Graham Statement on Senate Passage of Comprehensive Housing Legislation

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) today made this statement after voting for the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act. The Senate approved this legislation by a vote of 89 to 10.

“I am pleased that the Senate has passed this landmark housing legislation. By removing burdensome regulations and cutting red tape, American families can look forward to lower housing costs on the horizon.

“I appreciate Senator Tim Scott and President Trump’s leadership on this legislation and am proud to stand with them in addressing one of the most important economic issues of our time.

“When people think about the concept of the American Dream, one of the key components of that idea is home ownership. The cost of buying a house has skyrocketed across the nation, putting that dream out of reach for many hardworking families.

“South Carolina has not been immune to this trend. As one of the fastest growing states in the nation, it is critical that the supply of housing is vastly expanded across South Carolina to meet our state’s growing needs. This legislation helps meet that need, and I’m glad it passed overwhelmingly.”


Luján Presses Bureau of Reclamation to Fully Fund and Complete the Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project

Bureau of Reclamation Commits to Review Hold Up in Funding Following Luján Questioning

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), a member of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, questioned Scott Cameron, Acting Commissioner at Bureau of Reclamation, regarding fully funding and completing the Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project. During the Committee on Indian Affairs hearing, Senator Luján’s questioning focused on why the Bureau of Reclamation has not released $120 million in funding for the Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project from the Reclamation Water Settlements Fund and underscored the urgent need to fund and complete the project.

An excerpt of the exchange is available below. Full video is available here.

Senator Luján: Mr. Cameron, President Trump’s budget request of FY27—I think you are aware of a letter that myself, House colleagues, Senate colleagues, Democrats and Republicans sent to the secretary. We included you on the letter advocating for support of the Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project.

Now, we were all disappointed with the lack of funding requested from the administration on the project in FY2026, and I certainly hope we don’t see that in the FY2027, which is why you have a group of Democrats and Republicans writing about this. So there’s not a question.

Now, as a result, I was proud to work with the leadership and the staff in this room, and I want to commend them and thank them all for the work that was done to secure $55 million in CDS to keep the project moving.

In addition to that, the leadership on this committee also provided support, as did all of our colleagues, to provide use and access to the Bureau of Reclamation—$120 million from the Water Settlement Fund. As you’re aware, I appreciate that acknowledgment. As you may know, this project is still waiting for the $120 million in funding to be assigned to the Navajo-Gallup Water Project.

Just as a reminder: if this project fails, it would be the first to fail. Once we know one fails, they all fail, and we do not want to see the first one fail. So, Secretary, I’m hoping I can get your commitment today that the funding will come through and that you will do everything you can to keep this project on track.

Mr. Cameron: I can’t speak to the president’s 2027 budget, but as you know very well, Senator, the Navajo-Gallup Project is the number one priority for the Water Settlement Fund, and we are doing everything we can to deliver on time on that project. It’s the biggest construction project in the Bureau of Reclamation.

Senator Luján: Can you speak to the $120 million at BOR now in the Water Settlement Fund, which we know exists? That money exists. Can you give us a timeline as to when that will be transferred over, since it has already been approved by Congress?

Mr. Cameron: I will have to look into that, Senator. I frankly was not aware of there being a holdup on that. But that’s the first thing I will do when I get back to the office.

Background:

Senator Luján has long supported efforts to fund and complete the Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project.Senator Luján introduced the original Navajo-Gallup Water Supply legislation in the House of Representatives when he represented New Mexico’s 3rd Congressional District. That original authorization was part of the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009.

The Navajo Gallup Water Supply Project settled the Navajo Nation’s water rights in the San Juan Basin of New Mexico and funded the design and construction of the waterline to reach an estimated 250,000 people by the year 2040. Upon completion, the Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project will provide a long-term, sustainable water supply from the San Juan River to roughly 43 Chapters on the eastern Navajo Nation, the southwestern portion of the Jicarilla Apache Nation, and the City of Gallup, which currently rely on a rapidly depleting groundwater supply of poor quality.

In January 2026, Senator Luján secured $55 million to support the Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project in the Fiscal Year 2026 Energy and Water Development appropriations bill. Senator Luján also raised the project’s cost ceiling to allow the Bureau of Reclamation to release $120 million for Fiscal Year 2026 for the Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project through its Reclamation Water Settlements Fund.

In July 2025, Senator Luján pressed nominee for Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs, Billy Kirkland, on commitment to fund and complete the Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project.

In March 2025, Senator Luján passed the Navajo Gallup Water Supply Project Amendments out of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs. The bill amends the Navajo Gallup Water Supply Project to ensure it has the resources and time needed to reach completion to deliver drinking water to northwestern New Mexico communities.

In January 2025, Senator Luján announced $120 million for Fiscal Year 2025 for the Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project using funding from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation’s Reclamation Water Settlements Fund.

In August 2024, Senator Luján and the N.M. Delegation welcomed a $267 million Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project contract to design and build the San Juan Lateral Water Treatment Plant in northwest New Mexico. The plant is the largest and most important feature of the Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project.

For more information about the Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project, click here.

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Luján Statement on Viewing Unredacted Epstein Files at DOJ

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) issued the following statement after visiting the Department of Justice (DOJ) to view the unredacted Epstein files:

“Today made one thing very clear: horrific and disturbing acts occurred on the Zorro Ranch property near Stanley, New Mexico, and more investigations must be conducted to deliver the full truth and long-overdue justice for Epstein’s victims.

“It has been 113 days since the Senate passed my Epstein Files Transparency Act. President Trump is breaking the law every day by not releasing all the files and denying victims accountability for Epstein’s crimes. This administration must comply with the law and release all of the files immediately.”

Senators Luján and Merkley introduced the Epstein Files Transparency Act earlier this year to ensure full transparency for the American people, accountability for those involved with Epstein, and justice for victims.

Yesterday, Senator Luján called for an independent audit and report to Congress about the DOJ’s practices in redacting information of the public release of the Epstein Files.

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ICYMI: Fox News Op-Ed from Sen. Lummis: Don’t hand China the nuclear future – build it here at home

Washington, D.C. — Senate Western Caucus Chair Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) published an op-ed this morning in Fox News highlighting how the United States – and Wyoming – are seizing the moment to lead in nuclear energy and working to avoid handing the nuclear future to China.

Read the full op-ed here and below.

FOX NEWS | SEN CYNTHIA LUMMIS: Don’t hand China the nuclear future — build it here at home

Wyoming has always been, and will always be, an energy state. Wyoming has been powering this country for over a century. If you look at the Wyoming state flag, specifically the seal in the middle of the bison, there is a miner pictured to represent the priority we have long placed on powering the country. Most people think of coal, oil, natural gas and other mineral resources when they think about our state. But Wyoming is also leading the way when it comes to the nuclear energy industry.

The incredible demand for energy, both here at home and worldwide, driven by the artificial intelligence boom, is not slowing down anytime soon. This industry requires vast amounts of reliable baseload power, and the countries that can deliver it will control the next era of economic and technological leadership.

…

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s (NRC) approval last week of a construction permit for TerraPower’s Kemmerer Power Station, a sodium-cooled advanced nuclear reactor to be built in western Wyoming, is a big deal for our state. The approval of this permit is proof that when industry and government operate with focus, efficiency and integrity, America can build tomorrow’s technologies right here at home in a reasonable regulatory timeframe. The NRC, under President Trump’s leadership, has delivered on this approval ahead of its own timeline, demonstrating that America is serious about leading in this industry.

Wyoming sits atop the largest uranium deposits in the country. During the Cold War, Wyoming was one of the nation’s top uranium producers — a legacy that didn’t disappear, it’s been waiting for the right moment to return. With the right regulatory framework and private sector investment, that moment is now. Wyoming miners and energy workers have the experience and the tools to extract these resources responsibly, and to help safely expand nuclear power across the country.

This policy fight is larger than one single community or facility. It is about reclaiming America’s nuclear fuel supply chain from our adversaries and restoring next-generation nuclear energy production here at home. For decades, we made the costly mistake of purchasing uranium from Russia. I proudly led the successful congressional effort to ban that practice, and today President Trump, Interior Secretary Burgum and Energy Secretary Wright are working to rebuild America’s uranium and nuclear supply chain from the ground up. We cannot afford to depend on foreign powers for any resource’s fundamental to our energy security.

Both China and Russia have rapidly boosted nuclear energy production in the last 10 years and are aggressively working to export their own nuclear technology. Countries around the world are interested in embracing nuclear energy, and it is vital that Wyoming and the United States lead the way instead of surrendering that economic opportunity, technology and mining dominance to our competitors. China leads the world in nuclear reactor construction, with over 30 new plants underway. But they aren’t just building them for themselves. Beijing desperately wants to export their nuclear technology around the world, and tie other countries to Chinese designs and Chinese supply chains for decades to come.

Wyoming isn’t going to let that happen without a fight. The Kemmerer Power Station puts us at the front of this race. It will power our communities, put Wyoming workers to work, and show the rest of the world how next-generation nuclear energy actually gets done.

Wyoming has always been, and will always be, an energy state. It’s what we do, it’s our expertise, and we are proud of it. As America’s energy and electricity needs grow, Wyoming must be the state to meet the demand and provide it at a price that American families and companies can afford. I believe that nuclear power will be a critical component of the baseload playbook for the future.

The Trump administration has worked extremely hard to ensure that our energy grid will continue to be secure and loaded. Wyoming is not just ready for the energy future; we are leading it.

U.S. Sen. Cynthia Lummis is a Republican from Wyoming who sits on the Senate Banking, Commerce, and Environment and Public Works committees.

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Senate Western Caucus Members Push for Commonsense Cold Weather Diesel Reliability Act

Washington, D.C.—Senate Western Caucus Chair Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) and Vice Chair Dan Sullivan (R-AK) today called on the Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee to pass the Cold Weather Diesel Reliability Act with bipartisan support. They were joined by fellow Caucus and Committee member Senator Pete Ricketts (R-NE).

The Cold Weather Diesel Reliability Act would update current Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations that cause diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) system malfunctions that can force diesel engines to shut down in extreme cold. These malfunctions cause critical delays that impact emergency vehicle response times and cause agriculture supply chain problems.

Witnesses included Todd Fornstrom, a fourth-generation farmer who served nine terms as president of the Wyoming Farm Bureau, and Ryan Anderson, commissioner of the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (DOT&PF). Anderson testified that 70%–80% of diesel equipment issues in Alaska are related to DEF.

Here’s what the Senate Western Caucus members said:

“The EPA under Biden knew the DEF systems didn’t work well and posed a risk to public safety, and they mandated them anyway,” said Lummis. “What we need to do, in some ways, is what Mr. Whitehouse described. We do need to remediate NOx emissions, we need to reduce them, but there are ways to reduce them and still keep diesel engines running. That’s what this bill is about.”

“None of us are saying we shouldn’t do anything about NOx and SOx, but we do need to have regulations that are not a one-size-fits-all that really, really penalizes states like mine in a huge way,” said Sullivan. “You know, a reg [sic] written by lawyers in D.C. that don’t have a clue about any of this stuff, not a clue, that’s not right. That’s not the way the federal government is supposed to work, and we’re going to fix it.

“Nebraska agricultural producers report that emissions related issues, particularly with the DEF systems account for a majority for their machinery repairs, sort of what my colleague from Alaska was just saying,” said Ricketts. “A major grievance is that when a DEF censor fails or a system malfunction, it often triggers limp mode, where a tractor or combine loses power and speed, causing critical delays during planting and harvesting.”

“Legislative reform that increases public safety is just commonsense, and I look forward to working with the committee on this,” said Ricketts.

Watch the full EPW Committee hearing here.

Read the full bill text for the Cold Weather Diesel Reliability Act here.

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McConnell On War With Iran, Aligned Adversaries, and Fallen Kentuckian

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered the following remarks on the Senate floor honoring the life of Staff Sergeant Benjamin N. Pennington and aligned allies and adversaries in the war with Iran:

This week, we learned that a seventh American had died in war with Iran. Staff Sergeant Benjamin N. Pennington, U.S. Army, was a native of Glendale, Kentucky, not far from Fort Knox. He was deployed with the 1st Space Battalion, 1st Space Brigade at Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia. And an Iranian strike mortally wounded him in the line of duty.

I’m confident that, today, Glendale and the rest of Hardin County are surrounding Sergeant Pennington’s parents, Timothy and Carrie, with support.

Their son was, by all accounts, deeply admired by the neighbors, pastors, and coaches who helped him become the man he was. At his alma mater, Central Hardin High School, Benjamin Pennington was remembered as “the quintessential all-American”.

Of course, there is no amount of praise for Sergeant Pennington’s character, commitment, or bravery that can fill the hole left by his loss. The knowledge that he fell pursuing a noble calling is a small comfort. But it cannot obscure an empty seat at the dinner table.

And so my deepest sympathies are with the Pennington family – today, and in the difficult days to come.

***

Mr. President, the sacrifices of Sergeant Pennington and six other fallen comrades in war with Iran have not been in vain.

For nearly half a century, Iran has waged war on the United States. In fewer than two weeks, U.S. and partner operations have degraded Iran’s military, its missile threat, and its capacity to spread violence and terror. And in doing so, they’ve delivered a small measure of justice for the hundreds of U.S. personnel killed by the Iranian regime.

There’s been plenty of discussion about where this war fits among U.S. strategic priorities, and I hope the Administration will be more forthcoming on this front soon.

But some critics want to evaluate war with Iran without even acknowledging that wider context… As if combatting the rampant terror and violence from China’s leading source of oil and Russia’s leading source of attack drones has nothing to do with peace in Europe or deterrence in the Indo-Pacific.

I’ve called out this fiction before. I’ve urged colleagues and decisionmakers in successive administrations not to overlook the ways our adversaries’ threats to America’s interests are increasingly aligned.

The PRC is not a neutral observer in the Middle East. Beijing has an interest in the steady flow of cheap Iranian oil – to the tune of 1.4 million barrels last year. And as Iran’s proxy wars, missile program, and nuclear ambitions taxed our attention and resources, the PRC benefited strategically and financially from the distraction.

Russia isn’t a disinterested party, either. Moscow and Tehran, together, propped up the brutal Assad regime in Syria, allowing them to project power deeper into the Middle East and the Mediterranean. A shadow fleet has continued to help both regimes evade western sanctions. And needless to say, Russia’s war of conquest in Ukraine would look quite different without a steady supply of Iranian attack drones.

Iranian drones in Ukrainian skies have already made the connections between America’s adversaries crystal clear. But now, public reporting also indicates Russia may be providing intelligence for Iran’s attacks across the Gulf.

The President’s all-purpose emissary, Steve Witkoff, has downplayed these reports and relayed Russia’s strenuous denial of any such intelligence sharing. And for the sake of U.S. servicemembers, I certainly hope that’s true. But unlike Mr. Witkoff, I am not at all inclined to, quote, “take the Russians at their word”.

Instead, I’ve warned successive presidents to take the Russian-Iranian axis more seriously. I urged President Biden to hold Iran to account for underwriting terror and killing Americans. But a disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan emboldened Tehran and Moscow, both.

I supported a national security supplemental even though I thought President Biden’s approach to Russia and Iran was too weak. I did it not only because supporting Ukraine was in our strategic interests, but because these funds helped replenish American stockpiles and start restoring our own defense industrial base.

If the Senate receives a request for supplemental appropriations today, I hope our colleagues who oppose the president’s use of force against Iran will still see an overdue opportunity to invest in urgent and strategic defense priorities.

Weakness invites challenge. But our adversaries have sought to weaken and undermine America regardless of who our Commander-in-Chief is.

***

Mr. President, I’ve underscored America’s interest in a just and lasting end to Russia’s war many times before. But let’s say for the sake of argument that you’re still inclined to treat the outcome of the largest land war in Europe since 1945 as someone else’s concern…

Well, Russian support to Iran is not someone else’s concern. If Russia is aiding Iranian attacks against Americans, that is very much our concern.

If you believe that the United States’ role in the war in Ukraine is as a neutral mediator between equally culpable belligerents… this development might be tough to square. Likewise with the fact that Ukraine was the first foreign government to voice unequivocal support of U.S. and Israeli strikes against Iran.

And unlike Moscow, Kyiv is not asking that we just take its word. Look at its actions:

Right now, teams of Ukraine’s top experts in drone warfare are on the ground in the Gulf, helping America’s allies in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE defend against Iranian drone attacks.

Many of the Ukrainian systems that Gulf allies are eager to procure were first offered to the United States many months ago. Unfortunately, until death began to rain from the skies over U.S. facilities in the Gulf twelve days ago, it’s my understanding that these discussions had gone nowhere fast.

Mr. President, administration officials were right to identify Ukraine as “the Silicon Valley of warfare”. But other officials have slowed or paused assistance to these same brave innovators and have missed opportunities to apply Ukraine’s technology and tactics to our own planning. The previous administration, too, failed to adapt and harvest Ukraine’s lessons.

But the past is behind us. To learn from the world’s foremost experts in drone warfare, we have to go beyond words. Our security assistance to Ukraine is a critical tool to help end Russia’s war on terms favorable to the West. It’s an investment in tapping cutting-edge technological and industrial capacity. And the return on investment is worth it.

America is stronger and more secure when we stand with our friends and stand up to our enemies. This is not murky or ambiguous. It’s an opportunity for moral clarity and strategic wisdom.

No better friend… No worse enemy.

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Merkley Applauds Senate Passage of Housing Provisions to Crack Down on Hedge Fund Control of American Homes

“Housing in our communities should be homes for families, not profit centers for Wall Street. For years, I’ve led the charge to kick large institutional investors out of our housing market, and for the first time, Congress has taken a stand against private equity gobbling up homes in our neighborhoods.

“This is a huge win for families across America. I fought to include this provision and thank Ranking Member Warren for working with me to crack down on institutional investors invading the housing market nationwide. Taking on powerful interests is always difficult, and we’ll keep working to restore the dream of homeownership for all Americans and ensure everyone has a safe, affordable roof overhead.”


PASSED: Sen. Moran’s Legislation to Support Affordable Rural Housing

The Senate approved Moran’s legislation as part of the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) applauded the passage of the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, which was approved by the Senate today with a vote of 89 to 10. The package included Sen. Moran’s Streamlining Rural Housing Act, bipartisan legislation that would support housing in rural communities by simplifying the regulatory process for developers. The housing package also included two bills Sen. Moran cosponsored to expand housing access in rural America and reduce unnecessary bureaucracy within federal housing programs. The legislation now heads to the U.S. House of Representatives for consideration.

“There is growing demand for affordable housing in rural communities in Kansas and across the country, underscoring the importance of practical and innovative solutions to help meet that need,” said Sen. Moran. “This legislation will streamline rural housing programs, reduce unnecessary bureaucratic barriers and help expand access to affordable housing for rural families. I urge the House of Representatives to pass this legislation and send it to the President to be signed into law so we can continue to strengthen rural America and improve access to affordable housing.”

Sen. Moran priorities included in the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act:

Streamlining rural housing regulations – Sen. Moran introduced the bipartisan Streamlining Rural Housing Act to simplify the regulatory process for developers by requiring the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to enter into a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to align housing standards. Sen. Moran’s legislation would help lower costs and shorten project timelines for developers, allowing them to address growing housing needs more efficiently in Kansas and across the country.

Supporting affordable housing in rural communities – Sen. Moran cosponsored the bipartisan Rural Housing Service Reform Act, which would strengthen federal rural housing programs and bolster the supply of affordable housing in rural America by improving and building upon USDA rural housing programs.

Reducing bureaucratic barriers within federal housing programs – Sen. Moran cosponsored the Choice in Affordable Housing Act, bipartisan legislation that would expand access to affordable housing by reducing HUD inspection delays and allowing units financed through other federal housing programs to automatically satisfy voucher inspection requirements if they are inspected within the past year. The bill also allows new landlords to request pre-inspections to increase access to housing and encourage landlord participation.

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Sen. Moran, Rep. Mann Request Update from Bureau of Indian Affairs on Search for Permanent President for Haskell University

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) – a member of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs – and U.S. Representative Tracey Mann (R-KS-01) this week called on the Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of Indian Affairs, William “Billy” Kirkland, to provide an update on the status of the nationwide search for a permanent President of Haskell Indian Nations University, as well as an anticipated timeline and details on next steps in the selection process.

“Haskell has experienced significant leadership turnover in recent years,” wrote Sen. Moran and Rep. Mann. “That level of transition underscores the importance of establishing steady, permanent leadership to support institutional stability, which Haskell needs deeply.”

“As a tuition-free higher education establishment, the success of the University remains important to the many Tribal Nations and families who rely on Haskell as a pathway to opportunity,” continued Sen. Moran and Rep. Mann. “Its intertribal mission and unique governing structure require strong, consistent leadership, through solicitation of input from the native and higher education communities in Kansas.”

Last July, Sen. Moran and Rep. Mann introduced landmark legislation to reform Haskell University, incorporating months of feedback from Native American, Lawrence and higher education communities to make certain the legislation would effectively address systemic issues the university has faced for years.

The full letter can be found here or below.

Dear Assistant Secretary Kirkland:

We write to request an update on the status of the search for a permanent President of Haskell Indian Nations University (HINU), including anticipated timelines and next steps in the selection process.

Haskell Indian Nations University holds a deeply significant place both in Kansas and across Indian Country. Located in Lawrence, Kansas, Haskell plays a unique and historic role as the only four-year, federally operated postsecondary institution under the Bureau of Indian Education. Haskell has educated generations of Native students from tribes across the United States and continues to provide opportunities for Indian Americans to pursue higher education while strengthening tribal communities.

As you know, Dr. Frank Arpan, who was appointed president in 2023, resigned in mid-2025 after approximately two years in the role. Since that time, the university has been led by interim leadership. More broadly, Haskell has experienced significant leadership turnover in recent years. Prior to your tenure as Assistant Secretary, the University saw five presidents in just over six years. That level of transition underscores the importance of establishing steady, permanent leadership to support institutional stability, which Haskell needs deeply.

As a tuition-free higher education establishment, the success of the University remains important to the many Tribal Nations and families who rely on Haskell as a pathway to opportunity. Its intertribal mission and unique governing structure require strong, consistent leadership, through solicitation of input from the native and higher education communities in Kansas.

To that end, we would appreciate updates on the following:

The current status of the national search for a permanent president and the anticipated timeline for completion.

The composition of the search committee, including whether Regents, Tribal leaders, faculty, students, and alumni are represented.

Any challenges the Bureau has encountered in recruiting candidates with the experience necessary to lead an intertribal institution of Haskell’s scope and responsibility.

Thank you for your attention to this matter. We look forward to your response and to continued collaboration to ensure Haskell is positioned for long-term success.

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Moreno Op-ed: The American Dream Under Siege

WASHINGTON – In case you missed it, Senator Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio) wrote a new op-ed in Commonplace calling on Congress to pass the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, codifying President Trump’s executive action to put American homebuyers first.

“Our nation is facing a crisis that strikes at the heart of the American Dream. That dream is simple: the ability to graduate from high school, get a good job, get married, buy a home, raise a family, and retire with dignity. I think of my father-in-law, who joined U.S. Steel straight out of high school, bought a home in Indiana, and raised a family—all on one salary. The question facing us today is: does that American Dream still exist?”

“For too many families—teachers in Ohio classrooms, nurses in Cincinnati hospitals, factory workers in Cleveland, or truck drivers hauling goods across our state—the dream is increasingly out of reach. Home prices have skyrocketed, starter homes have vanished, and entire new neighborhoods are being built not for homeowners but for distant corporations to rent out indefinitely.”

“This is the rise of the single-family build-to-rent industry. Massive Wall Street firms, private equity giants, and institutional investors are constructing whole communities of detached homes not to sell to families, but to hold as permanent rentals.”

[…]

“But this crisis need not be inevitable. President Donald Trump recognized it early. As he said at last month’s State of the Union address, “Homes are for people, not corporations.” That’s why President Trump signed an executive order titled, “Stopping Wall Street from Competing with Main Street Homebuyers,” which directs federal agencies to restrict support for large institutional investors buying single-family homes. He called on Congress to codify and strengthen these protections.”

“Here in Washington, D.C., highly paid political consultants and so-called “experts” at think tanks have spilled much ink opining on why the GOP is losing support with young voters. Here’s a thought: maybe it’s because young Americans know they can no longer afford to buy homes and start their own families like their parents did?”

[…]

“With the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, a bipartisan housing reform package that includes critical provisions to limit large institutional investors from dominating the single-family market, we have a chance to deliver on what we promised to these voters.”

“By building on the president’s executive actions—curbing their access to federal financing and preventing them from crowding out individual buyers—we’re putting families first, increasing paths to ownership, and ensuring more new homes are built for sale, not for endless corporate rental portfolios.”

“The American Dream isn’t dead, but it’s under siege. Congress now has a chance to defend it by making clear that homes are for families, not corporate rental portfolios.”


Murkowski Introduces Legislation to Help Alaska’s Public School Staffing Shortage

Washington, DC—Today, U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) introduced legislation to help ensure Alaska’s students continue to have access to qualified teachers. Senator Murkowski’s bill would exempt public schools from the new $100,000 fee for each H-1B visa imposed last year by President Trump. Many of Alaska’s school districts have relied on this program to help address persistent teacher shortages across the state.

“As soon as this proclamation was released last year, I sounded the alarm with the administration about the importance of the H-1B visa program to Alaska’s school districts,” said Senator Murkowski. “Our public school classrooms have been facing a staffing crisis for years, but teachers in Alaska on H-B visas have been instrumental in bridging that shortage and serving our students with talent and care. This legislation offers a commonsense exemption that will ensure Alaska’s schoolchildren have access to more high-quality educators while keeping class sizes reasonable.”

“International teachers are essential to keeping classrooms open across Alaska. Today, 573 educators, about 8.5% of the state’s teaching workforce, are serving on visas, and more than half of Alaska’s school districts rely on these teachers to staff their schools,” said Dr. Lisa Parady, Executive Director, Alaska Council of School Administrators. “In some rural districts, visa teachers make up 50% to nearly 80% of the teaching staff. School districts already invest $6,000 to $12,000 per teacher to recruit and sponsor educators through the H-1B visa process. Adding a $100,000 federal visa fee has made it financially impossible for many districts to continue hiring the teachers their students depend on. Without an exemption for K-12 public education, rural schools across Alaska would face severe staffing shortages and significant disruptions to student learning.”

“The recent $100,000 H-1B visa fee has made it impossible for districts like ours to continue recruiting the educators we need,” said Dr. Cyndy Mika, Superintendent of the Kodiak Island Borough School District. “Nearly 20% of our teachers are on visas, and almost 75% of our village teachers are international hires. These educators are not replacing American teachers—we simply do not have applicants for these positions. Without access to international educators, districts like Kodiak will struggle to fill classrooms and provide consistent learning environments for students. Senator Murkowski’s effort to exempt public school teachers from this fee recognizes the reality facing rural districts and helps ensure that our students continue to have qualified teachers in their classrooms. In Kodiak, international teachers are the difference between a classroom having a teacher or not.”

“As many districts across the state of Alaska have experienced budget deficits, having to pay a $100,000 H-1B visa fee for each incoming international teacher is unrealistic,” said Tammy Dodd, Superintendent of the Bering Strait School District. “This puts rural Alaskan districts at a unique disadvantage as we are unable to hire J-1 teachers due to the restrictions of their visas, so the H-1B visa is the only choice. The Bering Strait School District employs 86 international teachers, which is roughly 40% of certified staffing. With the new fee in place, the district would be unable to replace those positions with international hires.”

“In the Kuspuk School District, international teachers are not a supplement to our workforce. They are essential to keeping schools open,” said Madeline Aguillard, Superintendent of the Kuspuk School District. “Senator Murkowski’s legislation recognizes a simple truth: rural students deserve access to qualified teachers just as much as any student in America, and removing this barrier helps ensure schools in the most remote communities can continue to provide stable, high-quality instruction for the children and families we serve.”

“Throughout the country, and to an extreme degree in Alaska, rural students face substantial barriers to accessing equitable opportunities for academic learning and healthy personal development,” said Andrew Anderson, Superintendent of the Lower Kuskokwim School District. “The $100,000 H-1B visa fee is an additional and insurmountable barrier to Alaska's critical need for qualified teachers who are essential to students' healthy growth and learning.”

Background:

On September 19, 2025, President Trump issued a proclamation requiring all H-1B visa applicants to accompany their petitions with a payment of $100,000 to be considered for entry into the U.S., in addition to existing fees and costs. School districts across Alaska have faced persistent teaching shortages while struggling to hire domestically. Alaska has made significant progress in addressing the issue by recruiting internationally and using the H-1B visa program to help ensure classrooms remain staffed.

On October 8, 2025, Senator Murkowski wrote a letter to then-Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem urging her to use her discretionary waiver authority to exempt teachers from the increased fee.

Senator Murkowski highlighted in the letter to the Department that “Alaska’s most rural school districts have small budgets—particularly in light of the high costs to provide services in rural Alaska—due to small student populations. A requirement to pay $100,000 per H-1B teacher would be impossible to meet—both for the districts and the individual teachers.”

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Murphy, King, Pingree Reintroduce Bipartisan, Bicameral Legislation To Protect Small Farmers From Financial Risk

WASHINGTON—U.S. Senators Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), and Angus King (I-Maine) on Thursday reintroduced the Agricultural Management Assistance Act to reauthorize and improve the Partnership for Risk Management Education and the Agricultural Management Assistance (AMA) programs, which help farmers manage financial risk through diversification, marketing, or conservation practices.AMA programs are only available to 16 states that have historically low rates of participation in the Federal Crop Insurance Program, including Connecticut and Maine. U.S. Representative Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) introduced companion legislation in the House.

The Agriculture Management Assistance Act would boost funding for the AMA to $30 million, increase funding limits for farmers to $200,000 over five years, and expand the eligible uses for these funds to include: soil health improvements, composting, implementing organic farming, and food safety certification in addition to existing authorized uses such as water management structure and soil erosion control.

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

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

“Farmers in Maine and across the country are facing unprecedented uncertainty—from extreme weather and rising costs to volatile markets. Programs like Agricultural Management Assistance give farms the tools they need to manage risk, invest in soil health and conservation, and keep their operations viable for the long term,” said Pingree. "I’m proud to partner with Senators Murphy and King to strengthen this program and ensure farmers in states like Maine have the support they need to adapt and thrive.”


Murphy Statement In Favor Of Senate Housing Bill

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) released the following statement after the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act passed 89-10 in the U.S. Senate:

“Everywhere I go in Connecticut, families tell me they’re struggling to afford the place they call home. It’s tougher than ever to buy or rent a home, especially as Trump’s health care cuts, tariffs, and gas price spikes from his disastrous war with Iran stretch Americans’ budgets to the breaking point. This bill takes a meaningful step in tackling the affordability crisis by making it cheaper, easier, and faster to build new homes nationwide, while working with state and local governments to repair existing houses and bring down prices. There is still much more we can and must do to make housing affordable and I’ll continue my work in the Senate to make that foundational promise of the American dream accessible to working and middle-class families.”


In 24 Hours, Senate Republicans Block Five Separate Bills to Fund TSA, FEMA, CISA, Coast Guard, & Other DHS Functions

Senate Republicans have now blocked Democratic attempts to fund critical parts of DHS six times in total

Washington, D.C. — Over the last 24 hours, Senate Republicans have blocked five separate bills offered by Senate Democrats to fund key components of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)—including the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), and U.S. Coast Guard (USCG)—while negotiations continue on measures to rein in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP).

While Republicans drag their feet on common-sense steps to rein in ICE and Border Patrol and tee up another vote on failed legislation that would provide more funding for ICE and Border Patrol—without essential reforms—they have simultaneously blocked straightforward bills to ensure TSA agents get paid and fund our nation’s cyber defense agency.

“This isn’t complicated: if Republicans won’t agree to rein in ICE and Border Patrol, they should at minimum work with us to pay TSA agents and fund disaster relief. But they won’t,” said Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee. “Right now, Republicans are holding TSA agents’ paychecks hostage because they want to provide more money to ICE, without basic reforms to protect Americans’ rights and safety. Democrats will keep fighting to get TSA workers paid and fund FEMA and the Coast Guard, and we’ll keep pushing to enact common-sense steps to prevent more Americans from being hurt, or even killed, by masked federal agents.”

“Right now, we could be paying TSA agents, funding FEMA before the next disaster hits, protecting our cyber defenses, and making sure the Coast Guard gets paid. But Republicans said no,” said Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY). “Democrats have tried—six separate times—to pass simple bills to keep these critical parts of DHS running while negotiations continue. Six times Republicans came to the floor and blocked them. TSA officers shouldn’t miss paychecks, disaster relief shouldn’t be left hanging, and Americans’ safety shouldn’t be collateral damage in a political standoff Republicans created.”

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On Wednesday, Senate Republicans:

Blocked a bill offered by Senator Murray to fund all of DHS except for ICE, CBP, and the DHS Secretary’s office while negotiations on ICE and Border Patrol continue.

Senator Murray sought unanimous consent to pass the bill:

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

But Senator Katie Britt (R-AL) blocked the bill.

Today, Senate Republicans:

Blocked a bill offered by Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV) to pay TSA workers while broader negotiations continue.

Senator Rosen sought unanimous consent to pass the legislation:

“Today, I asked my colleagues to take a simple step: pass my legislation, pay TSA workers, so that commercial air travel remains safe and functional, and our TSA agents receive the pay they have earned. If Republicans are going to insist on shutting down the Department of Homeland Security, they should at the very least join us in ensuring the traveling public does not pay the price.”

But Senator Bernie Moreno (R-OH) blocked the bill.

Blocked a bill offered by Senator Andy Kim (D-NJ) to fund CISA while broader negotiations continue.

Senator Kim sought unanimous consent to pass the bill:

“What the American people know, and what every family has to deal with, is: you can think through what it is that you do agree on, try to move forward with that, and try to then further focus in on the issues where there are disagreement on. … When it comes to immigration, we know that the Republicans pushed forward on the funding to that through the reconciliation bill last year. So let’s make sure that the rest of the Department of Homeland Security, including this incredibly important aspect of CISA, is able to step up at this dangerous time. I hope Republicans can join us and make good on that obligation today by funding CISA. That’s why I’m asking my colleagues to pass this bill to fund our cybersecurity workers and ensure that we have the resources in place to counter these threats.”

But Senator Roger Marshall (R-KS) blocked the bill.

Blocked a bill offered by Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) to ensure members of the Coast Guard are paid while broader negotiations continue.

Senator Murphy sought unanimous consent to pass the bill:

“If Republicans stopped coming to the floor to object, we could open up TSA right now. We could get those salaries paid. I’m going to offer legislation to open up funding for the Coast Guard. We can get the people who protect our shorelines paid. And, yes, this is a mess. … We didn’t have shutdowns when Democrats were in charge of the Senate. We are at a logjam because Republicans refuse to listen to the very reasonable concerns that Democrats and the American people have about the way that ICE is behaving.”

But Senator Eric Schmitt (R-MO) blocked the bill.

Blocked a bill offered by Senators Alex Padilla (D-CA) and Adam Schiff (D-CA) to ensure all of FEMA is funded and the Disaster Relief Fund (DRF) is replenished while broader negotiations continue.

Senators Padilla and Schiff sought unanimous consent to pass the bill:

Padilla: “Disaster can strike anywhere at any time. With the looming threat of large-scale fires across the West, we need an operational, fully funded FEMA, prepared to respond at the first sign of emergency and to support communities like Southern California that are still recovering from previous disasters. But inexcusably, Republicans and this administration continue to delay and play partisan games with federal disaster relief. We must continue our negotiations to make much-needed reforms to hold Donald Trump’s ICE and CBP accountable while providing funding to rebuild communities devastated by disasters and stay fully prepared for when the next one strikes.”

Schiff: “We reject the false choice that the Majority would give us — that we cannot reform ICE until we agreed to give ICE billions more. These cannot be the only two choices. Let’s pass this commonsense bill and reopen FEMA today. Let’s get disaster recovery efforts moving forward. We can do both. We can help Californians in need. And others across the country.”

But Senator James Lankford (R-OK) blocked the bill.

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Don’t forget: last week, Senate Republicans also blocked Senator Murray’s bill to fund all of DHS except ICE, CBP, and the DHS Secretary’s Office.

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Murray, Ocasio-Cortez Introduce the Fair Wages for Home Care Workers Act, Pushing Back Against the Trump Administration to Protect Wages and Overtime for Home Care Workers

The Fair Wages for Home Care Workers Act would codify rights to minimum wage and overtime pay for home care workers and domestic workers

As Trump and Republicans strip home care workers of their right to minimum wage and overtime pay, Murray and Democrats fight to protect fair wages

***WATCH PRESS CONFERENCE HERE***

Washington, D.C. – Today,U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), a senior member and former Chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, introduced the bicameral Fair Wages for Home Care Workers Act, alongside Senator Andy Kim (D-NJ), in response to Trump ripping away home care workers’ right to minimum wage and overtime pay. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY-14) introduced companion legislation in the House. The Fair Wages for Home Care Workers Act addresses a longstanding injustice in our country—home care workers have been unfairly excluded from the Fair Labor Standards Act. This legislation would codify minimum wage and overtime protections for home care workers in federal labor law, and expand overtime protections to domestic workers as well. Senator Murray and Senator Kim were also joined by Miranda Bridges, a caregiver from Moses Lake, Washington, and SEIU 775 member, and Jenn Stowe, Executive Director of the National Domestic Workers Alliance.

In the U.S., there are more than 3 million home care workers who support almost 10 million people with disabilities and older adults with everyday tasks like eating, dressing, and bathing. In July 2025, the Trump administration took action to roll back a 2013 rule – seeking to strip home care workers’ rights to minimum wage and overtime pay. If the Trump administration’s proposal is finalized, home care workers who reside in states with no additional wage protections will lose their right to minimum wage and overtime protections. If passed, the Fair Wages for Home Care Workers Act would codify home care workers’ rights to minimum wage and overtime pay in statute and expand overtime protections to domestic workers as well.

“In Washington state and across our country, home care workers ensure that seniors and people with disabilities can live in their homes with dignity and respect. They play a vital role in our communities and too many of them are struggling to make ends meet on the low wages they’re receiving,” said Senator Murray. “Instead of supporting these workers, Donald Trump wants to overturn a rule that ensures that home care workers receive the same basic minimum wage and overtime protections as everyone else. That’s why today we are Introducing the Fair Wages for Home Care Workers Act. This bill makes sure that home care workers and domestic workers at least have the basic wage protections they deserve and can continue to earn a fair day’s pay for a hard day’s work. No loopholes, exceptions, or sabotage from a billionaire President without a clue.”

“No one should get less than a fair wage for their work in our country,” said Senator Kim. “As the need for caregivers only grows, we cannot allow the Trump administration to abandon home care and domestic workers to live in poverty. Care workers go above and beyond to look after our loved ones. Congress needs to step up to codify the fair pay they deserve and support their essential service at the heart of addressing our country’s care crisis.”

“Congress has a moral obligation to protect those who care for our most vulnerable communities and home care workers are the backbone of our long-term care system,” said Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. “I am proud to introduce the Fair Wages for Home Care Workers Act with Senator Patty Murray to finally codify the minimum wage and overtime protections our home care workers deserve and prevent future attacks on their livelihoods.”

In 1938, the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) created a right to minimum wage and overtime pay for most workers in the U.S., but the FLSA continued to exclude some categories of workers, such as home care workers. In 1974, Congress amended the FLSA to cover home care workers; unfortunately, that amendment included a loophole that was interpreted to allow for the continued exclusion of most home care workers. In 2013, The U.S. Department of Labor finalized regulations, interpreting these amendments and expanding labor protections for most home care workers.

In July 2025, the Trump administration took action to roll back the 2013 rule—seeking to strip home care workers’ rights to minimum wage and overtime pay—and revert to a previous interpretation of the 1974 amendments. If the Trump administration’s proposal is finalized, home care workers who reside in states with no additional wage protections—more than one-quarter of all home care workers in the country—will lose their right to minimum wage and overtime protections.

“Ask any care worker about their hours and compensation, you’ll hear about recurring stories, you’ll hear how our voices go unheard, our needs often go overlooked, especially if we don’t have a union. We work unpaid hours because we refuse to leave our clients, our neighbors, and our loved ones without the dignity of care. We perform essential work that holds the economy together, yet we are often the ones struggling to make ends meet. Care givers deserve respect, and the people we care for deserve respect. The work we do is essential, that’s why we need a strong care workforce, and that’s why SEIU stands in strong support of the Fair Wages for Home Care Workers Act. This legislation is a vital step towards ensuring home care workers receive fair compensation for every hour worked. We are done waiting for someday—we cannot wait. Congress must act now, it is time to pass the Fair Wages for Home Care Workers Act, and finally invest in and support the people who are at the heart of our health care system,” said Miranda Bridges, a caregiver from Moses Lake, Washington, and SEIU 775 member.

“We are at a crossroads in this country. Our need for care is growing every single day, yet we continue to treat the home care workforce as disposable. We cannot allow the fundamental right to a minimum wage and overtime to be at the whim and mercy of this administration. Rolling back these protections would hurt an already struggling workforce and the millions of families who rely on their care. The Fair Wages for Home Care Workers Act is our chance to finally enshrine these protections in federal law and help ensure that the workers who enable the dignity of our older and disabled loved ones are able to work with dignity too,” said Ai-Jen Poo, President of National Domestic Workers Alliance.

“Home care workers represent a lifeline for millions of families—yet too many are denied even a minimum wage and often go unpaid for hours spent off the clock keeping their clients safe. Poverty wages are driving caregivers out of this lifesaving field, leaving families without support, hospitals and nursing homes overwhelmed, and seniors and people with disabilities at risk of losing the freedom to live with dignity in their own homes. Congress must act now to protect these essential workers and the families who depend on them. On behalf of the thousands of AFSCME members in home care, we thank Senator Murray and Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez for introducing this critical legislation, and urge Congress to pass it now,” said Lee Saunders, President of President of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME).

In addition to Senators Murray and Kim, the Senate bill is co-sponsored by: Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Maizie Hirono (D-HI), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Ed Markey (D-MA), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), and Ron Wyden (D-OR).

In addition to Representative Ocasio-Cortez, the House bill is co-sponsored by: Alma Adams (NC-12), Yassamin Ansari (AZ-03), Becca Balint (VT-AL), Nanette Barragán (CA-44), Wesley Bell (MO-01), Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01), Nikki Budzinski (IL-13), André Carson (IN-07), Judy Chu (CA-28), Emanuel Cleaver (MO-05), Danny K. Davis (IL-07), Suzan DelBene (WA-01), Maxine Dexter (OR-03), Debbie Dingell (MI-06), Dwight Evans (PA-03), Lois Frankel (FL-22), Maxwell Frost (FL-10), Jesús “Chuy” García (IL-04), Daniel Goldman (NY-10), Jimmy Gomez (CA-34), Raúl Grijalva (AZ-07), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-AL), Val Hoyle (OR-04), Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Julie Johnson (TX-32), Tim Kennedy (NY-26), Ro Khanna (CA-17), Raja Krishnamoorthi (IL-08), George Latimer (NY-16), Ted Lieu (CA-36), Stephen Lynch (MA-08), John Mannion (NY-22), Lucy McBath (GA-06), Sarah McBride (DE-AL), Jennifer McClellan (VA-04), Jim McGovern (MA-02), LaMonica McIver (NJ-10), Seth Moulton (MA-06), Jerry Nadler (NY-12), Donald Norcross (NJ-01), Ilhan Omar (MN-05), Brittany Pettersen (CO-07), Chellie Pingree (ME-01), Mark Pocan (WI-02), Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), Andrea Salinas (OR-06), Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), Lateefah Simon (CA-12), Summer Lee (PA-12), Marilyn Strickland (WA-10), Eric Swalwell (CA-14), Shri Thanedar (MI-13), Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), Paul Tonko (NY-20), Ritchie Torres (NY-15), Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12), and Frederica Wilson (FL-24).

The legislation has been endorsed by: 1199SEIU; A Better Balance; ACLU; ADAPT Montana; ADAPT National; Adhikaar for Human Rights and Social Justice; The American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD); American Friends Service Committee; AFSCME; Alliance for Retired Americans; ANCOR; The ARC of Illinois; The ARC of the United States; Autistic People of Color Fund; Autistic Self Advocacy Network; Autistic Women & Nonbinary Network; Blue Future; Business for a Fair Minimum Wage; Care in Action; Caring Across Generations; Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP); Coalition on Human Needs; Colorado Cross-Disability Coalition; Colorado Fiscal Institute; CommunicationFIRST; Community Catalyst; Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care; Democratic Women’s Caucus; Detroit Disability Power; Disciples Center for Public Witness; Diverse Elders Coalition; Economic Policy Institute; Equal Rights Advocates; eQuality HomeCare Co-op; Family Voices National; Family Values @ Work; Family Values @ Work Action; Fe y Justicia Worker Center; Filipino Advocates for Justice; Food Research & Action Center; Hand in Hand: The Domestic Employers Network; Institute for Women’s Policy Research; Justice in Aging; Justice for Migrant Women; Lazos America Unida; LeadingAge; Liberty Resources Inc.; Matahari Women Workers Center; MomsRising; National Advocacy Center of the Sisters of the Good Shepherd; National Coalition for the Homeless; National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare; National Council of Jewish Women; National Council on Independent Living (NCIL); National Disability Institute; National Domestic Workers Alliance (NDWA); National Employment Law Project (NELP); National Health Law Program; National Immigration Law Center; National Indian Council on Aging; National Nurses United; National Partnership for Women & Families; National Respite Coalition; National Women’s Law Center; National Women’s Political Caucus; NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice; New Disabled South; New Mexico Center on Law and Poverty; North Carolina Justice Center; Nuevo Sol Day Labor and Domestic Workers; Oxfam America; Paid Leave for All Action; The Partnership for Inclusive Disaster Strategies; PEAK Parent Center; People’s Action Institute; PHI; Public Justice Center; SCIboston; SEIU; SEIU 775; Serving At Risk Families Everywhere Inc.; Sur Legal Collaborative; UNITE HERE!; United Church of Christ; United Domestic Workers of America (UDW); Voices for Progress; Women Employed; Women Working Together USA; WorkLife Law.

As the top Democrat on the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) committee from 2015-2022 and a champion of workers’ rights, Senator Murray has been a longtime leader pushing to raise the minimum wage, establish a national paid leave program, and expand workers’ rights. Among many other pieces of pro-worker legislation, Murray also leads the Wage Theft Prevention and Wage Recovery Act, to fight wage theft and protect workers’ hard earned wages, and the Paycheck Fairness Act, to combat wage discrimination and help close the gender pay gap. Senator Murray has helped lead the fight for paid family and medical leave since she first joined Congress. Murray continues to push for the Family and Medical Insurance Leave (FAMILY) Act, which would guarantee up to 12 weeks of partial income for workers who have to take leave for serious medical and family events. Murray also helped reintroduce the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act to protect workers’ right to join and form a union in order to demand better pay, benefits, and working conditions—legislation she first introduced in the 116th Congress. Senator Murray also leads the Bringing an End to Harassment by Enhancing Accountability and Rejecting Discrimination (BE HEARD) in the Workplace Act, comprehensive legislation to prevent workplace harassment, strengthen and expand key protections for workers, and support workers in seeking accountability and justice. Earlier this month, Senator Murray slammed the Trump administration’s moves to roll back worker protections—forcefully calling out the Administration’s extreme anti-worker policies.

A fact sheet on the legislation is available HERE.

Text of the legislation is available HERE.

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Padilla Continues to Reject Funding for Trump’s ICE and CBP

WATCH: Republicans block Padilla, Schiff bill to fund FEMA for the rest of the shutdown

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Immigration Subcommittee, issued the following statement after voting against additional funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) amid President Trump’s cruel mass detention and deportation agenda:

“Donald Trump’s ICE and CBP don’t need another blank check — they need accountability. We need real change to ensure that untrained, masked federal agents can’t continue to spread chaos and terrorize our communities.

“Let’s be clear: Democrats have voted again and again to pass funding for disaster recovery, airport security, cybersecurity, maritime law enforcement, and other priorities that keep Americans safe. Republicans continue to block it.

“Now, Trump and his Republican allies have the audacity to claim that additional DHS funding is critical for our security, even as they divert agents from their core mission and launch an unlawful war on Iran that Americans never asked for.

“I voted ‘no’ before, and I’ll vote ‘no’ again on any bill that fails to rein in this out-of-control mass deportation and detention campaign.”

Shortly before the vote, Senator Padilla and Senator Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) took to the Senate floor to push for unanimous passage of their bill to fund the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) essential operations and personnel for the duration of the shutdown, but Senator James Lankford (R-Okla.) blocked it. Video of Padilla’s remarks is available here.

Senator Padilla has consistently voted against funding ICE and CBP’s lawless and reckless actions under President Trump. He has been a leading voice in opposition to President Trump’s cruel and indiscriminate mass deportation agenda, including against his unprecedented, illegal militarization of Los Angeles and other American cities like Minneapolis. In January, Padilla spoke on the Senate floor to hold the line against any additional funding for President Trump’s Department of Homeland Security (DHS) after the brutal killings of Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti by ICE and CBP officers and agents. Additionally, Padilla joined leading immigration advocates and interfaith leaders at an “ICE Out for Good” rally and vigil to condemn the Trump Administration’s abuses against American communities and to demand ICE and CBP leave Minnesota after Good’s killing. At a bicameral spotlight forum last month, Padilla denounced DHS agents’ violent tactics and disproportionate use of force, including against U.S. citizens, as they enact President Trump’s mass deportation agenda in American cities.

Last year, Senators Padilla and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) introduced the Accountability for Federal Law Enforcement Act to allow individuals — regardless of citizenship — the right to sue federal law enforcement officers and agencies in civil court for violations of their civil and constitutional rights. Last July, Padilla and Senator Cory Booker (D-N.J.) introduced the VISIBLE Act to require immigration enforcement officers to display clearly visible identification during public-facing enforcement actions.

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Padilla, Schiff Introduce Bill to Transfer Land to Pechanga Band of Indians

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) introduced legislation to transfer 860 acres of land from the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) into trust for the Pechanga Band of Indians. Representative Darrell Issa (R-Calif.-48) introduced companion legislation in the House of Representatives.

The Pechanga Band of Indians is a federally recognized Tribe whose ancestors have been living in the Temecula Valley for over 10,000 years. After being forced out of their ancestral home, Teméeku, in 1875, the Tribe rebuilt and reestablished their homes nearby, which later became the federally recognized Pechanga Indian Reservation in 1882. Currently, the Pechanga Reservation is roughly 7,000 acres.

“The Pechanga Band of Indians have fought for years to rebuild and unify their ancestral home to ensure territory near their Reservation is cared for in line with the Tribe’s cultural traditions and land management practices,” said Senator Padilla. “I am honored to work with the Tribe and across the aisle in this effort to transfer 860 acres of federal land to support restoration efforts, better protect culturally significant sites, and improve environmental monitoring and natural resource management on land that the Pechanga have called home for over 10,000 years.”

“After being pushed out of their ancestral home, the Pechanga Band of Indians have fought to regain land to better protect, preserve, and restore sites sacred to the Tribe. I’m proud to join Senator Padilla and Representative Issa in this bipartisan effort to support them,” said Senator Schiff.

“On behalf of the Pechanga Band of Indians, I extend our deep gratitude to Senator Padilla for introducing Pechanga’s Land Transfer bill in the United States Senate. This legislation marks an important step toward restoring a portion of our ancestral lands and reunifies our sacred Pu’éska Mountain. For Pechanga it fulfills a longstanding endeavor to protect sacred and cultural resources; strengthening our self-determination as a sovereign Tribal nation,” said Tribal Chairman Mark Macarro.

Pechanga has worked to acquire and unify isolated parcels of land nearby and adjacent to the Reservation under federal and private ownership to better protect, preserve, and restore sites sacred to the Tribe. These various land transfers have also allowed for improved environmental monitoring and natural resource management.

Pechanga fought against a proposed open-pit mine quarry that would have caused air pollution across the Temecula Valley and destroyed a mountain sacred to the Tribe known as Wexéwxi Pu’éska, or Pu’éska Mountain. This led the Tribe to purchase Pu’éska Mountain in 2012, and the Bureau of Indian Affairs put it into trust in 2015. The Tribe is now seeking to place into trust 860 acres of BLM-managed land near Pu’éska Mountain in order to preserve it in a culturally appropriate manner.

Senator Padilla is a strong advocate for restoring Tribal ownership of ancestral lands. Last year, Padilla and Schiff announced a trio of bipartisan, bicameral bills to promote Tribal management of over 2,000 acres of land in California by transferring federal land to the Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel Nation, the Pit River Tribe, and the Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians. In 2024, the Senate passed of a pair of Padilla’s bills to support the restoration of Tribal lands for the Jamul Indian Village and the Lytton Rancheria of California, the first of which became law. In 2023, President Biden signed into law a series of Padilla’s bills to restore Tribal stewardship of sacred lands and ensure that our federal land management laws respect Tribal sovereignty. The package included laws to take more than 2,500 acres of land in the San Jacinto Mountains into trust for the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, to place roughly 1,000 acres of federal land located in Humboldt and Siskiyou counties into trust for the Karuk Tribe, and to permit BLM to sell and lease certain public lands to Tribes below market value if used for recreational or public purposes. Furthermore, in 2024, Padilla and Senator James Lankford (R-Okla.) introduced bipartisan legislation to strengthen Tribal parity for the transfer of surplus federal property to Tribes if used for specified public purposes.

Full text of the bill is available here.

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Padilla Statement on 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) issued the following statement after the Senate overwhelmingly passed the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act on a bipartisan basis:

“As Donald Trump’s chaotic agenda raises costs for working families on everything from housing to gas prices to health care, we need thoughtful action to help ensure people have access to safe, affordable housing. 21st Century ROAD to Housing is an important step to meaningfully modernize our outdated housing system.

“I’m proud to see the bill includes my proposal to make sure veterans experiencing homelessness and receiving VA disability benefits can still be eligible for housing assistance. This package will also help Californians rebuild their homes and their lives after disasters, unlock millions of dollars in federal funding for local governments for new housing construction, and strengthen rural housing programs that support millions of Americans.

“Meanwhile, I will continue pushing to address the homelessness and housing crises facing California and the nation through comprehensive legislation like my Housing for All Act.”

As part of the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, the Senate passed Padilla’s bipartisan Housing Unhoused Disabled Veterans Act (HUDVA) to ensure that veterans experiencing homelessness and receiving disability payments maintain access to crucial housing support. HUDVA would permanently exclude disability payments received by veterans from annual income for housing assistance eligibility purposes under the Department of Housing and Urban Development-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) Program. The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act also includes the Housing Supply Expansion Act of 2025, legislation Senator Padilla cosponsored that would modernize the federal definition of “manufactured housing” to include modular or prefabricated homes built without a permanent chassis. By allowing off-chassis manufactured homes, the bill would expand consumer access to more efficient and cost-effective designs, providing greater architectural flexibility to better integrate into existing neighborhoods. Padilla is also a cosponsor of the Unleashing Needed Local Options to Construct and Keep (UNLOCK) Housing Act; a modified version of the bill was included in the housing package to allow municipalities, for the first time, to use Community Development Block Grant funding for the construction of new housing.

Senator Padilla believes everyone deserves access to affordable and safe housing and recognizes the need to drastically increase the affordable housing stock to address the homelessness crisis facing California and the country, including through his Housing for All Act.

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Commerce Committee Advances NASA Reauthorization Bill with Peters-led Provision to Protect NASA Facilities from Dangerous Drones

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI) helped the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee advance the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Act of 2026 to the full Senate. The bipartisan legislation, which reauthorizes funding for NASA for two years, includes a provision led by Senator Peters to provide NASA with authority to detect, monitor, identify and track rogue drone systems that pose credible threats to NASA facilities or space assets. The legislation now heads to the full Senate for consideration.

“This bill lays the groundwork needed to ensure the United States remains the global leader in space exploration and scientific research by protecting critical NASA programs from harmful funding cuts proposed by the Trump Administration,” said Senator Peters, a member of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee. “The bill also includes a provision I fought for to help NASA better protect its assets from drones, which pose an increasingly serious threat to sensitive launch operations and NASA personnel. I’ll keep working to ensure this bipartisan bill becomes law.”

The NASA Act of 2026 provides robust funding to advance NASA’s critical work and maintain American leadership in aeronautics, space exploration, Earth and space science, and space technology development.

Under Peters’ provision in the bill, NASA’s drone monitoring activities must be conducted in partnership with the Department of Transportation and the Federal Aviation Administration to ensure its counter-drone activities don’t impact the safety of national air traffic. The provision also provides important privacy protections for consumers by minimizing the amount of data intercepted by NASA.

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Peters Joins Colleagues in Pressing Defense Department for Answers on School Bombing and Civilian Casualties in War with Iran

WASHINGTON, DC — U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI) joined over 40 of his Senate colleagues in pressing the Department of Defense (DOD) to provide answers to the American people on the airstrikes that hit a school in Minab, Iran and civilian casualties in the Trump Administration’s war with Iran, as well as accountability for those responsible.

“We write with grave concern regarding the airstrikes on a girls’ elementary school that reportedly killed at least 168 people, mostly children, in Minab, Iran during the opening salvo of U.S. and Israeli operations on Iran on February 28... as these military actions continue, the United States and Israel must abide by U.S. and international law, including the law of armed conflict. There must be a swift investigation into the strikes on this school and any other potential U.S. military actions causing civilian harm, and the findings must be released to the public as soon as possible, along with any measures to pursue accountability,” the senators wrote.

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

The senators pressed for answers to the following questions:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The full text of the letter is available here.

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During AmeriCorps Week, Reed & Larson Renew Push for ACTION to Increase Service Opportunities Act & Help Students Reduce Their Debt

WASHINGTON, DC – In his inaugural address on January 20, 1961, President John F. Kennedy famously challenged his fellow Americans: “Ask not what your country can do for you: Ask what you can do for your country.”

Building on the American tradition of public service to others that has long been a pillar of being an American, U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) and Congressman John B. Larson (D-CT-01) today teamed up with their colleagues to reintroduce the America’s Call to Improve Opportunities Now (ACTION) for National Service Act. This bicameral legislation would enhance access to national and community service opportunities, lower student debt, create a more engaged citizenry, and address national priorities in education, infrastructure, health care, disaster relief, and poverty.

“Answering the call to serve is among the most significant things we can do to improve our communities, strengthen our nation, and make a difference in someone’s life. Expanding opportunities for national service will help more people find their calling, unlock new opportunities, and help others,” said Senator Reed. “This bill will grow our capacity to enlist, equip, and empower young people to address our nation’s most pressing challenges and give them the opportunity to serve the country while they earn money toward their education. It will build new partnerships for service, increase volunteerism, and strengthen our nation.”

“In his inaugural address, President Kennedy issued his famous call for all Americans to step up and serve their nation – something I am reminded of every day by the lapel pin I wear of his image,” said Larson. “I am proud to introduce ACTION today with Senator Reed and so many of our colleagues to make President Kennedy’s call to service a reality for more of our young people, rewarding them for their service and dedication and allowing them to invest in their future in return. Our bill will make it possible for volunteers to afford two years of in-state college tuition for every year they serve their country – reducing the burden of sky-high college costs and crushing student loan debt too many Americans face.”

America’s Call to Improve Opportunities Now (ACTION) for National Service Act would achieve the following goals:

Gives all those who wish to serve the opportunity to do so by establishing a ten-year goal of providing the necessary federal funding to support at least one million service positions nationwide.

Significantly reduces the burden of student loan debt by ensuring that individuals who serve two full terms of service are rewarded with an education benefit equivalent to four years of the average in-state tuition at a public, four-year college.

Increases access to national service opportunities by raising living stipend amounts, allowing members to earn a meaningful wage during their service.

Makes the education benefit and living stipend free from federal taxation.

Renames the existing Corporation for National and Community Service as the AmeriCorps Administration and elevates it to a Cabinet-level federal agency, including the appointment of a Director of AmeriCorps with the same rank as Cabinet Secretaries. The Director would be required to establish an interagency working group to evaluate both education award eligibility for participants in programs outside of AmeriCorps and the feasibility of granting Federal hiring preference to volunteers.

Creates a 21st Century American Service Outreach Program to notify eligible individuals about opportunities to serve.

Maintains the authority and programmatic responsibilities of state and local boards to direct federal resources to meet community needs and be responsive to local priorities.

Establishes a National Service Foundation to encourage private sector and philanthropic investment in expanding national service opportunities.

The reintroduction of the ACTION for National Service Act comes as service organizations across the nation celebrate AmeriCorps Week, highlighting the power of public service to unite communities, transform lives, and address challenges facing the nation.

Cosponsors in the U.S. Senate include Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), and Chris Coons (D-DE).

Cosponsors in the U.S. House of Representatives include Stephen Lynch (MA-08), Mike Quigley (IL-05), Gwen Moore (WI-04), Suzan DelBene (WA-01), Diana DeGette (CO-01), John Garamendi (CA-08), Josh Gottheimer (NJ-05), Judy Chu (CA-28), Seth Moulton (MA-06), Salud Carbajal (CA-24), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-AL), Sean Casten (IL-06), Veronica Escobar (TX-16), Raja Krishnamoorthi (IL-08), Greg Landsman (OH-01), and Lateefah Simon (CA-12).

The ACTION for National Service Act is supported by more than 40 endorsing organizations, including Voices for National Service, YouthBuild USA, and City Year.


Reed Helps Pass Bipartisan Housing Affordability Bill

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. has an estimated shortage of nearly 5 million homes, according to the Brookings Institution, and construction costs -- which are impacted by tariffs -- continue to skyrocket and raise the price of housing.

In an effort to increasing the supply of housing nationwide, expand economic opportunity, and strengthen communities, the U.S. Senate today voted 89-10 to pass a bipartisan package of housing initiatives known as the 21st Century Renewing Opportunity in the American Dream (ROAD) to Housing Act.

This bipartisan bill, backed by U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI), seeks to expand and preserve the supply of houses and apartments, reduce barriers to homeownership, and improve affordability and access. Notably, it includes measures to ban large investors from buying hundreds or thousands of homes and enable homeowners to more easily and more affordably revamp aging houses. It would also streamline costly and time-consuming regulations, make housing production programs more impactful, and help localities streamline zoning and permitting requirements to lower housing costs.

“This bipartisan housing bill will cut red tape, boost the production of new housing, and help more renters and homebuyers at different income levels afford a place to live, put down roots, and strengthen communities,” said Reed. “It’s the first big step in tackling America’s housing shortage. But there is a lot more work to be done. We need bipartisan solutions to help build more homes and apartments to ensure all Americans can afford a decent place to live.”

Senator Reed’s bipartisan provisions include the Property Improvement and Manufactured Housing Loan Modernization Act (S.964) with Sen. Cynthia Lummis and the Helping More Families Save Act (S.970) with Sen. Katie Britt, as well as other key initiatives he championed as a member of the Senate Banking Committee.

“I am pleased the Senate was able to advance bipartisan solutions to incentivize responsible development, boost housing production, and include commonsense reforms to lower costs for consumers. It would have been even more impactful if the Senate included my proposal to take $66 billion of taxpayer dollars President Trump is using to build immigrant detention centers and Minneapolis style immigration raids and instead put those billions to work building housing for Americans,” said Reed.

The current median sale price of a house in Rhode Island is $499,000, according to the Rhode Island Association of Realtors.

A few of the key provisions in the 21st Century Road to Housing Act would:

Provide technical assistance and competitive grants to help communities streamline zoning and permitting and build more housing.

Lower borrowing costs for the construction of accessory dwelling units and increase borrowing limits for home property improvement, manufactured housing, and multifamily loans.

Help more HUD-assisted families save for their financial future.

Provide technical assistance and competitive grants to help communities streamline zoning and permitting and build more housing.

Permanently authorize the CDBG-DR program, which provides funding after disasters to cover emergency housing and economic development needs.

Boost investment in cost-effective housing options, such as factory-built homes.

Reduce appraisal shortages, improve consumer engagement, and enhance appraisal quality.

Promote housing opportunities for veterans.

Address neighborhood blight.

Strengthen oversight of housing regulators and streamline housing program coordination.

Senator Reed praised the bipartisan leadership of Banking Committee Chairman Tim Scott (R-SC) and Ranking Member Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and stressed that the housing package doesn’t take a ‘one-size fits all’ approach. Rather, the legislation is tailored to ensure that different communities can benefit from different housing tools and solutions in the bill that best meet their needs.

The bipartisan measure has strong backing from a diverse coalition of stakeholder organizations across the country, including the U.S. Conference of Mayors; the National Association of Realtors; the National Low Income Housing Coalition; the National Association Alliance to End Homelessness; the National NeighborWorks Association; and Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC).

The Trump Administration has announced it backs the bipartisan bill. However, it is unclear whether House Republicans will take up and pass the legislation in their chamber. If approved by the House and signed into law, it would be Congress’ first major housing supply bill in more than a decade to be enacted.


Reed, Whitehouse Seek to Make It Easier for RIers to do Their Taxes & Reverse Trump’s Cancellation of Direct File

WASHINGTON, DC – Noting that it will cost many Americans more money to file their taxes under the Trump Administration, U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse have teamed up with their Senate colleagues to introduce the Direct File Act (S.3948). This legislation would reverse the Trump Administration’s decision to end the highly successful Direct File program.

Direct File is the Internal Revenue Service’s (IRS) popular, in-house tax filing software program. During the previous two years it allowed eligible taxpayers to file their taxes online, for free, and directly with the government. But after significant lobbying from big, commercial tax-preparation companies, the Trump Administration axed the Direct File program after the 2025 tax season.

The Direct File Act would restart the Direct File program and make it permanent so that every year Americans have a free, reliable, hassle-free way to file their taxes. The legislation would also allow state tax systems wishing to participate to integrate seamlessly with Direct File and reduce tax fraud by allowing the IRS to verify third-party income information before issuing refunds.

“The federal government needs to simplify the tax code, target tax breaks to working people, and make it easier for people to file their taxes and access their refunds. Direct File was popular because it saved people time and money. Unfortunately, President Trump sided with special interests. He is making it harder and more expensive for many Americans to pay their taxes this year. President Trump needlessly ended the effective Direct File program,” said Senator Reed. “The Direct File Act would bring back this free, easy option for filing taxes, reducing the chance of tax errors and lowering tax prep costs for working families. And it would not prevent taxpayers who prefer to use private-sector tax preparation services from filing with accountants or other online platforms. But by modernizing IRS services, it would save taxpayers money in the long run.”

“It’s no surprise that President Trump wants to make families pay private companies to file their taxes,” said Senator Whitehouse. “Our legislation would modernize IRS services and guarantee the return of free, in-house tax assistance so families can get back to enjoying their full, hard-earned refunds.”

The average American taxpayer spends eight hours and $160 each year filing their taxes with tax prep companies, according to the office of U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), the Ranking Member of the Senate Banking Committee and the lead sponsor of the bill.

In 2024, IRS launched Direct File to save families time and money. Nearly 300,000 taxpayers used it last year, with 94 percent of users described their experience as “excellent” or “above average.” If fully implemented, Direct File could save taxpayers nationwide an estimated $23 billion annually in fees, time, and tax credits.

However, the Trump Administration decided to terminate Direct File, contradicting recommendations from the independent Government Accountability Office (GAO) and Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration. By ending this program, the Trump Administration raises costs for many Americans and makes the tax filing experience even more challenging.

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

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

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

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

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

In addition to Warren, Reed, and Whitehouse, 37 other U.S. Senators cosponsored the legislation, including: Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Senators Chris Coons (D-DE), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Dick Durbin (D-IL), John Fetterman (D-PA), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Angus King (I-ME), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM.), Ed Markey (D-MA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Patty Murray (D-WA), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Tina Smith (D-MN), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Mark Warner (D-VA), and Peter Welch (D-VT).

The bill is endorsed by 115 unions, advocacy groups, and national organizations, including the AFL-CIO, Public Citizen, and Americans for Tax Fairness.

The deadline to file state and federal income tax returns on time is Wednesday, April 15.

For more tax information, or to get an update on the status of your refund, visit the IRS official website: https://www.irs.gov.

Other options for free tax assistance:

The Rhode Island Department of Revenue Division of Taxation is a resource for Rhode Islanders who have questions about their taxes.

IRS Free File

For those who earn $89,000 or less per year, IRS Free File offers free guided tax preparation. It allows users to choose from eight IRS partners: 1040Now, 1040.com, ezTaxReturn.com, FileYourTaxes.com, OnLine Taxes, TaxAct, FreeTaxUSA, and TaxSlayer.

To use Free File, visit: https://www.irs.gov/e-file-do-your-taxes-for-free

The page also offers Free File Fillable Forms for taxpayers “who are comfortable preparing their own taxes using IRS forms and instructions.”

United Way of Rhode Island & Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program

Rhode Islanders who earn less than $69,000 and need assistance with their taxes may contact the United Way of Rhode Island at: 2-1-1. Individuals who need help filing their paperwork may also call the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) line at: 1-800-906-9887.

The VITA program is managed by the IRS, but operated by IRS partners and staffed with volunteers. It offers free tax assistance for people who need help preparing their own tax returns who generally make $60,000 or less, people with disabilities, and taxpayers with limited English language proficiency. There are over two dozen VITA sites across the state.

Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) & The AARP Tax Aide Program

The TCE program offers free tax help for those who are 60 years or older. This service, which is also operated at several VITA sites around the state, specializes in providing information around pensions and retirement-related issues.

Trained AARP Foundation Tax-Aide volunteers can provide in-person tax assistance free of charge, with a focus on taxpayers who are over 50 and have low to moderate income. There are dozens of AARP tax assistance sites available across Rhode Island and help is available through walk-in and appointment options. Many sites require appointments, so check before you go to ensure service availability and note that taxpayers with complex returns may be advised to seek paid assistance. Last tax season, more than 28,300 AARP volunteers nationwide helped over 1.7 million taxpayers secure more than $1.3 billion in refunds and credits. Older adults with low income saved $578 million with the help of Tax-Aide. The program is offered in conjunction with the IRS and no AARP membership is required to participate.

To find the Tax-Aide location nearest you go to: https://www.aarp.info/TaxAideLocator

Beware of scams: The IRS will never contact taxpayers by email, text message, or social media channels to request personal or financial information. The IRS will also never call someone and demand immediate payment without first offering taxpayers the chance to appeal or question the amount owed.

A nation-wide text message scam continues to target Rhode Islanders. Texts claiming to be from the Rhode Island Division of Taxation are not legitimate. Do not provide your banking details or sensitive information. The Division does not contact taxpayers by text regarding a balance due or a refund owed.