, or supporting the strikes?

If U.S. forces carried out the strikes on the school, what was the intended target? What led to the errant strike? At what command level was authorization granted? What weapons and systems were used in the strikes?

What analysis was done to determine the purpose of the building? When was this analysis completed? What measures were implemented to reduce the risk of civilian casualties? What was the intended military objective? Were AI tools used in planning or executing these strikes?

What analysis, if any, led the U.S. military to conclude that the expected civilian harm would not be excessive in relation to the concrete and direct military advantage anticipated?

You said U.S. forces would follow “no stupid rules of engagement.” Are you complying with rules to prevent the commission of war crimes? If so, what procedures are in place to implement those rules?

What steps has the U.S. military taken to prevent and mitigate civilian harm in its operational planning and targeting? Was a “no-strike list” established prior to the commencement of U.S. military operations in Iran?

Have any U.S. military operations in Iran utilized, or will any utilize, artificial intelligence tools, and if so, provide specifics of how they are being used and for what purpose? What human verification and redundancy policies are in place, if any, to evaluate the accuracy and legitimacy of AI-generated targets? Please provide a copy of any procedures service members use to verify AI-generated targets and recommend them for execution.

What role do civilian harm mitigation and response (CHMR) staff at CENTCOM play in operational planning and targeting? How has CENTCOM compensated for the reduction in resources dedicated to this effort, including the loss of dedicated civilian harm mitigation teams?

The U.S. has reported that it struck over 1,000 targets in just 24 hours. Given this volume, the compressed timeframe, and the presence of targets in populated areas, what steps and precautions has the U.S. taken to ensure compliance with the laws of war during these strikes? How has the U.S. implemented established CHMR policies and practices?

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Hickenlooper, Colorado Colleagues Demand Answers on Secret ICE Holding Cells

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senators John Hickenlooper and Michael Bennet, along with U.S. Representatives Brittany Pettersen, Joe Neguse, Jason Crow, and Diana DeGette, pressed Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Acting Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Director Todd Lyons for answers following alarming reports that ICE is secretly holding individuals at Colorado ICE field offices for days — sometimes weeks — in small holding cells designed to be used for only a few hours without proper facilities.

The lawmakers said: “We write to express our deep concern regarding reports of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) expanding its detention capacity in Colorado by keeping detained individuals in “holding cells” in ICE field offices for days at a time. Detaining people for extended periods of time in small, confined rooms that are meant to be a temporary holding space goes against Department of Homeland Security (DHS) policy, and we demand these actions stop immediately.”

“In recent weeks, there have been growing reports of ICE keeping detained individuals in holding cells within ICE field offices, which don’t have beds or adequate resources for long-term detention…We are deeply concerned about the reports that ICE kept an individual in the holding cells for as long as 39 days – well beyond the three-day limit established by the DHS in June, which we also view as unacceptable,” the lawmakers continued.

According to information obtained by the Data Deportation Project through a Freedom of Information Act request, more than 3,000 individuals were held in ICE hold rooms in Colorado between January and October 2025. Reports indicate that detainees ranged in age from as young as one year old to as old as 91, with some confined in these temporary holding spaces for as long as 39 days.

Hickenlooper has been outspoken in the face of ICE’s lawlessness and demanded a top-to-bottom overhaul of the agency to stop ICE from terrorizing our communities. Hickenlooper also voted against the DHS funding bill because it failed to overhaul ICE. He has consistently pushed for more oversight and transparency for federal immigration enforcement efforts, and has worked to help families desperately searching for loved ones arrested by ICE.

Hickenlooper also joined Representative Pettersen and Senator Bennet demanding DHS abandon its plans to open a new ICE facility in Hudson, Colorado.

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

Dear Acting Director Lyons:

We write to express our deep concern regarding reports of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) expanding its detention capacity in Colorado by keeping detained individuals in “holding cells” in ICE field offices for days at a time. Detaining people for extended periods of time in small, confined rooms that are meant to be a temporary holding space goes against Department of Homeland Security (DHS) policy, and we demand these actions stop immediately.

In recent weeks, there have been growing reports of ICE keeping detained individuals in holding cells within ICE field offices, which don’t have beds or adequate resources for long-term detention. Reporting indicates that an individual was kept in these rooms for as long as 39 days. According to data obtained by the Deportation Data Project through the Freedom of Information Act, between January and October 2025, more than 3,000 individuals were held in these locations.

DHS has recognized the safety risks of keeping individuals in these holding cells for extended periods of time. Prior to June 2025, ICE did not allow individuals to be left in these holding cells for more than 12 hours. In June, an internal policy was updated to allow individuals to be held for up to three days. We are deeply concerned about the reports that ICE kept an individual in the holding cells for as long as 39 days – well beyond the three-day limit established by the DHS in June, which we also view as unacceptable.

We strongly oppose the practice of detaining individuals for more than 12 hours in holding cells and demand your response to the following questions by March 27th.

Is ICE keeping individuals in holding cells in ICE field offices for more than 12 hours at a time? If so, please provide:

The number of individuals who have been detained in a holding cell for more than 12 hours,

The countries of origin of those individuals,

The locations they were held at,

The length of time that those individuals were in a holding cell, and

If any US citizens were among those detained in the holding cells.

If individuals are being held in ICE field office holding cells for more than 12 hours, what safety precautions are being taken to ensure that the detainee’s nutritional, medical, and hygiene needs are being met? Please provide the record logs of when agents supplied food, water, and any necessary hygiene and medical assistance to individuals detained for more than 12 hours.

When an individual is held in a holding cell, what documentation procedures does ICE follow to ensure that the detainee’s location is tracked?

When an individual is held in a holding cell, how does ICE ensure that their legal representation can access them?

Have any individuals in ICE custody in Colorado been held in a location that is not the Aurora Detention Facility or an ICE Field Office in Colorado? If yes, please provide the number of individuals held, the locations of the warehouses where individuals were held, and a copy of the contracts that ICE has with those locations.

Under Colorado HB23-1100, local government entities are authorized to provide health and safety resources and sanitation services to individuals held in detention. How is ICE ensuring that holding cells in field offices comply with local public health and environmental codes? Specifically, what is the protocol for allowing County Health Departments to conduct inspections for sanitation, food safety, and infectious disease control at these locations?

Sincerley,

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Hirono, Colleagues, Advocates Mark One Year Since Trump’s Disastrous Mass Firings at U.S. Department of Education

Full video of the press conference is available HERE | Photos are available HERE

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) held a press conference to mark one year of Donald Trump’s all-out attack on the U.S. Department of Education (ED). Senator Hirono was joined by Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), education advocates, labor leaders, and other stakeholders—including former ED employees—to raise alarms about how the administration has shortchanged students, teachers, administrators, and federal workers.

“At every turn, President Trump and billionaire Secretary of Education Linda McMahon have created chaos and confusion—all at the expense of students. Trump is spending millions to undermine public education and prevent public servants from doing their jobs.” said Senator Hirono. “We know this regime will continue its attacks on the Department of Education, federal workers, public schools, and the more than 50 million children who attend them. That’s why it’s so important that we continue calling attention to these attacks and holding this regime accountable.”

On March 11, 2025, ED Secretary Linda McMahon fired 2,000 ED employees—nearly half the agency’s workforce. Since then, the Administration has proposed illegally moving nearly all federal K-12 programs and many higher education programs to other federal agencies that have limited capacity to run these programs and no experience dealing with them. This move would essentially fulfill Trump’s campaign promise to eliminate the Department altogether and remove the federal government’s role in helping to ensure that all students have access to a quality education.

“It has been one year since Donald Trump took a chainsaw to the Department of Education—moving swiftly to dismantle it and fulfill a campaign pledge ripped out of the Project 2025 handbook,” Senator Durbin said. “Congress created the Department of Education to ensure that all students—regardless of income, race, sex, or ability level—have equal access to a quality education. Instead of working to fulfil that mission, President Trump and Secretary McMahon are shuttering its doors.”

“Donald Trump and his cronies’ chainsaw approach to the Department of Education over the past year has not only decimated the Department’s workforce but also undermined key initiatives that students and families count on. At a time when we should be focused on investing in and improving students’ education, these harmful actions threaten our longstanding goal of ensuring that each new generation has greater opportunities than the last. I’ll keep fighting to undo the serious damage this Administration has done to public education in this country and to strengthen our public schools so they can meet their full promise – providing equal access to high-quality education for every student, no matter their zip code,” said Senator Van Hollen.

For the past year, Senator Hirono has fighting back against the Trump Administration’s attacks on public education. Senator Hirono has hosted five spotlight forums, bringing together educators, students, administrators, advocates, and experts, to demonstrate the widespread consequences of ED rollbacks. Last month, she highlighted ED’s efforts to dismantle support for over 800 Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) that serve over five million students nationwide. In December, her forum covered the Trump Administration’s illegal attacks on federal programs. In September, she highlighted the cuts to student loans. In July, her forum spotlighted federal funding being withheld from K-12 public education programs. In June, she raised alarms about widespread cuts public education would face from the Big Ugly Bill. In the meantime, she has also held stakeholder roundtables and pushed for legislation that would protect federal education programs, including during the consideration of the Big Ugly Bill.

“The U.S. Department of Education and its hardworking staff deliver vital resources and support to tens of millions of students and families across the country, from early learning through graduate programs. The Trump Administration has shown it will stop at nothing — even ignoring court orders and violating federal law — to dismantle the Department and sow chaos for states and communities,” said Rachel Gittleman, President of American Federation of Government Employees Local 252, which represents 2,000 current and former Education Department workers. “This is an insult to the students who rely on the Department to safeguard access to quality education and to the taxpayers who depend on federal oversight to prevent waste."

"In multiple national polls conducted across the political spectrum, parents – Republicans, Democrats, and Independents alike – have been unambiguous: they want the Department of Education to continue to exist and to do its job,” said National Parents Union President Keri Rodrigues. “Parents didn't sign up for chaos. We signed up for schools that work. We want the Department focused on what it was built to do – making sure every child can read, that math achievement is real, that families have actual choices that work for them."

“There are many great public schools but inequities persist. Picture a student sitting in a classroom where the textbooks are outdated, the counselor is responsible for hundreds of students, and the support services they rely on are stretched thin. Now imagine that same student facing racial harassment at school or being denied the special education services they need, while their family files a civil rights complaint hoping someone in Washington will step in to protect them. For generations, the U.S. Department of Education has been that backstop. But thanks to mass firings, thousands of families are left waiting for answers while more than 25,000 complaints sit unresolved. At the same time, funding meant to support public schools is being threatened. These actions constitute the intentional slow erosion of the public system meant to guarantee every child a fair chance to learn. When we weaken the Department of Education, it is students in under-resourced communities, especially Black and Brown students and those from low-income families, who feel the consequences most deeply. Public education is a cornerstone of our democracy, and protecting it means protecting the students whose futures depend on it,” said Allison Socol EdTrust Vice President of P-12 Policy, Practice, and Research.

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Hirono, Murray, King Lead Colleagues in Demanding HHS Immediately Release Title X Funding

Senators: “Any gap in Title X funding could result in over two million patients losing access to contraception and preventative care, worsen maternal health outcomes, and increase sexually transmitted infections.”

WASHINGTON, D.C. –Today, U.S. Senators Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), Patty Murray (D-WA), and Angus King (I-ME) led 36 colleagues in sending a letter to Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., demanding that HHS take immediate action to protect Americans’ uninterrupted access to comprehensive family planning and services by awarding a one-year full funding extension for all current Title X grantees.

Last year, the Trump Administration withheld millions in funding from almost one in five Title X grantees for months, placing over 840,000 people at risk of losing access to Title X-funded care and forcing some sites to close. While the administration restored funding to these groups by December 2025, many grantees were forced to serve the same need with reduced funding. Now, Title X grantees’ current funding is set to lapse on March 31, 2026.

In their letter, the senators highlight the importance of Title X, helping to provide broader access to important services that have resulted in improved health outcomes like lower maternal and infant mortality, fewer premature births, and lower rates of cancer. Since 1970, the Title X Family Planning Program has provided lifesaving family planning and preventive health services for low-income or uninsured patients. Title X services include contraception, cervical cancer screenings, pregnancy testing and counseling, and sexually transmitted infection testing and treatment.

“In short, these services not only make our communities healthier, but also improve educational and economic attainment for women and their families,” the senators wrote.

While funding for all Title X grantees is set to lapse at the end of the month, HHS typically releases Title X non-compete continuation grant guidance in late December, affording grantees about 90 days to complete their continuation application. So far, HHS has not released any guidance or the notice of continuation funding opportunity for Title X year-five awards, creating widespread uncertainty. If this administration fails to meet the April 1, 2026 deadline for releasing Title X funding to current grantees, the repercussions could be catastrophic, with over two million patients losing access to contraception and preventive care and thousands of health care sites put at risk of closure.

“Any gap in Title X funding could result in over two million patients losing access to contraception and preventative care, worsen maternal health outcomes, and increase sexually transmitted infections,” the lawmakers wrote in their letter. “It will also risk layoffs of essential health care providers and staff who provide care for patients at thousands of Title X clinics nationwide, worsening the national maternal and reproductive health care crisis.”

The senators concluded their letter by emphasizing the importance of releasing this funding and how this delay has already caused uncertainty for clinics and patients across the country.

“A lapse in funding caused by this administration would deny patients and their families the dignity of affordable health care and irreparably worsen the health care crisis that President Trump and Republicans in Congress have already exacerbated by enacting the largest cuts to health care in American history,” the senators concluded. “It is imperative that the Department act now and issue a one-year extension of Title X funding.”

In addition to Senators Hirono, Murray, and King, the letter was also signed by Senators Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Chris Coons (D-DE), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Richard Durbin (D-IL), John Fetterman (D-PA), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Edward Markey (D-MA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Gary Peters (D-MI), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Bernard Sanders (I-VT), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Tina Smith (D-MN), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Mark Warner (D-VA), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Peter Welch (D-VT), and Ron Wyden (D-OR).

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

Dear Secretary Kennedy:

For nearly 60 years, the Title X Family Planning Program (“Title X”) has provided millions of working Americans with access to family planning and essential preventive care services, like cancer screenings. Congress recently renewed its longstanding support for the program in the latest funding package. But under your leadership, the Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS”) has so far failed to release annual funding for Title X clinics across the country, as it ordinarily would have by this point in the year. Existing awards are set to lapse on March 31, 2026, and any loss of congressionally appropriated Title X funding will hurt millions of patients and significantly weaken communities’ access to comprehensive family planning services. As such, we demand that the Department take immediate action to protect Americans’ uninterrupted access to these critical services by awarding a one-year full funding extension for all current Title X grantees.

Title X is the only dedicated source of funding for domestic family planning services and preventive health care. Since its establishment in 1970, this program has provided vital reproductive health care services to patients at little to no cost, covering services like contraception, cervical cancer screenings, sexually transmitted infection testing and treatment, and pregnancy testing and counseling. Access to these services improves health outcomes, resulting in lower maternal and infant mortality, fewer premature births, and lower rates of cancer.[1] In short, these services not only make our communities healthier, but also improve educational and economic attainment for women and their families.[2] Title X funding also saves taxpayer dollars elsewhere in the health care system, with every dollar spent on public funding for family planning programs saving at least seven dollars in Medicaid costs.[3]

In 2022, HHS awarded five-year grants to over 85 Title X grant recipients to deliver affordable, patient-centered family planning and preventive health services across the United States and its territories. Without immediate action, funding for grants will lapse on March 31, 2026. Title X grantees were told that non-compete continuation application guidance was required to be released by HHS no later than December 31, 2025. As of current date, that guidance has not been released, creating widespread uncertainty for grantees, patients, and providers with less than a month of funding remaining. If the administration fails to meet the April 1, 2026, deadline for releasing Title X funding to the current grantees, the repercussions for critical health care will be catastrophic. Any gap in Title X funding could result in over two million patients losing access to contraception and preventative care, worsen maternal health outcomes, and increase sexually transmitted infections. It will also risk layoffs of essential health care providers and staff who provide care for patients at thousands of Title X clinics nationwide, worsening the national maternal and reproductive health care crisis.

These harms are not hypothetical. In 2019, the first Trump administration finalized regulations, which had lasting consequences for the program. Over 1,000 clinics became ineligible for funding. Last April, the Trump administration withheld all or partial funding from a quarter of all Title X grantees for months, cutting off over 840,000 patients’ access to contraceptive care and forcing Title X sites to close.[4] When funding was finally restored, clinics were forced to try to meet the same need but with significantly reduced funding.

This delay is already causing costly uncertainty for clinics across the country and the patients that they serve. A lapse in funding caused by this administration would deny patients and their families the dignity of affordable health care and irreparably worsen the health care crisis that President Trump and Republicans in Congress have already exacerbated by enacting the largest cuts to health care in American history. It is imperative that the Department act now and issue a one-year extension of Title X funding.

Sincerely,

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Hoeven Outlines Importance of U.S. Energy Dominance in Countering Iran’s Influence

WASHINGTON – During remarks delivered on the floor of the U.S. Senate today, Senator John Hoeven discussed the importance of U.S. energy dominance in the face of the Iranian regime’s efforts to destabilize global energy markets. Hoeven outlined:

The importance of his Crack the Code 2.0 initiative to continue growing U.S. energy leadership. Specifically, the initiative would partner the oil and coal industry to double both:

Oil recovery in formations like the Bakken, unlocking billions of additional barrels of oil that would otherwise be inaccessible.

The life of coal-fired power plants, ensuring continued access to affordable, reliable baseload power that is available 24/7.

That disruptions to global energy markets will be temporary, as:

Operation Epic Fury will be limited to weeks, not months.

Steps are being taken to secure the Strait of Hormuz.

The U.S. continues to strike Iran’s ability to threaten ship traffic.

“Over the past two decades, our nation has transformed itself from a position of energy dependence to one of energy dominance,” said Hoeven. “To maintain our energy leadership, we must not only focus on sustaining production, but growing it. This means continuing to innovate and improve the amount of oil we can recover from the wells we already have drilled.

“Today, we only recover about 10 percent of oil from unconventional shale formations like the Bakken. That’s why we are embarking on the next stage of the shale revolution, which we are calling Crack the Code 2.0… We are focusing on linking oil producers with our baseload coal-fired power plants that provide a reliable source of CO2 for enhanced oil recovery. Doing so presents the opportunity to unlock five billion additional barrels of oil out of the Bakken, and billions more from other shale formations.

“Iran is taking deliberate actions to disrupt global energy flows by attacking energy infrastructure in the region and threatening oil shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. Thankfully, the U.S. is in a much stronger position because we’ve more than doubled production. Our energy producers have become a stabilizing force in the global marketplace, limiting the ability of hostile regimes to weaponize access to energy.

“Make no mistake, conducting this kind of campaign against Iran twenty or thirty years ago would have been a much bigger energy problem. When we were only producing 5 million barrels per day versus the nearly 14 million we produce today, which covers essentially what we use, it would have been a different equation. Iran deterred us from attacking due to its stranglehold over oil resources. The combination of robust American energy production and the power of the American military mean that the best Iran can do is cause a temporary disruption.

“Our gratitude and prayers remain with those brave servicemembers who are carrying out these operations. They are doing an incredible job, and may God bless them.”

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Hoeven Reintroduces Legislation to Increase Funding Authorizations for Water Supply Projects in North Dakota

Senator’s Bipartisan Bill Would Support Projects Like ENDAWS, NAWS

WASHINGTON - Senator John Hoeven this week reintroduced his bipartisan legislation to support more reliable, drought-resistant water supplies in North Dakota, while helping to fulfill federal compensation that was promised to the state and tribes upon the construction of the Garrison Dam and Oahe Dam. Specifically, Hoeven’s bill would:

Amend the Dakota Water Resources Act (DWRA) to increase authorizations under the Municipal, Rural, and Industrial (MR&I) water supply grant program for North Dakota and the five Tribal Nations in the state.

North Dakota reached the state MR&I authorization ceiling at the end of fiscal year (FY) 2024.

An increase is necessary to complete ongoing water supply projects, including the Northwest Area Water Supply Project (NAWS) and the Eastern North Dakota Alternate Water Supply Project (ENDAWS).

Ensure that biota water treatment (BWT) costs are fully accounted for, which are rightly the responsibility of the federal government.

Although the DWRA authorized funding for non-reimbursable costs related to BWT facilities, no authorization ceiling was outlined.

As a result, North Dakota and the Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) have been forced to allocate significant MR&I resources to cover federal responsibilities under the Boundary Waters Treaty of 1909.

Hoeven previously secured the bill’s approval by the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee during the 118th Congress, putting the legislation in a strong position to advance in the current Congress. The bill comes as part of Hoeven’s ongoing efforts to fully fund ENDAWS, which uses existing federal infrastructure to save North Dakota taxpayers $200 million in construction costs and $4 million in annual operating costs for the Red River Valley Water Supply Project. Earlier this year, Hoeven secured $50 million and authorization for ENDAWS in the FY2026 appropriations legislation, and he continues his efforts to advance additional funding for the project from a BOR water account he worked to shape and include in the One Big Beautiful Bill.

“When the Garrison and Oahe dams were built, North Dakota lost 550,000 acres of prime farmland, but the amounts originally authorized under the Dakota Water Resources Act of 2000 were insufficient to compensate our state for this loss. As we work to fund water supply projects like ENDAWS, our legislation would correct this shortfall, ensure North Dakota receives the federal support it is owed and help advance more resilient, drought-tolerant water supplies for communities across our state,” said Senator Hoeven.

Hoeven’s legislation is cosponsored by Senators Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) and Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.). Representative Julie Fedorchak (R-N.D.) will introduce a companion to the bill in the House of Representatives.

“This legislation is critical for ensuring reliable water supplies for North Dakota’s communities and Tribal Nations. The FY2026 Energy and Water appropriations bill included some funding for the Eastern North Dakota Water Supplies Project (ENDAWS). We need to increase existing funding authorizations to further support ENDAWS and other critical water infrastructure projects across the state. I look forward to passing these amendments and ensuring the federal government fulfills this obligation it owes to North Dakota for damming the Missouri River,” said Senator Cramer.

“North Dakota was promised more than a million acres of irrigation as part of the Pick-Sloan project, yet that promise was never fully realized,” Representative Fedorchak said. “The Dakota Water Resources Act Amendments move us closer to fulfilling that commitment by strengthening water systems for our communities and Tribal Nations and making sure the federal government follows through on its commitments to our state.”

The full text and a summary of Hoeven’s legislation can be found here and here, respectively.

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HYDE-SMITH, COLLEAGUES ASK LABOR DEPT. TO DITCH DEMOCRAT HEAT RULE PROPOSAL

Senator Trash Biden-era OSHA Plan as Overbearing, Costly and Impracticable for Businesses and Workers

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) today added her voice to calls for the U.S. Department of Labor to drop an overbearing proposed heat rule written by the Biden administration and instead develop pragmatic solutions for businesses to follow to protect their workers from heat-related hazards.

Hyde-Smith joined U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-La.) and others in issuing a letter to Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer that outlines numerous problems in the 376-page proposed Biden-era Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) rule. The Biden-era proposal would mandate that all businesses, regardless of their safety record, size, location, or industry, comply with onerous requirements for safety staffing, record keeping, and mandatory breaks.

“We represent the states of Louisiana, Idaho, North Carolina, Alabama, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Indiana, Iowa, Wisconsin, Missouri, Texas, and Montana which have experience with high temperatures and whose workplaces have already developed strategies for protecting workers,” the Senators wrote.

“Protecting workers from a common and easily understandable workplace hazard does not require a prescriptive rule that will cause confusion and, in several circumstances, may even undermine worker safety. Workers and businesses thrive when there are clear standards that are flexible, understandable, and pragmatic,” the Senators continued. “The Biden administration's proposed rule fails to meet these criteria.”

The lawmakers wrote that constituents identified problems with the one-size-fits-all proposal, including inefficiency, danger, threats to job opportunities, and harm to local businesses. Among the problematic mandates:

Heat Triggers – Requiring the creation of two different levels of compliance for workers, including different monitoring schemes for indoor and outdoor work settings.

Heat Injury and Illness Prevention Plans (HIIPP) – Requiring all businesses with 10 employees to create a HIIPP with highly detailed, site-specific information, which creates cost and compliance risks for smaller businesses with frequently changing jobsites like construction sites. HIIPPs are required to be available at worksites in a language each employee understands.

Heat Safety Coordinators – Requires businesses to designate staff members to oversee HIIPP enforcement and compliance with numerous rule requirements, but without providing sufficient guidance as to who can fill that role, where the coordinator’s duties end, and what happens if a heat safety coordinator is unavailable. As written, the rule dictates the designation of a heat safety coordinator for every 20 employees.

Temperature Monitoring – Requires additional mandates related to temperature monitoring, but without clarity around when some areas – like boat manufacturing facilities exposed to open air – become indoor or outdoor settings, and imposes new monitoring and data storage costs on businesses.

“Nothing is more critical than our shared goal of protecting workers from workplace hazards, including heat, so they can return home from work safely,” the Senators wrote Chavez-DeRemer. “We urge you to consider these challenges our constituents have raised with the proposed rule as you engage in further rulemaking and consider how to center worker safety in the ongoing discussion regarding pragmatic solutions for preventing heat-related hazards in the workplaces.”

U.S. Senators Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.), Jim Banks (R-Ind.), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Katie Britt (R-Ala.), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Ted Budd (R-N.C.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.), and Steve Daines (R-Mont.) also signed the letter.