Klobuchar Statement on Justice Department Settlement with Live Nation

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology, and the Law, released the following statement on the Department of Justice’s settlement announcement with Live Nation:

“Given Live Nation-Ticketmaster’s monopoly dominance in ticketing, venues, and promotion, the only way to make live events truly affordable and competitive for fans, artists, and venues is to break up Live Nation. That became clear to me and many others after our 2023 Senate Judiciary hearing that I chaired on Live Nation-Ticketmaster‘s anticompetitive conduct. The Justice Department’s previous agreements with Live Nation failed because they did not change its incentives to enrich itself over fans, artists, and venues. Today’s settlement appears to be more of the same.

I am glad state attorneys general of both parties are already standing against this deal and pledging to continue the case to protect consumers. It is also troubling that the Justice Department settled this case less than a month after ousting the head of the Antitrust Division amidst warnings Live Nation was circumventing antitrust enforcers to cut a deal. These backroom dealings hurt consumers. That’s why I plan to introduce legislation to strengthen review of antitrust settlements to ensure settlements benefit consumers.”

Klobuchar has long led efforts to protect consumers and promote competition in the ticketing industry.

In January 2023, Klobuchar and Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) organized a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing after reports of significant service failures and delays on Ticketmaster’s website in November left fans unable to purchase concert tickets for Taylor Swift’s new tour.

Following the hearing, in February 2023, Klobuchar sent evidence from the hearing to the Department of Justice (DOJ) and called on the DOJ to continue examining Live Nation and Ticketmaster’s anticompetitive conduct.

In April 2023, Klobuchar and Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) introduced the Unlock Ticketing Markets Act to improve competition in live event ticketing markets by empowering the Federal Trade Commission to prevent the use of excessively long multi-year exclusive contracts that lock out competitors, decrease incentives to innovate new services, and increase costs for fans.

In December 2023, Klobuchar and Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) introduced bipartisan Fan First Act to address flaws in the live event ticketing system by increasing transparency in ticket sales, protecting consumers from fake or dramatically over priced tickets and holding bad actors who engage in illegal ticket sale practices accountable.

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McConnell on the Death of Army Sergeant Benjamin N. Pennington

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY), released the following statement today on the death of Glendale, Kentucky native and Army Sergeant Benjamin N. Pennington who died of injuries sustained in a recent Iranian attack on U.S. troops in Saudi Arabia:

“Today, Kentucky mourns the loss of one of our own: Sergeant Benjamin N. Pennington, U.S. Army., a native of Glendale. Sgt. Pennington was killed by Iran in an attack on U.S. troops in Saudi Arabia. Sgt. Pennington’s death is an awful reminder of the costs of Tehran’s decades-long war against American servicemembers. A grateful nation honors his life and his service to our country as he paid the ultimate sacrifice in defending American freedom. Elaine and I are thinking of his family during this difficult time, and we pray for our troops still in harm’s way in the Middle East.”

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Huffman, King, Merkley Lead Amicus Brief Opposing Trump’s Illegal Monument Scheme

Washington, D.C. – Ranking Member Jared Huffman (D-Calif.), Rep. Yassamin Ansari (D-Ariz.), and Rep. Maxine Dexter (D-Ore.), along with Senators Angus King (I-Maine), Ranking Member Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), filed an amicus brief in federal court opposing President Trump’s plan to erect a 250-foot “Independence Arch” on federal parkland in Washington, D.C., arguing the project blatantly violates laws requiring congressional authorization for new monuments.

The case concerns whether President Trump can bypass federal law requiring congressional approval for monuments on federal land in Washington, D.C. The Commemorative Works Act and 40 U.S.C. § 8106 both require express authorization from Congress before any monument or structure is built on federal reservations, parks, or public grounds in the nation’s capital. The Independence Arch, slated for Memorial Circle in Lady Bird Johnson Park, has received no such authorization.

“Americans are having to choose between gas and groceries, and the President’s priority is spending millions of dollars on another vanity project — the ‘Arc de Trump,’” said Ranking Member Huffman. “For over two hundred years, Congress has held authority over what monuments rise in our nation’s capital. The Lincoln Memorial, the World War II Memorial, the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial; every one followed the law and went through Congress. And now, without any legal authority whatsoever, he wants to build himself the largest arch in the world — bigger than the Arc de Triomphe, taller than the Statue of Liberty — on land owned by the American people. Who does he think he is? He’s not a pharaoh. He’s a public servant, and he ought to answer to the law like everyone else. We didn’t let monarchs build monuments to themselves in 1776, and we’re not letting some wannabe king start now.”

“Our national parks and public lands are not a canvas for a president’s offensive vanity projects. Attempting to bypass Congress to erect a massive Arch de Trump on federal land is not just absurd, it is a slap in the face to millions of working families who are struggling to get by,” said Rep. Dexter, Ranking Member of the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations. “Americans deserve a president who focuses on them — not himself.”

“This is a straightforward example of checks and balances, and an exercise of Congressional authority – the Commemorative Works Act could not be clearer: any structure on grounds like this must be approved by Congress on behalf of the American people,” said Senator King. “Whether it is an arch, an obelisk, a ballroom, or a statue, this is a decision that cannot be made unilaterally when it is on public lands and protected by statute.”

“The Trump Administration has once again put its own interests before following the law and working with Congress and the American people, including the veterans bringing suit in this case,” said Senator Merkley. “I will continue to push for oversight of the President’s overreach on this project and to explore all options to protect our federal lands, in both D.C. and across the nation.”

Read the lawmakers’ amicus brief here.

Background

The Independence Arch would be located in Memorial Circle within Lady Bird Johnson Park, which falls under Area I of the Commemorative Works Act, requiring additional congressional approval for any new commemorative works due to concerns about overcrowding the monumental core of the capital.

Since the CWA’s enactment in 1986, Congress has authorized more than 40 commemorative works through the statutory process. The law establishes consultation requirements with expert commissions and multiple layers of review to ensure new monuments reflect lasting national significance and preserve the integrity of the historic L’Enfant and McMillan plans for the city.

This latest effort by President Trump joins his other attempts to remake the nation’s capital in his image. In October 2025, Trump demolished the historic East Wing of the White House to make way for a 90,000-square-foot gilded ballroom, proceeding without approval from the National Capital Planning Commission. That project, now estimated to cost $400 million, prompted a lawsuit from the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Natural Resources Democrats have previously called for complete transparency regarding his efforts, to no response from the relevant agencies.

Trump has also paved over the Rose Garden to install a Mar-a-Lago-style stone patio, gilded the Oval Office with gold medallions and Rococo mirrors, and slapped his name on the Kennedy Center without congressional authorization — the first time a national institution has been named after a sitting president.

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ICYMI: Moreno Delivers Floor Speech on President Trump’s Plan to Put American Homebuyers First

WASHINGTON – Today, Senator Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio) delivered a floor speech on President Trump’s plan to stop Wall Street firms from purchasing single-family homes to make the American Dream of homeownership affordable for all Americans.

“I say to my Republican colleagues and to my Democrat colleagues: this moment is a test,” said Senator Moreno. “President Trump proved that by breaking with decades of stale, establishment-driven orthodoxy, he could build an unbeatable coalition. A coalition made up of voters who have for decades abandoned the GOP and who the Democrats have now completely left behind—from black men to younger voters to Hispanics. So, the question now is this: will congressional Republicans hear the American people and do what it takes to sustain that coalition? Will we deliver on the promises we made with President Trump on the campaign trail or will we continue to let the D.C. establishment swamp set our agenda?”


Murphy, Senate Democrats Press Pharmaceutical Companies For Evidence Of Cost Savings For Americans Following Secret Deals With Trump

WASHINGTON–U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), a member of the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, joined six Senate Democrats in an effort to continue seeking details from major pharmaceutical companies about their so-called deals with the Trump administration, in particular, any evidence that these deals will benefit American patients or lower drug prices.

“We write today to seek more information from [company] about which drugs are subject to the Medicaid components of your agreement with the Trump administration and whether the prices you will make available on these drugs are actually lower than the net pricing states currently receive on the same products in Medicaid,” the senators wrote. “It is difficult to discern what American patients and taxpayers stand to gain from your agreement with the Trump Administration.”

The letters, sent to AbbVie, Amgen, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol Myers Squibb, Genentech, Gilead, GlaxoSmithKline, Johnson & Johnson, Merck, Novartis, and Sanofi, ask for specific pricing information on which drugs will be affected by the announcements, what the “most favored nation” price is for those drugs, and what state Medicaid programs will pay in the wake of these announcements.

The letter was co-signed by U.S. Senators Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.).


Dems Urge FHFA Director Pulte to Finally Take Action to Stop Institutional Investors from Pushing Households Out of Single-Family Homes

WASHINGTON, DC – After years of Democrats pushing to make homeownership more affordable and accessible for working individuals and first-time buyers, President Trump seemingly got on board this year.

On January 7, President Trump announced a major policy shift that he was “immediately taking steps to ban large institutional investors from buying more single-family homes.”

On January 20, 2026, President Trump signed an executive order stating: “To preserve the supply of single-family homes for American families and increase the paths to homeownership, it is the policy of my Administration that large institutional investors should not buy single-family homes that could otherwise be purchased by families.”

Now, U.S. Senators Jack Reed (D-RI), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Adam Schiff (D-CA) Ron Wyden (OR), and Tina Smith (D-MN) are calling on the Trump Administration to actually follow through and reform Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac’s note sale processes to prevent large institutional investors from exploiting struggling homeowners to cheaply acquire single-family homes. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac use note sales to sell mortgages off their balance sheet. While note sales supposedly manage risk, these mortgages are primarily bought by institutional investors and most underlying homeowners eventually lose their home – transferring homeownership from families to large investors.

The six U.S. Senators sent a letter to Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) Director Bill Pulte noting:

“Both Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac’s note sale processes clearly conflict with the President’s order. Under FHFA’s oversight, the GSEs transfer ownership of hundreds to thousands of delinquent and previously delinquent mortgages to bulk purchasers each year through note sales. While FHFA does not release data for every pool of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac note sales, the data FHFA has made public shows that mortgages sold in note sales are predominately purchased by private equity firms and other institutional investors and that most homeowners eventually lose their home, with many homes turned over to those new mortgage holders. Indeed, FHFA’s public data shows that approximately 35% of properties foreclosed upon or voluntarily turned over to a lender after a Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac note sale ultimately are held by the mortgage purchaser for rental, sold to an investor, or sit on a lender’s books,” the Senators wrote.

The Senators are urging Director Pulte to make appropriate policy changes and take enforcement actions to comply with President Trump’s executive order and ensure that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are not contributing to a shift in single-family homeownership from households to large investors.

“Instead of enabling large investors to acquire single-family homes at the expense of struggling families, FHFA should use its broad authority as the GSE’s conservator and regulator to follow President Trump’s directive, require the GSEs to overhaul their note sale processes, and ensure single-family homes are owned by families, not corporations,” wrote the Senators, urging the FHFA Director order Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to take five specific steps, including:

Stop institutional investors from purchasing note sale pools;

Mandate “first-look” note sale opportunities that give states, municipalities, and nonprofits the first chance to purchase note sale pools;

Reduce avoidable foreclosures by excluding mortgages from note sales until all FHFA-required loss mitigation options have been exhausted;

Require note sale purchasers provide quarterly data regarding treatment and outcomes for these loans;

Conduct regular Community Impact Pools and Extended Timeline Pools, which target note sale pools to nonprofits and small investors.

Full text of the letter follows:

Dear Director Pulte:

We write to urge you to reform Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac’s note sale processes to ensure that they comply with President Trump’s January 20, 2026, Executive Order, “Stopping Wall Street from Competing with Main Street Homebuyers,” and do not move single-family homeownership from struggling Americans to wealthy institutional investors.

President Trump’s executive order directed Federal agencies to ensure their programs help owner-occupants, not large investors, own single-family homes. Within this order, the President instructed FHFA to prevent Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac (the Government-Sponsored Enterprises – GSEs) from enabling institutional investors to acquire single-family homes over owner-occupants and from “disposing of Federal assets in a manner that transfers a single-family home to a large institutional investor.”

Both Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac’s note sale processes clearly conflict with the President’s order. Under FHFA’s oversight, the GSEs transfer ownership of hundreds to thousands of delinquent and previously delinquent mortgages to bulk purchasers each year through note sales. While FHFA does not release data for every pool of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac note sales, the data FHFA has made public shows that mortgages sold in note sales are predominately purchased by private equity firms and other institutional investors and that most homeowners eventually lose their home, with many homes turned over to those new mortgage holders. Indeed, FHFA’s public data shows that approximately 35% of properties foreclosed upon or voluntarily turned over to a lender after a Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac note sale ultimately are held by the mortgage purchaser for rental, sold to an investor, or sit on a lender’s books.

In other words, GSE note sales – which dispose of Federal assets – result in single-family mortgages and ultimately single-family homes becoming owned by large institutional investors. In fact, these note sales have transferred ownership of thousands of single-family homes to institutional investors. Instead of enabling large investors to acquire single-family homes at the expense of struggling families, FHFA should use its broad authority as the GSE’s conservator and regulator to follow President Trump’s directive, require the GSEs to overhaul their note sale processes, and ensure single-family homes are owned by families, not corporations.

Specifically, to prevent institutional investors from taking homes from American households and to help more struggling families remain in their homes, we request you order Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to:

Prohibit institutional investors from purchasing note sale pools;

Mandate “first-look” note sale opportunities that give states, municipalities, and nonprofits the first chance to purchase note sale pools;

Help households stay in their homes by excluding mortgages from note sales until all FHFA-required loss mitigation options have been exhausted and by requiring note sale purchasers to offer borrowers loss mitigation and payment relief options comparable to what GSE-backed servicers must provide to homeowners;

Require note sale purchasers provide quarterly data regarding treatment and outcomes for these loans, including loss mitigation data, post-foreclosure outcomes, charge-offs and resales of loans, and remaining loan term, foreclosure status, loan to value ratio, and other loan characteristics; and

Conduct regular Community Impact Pools and Extended Timeline Pools, which target note sale pools to nonprofits and small investors.

Thank you for your attention to this important matter. We look forward to your prompt reply.

Sincerely,


Reed & Hickenlooper Urge CFTC to Increase Transparency, Prohibit Wagers on War & Investigate Insider Trading through Online Prediction Markets

WASHINGTON, DC – When will the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) finally crack down on shady activity in online prediction markets? There is probably already an “event contract” on that question. And a Trump Administration “insider” could potentially make lots of money if they know the answer and place an anonymous online wager.

Noting that prediction markets should not be a vehicle for profiting off advance knowledge of military action, and that allowing them to be poses serious national security risks, U.S. Senators Jack Reed (D-RI) and John Hickenlooper (D-CO) are calling on the CFTC to prohibit event contracts tied to U.S. military operations and to investigate whether any insider trading occurred in connection with recent military strikes against Iran. The Senators want users of these platforms who trade on inside information to know they can’t get away with anything and to save their receipts for when investigators eventually come knocking.

In a letter to the head of the CFTC, Reed and Hickenlooper wrote: “To address dangerous national security, market integrity, and immoral outcomes, the CFTC must enforce the law and immediately halt trading in event contracts tied to U.S. military operations. Given the high potential for insider trading and evidence that insider trading did in fact occur in the “Iran strike” contract on Polymarket, we urge the CFTC to investigate this matter on platforms that the agency regulates and ultimately bring big cases to punish significant wrongdoers.”

Online prediction markets like Kalshi and Polymarket are platforms that function much like online casinos, allowing users to “invest” (wager) directly in derivatives referencing real events such as sports, elections, corporate earnings, economic data, award shows, and more in a user-friendly setting cloaked in the language of financial trading, with accompanying graphs to illustrate how individual markets are moving. Users are able to “buy” or “sell” contracts (wager) on an outcome. Both platforms have hired Donald Trump Jr. as a formal advisor and his venture capital firm has made multi-million dollar investments in Polymarket.

The CFTC regulates prediction markets in the U.S., and under current law, regulated prediction markets in the U.S. cannot allow users to place bets on wars or assassinations. While Polymarket is headquartered in the United States and has received CFTC approval to operate a derivatives market, its platform is purportedly not open to U.S. users. By contrast, Kalshi is a CFTC-regulated prediction market available to U.S. retail investors, but has exploited loopholes to allow users to place bets even in states where gambling is illegal and to allow users to profit from event contracts involving or related to assassination and war.

In their letter, Reed and Hickenlooper argue: “These contracts are so dangerous to the national security of the United States and so offensive to U.S. values that they far outweigh any legitimate risk-management purpose. Traders with inside information that specific geopolitical events will occur or who can directly influence such events can easily buy event contracts. Given the high potential for insider trading, a surge in buying activity and a rapid price increase can signal that the reference event will occur. Such a pattern could tip off our adversaries that U.S. intervention is imminent. By contrast, speculation in traditional financial instruments that may be linked to geopolitical instability, such as oil, gold, and currencies, do not send direct and specific signals that an attack in one specific country is imminent. And the ability to trade event contracts tied to violent geopolitical events could create financial incentives for someone to actually commit violence for profit.”

The U.S. Senators also note the potential for market manipulation and insider trading by government officials and their inner circles could be ripe for corruption.

Just hours before the January 3, 2026 U.S. raid in Caracas that resulted in the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, a newly created and totally anonymous Polymarket account wagered over $30,000 that Maduro would be out of office by the end of the month – netting a $400,000 profit. And ahead of the July 2025 military conflict between Israel and Iran, an anonymous Polymarket user correctly predicted the timeline for that 12-day war and won more than $150,000 before going dormant for six months. That account became active again just before last weekend’s U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran.

In their letter, the Senators note that: “Activity in prediction markets regarding the war with Iran that began on February 28 demonstrates how event contracts tied to U.S. military operations are morally repugnant and provide no social benefit. On offshore platform Polymarket, which is not regulated by the CFTC, at least six wallets made more than $1 million in profits in just hours by betting that the U.S. or Israel would strike Iran by that date. According to reporting by Bloomberg, this activity is the “hallmark” of insider trading. An investigation is already underway by Israeli authorities. On CFTC-regulated platform Kalshi, traders bet whether Ayatollah Khameini would be “out as Supreme Leader” by that date. Kalshi was still promoting the Khameini market as its “featured market” throughout the day of military strikes, encouraging speculation on war or death. After Khameini died, the platform “clarified” that payouts under the contract would be limited and announced that some trading fees would be refunded. Despite these efforts, many traders still apparently profited from price appreciation after the strikes had started but before Khameini’s death was confirmed. The contract resolved when Khameini died, providing strong evidence that this is a death market and that traders profited directly from speculation on war.”

Unlike a casino that offers odds, prediction markets offer a type of derivative known as an event contract. An event contract has a nominal value — often $1 — and traders can buy “yes” or “no” positions on it for some fraction of that value and the ‘odds’ adjust accordingly. When the outcome of the event happens, the contract pays out to whoever was right. The “House” (or platform) always wins by charging trading fees that are linked to the odds of the contract, regardless of which side is correct, in addition to fees to withdraw winnings from the platform to your bank account. In addition, big institutions are “market makers” on these platforms – meaning they stand ready to buy and sell contracts regardless of the price – and some of them own a part of the “House” (or platform). In many cases, users are not betting against each other – but rather against an institutional investor that owns a piece of the House.

Full text of the letter follows:

Dear Chairman Selig:

We write to urge the Commodity Futures Trading Commission to prohibit event contracts tied to U.S. military operations and investigate whether any insider trading has occurred in connection with recent military strikes against Iran.

Event contracts are derivatives that provide anyone with the chance to wager on whether something will occur. Under the Dodd-Frank Act and the CFTC’s rules, event contracts that “involve, relate to, or reference assassination or war” are prohibited. This category includes event contracts that predict whether a U.S. adversary will no longer be in office, such as Ayatollah Khameini in Iran, Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela, or Miguel Diaz-Canel in Cuba. Because these leaders are so entrenched and protected by vast military forces, their continued leadership is perceived to be completely insulated from removal except by armed intervention. As a result, event contracts referencing their ouster “involve or relate to” war.

These contracts are so dangerous to the national security of the United States and so offensive to U.S. values that they far outweigh any legitimate risk-management purpose. Traders with inside information that specific geopolitical events will occur or who can directly influence such events can easily buy event contracts. Given the high potential for insider trading, a surge in buying activity and a rapid price increase can signal that the reference event will occur. Such a pattern could tip off our adversaries that U.S. intervention is imminent. By contrast, speculation in traditional financial instruments that may be linked to geopolitical instability, such as oil, gold, and currencies, do not send direct and specific signals that an attack in one specific country is imminent. And the ability to trade event contracts tied to violent geopolitical events could create financial incentives for someone to actually commit violence for profit.

Activity in prediction markets regarding the war with Iran that began on February 28 demonstrates how event contracts tied to U.S. military operations are morally repugnant and provide no social benefit. On offshore platform Polymarket, which is not regulated by the CFTC, at least six wallets made more than $1 million in profits in just hours by betting that the U.S. or Israel would strike Iran by that date. According to reporting by Bloomberg, this activity is the “hallmark” of insider trading. An investigation is already underway by Israeli authorities. On CFTC-regulated platform Kalshi, traders bet whether Ayatollah Khameini would be “out as Supreme Leader” by that date. Kalshi was still promoting the Khameini market as its “featured market” throughout the day of military strikes, encouraging speculation on war or death. After Khameini died, the platform “clarified” that payouts under the contract would be limited and announced that some trading fees would be refunded. Despite these efforts, many traders still apparently profited from price appreciation after the strikes had started but before Khameini’s death was confirmed. The contract resolved when Khameini died, providing strong evidence that this is a death market and that traders profited directly from speculation on war.

Insiders face little risk of penalty under the CFTC’s current enforcement program. The insider trading laws for commodities markets are underdeveloped compared to analogous laws in securities markets. To date, the CFTC has not brought a single enforcement case involving prediction markets. All the CFTC has done is issue a press release highlighting two minor infractions that were addressed internally under Kalshi’s own terms and conditions, one involving $246.36 in illicit profits and another involving $5,397.58. That signals a lax oversight regime and will not deter insider trading.

To address dangerous national security, market integrity, and immoral outcomes, the CFTC must enforce the law and immediately halt trading in event contracts tied to U.S. military operations. Given the high potential for insider trading and evidence that insider trading did in fact occur in the “Iran strike” contract on Polymarket, we urge the CFTC to investigate this matter on platforms that the agency regulates and ultimately bring big cases to punish significant wrongdoers.

We would appreciate your immediate action on this important matter and look forward to your prompt reply.

Sincerely,


Reed Calls on Trump to Shield Americans from Higher Energy Prices Caused by Iran War

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) is calling on the Trump Administration to take immediate and comprehensive action to effectively mitigate rising energy prices due to the spike in oil and gas prices caused by President Trump’s order to initiate military conflict with Iran. This includes considering a release from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) and limiting U.S. oil and gas exports abroad. Since the start of the conflict, gasoline prices have spiked, as the price of oil jumped the $100 per barrel threshold.

Reed, the Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, sent a letter to President Trump urging him to “to take concrete steps to shield Americans from rising energy prices caused by your decision to begin a war with Iran. The instability in the global oil and gas markets and the higher prices at the pump we are seeing were easily predictable, and yet it is clear your Administration was unprepared. The slapdash plan to provide insurance and military escorts to foreign oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz is not sufficient and could further increase the costs of the war for hardworking American taxpayers. I urge you to immediately develop a comprehensive strategy to insulate American families from rising energy costs, which will only continue to increase amid this conflict.”

Predictably, oil and gas prices have spiked following U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran and Iran’s attacks on its neighbors that forced shutdowns of oil and gas shipments across the region. U.S. consumers are being forced to pay more at the pump due to President Trump failed energy policies and lack of planning on implementing an energy affordability strategy to go along with his military orders.

Senator Reed is urging the president to “use the power of the bully pulpit to discourage oil companies from engaging in profiteering and from using revenue generated during this crisis to increase dividends, buy back stock, or provide bonuses to top executives. You should also consider releasing oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, as well as limiting oil and gas exports unless it is determined they will advance our national security interests.”

The last time the U.S. tapped the Strategic Petroleum Reserve was in 2022, when the Biden Administration took action to address supply disruptions after Russia invaded Ukraine. That was also the last time oil prices spiked above the $100 per barrel mark. The Biden Administration sold 180 million barrels of crude oil at an average price of roughly $95 per barrel to combat high gas prices. It later repurchased oil at a much lower cost to replenish the reserve at around $74 to $76 per barrel, resulting in a ‘profit’ of over $2 billion, which was returned to the federal government’s budget.

While American consumers are bearing the brunt of higher gas prices due to Trump’s war, Big Oil and Fracking companies, which boosted Trump’s election, are now poised to rake in massive profits from exporting U.S. liquified natural gas to countries overseas rather than selling it in the United States and keeping prices lower for American consumers.

Reed wrote: “According to data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA), the U.S. exports nearly a third of its crude oil production and is on track to continue to increase exports in 2026. Your Administration ramped up liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports by 26% in 2025, leading to a 56% increase in wholesale natural gas prices that EIA confirmed is “primarily due to increased liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports amid flat production growth.” This translates into real costs for households: National Energy Assistance Directors Association found that on average, U.S. households will spend $100 more on heating costs this winter compared to last winter largely due to rising natural gas costs. Unconstrained exports are hurting American families, and the U.S. should be extremely judicious in allowing the export of domestically produced oil and gas especially amid this conflict.”

In 2024, during the last presidential campaign, Donald Trump pledged: “Under my administration, we will be slashing energy and electricity prices by half within 12 months, at a maximum 18 months.” Instead, in 2025, American consumers collectively spent $12 billion more for gas than they did the year before, according to a report by the non-profit watchdog Public Citizen.

Under Trump, Americans are paying higher prices to heat their homes, cook their food, run their businesses, and fill up their gas tanks. Even before President Trump launched his war of choice with Iran, his policies were already favoring Big Oil, Coal, and Gas at the expense of U.S. consumers.

Full text of the letter follows:

Dear President Trump:

I write to urge you to take concrete steps to shield Americans from rising energy prices caused by your decision to begin a war with Iran. The instability in the global oil and gas markets and the higher prices at the pump we are seeing were easily predictable, and yet it is clear your Administration was unprepared. The slapdash plan to provide insurance and military escorts to foreign oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz is not sufficient and could further increase the costs of the war for hardworking American taxpayers. I urge you to immediately develop a comprehensive strategy to insulate American families from rising energy costs, which will only continue to increase amid this conflict.

As part of this strategy, you should use the power of the bully pulpit to discourage oil companies from engaging in profiteering and from using revenue generated during this crisis to increase dividends, buy back stock, or provide bonuses to top executives. You should also consider releasing oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, as well as limiting oil and gas exports unless it is determined they will advance our national security interests. We have already seen indications that a protracted conflict will significantly disrupt the flow of oil and gas supplies from the Middle East. A squeeze on global markets of this magnitude will lead to higher energy costs for American families who are already struggling with affordability in this economy.

According to data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA), the U.S. exports nearly a third of its crude oil production and is on track to continue to increase exports in 2026. Your Administration ramped up liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports by 26% in 2025, leading to a 56% increase in wholesale natural gas prices that EIA confirmed is “primarily due to increased liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports amid flat production growth.” This translates into real costs for households: National Energy Assistance Directors Association found that on average, U.S. households will spend $100 more on heating costs this winter compared to last winter largely due to rising natural gas costs. Unconstrained exports are hurting American families, and the U.S. should be extremely judicious in allowing the export of domestically produced oil and gas especially amid this conflict.

Reducing U.S. exposure to a volatile global petroleum market will also provide the stability we need to keep energy costs low for American households. This is why we should be promoting domestic renewable energy. To that end, you should immediately end the Administration’s efforts to stop wind and solar projects, which could be saving ratepayers money and improving grid reliability.

In the current moment, your Administration must take significant steps to help insulate American households from price spikes exacerbated by events far from home. This includes using the tools at hand, such as the Strategic Petroleum Reserve and limiting petroleum exports, to reduce financial impacts for Americans.

Thank you for your attention to this important issue.

Sincerely,


Reed: Trump Admin is Shortchanging Consumers with Half-Hearted Live Nation Antitrust Settlement

WASHINGTON, DC -- U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) is criticizing the U.S. Department of Justice’s (DOJ) preliminary settlement with Live Nation, the parent company of Ticketmaster, saying it doesn’t go far enough to address competition in the ticketing industry and will leave consumers facing artificially inflated ticket prices. Reed is cheering Rhode Island’s decision, along with several other states, to continue pressing their antitrust case in court.

In 2024, the Biden Administration initiated an antitrust law suit against Live Nation, since joined by 40 state attorneys general, including Rhode Island. The suit accuses Live Nation and its Ticketmaster unit of operating as a monopoly-like power that “suffocates its competition” in the live entertainment industry. The DOJ sought to break up the company, alleging it illegally dominated the market for ticketing and concert promotion by using “exclusionary conduct” and abusive practices – such as threatening venues with losing access to Live Nation-controlled tours and artists if they attempt to sign with a rival ticketing platform -- to wield outsized influence nationwide.

Reed expressed serious concerns about the so-called deal, which he contends allows Live Nation and Ticketmaster to keep their monopoly-level control over ticketing, venues, and concert promotion at the expense of fans, artists, teams, and the venues themselves.

“Every fan who has been forced to purchase tickets online has seen the exorbitant, excessive, and inescapable fees that are tacked on to their Ticketmaster purchase. Now the Trump Administration is shortchanging fans everywhere with this half-hearted, unacceptable preliminary settlement that would just allow Live Nation to continue over-charging fans in the future. This so-called deal would stifle competition and inflate costs and should be rejected by the state attorneys generals,” said Reed, noting this isn’t the first time Live Nation has reached an agreement but failed to change its behavior.

State attorneys general of both parties have already expressed reservations about the DOJ’s actions and vowed to continue the case. Already, more than two dozen states have refusing to sign the DOJ’s settlement.

In addition to Rhode Island, other states that joined the original U.S. Department of Justice-led lawsuit include: Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming, and the District of Columbia.

Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha announced that Rhode Island is part of a coalition that will continue to press the case against Live Nation for illegally monopolizing live entertainment industry. So far, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Kansas, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, Wyoming, and the District of Columbia have joined Rhode Island in vowing to continue pressing forward with litigation despite the Trump Administration’s preliminary settlement.

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Risch, Hyde-Smith Introduce GRIP Act to Block State Gun Registries

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jim Risch (R-Idaho) and Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) introduced the Gun-Owner Registration Information Protection (GRIP) Act to prohibit states from using federal funding or background check data to maintain gun registries.

“Idaho’s law-abiding gun owners should not be subject to illegal firearms registries,” said Risch. “The GRIP Act closes the loophole exploited by state and local governments to ensure federal dollars are not used to keep illegal gun registries that undermine Idahoans’ Second Amendment rights.”

“The Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens remain imperiled as Democrats and anti-gun activists lean into government overreach. The GRIP Actis needed to clarify that states and localities cannot use federal funds or data to keep gun registries that can lead to infringing on a constitutional right,” said Hyde-Smith.

The legislation is co-sponsored by Senators Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-La.), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), Jim Justice (R-W.Va.), Ted Budd (R-N.C.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), and Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.).

Current law already prohibits the federal government from maintaining a national firearms registry using information obtained through firearms background checks. The GRIP Act would strengthen these protections by ensuring state and local governments cannot use federal funds to collect or store personally identifiable information related to legal firearm purchases and ownership.

The GRIP Act is supported by the National Rifle Association and the National Shooting Sports Foundation.


***MEDIA ADVISORY*** Sen. Johnson to Hold Press Conference: “Duchenne Families Fight to Maintain Access to Existing Treatment”

WASHINGTON – On Tuesday, U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) will host a press conference in the Senate Swamp alongside patients and families who are losing access to ataluren, a treatment used for years by individuals with Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

WHAT: “Duchenne Families Fight to Maintain Access to Existing Treatment”

WHO: Senator Ron Johnson, Duchenne muscular dystrophy patients and families

WHEN: Tuesday March 10, 2026 at 2:00 PM ET

WHERE: Senate Swamp

WATCH: Tune in live on X @SenRonJohnson and Rumble.

NOTE: Credentialed media may RSVP to press@ronjohnson.senate.gov to attend.

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SCHUMER REVEALS: AS TRUMP ATTACKS & EVISCERATES FEDERAL WORKFORCE, NEW YORKERS PAY THE PRICE WITH OVER 8,000 FEDERAL JOBS LOST IN THE PAST YEAR ALONE ACROSS NY – WITH DAMAGING CUTS TO LOCAL SOCIAL...

Latest Jobs Data Shows Major Cuts To Federal Jobs In Every NY Metro Area After Trump & DOGE Brutally Slashed Vital Federal Programs New Yorkers Rely On Every Day

In Upstate Regions Like Buffalo, Albany And Syracuse, Communities Have Seen Devastating Losses Of 500+ Jobs – The Equivalent Of Mass Layoffs At A Major Factory – Hurting The Economy, Seniors, Vets And Families That Rely On Fed Services

Schumer: Trump And ‘DOGE’ Mindlessly And Chaotically Slashed Jobs And It’s New Yorkers Who Are Hurting

After a year of the Trump administration chaotically attacking the federal workforce, U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer today slammed the Trump administration as the latest data shows New Yorkers paying the price, with an estimated over 8,000 federal jobs lost across New York, negatively impacting the economy and New York families, veterans, and seniors.

“New Yorkers are paying the price for Trump & DOGE’s reckless and chaotic job cuts. In every corner of New York, dedicated public servants who spent their whole careers giving back to their communities have had their livelihoods ripped away. These aren’t just numbers, they are the federal workers who help our veterans get the care they need, who make sure seniors get their Social Security, and help farmers when they are struggling,” said Senator Schumer. “Already, we are seeing massive wait times, delays, and chaos that are making it harder for New Yorkers to get the help they need. I am all for cutting out inefficiency, but you use a scalpel, not a chainsaw like DOGE. They made devastating cuts with no plan, and already we are seeing the Trump admin scramble to rehire workers, wasting funding after upending people’s lives, hurting vital services, and damaging the economy. Weakening the public workforce doesn’t make it more efficient, it makes it harder for the people who rely on it most to get the help they need. Senate Democrats will keep fighting for our valuable federal workers, the vital work they do, and to lower costs for working families.”

According to the New York State Department of Labor, there are an estimated 8,300 fewer federal workers in New York in December 2025 compared to December 2024 – a more than 7% drop. In major upstate New York metropolitan areas like Buffalo, Albany, and Syracuse, communities have seen hundreds of jobs lost, the equivalent of a mass layoff at a local factory or other employer.

A breakdown of estimated jobs lost across New York metropolitan areas according to the most recent NYS DOL data can be found below:

NY Metro Area

Estimated Federal Jobs, December 2024

Estimated Federal Jobs, December 2025

Estimated Federal Jobs Loss

% Loss

Albany-Schenectady-Troy

7,000

6,500

500

7.1%

Buffalo-Cheektowaga

10,200

9,700

500

4.9%

Syracuse

7,500

7,000

500

6.7%

Rochester

4,300

4,100

200

4.7%

Ithaca

300

200

100

33.3%

Poughkeepsie Newburgh

5,700

5,300

400

7.0%

Utica-Rome

2,600

2,400

200

7.7%

Nassau-Suffolk

17,000

15,400

1,600

9.4%

New York City

46,700

43,600

3,100

6.6%

Schumer has repeatedly warned that these job cuts, particularly at critical agencies like the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Social Security Administration, put essential services at risk and harm the New Yorkers who rely on them most. For example, at the Department of Veterans Affairs, more than 90% of facilities reported severe staffing shortages last year, after Trump fired thousands of V.A. workers. In addition, millions of Social Security beneficiaries struggled with record backlogs after thousands of workers were cut or resigned at the beginning of the year amid Trump’s chaos.

Schumer said these cuts aren’t abstract or theoretical; they result in hardship for New Yorkers and families who depend on these programs every day. Senator Schumer has been a leading voice in opposition to Trump and ‘DOGE’s cuts to the federal workforce and critical services. Schumer said broader ‘DOGE’ firings are especially cruel as veterans make up 30% of the federal workforce, with approximately 640,000 veterans working in federal agencies. The federal government has long made it a priority to hire veterans and military spouses, encouraging them to do so as a continuation of public service, making these cuts by the Trump Administration uniquely hurtful.

Schumer has visited communities across New York, from the Finger Lakes to Binghamton to Glens Falls, to talk to federal workers and New York veterans, seniors, and families, about how these federal workforce cuts are impacting them. Schumer said ‘DOGE’s cuts to the federal workforce were so ill-conceived that federal agencies are now having to rehire workers as they struggle to perform basic operations, forcing the federal government to spend more money. Despite Trump’s claims about ‘DOGE’, data has shown it has massively exaggerated its claims while creating chaos resulting in billions wasted.

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Shaheen, Cassidy Unveil New Bipartisan Legislation to Crack Down on Foreign Lawfare and Political Harassment

**The bill cracks down on use of SLAPP suits by foreign nations and proxies to silence and intimidate dissidents**

(Washington, DC) – U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Ranking Member of the U.S. Foreign Relations Committee, and Bill Cassidy (R-LA) are introducing new, bipartisan legislation that would stop foreign nations and their proxies from using strategic lawsuits against public participation, or SLAPP suits, to intimidate critics and dissidents in the U.S. by draining their financial resources. Authoritarian regimes are increasingly using lawfare through proxies in the United States as a means of political harassment and intimidation towards those exercising their First Amendment rights. The End Foreign Abuse of United States Courts Act, or Foreign Anti-SLAPP Act, would make it easier to dismiss such meritless suits in court.

“We’re seeing a worrying trend of foreign governments, like the People’s Republic of China (PRC), and their proxies, taking advantage of U.S. courts to wage a legal war against people who are exercising their First Amendment rights. These SLAPP suits only have one goal: To silence and harass people who are speaking out against their oppressors,” said Senator Shaheen. “American courts shouldn’t be working in service of authoritarian regimes. Our legislation would put a stop to these malicious suits and put the power back where it belongs, in the hands of the people.”

Current U.S. law makes it very easy for foreign governments to file these manufactured claims in court. The Foreign Anti-SLAPP Act would create a Foreign Sovereign Anti-SLAPP statute (FSAS), modeled off motions many states have already for domestic suits, that increases the legal burden on foreign government plaintiffs or their proxies and accelerates the dismissal of these cases in U.S. courts.

A copy of the bill text can be found HERE.

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Shaheen Introduces New Legislation to Increase Access to Afterschool STEM Programs Nationwide

(Washington, DC) – U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) is today introducing new legislation to increase students’ access to educational Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) instruction by ensuring afterschool programs have qualified, trained staff. In New Hampshire and across the country, particularly in rural areas, access to out-of-school and afterschool STEM learning is limited in part due to the difficulty of finding trained staff to implement high-quality STEM educational programming.

Senator Shaheen's Supporting Afterschool STEM Educators Act would establish a Professional Development Scholarship grant program for state and local organizations that offer out-of-school STEM learning to equip staff with the training and tools needed to provide high quality STEM instruction.

“Investing today in a workforce that is well-prepared for the STEM careers of tomorrow will contribute to America’s economic success, particularly in industries that are expected to grow exponentially in the coming years with rapid advancements in modern technology and AI. And yet, there are far too many barriers preventing students from receiving that critical education, including the recruitment and training of qualified instructors,” said Senator Shaheen. “My bill responds directly to concerns I’ve heard in New Hampshire—especially in rural areas—by establishing a new grant program equipping afterschool STEM educators with resources needed to effectively serve our students.”

Click HERE to view bill text.

Throughout her time in the Senate, Senator Shaheen has been a strong advocate for STEM education and scientific research funding priorities. She has also worked to secure scientific research funding for New Hampshire universities and businesses.

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Thune: Three Weeks and Counting on Democrats’ DHS Shutdown

Clickhereto watch the video.

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

Thune’s remarks below (as delivered):

“Mr. President, we are more than three weeks into the Democrats’ DHS shutdown.

“And Democrats keep telling us that they’re serious about funding this agency.

“But their actions speak louder than their words.

“Negotiations have been going now for well over a month.

“And Democrats have sent two offers to the White House.

“Two offers that were basically the same.

“No compromise.

“No give-and-take.

“Just ‘take it or leave it.’

“Then on Thursday, perhaps realizing that forcing tens of thousands of DHS employees to go without pay isn’t great for their brand, Democrats made a new yet equally unserious proposal – and that is selectively funding certain DHS agencies.

“That’s right.

“Democrats want to fund the parts of the Department of Homeland Security that they like, and keep the rest shut down indefinitely.

“Now, Mr. President, this might come as news to Democrats, but the fact is that every part of the Department of Homeland Security is essential.

“As our colleague, Senator Britt, pointed out on Thursday, Democrats’ plan would leave Homeland Security Investigations in limbo.

“A lot of Americans might not know it, but Homeland Security Investigations is responsible for some pretty serious law enforcement activities in this country.

“They lock up child predators.

“Drug dealers.

“Terrorists.

“And then there’s Customs and Border Protection – another agency that Democrats’ plan would leave in limbo.

“Now, most Americans interact with CBP officers when they come back to the United States from abroad.

“They’re the people who check your passport.

“They’re also the people who prevent illegal immigrants and contraband like drugs and weapons from crossing our borders and getting into our country.

“Under President Trump and thanks to the hard work of these men and women, our border is secure, and illegal crossings have shrunk to a tiny fraction of the record-setting numbers of the Biden administration.

“The police chief in Sioux Falls recently said this of the drop in fentanyl seizures in South Dakota’s largest city, and I quote: ‘I think it’s safe to say that some of the measures taken within the southern border are paying dividends within our community.’

“Are Democrats looking to undo these gains and return to chaos at the border?

“Well, on top of all this, Democrats’ proposal would also leave Enforcement and Removal Operations unfunded – the people responsible for removing gang members, convicted criminals, and other dangerous illegal immigrants from our country.

“Mr. President, on Thursday, the ranking member of the Appropriations Committee, Senator Murray, said that Democrats, and I quote, ‘cannot, we will not, cut a blank check – funding without reforms – for ICE and Border Patrol.’

“Well, Mr. President, no one is asking her to!

“In fact, the DHS funding agreement that Democrats reneged on would have funded deescalation training for ICE officers, added $20 million for body cameras, and increased oversight of ICE funding.

“The Trump administration has already taken a number of actions to rein in immigration enforcement on its own, and the administration has made two substantial offers to Democrats to legislate reform measures – over and above the measures Republicans had already agreed to!

“Mr. President, Republicans and the White House are at the table.

“At the table.

“It’s Democrats who are standing in the way.

“Mr. President, Democrats can talk all they want about getting reforms, but the only thing they’re accomplishing by dragging this out is protecting the status quo.

“There is only one way to get reforms signed into law – and that is by passing a DHS funding bill.

“And if Democrats were really serious about taking action on this issue, they’d be working overtime to arrive at a compromise.

“But they’re not.

“They don’t even want to sit down.

“Members on our side have reached out to the leaders on the Appropriations Committee on the Democrat side, and been told, ‘We’re not interested in having a conversation about this.’

“Not even interested in sitting down, Mr. President.

“Which strongly suggests that what they’re really interested in is not a solution, but a political issue.

“They don’t really want reforms; they want a political issue that they can use in November.

“Mr. President, it’s three weeks and counting on Democrats’ second shutdown this fiscal year alone.

“Tens of thousands of DHS employees are going without pay.

“And critical DHS priorities are going unfunded.

“Will this be the week that Democrats actually get serious?

“I hope the answer is yes.

“But as of right now, this is what we’re getting from the leadership on the Democrat side, the leadership on the Democrat Appropriations Committee – by the way, all of whom negotiated this deal in the first place before they walked away from it.

“But despite repeated overtures on our side and by the White House to engage with Democrats, they’ve said, ‘We’re not even going to talk about it.’

“Not even going to talk about it.

“So, are they going to continue to keep Homeland Security and hardworking Americans in jeopardy?

“I guess we’ll find out soon enough, Mr. President, but I hope that posture changes and they reengage in keeping important agencies of our government, that fulfill important safety and security responsibilities, funded – and those employees at work.”


Van Hollen Joins Warren, Whitehouse, Kim, Durbin, Shaheen, Colleagues in Introducing Legislation to Reinforce Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, Countering Trump’s Narrowed Enforcement of Landmark Anti-Bribery Law

Today, U.S. Senator Chirs Van Hollen (D-Md.) joined Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Ranking Member of the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee; Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Co-Chair of the Caucus on International Narcotics Control; Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Ranking Member of the National Security and International Trade and Finance Subcommittee; Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Ranking Member of the Judiciary Committee; and Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, led their colleagues in introducing The FCPA Reinforcement Act to strengthen enforcement of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) of 1977. Congress passed the FCPA unanimously in response to revelations of widespread bribery of foreign officials by U.S. companies, recognizing that such corruption imposes enormous costs both at home and abroad.

The Trump Administration has narrowed FCPA enforcement, ignoring hard-won lessons that drove Congress to pass it in the first place: bribery of foreign officials by U.S. corporations “creates severe foreign policy problems.” President Trump instead argued in an executive order that American companies cannot gain “strategic business advantages” without relaxed anti-bribery enforcement. In June 2025, the Department of Justice responded with new guidelines that narrowed FCPA enforcement based on the misconception that bribery only harms U.S. interests when it occurs in certain sectors or circumstances. FCPA enforcement and trials have resumed following the Administration’s initial pause last year, but enforcement activity dropped in 2025.

Some experts have called the Administration’s approach an attempt to “maim, if not kill outright, enforcement against U.S. companies,” while others have highlighted uncertainty and a “perception of reduced FCPA enforcement.” To address that perception and signal that bribery could well be prosecuted later even if it is presently outside of DOJ’s narrowed focus, the FCPA Reinforcement Act would extend from five to 10 years the statute of limitations for criminal violations of the three anti-bribery provisions of the FCPA. If not renewed, this extended statute of limitations would sunset eight years after passage, having provided two future administrations with additional opportunity to conduct expeditious investigations and prosecutions for offenses committed during the present term.

The FCPA Reinforcement Act is also co-sponsored by Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Angus King (I-Maine), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.).

“It should be no surprise that the most corrupt President in our country’s history is turning a blind eye to corporate bribery. Congress cannot sit idly by and allow these illegal practices to go unanswered. We need to stand up for what’s right and our legislation makes it clear that nothing short of full accountability for bad actors who attempt to undermine our national security and the fairness of our markets is acceptable,” said Senator Van Hollen.

“Our bill sends a clear message: despite President Trump’s disregard for countering a range of financial crimes and his disdain for the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, effective enforcement of that landmark law—a shield for U.S. companies that compete the right way—is here to stay. This legislation encourages continued private sector vigilance, signaling enduring accountability for those who undermine our foreign policy, fair markets, and honest businesses by paying bribes,” said Ranking Member Warren.

“Greedy corporations exchanging bribes for favors from corrupt foreign kleptocrats shouldn’t be allowed to count on a five-year statute of limitations as a get-out-of-jail-free card,” said Senator Whitehouse. “The FCPA Reinforcement Act would send a clear message that a temporary dip in enforcement doesn’t mean it’s open season for bribery.”

“Donald Trump thrives on corruption. It’s no surprise he’s fine opening the door to more of it. As we continue to see how corruption erodes trust and threatens stability, from our financial sectors to our nation’s security, we need this legislation to help mitigate unethical practices and safeguard against financial crimes that ultimately hurt American consumers,” said Ranking Member Kim.

“The President has continued to make troubling, rash statements about relaxing enforcement of our nation’s anti-bribery laws. Bribery and corruption hurt law-abiding American businesses and our foreign policy,” said Ranking Member Durbin. “I’m joining Senator Warren to introduce the FCPA Reinforcement Act to ensure that this Department of Justice’s shortsighted failure to enforce the law does not allow corrupt companies to evade accountability.”

“The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act has served as a critical part of America’s national security for nearly fifty years by bolstering America’s diplomatic and economic credibility around the world,” said Ranking Member Shaheen. “When the Trump Administration weakens enforcement of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, it damages America’s standing abroad and diminishes the ‘better deal’ America can offer compared to adversaries like China. This legislation makes clear that the United States will continue to stand for transparency, fair competition and the rule of law. Strengthening enforcement sends an signal to our allies and partners that American leadership against corruption remains strong.”

“It’s no surprise that the most corrupt administration in American history isn’t enforcing our corporate anti-corruption laws,” said Senator Coons. “Foreign governments should not be able to force American companies to pay bribes to do business, hurting the global economy and free market. This bill strengthens the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act to protect companies from pressure at home and abroad so American businesses can focus on innovating and driving global economic growth, not paying bribes to foreign governments,” said Senator Coons.

“President Trump is on a mission to erode the rule of law. His attack on federal bribery laws opens the door for American companies to engage in corrupt practices outside our borders,” said Senator Welch. “We’re pushing back on the President’s pro-corruption agenda to hold corporate actors accountable at home and abroad.”

“The FCPA has a long, successful history of combatting bribery and other deceitful business tactics while reinforcing global anti-corruption norms and practices. The Trump Administration has hamstrung enforcement of FCPA, a shortsighted decision which harms American national security and American businesses who play by the rules. This legislation extends the statute of limitations for criminal violations of the FCPA, allowing future administrations to prosecute violations that the Trump Administration is allowing and promoting ethical business practices at home and abroad. This law sends a very simple signal: violations of the law can and will be prosecuted, even if Donald Trump’s Department of Justice indicates otherwise,” said Senator Blumenthal.

“The United States should reward companies who follow the law–not those who break it by engaging in bribery and other financial crimes,” said Senator King.“The FCPA Reinforcement Act is an essential step to ensure that all companies in the United States are upheld to the same anti-bribery, ethical standards, regardless of the administration in power because strong anti-corruption laws keep markets fair and hold businesses accountable.”

“While Americans are struggling to feed their families, Trump is relaxing anti-bribery enforcement abroad to once again line the pockets of his billionaire friends,” Senator Wyden said. “Congress passed the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act back in the day to not only tamp down on foreign corruption but also create a level playing field for American companies that follow the law. I am calling on my colleagues to pass this bill to stop Donald Trump from letting shady companies make crooked deals at the expense of the American people.”

“It should be plain and simple, U.S. companies should not be allowed to bribe foreign governments to obtain or retain business. I'm proud to join my colleagues in introducing this bill to strengthen enforcement of the law and make clear that foreign bribery committed today can and will be prosecuted by future administrations,” said Senator Schiff.

“With the most corrupt President in our nation’s history currently occupying the White House, it’s as urgent as ever for Congress to make sure our anti-bribery laws are being enforced,” said Senator Duckworth. “No one is above the law. Despite the Trump Administration’s continued and expanding efforts to ignore that, our commonsense legislation would help ensure this landmark anti-corruption law continues working as intended, fending off backroom bribery between American companies and foreign officials.”

“Bribing foreign officials to secure business harms American anti-corruption efforts around the globe,” said Senator Merkley. “As the Trump Administration continues to promote pay-to-play policies, we need to double down on tackling public corruption, not weaken our tools to combat it.”

The Administration’s guidelines, coupled with its broader permissive messaging and conduct regarding financial crimes, are counterproductive both for national security and for America’s private sector. For example, the Administration’s changes expose U.S. businesses operating overseas to new demands for bribes: until recently, they could point to broad FCPA enforcement if foreign actors tried to strong-arm them into making corrupt payments.


Today, U.S. Senator Chirs Van Hollen (D-Md.) joined Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Ranking Member of the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee, Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Co-Chair of the Caucus on International Narcotics Control, Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Ranking Member of the National Security and International Trade and Finance Subcommittee, Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Ranking Member of the Judiciary Committee, Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and their colleagues in introducing The FCPA Reinforcement Act to strengthen enforcement of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) of 1977. Congress passed the FCPA unanimously in response to revelations of widespread bribery of foreign officials by U.S. companies, recognizing that such corruption imposes enormous costs both at home and abroad.

The Trump Administration has narrowed FCPA enforcement, ignoring hard-won lessons that drove Congress to pass it in the first place: bribery of foreign officials by U.S. corporations “creates severe foreign policy problems.” President Trump instead argued in an executive order that American companies cannot gain “strategic business advantages” without relaxed anti-bribery enforcement. In June 2025, the Department of Justice responded with new guidelines that narrowed FCPA enforcement based on the misconception that bribery only harms U.S. interests when it occurs in certain sectors or circumstances. FCPA enforcement and trials have resumed following the Administration’s initial pause last year, but enforcement activity dropped in 2025.

Some experts have called the Administration’s approach an attempt to “maim, if not kill outright, enforcement against U.S. companies,” while others have highlighted uncertainty and a “perception of reduced FCPA enforcement.” To address that perception and signal that bribery could well be prosecuted later even if it is presently outside of DOJ’s narrowed focus, the FCPA Reinforcement Act would extend from five to 10 years the statute of limitations for criminal violations of the three anti-bribery provisions of the FCPA. If not renewed, this extended statute of limitations would sunset eight years after passage, having provided two future administrations with additional opportunity to conduct expeditious investigations and prosecutions for offenses committed during the present term.

The FCPA Reinforcement Act is also co-sponsored by Chris Coons (D-Del.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Angus King (I-Maine), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.).

“It should be no surprise that the most corrupt President in our country’s history is turning a blind eye to corporate bribery. Congress cannot sit idly by and allow these illegal practices to go unanswered. We need to stand up for what’s right and our legislation makes it clear that nothing short of full accountability for bad actors who attempt to undermine our national security and the fairness of our markets is acceptable,” said Senator Van Hollen.

“Our bill sends a clear message: despite President Trump’s disregard for countering a range of financial crimes and his disdain for the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, effective enforcement of that landmark law—a shield for U.S. companies that compete the right way—is here to stay. This legislation encourages continued private sector vigilance, signaling enduring accountability for those who undermine our foreign policy, fair markets, and honest businesses by paying bribes,” said Ranking Member Warren.

“Greedy corporations exchanging bribes for favors from corrupt foreign kleptocrats shouldn’t be allowed to count on a five-year statute of limitations as a get-out-of-jail-free card,” said Senator Whitehouse. “The FCPA Reinforcement Act would send a clear message that a temporary dip in enforcement doesn’t mean it’s open season for bribery.”

“Donald Trump thrives on corruption. It’s no surprise he’s fine opening the door to more of it. As we continue to see how corruption erodes trust and threatens stability, from our financial sectors to our nation’s security, we need this legislation to help mitigate unethical practices and safeguard against financial crimes that ultimately hurt American consumers,” said Ranking Member Kim.

“The President has continued to make troubling, rash statements about relaxing enforcement of our nation’s anti-bribery laws. Bribery and corruption hurt law-abiding American businesses and our foreign policy,” said Ranking Member Durbin. “I’m joining Senator Warren to introduce the FCPA Reinforcement Act to ensure that this Department of Justice’s shortsighted failure to enforce the law does not allow corrupt companies to evade accountability.”

“The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act has served as a critical part of America’s national security for nearly fifty years by bolstering America’s diplomatic and economic credibility around the world,” said Ranking Member Shaheen. “When the Trump Administration weakens enforcement of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, it damages America’s standing abroad and diminishes the ‘better deal’ America can offer compared to adversaries like China. This legislation makes clear that the United States will continue to stand for transparency, fair competition and the rule of law. Strengthening enforcement sends an signal to our allies and partners that American leadership against corruption remains strong.”

“It’s no surprise that the most corrupt administration in American history isn’t enforcing our corporate anti-corruption laws,” said Senator Coons. “Foreign governments should not be able to force American companies to pay bribes to do business, hurting the global economy and free market. This bill strengthens the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act to protect companies from pressure at home and abroad so American businesses can focus on innovating and driving global economic growth, not paying bribes to foreign governments,” said Senator Coons.

“President Trump is on a mission to erode the rule of law. His attack on federal bribery laws opens the door for American companies to engage in corrupt practices outside our borders,” said Senator Welch. “We’re pushing back on the President’s pro-corruption agenda to hold corporate actors accountable at home and abroad.”

“The FCPA has a long, successful history of combatting bribery and other deceitful business tactics while reinforcing global anti-corruption norms and practices. The Trump Administration has hamstrung enforcement of FCPA, a shortsighted decision which harms American national security and American businesses who play by the rules. This legislation extends the statute of limitations for criminal violations of the FCPA, allowing future administrations to prosecute violations that the Trump Administration is allowing and promoting ethical business practices at home and abroad. This law sends a very simple signal: violations of the law can and will be prosecuted, even if Donald Trump’s Department of Justice indicates otherwise,” said Senator Blumenthal.

“The United States should reward companies who follow the law–not those who break it by engaging in bribery and other financial crimes,” said Senator King.“The FCPA Reinforcement Act is an essential step to ensure that all companies in the United States are upheld to the same anti-bribery, ethical standards, regardless of the administration in power because strong anti-corruption laws keep markets fair and hold businesses accountable.”

“While Americans are struggling to feed their families, Trump is relaxing anti-bribery enforcement abroad to once again line the pockets of his billionaire friends,” Senator Wyden said. “Congress passed the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act back in the day to not only tamp down on foreign corruption but also create a level playing field for American companies that follow the law. I am calling on my colleagues to pass this bill to stop Donald Trump from letting shady companies make crooked deals at the expense of the American people.”

“It should be plain and simple, U.S. companies should not be allowed to bribe foreign governments to obtain or retain business. I'm proud to join my colleagues in introducing this bill to strengthen enforcement of the law and make clear that foreign bribery committed today can and will be prosecuted by future administrations,” said Senator Schiff.

“With the most corrupt President in our nation’s history currently occupying the White House, it’s as urgent as ever for Congress to make sure our anti-bribery laws are being enforced,” said Senator Duckworth. “No one is above the law. Despite the Trump Administration’s continued and expanding efforts to ignore that, our commonsense legislation would help ensure this landmark anti-corruption law continues working as intended, fending off backroom bribery between American companies and foreign officials.”

“Bribing foreign officials to secure business harms American anti-corruption efforts around the globe,” said Senator Merkley. “As the Trump Administration continues to promote pay-to-play policies, we need to double down on tackling public corruption, not weaken our tools to combat it.”

The Administration’s guidelines, coupled with its broader permissive messaging and conduct regarding financial crimes, are counterproductive both for national security and for America’s private sector. For example, the Administration’s changes expose U.S. businesses operating overseas to new demands for bribes: until recently, they could point to broad FCPA enforcement if foreign actors tried to strong-arm them into making corrupt payments.


Warner, Schatz, Murray, Shaheen, Reed, Coons Statement on Iran School Strike

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Vice Chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, Brian Schatz (D-HI), Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Committee Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations, Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Jack Reed (D-RI), Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and Chris Coons (D-DE), Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Committee Subcommittee on Defense, released the following statement on an apparent strike on an Iranian girls’ school.

“We are horrified by the latest reports concerning the February 28th strike on an Iranian elementary school near the town of Minab, which resulted in the killing of at least 175 people, most of whom were school children. Independent analysis credibly suggests the strike may have been conducted by U.S. forces, which if true, would make it one of the worst cases of civilian casualties in decades of American military action in the Middle East. The killing of school children is appalling and unacceptable under any circumstance. This incident is particularly concerning in light of Secretary Hegseth’s openly cavalier approach to the use of force, including his statement that U.S. strikes in Iran wouldn’t be bound by ‘stupid rules of engagement,’ in his words.

“American servicemembers are governed by strict regulations that are intended to promote the utmost professionalism, so this incident and any like it must be fully and impartially reviewed. Secretary Hegseth needs to ensure the Department of Defense’s ongoing investigation into this strike is thorough, including whether any policy decisions may have contributed to the catastrophe, and provide clear answers to the American public and Congress about how and why this tragedy unfolded.”

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Warnock, Ossoff Secure More Than $531 Million in Hurricane Helene Federal Relief for Georgia Farmers

Senators Reverend Warnock and Ossoff’s continued advocacy for Georgia farmers and producers impacted by the 2024 hurricane has secured more than $531 million in federal funding for the state

Georgia’s Hurricane Helene Block Grant Program will help farmers, ranchers, and foresters in eligible counties that have suffered losses in timber, infrastructure, poultry, beef cattle, dairy cattle, milk loss, dairy feed loss, pecans, blueberries, citrus, nursery, plasticulture, and bare ground practices due to Hurricane Helene

Eligible parties can apply for assistance via the Georgia Department of Agriculture

The funding announcement comes after months of bipartisan efforts led by Senator Warnock to aid Georgia producers impacted by the devastating storm

Senator Reverend Warnock: “This announcement is welcome news for the Georgia producers and farmers that have been forced to wait far too long for this desperately needed relief”

Senator Ossoff: “I am glad Georgia farmers are getting the help they’ve long deserved”

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA), a key member of the Senate Agriculture committee, and U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff (D-GA), announced more than $531 million in federal disaster aid relief for Georgia producers and farmers that suffered losses as a result of Hurricane Helene. The block grant funding comes nearly two years after Hurricane Helene struck large portions of South and East-Central Georgia and months after bipartisan appeals to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for distribution of the desperately needed funds.

“This announcement is welcome news for the Georgia producers and farmers that have been forced to wait far too long for this desperately needed relief,” said Senator Warnock. “I’m glad to see that the application for these block grants will open in the coming weeks.”

“Less than 90 days after Hurricane Helene devastated Georgia agriculture, Senator Warnock and I passed disaster funding for Georgia farmers,” said Senator Ossoff. “Now, over a year late, USDA is finally getting those funds to Georgia farmers. I am glad Georgia farmers are getting the help they’ve long deserved.”

Georgia’s agriculture and forestry industries were left reeling in Helene’s wake, with approximately one-third of the state’s pecan and cotton crops destroyed, over 100 poultry houses damaged or destroyed, and 1.5 million acres of timber damaged or destroyed. All told, Georgia’s agricultural economy faces an unprecedented estimated $5.5 billion in total damages because of Helene. Most tragically, more than 250 individuals — including 37 Georgians — lost their lives due to the storm’s devastation.

Since coming to Congress, Senator Warnock has continuously worked to provide and strengthen federal support for communities impacted by extreme weather events and has championed legislation to help Georgians defend against the worst consequences of severe weather. In March 2025, Senator Warnock led a group of bipartisan lawmakers in a letter to USDA to expedite disaster assistance to Georgia farmers impacted by Hurricane Helene. Senator Jon Ossoff (D-GA) and members of the Georgia Congressional Delegation also supported the effort.

The Georgia Hurricane Helene Block Grant Program will begin accepting applications on March 16th, 2026. The application will remain open for six weeks, closing at midnight on April 27th, 2026. The application, eligibility requirements, guidance documents, and additional details can be found here.


In New Response to Warren and Blumenthal, Treasury Department Dodges Responsibility to Conduct National Security Review of Paramount-Warner Bros. Deal

Paramount’s winning bid reportedly backed by $24 billion from Middle East sovereign wealth funds

Could give foreign actors access to Americans’ sensitive personal data, influence over giant media conglomerate

Text of Response (PDF)

Washington, D.C. — In response to pressure from U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Ranking Member of the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee, and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), the Treasury Department dodged its responsibility to conduct a serious national security review of Paramount’s winning bid for Warner Bros.

As of December 2025, the deal included $24 billion from sovereign wealth funds in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Abu Dhabi, leading the Senators to press Scott Bessent, Treasury Secretary and Chair of the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), to carefully examine whether the deal is subject to a CFIUS review, and if so, to conduct it in a comprehensive, thorough, and non-politicized manner. In a new response sent to the lawmakers one day after Paramount won the Warner Bros. bidding war, the Treasury Department dodged questions and did not commit to a review.

“Given the cloud of corruption surrounding the Trump administration’s review of this deal from Day One, it’s no surprise that Trump’s Treasury Department is sticking its head in the sand instead of investigating the national security risks of $24 billion from Middle Eastern sovereign wealth funds apparently flooding this deal. It’s American consumers who will pay the price,” said Senator Warren. “Thanks to Donald Trump, a Paramount-Warner Bros. merger could mean higher prices, fewer choices, and more foreign actors controlling what’s on our screens.”

“The Trump Administration’s consideration of Netflix’s bid was conspicuously tainted by political interference and outright corruption. I have no confidence that Secretary Bessent, or Attorney General Bondi, will enforce our antitrust and national security laws when it comes to President Trump’s financial backers. The cost of that rubberstamp will be higher prices on consumers, substantial job loss in Hollywood, and Gulf countries buying even more influence over Americans’ entertainment,” said Senator Blumenthal.

In addition to the significant antitrust concerns raised by the Paramount bid, the lawmakers in December raised alarm about the bid’s foreign funding. If such a sale were to go through, it could potentially provide foreign entities with access to the sensitive personal data of millions of Americans and significant influence over one of the nation’s largest media and entertainment conglomerates. CFIUS is responsible for mitigating national security risks of specific types of foreign investments in the United States and, in certain circumstances, blocking foreign acquisitions of American companies or technologies.

The Warner Bros. bidding war is already clouded by corruption concerns. Netflix’s CEO dropped the company’s bid hours after he reportedly met with Trump officials at the White House. Paramount Skydance is run by a member of the Trump-affiliated Ellison family, who reportedly agreed to a secret side deal to run Trump-friendly ads shortly before the Trump administration greenlit the merger of Paramount and Skydance. Paramount previously paid $16 million to the Trump Presidential Library to settle a lawsuit brought by President Trump.

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Warren Statement on DOJ Settling Live Nation-Ticketmaster Case

“The Trump administration’s decision to give Live Nation a slap on the wrist is a betrayal of every music lover and concertgoer exploited by Live Nation-Ticketmaster.”

Washington, DC - In response to reports that President Trump’s Department of Justice has reached a settlement with Live Nation, U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) released the following statement:

“The Trump administration’s decision to give Live Nation a slap on the wrist is a betrayal of every music lover and concertgoer exploited by Live Nation-Ticketmaster.

“The Trump Justice Department’s puny settlement is why corporate executives treat breaking the law as just another cost of doing business: this fine amounts to less than 1 percent of Live Nation’s $25 billion in revenue last year – and Trump’s deal lets the company continue its abusive practices, like charging a “Ticketmaster Tax” of 15 percent. I support the state Attorneys General continuing to sue to break up Ticketmaster and Live Nation.

“Under Donald Trump, antitrust enforcement has become a cesspool of corruption. After Trump ousted the DOJ’s antitrust enforcer, Americans deserve to know if the Trump administration is playing political favorites rather than enforcing the law based on the facts.”

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Welch Joins Van Hollen, 29 Colleagues in Pressing Trump Admin for Accountability, Investigations into Deaths of American Citizens in West Bank

Senators write: “It is unclear to us how many more Americans must die in the West Bank in order for this administration, and other administrations, to take serious, credible steps to secure accountability and ensure an end to the ongoing killings of Americans without consequence”

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, joined U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), and 29 Senate colleagues in pressing the Trump Administration for accountability and an investigations into the death of Nasrallah Abu Siyam, an American citizen who was shot and killed in the West Bank by violent Israeli settlers. Nasrallah is the ninth American citizen who has been killed in the West Bank since January 2022—to date, no one has been held responsible for the deaths of any of these Americans.

“In the wake of the killing of another U.S. citizen in the West Bank, the ninth since January 2022, we write with grave concern regarding the ongoing lack of accountability for the deaths of Americans in the West Bank. On February 18th, Nasrallah Abu Siyam was shot and killed in the West Bank village of Mukhmas, near Ramallah, by violent Israeli settlers during an attack on Palestinian farmers. This is yet another example of the impunity afforded to extremist Israeli settlers in the West Bank under the protection of the Israel Defense Forces. The U.S. government must conduct a credible and independent investigation into Nasrallah’s killing and hold all perpetrators accountable,” the Senators write.

“Unfortunately, this is the second letter we’ve written to this administration in the last seven months about the killing of an American citizen in the West Bank. […] In response to our letter, the State Department wrote ‘The United States calls for accountability in all cases where U.S. citizens are harmed abroad to help prevent future tragedies.’ It’s clear that these ‘calls’ and whatever efforts were made, if any, to secure accountability, failed. This has now become a consistent pattern in which Americans are being killed in the West Bank by settlers or the IDF without justice or accountability, despite promises from U.S. officials,” the Senators continue.

The Senators note: “Nasrallah Abu Siyam, a 19-year-old American born in Philadelphia, has become the ninth American killed in the West Bank since January 2022. Along with Saifullah Musallet and Khamis Ayyada, a forty-year-old American citizen and father of five who died of smoke inhalation in August after a fire was set by Israeli settlers in his West Bank village of Silwad, Abu Siyam is now the third American killed in the West Bank during the second Trump administration.”

“For all nine of these killings, no one has yet been held accountable by the Netanyahu government, nor has the U.S. government upheld its duty to protect Americans and secure justice and accountability for their deaths. It is unclear to us how many more Americans must die in the West Bank in order for this administration, and other administrations, to take serious, credible steps to secure accountability and ensure an end to the ongoing killings of Americans without consequence,” the Senators continue.

The Senators conclude: “We urge you to launch an independent investigation into the killing of Nasrallah Abu Siyam and provide an update on the status of investigations into the killings of all the other Americans killed in the West Bank since January 2022. We expect a briefing on this information by April 5, 2026.”

In addition to Senators Welch and Van Hollen, the letter was signed by Sens. Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Rev. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), and Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.).

Read and download the Senators’ full letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Attorney General Pam Bondi, and Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee.

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Chairman Wicker Addresses President Trump’s Military Action Against Iran

WASHINGTON –U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, today spoke on the U.S. Senate floor regarding President Trump’s decision to conduct military operations against Iran.

In his speech, the chairman emphasized that the president’s decision was the correct choice to protect American interests and security. He also highlighted the importance of supporting the American service members deployed in the operation.

Read Chairman Wicker’s speech as delivered.

This weekend, our commander-in-chief made the most difficult decision a president can make. He ordered young American service members into action.

My friends on the other side of the aisle are challenging the president’s choice—and they are entitled to do so. I do find myself amazed from time to time with their rhetoric on the floor this morning and this afternoon. To hear them, apparently, President Trump should have announced to the world that he was going to bomb the headquarters of the Ayatollah and destroy the leadership of Iran who has attacked the United States and killed Americans for over four decades. Apparently, if this war lasts as long as five weeks, we should agree that we will fold our tents and come home and leave the job undone. Apparently, the fact that the ruthless drug lord dictator of Venezuela, President Maduro, is out of office is a bad thing.

I disagree with that, and I wonder how that rhetoric is going to last through the decades. We’ll see. I will vote no on the pending resolution. President Trump decided to attack Iran. That decision was profound, deliberate, and correct.

The president understands the weight of war. He was clear-eyed about the risks, and he was honest with the American people. From very early on Saturday morning he said, “We pray for every service member as they selflessly risk their lives to ensure that Americans and our children will never be threatened by a nuclear armed Iran.”

Indeed, we must be mindful of the brave men and women deployed in this operation.

And certainly, we grieve for the six American service men and women who have died in the fighting. I also grieve for the thousands of Americans that have died over the last 47 years at the hands of the brutal, Islamist, 9th century regime in Iran. I grieve for those. We care for any civilians caught in harm’s way, and, yes, we are doing our best to get them out. War is hell, which is why we prioritize deterrence and engage only when absolutely necessary.

But when we enter into combat, we must do so deliberately, as this administration has done. My colleagues ask, “Why are we doing this?” The president has given at least four goals explicitly. We are doing this to destroy Iran’s missile capabilities and their ability to produce missiles. That’s a good thing. We’re doing this to annihilate the Iranian navy, to ensure the regime can no longer arm, direct, and fund the terrorist activities that have gone on for more than four decades, and to prevent Iran from getting a nuclear weapon. That’s why we’re doing it and why I’ll vote against this resolution.

The facts on the ground reflect this limited set of goals. We have taken out their air defenses and missile systems ahead of schedule. That’s a good thing. Last week, Iran had 11 ships in the Gulf of Oman. Today, they have none. That’s a good thing. We can expect to see airstrikes continue until our military objectives are achieved, a task that will take weeks, not days. But we ought to stay there long enough to get it done.

I think the president’s decision was correct.

For decades, Mr. President, the Iranian regime has killed thousands of Americans and thousands of citizens of our friends and allies and supported those who do. Too many American service members have lost brothers-in-arms to Iranian violence. Too many parents have lost sons and daughters to Iranian oppression.

For decades, Iran had been the world’s leading sponsor of terrorism—the Houthis, Hamas, other armed groups. The regime armed, funded, and trained terrorist groups across the region. These proxies have attacked and killed thousands of our people and thousands our friends.

Iran is a murderous partner in the overall Axis of Aggressors—which includes China, Russia, and North Korea. They are all pals, and they are all allies. The Ayatollah was a friend of the tyrants who lead those nations. He stood with Xi Jinping, he stood with the war criminal Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un. Like them, the Supreme Leader violently suppressed his people.

The regime was hell-bent on acquiring the world’s worst weapons. If successful, they could have struck our friends, our bases, and—in time—our homeland, Washington, D.C., and America. President Trump, on the other hand, said from day one that he would keep Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. That is a major part of what this is about. He knew the Ayatollah had to be stopped, and he came to the conclusion that now was the time to do it.

Already, Israel had devastated Iran’s proxies. Last summer, President Trump rained down fire on Iran’s nuclear facilities. And in the past few months, untold numbers of Iranians stood up to the regime. The citizens of Iran stood up to this murderous regime in a massive show of opposition to the Ayatollah. Last Saturday morning, Iran had never been weaker. The time had come for the United States and for our ally Israel to strike. President Trump, the commander-in-chief, made that most difficult of decisions, and I think it will stand the test of time.