Gillibrand, Colleagues Urge HHS Director Kennedy To Return To Data-Based, Cost-Effective Preventive Health

Today, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), the top Democrat on the Senate Aging Committee, joined Senate colleagues in calling for a return to evidence-based, cost-effective preventative health services after a key federal oversight group has been dormant for over a year. In a letter to Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., the senators raised concerns that the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) has not met for a full year, which is delaying critical decisions that directly affect health outcomes.

“Preventative health services help ensure that people can live longer, healthier lives,” said Senator Gillibrand. “By leaving the USPSTF dormant, the Trump administration and Secretary Kennedy are jeopardizing Americans’ access to lifesaving interventions, services, and guidance, putting their health and safety at risk. I’m urging the Secretary to stop playing games with Americans’ lives and resume this important work.”

The USPSTF helps people of all ages stay healthy and live well for years to come, as setting up healthy practices ahead of time often result in longer lives and better outcomes. The panel is responsible for reviewing evidence in preventive medicine to help guide clinical practice and improve the health of the American people. Evidence-based recommendations empower patients and their clinicians to make informed choices regarding preventive care.

“Since its inception in 1984, the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF or Task Force) has issued nearly 300 evidence-based recommendations across 90 different topics to support preventive care, ensure that health care services are affordable, and help people live longer, healthier lives,” the senators said. “The independence and scientifically-backed nature of the Task Force is paramount to its operations, and we urge that the future work of USPSTF, including meetings, agendas, appointments of new Task Force members, and revisions of recommendations, continues to adhere to principles of independence and scientific rigor.”

The senators continued, “As a result of Task Force recommendations, preventive health services are accessible for all Americans and save lives through screenings for heart disease, screenings for breast, colorectal, cervical, and lung cancer, folic acid supplements for pregnant women to prevent birth defects, behavioral counseling, prevention of maternal depression, childhood vision screenings, adult diabetes screenings, and many more.”

“Preventive services can help people avoid acute illness, identify and treat chronic conditions, prevent cancer as well as lead to earlier detection, improve health outcomes, and reduce the burden of end-stage chronic disease. To that end, we look forward to hearing from you in response to these questions, and urge that the administration prioritize resuming the cost- and life-saving work of the Task Force,” the senators concluded.

In addition to Senator Gillibrand, the letter was signed by Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and U.S. Senators Angus King (I-ME), Patty Murray (D-WA), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Ed Markey (D-MA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Jack Reed (D-RI), and Jacky Rosen (D-NV).

The full text of the letter can be found here and below.

Dear Secretary Kennedy:

Since its inception in 1984, the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF or Task Force) has issued nearly 300 evidence-based recommendations across 90 different topics to support preventive care, ensure that health care services are affordable, and help people live longer, healthier lives. Section 2713 of the Public Health Service Act (as added by the Affordable Care Act) mandates that USPSTF recommendations that receive an “A” or “B” rating be provided to enrollees at no cost. The USPSTF recommendations impact access and affordability for these life-saving interventions for all Americans. The Task Force has not met for a full year – the first time it’s not met consistently in at least a decade – delaying critical decisions that directly impact the health of Americans. It should restart its work immediately and without political interference. The independence and scientifically-backed nature of the Task Force is paramount to its operations, and we urge that the future work of USPSTF, including meetings, agendas, appointments of new Task Force members, and revisions of recommendations, continues to adhere to principles of independence and scientific rigor.

USPSTF is a scientifically independent volunteer panel of national experts in prevention and evidence-based medicine that is established in law. The mission of the Task Force is to systematically review the best available evidence to develop recommended preventive services, such as cancer screenings and more, to help guide clinical practice and improve the health of the American people. The independent and scientifically-backed nature of the Task Force is paramount to its operations, and was recently affirmed by the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026 (P.L. 119-75), which provided over $11.5 million in funding for the Task Force and directed members of the USPSTF to “continue to uphold their mission and commitment to scientific evidence, transparency, and ensuring that Americans have access to affordable preventive health services.”

Based on USPSTF recommendations, insurers must provide coverage without cost-sharing for preventive services that have been proven to prevent disease based on evidence and empirical research. As a result of Task Force recommendations, preventive health services are accessible for all Americans and save lives through screenings for heart disease, screenings for breast, colorectal, cervical, and lung cancer, folic acid supplements for pregnant women to prevent birth defects, behavioral counseling, prevention of maternal depression, childhood vision screenings, adult diabetes screenings, and many more.

USPSTF recommendations have directly impacted millions of Americans, enabling them to have potentially fatal or debilitating conditions diagnosed at much earlier stages, thereby affording them a greater chance of living longer, healthier lives.

The Task Force membership historically has been comprised of experts in clinical medicine, scientific research, and public health. Its members are extensively vetted for conflicts of interest, and their service is completely voluntary and uncompensated. USPSTF’s process for developing recommendations and its agenda is transparent to the public and based on high quality, methodologically sound, scientifically defensible, reproducible, and unbiased scientific evidence that is rooted in a clearcut process laid out in the Task Force’s procedure manual.1 Thus, the Task Force’s recommendations can be considered neutral, unbiased and evidence-based by all stakeholders: policy makers; payers; providers; and most importantly the public.

However, we are particularly troubled by actions that have effectively rendered the Task Force dormant, and brought its life-saving work to a grinding halt. While the procedure manual clearly dictates that it is supposed to meet three times per year,2 the Task Force only met once last year. The July meeting was abruptly cancelled two days before USPSTF was scheduled to meet, and the November meeting was cancelled amidst the government shutdown. And HHS just recently confirmed that the March 2026 meeting has been cancelled.3 Without these meetings, the Task Force cannot vote on or move forward on its work, including recommendations and research plans. CNN has reported that in addition to previous departures due to Reduction in Force and Deferred Resignation Program efforts, much of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) staff that support the Task Force have left in recent weeks, further reducing the ability of the Task Force to function.4 As noted in the procedure manual, USPSTF meetings are used for formal votes for procedural and methodological decisions, for draft and final recommendations, and to reconsider the grade of previously voted recommendations.5 As the work of the Task Force languishes absent meetings, we are extremely concerned that the Administration is allowing the incredibly important work of USPSTF to stagnate.

Additionally, the terms of five of the sixteen Task Force members expired in December without any indication from the Department about the process to extend appointments or replace the members. Going back to at least 2002, HHS under Democrats and Republicans (including under President Trump’s first term) has consistently used either the Federal Register or the Task Force’s website to announce and solicit requests for nominations.7

However, previous reporting from the Wall Street Journal suggests that you may look to remove the entirety of the Task Force.8 While the Supreme Court affirmed the Secretary’s authority to appoint and remove Task Force members at will in Kennedy v. BraidwoodManagement, Inc., we are concerned that you may appoint unqualified members to the Task Force, as you have done with the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. Doing so could undermine longstanding preventive health coverage policies, totally abandon any sense of continuity or institutional memory on the Task Force, and could directly harm patients by limiting access to cost- and life-saving preventive services.

Following the repeated cancellation of meetings and with a diminished workforce for USPSTF, we are deeply concerned that the work of the Task Force will be irreparably hindered—jeopardizing critical access to new or updated preventive interventions, services, and guidance, and potentially leading to worse health outcomes for the American people. In addition to an inability to finalize recommendations and research plans that are languishing, the Task Force has failed to submit an annual report to Congress for the first time since it was statutorily required to.9 While the Department must now implement minimum staffing levels as a result of the Fiscal Year 2026 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education appropriations bill,10 previous staffing cuts to AHRQ undoubtedly curtailed USPSTF’s work in 2025. Together, these developments leave us extremely worried about the work of the Task Force going forward.

Given the diminished activities last year, potential for detrimental upheaval within the Task Force, and possibility that USPSTF may no longer be guided by integrity, independence, scientifically-backed processes, or evidence-based recommendations, we request answers to the following questions by April 15, 2026:

1. As required by the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 299b-4(2)(F)), the Task Force is required to submit an annual report to Congress identifying gaps in research, such as preventive services that receive an insufficient evidence statement, and recommending priority areas that deserve further examination, including areas related to populations and age groups not adequately addressed by current recommendations.

When does the Department and the Task Force plan to release the 2025 statutorily required annual report?

With two-thirds of the Task Force meetings cancelled and AHRQ’s staff cut significantly last year, what components of HHS were involved in developing the annual report?

Were experts on clinical medicine, scientific research, and public health involved?

2. The Task Force’s authorizing statute stipulates that the AHRQ Director shall convene an independent Task Force to be composed of individuals with appropriate expertise.

The Task Force has not met since March of last year, and the July and November meetings were not rescheduled. Please share the justification for the cancellation of the March 2026 meeting, and when the Task Force will next meet.

The Task Force has had five vacancies since December 2025. Will the Task Force or Department solicit through the Federal Register or Task Force website a request for nominations? If so, when will that process begin? If not, will the process otherwise provide opportunity for public review and input?

Unless it is already underway, when new potential Task Force members are undergoing vetting, will their qualifications be transparently judged on previous metrics and relevant expertise?

3. As stipulated within the authorizing statute, the Task Force shall review the scientific evidence related to the effectiveness, appropriateness, and cost-effectiveness of clinical preventive services for the purpose of developing recommendations for the health care community, and updating previous clinical preventive recommendations, for individuals and organizations delivering clinical services.

In making changes for vaccine coverage, you and your hand-picked ACIP have baselessly and without evidence made changes to vaccine schedules including for SARS-CoV-2 and the Childhood and Adolescent Immunization Schedule, resulting in professional societies making their own declarations for appropriate vaccine schedules and policies. A preliminary ruling in American Academy of Pediatrics v. Kennedy found that your previous efforts to dismantle ACIP and make changes to the childhood vaccine schedule were likely illegal.

How will the Task Force make recommendations going forward?

When, if not now, will the Task Force or HHS determine whether to re-examine existing evidence-based recommendations?

Will USPSTF continue to rely on the processes and guidelines laid out and prescribed under the Task Force’s procedures manual?

If there are changes to the procedures manual processes, will you look to maintain transparency, scientific rigor, and independence of the process by requesting public input for any process changes?

4. On President Trump’s first day in office, he issued a number of Executive Orders including an Executive Order on Ending Radical And Wasteful Government DEI Programs And Preferencing. This has led to the cancellation of grants and programs across HHS related to gender- and racial-based work.

Many USPSTF recommendations incorporate age-, gender-, or race-specific guidance because the evidence and data clearly demonstrate that there are risks for these specific populations, and that targeted interventions can prevent disease. Of note, recommendations that incorporate factors such as age, gender, race etc. do not do so as a matter of “DEI”, but rather because the scientific evidence suggests that certain populations are at greater risk for the disease of concern. Population-based recommendations allow policymakers, payers and providers to target screening interventions in the most cost-effective manner possible. Will there be changes to these existing recommendations to align with the President’s Executive Orders on DEI?

Will the Task Force continue to make recommendations based on the evidence and data, even when the evidence and data require those recommendations to be age-, gender-, or race-specific?

We are concerned that the Task Force, under your guidance, may re-examine recommendations for the prescribing of preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP). Please share if you plan to direct them to do so.

You have said you aim to “Make America Healthy Again” by addressing chronic disease; however, you are not prioritizing the maintenance, support, and continuation of the USPSTF. As you know, the most common causes of chronic disease in the United States include tobacco use, obesity, high blood sugar, hypertension, and high cholesterol, and the Task Force has made recommendations regarding prevention of all of those causes for both children and adults.

Preventive services can help people avoid acute illness, identify and treat chronic conditions, prevent cancer as well as lead to earlier detection, improve health outcomes, and reduce the burden of end-stage chronic disease. To that end, we look forward to hearing from you in response to these questions, and urge that the administration prioritize resuming the cost- and life-saving work of the Task Force.

Sincerely,


Gillibrand, Schumer, Wyden, Duckworth, Colleagues Press Trump Administration Over Threats To Cut Medicaid Funding To New York State

Withholding hundreds of millions in Medicaid funding will jeopardize New Yorkers’ access to essential care and services

Today, U.S. Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), ranking member of the Senate Aging Committee; Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Senate Democratic Leader; Ron Wyden (D-OR), ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee; and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) led Senate Democratic colleagues in demanding an immediate end to the Trump administration’s threats to cut Medicaid funding in New York, California, Maine, and other states led by Democratic governors.

In a new letter to the White House, the Department of Health and Human Services, and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the senators called out arbitrary investigations and cuts to Medicaid programs driven by unfounded claims of fraud.

“The Trump administration’s threats are a betrayal of the millions of Americans who rely on Medicaid,” said Senator Gillibrand. “President Trump should be focused on bringing down costs for American families, not playing political games with the benefits that so many New Yorkers rely on to get care. This is unacceptable, and I will do everything in my power to ensure funding is protected.”

In addition to Senators Gillibrand, Schumer, Wyden, and Duckworth, the letter was signed by Senators Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Ed Markey (D-MA), and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA).

“Let us be clear: you are not going after the real fraudsters,” the senators wrote. “Instead, under the guise of ‘program integrity,’ you are cutting off vital funding for services that seniors, people with disabilities, and children rely on to survive and thrive in their communities.”

The senators continued, “Your decision to arbitrarily withhold massive amounts of federal matching funds is a direct attack on older Americans, children, and adults with disabilities, and the workers who deliver this essential home-based care.”

Medicaid Home- and Community-Based Services (HCBS) allow older adults and people with disabilities to receive services in their home and communities. This is a lifeline that lets these populations live and age with dignity in the setting of their choice. Cuts to Medicaid HCBS would cause states to halt payments and scale back programs, forcing Americans who need long-term support into more costly and restrictive institutions, like nursing homes, and shutting down home care agencies and independent care workers.

The full text of the letter can be found here or below.

Dear President Trump, Vice President Vance, Secretary Kennedy, and Administrator Oz:

We write to you today on behalf of the millions of Americans who rely on Medicaid to live safely and independently in their communities. We demand an immediate end to the administration’s politicized crusade against states like Minnesota, California, Maine, New York, and other states led by Democratic governors.

Let us be clear: you are not going after the real fraudsters. Instead, under the guise of “program integrity,” you are cutting off vital funding for services that seniors, people with disabilities, and children rely on to survive and thrive in their communities. This summer, you and Congressional Republicans enacted the largest Medicaid cuts in history. Your latest campaign to withhold hundreds of millions of dollars from blue states is a thinly veiled attempt to pull the wool over Americans’ eyes and shift the blame for your catastrophic cuts onto Governors.

Your sudden “crusade against fraud” is insulting to anyone paying attention to your actual record. If this administration actually cared about reducing fraud and protecting taxpayer dollars, why did you fire at least 15 independent Inspectors General during your very first week in office? There is no acceptable fraud, nor should Congress or the Administration tolerate any wasteful spending of taxpayer funding. Fraud against Medicaid programs has occurred in every state—both red and blue—and robust processes, including Medicaid Fraud Control Units (MFCUs), already exist to identify and address it. However, if program integrity is truly the goal, why is the administration pardoning convicted fraudsters? Instead of policing corruption, you are weaponizing the federal government against seniors, people with disabilities, and hardworking families.

The administration is falsely maligning Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS)—the very services that keep people out of institutions—as inherently fraudulent. Your characterization of spending growth in personal care and HCBS as evidence of program integrity risk is senseless. Growth in HCBS means that states have successfully implemented the federal mandate to shift away from institutional care toward community-based care. This is a success story, not a scandal. This growth is not evidence of weak oversight; it is the predictable, intended, and celebrated result of decades-long federal and state rebalancing policies that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) itself designed and promoted.

Your decision to arbitrarily withhold massive amounts of federal matching funds is a direct attack on older Americans, children and adults with disabilities, and the workers who deliver this essential home-based care. Funding freezes force states to halt payments and scale back programs. Without home care, Americans who need long-term services will be forced into nursing homes and institutions—a devastating rollback of civil rights that will ultimately cost taxpayers more. Furthermore, home care agencies and independent care workers, who already operate on razor-thin margins while following the law, will be forced to shut their doors.

Rather than vilify children with disabilities and seniors aging at home, Democrats have consistently proposed solutions to root out actual wasteful spending. While you fired the very watchdogs responsible for prosecuting fraud, Democrats have proposed doubling down on anti-fraud programs that return up to $11 for every $1 spent. In 2021, without a single Republican vote, Democrats secured nearly $40 billion in Medicaid support to expand access to home-based care, boost workforce recruitment amid dire shortages, and increase wages for workers.

Meanwhile, Republican cuts to Medicaid are already denying services to families, like capping occupational, speech, and physical therapy visits. These cuts harm Americans in communities all across the country. For example, Theresa and her sister Nellie, now in their 60s, were born with muscular dystrophy that weakened their muscles over time and are now both wheelchair dependent. Both rely on personal care services provided through California’s HCBS program, called the In Home Supportive Services (IHSS) program for their daily activities, including getting in and out of bed, dressing, showering, and preparing food. Since they’ve started receiving care at home, both Theresa and Nellie have been able to start working. Their caregiving attendant helps them get ready every morning, including helping Nellie get to public transportation that takes her to her job. She then assists Theresa in settling into her home office where she can get onto her morning Zoom meetings.

In Teresa’s words: “I don’t think I could be on my own without IHSS. I wouldn’t be safe at all and I don’t know how long I would last without an injury. And I wouldn’t be able to work. I would not be able to get ready for the day, or to eat, or to go to in-person work events. Because IHSS allows me to work, I don’t depend on SSI anymore and our life is decent. We don’t have a lot but we have enough–we have a cat, bird feeders, have a decent living room that’s wheelchair accessible, a little bit of furniture. We have the basics, everything we need to be happy.”

Just like Theresa and Nellie, Medicaid HCBS is a lifeline for Patty and Katina. Patty from Tigard, Oregon, left her career as a therapist to become a Personal Support Worker (PSW) so she could care for her adult daughter, Katina, who has Down Syndrome, and requires 24/7 support for her safety. Patty becoming a PSW after Katina graduated from high school not only allowed Katina to live in her community but has had an enormous impact on the family’s financial stability. Prior to becoming a PSW, Patty relied on social security disability payments as the family’s sole source of income, and they were barely able to make ends meet. At one point, the family went into foreclosure and almost lost their home. Becoming a PSW has meant that not only does Katina have full-time care that allows her to live as an adult in her community, but the family has become financially secure enough to not have to rely on Social Security payments to live. Patty worries that Medicaid cuts will mean that she will no longer be able to be paid to be Katina’s caregiver. This would force their family into financial ruin and Katina into a facility, which is much more expensive and not what either she or Katina want.

For millions, Medicaid HCBS prevents more costly and restrictive care in residential facilities. Jennifer from Harrison, NY has a young adult son, Philip, who has an intellectual disability and autism. In her words – “He is 24 and is living a fulfilling life due to the support he receives from Medicaid HCBS. Philip has received job training in the community, job coaching in the community, participates in the local YMCA, local riding programs, recreation programs and a day program. He would likely be doing none of these things if it weren’t for Medicaid HCBS. He would be sitting in the house alone. My husband and I both work full time. His siblings are all either in college or working and living on their own, Philip would be sitting in the house staring at the walls. That would dissolve into depression and accompanying poor behavioral control. We’ve been there before and we don’t want to go back to those days in and out of the hospitals. Now Philip has a full life. He has friends, a community, a social life, and he is working towards a work life. He has all of this because of Medicaid HCBS.”

###


Grassley, Colleagues Press Administration to Impose Sanctions on Milorad Dodik

WASHINGTON – Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) joined Senate Foreign Relations Committee Ranking Member Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) in sending a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent calling on the Trump administration to impose sanctions on former Republika Srpska President Milorad Dodik and his associates, given their ongoing actions to threaten the territorial integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

“We write with concern regarding the actions, rhetoric and foreign influence operations of former president of the Republika Srpska Milorad Dodik and his associates which carry considerable implications for the territorial integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina,” the lawmakers wrote. “On January 9, 2026, Mr. Dodik, along with current and former Republika Srpska government officials, organized and participated in the Commemoration Ceremony of Republika Srpska Day, despite decisions of the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina regarding observance of that Day.”

The lawmakers warned Mr. Dodik’s continued secessionist rhetoric, coordination with foreign actors and efforts to undermine the Dayton Peace Agreement risk destabilizing the Western Balkans at a critical moment and urged the Trump administration to comply with new sanctions passed in the recent Fiscal Year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). They also noted the administration’s prior decision to remove sanctions on Mr. Dodik has emboldened his behavior and undermined U.S. credibility in the region.

“It is clear that Mr. Dodik’s recent actions merit sustained and close scrutiny,” the lawmakers continued. “From organizing and participating in events deemed unconstitutional by Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Constitutional Court to amplifying divisive rhetoric and advocating for Republika Srpska’s withdrawal from the Dayton framework, his conduct directly threatens regional stability. His engagement with foreign entities to advance independence further underscores the urgency of a U.S. response.”

“Mr. Dodik’s ongoing actions, specifically those undertaken through the government of Republika Srpska which direct lobbyists to advance independence, qualify as sanctionable activity under Section 8335 of the NDAA, given that these actions ‘threaten the peace, security, stability, or territorial integrity of any area or state in the Western Balkans,’” the lawmakers concluded. “We therefore call on your respective departments to make the respective determinations on the relevant persons, in accordance with the law.”

In addition to Grassley and Shaheen, the letter was signed by Sens. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), as well as Reps. Mike Turner (R-Ohio) and Ann Wagner (R-Mo.).

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

March 27, 2026

The Honorable Scott Bessent

Secretary of the Treasury

United States Department of the Treasury

1500 Pennsylvania Avenue N.W.

Washington, D.C. 20220

The Honorable Marco A. Rubio

Secretary of State

Department of State

2201 C Street N.W.

Washington, D.C. 20520

Dear Secretary Bessent and Secretary Rubio,

We write with concern regarding the actions, rhetoric and foreign influence operations of former president of the Republika Srpska Milorad Dodik and his associates which carry considerable implications for the territorial integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Given Mr. Dodik’s continued conduct aimed at undermining the territorial integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina, we request that you impose sanctions on Mr. Dodik, and any relevant associates, pursuant to the Western Balkans Democracy and Prosperity Act, passed into law overwhelmingly as part of the Fiscal Year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) (P.L. 119-60).

We have repeatedly expressed concern over Mr. Dodik’s actions to undermine the foundational framework of the Dayton Peace Agreement—the United States-brokered peace accord that ended the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina and has guided U.S. foreign policy for more than three decades. Mr. Dodik has increasingly made secessionist demands aimed at enhancing Republika Srpska’s autonomy and challenged the authority of state-level institutions, including judicial and military bodies, as well as sustained attacks on the Office of the High Representative.

Following the Trump Administration’s October 29, 2025, decision to remove prior sanctions on Mr. Dodik and his associates, Mr. Dodik has continued secessionist rhetoric that undermines the territorial integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. While we recognize that the Trump Administration’s decision to remove Mr. Dodik and his associates from financial and visa sanctions may have reflected an attempt to put Bosnia and Herzegovina on a path to greater political stability, Mr. Dodik’s subsequent actions have made it clear that he has no interest in pursuing that path. Though Mr. Dodik no longer holds a formal position of authority in the Republika Srpska, he is still widely recognized as the leader of his party, SNSD, and has gone so far as to claim that he is still the rightful President of the Republika Srpska.

It is clear that Mr. Dodik’s recent actions merit sustained and close scrutiny. For example:

On January 9, 2026, Mr. Dodik, along with current and former Republika Srpska government officials, organized and participated in the Commemoration Ceremony of Republika Srpska Day, despite decisions of the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina regarding observance of that Day.

Following his delisting, Mr. Dodik has continued to use his public platform, particularly the social media platform “X” to advocate for policies that threaten the stability and territorial integrity of the Western Balkans. He has called for the right to self-determination for Republika Srpska, advocated for Republika Srpska to leave the Dayton Peace Agreement and has continued divisive rhetoric against Bosnia and Herzegovina’s multi-ethnic character.

On February 5, 2026, during his first visit to the United States following his delisting, Mr. Dodik’s public and private statements continued to express policy platforms that undermine U.S. policy in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Ahead of his visit, he called Sarajevo the “enemy of Republika Srpska,” claimed the right to self-determination and called for the expulsion of the High Representative.

A Canadian firm, Dickens & Madson (Canada), Inc., has been contracted by the Government of the Republika Srpska—which Mr. Dodik still exercises significant influence over—with the explicitly stated goal to “secure the support of the United States and obtain independence from Bosnia and Herzegovina,” which is in violation of the Dayton Peace Agreement.

On November 25, 2025, a Bosnian official who was recently delisted by the United States, Stasa Kosarac, sent the Office of the High Representative a Nazi-era paramilitary SS unite helmet and accused him of being ‘the occupier’ and claimed that he would soon “leave the country.” This episode is part of a sustained pattern of behavior from Mr. Dodik and his associates who have criticized and undermined the authority of the Office of the High Representative.

Section 8335 of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year FY2026 (P.L. 119-60; Title XII, Subtitle F) requires the imposition of sanctions on individuals who have “undertaken actions or policies that threaten the peace, security, stability, or territorial integrity of any areas of state in the Western Balkans.” The law, which outlines specific criteria, requires the imposition of sanctions no later than 90 days following enactment, which is March 18, 2026.

Mr. Dodik’s ongoing actions, specifically those undertaken through the government of Republika Srpska which direct lobbyists to advance independence, qualify as sanctionable activity under Section 8335 of the NDAA, given that these actions “threaten the peace, security, stability, or territorial integrity of any area or state in the Western Balkans.” We therefore call on your respective departments to make the respective determinations on the relevant persons, in accordance with the law.

We also request that you review the evidence compiled that justified Mr. Dodik’s previous designations under Executive Order 14033 to determine whether Mr. Dodik has seized to engage in acts of corruption under his patronage network.

The United States has played an important role in maintaining peace and stability in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is in our national security interest to ensure that actors who seek to undermine over thirty years of hard-fought peace are held to account before greater instability ensues. We look forward to your response.


Grassley Welcomes Trump Administration’s Record-Setting Biofuels Announcement

BUTLER COUNTY, IOWA – U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) welcomed the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) announcement raising the 2026 and 2027 Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) volume requirements for biomass-based diesel and advanced biofuels to their highest-ever levels. EPA is also taking action to incentivize domestic feedstocks over foreign imports and ensure only liquid fuels are included, not electricity. EPA estimates the rule will generate over $10 billion for rural economies and create over 100,000 new jobs in the agricultural and manufacturing sectors.

“Four biodiesel plants in Iowa closed or idled after the Biden administration set RVOs too low. With today’s announcement, President Trump and Administrator Zeldin are bringing relief for Iowa farmers and biofuel producers and for every consumer who wants lower prices at the pump. Biofuels drive economic growth in rural communities and strengthen U.S. energy independence. That’s why I’m working so hard to get year-round, nationwide E15 enacted into permanent law,” Grassley said.

As part of the announcement, foreign fuels and feedstocks will receive half the RFS compliance value compared to American-made products starting in 2028. This gives domestic biofuel producers the ability to prepare for the change and benefit over foreign competition. Last year, Grassley led over 45 Senate and House colleagues in a letter urging EPA to finalize this policy.

EPA also announced it is finalizing a 70% partial reallocation of the 2023–2025 exempted RVOs for the 2026 and 2027 compliance years. This follows a push led by Grassley and U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) urging EPA to reallocate any gallons lost through the granting of small refinery exemptions (SREs). Strong reallocation ensures more RVOs are accounted for.

Background:

Since he helped establish the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) in the Energy Policy Act of 2005, Grassley has worked to ensure the executive branch implements the law as intended. Grassley also supported the Energy Independence Security Act of 2007, which included requirements for cellulosic ethanol and set a mandatory RFS requiring fuel producers to use at least 36 billion gallons of biofuel by 2022. Grassley pushed ensuing administrations to keep to this number.

In 2023, Grassley joined the No Fuel Credits for Batteries Act to nullify a proposed Biden-era E-RINS rule that props up the electric vehicle industry while devaluing incentives for ethanol and biodiesel expansion.

Grassley has consistently led bicameral efforts to raise RVOs, including for the 2024-2025 RVOs as well as for 2026 and beyond.


Q&A: Wake-Up Call to Save Social Security

Q: What should Iowans know about the solvency of Social Security?

A: The Senate Budget Committee recently held a hearing to examine the facts facing Social Security that every American needs to know. According to the recent projections from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO), the Old-Age and Survivors Insurance (OASI) Trust Fund is on the brink of insolvency. In just six years, the fund’s reserves will be depleted. Without changes in law, revenue collected from payroll taxes will be sufficient to pay only 72% of scheduled benefits.

Enacted 90 years ago in 1935, the Social Security Act has been amended over the years to include benefits for dependents, survivors and disability insurance. Since then, the ratio of covered workers to beneficiaries has shifted significantly. In 1940, the ratio between workers paying into the system and Americans receiving benefits was nearly 160 to 1. Today, the ratio is 2.7 to 1 and declining. Simple math explains why this demographic shift is straining the financial solvency of the program.

This fiscal cliff is a wake-up call for federal policymakers, candidates for federal office and grassroots leaders. At the Senate Budget Committee hearing, lawmakers and the panel of witnesses unanimously agreed the imminent financial shortfall needs to be addressed sooner, rather than later. Social Security is part of the social fabric of America. More than 70 million Americans depend on the program for monthly benefits. That’s roughly 1 in 5 Americans. On top of that, more than 164 million Americans have earnings withheld from their paychecks through the 12.4% payroll tax that fund current benefits. Although ideological differences divide Americans on how to shore up Social Security, it’s important to know that if no changes to current law are made, recipients could see a 28% reduction in monthly benefits from 2033 to 2036, according to the latest CBO estimates. That fact alone ought to inform the urgency of the situation. Kicking the can down the road will make policy choices even more difficult.

Q: What needs to happen to shore up Social Security?


Senator Hassan Statement on Senate Vote to Fund TSA, FEMA, Coast Guard, and other Homeland Security Agencies

WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH) released the following statement after this morning’s vote to fund the Transportation Security Agency (TSA), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and other Department of Homeland Security agencies while continuing to press for common-sense reforms to ICE:

“Granite Staters count on their government to work for them and to keep them safe. The chaos at our airports is unacceptable — and so is the conduct of masked federal immigration agents, which resulted in the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis.

“For several weeks, I’ve supported efforts to fund TSA, FEMA, the Coast Guard, and other agencies at the Department of Homeland Security while Congress negotiates reforms to ICE — but President Trump refused. Thankfully, the President finally relented, and Granite Staters can breathe a sigh of relief now that the Senate passed this funding on a bipartisan basis.

“There is still significant work ahead. People in New Hampshire and across the country are demanding common-sense reforms to ICE, which would bring the agency in line with standards that local law enforcement officers are proud to meet every day. All Americans must continue to press for these reforms because the safety of our communities depends on it.”

###


Heinrich Statement on DHS Appropriations

WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), a member of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee, released the following statement after Senate Republicans agreed to Senate Democrats’ demand to fund agencies within the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) that are not responsible for immigration enforcement — including the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), and U.S. Coast Guard.

Heinrich and Senate Democrats have made 14 attempts to fund the TSA, FEMA, CISA, and Coast Guard, but Senate Republicans blocked every effort. Heinrich has stated that he will not fund DHS’ immigration enforcement efforts without any commonsense reforms to address lawlessness by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

“From the start, I’ve been clear: we must fund TSA, FEMA, and the Coast Guard. Instead, Republicans dragged out a shutdown of those entities for 41 days — forcing TSA agents to go without pay and sending Americans’ travel into turmoil — before finally agreeing to fund the parts of DHS not responsible for immigration enforcement. That chaos was entirely avoidable.

“These appropriations are a step in the right direction. And my position remains the same: I will not support funding ICE without real reforms and a restoration to the rule of law. This agency must be held to the same standards as every local law enforcement department in New Mexico and across this country.”

Heinrich remains committed to reforming and reining in DHS to get them focused on human traffickers, not harassing children, attacking communities, and killing American citizens.

For months, Heinrich, a member of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee, has voted against advancing funding for DHS without any commonsense reforms to address lawlessness by the agency.

In January, Heinrich opposed funding for DHS because it did not include commonsense reforms and made it clear that, “We need a restoration of the rule of law within immigration enforcement.” Heinrich also called on former DHS Secretary Kristi Noem to resign or be fired due to DHS’ lawlessness, including the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti.

For more information on Heinrich’s actions to protect Americans, Tribal members, and Dreamers from wrongful searches and harassment by ICE, click here.

For more information on Heinrich’s actions to support local law enforcement with the tools they need to keep our communities safe, click here.

###


Hickenlooper, Democratic Colleagues Criticize Trump Admin’s Reckless Decision to Ease Iranian Oil Sanctions During War with Iran

Trump’s decision opens up revenue streams for Iran and Russia

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator John Hickenlooper, along with 24 Senate Democratic colleagues, criticized the Trump administration’s failure to plan for economic turmoil in oil markets leading up to the war in Iran. They argue that the administration’s recent decision to ease sanctions on Russian and Iranian oil exports is reckless, generating revenue for both countries while failing to lower oil prices for Americans.

Since the war began, the price of U.S. crude oil has risen by more than 40 percent, and the average price of gas has risen by more than a dollar per gallon as a result of the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

“We write with deep concern and confusion over your administration’s recent decision to ease sanctions on Russian and Iranian oil exports,” the senators wrote. “These actions speak once again to the troubling lack of strategic foresight that has marked your administration’s decision-making prior to and during its war of choice with Iran, jeopardizing the lives of our servicemembers across the region and raising costs for Americans here at home.”

“Now that those impacts are being felt in Americans’ pocketbooks, your administration is scrambling – and failing – to contain this fallout.”

In the letter, the senators also raise concerns about the administration’s decision to ease Russian sanctions despite recent reporting that Russia has been sharing intelligence with Iran on the movements of U.S. forces in the Middle East, posing a grave risk to U.S. service members.

Easing sanctions on Russia also hands Putin a financial lifeline to further fuel his war in Ukraine. It gives Russia more revenue to manufacture bombs and drones which could then be used to target U.S. soldiers in Iran.

“We demand that you make senior officials of your Administration immediately available for public hearings in order to fully explain to the American people the rationale behind the decision to release these funds to the Russian and Iranian regimes,” the senators concluded.

Hickenlooper has consistently called out the Trump admin for launching an illegal war in Iran. He has highlighted the economic burden of Trump’s war on working Americans.

The full text of the letter is available HERE and below:

Dear President Trump:

We write with deep concern and confusion over your administration’s recent decision to ease sanctions on Russian and Iranian oil exports. These actions speak once again to the troubling lack of strategic foresight that has marked your administration’s decision-making prior to and during its war of choice with Iran, jeopardizing the lives of our servicemembers across the region and raising costs for Americans here at home.

The administration’s lack of strategic cohesion on the war in Iran is having a direct impact on the economy and is endangering our servicemembers. Open source reporting suggests that prior to starting this war of choice, you and your administration were regularly briefed on, and dismissed, the potential economic fallout of a conflict with Iran. These warnings included the regime’s likely closure of the Strait of Hormuz and the resulting severe spike in global oil prices. Now that those impacts are being felt in Americans’ pocketbooks, your administration is scrambling – and failing – to contain this fallout. The administration’s abrupt March 20 decision to waive certain sanctions on Iranian oil sales will do little to mitigate rising costs even while opening a massive source of new revenue – per press reports, as much as $14 billion – for the very regime that U.S. servicemembers are risking their lives to strike.

Open source reporting also suggests Russia began sharing sensitive intelligence with the Iranian military within the first days of the start of this conflict, including targeting information for U.S. military forces in the Middle East. Russia’s direct military support for Iran would alone make shocking your decision to ease sanctions on their oil exports, but Russia is already set to make as much as $4.9 billion from surging oil prices alone- your sanctions waiver will undoubtedly add to that sum, enabling Russian President Vladimir Putin to redouble and extend pressure on our Ukrainian partners as they struggle to defend their country against his aggression.

The war in Iran is deeply unpopular, and Americans have made clear that they do not want another costly, protracted conflict in the Middle East. The economic effects of the war are already raising costs, with Americans being asked to pay even more for gas, groceries, and travel. Relieving sanctions on U.S. adversaries during an active conflict is just the most recent indicator of an incoherent and disordered policy approach. Economic relief for Americans starts with the cessation of wars of choice, not the continuation of them.

We demand that you make senior officials of your Administration immediately available for public hearings in order to fully explain to the American people the rationale behind the decision to release these funds to the Russian and Iranian regimes.

Sincerely,

###


Hickenlooper Statement on DHS Funding Deal

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator John Hickenlooper released the following statement after the U.S. Senate unanimously passed a bill to pay TSA agents and fund FEMA without sending any new money to ICE:

“The Republicans accepted what we offered weeks ago: pay TSA workers without a single dime for ICE. But the fight does not stop here. ICE is still out of control: agents hiding behind masks, ignoring warrants, and answering to no one. We won’t give up until this agency is totally overhauled.”

After President Trump and Republicans have refused to implement any commonsense reforms to ICE, Hickenlooper voted ten times in recent weeks to pay TSA agents, pay Coast Guard officers, and fund FEMA.

Hickenlooper called on Secretary Noem to resign following the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, and voted no on Secretary Mullin’s nomination after Secretary Noem was fired by President Trump. He has been outspoken in the face of ICE’s lawlessness and demanded a top-to-bottom overhaul of the agency to stop ICE from terrorizing our communities.

He has consistently pushed for more oversight and transparency for federal immigration enforcement efforts, and has worked to help families desperately searching for loved ones arrested by ICE. In January, Hickenlooper spoke on the Senate floor to denounce the horrifying killings of Alex Pretti and Renee Good, condemn the reports that families in Eagle County found “death cards” left in the cars of family members taken by ICE agents, and to demand the overhaul of ICE. He’s shown up at ICE facilities to conduct congressional oversight visits and raise concerns about ICE disregarding due process.

Hickenlooper helped launch an investigation into ICE’s unlawful obstruction of congressional oversight and introduced bills to ban ICE from wearing masks, prevent immigration enforcement from targeting schools, hospitals, polling locations, and places of worship, and cut back the excessive funding that MAGA Republicans gave them.

###


Hoeven: Administration to Pay TSA, Senate Provides Funding for DHS in Multi-Step Process

Use OB3 Funds for ICE and CBP, Senate Republicans Plan to Do More for DHS Through Reconciliation

WASHINGTON – Senator John Hoeven issued the following statement after President Trump announced the administration will pay the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) by reprogramming funding from the One Big Beautiful Bill (OB3). While Senate Democrats continue to block funding for Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Senate Republicans are funding the remainder of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in a multi-step process, including:

Approving funding for the Coast Guard, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) today.

Utilizing OB3 funding for CBP and ICE.

Working through reconciliation to provide additional funding for DHS.

“Importantly, the President is getting our hard-working TSA agents paid utilizing funding from the One Big Beautiful Bill. When we passed OB3, we included strong funding for DHS to ensure they can complete their missions, and we can utilize these funds for CBP and ICE. At the same time, the Senate approved funding to reopen the Coast Guard, FEMA and other DHS agencies, and we plan to follow up and do more for DHS through reconciliation. It’s unfortunate that Democrats shut down DHS for more than a month and continued to move the goalposts during negotiations, but this multi-step process will ensure that DHS is funded and can complete their missions. We appreciate the hardworking TSA agents, Coast Guard members and others who have continued to keep our nation safe.”

-###-


Hoeven Statement After White House Great American Agriculture Celebration

Senator Working to Secure Additional Farm Assistance

WASHINGTON – Senator John Hoeven, Chairman of the Senate Agriculture Appropriations Committee and senior member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, issued the following statement after joining President Donald Trump, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins and farmers and ranchers from across the nation for the Great American Agriculture Celebration at the White House.

“We appreciate President Trump and Secretary Rollins for recognizing the vital contributions of our farmers and ranchers, as well as the challenges they face,” said Hoeven. “Our producers are the best in the world and it was great to be at the White House with so many of the men and women who provide the food, fuel and fiber our nation relies on. The President highlighted big wins we secured for farm country in the One Big Beautiful Bill, including critical improvements to crop insurance affordability and ARC and PLC reference prices. Importantly, the President agreed with the need for additional agriculture assistance to help get our producers to October when the One Big Beautiful Bill provisions fully kick in. We look forward to working with the administration to advance this assistance for our producers and other priorities to help keep rural America strong.”

-###-


Husted appointed to Senate Committee on Appropriations

“My overarching goal as a United States Senator for Ohio is to provide excellent service and put Ohioans first, and joining the Appropriations Committee allows me to further deliver on this mission.”

WASHINGTON – Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee announced her appointment of Sen. Jon Husted (R-Ohio) to serve on the powerful Appropriations Committee, after Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) was confirmed as Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security.

The committee is responsible for drafting legislation that allocates federal funds to government agencies, departments and organizations each fiscal year.

“My overarching goal as a United States Senator for Ohio is to provide excellent service and put Ohioans first, and joining the Senate Appropriations Committee allows me to further deliver on this mission. My assignment on Appropriations will allow me to be a stronger voice in fighting for the needs of our state while finding savings to protect hard-earned tax dollars. I’m honored Chair Collins selected me to serve, and I look forward to working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to secure Ohio priorities while helping right our financial ship,” said Husted.

“Senator Husted will be an excellent addition to the Appropriations Committee. I am confident he will be a strong partner in our work to ensure that federal spending delivers real, fiscally responsible results for both the American people and the people of Ohio,” said Chair Collins.

Husted will serve on the following subcommittees:

Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies

Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration and Related Agencies

State, Foreign Operations and Related Programs

Interior, Environment and Related Agencies

Legislative Branch

Financial Services and General Government

The Senate Appropriations Committee is the largest committee in the U.S. Senate, consisting of 29 members in the 119th Congress. Its role is defined by the U.S. Constitution, which requires “appropriations made by law” prior to the expenditure of any money from the federal treasury. Within the Senate Appropriations Committee, there are 12 subcommittees.

The full committee and its subcommittees draft legislation that funds federal government agencies. Each appropriations subcommittee reviews the president’s budget request, gathers testimony from government officials and drafts funding legislation for the coming fiscal year. The full Appropriations Committee will review and modify the bills in the markup process and approve them for consideration by the full Senate.


Husted joins bill to provide regulatory certainty for digital commodities

“If the United States is going to lead in digital assets, we need a framework that is clear, practical and supports innovation and job creation here at home.”

WASHINGTON – Sen. Jon Husted (R-Ohio) today joined Sen. John Boozman’s (R-Ark.) Digital Commodity Intermediaries Act. This bill would provide new authority to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) to regulate digital commodities and strengthen consumer protections for the emerging market.

“Congress is overdue in providing the regulatory certainty and consumer protections the digital asset space needs. This bill represents an important first step toward delivering that clarity. If the United States is going to lead in digital assets, we need a framework that is clear, practical and supports innovation and job creation here at home. I look forward to working with my colleagues to move this legislation forward. We must also advance broader efforts to establish a strong, modern market structure bill that protects consumers, gives developers confidence to build in the United States and allows this technology to grow responsibly,” said Husted.

“This is a critical step toward creating clear rules for digital asset markets. Advancing this bill brings us closer to a U.S. regulatory framework that protects consumers while allowing American innovation and businesses to thrive. There’s still more work ahead, but I’m proud to lead this important effort and hopeful this will build momentum in the Senate to advance this legislation,” said Boozman.

The Digital Commodity Intermediaries Act would address key issues by developing a regulatory framework for digital assets that includes:

A clear legal definition of digital commodities and the establishment of a spot market digital commodity intermediary regulatory regime with the CFTC;

Robust consumer protections including customer fund segregation requirements, conflict of interest safeguards and appropriate customer disclosure requirements;

A trading registration regime designed to facilitate and onshore liquid and resilient regulated markets while protecting retail participants;

Requirements for the CFTC and SEC to coordinate and collaborate on necessary inter-agency rulemakings;

Robust protections for software developers and innovative technology; and

A new funding stream for the CFTC to stand up a spot market regulatory regime.

The Digital Commodity Intermediaries Act passed the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry with a vote of 12-11 on Feb. 2, 2026.


Sens. Hagerty, Alsobrooks introduce bill to expand deposit insurance coverage

By Dave Kovaleski

U.S. Sens. Bill Hagerty (R-TN) and Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD) introduced legislation that expands deposit insurance coverage for noninterest-bearing transaction accounts.

The Main Street Depositor Protection Act directs the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) to set a new cap between $250,000 and $5 million of additional deposit insurance coverage for noninterest-bearing transaction accounts at eligible banks and credit unions. The bill seeks to enhance overall financial stability and strengthen small and mid-sized lenders.

“The banks that serve Main Street must have the same chance to succeed as the banks that serve Wall Street,” Hagerty said. “This bipartisan, bicameral bill advances the Administration’s priority of preserving the central role of regional and community banks in the financial system of the future. It’s narrowly targeted to address a very specific concern that manifested itself in the events surrounding the collapse of Silicon Valley bank — a run on non-interest bearing transaction accounts typically used to make payrolls by small businesses that are very important customers for our local and regional banks.”

Sens. Jim Banks (R-IN), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), and Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), cosponsored the bipartisan bill.

“This bipartisan legislation would require a data driven process to increase deposit insurance coverage levels for business checking accounts at most banks and credit unions. Our small businesses are the backbone of the American economy, and they often rely on community banks and credit unions. Responsibly raising the deposit insurance threshold will protect employees and businesses in times of crisis and strengthen our overall financial system,” Alsobrooks said.

U.S. Rep. Frank Lucas (R-OK) introduced companion legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives.

“The Main Street Depositor Protection Act ensures banks of all sizes continue to play a fundamental role in driving economic growth in their communities,” Lucas said. “I’m proud to support President Trump’s Main Street agenda by introducing a targeted bill that preserves Oklahoma banks’ competitiveness and enhances financial stability across the nation.”

The legislation is supported by the The Independent Community Bankers of America, the Mid-Size Bank Coalition of America, and the Tennessee Bankers Association, among other groups.


Kaine & Gallego Lead Letter Pressing Trump Administration About Decision to Ease Sanctions on Russia and Iran

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) led their colleagues in a letter pressing the Trump Administration about its decision to ease sanctions on Russian and Iranian oil exports and its lack of planning regarding the economic fallout of President Donald Trump’s war of choice against Iran. Since the war began, the price of U.S. crude oil has risen by more than 40 percent, and the average price of gasoline has risen by more than a dollar per gallon as a result of the closure of the Strait of Hormuz—something that President Trump and his top national security advisers were warned about prior to the start of the war.

“We write with deep concern and confusion over your administration’s recent decision to ease sanctions on Russian and Iranian oil exports,” wrote the members. “These actions speak once again to the troubling lack of strategic foresight that has marked your administration’s decision-making prior to and during its war of choice with Iran, jeopardizing the lives of our servicemembers across the region and raising costs for Americans here at home.”

“Open source reporting suggests that prior to starting this war of choice, you and your administration were regularly briefed on, and dismissed, the potential economic fallout of a conflict with Iran. These warnings included the regime’s likely closure of the Strait of Hormuz and the resulting severe spike in global oil prices,” the senators continued. “Now that those impacts are being felt in Americans’ pocketbooks, your administration is scrambling – and failing – to contain this fallout.”

In the letter, the senators also raise concerns about easing Russian sanctions given recent reporting that Russia has been sharing intelligence with Iran regarding the movements of U.S. forces in the Middle East, and the risks both of these decisions pose to U.S. servicemembers.

The senators wrote, “The economic effects of the war are already raising costs, with Americans being asked to pay even more for gas, groceries, and travel. Relieving sanctions on U.S. adversaries during an active conflict is just the most recent indicator of an incoherent and disordered policy approach.”

“We demand that you make senior officials of your Administration immediately available for public hearings in order to fully explain to the American people the rationale behind the decision to release these funds to the Russian and Iranian regimes,” the senators concluded.

In addition to Kaine and Gallego, the letter was cosigned by U.S. Senators Jack Reed (D-RI), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Chris Coons (D-DE), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Angus King (I-ME), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Ron Wyden (D-OR), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Gary Peters (D-MI), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Dick Durbin (D-IL), and Mazie Hirono (D-HI).

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

Dear President Trump:

We write with deep concern and confusion over your administration’s recent decision to ease sanctions on Russian and Iranian oil exports. These actions speak once again to the troubling lack of strategic foresight that has marked your administration’s decision-making prior to and during its war of choice with Iran, jeopardizing the lives of our servicemembers across the region and raising costs for Americans here at home.

The administration’s lack of strategic cohesion on the war in Iran is having a direct impact on the economy and is endangering our servicemembers. Open source reporting suggests that prior to starting this war of choice, you and your administration were regularly briefed on, and dismissed, the potential economic fallout of a conflict with Iran. These warnings included the regime’s likely closure of the Strait of Hormuz and the resulting severe spike in global oil prices. Now that those impacts are being felt in Americans’ pocketbooks, your administration is scrambling – and failing – to contain this fallout. The administration’s abrupt March 20 decision to waive certain sanctions on Iranian oil sales will do little to mitigate rising costs even while opening a massive source of new revenue – per press reports, as much as $14 billion – for the very regime that U.S. servicemembers are risking their lives to strike.

Open source reporting also suggests Russia began sharing sensitive intelligence with the Iranian military within the first days of the start of this conflict, including targeting information for U.S. military forces in the Middle East. Russia’s direct military support for Iran would alone make shocking your decision to ease sanctions on their oil exports, but Russia is already set to make as much as $4.9 billion from surging oil prices – your sanctions waiver will undoubtedly add to that sum, enabling Russian President Vladimir Putin to redouble and extend pressure on our Ukrainian partners as they struggle to defend their country against his aggression.

The war in Iran is deeply unpopular, and Americans have made clear that they do not want another costly, protracted conflict in the Middle East. The economic effects of the war are already raising costs, with Americans being asked to pay even more for gas, groceries, and travel. Relieving sanctions on U.S. adversaries during an active conflict is just the most recent indicator of an incoherent and disordered policy approach. Economic relief for Americans starts with the cessation of wars of choice, not the continuation of them.

We demand that you make senior officials of your Administration immediately available for public hearings in order to fully explain to the American people the rationale behind the decision to release these funds to the Russian and Iranian regimes.

Sincerely,

###


Kaine Statement on Senate Passage of Funding for TSA, CISA, Coast Guard & Other Critical Entities Within DHS

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) released the following statement after Senate Republicans relented and agreed to fund the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), Coast Guard, and other entities within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) that keep Americans safe, while negotiations regarding Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) continue in the wake of Trump Administration’s unleashing of chaos and violence in our communities, leading to the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti:

“After objecting to nine attempts by Democrats to fund the TSA, Republicans finally relented. Rather than pass commonsense legislation to fund these agencies and address the chaos at America’s airports, Republicans spent all week inflicting needless pain on travelers, trying to disenfranchise millions of American citizens from voting, and defending Trump’s deeply unpopular war in Iran. I’m glad they came to their senses and I’ll do all that I can to push for safeguards to ensure that our immigration laws are enforced in a way that doesn’t cause chaos and violence and waste taxpayer dollars.”

Democrats tried to pass legislation to fund the TSA on March 5, March 11, March 12, March 18, March 19 (twice), March 21, March 23, and March 25, but Republicans blocked the bills each time.

###


ICYMI: At American AI Festival, Kelly Previews New Legislation to Bring Communities in as AI Infrastructure Expands

“If America is going to lead in AI, we’ve got to invest in the people, workers, and systems that make that leadership possible.”

In case you missed it, Arizona Senator Mark Kelly spoke at Seed AI’s American AI Festival to give a preview of the legislation he’s working on to make sure communities have a seat at the table as AI infrastructure projects expand across the country.

Building on his AI for America roadmap released last year, Kelly explained his bill will bring developers and communities together early on, ensuring hard-working Americans reap the benefits of a modern, AI-driven economy.

On the stakes of getting AI right…

“AI has real promise—more productivity, better healthcare, faster scientific discovery. But we’ve got to be honest about something: if we don’t get this right, people across this country are going to be the ones who end up paying the price and who will be left behind.”

On his AI for America roadmap and investing in workers and infrastructure…

“That’s why I put out my AI for America roadmap. It’s focused on closing the gaps—workforce and infrastructure—and making sure innovation strengthens the families and small businesses that power our economy, instead of putting more strain on them. Because if America is going to lead in AI, we’ve got to invest in the people, workers, and systems that make that leadership possible.”

On the need to work with communities—not around them—to build faster…

“Communities across the country have been left out of the AI boom. Giant companies are proposing planning and building large infrastructure projects without local input. Decisions get made. Plans get drawn up. And then communities are told what’s coming with no real answers about how it’s going to impact their utility bills or quality of life. That’s just wrong. And it’s not going to work. If you want to build faster, you’ve got to talk to the local community and work with them on what the project will mean for their jobs, their town, and their cost of living. You have to make it clear they’re better off with the project than without it.”

On his proposal to bring developers and communities together early in the process…

“Building on the ideas from my AI for America roadmap, I’ve been working on a new bill to do exactly that. It’s pretty simple: bring developers and communities together at the beginning to work through the details—what a project means for energy, water, infrastructure, and jobs—and put real commitments on the table. The people building the data centers commit to delivering real, long-term benefits for communities like local hiring, paying for infrastructure, and keeping utility rates low. My framework includes public input, clear timelines, and enforceable agreements—so communities and workers have a real say in how these projects take shape, and developers have the certainty they need to move forward. Clear expectations. Tangible community benefits. Real accountability. No surprises.”


Kelly, Deluzio Introduce Bill to Address Cost of Living Emergency in America

Today, Arizona Senator Mark Kelly (D-AZ) and Representative Chris Deluzio (D-PA-17) introduced legislation to address the cost of living emergency that American families are facing as the price of basic goods and utility bills go up and become more unpredictable. The Cost of Living Emergency Actputs the focus on American families, not Wall Street, andmakes it easier to hold corporations that price-gouge accountable, to prevent sudden spikes in household bills, and to provide immediate relief when essential costs rise.

“Families across Arizona are crunching numbers. ‘Do we buy groceries or pay the electric bill? Do we fill up the gas tank or cover the kids’ school supplies?’ These aren’t choices any family should have to make in America,” said Senator Kelly. “It’s time for Washington to stop obsessing over Wall Street and start addressing the real economic pressures crushing working families.”

“In Western Pennsylvania and across the country: people are working hard, following the rules, but still cannot afford their lives—and don’t get their earned slice of the American Dream,” said Congressman Deluzio. “This country is in a cost of living emergency, and it’s time that Washington prioritizes it like the top issue it is for hardworking Americans. I am proud to join Senator Mark Kelly to introduce this Cost-of-Living Emergency Act. Let’s get the Congress muscling up the American Dream and making life less of a ripoff.”

“Our members are working hard, doing everything right, and still struggling to keep up with the rising cost of groceries, housing, and health care. Senator Kelly’s Cost of Living Emergency Act recognizes what workers have been saying for years: this is an emergency, and it’s time for real action. We support this effort to hold corporations accountable, bring down costs, and give working people and their families a fair shot at getting ahead,” said Jim McLaughlin, President of UFCW Local 99 and President of Arizona AFL-CIO.

“I spent years working in a grocery store, and because of my union, I was able to provide for my family. But I also saw firsthand how rising costs impact working families. When people are forced to choose between paying bills or putting food on the table, that’s an emergency. Senator Kelly’s Cost of Living Emergency Act treats it like one, focusing on real solutions to lower costs and make life more affordable for working people. That’s the kind of leadership we need right now,” said Fred Yamashita, Secretary-Treasurer and Executive Director of Arizona AFL-CIO.

The AFL-CIO is a supporter of the Cost of Living Emergency Act.

Kelly has been working to lower costs for working families, including the rising costs of food, housing, and health care. He has introduced legislation to suspend the federal gas tax amid rising gas prices driven by Trump’s war in Iran and to provide tax cuts for millions of working Americans by raising taxes on millionaires.

Background:

The Cost of Living Emergency Act recognizes that the federal government should respond immediately to bring down costs for the American people. During the period outlined in the bill, the following actions must be taken:

Restructures the Council of Economic Advisers: Requires the White House Council of Economic Advisers (CEA) to prioritize economic analysis focused on the cost of groceries, housing, utilities, health care, and transportation, as well as on wage growth. The bill requires the Administration to name a special advisor to lead on each of these areas. The special advisors will coordinate interagency efforts to reduce costs, host public listening sessions, and provide reports to Congress.

Establishes a Cost of Living Emergency Office: Establishes a new office at the White House to coordinate government-wide efforts to lower costs. The office must also produce a quarterly “State of Household Budgets” report to track whether wages are keeping up with regular costs.

Requires Household Costs Impact Statements: Requires the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs to include a “Household Costs Impact Statement” alongside each new regulation promulgated during the cost of living emergency.

Mandates Emergency Enforcement of Price Gouging Laws: Establishes a joint task force between the Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission to investigate suspected anticompetitive, deceptive, unfair and illegal pricing practices such as price gouging, price-fixing, and price discrimination for essential goods and services.

Invokes the Defense Production Act: Utilizes the Defense Production Act to identify and mitigate supply chain bottlenecks. Any activity undertaken under this authority must be supported by empirical data that shows it will lower costs.

Creates a Congressional Cost of Living Commission: This 12-member bipartisan commission will develop legislative proposals for actions to lower costs for American families, which may be considered through expedited procedures.


Kelly, Murray, Murkowski Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Address Root Causes of Youth Homelessness

Legislation would authorize $105 million per year to prevent youth homelessness

Today, Senators Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Patty Murray (D-WA), and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) introduced the bipartisan Preventing Youth Homelessness Demonstration Act to address the root causes of youth homelessness and expand prevention and support services for at-risk young people. The bill would authorize $105 million for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Administration for Children and Families (ACF) to invest in community-based solutions such as resource helplines, case management, and support groups.

This legislation will build off the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)’s Youth Homelessness Demonstration Program by addressing the conditions that contribute to youth homelessness and providing effective resources and support for young people and families who need them most.

“Every young person deserves the stability of a home,” said Senator Kelly. “Right now, too many in Arizona and across the country are at risk of losing their housing. By stepping in earlier and supporting families before a crisis, we can keep kids stable, secure, and on a path to opportunity.”

“No one should be homeless in America but especially not our kids—this is an issue Republicans and Democrats can come together on to make sure all of our kids have a safe place to call home,” said Senator Murray. “That’s why I’m working across the aisle to create these new grant programs that address the root causes of youth homelessness head on. We know what works. If our communities have the resources they need, we can prevent youth homelessness. I will not stop fighting to make sure we have the resources we need to ensure every young person has a roof over their head.”

“Better equipping local leaders to take a comprehensive approach to addressing youth homelessness in Alaska and around the country must be a priority,” said Senator Murkowksi. “The grant programs established through this legislation will give communities both the resources and the mechanisms to understand the root causes of youth homelessness and work upstream to identify and implement prevention measures to keep young people housed, safe, and supported.”

“Youth homelessness is preventable, but only if communities have dedicated resources to identify young people at risk and connect them with effective support. SchoolHouse Connection is proud to endorse this legislation and thanks Senators Murray and Murkowski for their leadership on this critical issue. This bill reflects an important understanding: preventing youth homelessness requires targeted investment in upstream interventions, strong local partnerships, and a real federal commitment to helping young people and families achieve stability before they enter crisis,” said Barbara Duffield, Executive Director, SchoolHouse Connection.

“For 37 years Covenant House Alaska has been the safe haven for youth experiencing homelessness and trafficking due to systems failure, unfortunate family circumstances, and a host of other reasons that made the street their final attempt to escape what were unimaginable situations. For the past two and a half years and for the foreseeable future we, along with support from our federal delegation, our local provider partners and our amazingly dedicated staff, will be focused on preventing young people in Alaska from ever being or feeling afraid of being homeless and the horrible experiences that inevitably set in motion years of insecurity and disfunction. We aim to end youth homelessness as we know it and our first full attempt in the form of a demonstration project has shown us that this is possible,” said Alison Kear, Chief Executive Officer, Covenant House Alaska.


WATCH: In SASC Hearing, Kelly Raises Concerns About “Golden Dome” Missile Defense and China’s Growing Space Capabilities

This week, during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on the posture of U.S. Space Command and U.S. Strategic Command, Arizona Senator and Navy combat veteran Mark Kelly raised concerns about the cost, feasibility, and strategic implications of the administration’s proposed “Golden Dome” missile defense system, while also warning about China’s rapidly advancing space capabilities.

Kelly questioned whether the “Golden Dome” missile defense system could realistically work at the scale envisioned, cautioning against massive spending on a system that may not deliver: “I understand the argument that a more robust missile defense architecture could strengthen deterrence by denial and provide additional protection for the homeland, but at scale, this becomes a question of cost, capability, and plain physics. One of my big concerns is that we spend $500 billion, $1 trillion, we get to the end of the timeline, and we have a system that just fundamentally does not work or does not work well enough to increase deterrence.”

Kelly also raised alarm about China’s recent satellite activity, including a potential first-of-its-kind on-orbit refueling demonstration, warning it could significantly expand China’s ability to operate in space: “There have been reports that last year, China’s SJ 5, SJ 21 maneuvered, we think they may have done a satellite refueling experiment. If confirmed, this would be the first time that a satellite in GEO refueled another. That’s my understanding. That represents a significant leap, not just in sustainment, but in China’s capability to discuss operations. Taken together with their captors’ basic abilities, they are building a dynamic and maneuvered approach to space, one that would allow them to persist on orbit longer, reposition assets and potentially hold U.S. systems at risk.”

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

Sen. Kelly: Admiral, I want to start with you, talk about missile defense and “Golden Dome.” As I understand, the architecture and visions to a much more expansive, layered system capable of defending against large-scale missile threats. Maybe including up to a salvo from pure adversaries. That kind of vision requires a large number of interceptors far beyond our current inventories. We are talking about different ways about how we can do this. But also increasingly sophisticated electromagnetic countermeasures to deal with decoys, jamming, other countermeasures. It’s a complicated problem. We could be seeing issues with trying to intercept ICBM’s that are on trajectories on different orbital inclinations because of the latitude they are launching from. Some land-based, some see based. Admiral, how do you assess the operational feasibility of this approach? I understand the argument that a more robust missile defense architecture could strengthen deterrence by denial and provide additional protection for the homeland, but at scale, this becomes a question of cost, capability, and plain physics. One of my big concerns is that we spend $500 billion, $1 trillion, we get to the end of the timeline, and we have a system that just fundamentally does not work or does not work well enough to increase deterrence.

Admiral Richard A. Correll: From my perspective, senator, the work initially on the sensor layer and the capability to detect and track advanced missiles, that would be advanced hypersonics, advanced cruise missiles, fractional bombardment capability. That is step one in architecture that we are talking about.

Sen. Kelly: I also agree, I see the benefit in that. Hypersonic glide vehicles being able to maneuver, coming from a nonstandard let’s say direction is something we have to focus on. It is like the bigger picture of a salvo, being able to intercept multiple rounds coming at us simultaneously.

Admiral Correll: Yes, senator. There is a universe of capabilities and efforts associated with that. You talk about space-based interceptors. That is one technology that we will need to mature to see what the limits are of that in terms of interception capabilities. Gen. Guetlein is approaching it from a kill chain perspective, understanding the whole system that goes into the ability to launch an attack against the U.S. That includes looking closely at left of launch capabilities. You are looking at left of launch, initial launch, boost phase, and the full range of capabilities there in terms of golden dome for America.

Sen. Kelly: You think we can build something that achieves the requirements?

Admiral Correll: I think we are going to advance our understanding and capabilities considerably without effort, yes, senator.

Sen. Kelly: Thank you. General, there have been reports that last year, China’s SJ 5, SJ 21 maneuvered, we think they may have done a satellite refueling experiment. If confirmed, this would be the first time that a satellite in GEO refueled another. That’s my understanding. That represents a significant leap, not just in sustainment, but in China’s capability to discuss operations. Taken together with their captors’ basic abilities, they are building a dynamic and maneuvered approach to space, one that would allow them to persist on orbit longer, reposition assets and potentially hold U.S. Systems at risk. Can you comment about your concern, what steps we should be taking to counter that, or build our own capability to be able to match the on-orbit persistence?


Senator Kim’s Statement on Senate Passing Department of Homeland Security Funding Without One Dollar for ICE

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Through 2:20 AM this morning, Senator Kim was on the Senate Floor to echo Americans’ demands during final debate of a Department of Homeland Security funding bill, which passed the Senate with zero additional funding for United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). He released the following statement after the vote:

“We said not another dime to ICE while this lawlessness and corruption continues; we’ve kept that promise.

“We’ve also kept our promise to make sure our airports are fully staffed through TSA, and our communities have the support they need through FEMA.

“Americans will not stand for Stephen Miller and Donald Trump weaponizing our own government against us — Congress must stand with the American people and fight until we deliver the reforms to ICE they deserve.”

WATCH SENATOR KIM’S REMARKS FROM THE SENATE FLOOR EARLY THIS MORNING

###


King, Murkowski Introduce Legislation to Strengthen American Fisheries

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Angus King (I-ME) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) have introduced legislation to strengthen the American seafood industry by treating it the same as the nation’s farmlands. The American Seafood Competitiveness Act would expand access to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) loan and grant programs for commercial fishermen, seafood processors, and mariculture-related businesses. The legislation would also expand Farm Credit eligibility to businesses providing services to fisherman and fish processors.

“Whether your crops have seeds or scales, America’s food producers are essential to our economy and food supply, so we should seek economic parity for the men and women who work in the seafood industry,” said Senator King. “The American Seafood Competitiveness Act would help level the playing field and ensure our lobstermen and shellfish growers have access to the resources they need to grow and compete. That way, we can ensure the ‘Way Life Should Be’ for generations to come.”

“In Alaska, agriculture isn’t just cattle and livestock in Delta Junction or carrot farms in Palmer—it also includes kelp farms in Douglas, oyster operations on Prince of Wales Island, and gillnetters in Bristol Bay harvesting our world-class salmon,” said Senator Murkowski. “These uniquely Alaska enterprises have been left out of some of America’s agricultural landscape, yet they play a vital role in our food security across the state. It’s past time our fishing and mariculture industries can access the same financing opportunities as farmers in the heartland.”

More specifically the American Seafood Competitiveness Act would:

Amend the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act to include commercial fishing and fish processing as eligible agricultural activities under USDA programs.

Include wild-caught fish and shellfish as eligible agricultural products under USDA’s Local Agricultural Market Program and allow USDA to waive or reduce matching fund requirements, lowering barriers for small and rural operators.

Update USDA regulations to ensure seafood processors can access financing to acquire or upgrade processing facilities and address significant operating costs.

Expand eligibility for USDA farm ownership and operating loans to allow fishermen to purchase permits, acquire vessels, make capital improvements, and cover operating and maintenance costs.

Broaden Farm Credit eligibility to businesses that support fishermen and fish processors, providing access to lending from Farm Credit institutions similar to that available to farm-related businesses.

Create additional financing options for coastal businesses and rural communities that rely on the seafood economy, in the same manner as those supported by traditional agriculture.

The American Seafood Competitiveness Act would recognize the seafood industry’s role as “farmers of the sea” by ensuring they have the same opportunities as traditional farmers.


Klobuchar Recognizes Annunciation Student Awarded with Citizen Honors Award

From Left to right: Victor’s mother Annie Greenawalt, Victor Greenawalt, and Senator Klobuchar.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) joined 11-year-old Victor Greenawalt from Minneapolis and his family as he was recognized by the Congressional Medal of Honor Society with their Citizen Honors Award as the 2026 Young Hero Honoree. Victor was recognized for demonstrating "extraordinary bravery beyond his years" during the Annunciation Catholic School shooting when he used his body to shield his fellow classmate, Weston Halsne.

“When Victor Greenawalt leaped in front of gunfire to protect his friend during the tragic mass shooting at Annunciation Catholic School, he acted selflessly to keep others safe,” said Klobuchar. “He was awarded a Citizen Honor Award from the Congressional Medal of Honor Society for his bravery, and I had the opportunity to meet and thank Victor for his courage, which inspired us all.”

Each year, the Congressional Medal of Honor Society conducts a nationwide search to identify five citizens and one organization to receive the Citizen Honors Awards, a distinction reserved for those who choose courage over comfort and service over self. The Citizen Honors Awardees are personally selected and recognized by our nation's living Medal of Honor Recipients, Americans who themselves went above and beyond the call of duty and who understand, at the deepest level, the true cost of courage.

###