Senate Ag Committee holds hearing on domestic consumption

By Jerry Hagstrom, The Hagstrom Report

The Senate Agriculture Committee held a hearing Tuesday at which farm leaders presented ideas on how to increase domestic consumption amid an oversupply of commodities and trade uncertainties.

Tuesday’s hearing “comes at a time of great financial stress for America’s farmers. If you are putting something in the ground, you are losing money. It doesn’t matter what you are planting or where you are planting it, no row crop is currently profitable. In my home state of Arkansas, the last three years have been absolutely harrowing,” Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman John Boozman, R-Ark., said in an opening statement.

Boozman said he and Senate Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman John Hoeven, R-N.D., are committed to providing more farm aid this year, but that “our recent experiences have made me think about how we can build more robust domestic markets that will not subject our producers to the whims of foreign governments. This hearing is intended to begin that conversation. In the coming weeks and months, the committee will continue to explore this topic. I intend on discussing this topic with processors, manufacturers and retailers as well. Domestic market development will remain my priority as chairman.”

Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., ranking member of the committee and now a candidate for governor of Minnesota, thanked Boozman for holding the hearing and said, “Whether a farmer grows corn and soybeans or blueberries and apples, our farmers need domestic marketing opportunities to stimulate growth throughout our country.”

Klobuchar said a new farm bill should help both struggling farmers and reverse the cuts that Republicans made to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act that was passed under reconciliation procedures. She noted that both the National Governors Association and the National Conference of State Legislatures have called for a delay in the bill’s provisions that shift the cost of SNAP to the states.

FARM GROUPS WEIGH IN

Representatives of the American Farm Bureau Federation, the National Farmers Union, the American Soybean Association and the National Corn Growers Association all called for policies to encourage more use of biofuels including sustainable aviation fuel. Biofuels advocates said Congress should pass a bill to allow the sale of E15, a higher ethanol blend, nationwide year round, and the Trump administration should finalize policies on the Renewable Fuel Standard and the 45Z tax credit for biodiesel production.

American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall called for strengthening oversight and enforcement of Buy American provisions in school meal programs and programs to enable schools, food banks, and institutional buyers to source directly from U.S. farmers to strengthen regional fruit and vegetable markets and improve supply chain transparency.

Duvall said modernization of agricultural labor programs is vital to continuing the production of fruits and vegetables and other products in the United States.

Duvall noted that “when processing capacity narrows or concentrates, resilience declines,” but he did not propose any actions to counter the trend.

North Dakota Farmers Union President Matt Perdue, who testified in place of National Farmers Union President Rob Larew, said, “Congress must do more to ensure our antitrust and competition laws are strengthened and better enforced.” Congress should strengthen the connection between USDA and our chief federal competition and antitrust law enforcers at the Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission and protect the Packers & Stockyards Act and re-establish country-of-origin labeling for beef, establish the right to repair farm equipment and establish a Farmer Seed Liaison at USDA to strengthen competition and choice in the seed marketplace, Perdue said. He also called on Congress to spend more on local and regional meat processing.

Local and regional food procurement programs, including the Local Food Purchase Assistance and Local Food for Schools programs, strengthen the food system, putting a larger share of the retail food dollar in farmers’ pockets, helping farmers expand and build new markets, and creating a stronger connection between farmers and their local communities, Perdue said.

Federal programs such as USDA’s Value-Added Producer Grants remain essential tools that help farmers take the next step toward higher-value markets, Perdue added. Congress could help farmers tremendously by increasing funding to meet demand and simplifying the application and reporting requirements, he said.

American Soybean Association President Scott Metzger noted that, while soybeans are the No. 1 export crop, half of the soybeans “stay at home for a variety of uses.” ASA is concerned about state-level legislative efforts related to defining and labeling “ultraprocessed foods” and about the criticism of soybeans and seed oils by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Metzger said. “While ASA supports the goals of this administration to improve health outcomes for Americans, policies must be backed by sound science and not arbitrarily malign soybean oil and seed oils more broadly,” Metzger said.

CORN AND COTTON

National Corn Growers Association President Jed Bower said that in addition to supporting the nationwide, year-round use of E15, there is ethanol’s potential as a marine fuel. NCGA “will be focusing more of their engagement in Washington on removing policy and regulatory barriers and increasing incentives to scaling uptake of bio-based products,” Bower said. It will be important to maintain the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement on trade because Mexico is the most important export market for corn and Canada the top export market for ethanol, he said.

National Cotton Council Chairman Nathan Reed said that cotton has seen no consistent demand growth for the past 20 years, while manmade fiber consumption including Chinese polyester has more than doubled.

Reed said NCC’s top legislative priority is the Buying American Cotton Act introduced by Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-Miss. “Under this legislation, items that are fully manufactured in the United States or imported into the U.S. would qualify for a transferable tax credit that scales with the level of U.S. cotton content or U.S.-based cotton processing,” Bower said. The bill would apply to cotton products including, but not limited to, apparel, home textiles, and nonwovens, either fully manufactured in the U.S. or imported into the U.S., that are made in whole or in part from U.S. upland cotton or extra-long staple cotton. Reed noted that NCC is pointing out the dangers of microplastics in clothing as it strives to increase the demand for cotton globally against synthetic fibers. Reed noted that Kennedy’s Make America Healthy Again initiative has highlighted these concerns and that the most recent MAHA Commission report calls on HHS, the National Institutes of Health, and the Environmental Protection Agency to further research the health implications of microplastics.

International Fresh Produce Association President and CEO Cathy Burns, who represents the full supply chain of fresh fruits and vegetables — growers, shippers, distributors, wholesalers, retailers, foodservice partners, and allied companies — called for fully funding the nation’s nutrition programs including the Special Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program for Women, Infants and Children and the school programs and providing incentives for produce in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable program in elementary schools.


Booker, Kaine, Murphy, Schiff, Baldwin, Duckworth Lay Out Demand to Thune for Immediate Hearings on Iran War Following Introduction of New War Powers Resolutions

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ),Tim Kaine (D-VA), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) are following up on their demand that Republican Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) ensure the relevant committees of jurisdiction in the Senate hold immediate public hearings on the Trump-Vance Administration’s ongoing unconstitutional war in Iran.

This follows the Senators’ move to file War Powers Resolutions to stop President Donald Trump’s illegal and unnecessary war. The Senators made plain they will use these resolutions to force debate and additional votes if Republican leadership does not move swiftly to arrange public committee hearings with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth.

"Already, oil and gas prices are spiking, the prices of basic goods are increasing, and the U.S. is spending billions of dollars on this war, rather than focusing on reducing costs here at home. The Trump administration must answer questions publicly under oath in front of the American people, not just behind closed doors. Without public hearings, this work period, we will pursue other options for ensuring timely public debate on the Senate floor," the senators write in their letter to Thune.

It has been eleven days since President Trump launched his unconstitutional and unjustified war with Iran that has resulted in the death of at least seven U.S. servicemembers. Yet the Senate Foreign Relations and Armed Services Committees have yet to announce or hold a single public hearing to receive testimony from the Secretaries of State or Defense under oath.

The resolutions—which would not prevent the U.S. from defending itself or Israel from an Iranian attack—are privileged, meaning they can be brought to the Senate floor for a vote by any senator after ten calendar days.

Read the full letter here and below:

Dear Majority Leader Thune,

We write to request that Senate committees of jurisdiction hold immediate public hearings with Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and other relevant Cabinet- level officials to explain to the American people why the Trump administration launched an unconstitutional war with Iran and why this expensive, escalating conflict is in America’s national interest. Already, oil and gas prices are spiking, the prices of basic goods are increasing, and the U.S. is spending billions of dollars on this war, rather than focusing on reducing costs here at home. The Trump administration must answer questions publicly under oath in front of the American people, not just behind closed doors. Without public hearings, this work period, we will pursue other options for ensuring timely public debate on the Senate floor.

The Constitution is clear. Only Congress has the solemn responsibility to declare war or authorize the use of military force, absent an imminent threat to the United States, and Congress has done neither. The War Powers Act of 1973 is also clear. It states that “the collective judgement of both the Congress and the President will apply to the introduction of United States Armed Forces into hostilities” (50 USC 1541(a)). Yet, on February 28, 2026, without Congressional authorization or consultation, the Trump administration launched Operation Epic Fury, introducing the United States military into direct hostilities with Iran as part of what President Trump and multiple administration officials have characterized as “war.” With at least 50,000 troops participating in the largest U.S. naval and air mobilization since the 2003 invasion of Iraq, the Trump administration has provided no clear strategy, timeline, objectives, cost assessment, or credible legal basis for these military operations.

After just over a week of fighting, seven U.S. servicemembers have been killed and at least 140 have been injured. According to reports, more than 1,700 people have died as the war spread from Iran to Israel, the Gulf states, Lebanon, and beyond—affecting at least 15 different countries to date. U.S. embassies, consulates, and military installations throughout the region are under daily attack. Thousands of U.S. citizens were left stranded when the war began, because the administration failed to plan for evacuating Americans in advance. And while President Trump drags the U.S. into another potential forever war in the Middle East, the Trump administration is cutting benefits to our nation’s veterans, trivializing military rules of engagement, and firing counterterrorism experts who focus on preventing threats from Iran and its proxies here at home, undermining U.S. safety, strength, and prosperity.

Now let us be clear: the Iranian regime, which is the largest state sponsor of terrorism, is the most dangerous and destabilizing force in the region and should never be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon. We also stand with the people of Iran, who deserve a government that guarantees basic human rights, democracy, economic opportunities, and a future free from oppression. However, the challenges posed by Iran’s regime cannot be resolved through military means alone—and none of these facts suspend our Constitution or confer upon any president the authority to unilaterally wage war.

As Members of the United States Senate, we have a duty to deliberate on the sacred matters of war and peace. The Trump administration also has a duty to publicly make its case before Congress and the American people, and if the administration wants to continue fighting this war, they must seek legal authorization from Congress. We therefore urge you to ensure the Senate committees of jurisdiction hold hearings with Secretaries Hegseth and Rubio immediately.

Thank you for your time and attention to this matter.

Sincerely,

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Kaine & Colleagues Lead More Than 40 Senators in Demanding Answers from the Department of Defense on Elementary School Strike and Civilian Casualties in Iran

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), and 41 of their Senate Democratic colleagues demanded that the Department of Defense (DOD) provide answers to the American people about civilian casualties in the Trump Administration’s war in Iran, including the missile strike on an elementary school in Minab, and take measures to pursue 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 wrote.

“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 continued.

“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),” the senators wrote. “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 go on to demand 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?

In addition to Kaine, Van Hollen, Warren, Schatz, and Schumer, the letter was signed by U.S. 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), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Angus King (I-ME), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Edward J. Markey (D-MA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Patty Murray (D-WA), Jon Ossoff (D-GA), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Gary Peters (D-MI), Jack Reed (D-RI), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Tina Smith (D-MN), Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Rev. Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Peter Welch (D-VT), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), and Ron Wyden (D-OR).

The full 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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Kaine & Warnock Introduce Legislation to Repeal Section 122 and End Trump’s Tariffs

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) introduced the Reclaim Trade Powers Act, legislation that would end President Donald Trump’s indiscriminate 10 percent tariffs on most goods by repealing Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974. After the Supreme Court ruled last month that President Trump’s tariffs under the International Economic Emergency Powers Act (IEEPA) were illegal, President Trump applied tariffs of 10 percent on goods citing Section 122 and continuing to circumvent Congress’ constitutional authority over trade. He has promised to raise the broad-based tariffs to 15 percent. This is the first time Section 122 authority has been invoked in its 50-year history.

“Everywhere I go across Virginia, I hear about how costs are too high. Yet, instead of focusing on addressing Americans’ concerns, President Trump has doubled down on imposing universal tariffs that are raising prices—relying on an outdated authority that has never been used in history,” said Kaine. “I’m introducing this legislation to repeal that outdated authority and provide some relief to the American people from these cost-raising taxes.”

“President Trump’s tariff policies are wrecking our economy and American families are the ones paying the price,” said Reverend Warnock. “This administration promised to protect our workers and bring back manufacturing jobs. Instead, we’re seeing higher costs, job losses, and more uncertainty. This commonsense legislation will repeal an out-of-date authority that the President is using to raise prices on Americans. I’m proud to work with Senator Kaine to hold this president in check and put a stop to this madness.”

Section 122 was drafted and passed during a time when U.S. currency policy was centered around the convertibility of U.S. dollars or dollar reserves to gold at fixed exchange rates. It was intended for use during times when foreign central banks could potentially rapidly drain U.S. gold reserves and create a dollar crisis. More than 50 years ago, though, the U.S. moved to a floating exchange rate system, making the problems Section 122 was intended to address functionally moot.

President Trump’s tariffs have increased costs for American consumers and businesses. Researchers at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York estimate that 90 percent of the costs fall on Americans, and the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) puts that rate as high as 95 percent. If made permanent, the new tariffs would increase the cost of Trump’s tariffs on Americans to an average of more than $1,000 per household per the nonpartisan Yale Budget Lab.

Kaine and Warnock have been outspoken against President Trump’s new taxes on Americans. Kaine led four successful bipartisan pieces of legislation—one in April 2025 and three in October 2025—to passage in the Senate to nullify Trump’s global tariff and levies on Canada and Brazil.

In addition to Kaine and Warnock, the legislation is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Ron Wyden (D-OR), Angus King (I-ME), Chris Coons (D-DE), Peter Welch (D-VT), Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), and Patty Murray (D-WA). Companion legislation was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by Representative Jimmy Panneta (D-CA-19).

Full text of the bill is available here.

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Kelly Joins Colleagues in Pressing DoD for Answers on the School Bombing and Civilian Casualties in Iran

Today, Arizona Senator Mark Kelly joined 45 of his 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 wrote.

“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 noted.

“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 stressed.


WATCH: Kelly Introduces Tribal Leaders and Highlights Arizona Water Settlement at Senate Indian Affairs Hearing

Today, during a Senate Committee on Indian Affairs hearing on his Northeastern Arizona Indian Water Rights Settlement Agreement (NAIWRSA), Arizona Senator Mark Kelly delivered remarks and introduced Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren, Hopi Tribe Chairman Lamar Keevama, and San Juan Southern Paiute Tribe Vice President Johnny Lehi Jr.

Kelly underscored theneed to expandreliablewater access in Arizona and how this legislation would secure Tribes’ water future: “Access to clean, reliable water shouldn’t be a question in the United States, but it still is for far too many families in Northeastern Arizona. On the Navajo Nation alone, roughly one in three homes does not have running water. The Hopi and San Juan Southern Paiute communities face similar challenges. This settlement is a major step forward, securing the Tribe’s water future while providing long needed certainty for Arizona and the entire Colorado River Basin. Without it, uncertainty over tribal water claims will persist, affecting not only the tribes but also the communities across the region that depend on clean, clear, and reliable water management.”

Kelly also thanked the Tribal leaders for their work to strengthen the agreement and urged his colleagues to support the legislation, noting that the updated settlement reflects years of negotiation and is backed by a broad coalition across northeastern Arizona.

Sen. Kelly introduces tribal leaders at a Senate Committee on Indian Affairs hearing.

Click here to download a video of Kelly’s remarks. See the transcript below:

Sen. Kelly:

Thank you, Chair Murkowski, Vice Chairman Schatz. Thank you for holding today’s hearing on the Northeastern Arizona Indian Water Rights Settlement Act. It’s my honor to introduce Navajo President Buu Nygren, Hopi Chairman Lamar Keevama, and San Juan’s Southern Paiute Vice President Johnny Lehi.

President Nygren was elected to serve as the 10th Navajo Nation president in November 2022. President Nygren has a doctorate from the University of Southern California. He has been leading the Navajo Nation through the negotiation of the Northeastern Arizona Indian Water Rights Settlement.

Chairman Keevama was elected to lead the Hopi Tribal Council in 2025. A former multi-term councilmember, he has worked extensively on water rights, energy policy, and economic development. He previously served as the manager of the Hopi Cultural Center and as a director of the Hopi Tribe Economic Development Corporation, reflecting a long record of leadership and service to the Hopi people.

Vice President Lehi currently serves as the Vice President of the San Juan Southern Paiute Tribe. He was first elected to the council in May of 2022 and served as President prior to his current role. Vice President Lehi is serving, as did his father, Johnny Lehi Sr., who was on the Tribal Council when the Tribe was originally recognized in December of 1989, and who was the Tribe’s president when he negotiated and signed the land treaty in 2000.

Access to clean, reliable water shouldn’t be a question in the United States, but it still is for far too many families in Northeastern Arizona. On the Navajo Nation alone, roughly one in three homes does not have running water. The Hopi and San Juan Southern Paiute communities face similar challenges. This settlement is a major step forward, securing the Tribe’s water future while providing long needed certainty for Arizona and the entire Colorado River Basin. Without it, uncertainty over tribal water claims will persist, affecting not only the tribes but also the communities across the region that depend on clean, clear, and reliable water management.

I also want to thank this committee for the hearing that you held on a previous version of this legislation in 2024. That hearing helps surface important questions from members and stakeholders. Since then, the Tribes, the state of Arizona and other partners have continued working to strengthen the agreement. The result is the updated legislation before us today. It’s built on years of negotiation and supported by more than 30 parties across the region.

Finally, President Nygren, Chairman Keevama, and Vice President Lehi, I want to thank you for your commitment to your communities. This is a large and complex agreement, and you and your teams deserve recognition for the decades of persistence, collaboration, and dedication it took to reach this point.

I urge my colleagues to support this important bill as it moves through the committee process. I will also be submitting dozens of letters of support from stakeholders across Northeastern Arizona that underscore the critical importance of this legislation and the broad coalition that supports this settlement. Again, Chair Murkowski and Vice Chairman Schatz, thank you for holding the hearing today on this important and historic legislation. Thank you.


King, Murphy Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Protect Small Farmers from Financial Risk

WASHINGTON, D.C.—U.S. Senators Angus King (I-ME) and Chris Murphy (D-CT) have introduced bipartisan legislation to reauthorize and strengthen the Agricultural Management Assistance (AMA) programs, which help farmers manage financial risk through diversification, marketing, or conservation practices. The Agriculture Management Assistance Act would boost funding for the AMA to $30 million, increase funding limits for farmers to $200,000 over five years, and expand the eligible uses for these funds to include: soil health improvements, composting, implementing organic farming, developing value-added processing, and food safety certification in addition to existing authorized uses such as water management structure and soil erosion control.

The AMA is only available to 16 states—including Maine—that have historically low rates of participation in the Federal Crop Insurance Program.

“Maine’s farmers are the backbone of our rural communities, and they deserve the same safeguards and assistance that we provide other industries across the country,” said Senator King. “The Agricultural Management Assistance Act will help ensure that Maine farms have the tools they need to manage financial risks, handle nature’s evolving challenges, and continue to produce the food that supports our local economies and families.”

“Connecticut’s small farmers are really important to the diversity of our state’s food supply, but they face unique challenges, especially as climate change worsens,” said Senator Murphy. “Our bill provides small farmers with the support they need to navigate financial risks and invests in making their farms more resilient and efficient in the long term.”

To be eligible for Agriculture Management Assistance Act, producers must:

Be engaged in livestock or agricultural production.

Have an interest in the farming operation associated with the land being offered for AMA enrollment.

Have control of the land for the term of the proposed contract.

Be in compliance with the provisions for protecting the interests of tenants and sharecroppers, including the provisions for sharing AMA payments on a fair and equitable basis.

Be within appropriate payment limitation requirements.

Senator King is a staunch advocate for the Maine agriculture industry. Earlier this year, he called on the Trump Administration to ensure its relief for specialty crop farmers addresses the needs of blueberry, potato, and apple farmers across Maine. Last year, he introduced the American Grown Act , bipartisan legislation to prioritize domestic horticulturists and farmers, and strengthen the American floral industry. Senator King cosponsored the Honor Farmer Contracts Act which released withheld federal funding and allocated it back to farmers as Congress had intended. Additionally, he is an original sponsor of the bipartisan Dairy PRIDE Act which combats the mislabeling of non-dairy products and requires accurate labeling of dairy and non-dairy products as mislabeling is harmful to dairy farmers selling their products in a crowded marketplace. Senator King also cosponsored the Dairy Pricing Opportunity Act to direct the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to give milk producers a greater voice in dairy pricing.

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“The American People Can Handle the Truth!” King Lashes Out at Administration Efforts to Erase American History at National Parks

To watch the floor speech, click here

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME), Ranking Member of the Senate National Parks Subcommittee, spoke on the Senate Floor to criticize the Trump Administration’s attempts to whitewash American history at our national parks.

The floor speech comes on the heels of a letter he sent to Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, King requests information pertaining to Executive Order 14253 “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History,” and Secretarial Order 3431, “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History” which together directs the Department to remove or alter properties that present American history in a negative light. He also previously shared remarks on social media last week after a rally to support truth-telling at America’s National Parks.

The full transcript of Senator King’s floor speech from this afternoon is below.

+++

“Mr. President, I'd like to begin by talking a little bit about history generally, rather than the topic that has been the subject of the prior remarks, and then get into the question that's been raised today. There are several cliches about history and one of the problems with cliches is, you hear them so often that they lose their meaning, and you just sort of slough them off, but these two, I think, do have some meaning, and they have become cliches because they're true.

“One is, if you ignore history, you're doomed to repeat it. I've been hearing that all my life. If you don't know your history and if you ignore history, you're doomed to repeat it. The second is attributed to mark Twain, who said, history doesn't always repeat itself, but it usually rhymes. And that means that things that have happened in the past may not be exactly what happens in the future, but the history predicts the future. I recently finished a biography of Cicero, the great Roman statesman, and he said something about history that really stuck with me, which is, if you don't know the history of your civilization, you live your whole life as a child. I thought that was a really important insight, because what that's really sayings, all you have is your life, if you're 50 years old, or 40 years old 25 years old, that' your sum knowledge, if you don't know the history that goes back five years, ten years, 100 years, or 1,000 years. If you don't know your history, you live your whole life as a child.

“And what we're seeing in this process at our national parks is a kind of lie to try to erase history, to try to keep us from understanding the historical events that shaped this country, is a lie. It's not true if our parks and our historical sites are supposed to enrich our lives and tell us about the background and the history of our country, if you leave out the important parts, it's a damned lie, and that's what's happening today. We have a fantastic history. We have a great history. We have an extraordinary history in this country of triumphs, of achievements, but we also have dark periods of our history. And indeed I would argue one of our great triumphs is overcoming those dark periods in our history, to try to whitewash, and eliminate, and cover-up the history of our slavery is to ignore the first third of our country's history altogether and the cause of the greatest cataclysm that this country has ever faced. And to eliminate, for example, a display about slavery at Harper's ferry is just flat ridiculous. Harpers Ferry is there because of slavery because that's where John Brown's raid was and that was the issue at that moment. It's like saying you can't have a model rocket at cape Kennedy. I mean, it's just ridiculous to try to make that kind of change. And the problem is if we don't know our history, as I go back to my early cliches, we may be doomed to repeat it or some dark version thereof.

“The President and the secretary have talked about not wanting people to be uncomfortable and feel bad about their history. People should feel uncomfortable about slavery. They should understand that was part of the first third of the history of this country and they should understand the evils. One of the most moving experiences I ever had when I went on a civil rights pilgrimage several years ago, and we went to Montgomery. And in Montgomery there was a monument to lynching and hanging from the ceiling of this building, they looked like large coffins, and they had the names on them from virtually every state, all the way up until the 1950s, where people were lynched by mobs. It was a shock, but it was something that educated me and made we understand the depth of this issue and how important it was to the early part of the history of this country. I had an experience that directly informs what I'm talking about today.

“Several years ago, I was on a trip with a group of members of this body to Europe to I think it was a NATO conference and on the way back we stopped at the Frankfurt airport and there was a fellow there who worked at the airport who was sort of guiding us through to get to our gate to come home. And I got to chatting with him, and he told me something amazing. He said when he was in high school in Germany, he was required to go to a concentration camp. He was required to see what his country had done the Jews and others in that incredibly dark period of German history. The Germans are requiring their people to face their dark history and we're trying to cover up our dark history. I just find the contrast extraordinary. You learn from your history. You learn from the dark periods. And here's a perfect example, the greatest sentence ever written in English, “we hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal,” was written on a desk by a slaveholder and the desk was built by a slave at Monticello. That's an irony, that's perplexing, that’s difficult, it's uncomfortable, but it's part of the reality. It's part of the reality of our history of our country and it's something we have to conjure with.

“When I was a boy growing up, I used to go to rotary club meetings with my father and the prize for the people who came the furthest for the rotary meeting was a copy of George Washington's will, which is a very interesting document because in his will he freed his slaves. Again, that’s a part of our history and we need to understand that. We need to understand that people who came before us went through difficult periods and had to face difficult issues. Whitewashing history, throughout history, is part of the authoritarian's playbook. To try to manipulate history to have all glory go to the leader, all glory go to the government and have people not be uncomfortable about what went on with the past so they won't be uncomfortable about what is being done to them by an authoritarian government. The glory of our country is a journey to a more perfect union. Ever since I first read the constitution in law school, it was very telling that the framers used the term more perfect union. They didn't say perfect union or toward a union, they saw America as a journey. They saw America as moving through time by moving through and progressing over time. When the constitution was first written, the only people that could vote were white male property owners. Since that time, through tremendous struggle, and sometimes violence, ask John Lewis or the early suffragettes who were imprisoned. That circle of who could vote, of who could participate, has gradually grown and that is the heart of the American journey and that's the heart of what we must understand and recognize in order to know our history and not live our entire lives as a child. What is going on now, I believe, is an affront to the American people. And what it's really saying is that the American people can't handle the truth like Jack Nicholson in the movie, you can’t handle the truth. The American people can handle the truth, they can understand what happened, they can understand why it was evil and how the struggles that took place in order to overcome the dark portions of our history. It's underestimating our people. They need to understand. We all need to understand from whence we came. And I'll conclude by saying again, the glory of our country is the journey, including the hard parts, toward a more perfect union.”

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Klobuchar Delivers Remarks at the International Association of Fire Fighters Legislative Conference Following Enactment of the Honoring Our Fallen Heroes Act

WATCH KLOBUCHAR’S FULL REMARKS HERE.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar delivered remarks at the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) Legislative Conference in Washington, D.C. where she also met with firefighters from Minnesota.

“Because of all the work that you, your members, and your leadership did, the Honoring Our Fallen Heroes Act ensures that the families of heroes like Mike Paidar—a St. Paul firefighter who tragically passed away from leukemia due to exposure to toxic chemicals on the job—have access to the full benefits they deserve,” said Klobuchar. “As co-chair of the Congressional Fire Services Caucus, I'm going to continue to stand by your side to make sure you get what you need — that means getting you the equipment you need, SAFER and Assistance to Firefighter Grant programs, and that means looking out for you when it comes to your benefits.”

The IAFF represents more than 360,000 full-time professional fire fighters and paramedics in more than 3,500 affiliates. IAFF members protect more than 85 percent of the population in communities throughout the United States and Canada.

Klobuchar is a co-chair of the Congressional Fire Services Caucus and has long led efforts to support firefighters and first responders.

In December 2025, Klobuchar and Senator Kevin Cramer’s (R-ND) bipartisan Honoring Our Fallen Heroes Act was signed into law. The bipartisan legislation expands access to federal support for the families of firefighters and other first responders who pass away or become permanently disabled from service-related cancers. Klobuchar introduced this legislation in honor of Michael Paidar, a St. Paul fire captain who died of an aggressive form of Acute Myeloid Leukemia on August 26, 2020, while still working for the fire department.

Klobuchar co-led bipartisan legislation, the Firefighter Cancer Registry Act, to create a national cancer registry for firefighters diagnosed with deadly cancers, which was signed into law in 2018 and reauthorized last year. The Firefighter Cancer Registry Act directs the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to monitor and study the relationship between career-long exposure to dangerous fumes and toxins and the incidence of cancer in firefighters. It is the largest effort ever undertaken to understand and reduce risk of cancer among American firefighters.

In April 2023, Klobuchar and her colleagues worked to pass the Fire Grants and Safety Act in the Senate. This legislation continues to provide federal funding for the Assistance for Firefighters Grant (AFG) and the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) Grant programs.

Klobuchar also worked to pass the bipartisan Protecting America’s First Responders Act, which was signed into law in 2021. This legislation improves the Public Safety Officers Benefits (PSOB) program by making volunteer firefighters eligible for PSOB benefits, and improving the way that benefits were processed.

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Lee Leads Coalition Urging USADF Fraud Probe

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) today led a coalition of congressional colleagues in the House and Senate urging the U.S. Department of Justice to continue its probe of the United States African Development Foundation (USADF) in light of uncovered fraud and corruption. Joining Senator Lee in this effort are U.S. Representative Matt Van Epps (R-TN-07) and U.S. Senators Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Roger Marshall (R-KS), Eric Schmitt (R-MO), Rick Scott (R-FL), and Tim Sheehy (R-MT).

The letter reads as follows:

Dear Attorney General Bondi:

Thank you for the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) work to expose the egregious corruption at the United States African Development Foundation (USADF). Despite years of severe misconduct by senior leaders of the agency, the previous administration not only failed to detect blatant corruption but refused to act on credible allegations brought to light. Under your leadership, the DOJ’s successful investigation into Mathieu Zahui, a senior USADF official pleading guilty to accepting gratuities, exposed the rogue agency and was a critical first step in serving justice.

We write to support further investigation into USADF. While the Zahui case is an important win, the institutional corruption runs far deeper than one official. Other senior officials, contractors, and grantees have been exposed by credible whistleblower testimonies and evidence, and it is unclear how much of the hundreds of millions of dollars managed by USADF fed the scheme. In a most telling sign, in March 2025, USADF officials refused to grant DOGE staffers access to the building and to its books, requiring intervention from U.S. Marshals. Democrat leaders and media applauded the “bravery” of USADF officials at the time, but now we know USADF was protecting itself from public accountability.

Zahui’s plea only scratches the surface. Bribery, kickbacks, misuse of funds, steering contracts to African organizations in which senior officials have a financial stake, illicit bookkeeping, pass-throughs from African organizations to DC staff, gross mismanagement, destruction of documents, lack of transparency and oversight, and whistleblower retaliation all converge in one agency: USADF.

We urge you to leave no stone unturned as you uncover more waste, fraud, and abuse. We cannot make peace with such reckless and deep corruption. On behalf of the American people, we thank you for your tireless efforts to bring forth justice, and we stand ready to support the DOJ’s investigation in any way we can.

Access the full text of the letter here.

See the timeline of uncovered fraud at USADF here.

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Luján, Merkley, Murkowski, Durbin Push for Audit of DOJ’s Practices in Redacting Epstein Files

Law Prohibited Redactions Based on Reputational Harm or Political Sensitivity

Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), and Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) called for an independent audit and report to Congress about the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) practices in redacting information of the public release of the Epstein Files.

Multiple reports have spotlighted the DOJ’s failure to comply with the Epstein Files Transparency Act’s clear requirement to redact only information that protects victims’ privacy and national security and the law’s prohibition on redactions based on reputational harm or political sensitivity. Following these revelations, the Senators tasked the Government Accountability Office (GAO)—a nonpartisan, independent agency and part of the legislative branch—to conduct the audit and report to Congress on the DOJ and Executive Branch’s redaction process and decisions.

The Senators write, “As Congress continues to seek justice for the victims of Epstein and his co-conspirators, GAO can offer an independent inquiry into the processes undertaken by DOJ in redacting and releasing these files—assessing DOJ’s due diligence and whether the release of these files has served to cover up child sexual abuse.”

“This horrific scandal is one where powerful, wealthy men groomed, abused, and raped young women, men, and children. It is critical to understand what led to DOJ’s failure to redact the victims’ information and re-victimize those individuals while violating the Epstein Files Transparency Act in its redactions of information related to their alleged abusers. We appreciate your prompt attention to this matter,” they concluded.

The Epstein Files Transparency Act—which was led by Luján, Merkley, and Murkowski in the Senate—was signed into law by President Trump late last year.

Full text of the letter can be found by clicking here and follows below:

Dear Acting Comptroller General Brown:

We write to ask the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to review and report to Congress about the protocols and processes that the Department of Justice (DOJ) used in reviewing, redacting, and releasing the Epstein files and the resulting failure of the Department to follow the law, respond to Congress, and protect victims.

The Epstein Files Transparency Act, which President Trump signed into law in November, required DOJ to release all unclassified records related to Epstein and his associates by December 19, 2025. The law bars redactions made “on the basis of embarrassment, reputational harm, or political sensitivity, including to any government official, public figure, or foreign dignitary,” and allows redactions only in narrow circumstances—e.g., to protect victims’ identities and privacy.

On January 30, 2026, DOJ published over three million pages and files of Epstein-related records, including more than 2,000 videos and 180,000 images. Contrary to Congress’s explicit directive to protect victims, these records included email addresses and nude photos in which the names and faces of publicly-identified and non-public victims could be identifi ed. But when it came to information identifying powerful business and political figures who are alleged co- conspirators or material witnesses, DOJ appears to have heavily redacted those records . Since this belated and non-compliant publication, DOJ has removed thousands of records from its website—these are not merely records that inappropriately identify victims, but also those that relate to allegations against President Trump and others, with no apparent explanati on.

Despite not releasing these records by the statutory deadline, DOJ contends its document production complied with the Epstein Files Transparency Act, noting that it conducted review protocols to ensure that “redactions were [] limited to the protection of victims and their families… Notable individuals and politicians were not redacted in the release of any files .” This is plainly false. As Congress continues to seek justice for the victims of Epstein and his co- conspirators, GAO can offer an independent inquiry into the processes undertaken by DOJ in redacting and releasing these files—assessing DOJ’s due diligence and whether the release of these files has served to cover up child sexual abuse.

We thus ask GAO to review and report back to Congress on the following questions:

How many individuals did DOJ and its components task with reviewing and redacting the Epstein files for public release between the November 19, 2025 enactment of the Epstein Files Transparency Act and the December 19, 2025 production deadline set by the Act? Please disaggregate by job classification, agency, and contractor, provide the beginning and end dates, number of individuals, and total hours worked on said work.

How many individuals did DOJ and its components task with reviewing and redacting the Epstein files for public release the additional review period that began January 5, 2026 and ended with the January 30, 2026 production? Please disaggregate by job classification, agency, and contractor, provide the beginning and end dates, number of individuals, and total hours worked on said work.

How many individuals did DOJ and its components task with reviewing and redacting the Epstein files prior to the enactment of the Epstein Files Transparency Act during the review that began after Attorney General Bondi’s February 26, 2025 public announcement that “New York SDNY [was] sitting on thousands of pages of documents” and that the country would eventually see “the full Epstein files” and ended with the July 7, 2025 publication of an unsigned DOJ memorandum concluding that this review “did not uncover evidence that could predicate an investigation against uncharged third parties”?

Any and all guidance, written or otherwise, DOJ or other senior Trump Administration officials provided to those tasked with reviewing and redacting the Epstein files for public release from January 20, 2025 to the present.

Any and all specific directives given to those reviewing and redacting these files with respect to possible victims.

Any and all specific directives given to those reviewing and redacting these files with respect to possible abusers and co-conspirators, including any and all prominent individuals and those identified by DOJ as “politically exposed persons.”

Any and all specific directives given to those reviewing and redacting these files with respect to names, email addresses, or other contact information, as well as photo or video images. How did those directives differ from each other?

Any and all software used by DOJ to assist with the review and redaction of these files. Provide the names and the functions performed by said software.

Did DOJ use a contractor for any of the review or redaction? If yes, please provide the name, functions performed, and total hours worked by each contractor. What was the Administration’s review and approval process of the redactions ahead of public release?

Any and all political appointees with a role in the final approval of DOJ’s redactions before they were released publicly on DOJ’s website.

11. Any and all guidance, written or otherwise, that DOJ or other senior officials in the Trump Administration provided to thosetasked with maintaining the published Epstein records regarding removing already-published records.

12. Any and all political appointees with a role in the removal process of already published Epstein records from DOJ’s website?

This horrific scandal is one where powerful, wealthy men groomed, abused, and raped young women, men, and children. It is critical to understand what led to DOJ’s failure to redact the victims’ information and re-victimize those individuals while violating the Epstein Files Transparency Act in its redactions of information related to their alleged abusers. We appreciate your prompt attention to this matter.

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Markey Joins Colleagues in Pressing DOD for Answers on School Bombing and Civilian Casualties in Iran

Washington (March 11, 2026) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) today joined Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), and Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) along with Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and 40 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 begin.

“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?

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Merkley, Murkowski, Luján, Durbin Push for Audit of DOJ’s Practices in Redacting Epstein Files

Law Prohibited Redactions Based on Reputational Harm or Political Sensitivity

Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), and Dick Durbin (D-IL) called for an independent audit and report to Congress about the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) practices in redacting information of the public release of the Epstein Files.

Multiple reports have spotlighted the DOJ’s failure to comply with the Epstein Files Transparency Act’s clear requirement to redact only information that protects victims’ privacy and national security and the law’s prohibition on redactions based on reputational harm or political sensitivity. Following these revelations, the Senators tasked the Government Accountability Office (GAO)—a nonpartisan, independent agency and part of the legislative branch—to conduct the audit and report to Congress on the DOJ and Executive Branch’s redaction process and decisions.

The Senators write, “As Congress continues to seek justice for the victims of Epstein and his co-conspirators, GAO can offer an independent inquiry into the processes undertaken by DOJ in redacting and releasing these files—assessing DOJ’s due diligence and whether the release of these files has served to cover up child sexual abuse.”

“This horrific scandal is one where powerful, wealthy men groomed, abused, and raped young women, men, and children. It is critical to understand what led to DOJ’s failure to redact the victims’ information and re-victimize those individuals while violating the Epstein Files Transparency Act in its redactions of information related to their alleged abusers. We appreciate your prompt attention to this matter,” they concluded.

The Epstein Files Transparency Act—which was led by Merkley, Luján, and Murkowski in the Senate—was signed into law by President Trump late last year.

Full text of the letter can be found by clicking here and follows below:

Dear Acting Comptroller General Brown:

We write to ask the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to review and report to Congress about the protocols and processes that the Department of Justice (DOJ) used in reviewing, redacting, and releasing the Epstein files and the resulting failure of the Department to follow the law, respond to Congress, and protect victims.

The Epstein Files Transparency Act, which President Trump signed into law in November, required DOJ to release all unclassified records related to Epstein and his associates by December 19, 2025. The law bars redactions made “on the basis of embarrassment, reputational harm, or political sensitivity, including to any government official, public figure, or foreign dignitary,” and allows redactions only in narrow circumstances—e.g., to protect victims’ identities and privacy.

On January 30, 2026, DOJ published over three million pages and files of Epstein-related records, including more than 2,000 videos and 180,000 images. Contrary to Congress’s explicit directive to protect victims, these records included email addresses and nude photos in which the names and faces of publicly-identified and non-public victims could be identified. But when it came to information identifying powerful business and political figures who are alleged co- conspirators or material witnesses, DOJ appears to have heavily redacted those records. Since this belated and non-compliant publication, DOJ has removed thousands of records from its website—these are not merely records that inappropriately identify victims, but also those that relate to allegations against President Trump and others, with no apparent explanation.

Despite not releasing these records by the statutory deadline, DOJ contends its document production complied with the Epstein Files Transparency Act, noting that it conducted review protocols to ensure that “redactions were [] limited to the protection of victims and their families… Notable individuals and politicians were not redacted in the release of any files .” This is plainly false. As Congress continues to seek justice for the victims of Epstein and his co- conspirators, GAO can offer an independent inquiry into the processes undertaken by DOJ in redacting and releasing these files—assessing DOJ’s due diligence and whether the release of these files has served to cover up child sexual abuse.

We thus ask GAO to review and report back to Congress on the following questions:

How many individuals did DOJ and its components task with reviewing and redacting the Epstein files for public release between the November 19, 2025 enactment of the Epstein Files Transparency Act and the December 19, 2025 production deadline set by the Act? Please disaggregate by job classification, agency, and contractor, provide the beginning and end dates, number of individuals, and total hours worked on said work.

How many individuals did DOJ and its components task with reviewing and redacting the Epstein files for public release the additional review period that began January 5, 2026 and ended with the January 30, 2026 production? Please disaggregate by job classification, agency, and contractor, provide the beginning and end dates, number of individuals, and total hours worked on said work.

How many individuals did DOJ and its components task with reviewing and redacting the Epstein files prior to the enactment of the Epstein Files Transparency Act during the review that began after Attorney General Bondi’s February 26, 2025 public announcement that “New York SDNY [was] sitting on thousands of pages of documents” and that the country would eventually see “the full Epstein files” and ended with the July 7, 2025 publication of an unsigned DOJ memorandum concluding that this review “did not uncover evidence that could predicate an investigation against uncharged third parties”?

Any and all guidance, written or otherwise, DOJ or other senior Trump Administration officials provided to those tasked with reviewing and redacting the Epstein files for public release from January 20, 2025 to the present.

Any and all specific directives given to those reviewing and redacting these files with respect to possible victims.

Any and all specific directives given to those reviewing and redacting these files with respect to possible abusers and co-conspirators, including any and all prominent individuals and those identified by DOJ as “politically exposed persons.”

Any and all specific directives given to those reviewing and redacting these files with respect to names, email addresses, or other contact information, as well as photo or video images. How did those directives differ from each other?

Any and all software used by DOJ to assist with the review and redaction of these files. Provide the names and the functions performed by said software.

Did DOJ use a contractor for any of the review or redaction? If yes, please provide the name, functions performed, and total hours worked by each contractor. What was the Administration’s review and approval process of the redactions ahead of public release?

Any and all political appointees with a role in the final approval of DOJ’s redactions before they were released publicly on DOJ’s website.

Any and all guidance, written or otherwise, that DOJ or other senior officials in the Trump Administration provided to those tasked with maintaining the published Epstein records regarding removing already-published records.

Any and all political appointees with a role in the removal process of already published Epstein records from DOJ’s website?

This horrific scandal is one where powerful, wealthy men groomed, abused, and raped young women, men, and children. It is critical to understand what led to DOJ’s failure to redact the victims’ information and re-victimize those individuals while violating the Epstein Files Transparency Act in its redactions of information related to their alleged abusers. We appreciate your prompt attention to this matter.

###


Wyden, Merkley, Crapo Call on Trump to Prioritize Opening Japanese Market to U.S. Potatoes

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Ron Wyden, ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee, and Jeff Merkley, ranking member of the Senate Budget Committee, with Finance Committee Chairman Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, today asked Donald Trump to prioritize gaining market access for U.S. fresh potatoes during Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae’s upcoming visit to the United States.

Ending Japan’s restrictions on U.S. fresh potatoes would result in an estimated $150 million a year in new U.S. exports, benefitting farming communities in Oregon and nationwide.

“U.S. potato growers produce the best potatoes in the world. International trade and foreign export markets are critical to the U.S. potato industry,” Wyden, Merkley, Crapo, and other lawmakers from the Senate and House wrote to Trump.

“With low commodity prices and increased input costs this year, the potato sector, and specialty crops more broadly, are facing a major economic crisis. Japan represents a massive market with significant export opportunities for American potato growers,” continued the legislators. “Securing this long-delayed market access petition and unlocking the critical Japanese export market would make a meaningful difference for potato growers in our states and across the country.”

Oregon ranks fourth among the states for production of potatoes, the official state vegetable. The Pacific Northwest accounts for more than 50% of all U.S. production.

Read the full letter here.

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Wyden, Merkley Demand Answers from Defense Department on the School Bombing and Civilian Casualties in Iran

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today pressed the Department of Defense to provide answers to the American people regarding the airstrikes on a school and civilian casualties in Iran.

Trump’s Defense Department airstrikes on a girls’ elementary school reportedly killed 168 people – mostly children – in Minab, Iran, during the opening attack from the United States and Israel on February 28.

In their letter to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, the senators underscored, “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 continued, “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.”

Reports have also surfaced about Defense Department airstrikes hitting multiple hospitals, cultural heritage sites, and other critical civilian infrastructure, including in the capital, Tehran. Since March 10, 2026, the Human Rights Activists News Agency has reported more than 1,245 civilians killed and more than 12,000 civilians injured in light of Trump’s war.

The letter was led by U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., Tim Kaine, D-Va., Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., Brian Schatz, D-Hawai’i, and Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. Joining Wyden and Merkley, the letter was signed by Reed, D-R.I., Shaheen, D-N.H., Hirono, D-Hawai’i, Blumenthal, D-Conn., Gillibrand, D-N.Y., Bennet, D-Colo., Murray, D-Wash., Heinrich, D-N.M., Baldwin, D-Wis., Markey, D-Mass., Welch, D-Vt., Duckworth, D-Ill., Alsobrooks, D-Md., Smith, D-Minn., Kim, D-N.J., Sanders, I-Vt., Gallego, D-Ariz., Warnock, D-Ga., Durbin, D-Ill., Padilla, D-Calif., Whitehouse, D-R.I., Luján, D-N.M., Blunt Rochester, D-Del., Klobuchar, D-Minn., Hickenlooper, D-Colo., Peters, D-Mich., Kelly, D-Ariz., Slotkin, D-Mich., Coons, D-Del., Rosen, D-Nev., Booker, D-N.J., Ossoff, D-Ga., Cortez Mastro, D-Nev., Schiff, D-Calif., Warner, D-Va., Cantwell, D-Wash., Hassan, D-N.H., Murphy, D-Conn., and King, I-Maine.

The senators pressed 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?

The text of the letter is here.

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Wyden, Merkley Join Colleagues in Introducing Bipartisan Bill to Update, Expand Lifeline Benefits for Seniors, Americans with Disabilities

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today joined their colleagues in introducing a bipartisan bill that would strengthen critical Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits that support nearly 8 million seniors and people with disabilities, including over 80,000 Oregonians.

The Supplemental Security Income Restoration Act would make much-needed updates to the benefits program — much of which hasn’t been updated since it was first established over five decades ago. The bill also would expand benefits eligibility, increase cash payments, and fix rules that penalize Americans trying to save money for even emergency expenses.

“As America barrels toward a health care crisis because of the Republican Big Ugly Bill, it’s become more important than ever to protect the benefits of people who are walking an economic tightrope,” said Wyden, ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee. “We must bring our SSI system into the 21st century to alleviate pressure off the backs of seniors, people with disabilities, and families.”

“Too many seniors and Americans with disabilities are forced to live on the edge because SSI hasn’t kept up with the real cost of living,” said Merkley, ranking member of the Senate Budget Committee. “The bipartisan Supplemental Security Income Restoration Act takes on this crisis by boosting benefits, updating outdated asset limits, and ending penalties that punish people for getting help from loved ones. Folks shouldn’t have to choose between paying for groceries, medicine, or rent just to access the benefits they need.”

SSI was first signed into law in 1972, becoming the first fully federalized disability program to provide low-income disabled Americans with benefits. Today, nearly eight million Americans rely on SSI to meet their basic needs.

While SSI is still a key source of federal income support for older and disabled Americans, the system has not been updated since it was first established more than fifty years ago. Many of the program’s original income and asset limits — which eligible recipients may not exceed — fall below the poverty line, often trapping beneficiaries in poverty and falling far short of the program’s mission.

The SSI Restoration Act would expand and strengthen benefits by:

Increasing “income disregard” amounts, which have not changed since 1974

Updating the asset limit to $10,000 / $20,000 for an eligible couple and indexing it to inflation

Increasing the benefit rate to 100% of the federal poverty level and repealing the marriage penalty

Repealing penalties for in-kind support, resource transfers, state taxes and tribal benefits

Streamlining lump-sum and back payments

Extending the program to the U.S. territories

The SSI Act was led by U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Representatives Adelita Grijalva (D-Ariz.), Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.), and James Moylan (R-GU). In addition to Wyden and Merkley, the bill was cosponsored in the Senate by Senators Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.), and Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.).

The bill is cosponsored in the House by Representatives Becca Balint (D-Vt.), Andre Carson (D-Ind.), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.), Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), Summer Lee (D-Pa.), Ted Lieu (D-Calif.), Gwen Moore (D-Wis.), Chellie Pingree (D-Maine), Stacey Plaskett (D-Virgin Islands), Melanie Stansbury (D-N.M.), Dina Titus (D-Nev.), and Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.).

The bill is endorsed by AFL-CIO, AFSCME, Alliance for Retired Americans, American Academy of Pediatrics, American Association on Health and Disability, American Network of Community Options and Resources (ANCOR), American Society on Aging, ASSIST Program, Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN), Benefits Law Center, Bread for the City, California Alliance for Retired Americans, California Association of Food Banks. Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP), Center for Medicare Advocacy, Community Legal Services of Philadelphia, Cure SMA, Disability Belongs, Economic Policy Institute, Educate. Advocate., Empire Justice Center, Epilepsy Foundation of America, Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano, Homeless Action Center, Homeless Advocacy Project, Inner City Law Center, Justice in Aging, Lakeshore Foundation, Latinos for a Secure Retirement, League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), Legal Council for Health Justice, Maryland Latinos Unidos (MLU), National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA), National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), National Alliance to End Homelessness, National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities, National Association of Disability Representatives, National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare, National Council of Gray Panthers Networks, National Council on Aging, National Down Syndrome Congress (NDSC), National Hispanic Council on Aging (NHCOA), National Organization for Women, National Organization of Social Security Claimants’ Representatives (NOSSCR), National Respite Coalition, National Women’s Law Center Action Fund, New York Legal Assistance Group, Paralyzed Veterans of America, People With Disabilities Foundation, Public Justice Center, SAGE Service Employees International Union, Social Security Works, Southeast Asia Resource Action Center (SEARAC), Strengthen Social Security Coalition, The Arc of the United States, Triage Cancer, USAging, and Women’s Institute for a Secure Retirement (WISER).

The full bill text is here.

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Roll Call: Moreno One of Two Senators With Perfect Vote Attendance in 2025

WASHINGTON – In case you missed it, Senator Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio) was featured in a Roll Call article highlighting that he was one of the only two Senators with perfect attendance for all Senate votes in 2025.

“The bar for 100 percent attendance was significantly higher in the Senate, where only two lawmakers were present for all 659 roll call votes: GOP Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and freshman Bernie Moreno of Ohio.”


Murray Calls Out Republicans for Again Blocking Bill to Fund TSA, FEMA, & Cyber Defense Agency

Senate Republicans once again block Murray’s bill to fund everything at DHS but ICE and Border Patrol, as they drag their feet on common-sense reforms to protect Americans from violence at the hands of ICE

Murray: “Democrats are not going to write a blank check for rogue agencies that are trampling on the rights of Americans. Nor are we going to accept the premise that the only way to fund TSA or disaster relief is by giving money to ICE. That’s absurd.”

Murray: “Here’s the simple truth: if Republicans agreed to simple reforms, all of DHS could be funded tomorrow. And if Republicans stopped blocking the bill I just offered, TSA could be funded today.”

***WATCH: Senator Murray’s floor remarks***

Washington, D.C. — Senate Republicans once again blocked straightforward legislation to fund every agency within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)—except Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and the Office of the Secretary. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, took to the Senate floor to slam Republicans for dragging their feet in ongoing negotiations over common-sense reforms to rein in ICE and Border Patrol.

Senator Murray sought unanimous consent to pass her legislation to fund DHS agencies like the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), and other important DHS functions while talks on ICE and CBP proceed.

Yet again, Senator Katie Britt (R-AL) blocked Senator Murray’s request to pass the legislation.

While negotiations on ICE and CBP proceed, Senator Murray’s bill:

Funds FEMA, TSA, the U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Secret Service, CISA, and other important DHS components.

Excludes funding for ICE, CBP, and the Office of the Secretary.

Senator Murray’s remarks, as delivered, are below:

“M. President, it’s extremely frustrating to me that despite all their talk about how important it is we fund TSA, and FEMA, and CISA, and more—and despite Republicans’ own acknowledgement that they already funded ICE and Border Patrol with their big reconciliation, I call it the big ugly bill, from last summer—now Republicans are unwilling to work with us to fund some of these programs that keep Americans safe, while we keep trying to get somewhere on ICE and Border Patrol accountability.

“Worse than that—they are acting like they have no idea why Democrats are not willing to accept the premise that to fund TSA, we have to cut some blank check for ICE.

“Republicans are acting like they didn’t see the same awful footage of Renee Good and Alex Pretti getting shot in cold blood. Republicans are acting like they don’t remember that little boy in the bunny hat arrested like some violent criminal. Republicans are acting like they don’t remember the family that got tear gassed on the way back from a basketball game, or the American citizen marched out of his house, in the freezing cold, in his underwear.

“As a reminder because apparently Republicans need it: The Senate has had at least two hearings on this since Alex Pretti was murdered by CBP officers. And with a couple of exceptions, we have not heard any Republicans in those hearings suggest they want to work with us on reforming the agencies and reining in DHS.

“And yet, some Republicans, are acting like they have no idea why we are demanding things like body cameras, visible identification, adequate training standards, and basic standards, as the senator just spoke about—same as our local police—on things like use of force and requiring warrants before some agents smashes in your door and drags someone away.

“Republicans know exactly what Democrats have been asking for, because weeks ago, Democrats provided Speaker Johnson and Leader Thune a list of ten critical reforms needed to pass the Homeland Security bill.

“Unfortunately, Republicans have been saying no on many of these items—as far back as last year. Or in some cases, first, they would say ‘Sure we’ll work with you,’ and then Stephen Miller and the White House would get involved and Republicans would say, ‘never mind!’

“Last year—Democrats were already talking about many of the reforms we are talking about today. In July, some of us introduced a bill calling for no masks and for clear identification.

“And then we saw federal agents shoot citizens and lie about it, like in the case of Marimar Martinez. And we heard horror stories of masked agents dragging away American citizens for no reason.

“One American citizen was dragged off and detained twice. Not charged with any crime. Not arrested with a warrant. Just picked off his worksite—until ICE realized he was a citizen. That happened twice to the same guy!

“That’s exactly why Democrats had been saying—let’s take off the masks, we cannot have unaccountable agents. But Republicans said no to that idea.

“And then the world watched, as Renee Good was shot and killed by an ICE agent, and denied any medical care—something even the most basic training—to say nothing of morals—should have told officers was wrong.

“So, Democrats pushed in our DHS funding negotiations, we said—this is exactly the kind of thing we are gravely concerned about. We need serious reforms and accountability. Still, Republicans said no.

“Then an innocent man, an American citizen, was dragged out of his home in the freezing cold in his underwear. Agents refused to even look at his ID which showed—they had completely the wrong guy. And yet when Democrats pushed to require real judicial warrants, Republicans said no.

“A little boy in bunny ears was ripped away from his home for absolutely no reason, Republicans said no.

“A family on their way home from a basketball game was tear gassed. Republicans said no.

“A woman on the way to a doctor’s appointment had her window smashed—she was dragged out of her car, Republicans said no.

“And Alex Pretti was tackled to the ground and shot in the back several times by federal agents—another completely unjustified killing. A murder of an American citizen. And the Trump Administration tried to slander him as a terrorist!

“For a moment, even some Republicans said that was concerning, that was unacceptable, that was wrong. But we all know what’s ultimately happened: Republicans have, for weeks now, refused some pretty basic steps to make these agencies accountable. Once again—Republicans have said no.

“Well—the American people are not going to take ‘no’ for an answer.

“Stephen Miller is not above the Constitution. Donald Trump is not a king who can just sic an army of masked thugs on whatever city he wants to punish next.

“And Democrats are not going to write a blank check for rogue agencies that are trampling on the rights of Americans. Nor are we going to accept the premise that the only way to fund TSA or disaster relief is by giving money to ICE. That’s absurd.

“Now, some on the other side are claiming that the bill I just offered would defund Customs—or Homeland Security Investigations. M. President, that too is absurd.

“All the bill I just offered does is fund the rest of DHS while talks continue on ICE and Border Patrol—and the simple fact is Republicans have already funded these agencies when they gave them more money, than most militaries by the way, in their Big Ugly Bill.

“And Republicans’ latest tactic—trying to use a war as leverage against accountability for Americans is just plain wrong. It’s cynical and it is utterly transparent.

“We are not going to give Trump a pass on citizens getting shot and killed here in America, just because he singlehandedly chose to start a war that has led to Americans being killed across the globe as well.

“Who in the world thought that argument would fly? Did Stephen Miller tell Republicans two wrongs make a right here? Did you think that was going to convince anybody?

“Look—we are going to hold Trump accountable for his reckless war, and we are going to hold him accountable for using ICE to terrorize American cities.

“As for the rest of DHS that does important work to keep Americans safe like FEMA, Coast Guard, TSA, Democrats are here, we are trying to fund those agencies—while ICE and Border Patrol negotiations continue. But, Republicans will neither agree to the reforms we need to rein in ICE and protect Americans nor fund the rest of DHS while those talks continue.

“Here’s the simple truth: if Republicans agreed to simple reforms, all of DHS could be funded tomorrow. And if Republicans stopped blocking the bill that I just offered, TSA could be funded today.

“But Republicans don’t want to take serious action to prevent rogue government agencies from gunning down American citizens, we just heard that on the floor from several Republican senators who spoke. They don’t want to take new steps to make sure masked federal agents don’t kidnap people off the street. They don’t want to pass legislation to make sure federal agents only target people who they have a judicial warrant for—instead of breaking down windows and dragging away completely innocent people. That is the crux of the problem right now.

“Let me state that again: the problem right now is not a lack of communication between both the sides—that’s absurd—the problem is a lack of willingness on the part of Republicans to pass some pretty basic reforms—or to even fund the rest of DHS while talks continue.

“Republicans don’t want to protect Americans from rogue ICE agents. You know how I know that? Just listen to what they said—and what they didn’t say—right here on the floor.

“Are Republicans talking about the fact American citizens have been gunned down by ICE and Border Patrol? Are Republicans talking about the fact that peaceful protesters are being tear gassed, or pepper sprayed, or tackled to the ground?

“Not a word about that right here.If Republicans cannot talk about the obvious, blatant abuse we have all see from ICE and Border Patrol, how do they expect to work with us to address that? The answer is they don’t.

“Instead, they are pretending this is about FEMA—which I’ve offered to fund, or TSA—which I’ve offered to fund, or CISA—which I’ve offered to fund, and they are pretending this is about ICE funds running low—even after Republicans spent weeks acknowledging the agency has plenty of funding left from their Big Ugly Bill.

“What this debate actually is about is accountability. It is long past time Republicans get serious about that.”

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