Whitehouse, Blumenthal Call for Investigation into FBI’s Suspicious Seizure of Election Records in Fulton County

New letter to DOJ Inspector General scrutinizes multiple violations of prosecutorial protocols during the raid and demands a full investigation

MAGA DOJ has a history of confecting fake criminal investigations for political gain

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Courts Subcommittee, and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), both former U.S. Attorneys and state Attorneys General, sent a letter on Tuesday requesting the Department of Justice’s Inspector General open an investigation into the FBI’s seizure of 2020 election records in Fulton County, Georgia in January. President Trump’s DOJ has for months unsuccessfully sought Fulton County election materials through civil proceedings.

The search warrant for election records in Georgia originated from a U.S. Attorney in Missouri, unusually cutting out the U.S. Attorney for the relevant jurisdiction. The FBI special agent in charge of the Atlanta field office was reportedly forced out days before the search after he refused to participate. Additionally, the affidavit underlying the search warrant revealed that the criminal investigation originated from a referral by White House lawyer Kurt Olsen, a court-sanctioned election denier who worked to overturn the 2020 election results on President Trump’s behalf. None of this background was in the affidavit.

The senators questioned the unprecedented presence of both Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and FBI co-Deputy Director Andrew Bailey at the search, as well as President Trump’s calls to the FBI agents after the seizure, which would open up various avenues of discovery for a defendant in an eventual prosecution.

“All these violations of prosecutorial protocols and norms are concerns a defendant would predictably want to investigate to make a case for vindictive, bad-faith or selective prosecution. Veering from normal standards opens up unnecessary risks to the prosecution, so why did those orchestrating the search not simply follow normal procedures?” asked Whitehouse and Blumenthal in the new letter.

“The two most logical conclusions are (1) spectacular incompetence, or (2) that no one cared because no one expected there ever to be a criminal defendant. If the latter, that would be because the true purpose was to seize the documents, not to pursue any criminal investigation. If the seizure of election records was the true purpose, the search warrant falsely claimed it was for purposes of a criminal investigation — a pretext. DOJ officials had tried multiple times unsuccessfully to gain access to the election documents. Clearly those who orchestrated the search wanted those documents; a sham criminal investigation may have been their last resort,” continued the senators.

The affidavit underlying the criminal search warrant also fails to disclose that most of the witnesses who supplied the supposed facts to establish probable cause have been identified as known election deniers and participants in the failed scheme to overturn the 2020 election in Georgia, as Whitehouse and Blumenthal point out: “These disclosure failures raise unnecessary issues for a defendant to challenge, once again raising the question whether this was done so sloppily because no defendant was ever expected, since the criminal investigation was a mere pretext for seizure of election records.”

The senators note that this is not the first time Trump’s DOJ has confected a fake prosecution to try to accomplish a seizure the Department had failed to accomplish legitimately. Last year, DOJ targeted the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, a multi-billion-dollar grant program aimed at reducing climate change dangers, based on meritless allegations of fraud. Senator Whitehouse sent a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel about misusing law enforcement for this sham criminal investigation, and a year later, the funds remain frozen with no evidence of fraud.

The senators conclude, “A seemingly botched search warrant application and execution process; a misleading and incomplete warrant affidavit with unusual escape hatches for the affiant; a history of this administration using a fake criminal investigation to accomplish a desired but unaccomplished seizure; and the prospect that election manipulators are at work on the documents at this time — all of that makes a combination of factors worthy of your prompt inquiries. It goes without saying that a sham criminal investigation shopped to a federal judge for a seizure warrant as pretext for seizing documents for election manipulation purposes would be a gross abuse of the Department’s authorities. We would recommend making sure no internal documents or communications are destroyed.

The text of the letter is below and a PDF is available here.

March 3, 2026

Don R. Berthiaume

Acting Inspector General

U.S. Department of Justice

Office of the Inspector General

950 Pennsylvania Avenue NW

Washington, D.C. 20530

Dear Mr. Berthiaume:

We write to request that the Justice Department’s Office of the Inspector General open an investigation into the FBI’s seizure of election records in Fulton County, Georgia, on January 28, 2026. Much merits scrutiny.

First, the manner in which the search warrant was obtained and the search conducted violated customary protocol in multiple ways that left unnecessary openings for a criminal defendant to investigate and challenge the prosecution. Was that sloppiness, or worse? Let’s review the procedure utilized.

The search warrant for election records in Fulton County, Georgia, originated from a U.S. Attorney in Missouri. Customarily, even in an investigation across districts, the local U.S. Attorney would issue the warrant for a search within their jurisdiction.[1] In this case, the U.S. Attorney for the relevant jurisdiction was cut out.[2] Further, the FBI special agent in charge of the Atlanta field office was reportedly forced out days before the search after he refused to participate.[3]

Additionally, the affidavit underlying the search warrant revealed that the criminal investigation originated from a referral by White House lawyer Kurt Olsen. Courts sanctioned Olsen for making false claims about elections in Arizona, and the Arizona State Bar disciplined him for that misconduct.[4] According to recent reporting, the Missouri U.S. Attorney who issued the warrant, Thomas Albus, met last fall with Department of Justice official Ed Martin and Olsen about “election integrity.”[5] Both Martin and Olsen worked on Trump’s behalf to overturn the 2020 election results.[6] Martin until recently led the “Weaponization Working Group” at the Department of Justice and previously unsuccessfully tried to obtain election records from Fulton County.[7] None of that background was in the affidavit.

The Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and FBI co-Deputy Director Andrew Bailey attended the search, creating unnecessary vulnerabilities for a prosecution. As far as we are aware, no Director of National Intelligence has ever been present at this kind of domestic law enforcement search. We are also not aware of such a senior FBI official showing up at such a search. Anyone present at a search is a witness to the conduct of the search, and a future defendant alleging an unlawful search could call DNI Gabbard or FBI co-Deputy Director Bailey as a witness and question why they were there, what they saw, and what they were told, among other things.[8] This is why, as both U.S. Attorneys and state Attorneys General, we did not attend searches. The so-called Weaponization Working Group, supposedly stood up by DNI Gabbard,[9] operates secretively across multiple federal agencies.[10] Putting DNI Gabbard at the scene would open up avenues of discovery by a defendant into the machinations of that secretive working group — unless it were never intended that there be a defendant. See more below.

After the search, Trump called DNI Gabbard to praise and thank the agents for seizing the election records.[11] This action was not only a gross violation of normal prosecutorial protocols, but also likely discoverable by a defendant seeking to show vindictive or selective prosecution, or to otherwise discredit the government for bad faith.[12]

All these violations of prosecutorial protocols and norms are concerns a defendant would predictably want to investigate to make a case for vindictive, bad-faith or selective prosecution. Veering from normal standards opens up unnecessary risks to the prosecution, so why did those orchestrating the search not simply follow normal procedures?

The two most logical conclusions are (1) spectacular incompetence, or (2) that no one cared because no one expected there ever to be a criminal defendant. If the latter, that would be because the true purpose was to seize the documents, not to pursue any criminal investigation. If the seizure of election records was the true purpose, the search warrant falsely claimed it was for purposes of a criminal investigation — a pretext. DOJ officials had tried multiple times unsuccessfully to gain access to the election documents.[13] Clearly those who orchestrated the search wanted those documents; a sham criminal investigation may have been their last resort. Mr. Martin has pursued sham criminal investigations in an effort to obtain seizures in at least one other case. See more on that below.

Second, the affidavit underlying the search warrant is peculiar, failing to fully disclose the links among multiple witnesses and their connections to a failed election denial network. In addition to the criminal investigation originating from discredited election denier Kurt Olsen, most of the witnesses who supplied the supposed facts to establish probable cause have been identified as known election deniers and skeptics whose claims about irregularities in the 2020 election have been debunked:[14]

Witness 1 has been identified as Joe Rossi, who filed a debunked complaint using incorrect calculations with the Georgia secretary of state about the 2020 election.[15]

Witness 2 has been identified as Janice Johnston, a member of Georgia’s State Election Board who questioned the results of the 2020 election and advocated for another state investigation into the 2020 election.[16]

Witness 3 has been identified as Janelle King, another member of Georgia’s State Election Board who questioned the results of the 2020 election and proposed re-opening a state investigation into the 2020 election.[17]

Witness 5 has been identified as Phillip Davis, a right-wing technology expert who asserted that Fulton County erroneously scanned and counted certain ballots.[18] Although an independent consultant hired by the Georgia secretary of state rebutted his claims, those claims were cited in a report by election skeptic Kevin Moncla (Witness 7).[19]

Witness 7 has been identified as right-wing researcher Kevin Moncla, who wrote a report alleging that fraud tainted Fulton County’s 2020 election results.[20] Many of his claims have been discredited or debunked, and Moncla acknowledged that his report is a compilation of complaints he and the other contributors have filed to Georgia’s State Election Board over the past five years.[21]

Witness 11 has been identified as Bridget Thorne, a former poll worker and current Fulton County Commissioner who has for years expressed skepticism over the 2020 election.[22] Thorne ran a secret Telegram channel propagating debunked claims about the 2020 elections.[23]

The extent of these witnesses’ participation in the failed effort to overturn the 2020 election in Georgia, and their interactions with each other in that scheme, and the failure of their common scheme, were not fully disclosed in the affidavit. These disclosure failures raise unnecessary issues for a defendant to challenge, once again raising the question whether this was done so sloppily because no defendant was ever expected, since the criminal investigation was a mere pretext for seizure of election records.

It appears the affiant was at least somewhat aware of the weakness of his factual assertions, leaving himself what appears to be escape-hatch language in the warrant.[24] These maybe-there’s-nothing-here hypotheticals are not customary in such affidavits, and were presumably designed to protect the affiant from liability in the event of an inquiry or challenge. If the purpose of the exercise was to seize election documents for election-manipulation purposes, not to pursue a criminal investigation, the failure to disclose fully to the magistrate judge all the election-denial links among multiple cited witnesses makes matters worse. The escape-hatch language could also signal that there was no expectation there would ever be a criminal case.

Third, this is not the first time this Department of Justice has confected a fake prosecution to try to accomplish a seizure the Department had failed to accomplish legitimately.[25] Last year, the Department targeted the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, a multi-billion-dollar grant program aimed at reducing climate change dangers, based on meritless (indeed likely false) allegations of fraud.[26]

The Justice Department reportedly began investigating the program after EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin announced on social media his desire to claw back the funding. Shortly thereafter, as then-Interim U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, Ed Martin asked his office not just to seek an order freezing the fund, but to open a criminal investigation so he could assert that an ongoing investigation justified freezing the funds.[27]

Although Martin could not point to a crime, he directed the then-Chief of the Criminal Division, Denise Cheung, to issue a letter ordering the bank not to release any funds pursuant to a criminal investigation.[28] Cheung refused because “the quantum of evidence did not support that action” and because she “believed that [she] lacked the legal authority to issue such a letter.”[29]

After forcing Cheung’s resignation, Martin then personally submitted a seizure warrant application to freeze the funding, without the participation of career prosecutors. A D.C. magistrate judge rejected the warrant for lack of probable cause.[30] As Inspector General, you will be aware how rare it is for a United States Attorney to pursue a warrant without any career staff, and how unusual it is for a federal warrant application to fail.

The then-Acting Deputy Attorney General, Emil Bove, then shopped the same investigation and warrant application to other U.S. Attorney’s offices, apparently unsuccessfully searching for an office that would pursue the warrant.[31] The bank chose to pause disbursement of the funds while this fake investigation played out.

A year later, the funds remain frozen, even though investigations by the FBI and EPA’s inspector general have not produced evidence of fraud.[32] In a parallel civil case filed by grant recipients seeking access to their funds, a D.C. federal judge underscored that the Justice Department was “unable to proffer me any information with regard to any kind of investigation or malfeasance.”[33] Mr. Martin’s role in both schemes is plausible evidence of practice, motive, and willingness to pursue pretextual criminal investigations.

Given this history of confected prosecutions and the significance of Fulton County’s now-broken chain of custody over 2020 election records, a proper inquiry needs to be made immediately into what became of the seized documents. Where are they? Who has been given access to them? Are they being altered or manipulated? Are they being digitized? When will they be returned to their lawful custodians? Who will be allowed access to copies kept? Will the return aver that they have not been altered, manipulated, or made available to potential election interference plotters? These answers could be illuminating as to whether the purpose of the criminal search warrant exercise was to seize election documents to facilitate election interference in Georgia in coming elections.

A seemingly botched search warrant application and execution process; a misleading and incomplete warrant affidavit with unusual escape hatches for the affiant; a history of this administration using a fake criminal investigation to accomplish a desired but unaccomplished seizure; and the prospect that election manipulators are at work on the documents at this time — all of that makes a combination of factors worthy of your prompt inquiries. It goes without saying that a sham criminal investigation shopped to a federal judge for a seizure warrant as pretext for seizing documents for election manipulation purposes would be a gross abuse of the Department’s authorities. We would recommend making sure no internal documents or communications are destroyed.

Sincerely,

###

[1] Anna Bower et al., We Have Questions About the FBI’s Fulton County Search, Lawfare (Jan. 30, 2026), https://www.lawfaremedia.org/article/we-have-questions-about-the-fbi-s-fulton-county-search (“[T]here’s no clear jurisdictional hook in the Eastern District of Missouri that would explain why its U.S. attorney, Thomas Albus, is on the warrant for the Fulton County search rather than the U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Georgia, where Fulton County is located.”). If the Department centralized a national investigation in the Eastern District of Missouri, that still does not explain why protocol with respect to out-of-district warrants was not followed.

[2] Sarah Fitzpatrick & Yvonne Wingett Sanchez, ‘It’s a Five-Alarm Fire’, Atlantic (Jan. 30, 2026), https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/2026/01/trumps-doj-2020-election-search-warrant-fulton-county/685817/ (“Multiple people familiar with the matter said the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia had no substantive role in the Fulton search or in the investigation from which it stemmed. Albus, they said, contacted the local office earlier this month, but did not share the affidavit or other substantive information about the scope or target of the investigation at the time.”)

[3] Ken Dilanian & Ebony Davis, Atlanta FBI boss ousted after balking at 2020 election probe, MS Now (Jan. 30, 2026), https://www.ms.now/news/atlanta-fbi-boss-ousted-after-balking-at-2020-election-probe.

[4] Doug Bock Clark & Jeremy Kohler, What Meetings Among Trump Lawyers Reveal About the FBI’s Seizure of Election Records in Georgia, ProPublica (Feb. 13, 2026), https://www.propublica.org/article/thomas-albus-fulton-county-georgia-election-records; See In the Matter of Kurt Olsen, No. PDJ 2024-9004 (Decision and

Order of Presiding Disciplinary Judge Oct. 17, 2024)

[5] Clark & Kohler, What Meetings Among Trump Lawyers Reveal About the FBI’s Seizure of Election Records in Georgia, supra note 4.

[6] Id.

[7] Id.

[8] Anna Bower et al., We Have Questions About the FBI’s Fulton County Search, supra note 1.

[9] Ja’han Jones, Trump admin has created an interagency group to address ‘weaponization’ of government, MS Now (Oct. 23, 2025), https://www.ms.now/top-stories/latest/trump-weaponization-group-gabbard-bondi-patel-rcna239247.

[10] Jonathan Landay et al., Exclusive: Wide-ranging group of US officials pursues Trump’s fight against ‘Deep State’, Reuters (Oct. 20, 2025), https://www.reuters.com/world/us/wide-ranging-group-us-officials-pursues-trumps-fight-against-deep-state-2025-10-20/.

[11] William K. Rashbaum et al., Trump Had Unusual Call With F.B.I. Agents After Election Center Search, N.Y. Times (Feb. 2, 2026), https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/02/us/politics/trump-fbi-phone-call-georgia-gabbard.html.

[12] Id.

[13] See, e.g., Press Release, Justice Department Sues Four Additional States and One Locality for Failure to Comply with Federal Elections Laws (Dec. 12, 2025), https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-sues-four-additional-states-and-one-locality-failure-comply-federal; Caleb Groves, DOJ asked for 2020 election records. Fulton County responded: By ignoring it., Atlanta J.-Const. (Nov. 11, 2025), https://www.ajc.com/politics/2025/11/trumps-doj-is-fixated-on-the-2020-election-fulton-officials-wont-budge; Letter from Edward R. Martin, Jr., Assoc. Deputy Att’y Gen., Dep’t of Just., to Robert C.I. McBurney, J., Superior Ct. of Fulton Cnty. (Aug. 25, 2025), https://x.com/CletaMitchell/status/1983657891224809778/photo/1.

[14] See, e.g., Charles Minshew et al., Read the annotated FBI affidavit used to seize Fulton ballots, Atlanta J.-Const., https://www.ajc.com/sp/annotated-the-fbis-affidavit-in-support-of-fulton-county-search/; Stephen Fowler, The FBI seizure of Georgia 2020 election ballots relies on debunked claims, NPR (Feb. 11, 2026), https://www.npr.org/2026/02/10/nx-s1-5710649/fulton-county-2020-election-affidavit-fbi; Ashley Cleaves & Matt Cohen, FBI’s Fulton County raid was based on reams of debunked 2020 fraud claims from election deniers, records show, Democracy Docket (Feb. 10, 2026), https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/https-www-democracydocket-com-news-alerts-fbis-fulton-county-raid-was-based-on-reams-of-debunked-2020-fraud-claims-from-election-deniers-records-show; Doug Bock Clark, The Conservative Researcher Being Linked to the FBI’s Seizure of Election Records in Georgia, ProPublica (Feb. 9, 2026), https://www.propublica.org/article/kevin-moncla-election-researcher-fulton-county-georgia.

[15] Charles Minshew et al., Read the annotated FBI affidavit used to seize Fulton ballots, supra note 14; Stephen Fowler, The FBI seizure of Georgia 2020 election ballots relies on debunked claims, supra note 14; Aaron Blake, Trump lawyers’ doozy of a filing on voter fraud, Wash. Post (Jan. 3, 2024), https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/01/03/trump-lawyers-doozy-filing-voter-fraud.

[16] Alan Feuer et al., How an F.B.I. Affidavit to Seize Ballots Relied on Debunked Election Claims, N.Y. Times (Feb. 11, 2026), https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2026/02/11/us/election-ballots-fulton-county-fbi-affadavit.html; Erin Mansfield & Aysha Bagchi, Trump says GA Election Board members are ‘pit bulls’ for ‘victory,’ but is that their job?, USA Today (Aug. 6, 2024), https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2024/08/05/trump-praises-georgia-election-board/74674946007.

[17] Id.

[18] Charles Minshew et al., Read the annotated FBI affidavit used to seize Fulton ballots, supra note 14.

[19] Michael Handelman, Georgia taxpayers foot the bill for chasing down debunked election conspiracies, Atlanta J.-Const. (Feb. 17, 2026), https://www.ajc.com/opinion/2026/02/georgia-taxpayers-foot-the-bill-for-chasing-down-debunked-election-conspiracies/; Election Oversight Group, Fulton County: Report of Investigation of the 2020 General Election (Jan. 6, 2026), https://www.scribd.com/document/989542479/Report-of-Investigation-Fulton-2020.

[20] Clark & Kohler, What Meetings Among Trump Lawyers Reveal About the FBI’s Seizure of Election Records in Georgia, supra note 4.

[21] Doug Bock Clark, The Conservative Researcher Being Linked to the FBI’s Seizure of Election Records in Georgia, supra note 14.

[22] Charles Minshew et al., Read the annotated FBI affidavit used to seize Fulton ballots, supra note 14.

[23] George Chidi, Exclusive: Georgia lawmaker runs secret election-conspiracy Telegram channel, Guardian (Apr. 18, 2024), https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/apr/18/fulton-county-telegram-election-conspiracy-bridget-thorne.

[24] Affidavit of Hugh Raymond Evans, In the Matter of the Search of: The premises located at The Office of the Clerk of Court, 5600 Campbellton Fairburn Road, Fairburn, Georgia 30213, Case 1:26-mi-00012-JPB (N.D. Georgia Feb. 10, 2026), ¶ 10 (“If these deficiencies were the result of intentional action, it would be a violation of federal law[.]”); ¶ 85 (“If these deficiencies were the result of intentional action, the election records . . . are evidence of violations[.]”).

[25] Spencer S. Hsu et al., FBI takes up EPA probe amid pushback from judge, prosecutors, Wash. Post (Feb. 27, 2025), https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2025/02/27/trump-fbi-epa-grant-investigation; Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, What It Looks Like When a Justice System Gets “Weaponized,” Contrarian (Mar. 28, 2025), https://contrarian.substack.com/p/what-it-looks-like-when-a-justice.

[26] Spencer S. Hsu et al., FBI takes up EPA probe amid pushback from judge, prosecutors, supra note 25.

[27] Eileen Sullivan et al., Prosecutor in U.S. Attorney’s Office in Washington Abruptly Resigns, N.Y. Times (Feb. 18, 2025), https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/18/us/politics/denise-cheung-federal-prosecutor-quits.html; Kyle Cheney et al., Senior prosecutor in Washington quits, citing pressure to probe Biden-era climate funds, Politico (Feb. 18, 2025), https://www.politico.com/news/2025/02/18/denise-cheung-us-attorneys-office-washington-020363.

[28] Id.

[29] Washington Post, Read the resignation letter by Denise Cheung, a veteran D.C. federal prosecutor, Wash. Post (Mar. 6, 2025), https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2025/02/18/read-resignation-letter-denise-cheung/.

[30] Spencer Hsu et al., FBI takes up EPA probe amid pushback from judge, prosecutors, supra note 25.

[31] Id.

[32] Claire Brown, Billions in Climate Grants, Frozen for a Year, Are Back in Court, N.Y. Times (Feb. 24, 2026), https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/24/climate/billions-in-climate-grants-frozen-for-a-year-are-back-in-court.html.


WICKER, HYDE-SMITH ASK EPA TO REVERSE BIDEN-ERA VAPOR TESTING REQUIREMENTS

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) and Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) this week joined colleagues in asking the Trump administration to reverse a Biden administration rule that imposes costly restrictions on the fuel marketers who transport gasoline from supply terminals to local gas stations.

The Mississippi lawmakers signed a letter led by U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin that called for the repeal of the 2024 Biden-era rule regarding annual cargo tank vapor tightness requirements under the Clean Air Act, which was based on “overzealous regulatory standards” set by the State of California. The early implementation of the Biden rule at some supply terminals has led to disproportionate harm to small business fuel marketers.

“In discussions with small business owners in our respective states, we were made aware of the technical challenges and costly operational changes required to comply with this Biden EPA mandate. These challenges are already materializing as some operators at liquid fuel terminals are prematurely enforcing the revised vapor tightness standards ahead of the 2027 compliance date, creating confusion and imposing unexpected costs on small business fuel marketers,” the Senators wrote. “Industry stakeholders have warned that, absent corrective action by the Trump administration, these standards could result in fuel supply disruptions if charge tank vehicles are denied terminal access due to an inability to immediately comply with these unnecessary requirements.”

“Small businesses in our states should not be subject to California’s regulatory overreach,” wrote the Senators in their appeal for EPA to work with industry stakeholders to revise the Biden rule and restore the prior standards.

“Reverting to this standard will support fuel supply continuity and ensure that first responders, motorists, farmers, ranchers, and other industries critical to America’s success have reliable access to an adequate fuel supply,” the Senators continued.

In addition to Cramer, Wicker, and Hyde-Smith, the letter was also signed by U.S. Senators John Boozman (R-Ark.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), John Curtis (R-Utah), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Jon Husted (R-Ohio), Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), and Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska).

Wicker serves on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, while Hyde-Smith serves on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee – both of which have jurisdiction over the EPA.


Merkley, Wyden, Colleagues Reintroduce Updated DISCLOSE Act to End Corrupting Influence of Dark Money in American Elections

185 Democrats support effort to empower voters and expose billionaire and special interest control over our government and courts

Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden joined a bicameral group of Democrats in reintroducing the DISCLOSE Act, legislation to shine a bright light of transparency on the scourge of dark money in politics and make government more accountable to the will of voters.

“Billionaires should not be able to buy our elections—full stop,” said Senator Merkley. “Passing the DISCLOSE Act will bring transparency to the dark money poured into our elections and give the power back to the people. We need to get this done to restore the vision of our ‘We, The People’ republic.”

“Citizens United gave the green light for corporations and dark money to buy our elections,” said Senator Wyden. “Elections should be decided by the American people, not shady dark money groups pushing their own narrow agendas. Our legislation will restore much-needed transparency to America’s election systems and ensure the voice of every American is heard.”

Since the 2010 Citizens United decision, secret spending in U.S. elections by corporations, ultra-rich ideological extremists, and secretive front groups has exploded. These dark-money expenditures that corrupt our politics increased from less than $5 million in 2006 to more than $300 million in the 2012 election cycle, and topped $1.9 billion in 2024, shattering the previous record of $1 billion in 2020.

Recent updates to the DISCLOSE Act include requiring the disclosure of payments made to digital influencers who promote a candidate.

The DISCLOSE Act would restore transparency in American elections and restore fairness and accountability in our political system by:

Requiring super PACs, 501(c)(4) “dark money” groups, corporations, and other organizations spending more than $10,000 in elections and on judicial nominations to promptly disclose donors who contribute more than $10,000;

Shutting down the use of transfers between organizations to cloak the identity of the original contributor;

Strengthening prohibitions against foreign actors participating in election spending in the United States, including in state and local referenda;

Prohibiting the establishment of corporations to conceal election contributions and donations by foreign actors;

Expanding “stand by your ad” disclosure requirements to online ads and ads that may promote or attack a candidate but stop short of expressly advocating for a vote for or against a candidate; and

Requiring identification of top funders of outside groups paying for video, text, or audio political ads.

The bill is sponsored by all 47 Senators who caucus with Democrats, and 138 Democrats in the House.

Several prominent good-government organizations cheered the bill’s reintroduction today, including Campaign Legal Center, Democracy Defenders Action, Public Citizen, Democracy21, End Citizens United, Common Cause, Center for American Progress, and the Brennan Center.


Young, Colleagues Push for More Data on AI’s Impact on American Workforce

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Todd Young (R-Ind.) joined U.S. Senators Mark Warner (D-Va.), Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), Jim Banks (R-Ind.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), and Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) in urging the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, and Census Bureau to expand data collection and public reporting on the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on the U.S. workforce. As AI technologies are rapidly developed, deployed, and integrated across industries, the senators warned that Americans will increasingly need reliable federal data to understand how these changes are reshaping the labor market and how lawmakers, workers, and businesses should respond.

“We write to strongly urge the federal government’s statistical agencies to prioritize the collection, analysis, and dissemination of high-quality, timely data regarding artificial intelligence’s (AI) impact on the labor market,” the senators wrote.

The senators continued, “Over the last several years, the enhanced capabilities of artificial intelligence have resulted in its increased application and adoption across many and varied industries and occupations. Predictive machine learning systems and generative AI have already created evolutions within the labor market due to those tools’ ability to perform tasks and functions that ordinarily require human intelligence. The emergence of autonomous technologies, including agentic AI and robotics integrating AI, present opportunities for a dramatic shift in the nature of work.”

“However, reporting from across the private sector, academia, and media depict an uncertain picture of artificial intelligence’s current and potential impact on the workforce, with some use cases demonstrating a high probability of job disruption and others making the case for employment growth. Recent reporting has generated an increased focus on artificial intelligence’s effect on new labor entrants. As such, it is imperative that the federal government serves as an agile, objective, and reliable source of information regarding the significant labor market changes that this technological advancement presents,” the senators stressed.

Currently, the federal government’s data, research, and measurement on AI lags behind non-governmental labor market data. In their letter, the senators outlined several opportunities where surveys can be expanded to better understand the impact of artificial intelligence, including supplemental surveys focused on AI in the monthly Current Population Survey (CPS); the addition of questions on the occupations and wages of both new hires and workers who separate from employers and how many hires, job postings, and layoffs are directly related to the business’ use of AI in the monthly and annual Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS); and the addition of questions related to AI in the National Longitudinal Survey.

Full text of the letter can be found here and below.

Dear Secretary Chavez-DeRemer, Acting Commissioner Wiatrowski, and Mr. Cook:

We write to strongly urge the federal government’s statistical agencies to prioritize the collection, analysis, and dissemination of high-quality, timely data regarding artificial intelligence’s (AI) impact on the labor market.

Over the last several years, the enhanced capabilities of artificial intelligence have resulted in its increased application and adoption across many and varied industries and occupations. Predictive machine learning systems and generative AI have already created evolutions within the labor market due to those tools’ ability to perform tasks and functions that ordinarily require human intelligence. The emergence of autonomous technologies, including agentic AI and robotics integrating AI, present opportunities for a dramatic shift in the nature of work.

However, reporting from across the private sector, academia, and media depict an uncertain picture of artificial intelligence’s current and potential impact on the workforce, with some use cases demonstrating a high probability of job disruption and others making the case for employment growth. Recent reporting has generated an increased focus on artificial intelligence’s effect on new labor entrants.

As such, it is imperative that the federal government serves as an agile, objective, and reliable source of information regarding the significant labor market changes that this technological advancement presents. As it stands, the federal government’s statistical agencies’ data, research, and measurement on artificial intelligence significantly lags behind non-governmental labor market data. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics has begun incorporating artificial intelligence impacts on employment projections and has published occupational case studies on these efforts. The U.S. Census Bureau has added artificial intelligence tailored questions to its Business Trends and Outlook Survey and Annual Business Survey. While we applaud these initial steps, we call on your agencies to build upon these actions swiftly and considerably.

Specifically, we direct your attention to the Joint Explanatory Statement that accompanied the Department of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2026 as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026 (Pub. L. 119-75), which states the following:

“The agreement recognizes the value of understanding how artificial intelligence affects our workforce and encourages BLS to evaluate the impact of artificial intelligence on the economy, including job loss, creation, and displacement.”

In response to this directive, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and the U.S. Census Bureau should identify opportunities to fully leverage existing data collection efforts, including, but not limited to, integrating additional artificial intelligence questions into surveys, continuing the incorporation of occupational classification systems into reports, linking cross-agency data measurement to produce comprehensive reports, partnering with non-public entities to produce additional public use statistics, and increasing the frequency of published reports.

Specifically, we point your agencies to several opportunities where surveys can be expanded to better understand the impact of artificial intelligence:

The Current Population Survey (CPS) serves as the primary source of near real-time labor force statistics and is a cornerstone of the monthly jobs report. BLS should consider adding supplemental surveys focused on artificial intelligence and task specific questions.

The Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) produces monthly and annual estimates of job openings, hires, and separations. While this survey serves as an important measure of labor demand, it does not currently provide an understanding of labor demand by occupation and how this may be changing with artificial intelligence adoptions. We recommend that JOLTS add questions on the occupations and wages of both new hires and workers who separate from employers and how many hires, job postings, and layoffs are directly related to the business’ use of AI.

The National Longitudinal Survey follows the lives of a sample of American youth. By establishing a new cohort and adding questions related to artificial intelligence, we can understand long-term trends.

At a time when the U.S. workforce is approaching an inflection point due to the acceleration of artificial intelligence, adaptable and responsive federal statistical agencies are necessary in guiding labor market participants, researchers, and policymakers on how to properly respond to this moment.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Sincerely,


Rep. Ansari Demands Answers from Trump Admin Over U.S. Plans to Arm Kurdish Opposition Groups Against Iran Regime

WASHINGTON – Representative Yassamin Ansari (AZ-03) sent a letter to top Trump Administration officials, Director Ratcliffe, Secretary Rubio, Secretary Hegseth, and Secretary Lutnick demanding clarity regarding recent reports that the U.S. may provide weapons to Kurdish opposition groups operating against the Iranian regime.

“It is critical that United States policy remains firmly grounded in support for the Iranian people which has lamentably not been put forward by the Trump Administration as an objective of this military campaign,” said Rep. Ansari. “Any strategy toward opposing the brutal Islamic Republic regime should prioritize helping the people of Iran achieve a future defined by dignity, freedom, stability, and democratic governance. Ensuring that U.S. actions align with those values—and do not unintentionally undermine them—must remain a central consideration.”

Read the letter HERE and below.

To Director Ratcliffe, Secretary Rubio, Secretary Hegseth, and Secretary Lutnick,

In contradiction to statements made by Secretary Rubio, recent reporting indicates that the United States may be considering or is pursuing support for Kurdish opposition groups operating along the Iran–Iraq border as part of a broader strategy to increase pressure on the Iranian regime. Reports suggest that U.S. officials, including President Trump, have held discussions with Iranian Kurdish militias about potential operations against Iranian regime forces in western Iran, and that these groups have been offered intelligence support, logistical assistance including “extensive air cover,” and possibly weapons and firearms. Further reporting has suggested that other militant extremist groups such as the Mojahedin-e-Khalq (MEK), which was formerly designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization by the State Department, could be involved as well.

While the precise scope of any U.S. involvement remains unclear, these reports raise serious questions about the legal authorities underpinning such activities, the extent of Congressional notification and oversight, and the mechanisms in place to track funding and weapons transfers to ensure they are not diverted or used in ways that could escalate regional tensions, undermine U.S. interests and put more U.S. servicemembers at risk, cause a devastating civil war in Iran, or prevent a democratic future for the Iranian people.

Given the significant strategic, legal, and humanitarian implications of such actions, I request additional information about the authorities, oversight mechanisms, and safeguards involved in these operations.

Specifically, I request clarification on the following points:

Legal Authorities:

Under what statutory or executive authorities were these activities authorized? Were they conducted pursuant to a presidential finding, existing counterterrorism authorities, or another legal framework?

Congressional Notification and Oversight:

What steps, if any, were taken to notify or brief Congress regarding these activities?

Funding Sources and Accountability:

What appropriated funds or other financial mechanisms are being used to support these operations? What systems are in place to track and audit the expenditure of these funds to ensure accountability and prevent misuse?

Arms Transfers and End-Use Monitoring:

What procedures are being used to track weapons and equipment provided to militant groups for the purpose of operating in Iran and to vet them appropriately? What end-use monitoring mechanisms are in place to ensure that arms do not fall into the wrong hands, contribute to regional instability, or become diverted to unauthorized actors?

Risk Assessment and Regional Stability:

What assessments have been conducted regarding the possibility that such support for militant groups could empower extremist elements, or result in a catastrophic civil war?

It is critical that United States policy remains firmly grounded in support for the Iranian people which has lamentably not been put forward by the Trump Administration as an objective of this military campaign. Any strategy toward opposing the brutal Islamic Republic regime should prioritize helping the people of Iran achieve a future defined by dignity, freedom, stability, and democratic governance. Ensuring that U.S. actions align with those values—and do not unintentionally undermine them—must remain a central consideration.

Thank you for your attention to this inquiry. Please provide a written response no later than March 12, 2026.

Sincerely,

Yassamin Ansari

Member of Congress


Maryland Congressional Delegation Members Push Back on ICE Plans for Warehouse Detention Facility in Washington County

WASHINGTON, DC - Yesterday, Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (MD-05), U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Angela Alsobrooks (both D-MD), and U.S. Representatives April McClain Delaney (MD-06), Jamie Raskin (MD-08), Kweisi Mfume (MD-07), Glenn Ivey (MD-04), Sarah Elfreth (MD-03), and Johnny Olszewski (MD-02) pushed back on the Trump Administration’s Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency (ICE) plans to convert a warehouse located in Washington County into a 1,500-person immigration detention facility. In a letter submitted for DHS’s comment period on the project, the lawmakers outlined serious concerns about ICE’s severe lack of transparency on the purchase and preparations for the facility, as well as its expected impacts on local infrastructure and the surrounding communities. Additionally, given ICE’s track record of subjecting people to inhumane conditions and rampant violations of human rights, they cast doubt on the agency’s ability to humanely operate this facility – especially since it was not built for this purpose.

“As members of Maryland’s Congressional Delegation, we write in strong opposition to the effort by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to convert a large, industrial warehouse at 10900 Hopewell Road, Williamsport, Maryland into an immigration detention facility. We are deeply concerned about the negative impact this facility may have on Washington County and the State of Maryland. Your lack of any substantive response to our multiple inquiries surrounding the facility is unacceptable and flouts Congressional oversight authority, and the lack of regard for community input around this proposal is a disservice to the people you purport to serve,” the lawmakers began.

“DHS appears to be attempting to execute its plan to convert this warehouse into an immigration detention facility with as little transparency as possible. For example, DHS did not notify the county where the warehouse is located about its plans until two days before its purchase. The State of Maryland has also filed a lawsuit arguing that DHS did not engage in the required environmental review process, nor did it provide any justification for not doing so,” they continued.

“This effort to convert an industrial warehouse into a 'Detention Processing Center' for up to 1,500 detainees is an apparent attempt to realize Acting Director Lyons’ previously-stated goal of transforming the deportation process into “[Amazon] Prime, but with human beings.” However, people are not packages. Every individual in the United States has guaranteed constitutional rights, including the Fifth Amendment right to due process and the Eighth Amendment right to be protected from inhumane treatment,” they wrote. “The warehouse DHS seeks to convert into a detention facility is a commercial property. It is neither designed nor outfitted to house, feed, or provide adequate care for detainees. Retrofitting such a building into a detention facility is a dramatic departure from its original design and intended purpose and raises questions as to how DHS and ICE will be able to humanely care for detainees and how the facility will impact the local community.”

“This effort to establish a massive detention facility in Maryland is poorly-planned, goes against the will of our constituents, is unnecessary for a mission that truly targets the “worst of the worst,” and given DHS’s track record in this Administration, is likely to violate the constitutional and human rights of detainees. We urge you to immediately and completely halt DHS’s plans to establish a detention facility in Maryland,” the lawmakers concluded.

Full text of the letter is available here and below:

Dear Secretary Noem and Acting Director Lyons,

As members of Maryland’s Congressional Delegation, we write in strong opposition to the effort by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to convert a large, industrial warehouse at 10900 Hopewell Road, Williamsport, Maryland into an immigration detention facility. We are deeply concerned about the negative impact this facility may have on Washington County and the State of Maryland. Your lack of any substantive response to our multiple inquiries surrounding the facility is unacceptable and flouts Congressional oversight authority, and the lack of regard for community input around this proposal is a disservice to the people you purport to serve.

On February 27th, DHS published an “Early Notice and Public Review of a Proposed Activity in a 100- to 500-Year Floodplain,” with its proposal to acquire and retrofit the warehouse on Hopewell Road. This notice, made six weeks after DHS had already purchased the building, raises more questions than it answers about DHS and ICE’s facility needs.

DHS appears to be attempting to execute its plan to convert this warehouse into an immigration detention facility with as little transparency as possible. For example, DHS did not notify the county where the warehouse is located about its plans until just days before its purchase. The State of Maryland has also filed a lawsuit arguing that DHS did not engage in the required environmental review process, nor did it provide any justification for not doing so. And with this notice, DHS has allotted just one week for the public to submit comments about this troubling undertaking, a deadline that should be extended to allow for stakeholder input.

This effort to convert an industrial warehouse into a “Detention Processing Center” for up to 1,500 detainees is an apparent attempt to realize Acting Director Lyons’ previously-stated goal of transforming the deportation process into “[Amazon] Prime, but with human beings.” However, people are not packages. Every individual in the United States has guaranteed constitutional rights, including the Fifth Amendment right to due process and the Eighth Amendment right to be protected from inhumane treatment.

The warehouse DHS seeks to convert into a detention facility is a commercial property. It is neither designed nor outfitted to house, feed, or provide adequate care for detainees. Retrofitting such a building into a detention facility is a dramatic departure from its original design and intended purpose and raises questions as to how DHS and ICE will be able to humanely care for detainees and how the facility will impact the local community. For example, DHS’s proposal notes that upgrades may be necessary to wastewater infrastructure but does not articulate a plan or timeline for those changes and simply asserts, without evidence, that the municipal system can handle all future needs. As the State points out in its lawsuit, the average wastewater flow for an industrial warehouse is a fraction of the necessary capacity for a 1,500-person facility, and overwhelming the existing capacity could result in sewage overflows. There is no evidence that DHS and ICE have discussed their needs or permitting plans with municipal authorities.

ICE operations have already inflicted distinct harm upon Maryland residents and communities resulting in chaos, confusion, and violence. Currently, ICE operates temporary holding rooms at its Baltimore Field Office, where there have been consistent, credible reports of inhumane conditions, including that detainees have routinely been denied access to medical care and medication, basic hygiene products, timely communication with legal counsel and families, and even denied food.

In a response to a January 20, 2026 letter from our delegation regarding DHS and ICE plans to convert this warehouse into a detention facility, Secretary Noem claimed that the operation of such a facility would be maintained at the “same high standard of care” as other ICE detention facilities, which DHS is able to achieve in part due to a “robust and multilevel oversight and compliance program.” Unfortunately, and with grave consequences, DHS has gutted key oversight offices within the Department, including the Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties and the Office of the Immigration Detention Ombudsman, after an attempt to shut them down entirely faced significant pushback. In fact, a report by a government watchdog found that ICE detention facility inspections dropped by more than one-third in 2025. In light of this, it comes as little surprise that there have since been multiple reports that have found violations of not just the national detention standards but also human rights in ICE facilities. DHS also experienced its deadliest year in more than two decades as 32 people died in ICE custody in 2025.

DHS and ICE are dramatically expanding detention capacity because you are not targeting the “worst of the worst” as claimed but rather are engaged in a dragnet operation that has overwhelmingly caught people who pose no threat to public safety. An internal DHS document reportedly exposed that more than 86% of the nearly 400,000 noncitizens arrested by ICE in the first year of this Administration did not have charges or convictions for violent crimes. Reviews of ICE’s own data revealed that during the first nine months of this Administration, more than half of the people ICE arrested in Maryland had no criminal convictions or charges, and only 10% were violent criminals.

This effort to establish a massive detention facility in Maryland is poorly-planned, goes against the will of our constituents, is unnecessary for a mission that truly targets the “worst of the worst,” and given DHS’s track record in this Administration, is likely to violate the constitutional and human rights of detainees. We urge you to immediately and completely halt DHS’s plans to establish a detention facility in Maryland.

Sincerely,


LEADER JEFFRIES ON CNN: “THE ADMINISTRATION HAS COMPLETELY AND TOTALLY FAILED TO MEET ITS RESPONSIBILITIES TO THE PUBLIC”

Today, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries appeared on CNN Newsroom, where he highlighted how Donald’s Trump has failed to articulate a reason for his unconstitutional war of choice in Iran and continues to do nothing to make life better for everyday Americans.

JESSICA DEAN: We’re joined now by House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. Leader Jeffries, thank you so much for being here with us today. I really appreciate it. We just got the latest reporting there out of Israel from our colleague Nick Paton Walsh. I know you have taken issue with the process by which the Trump administration is going about this war, but the administration, the President, their allies continue to say that this war will make America stronger and its allies safer and stronger in the long run. Do you think they’re wrong about that?

LEADER JEFFRIES: I think they’re definitely wrong, but at minimum they have not made the case to the American people. So it’s less about process and more about substance in terms of what is the justification for this? What is the strategy to be successful? And what is the end game, in an environment where everyday Americans right now are struggling to live paycheck to paycheck? Millions of people can’t thrive and can barely survive given the high cost of living that exists in this country. Donald Trump promised to lower costs on day one. He hasn’t done that. In fact, costs have gone up. And our view is that taxpayer dollars at this moment in time should be used to make life more affordable for the American people, to lower grocery prices and housing costs and healthcare costs. Instead, Donald Trump is spending billions of dollars to drop bombs in another war in the Middle East with no evidence that at the end of the day, it’s actually going to make the American people safer.

JESSICA DEAN: You know, he campaigned on America First and some Republicans like Marjorie Taylor Greene have said this is America last. Do you think this is America last?

LEADER JEFFRIES: I think that Donald Trump has consistently not put the interests of the American people first, as he promised. In fact, Candidate Trump said that he was not going to involve America in another endless war in the Middle East. President Trump has done the exact opposite. Candidate Trump, of course, talked about lowering costs on day one. President Trump enacted tariffs that have increased costs on everyday Americans by thousands of dollars per year. Candidate Trump said that his immigration enforcement policy would focus on the worst of the worst, go after violent criminals who are here illegally. Instead, what we know is that he’s unleashed ICE engaging in brutality against everyday Americans and American citizens, and in some cases, like the situation with Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti, killing them. And so, this is part of a pattern of Candidate Trump promising one thing and then President Trump doing the exact opposite in ways that aren’t designed to actually benefit the American people and in many cases are hurting everyday Americans.

JESSICA DEAN: I want to ask you about the fact that it’s been a week and we still don’t have a clear explanation of that strike on a girls school in Iran that killed at least 168 children. That’s according to Iranian state media. I want to play you what Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has said about this.

RECORDING OF PETE HEGSETH: All I can say is that we’re investigating that. We, of course, never target civilian targets, but we’re taking a look at investigating that.

RECORDING OF REPORTER: Just on the basis that with the information you would have, your reconnaissance abilities, ability to gather information, I mean it’s several days on now. So is there any clarity on whose munition this was?

RECORDING OF PETE HEGSETH: We’re investigating it.

JESSICA DEAN: Leader Jeffries, is that an acceptable explanation at this point, to the American people, to the world?

LEADER JEFFRIES: Certainly not an acceptable explanation. I’m horrified, saddened, deeply disturbed by both the tragic death of six American patriots, heroes, our men and women in uniform serving the country who have died as a result of Donald Trump’s war of choice, and deeply saddened and disturbed by the death of more than 100 school children who appear to have been struck by the United States military. And I think the American people are owed an explanation. The civilians, Iranian civilians are owed an explanation. The world is owed an explanation. And this is part of why, you know, these decisions of war and peace should actually be taken seriously. And Donald Trump should have made his case to the American people and to Congress on behalf of the folks that we represent as to why this has been done, why this war has been launched, why billions of dollars are being spent overseas in the Middle East as opposed to make life better for the American people. And the administration has completely and totally failed to meet its responsibilities to the public and certainly under the United States Constitution.

JESSICA DEAN: We’re also getting information and reporting that Russia is now aiding Iran with intelligence about locations, movements of US troops. I want to play what the White House Press Secretary said about this.

RECORDING OF KAROLINE LEAVITT: We don’t comment on intelligence reports that are leaked to the press. Whether or not this happened, frankly, it does not really matter.

JESSICA DEAN: So she said it does not really matter. She then had a clarification. This was the clarification.

RECORDING OF KRISTEN HOLMES: You just said on Fox that it doesn’t really matter if Russia is giving Iran information about military assets. Why doesn’t it matter if U.S. Military is being put in danger by Russia and is that what the President believes as well?

RECORDING OF KAROLINE LEAVITT: What I meant, Kristen, and thank you for giving me a chance to make it very clear, is that it clearly is not making a difference with respect to the military operations in Iran, because we are completely decimating them.

JESSICA DEAN: So if Russia’s giving intelligence to Iran to strike US military, our men and women, our bases, et cetera, doesn’t doesn’t matter in her words, and the President really dismissed this as well. Do you do you agree with that? What action should the US be taking now knowing this?

LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, it’s very callous in terms of her observations, and we’ve seen that. Even the notion that we shouldn’t be concerned about the deaths of those service members and that these things are to be expected in theaters of war, which some members of the administration have seemed to suggest, it’s all highly problematic in terms of just the brazenness of this Trump administration in both getting us into this war after promising not to entangle the country in endless conflict in the Middle East, and then failing to really articulate any prospective strategy about how we are actually successful, what that should look like in terms of how the American people can see a favorable resolution to this conflict, and then how does it all end? And this is just, you know, part of both the arrogance and the incompetence, that’s a dangerous combination. But this is an arrogant administration and it’s an incompetent one at the same period of time and this is just the latest example of it.

JESSICA DEAN: House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, we really appreciate your time this afternoon. Thank you very much.

LEADER JEFFRIES: Thank you.

Full interview can be watched here.


LEADER JEFFRIES STATEMENT ON DEATH OF MAJOR SORFFLY DAVIUS

Know Your Immigration Rights

If you or a loved one encounter immigration enforcement officials, it is essential that you know your rights and have prepared your household for all possible outcomes.

Ask for a warrant: The Fourth Amendment of the Constitution protects you from unreasonable search and seizure. You do not have to open your door until you see a valid warrant to enter your home or search your belongings.

Your right to remain silent: The Fifth Amendment protects your right to remain silent and not incriminate yourself. You are not required to share any personal information such as your place of birth, immigration status or criminal history.

Always consult an attorney: You have a right to speak with an attorney. You do not have to sign anything or hand officials any documents without speaking to an attorney. Try to identify and consult one in advance.

The New York City Office of Civil Justice and the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs (MOIA) support a variety of free immigration legal services through local nonprofit legal organizations. To access these resources, dial 311 and say “Action NYC,” call the MOIA Immigration Legal Support Hotline at 800-354-0365 Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. or visit MOIA’s website.


Vindman Honors the Service of Spotsylvania County Soldier Killed in Action in Kuwait

Washington, D.C. — Congressman Eugene Vindman (Va.-07) today released the following statement on the death of Chief Warrant Officer 3 Robert M. Marzan of Spotsylvania County. Chief Warrant Officer Marzan, an Army Reserve soldier supporting Operation Epic Fury, was killed in action in Kuwait.

“Last weekend, I was distressed to learn that six brave U.S. service members were killed in Kuwait. I was especially saddened to learn that one of those Americans, Chief Warrant Officer Three Robert M. Marzan of Spotsylvania County, was my constituent.

“Chief Warrant Officer Marzan served our nation with courage and dedication, and his loss is deeply felt not only by his family and fellow service members, but by the entire Spotsylvania community.

“He leaves behind his wife, Tina, his son, Justin, and his daughter, Felicia. While no words can ease the grief of such a loss, we honor his life by remembering the service and sacrifice he made in defense of our country.

“As a 25-year Army veteran who served in the Iraq War, I know the weight of losing even one American in uniform. Each loss is a tragedy that ripples through families, units, and communities across our nation.

“My thoughts and deepest condolences are with Chief Warrant Officer Marzan’s loved ones and his fellow soldiers. We also keep in our hearts the families of the other service members lost in this tragedy, and all the brave Americans currently serving in harm’s way.

“In Congress, am committed to protecting the warfighter going forward.”

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The State of Our Union and the Work Still Ahead

From the growing suburban communities around Chesterfield, Henrico, and Hanover, to the historic communities of James City County, Yorktown, Jamestown, and Williamsburg, to watermen in the Northern Neck and working waterfronts across the Middle Peninsula, I hear every day about the pressures facing households across Virginia’s First District. The cost of living remains the top concern. Families are budgeting carefully, small businesses are watching expenses closely, and farmers and watermen are navigating higher input costs.

The State of the Union is more than a speech. It is an opportunity to reflect honestly on where our country stands, how far we have come, and what work remains.

Just two years ago, Americans were facing 6.4 percent inflation. Paychecks were being stretched thin by rising grocery bills, higher energy costs, and increased interest rates. Today, inflation stands near 2.4 percent. Job creation has strengthened. Border crossings have fallen dramatically. Economic growth has regained momentum.

These improvements did not happen by accident. They are the result of pro-growth, pro-worker policies supported by President Trump and Congressional Republicans, policies focused on restoring American energy production, cutting burdensome regulations, and strengthening our labor market.

But if you ask families across Virginia’s First District whether the job is finished, you will hear a consistent answer: not yet.

Affordability remains the defining issue for many households. That is why Congress must continue doubling down on policies that reduce the cost of living and expand economic opportunity.

Owning a home has long been central to the American Dream, yet high prices and limited supply have placed that dream out of reach for too many young families. We are working to expand housing supply, reduce barriers to homeownership, and protect American property from foreign speculation that artificially inflates prices.

At the same time, we are pushing to eliminate the death tax entirely. Family farms, ranches, and small businesses, many of which have been built over generations here in Virginia, should not be forced to sell assets simply to satisfy Washington. Economic security means giving families confidence that they can pass along their life’s work.

Healthcare affordability is another persistent challenge. Congress has already enacted major reforms to increase oversight of prescription drug middlemen, bringing greater transparency and accountability to a system that too often hides true costs from patients.

We are advancing additional measures that require hospitals and insurers to publish real, comparable prices and provide clear cost estimates. When markets function transparently, competition increases and costs come down. We are also working to stabilize insurance markets and lower premiums for families and employers alike.

Energy affordability underpins everything else. When energy costs rise, so does the price of groceries, transportation, and everyday goods.

By rescinding costly mandates, streamlining permitting, and opening domestic energy production, we are working to reduce the regulatory burdens that drive up costs for consumers. Energy independence not only strengthens our national security, it protects household budgets.

The American people entrusted Republicans with governing majorities to deliver results. That responsibility carries weight. We cannot afford complacency, nor can we squander the opportunity to enact lasting reforms.

The state of our Union is strong, but strength requires stewardship. It requires continuing the work of restoring affordability, accountability, and opportunity for every American.

For the families I represent in Virginia’s First District, that remains my focus.


Senator Collins Attends Fishermen’s Forum Dinner

Click HERE, HERE, HERE, and HERE for individual photos.

ROCKPORT, ME – Last night, U.S. Senator Susan Collins attended the annual Maine Fishermen’s Forum dinner at the Samoset Resort in Rockport and spoke with fishermen and industry stakeholders about Maine’s commercial fishing sector. Hundreds of attendees joined leaders from across Maine’s fishing industry at the event, including Maine Fishermen’s Forum President Hank Soule, Vice President Katie Werner, Maine Sea Grant Director Gayle Zydlewski, Maine Department of Marine Resources Commissioner Carl Wilson, and Maine Lobstermen’s Association (MLA) Executive Director Patrice McCarron. Senator Collins also donated a flag that had been flown over the U.S. Capitol for auction during the event.

“The Maine Fishermen’s Forum dinner is an important opportunity each year to hear directly from the men and women who make their living on the water and to discuss the challenges and opportunities facing our state’s fisheries,” said Senator Collins. “From lobstermen to seafood processors, this industry supports thousands of jobs and is central to the heritage and economy of our coastal communities. I appreciated having the chance to speak with fishermen and industry leaders about the issues affecting their livelihoods and to hear how I can best support Maine’s fishing community.”

As Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Senator Collins secured several key provisions in recently enacted appropriations legislation to support Maine’s fisheries and coastal economies. The legislation provided $80 million for the National Sea Grant Program, which comes after Senator Collins intervened last year to restore funding for the Maine Sea Grant program after the Department of Commerce announced it was being defunded. The legislation also included funding for North Atlantic right whale research and monitoring, and investments in fisheries data collection and cooperative research to help improve the science and data used to inform fisheries management decisions.

The Maine Fishermen’s Forum, now in its 51st year, brings together fishermen, regulators, scientists, and industry leaders from across the state to discuss policy, research, and economic issues affecting Maine’s commercial fishing industry.

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Ernst Honors Our Fallen Servicemembers at Dignified Transfer

DOVER, Del. – U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), a combat veteran who served in the Global War on Terrorism, joined President Donald J. Trump and the Iowa delegation for the dignified transfer to honor six heroes from Des Moines’ 103rd Sustainment Command, including Iowans Sgt. Declan J. Coady, Maj. Jeffrey R. O'Brien, and Chief Warrant Officer Three Robert M. Marzan, whose family lived in Iowa.

Ernst joins the Iowa delegation and Iowans General Randy George and Major General Stephen Osborn to honor the fallen.


Grassley Honors Fallen Soldiers from the 103rd Sustainment Command

WASHINGTON – Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) attended a solemn dignified transfer of remains at Dover Air Force Base today to honor the 103rd Sustainment Command service members killed in Kuwait. Two of the fallen soldiers were Iowans: Maj. Jeffrey R. O’Brien from Indianola and Sgt. Declan Coady from West Des Moines.

President Donald Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, Vice President J.D. Vance, Second Lady Usha Vance and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth also attended, as well as Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds and all members of the Iowa congressional delegation.

“The heroism of these brave service members will be remembered forever. Today’s transfer of remains allowed the families of the deceased, the President of the United States, military leaders and Members of Congress from across the country to solemnly honor the service and sacrifice of Maj. O’Brien and Sgt. Coady alongside their fallen soldiers. The prayers of a grateful nation are with the family and friends of those we’ve lost from the 103rd Sustainment Command,” Grassley said.

Download photo HERE


Klobuchar, Smith Attend Dignified Transfer for Sergeant First Class Nicole M. Amor of White Bear Lake

DOVER – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith attended the dignified transfer of remains at Dover Air Force Base for Sergeant First Class Nicole M. Amor of White Bear Lake, who was among those killed in a drone strike in Kuwait on March 1, 2026. The Senators also met with Amor’s family members, including Amor's husband and daughter.

“Sergeant First Class Amor made the ultimate sacrifice serving our nation. We are forever indebted to her,” said Klobuchar. “It was an honor to pay tribute to Sergeant First Class Amor’s bravery and service – to stand alongside her family in their grief and bear witness to her return to the country she loved and fought for. Sergeant First Class Amor was the best of America and the best of Minnesota. We will always remember her as the patriot and incredible soldier, wife, and mother she was.”

“Sergeant Amor made the ultimate sacrifice in service to our nation. She will be remembered as a patriot who devoted her life to her country,” said Smith. “I was honored to bear witness to the dignified transfer of her remains alongside five other brave service members at Dover Air Force Base. With this solemn tradition, we express our deepest respect for the service and sacrifice of these fallen Americans and their grieving families. Our family and all Minnesotans support Sergeant Amor’s loved ones in their grief. I know Minnesota is wrapping its arms around them during such a heartbreaking time.”

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Merkley Secures Display of January 6 Plaque Inside U.S. Capitol Following Passage of His Bipartisan Resolution

Washington, D.C. – Today, Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley announced the installation of a commemorative plaque to honor the heroism of the Capitol police and other officers who defended the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021:

“We must be honest with the American people about what happened during the horrific events of January 6th. That demands recognizing those brave officers who protected the U.S. Capitol from violent insurrectionists and defended our very democratic republic on that day. With this plaque, we take an important step forward to honor the sacrifices of these heroes, commit to remembering the work that day to secure the peaceful transfer of power, and ensure we never forget the truth about this attack on our democracy.”

(Photo by Olivia George/Washington Post)

In January, Merkley teamed up with North Carolina’s U.S. Senator Thom Tillis to secure unanimous passage of their bipartisan resolution that led to the installation of a plaque honoring the Capitol Police and other law enforcement forces that responded to the U.S. Capitol during the January 6th insurrection.

In March 2022, Congress passed a provision as part of Public Law 117–103, which required the display of a commemorative January 6 plaque. By law, the plaque was to be placed on the western side of the U.S. Capitol by March 2023. Thanks to Merkley and Tillis’ efforts, the Senate unanimously agreed to install the plaque on the Senate wing of the U.S. Capitol, kickstarting the process of installing the plaque in a permanent, public display at the Capitol.

The full text of the simple resolution is available below and by clicking here:

Directing the Architect of the Capitol to prominently display, in a publicly accessible location in the Senate wing of the United States Capitol, a plaque honoring the members of law enforcement responding on January 6, 2021, until the plaque can be placed in its permanent location.

Whereas the United States owes its deepest gratitude to those officers of the United States Capitol Police and the Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia, as well as officers from other Federal, State, and local law enforcement agencies and protective entities, who valiantly protected the United States Capitol, Members of Congress, and staff on January 6, 2021;

Whereas section 214 of division I of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022 (2 U.S.C. 2131 note prec.; 136 Stat. 527) directed that a plaque be placed on the western front of the United States Capitol to honor the extraordinary individuals who bravely protected and defended this symbol of democracy on January 6, 2021; and

Whereas their heroism should never be forgotten: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the Architect of the Capitol shall prominently display the plaque produced pursuant to section 214 of division I of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022 (2 U.S.C. 2131 note prec.; 136 Stat. 527) in a publicly accessible location in the Senate wing of the United States Capitol until such time as the plaque can be placed at a permanent location on the western front of the United States Capitol.

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Reed, Whitehouse & Colleagues Call Out Trump for Loosening Russian Oil Sanctions That Enrich Putin Amidst News Reports That Russia is Helping Iran Target U.S. Forces

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senators Jack Reed (D-RI) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) teamed up with Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Chris Coons (D-DE), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Michael Bennet (D-CT), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), and Andy Kim (D-NJ) in issuing the following joint statement in response to President Trump’s rushed decision to issue licenses that weaken sanctions on the purchase of Russian oil as his war on Iran raises prices for key commodities:

“The President launched a reckless and poorly conceived war against Iran that has put U.S. servicemembers, diplomats, and citizens in danger. This war has resulted in huge spikes in gas prices for Americans, who are now paying more at the pump than at any point in either of President Trump’s two terms—only compounding the affordability crisis our country is facing. In turn, this self-made global energy shock is serving to enrich Putin and line his war coffers by offering him windfall profits. Instead of changing course, the President is only making this situation worse by handing Putin, his shadow fleet, and traders still dealing in sanctioned oil a free pass to increase oil shipments to Russia’s second-largest importer. The new channels for evasion the President is opening, coupled with dramatically higher global energy prices, are giving Putin a huge financial boost and the means to continue his bloody war in Ukraine.”

“The President’s decision is particularly galling in light of public reporting that Russia is assisting Iran in targeting Americans in the Middle East. Sadly, this is the inevitable outcome of President Trump pushing America into a conflict with no apparent strategy and no endgame. Now is not the time to clear the way for sales for Russian oil majors and Russian-owned and shadow fleet vessels.”

“The Trump Administration issued a sweeping general license that eases sanctions against Russian oil companies and the shadow fleet. This move flies in the face of a requirement under the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act, passed overwhelmingly by the Senate, to notify Congress 30 days before taking such an action. The Administration is nevertheless allowing these entities—and even vessels sanctioned for links to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps—to sell and transport the commodity Russia depends on most to finance its aggression.”

The price of the international benchmark for oil has surged over 25 percent since President Trump ordered U.S. forces to join Israel in attacking Iran. When asked this week about higher prices at the pump for Americans due to his Iran war, Trump replied: “I don’t have any concern about it.”


ICYMI: Sullivan Chairs Hearings on Military Readiness and Arctic Security as Alaska Undergoes Largest Buildup Since WWII

WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) Subcommittee on Readiness and the Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Coast Guard, Maritime, and Fisheries, chaired two hearings over the past week focused on strengthening U.S. military readiness and advancing critical investments in Arctic security infrastructure in Alaska.

The first hearing, a field hearing held at the University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA), examined the urgent need to strengthen America’s Arctic infrastructure and maritime capabilities. Expert witnesses—including the former vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff—emphasized Alaska’s central role in homeland defense and highlighted key infrastructure priorities to better support U.S. military and Coast Guard (USCG) operations in the Arctic and North Pacific. These priorities include the expansion of the Port of Nome as the nation’s first deep-water port, reopening the naval base at Adak, homeporting the USCGC Storis in Juneau, and closing America’s icebreaker gap by building 16 new icebreakers, some of which could be homeported in Alaska—all part of the largest military build-up in Alaska since World War II.

Sen. Sullivan also chaired a Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Readiness and Management Support hearing examining the current readiness of the Joint Force. During the hearing, Sullivan and senior military leaders discussed the state of U.S. force readiness, the need to strengthen America’s munitions stockpiles and defense industrial base, and the growing threats posed by America’s adversaries, such as China and Russia.

Click here or the image above to watch the video.

In both hearings, Sen. Sullivan underscored Alaska’s strategic importance to U.S. national security and the need for continued investments in the state’s military capabilities, infrastructure, and Arctic presence. Sen. Sullivan has long pushed to strengthen America’s military posture in the Arctic, warning for years that the region can no longer be treated as a strategic backwater by the Pentagon. This point was emphasized by the recent incursion of two Russian TU-142 “Bear” bombers into the Alaska and Canadian Air Defense Identification Zones (ADIZ) that were intercepted by Alaska-based F-35s, AWACS, tanker aircraft, and later F-22s out of Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson.

Witnesses in last week’s hearings emphasized that such incursions are becoming the “new normal,” underscoring the need to continue the most significant build-up of U.S. military infrastructure and capabilities in Alaska since World War II—billions of dollars in investments aimed at strengthening homeland defense and ensuring the United States can project power and defend its interests in the Arctic and the Indo-Pacific.

Sen. Sullivan highlighted these hearings and Alaska’s continued military build-up during several interviews this week.

Incursions in Alaska the “New Normal”

“Last night, we had another Russian bear bomber incursion into our ADIZ. This doesn't even make the news anymore. They're being so aggressive up in Alaska. We've had two Russian bear bomber incursions with fighters in the last three weeks. Our military, which they always do, they do a great job of going out. We had F-22s, F-35s, AWACS tankers going to intercept these Russians. Once again, they did a great job in my state. We are on the front lines of this new era of authoritarian aggression with Russia and China in the northern part of America, in the Arctic, in the North Pacific. We’re seeing that all the time in Alaska.”

Click here to watch Sen. Dan Sullivan’s interview on The Hugh Hewitt Show.

Alaska Undergoing Largest Military Build-up Since WWII

“We are now undergoing the largest military build-up and expansion, billions of dollars in investment in Alaska, since World War II…My belief is we’re doing a lot, but we need to do more.”

Click here to watch Sen. Dan Sullivan’s interview on KTUU.

Progress Being Made on Golden Dome

“We're also the cornerstone of missile defense for the country. All the ground-based missile interceptors that we have protecting America, with the exception of four in California, they're all in Alaska. All the big radar systems that track incoming ballistic missiles are in Alaska. What the Golden Dome does, it's going to build out that system and it's going to integrate it with a space-based system in terms of tracking and space based interceptors. We had a down payment of $25 billion for that in the budget reconciliation bill. The President's provided great leadership. Senator Cramer and I got legislation in the NDAA this year to kind of put into law the Golden Dome initiative, but we need to accelerate it more. There's a lot more work to do.”

Click here to watch Sen. Dan Sullivan’s interview on The Hugh Hewitt Show.

How DHS Shutdown Undermines Our Security

“The spending bill for Homeland Security is now stalled, but ICE isn't shut down. You know who they're shutting down? The Coast Guard, FEMA, TSA. That is who is bearing the burden here. It's not ICE…They are taking the whole Coast Guard and FEMA hostage and it just makes no sense. It's making us more vulnerable, especially in my part of the world…Our [service] members will still try to go do their missions, but the stress on the families—how are you going to pay your rent? How are you going to pay for food…We're having all these winter storms. FEMA's needed. That's going to shut down. None of this makes sense…It's wrong and it does undermine our security.”

Click here to watch Sen. Dan Sullivan’s interview on The Sean Spicer Show.

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Carbajal Announces 2026 Women of the Year Award Winners on International Women's Day

Today, Congressman Salud Carbajal (D-CA-24) announced the six recipients of the 2026 Central Coast Women of the Year Award, recognizing extraordinary women whose leadership, compassion, and service have made a lasting impact across California’s Central Coast.

The six winners of this year’s award are: Hortensia “Tensie” Hernandez from Santa Maria, Dr. Mary Parker from San Luis Obispo, Sarah Aguilar from Oak View, Myra Paige from Santa Barbara, Sonia Behrman from Santa Barbara, and Linda Krop from Santa Barbara.

“Each year, I am inspired by the extraordinary women who dedicate their time and talents to strengthening our communities across the Central Coast,” said Rep. Carbajal. “The 2026 Women of the Year honorees represent the very best of our region — leaders, caregivers, advocates, and changemakers whose work touches countless lives. Their commitment to serving others reminds us that real change happens when people step up to support their neighbors and build a more compassionate community.”

The Central Coast Women of the Year Award honors exceptional women across California’s 24th Congressional District who have made a meaningful impact on their communities. The award recognizes women from diverse backgrounds and professions who are working every day to improve the quality of life throughout the Central Coast.

Congressman Carbajal will recognize the winners by permanently entering the accomplishments of each honoree into the official Congressional Record, preserving their stories and contributions for generations to come. An award ceremony will be held at a later date, where each honoree will also receive a special congressional pin.

Below are the biographies for this year’s honorees:

Hortensia “Tensie” Hernandez, Santa Maria

Hortensia “Tensie” Hernandez has dedicated her life to serving the poor and marginalized across the Central Coast. Growing up as the youngest daughter of an immigrant single mother of five, she developed a deep commitment to helping others at an early age. Through her leadership at Beatitude House and her decades of community service, Tensie has helped provide food, care, and dignity to thousands of families in need. Her lifelong mission to uplift the most vulnerable members of the community has made a lasting difference in Santa Maria and beyond.

Dr. Mary Parker, San Luis Obispo

Dr. Mary Parker is a beloved educator and community leader whose decades of service have helped shape the future of health care on the Central Coast. During her career at Cuesta College, she trained generations of nurses who went on to serve communities across California. Even in retirement, Dr. Parker continues her work to support those in need as President of People’s Kitchen, where she has helped provide tens of thousands of meals to individuals and families experiencing food insecurity. Her dedication to both education and service has left an enduring legacy in San Luis Obispo County.

Sarah Aguilar, Oak View

Sarah Aguilar serves as Director of Santa Barbara County Animal Services, where her innovative leadership has transformed animal welfare across the region. Under her direction, the department has strengthened partnerships with shelters, volunteers, and community organizations to improve outcomes for animals in need. Through collaboration, compassion, and forward-thinking policies, Sarah has helped build a more humane and responsive animal services system that benefits both animals and the communities that care for them.

Myra Paige, Santa Barbara

Myra Paige is a tireless civic leader who has mobilized hundreds of volunteers to strengthen democracy and expand civic engagement across the Central Coast. Through her organizing and advocacy, she has helped protect immigrant communities, encourage voter participation, and empower residents to become active participants in shaping their communities. Myra’s work has inspired countless individuals to raise their voices and contribute to a more inclusive and engaged civic life.

Sonia Behrman, Santa Barbara

Sonia Behrman’s life is a powerful story of resilience, compassion, and service. As a nurse and foster parent, she has devoted herself to caring for others and supporting vulnerable children and families. By opening her home and heart to those in need, Sonia has provided stability, love, and opportunity to young people during some of the most challenging moments in their lives. Her selfless dedication continues to strengthen families and communities throughout Santa Barbara.

Linda Krop, Santa Barbara

Linda Krop is a longtime environmental champion whose decades of legal advocacy have helped protect the Central Coast’s treasured coastline and natural resources. Through her work as an environmental attorney, she has played a critical role in preserving open space, safeguarding wildlife habitats, and defending the region’s coastal landscapes for future generations. Linda’s tireless commitment to environmental stewardship has made her one of the Central Coast’s most respected voices for conservation.