Daines, Hickenlooper Introduce Bill to Protect Water Access, Reauthorize CWMP

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Steve Daines (R-Mont.) and John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.) today introduced the “Cooperative Watershed Management Program Reauthorization Act.” The bill reauthorizes the Cooperative Watershed Management Program (CWMP) for four years, which will help address water management for Montana’s local communities and tribal lands. Representative Juan Ciscomani (AZ-06) introduced the companion bill in the U.S. House of Representatives.

“Reliable access to clean water is a basic necessity for Montanans. This bipartisan bill provides a common sense solution to water management needs by funding CWMP and will help ensure our communities are equipped to face drought, wildfires, or other natural disasters,” said Daines.

“We need to put local communities at the center of solving our evolving water issues and empower them to lead the way. When Coloradans work together to manage our water challenges, we protect watershed health and strengthen resilience against drought and floods,” said Hickenlooper.

“Southern Arizona knows firsthand how important it is to manage our water resources wisely. The Cooperative Watershed Management Program helps bring local communities, tribes, farmers, and water managers together to develop practical, locally driven solutions to drought and long-term water security. As a champion of this program on the Appropriations Committee, I’ve worked to ensure it has the resources it needs to support collaborative water management efforts across the West. I’m proud to introduce this legislation to strengthen and reauthorize the program so communities in Arizona’s Sixth District and across the country can continue working together to protect and sustain our water resources for generations to come,” said Ciscomani.

Read the bill text HERE.

Statements of Support:

“The National Audubon Society supports the Cooperative Watershed Management Program Reauthorization Act, which will extend this critical program and provide for improved funding accessibility and maximized watershed impacts. The Cooperative Watershed Management Program invests in building local capacity to identify and implement projects that address local water needs. We thank the sponsors for introducing this bipartisan bill to provide resources to help communities build drought resilience and improve wildlife habitat in a hotter and drier West,” said Marnie Froimson, Senior Policy Manager for Western Water, National Audubon Society.

“The Cooperative Watershed Management Program has had a huge impact in improving the overall health of Colorado’s watersheds and provides tremendous benefits to fish and wildlife. We applaud Senators Daines’ and Hickenlooper’s leadership in working to together to introduce the Cooperative Watershed Management Program Reauthorization Act of 2026 ensuring that federal resources remain available for local watershed planning efforts that are critical in the development of projects designed to improve watershed function and resilience to wildfire and drought,” said Alex Funk, Director of Water Resources, Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership.

“We need to empower locally driven solutions to Western water management. That’s why The Nature Conservancy supports the bipartisan Cooperative Watershed Management Program Reauthorization Act. It’s essential that the Bureau of Reclamation continues to receive robust resources to support collaborative projects that will better manage Western waters. TNC works with the agency and our state partners to address the harmful effects of long-term drought and aridification on the West’s agricultural producers, communities and Tribes, rural economies and nature. The Cooperative Watershed Management Program has a long track record of success, and we applaud Senators Daines and Hickenlooper for their leadership,” said Stephanie Bailenson, US Federal Water Policy Team Lead.

Background:

The Cooperative Watershed Management Program is part of the Bureau of Reclamation’s WaterSMART program and expires at the end of 2026. The “Cooperative Watershed Management Program Reauthorization Act” would reauthorize CWMP until 2031 and increase funding to $40 million per year. The program provides funding for local, non-regulatory watershed groups to address water management needs, develop strategies, and implement projects.

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Daines Urges Colleagues to Support His Bills Protecting Montana’s Water Security and Infrastructure

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Steve Daines today spoke in a Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee hearing and urged his colleagues to support four of his bills: the “Lower Yellowstone River Native Fish Conservation Act,” the “Fort Peck Water System Reauthorization Act,” the “Cooperative Watershed Management Program Reauthorization Act,” and the “Hydropower Licensing Transparency Act.”

Watch Daines’ opening remarks HERE.

Daines’ opening remarks:

Included in today’s agenda are four of my bills, including the Lower Yellowstone River Native Fish Conservation Act, the Fort Peck Water System Reauthorization Act, the Cooperative Watershed Management Program Reauthorization Act, as well as the Hydropower Licensing Transparency Act, with my colleague Senator Cortez Masto.

All these bills have critical impacts on clean water and energy availability in Montana. The Fort Peck Water System Reauthorization Act extends authority to December of 2028 for the Bureau of Reclamation to finalize construction of essential water infrastructure. This project is designed to provide municipal, rural, and industrial water from two interconnected water systems: within the Fort Peck Reservation and within Roosevelt, Sheridan, Daniels, and Valley counties. It’s helpful to remember the semi-arid climate that we have in that environment. D.C. and Seattle are seeing about the same amount of rain, 41 inches a year.

In Montana we get anywhere from 13 to 16 inches of measurable precipitation in a year. That’s why these water projects are so important in really a semi-arid part of the country. The infrastructure is so important. I’m pleased that this bill will help ensure timely completion of the project.

My other bill, S. 3409 the Lower Yellowstone River Native Fish Conservation Act, reaffirms that the BOR [Bureau of Reclamation] retains exclusive ownership, operational control, and financial responsibility for the Lower Yellowstone fish bypass channel. This is where we can be responsible as it relates to the stewardship of our fish populations with these important bypass channels, while at the same time being good stewards of our water to allow our farmers and ranchers to continue to support the most significant economic driver in my state, which is agriculture. The Lower Yellowstone Irrigation Project, located about 70 miles upstream from the Yellowstone and Missouri River Confluence in Eastern Montana includes an Intake Diversion Dam, a screened headworks structure, 71 miles of main canal and 225 miles of lateral canals. The project was authorized by the Department of the Interior in 1904 to provide irrigation water to approximately 58,000 acres in eastern Montana and western North Dakota. This is where Senator Hoeven’s ears perk up because I mention North Dakota.

It’s used to irrigate crops such as sugar beets, alfalfa, wheat, barley, and rye and enables aquifer recharge for well replenishment. In 2007, construction of a 2.1 mile-long fish bypass channel was authorized to allow the endangered pallid sturgeon access to upstream spawning grounds. However, irrigators in the region are being expected to take on operation and maintenance responsibility of this extraordinarily expensive bypass channel.

I’ve received dozens of letters from irrigation districts, county commissions, and rural electric cooperatives, as well as individual ag producers and the Governor of Montana Greg Gianforte. I’d like to ask unanimous consent that these be added to the hearing record. Federal agencies, not the irrigators, should be responsible for ensuring the long-term success of the bypass channel in order to protect the pallid sturgeon. And this bill will do just that.

By the way if I could break quickly to talk about how we manage the fish population in Montana. Once upon a time when I was a little kid growing up in Montana, we would stock our rivers in Montana. Grow them in the hatchery and dump them in the river. Fish biologists started to challenge that idea and said would native fish actually be more resistant to disease and we’d see higher fish populations if we stopped stocking the rivers. It seems counterintuitive. They studied that in the Madison River, which is not far where I grew up. I was fly fishing the Madison River before Brad Pitt discovered fly fishing with Robert Redford and they took a section of the river and they stopped stocking it.

And they studied it and they found out the fish populations went up, not down. And they found out that the native fish were more resistant to disease and they weren’t as aggressive in feeding on the eggs and so forth during spawning periods. And so Montana no longer stocks its rivers. And our fish populations on a per mile basis are at the highest levels. Our fishery is very robust. So I share that because we’re very thoughtful and intentional. We think about managing our fish species like the pallid sturgeon here, and we want to have the bypass channel there. We’ve got to make sure our irrigators aren’t bearing the burden of the cost of doing that, and we share that to make sure our farmers and ranchers and our fish populations can all thrive.

Quickly before I close, Senator Cortez-Masto and I have a bill on the agenda, S.3500 to increase transparency in the licensing process for hydropower projects. I have a few letters of support for our bill that I ask unanimous consent to add to the record. The companion bill, H.R.3657, has already passed the House floor by voice vote. I encourage the committee and the Senate to likewise pass the bill by unanimous consent and get it to the president’s desk.

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Duckworth Hammers Trump Administration for Inflicting Lasting Trauma on Kids in Illinois and Across the Country During Trump’s Violent Mass Deportation Campaign

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today called out the Trump Administration’s assault on Chicago that put innocent students in the crosshairs of their violent, error-ridden and out of control tactics throughout Operation Midway Blitz. At U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin’s (D-IL) spotlight forum, “The Kids Are Not Alright: How Mass Deportation is Traumatizing Children,” Duckworth underscored the absurdity of the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) excessive use of force near schools and the lasting trauma inflicted on students like Lia, an Illinoisan who testified as one of the witnesses. Duckworth’s full remarks can be found on the Senator’s YouTube.

“Before he was even sworn in for his second term, Trump made it clear that Chicago would be ‘ground zero’ for mass deportations—and that was a promise he made sure to keep,” said Duckworth. “Chicago students, who weren’t even back to school for a month at that point, were immediately put in danger. Not only were these kids seeing their friends, family members and neighbors being attacked, kidnapped and harassed… they themselves were being swept up in raids.’

Trump’s unhinged agents have been leaving lasting emotional scars on innocent children, from terrorizing elementary schools to tear-gassing neighborhood blocks. When questioning Lia, Duckworth pointed out how she or any of her classmates would get in trouble for vaping or smoking at school. The Senator also noted how she was prohibited from using tear gas against foreign combatants as a Soldier in Iraq. And yet, Trump’s agents deployed the dangerous chemical irritant routinely near schools in Chicago.

“In Illinois, any use of cigarettes or vapes within 15 feet of any school property is illegal—so we can agree as a society that alcohol, tobacco and drugs should be kept away from our schools, but we apparently draw the line at chemical weapons known to cause burning, pain, skin inflammation, temporary blindness and respiratory distress,” said Duckworth. “Think about that. A chemical irritant that I, as a Soldier in an active warzone, was legally prohibited from using against foreign combatants…was deployed near elementary schools.”

“The trauma Trump’s agents have inflicted truly is a crisis, and my heart breaks for all the children who will carry these scars with them for a lifetime,” continued Duckworth. “These are Illinois children—my constituents—and they deserve better.”

Duckworth has fiercely pushed back against the Trump Administration’s mass deportation campaign and has been leading the charge to demand accountability and reforms of Trump’s DHS. Two months ago, the Senator announced her plans to force independent investigations into Trump’s agents’ use of excessive—and at times deadly—force against American citizens. Duckworth first called on the DHS and DOJ OIGs to investigate officer-involved use of force incidents last October, following a series of shockingly violent assaults and reckless shootings by Trump’s masked agents against Illinoisans, and Duckworth reiterated and expanded her request following the brutal killing of Renee Good, an American citizen and mother of three. Shamefully, just days before Trump’s agents murdered Alex Pretti, the DHS and DOJ OIGs—both of whom Trump appointed—denied Duckworth’s request.

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Durbin Asks Witnesses About Developmental Impact Of Immigration Detention On Children During Spotlight Forum On MAGA Mass Deportation Agenda

Durbin: “There’s a lot to be sad about in this country. There’s a lot to be hopeful about too…[What] All of you have done, coming forward today to tell the story, is a reminder to the rest of the country that there’s real, genuine goodness and a feeling of fairness and justice that motivates us as Americans.”

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today questioned witnesses at his spotlight forum entitled “The Kids Are Not Alright: How Mass Deportation is Traumatizing Children.” Today’s forum, which featured testimony from Chicago residents, examined how the Trump Administration’s anti-immigrant campaign has terrorized both immigrant and U.S. citizen children and is leaving lasting emotional scars on innocent kids.

Durbin first offered Samia, a high school student from Minnesota and a Somali American, the opportunity to respond to President Trump’s racist comments toward Somalis.

“I want to join Senator Blumenthal in telling you how painful it was to hear the President of the United States refer to you and your people as ‘garbage’…I was sitting in the Oval Office in his [President Trump’s] first term, the only Democrat in a group of about 20 members of Congress. I heard the President say… ‘shithole’ nations. I couldn’t believe it for a moment to think that a President of the United States would use that kind of language in the highest office of our land. He did, repeatedly, and denied it until just a few months ago when he admitted publicly that he did say it,” Durbin said.

“Can you tell me what the reaction was in your community?” Durbin asked Samia.

Samia spoke to the resilience of the Somali community, many of whom came to the U.S. to escape war, and how the comments made by the President led Somali Americans to advocate for immigrant communities before state legislatures and Congress.

Durbin then asked Dr. Lisa Fortuna, a clinical psychologist and a Professor and Chair of the Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences at the University of California Riverside, School of Medicine, about the long-term impacts on children who have witnessed the Trump Administration’s mass deportation scheme.

“Dr. Fortuna, what do you make of these children as they grow up with this life experience, hoping for the best that they physically survive? Mentally, what do they face?” Durbin asked.

Dr. Fortuna explained that while communities are trying to protect their children from the atrocities of this deportation campaign, chronic exposure to dehumanizing policing tactics and rhetoric can lead to trauma, depression, or psychiatric disorders in children. Further, these policies, which promote racist ideologies against immigrant communities, disrupt children’s identity formation and damage their sense of self.

Durbin continued, asking Elora Mukherjee, Director of the Immigrants’ Rights Clinic at Columbia Law School, about what safeguards can be implemented to protect immigrants’ rights and wellbeing during detention.

“Where are the safeguards, the recourse? It won’t be a habeas petition. That takes so long and has so many steps. What can we put into these facilities to provide the most basic protection of those who are detained, particularly the children?” Durbin asked.

Professor Mukherjee emphasized that detention is never appropriate for children and noted that there are more humane and more cost effective alternatives to detention.

Video of Durbin’s questions are available here.

Audio of Durbin’s questions are available here.

Durbin concluded the spotlight forum by reflecting on Chicago and Minneapolis’ responses to the surge of immigration enforcement activity. Durbin commended the peaceful protestors who spoke out against Operation Midway Blitz and Operation Metro Surge and commended the cities’ communities for coming forward to support their immigrant neighbors. Durbin recognized Lia, a witness at today’s forum and a high school student who led a walk out at her high school in protest of Operation Midway Blitz.

“Lia, I still remember going to your high school. I remembered you and the fact that you said, ‘We’re going to do something to protest this.’ You led the procession,” Durbin said.

Lia spoke about arranging the walk out, noting that she was inspired to organize it after her friends’ family was targeted by ICE agents.

“My friend, like I mentioned in my testimony, her cousin and her uncle got targeted by ICE agents. An agent even put his knee on her cousin’s neck while he yelled that he was a citizen. I remember seeing so many students, classmates of mine, gone for weeks and weeks on end because they were scared… I was just so sick and tired of living in constant fear. As a citizen, I took a passport [to school] every day just because I was scared that because I look Mexican, they might stop me and they might take me,” Lia said. “I asked my friend, ‘If I walk out, will you walk out with me?’ She said yes. In less than a week, we got more than 500 students to come attend, 89 community members, and 50 businesses to come support us.”

Durbin concluded, “There’s a lot to be sad about in this country. There’s a lot to be hopeful about too. What you [Lia] and Samia and all of you have done, coming forward today to tell the story, is a reminder to the rest of the country that there’s real, genuine goodness and a feeling of fairness and justice that motivates us as Americans. They can’t take that away from us if we don’t let them.”

Video of Durbin’s concluding remarks are available here.

Audio of Durbin’s concluding remarks are available here.

In response to the Trump Administration’s surge in federal law enforcement in Chicago and continuous threats to deploy the military in the area, Durbin has taken a number of steps to push back on these unlawful actions carried out by DHS and Secretary Noem under the direction of President Trump. Durbin’s actions to push back on the Trump Administration’s so-called “Operation Midway Blitz” can be found here.

Durbin, along with U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), has also notified the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) that they have referred the unlawful actions of Trump Administration officials and federal law enforcement agents responsible for immigration enforcement in Illinois to Attorney General Pam Bondi for investigation. The Trump Administration repeatedly appears to have violated the constitutional rights of individuals in Illinois during “Operation Midway Blitz,” and the officials responsible for these violations are acting with impunity. If this Administration fails to pursue charges, the statute of limitations will permit the next Administration to prosecute officials who acted unlawfully.

In December, Durbin also sent an oversight letter to DHS to push back on the Trump Administration’s false narrative that it does not arrest U.S. citizens. The letter, which requested a response by December 16, demanded answers about the total number of U.S. citizens arrested during immigration enforcement activity during the Trump Administration; the agencies responsible for the arrests; the length of detention following the arrests; audio or video footage of the arrests; agency directives governing encounters and arrests involving U.S. citizens; and policies regarding the maintenance of citizen arrest data.

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Durbin Delivers Opening Statement In His Spotlight Forum On Children Traumatized By The MAGA Mass Deportation Agenda

Durbin: “That is not a public safety operation that we see. It is an occupation by a paramilitary force. And, as so often occurs in an occupation, children have been the most harmed.”

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today hosted a spotlight forum entitled “The Kids Are Not Alright: How Mass Deportation is Traumatizing Children.” Today’s forum, which featured testimony from Chicago residents, examined how the Trump Administration’s anti-immigrant campaign has terrorized both immigrant and U.S. citizen children and is leaving lasting emotional scars on innocent kids.

Durbin delivered an opening statement that underscored the severity of the trauma that children face as they fear the ongoing mass deportation operations implemented by the Trump Administration. During his remarks, Durbin shared the stories of Chicago’s youngest residents who were traumatized by Operation Midway Blitz as parents were deported, a teacher was ripped from her classroom, and kids were pepper sprayed.

Key quotes:

“The American people have witnessed the brutality of this Administration’s mass deportation campaign.”

“Immigration agents have arrived in cities without consulting local law enforcement. They have roamed American streets in paramilitary gear and arrested and detained people based on the color of their skin, their accents, and the language they speak—what is known out here as the ‘Kavanaugh [stop].’ They have shot and killed people. That is not a public safety operation that we see. It is an occupation by a paramilitary force. And, as so often occurs in an occupation, children have been the most harmed.”

“In my home state of Illinois, during the so-called Operation Midway Blitz, a suburban Chicago father and his one-year-old daughter, Arianna, were pepper-sprayed by federal immigration agents as they headed to the grocery store. They were quickly rushed to a nearby hospital, where doctors called poison control in Atlanta for advice. Since the pepper-spraying, Arianna has been more clingy and unsettled. That’s no surprise to any father or grandfather who knows this story. She is too young to understand what happened to her family, but she doesn’t want to be left alone anymore.”

“The Trump Department of Homeland Security rescinded a policy that limited ICE raids at schools, child care centers, and other places where children play and learn. Why were these restrictions in place to prevent ICE from raiding schools and child care centers? Because of the harm we know happens to children when they experience this trauma. Witnessing a parent being detained—or fearing that a parent will be taken away—can have a lasting emotional scar on a child.”

“Take my late constituent, Ofelia Torres, who passed away last month at 16 years of age, a student at Lakeview High School. Her father was ripped away from her as she battled cancer. He was in a Home Depot parking lot trying to pick up an odd job. They [federal agents] came and arrested him, and he begged them to let him finish the job or at least, go home to his daughter, who just got back from the hospital for brain cancer treatment. They refused. They took him away for two weeks. They [Ofelia’s doctors] had to stop treatment because of the stress of her father’s [situation].”

“Or the three-year-old who witnessed his father being detained at a traffic stop. Now, whenever he hears sirens, he hides under tables and starts crying uncontrollably. His preschool teacher said, ‘He doesn’t understand immigration policy. He just knows someone took his dad.’”

“This Administration has restarted the inhumane practice of family detention. Under the best of circumstances, family detention is costly, ineffective, and exposes children to lasting trauma. But under this Administration, families in detention have received food contaminated with worms and mold. They have struggled to obtain water for formula and medical care for babies and children.”

“This includes Amalia, an 18-month-old baby who became so sick with a respiratory illness that she was hospitalized for 10 days, only to be returned to detention and denied medication.”

“In the so-called One Big Beautiful Bill Act that we passed last year without any Democratic votes, Republicans gave the Department of Homeland Security $45 billion dollars for immigration detention, including family detention. Yet, the Trump DHS cannot find the money to give kids safe food and medicine. In fact, after children wrote letters from Dilley, one of the detention centers, about conditions there, guards took away their art supplies. The cruelty is the point.”

“Thankfully, the American people are rejecting this depravity. Educators like our witness Maria have worked tirelessly to protect their kids and help them navigate the cruelty of this campaign. Neighbors have volunteered to drop children off at school. Students around the country—including two of our witnesses here today—have stood up for their classmates and family members.”

“Congress has to do its part as well. The harms to children are exactly why Democrats have held the line and—with the support of the American people—laid out demands to deal with the Department of Homeland Security. The demands are simple—and include ending roving patrols that lead to children and babies being tear gassed and ending indiscriminate arrests that tear apart some families and put others in detention.”

“And we must pass a path to citizenship—something I’ve worked on for more than two decades—to give stability to families and communities. It is long overdue.”

Durbin also introduced the forum’s witnesses, who offered testimony from the perspective of an educator, an immigration lawyer, a clinical psychologist, and high school students.

“Our first witness is Lia. I met with Lia at her high school in Chicago. She led hundreds of high school students in Little Village, a Hispanic area in Chicago, in a walk out during Operation Midway Blitz in Chicago. She has continued her work to organize students in her community in opposition to this Administration’s mass deportation campaign.”

“Our next witness is Elora Mukherjee, who directs the Immigrants’ Rights Clinic at Columbia Law School. Professor Mukherjee represents multiple families who have been detained.”

“Our third witness is Maria, a first-grade teacher at Funston Elementary School in Chicago and member of the Chicago Teachers Union.”

“Our next witness is Dr. Lisa Fortuna, a clinical psychologist and a Professor and Chair of the Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences at the University of California Riverside, School of Medicine.”

“Our final witness is Samia, a senior in high school in Minnesota, and the local student representative on her school board.”

Video of Durbin’s remarks is available here.

Audio of Durbin’s remarks is available here.

Since President Trump’s return to office, children have become targeted, traumatized, and victimized by indiscriminate enforcement, roving patrols, and excessive force. Some children have been caught up in raids or been tear gassed, while others live in fear that they will lose a loved one, neighbor, or friend. Even schools and child care centers have been impacted by immigration enforcement actions, disrupting environments that are supposed to be a safe, nurturing place for children to learn and grow. Witnessing these chaotic and scary scenes of militarized law enforcement can create toxic stress that impacts a child’s developing brain, which can harm their neurological and behavioral development and health.

This Administration is also targeting children and families for detention and deportation. Experts agree that children should never be in immigration detention, and any time in government custody should be limited to the time needed to place them in a safe and loving environment. Sadly, this Administration is arresting children and attempting to detain and deport them without due process, even when they have valid claims for status, like asylum or special immigrant juvenile status.

In response to the Trump Administration’s surge in federal law enforcement in Chicago and continuous threats to deploy the military in the area, Durbin has taken a number of steps to push back on these unlawful actions carried out by DHS under the direction of President Trump. Durbin’s actions to push back on the Trump Administration’s so-called “Operation Midway Blitz” can be found here.

Durbin, along with U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), has also notified the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) that they have referred the unlawful actions of Trump Administration officials and federal law enforcement agents responsible for immigration enforcement in Illinois to Attorney General Pam Bondi for investigation. The Trump Administration repeatedly appears to have violated the constitutional rights of individuals in Illinois during “Operation Midway Blitz,” and the officials responsible for these violations are acting with impunity. If this Administration fails to pursue charges, the statute of limitations will permit the next Administration to prosecute officials who acted unlawfully.

In December, Durbin also sent an oversight letter to DHS to push back on the Trump Administration’s false narrative that it does not arrest U.S. citizens. The letter, which requested a response by December 16, demanded answers about the total number of U.S. citizens arrested during immigration enforcement activity during the Trump Administration; the agencies responsible for the arrests; the length of detention following the arrests; audio or video footage of the arrests; agency directives governing encounters and arrests involving U.S. citizens; and policies regarding the maintenance of citizen arrest data.

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Senate Passes Durbin, Duckworth, Warnock, Booker, And Blunt Rochester’s Resolution Honoring The Late Reverend Jesse Jackson, Sr.

WASHINGTON – Yesterday, the United States Senate passed by unanimous consent a resolution honoring the life and legacy of Reverend Jesse Jackson, Sr., that was led by U.S. Senate Democratic Whip and Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee Dick Durbin (D-IL), along with U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Cory Booker (D-NJ), and Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE). The resolution recognizes Rev. Jackson’s significant leadership during the Civil Rights Movement and his decades of advocacy in pursuit of justice, equality, and human rights. Durbin spoke on the late Reverend Jackson on the Senate floor a few weeks ago and attended his homecoming service in Chicago.

“Reverend Jesse Jackson committed his life to the fight for civil rights. I counted him as an ally on many issues of social justice—and his legacy is alive and growing. I was honored to introduce this resolution in the Senate for my friend and am thrilled the Senate passed it unanimously,” said Durbin.

“The great Reverend Jesse Jackson was a barrier-breaking civil rights giant who spent his life working to improve lives by helping patch America together into a great quilt of unity and common ground,” Duckworth said. “He leaves behind a legacy Chicago and our nation will never forget—we are better because of him, and I’m pleased this resolution to honor his life and work that I helped introduce has passed the Senate unanimously. While Reverend Jackson will be missed by so many, myself included, it’s now up to each of us to keep his hope and vision for the future alive for generations to come.”

“Reverend Jesse Jackson spent his life working to ensure our nation lives up to its highest ideals,” said Warnock. “With an eloquence and rhythmic rhetoric all his own, he reminded America that equal justice is not inevitable; it requires vigilance and commitment, and for freedom fighters, sacrifice. His legacy will remain a beacon for generations to come, and I pray it inspires us to continue the work he started.”

“Jesse Jackson was a trailblazer and giant of the civil rights movement who spent his life on the front lines standing up for a more just and united America,” said Booker. “Through decades of activism, he inspired generations, proving that when people from every background come together with love, courage, and conviction, there is no limit to what we can achieve. His life stands as a lasting reminder that we all must come together and never stop fighting for a better America.”

“In the days since his passing, I’ve been reflecting on Reverend Jesse Jackson’s legacy and what he meant to our country,” said Blunt Rochester. “As we confront this challenging moment in our nation’s history, may we all find inspiration in Rev. Jackson’s moral clarity and insistence that everyone deserves equality, dignity, and respect. I’m proud to stand with my colleagues in introducing this resolution to honor the life of this civil rights giant.”

Full text of the resolution is available here.

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Fetterman Statement on Voting Against Debate on the SAVE America Act

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, following the Senate voting to begin debate on the Save America Act, U.S. Senator John Fetterman (D-PA) released the following statement:

“83% of Americans agree on voter ID.

“71% of Democrats agree on voter ID.

“Keep it basic: PHOTO ID to vote.

“Stop turning this into a Christmas list and attacking vote-by-mail.

“If the GOP wants real reform over a show vote––put out a clean, standalone bill and I’m AYE.”

Consistent with the majority of Americans, Senator Fetterman fully supports photo identification to vote. The SAVE America Act, in its current form, includes various policies that make it unworkable not just for Democrats, but also Republicans, with the Senate’s Republican leaders warning the bill is set up to fail.

Senator Fetterman has pointed to states like Wisconsin that enshrined voter identification and continues to protect that requirement. On voting by mail, Pennsylvania Republicans helped usher in election reform to include mail-in voting in 2019, with a high number of Republican voters utilizing this safe and secure method as recently as last year. On voter fraud, Senator Fetterman highlighted the Heritage Foundation’s database and the Bipartisan Policy Center’s analysis of the database to reinforce voter fraud is highly uncommon with 77 cases reported across the country from 1999 to 2023.

The SAVE America Act is now on the Senate floor for debate.


Fischer Highlights Importance of U.S. Strength at World Radiocommunication Conference

WASHINGTON – In her opening statement at today’s Senate Commerce Telecommunications and Media Subcommittee hearing, Chairman Deb Fischer (R-NE) spoke to the importance of the United States coordinating a strong leadership position before the 2027 World Radiocommunication Conference in Shanghai, China.

Link to video here.

Fischer’s remarks as prepared for delivery:

Distinguished Members of the Committee, and our witnesses – thank you for being here today to discuss the United States’ preparation for the 2027 World Radiocommunication Conference.

The World Radiocommunication Conference – convened by the International Telecommunication Union every four years – is one of the most consequential global fora for spectrum policy.

The decisions made at these conferences shape the international rules governing how radiofrequency spectrum is allocated and shared around the world.

Those decisions have far-reaching implications for U.S. economic competitiveness, national security, scientific research, and the continued leadership of the United States in wireless and satellite technologies.

Next year’s conference will be hosted in Shanghai, and the Chinese Communist Party will certainly be prepared to advance positions meant to undermine the United States’ leadership.

The United States must enter these negotiations with a strong position. This requires a tightly coordinated interagency process.

This process, which is led by NTIA, begins with federal agencies providing technical input and operational perspectives on each agenda item under consideration for WRC-27. The United States’ final position should reflect the full range of national spectrum interests.

Among agencies, the Department of Defense plays a particularly significant role. DOD is the largest federal user of radiofrequency spectrum within the federal government, and many of its most critical capabilities – including satellite communications, radars, and missile warning systems – depend on reliable and interference-free spectrum access.

As the WRC agenda looks to address space-related services and satellite operations, the intersection between international spectrum policy and national security becomes more pronounced.

National security missions cannot simply be engineered around certain commercial spectrum priorities. This is exactly why Congress exempted the 7.4-8.4 gigahertz band from FCC auction authority last year, in addition to the lower three gigahertz band.

Other federal agencies also contribute essential expertise to the interagency process. NASA and NOAA depend on spectrum for scientific satellites and weather monitoring systems that are crucial for forecasting and climate observation.

The FAA relies on spectrum for aviation safety and navigation systems that support the integrity of the global aviation network.

Each of these missions must be carefully considered as the United States evaluates proposed regulatory changes at the international level – where they will inevitably impact the domestic use of America’s airwaves.

The challenge – and the responsibility – of the interagency process is to reconcile these diverse needs, and translate them into a cohesive position that advances American innovation and resilience.

This unified position will allow the United States to engage effectively with regional partners, build coalitions with Allied nations, and advocate confidently for outcomes that protect U.S. interests.

Those interests are substantial.

The regulatory frameworks adopted at WRC-27 will influence how the next generation of satellite constellations operate, influence the coexistence of emerging communications services, and influence how spectrum policy supports both economic growth and national security.

That is why preparation for WRC-27 is not a short-term exercise.

Today’s committee hearing examines how best to support the interagency process in the coming months. We all share the goal of advancing U.S. leadership in spectrum and in space.

Thank you, and I look forward to your testimonies.


Gallego, Colleagues Demand DHS Reduce Delays for DACA Renewals

WASHINGTON – Today, Senator Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) joined 40 Senate colleagues in a letter to outgoing Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Director Joseph Edlow demanding the Department reduce the delays in processing renewal applications under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. Created in 2012, DACA protects individuals who came to the United States as children from deportation. DACA recipients across the country are experiencing increasing delays in renewing their status.

Senator Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), President Trump’s nominee to replace Secretary Noem, also received a copy of this letter.

“DACA has allowed hundreds of thousands of Dreamers an opportunity to pursue higher education and meaningful careers while remaining in the only home they have ever known,” wrote the Senators. “Delays in processing DACA renewals are increasing the instability and uncertainty that DACA recipients already face. These delays can have profound consequences. When renewals are not processed before expiration, recipients lose employment authorization and, in many cases, their jobs. Employers experience workforce disruptions, including in sectors such as health care and education and in small businesses. Hundreds of thousands of U.S. citizen children have a parent with DACA, and when their work authorization lapses due to slow renewals, families endure heightened financial instability.”

The Senators also call attention to the increased risk of detention and deportation faced by DACA recipients when their renewal applications are not processed before their status expires. According to the Department, as many as 270 DACA recipients have been detained and 174 have been deported.

“DACA recipients contribute billions of dollars annually to the national economy and serve vital roles in our communities. Administrative delays in DACA renewals undermine not only individual stability but also broader economic resilience,” concluded the Senators. “To reduce these disruptions and risks for DACA recipients, we urge you to reduce processing times for DACA renewal applications and reduce the volume of pending cases through timely renewals.”

Read the full letter HERE.

Senator Gallego has consistently stood up for Dreamers in the Senate:


Gallego Presses Administration to Lower Arizona Gas Prices

WASHINGTON – Today, Senator Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) pressed the Trump administration to take immediate steps to address rising gas prices in Arizona and explain how its recent decision to release oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) will help the Grand Canyon state. Gas prices have spiked in recent weeks following Trump’s war in Iran. Arizonans did not choose this war, and they should not be paying for it at the pump while the President tells them prices don’t matter.

In a letter to Energy Secretary Chris Wright, Gallego asked for clarification on the administration’s recently announced decision to release 172 million barrels from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, how that fuel will be distributed to states like Arizona, and whether this release will be sufficient to deliver meaningful relief to consumers.

READ MORE: Exclusive: Gallego presses DOE on oil reserve as gas prices rise (Axios)

“Gas prices in Arizona and across the country have skyrocketed since the beginning of the war in Iran, and Arizonans deserve additional insight into the decision making and details around this announcement,” Senator Gallego wrote. “Although the SPR is designed to ‘alleviate the market impacts of both domestic and international disruptions,’ I am concerned that its effects will not be felt equally by all Americans, including Arizonans. No detail was provided in the SPR release announcement about where the fuel will be sent, or how allocations will be determined.”

“I look forward to gaining more details on how your Department plans to relieve Arizona’s exceptionally high gas prices through releases from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve- an anticipation that I know is shared by Arizonans who are struggling to pay the price of conflict with Iran,” the Senator concluded.

Read the full letter HERE.

In a separate letter to Secretary Wright and EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, Gallego urged the administration to closely monitor and address any disruptions in Arizona’s fuel supply and work with state officials to prevent further gas price spikes.

READ MORE: Gallego presses EPA, Energy Department over Arizona gas spike (The Arizona Republic)

Arizona is particularly vulnerable to fuel supply shocks. The state has no major oil refineries and relies heavily on two pipelines that bring fuel from California and Texas. Because it takes nearly a week for fuel to reach Arizona, any refinery outage or pipeline disruption can quickly lead to supply shortages and further drive up prices for the people of Arizona.

“Over the past month, gasoline prices have risen sharply. The statewide average for regular gasoline is $4.33 per gallon, up from $3.14 per gallon a month ago.1 Prices in the Phoenix metropolitan area are even higher, with regular gasoline at $4.63 per gallon and diesel at $5.21 per gallon,” Senator Gallego wrote. “These price increases are much higher than the national average and are increasingly unaffordable for many of my constituents. I write to request immediate action by both of your departments to monitor and address any emerging supply disruptions for Arizona gas.”

“To compound national shortages with additional delivery or infrastructure challenges to Arizona would be financially damaging to many of my constituents who rely on gas to go to work and keep food on the table,” Senator Gallego continued. “To address these concerns, I ask that we work together – the EPA, the Department of Energy, Congress, and Governor of Arizona’s office – on a proactive approach to gasoline supply challenges. This could include immediately monitoring for potential supply shock events and requesting Arizona-specific fuel blend waivers as soon as supply challenges arise.”

Federal law authorizes the EPA to temporarily waive summer-blend fuel requirements for states experiencing supply disruptions, a move that could directly lower what Arizonans pay at the pump by expanding the pool of available fuel to local retailers. Senator Gallego has urged this administration to prepare to deploy this authority immediately should Arizona’s supply picture deteriorate.


Gillibrand, Colleagues Investigate Social Security Administration’s Customer Service Chaos Reaching “New Extremes”

Today, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), the top Democrat on the Senate Aging Committee, along with Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and ten Senate Democratic colleagues, launched a new investigation into the Social Security Administration’s (SSA) ongoing customer service crisis reaching new extremes. In a new letter to Social Security Commissioner Frank Bisignano, the senators raised concerns that staffing cuts and staff reassignments have left the agency unable to “fully serve” the 75 million Americans who rely on the program.

“Our seniors have spent a lifetime paying into Social Security, and they deserve to receive their hard-earned benefits and retire with dignity,” said Senator Gillibrand. “The Trump administration has starved the Social Security Administration of the resources it needs to serve the 75 million Americans who rely on it. The result is longer wait times, more frustration, and real hardship for families trying to access critical benefits. These reckless cuts are hurting our seniors and families across the country. I am demanding the administration immediately fix this customer service crisis and will keep fighting to ensure every American can count on the Social Security benefits they need and have spent a lifetime earning.”

In addition to Senators Gillibrand and Warren, the letter was signed by Senators Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Patty Murray (D-WA), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), and Ron Wyden (D-OR).

“[Staff] reassignments are band-aid solutions to patch over ongoing service problems that have plagued the agency under your leadership,” wrote the senators, highlighting ongoing staffing shortages and field office closures.

Staff cuts have left the agency with an average of only one field office representative per nearly 4,000 beneficiaries – a ratio that is 12 percent higher than it was before the cuts. With over 100,000 people visiting their local SSA office every day, these staffing reductions translate to declining customer service. According to a recent survey of SSA employees, nearly two-thirds reported that “service quality had declined in the past 12 months” and 70 percent reported “service speed had declined.”

Over the last year, the Trump administration has slashed SSA’s workforce by over 7,000 employees, causing some field offices to close. At the same time, SSA is short-staffing field offices in an effort to eliminate 15 million in-person field office visits, forcing seniors, people with disabilities, and their caregivers to wait even longer for an appointment or spend hours on the phone trying to speak with a live agent.

Instead of fixing those problems, Bisignano has attempted to cover up the mess by reassigning employees and seeking untested technological shortcuts to paper over staff shortages. Some of those reassignments include pulling expert employees away from SSA’s “disability adjudication, financial and management, field office services, risk and quality, digital services and chief information officer units” to help answer SSA’s national phone line.

“This entire process of firing and pushing out call service staff, re-assigning other employees to serve as call center staff, and now rehiring a whole new set of inexperienced call service staff…is a costly, wasteful process that only adds to the customer service chaos,” wrote the senators.

Reassigned employees are reportedly now only receiving three hours of training before starting on the SSA help line, despite the agency claiming they would receive eight hours of training. Employees familiar with handling the phone line say that eight hours of training is “insufficient due to the complexity of issues that can arise on a call.” The impacts of this lack of training are already becoming apparent — with literal life and death consequences. Newly reassigned employees have reported that they are receiving alarming guidance on handling callers expressing suicidal thoughts, including reminding callers “that suicide is only one option.”

Bisignano’s past responses to Congress about staff reassignments and field office wait times failed to provide details on the number of employees reassigned or clarify the length of their reassignments. He has also failed to answer the senators’ metric-specific questions on the initial results of reassignments.

“Your forced staff reassignments are harming Social Security beneficiaries, endangering the accuracy of claims, and wasting taxpayer dollars. When SSA pulls employees away from already understaffed field offices or from processing backlogs in claims, customer service and the timely delivery of benefits suffer,” wrote the senators.

The senators asked Bisignano to provide information about the ongoing staff reassignments and customer service problems at SSA by March 27, 2026.

As the top Democrat on the Senate Aging Committee, Senator Gillibrand is continuing her longstanding fight to increase benefits and lower costs for seniors. Late last year, she introduced the Social Security Emergency Inflation Relief Act, which would provide a $200-per-month increase to Social Security checks until July 2026, and the Boosting Benefits and COLAs for Seniors Act, which would increase Social Security benefits by leveraging the formula used to calculate yearly cost-of-living adjustments to better account for seniors’ expenses. In response to Trump administration cuts and overhauls at the Social Security Administration, she has rallied alongside seniors and unions to demand a reversal of staffing and service reductions, and she introduced theKeep Billionaires Out of Social Security Act to undo President Trump’s damage to the agency.

Senator Gillibrand is also part of the Senate Democrats’ Social Security War Room, a coordinated effort to fight back against the Trump administration’s attacks on Social Security and to ensure the American people can continue to rely on these essential programs that they have earned. The War Room coordinates messaging across the Senate Democratic Caucus and external stakeholders; encourages grassroots engagement by providing opportunities for Americans to share what Social Security means to them; and educates Senate staff, the American public, and stakeholders about the Republican agenda and their continued cuts to Americans’ Social Security services and benefits.

The full text of the letter can be found here.

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Grassley Introduces Bipartisan Legislation Expanding Whistleblower Protections for Duty Bound and Government Corporation Employees

WASHINGTON – During Sunshine Week, Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), co-chair of the Senate Whistleblower Protection Caucus, introduced two bills to extend whistleblower protections for duty speech disclosures and executive agency employees of government corporations. The bills are endorsed by the National Whistleblower Center and the Government Accountability Project.

“Federal law should ensure every whistleblower gets the protections they deserve, including employees who investigate misconduct and executive agency employees of a government corporation. These two bills extend whistleblower protections so more patriotic men and women can come forward to sound the alarm on waste, fraud and abuse in government without fear of retaliation. Whistleblowers shouldn’t be treated like a skunk at a picnic just for telling the truth,” Grassley said.

“Senator Grassley’s leadership in fixing loopholes in whistleblower protections has proven, time and again, to be absolutely critical in ensuring accountability. These two bills will close loopholes, prevent illegal gag orders and ensure that employees who are simply doing their jobs cannot be fired for disclosing violations of law,” said Stephen M. Kohn, Founder & Chairman of the Board, National Whistleblower Center.

“Whistleblowers should be thankful that Senator Grassley is exercising much-needed leadership to restore a credible Whistleblower Protection Act. Since 1988, he has pioneered protection against gag orders that would silence whistleblowers, and his bill would expand anti-gag protection to government corporations. Most significant, Senator Grassley's legislation would restore full Whistleblower Protection Act rights for whistleblowers who share protected information as part of their job duties, rather than allegations of government misconduct. A recent Merit Systems Protection Board canceled normal whistleblower rights for all employees permitted by their job descriptions to act against problems they discover. No other whistleblower law in the country demotes ‘duty speech’ to second class rights,” said Tom Devine, Legal Director, Government Accountability Project.

Duty-speech disclosures:

Currently, federal employees tasked with investigating and disclosing wrongdoing do not receive the same protections from retaliation for making legally protected disclosures as other whistleblowers covered by the Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act (WPEA). Instead, the courts and the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) have ruled that duty speech whistleblowers have a heightened burden to prove “actual retaliation,” a more difficult standard to meet when attempting to bring forward a retaliation claim. Grassley’s bill corrects these misguided decisions by clarifying duty speech whistleblowers, like other government whistleblowers, must prove the disclosure was a “contributing factor” in the agency’s adverse action against them.

The bill is cosponsored by Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.). On October 30, 2025, Grassley and Wyden, as co-chairs of the Senate Whistleblower Caucus, submitted an amicus brief to the Supreme Court arguing a plain text reading of WPEA requires the “contributing factor” standard, not the elevated “actual retaliation” standard.

Click HERE for text of the legislation.

Whistleblower Anti-Gag Act of 2026:

Current law requires federal agency nondisclosure policies, forms and agreements to notify employees of their right to make whistleblower disclosures to Congress, an Inspector General or the Office of Special Counsel. However, Grassley’s oversight revealed executive agency government corporations are not legally required to include this anti-gag provision in their nondisclosure policies.

The Whistleblower Anti-Gag Act of 2026 closes this loophole by expanding anti-gag provision coverage to executive agency employees of the 26 government corporations, like the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) and Export-Import Bank.

Click HERE for text of the legislation.


ICYMI—Hagerty Joins Sunday Morning Futures on Fox Business to Discuss U.S.-Japan Cooperation, SAVE Act, Federal Reserve

WASHINGTON—On Sunday, United States Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and former U.S. Ambassador to Japan, joined Sunday Morning Futures with Maria Bartiromo on Fox Business to discuss U.S.-Japan cooperation, election integrity legislation, and the nomination of Kevin Warsh to lead the Federal Reserve.

Partial Transcript

Hagerty on Japan’s role and U.S. Alliances in the region: “Japan can play an incredible role. We [the United States] have the most extensive military operations in the world. The United States has more military based in Japan than any place else. We’re sending a Marine expeditionary force from Japan into the region right now, 2,500 Marines coming from that region ourselves. We’re very accustomed to working with the Japanese, and I think we can work very clearly and effectively with them in the Strait [of Hormuz] if the Japanese decide to step up and move forward. I know they’re considering this carefully. The fact is, Prime Minister Taiichi is coming to visit the United States this week. She’ll be meeting with President Trump. I’m looking forward to seeing her as well. There are going to be great economic announcements made. I heard you with Secretary Burgum– what a terrific job. Fifty-seven billion dollars worth of transactions in terms of energy dominance and partnership in that region. This is a vision that President Trump and I have shared since I was ambassador back in 2017. It’s materializing now in a beautiful way. If you think about the partnership as well, from a national defense standpoint, the Prime Minister has been very clear. She’s stepping up their defense expenditures. We are close allies, and I think we have even greater opportunities to collaborate and cooperate, whether it’s in Iran or whether it’s in the region as we extend our joint work together.”

Hagerty on strengthening alliances in the Indo-Pacific: “You see the South Koreans also stepping up and engaging with us more. The trilateral cooperation between South Korea, Japan, and the United States has never been stronger. I love seeing this. I’m sure the CCP [Chinese Communist Party] does not like this at all, but this makes a very strong statement in terms of the collaboration that we have. The technical cooperation from a national security and defense standpoint, as well as the economic cooperation—all of this is strengthening ties throughout the region. It’s good for America and good for our allies. And I think the CCP is quite disturbed.”

Hagerty on the SAVE Act and voter ID: “Why should there be an issue when you have over 80 percent of the American population wants to see this? More than 90 percent of Republicans, over 80 percent of independents, and over 70 percent of Democrats want to see this. Yet you’ve got Democrats in the Senate—none of them want to step up and deal with this right now. These are issues that the American public wants addressed. Leader Thune is going to put the SAVE Act on the floor Tuesday. Let’s hear the Democrats try to defend why it is we shouldn’t have voter ID. What we’re trying to do is clean up a situation that’s been a grave concern to Americans. We have to show ID for almost everything that we do here in America. I do not understand why exercising one of the most precious rights as an American is not one of those issues that the Democrats couldn’t support. So we’ll see. I plan to be on the floor every moment of this coming week, battling this out. And I hope the American people will convey the message that we’ve heard to their Democrat legislators as well so we can get this over the finish line.”

Hagerty on a possible talking filibuster: “I’m certainly willing to do that. I’m certainly willing to move into that zone. Let’s get on the floor. Let’s start this debate and see how embarrassed the Democrats are as they try to articulate an indefensible position. Let’s see how their voters press them, because again over seventy percent of Democrats want to see this done as well. You’ve got leader Thune, who’s willing to put this to the test immediately. Let’s see how it progresses. I think we should do everything possible. I’m happy to do the talking filibuster to continue moving on this, to get this across the finish line for the American public.”

Hagerty on Kevin Warsh and the Federal Reserve: “We’re ready to have confirmation hearings for Kevin. He’s actually started the process last week moving through meeting with senators. I met with Kevin last week. I’ve known Kevin for over 30 years. Kevin is the man for the moment here. If the concern is Fed independence, which I’ve heard this articulated, there’s no one better than Kevin. Kevin is going to get the Fed back to its core mission. If you think about the dual mandate, he’s going to be focused on inflation and unemployment, getting us out of the business of worrying about climate change. The Fed has gotten far out of its lane—regulating according to climate risk, mitigating climate risk, and pushing DEI initiatives coming out of the twelve Federal Reserve banks. That will be over under Kevin’s watch. Kevin is the right person to get us back into the lane of independence, and I hope that’s where we go. It’s certainly up to Jay Powell whether he stays. He’s a governor elected for a longer term, but it is not typical for a retiring chair to do that. I would expect Kevin to come in and have a clean runway. My goal is to get him in on time. Jay’s retirement comes on May 15. I hope we can get through this. I’ll remind you that Kevin Warsh has been confirmed by the United States Senate on a bipartisan basis overwhelmingly in the past. Many of my colleagues on the Democrat side have already voted for Kevin. I hope they’ll do that again.”

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ICYMI: Heinrich and Whitehouse Host Roundtable on Skyrocketing Energy Costs Since Trump Took Office

PHOTOS

WASHINGTON — Today U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, and U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, hosted a roundtable with U.S. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.); U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.); U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.); U.S. Senator Ed Markey (D-Mass.); U.S. Senator Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.); Robert Reich, former U.S. Secretary of Labor under the Clinton administration; and experts on clean energy and utility services, discussing how the Trump administration’s policies have driven up energy prices for working families.

VIDEO: U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, and U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, host roundtable on skyrocketing energy costs, March 17, 2026.

“The story is simple: Trump promised to end wars and lower energy prices. He’s done the precise opposite,” said Heinrich. “He waged a war at home against American-made clean energy. And then he started a war in the Middle East without a plan, heavily affecting our energy supply. And it is families that are bearing the brunt in an economy that already makes it hard to put food on the table. Folks, this is not an affordability hoax, as the president likes to calls it. It is a very real energy affordability crisis.”

“Utility bills are soaring across the country because the Trump administration is throttling cheap, clean energy and forcing grids to call up expensive fossil units – all to line the pockets of the planet’s biggest polluters. It’s a corruption scheme,” said Whitehouse. “When ratepayers pay more month after month, they deserve to know that Trump’s clean energy sabotage is the cause.”

“On the campaign trail, Trump promised to cut energy bills in half. In reality, Trump is more likely to double Americans’ energy costs by the end of his presidency,” said Leader Schumer. “Simply put, Trump’s policies—his war of choice in Iran, his corrupt giveaways to Big Oil, and his assault on clean energy—have sent energy prices soaring. And instead of helping American families lower their energy bills, Trump is running a pay-to-play scheme to help his billionaire buddies in the fossil fuel industry. Working American families are paying the price for Trump’s broken promises.”

“The rapid growth of data centers is driving up electricity costs for all of us and pushing our grid to the breaking point. Not only has the Trump administration failed to meaningfully address this urgent and growing problem, they have made it worse by sabotaging clean energy projects that we need to meet rising electricity demand across the country – and Americans are taking the hit in their pocketbooks. We need a total course correction from the Trump administration status quo – which means passing my Power for the People Act to ensure data centers, not consumers, cover the costs of the power they need while harnessing the full potential of clean energy to bring down electricity prices across the board,” said Van Hollen.

“Data centers pose a potential threat to electricity prices,” said Blumenthal. “We are now threatened—our electricity prices—by the potential for data centers swallowing huge amounts of electricity. My legislation would force Big Tech companies to bear their fair share of the financial burden of generating the electricity necessary for those data centers.”

“Trump is doing everything he can to increase Americans’ energy costs – blocking affordable and ready-to-go wind and solar energy projects, attacking programs that would lower electricity prices, and starting illegal wars that send prices sky-high. While Trump and the Republicans create the problems, we have the solutions – including my new bill to end Trump’s abuse of energy emergency authorities that force families to pay for his pricy coal plant fantasies,” said Markey.

“Today’s roundtable on energy costs underscores the reality that President Trump’s policies are driving energy costs up, not down,” said Blunt Rochester. “Rather than supporting science-backed solutions that lower costs, like clean energy, the Trump administration has moved to dismantle them. Americans deserve leaders committed to their best interest, not those bending to the will of Big Oil.”

“Even before the war in Iran, energy prices were going up, but the war in Iran has had a direct and obvious effect on oil prices,” said Robert Reich, former U.S. Secretary of Labor under the Clinton administration. “Of all times for an administration to reduce the access to cheaper clean energy, this is absolutely the worst time, not only because of war, but also because of climate change that we are all experiencing.”

“When Secretary Wright issues a 202 C order forcing a coal plant to remain operational, he is forcing that plant owner to spend tens of millions of dollars on a facility that no longer provides economic value,” said Greg Wannier, Sierra Club Senior Attorney. “And his solution to that problem is to tell those owners to recover their losses from ratepayers. That means American households already strained by high energy prices are being asked to foot the bill for these orders.”

“Despite congress's plain language and House Resolution One to rescind only unobligated funds, the Trump administration issued termination notices for all Solar For All grants, including fully obligated funds in August of 2025,” said Catherine Zingg, Tribal Energy Alternatives Policy Director. “This meant over a $500 million loss for Indian country and across Alaska Native communities. In total, participating households were projected to save more than $94 million in electricity costs over time, or roughly $1,300 per household per year. Across the country, families are searching for practical ways to lower energy costs, and it's in distributed energy programs like solar for all that can play an important role in achieving that goal, particularly in tribal communities that have faced historical barriers in accessing affordable energy.”

“Offshore wind promises to save hundreds of millions of dollars in energy costs for rate payers every year,” said Anna Poplavska, Arcadia Center Senior Policy Advocate. “Imagine you're a marathon runner and just one mile from the finish line, you're suddenly taken out of the race without any explanation. That's exactly the best way to think about what's happening with offshore wind right now, where policies are disrupting the progress of resources we know can reliably provide power quickly and cost effectively.”

Heinrich’s work to lower energy costs for families in New Mexico and across the country:

As Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, Heinrich has been leading his colleagues in Congress in spotlighting how this administration’s policies are raising costs on consumers.

In December, Heinrich released a fact sheet to inform Americans how President Trump’s actions are gutting the energy sector and hiking up costs for families across the country. At a time when high energy demand is causing rising prices, Heinrich has repeatedly called for the Trump administration to stop stalling projects that could increase energy supply and lower prices.

Last October, Heinrich delivered remarks on the Senate floor, blasting President Trump for waging a war on American-made energy – causing energy costs to skyrocket and killing good-paying jobs. He urged his Republican colleagues to take action to resolve the affordability crisis facing New Mexico families.

Last August, Heinrich hosted a roundtable discussion on how many jobs the Trump administration will kill and how much they will raise New Mexicans' utility bills as a result of their Big, Bad Bill.

Last July, Heinrich grilled Trump’s Department of Energy (DOE) nominee Audrey Robertson on energizing our grid with renewables to keep costs low for families, and her record of managing oil spills in New Mexico as the co-founder and an executive of Franklin Mountain Energy. Heinrich also questioned energy company executives on Trump administration actions that are impacting grid reliability and driving up families’ energy costs.

Heinrich also pressed several pending Trump administration nominees on the president’s Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26) budget request and his Big, Bad Bill, which raises costs on American families by gutting investments in energy efficiency and clean energy programs.

Last May, Heinrich urged Trump administration to immediately reverse course on its plan to illegally and unilaterally terminate the ENERGY STAR program. In the letter, Heinrich highlighted the cost-saving benefits of the program, which would save the average American household $450 on utility bills each year simply by choosing ENERGY STAR certified products.


Hickenlooper, Bennet, Boebert, Hurd Push for AVC Completion

After Trump veto, Colorado lawmakers urge Congress to include in upcoming WRDA legislation

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senators John Hickenlooper and Michael Bennet, along with U.S. Representatives Lauren Boebert and Jeff Hurd, urged committee leadership in both the U.S. House and U.S. Senate to include the bipartisan Finish the Arkansas Valley Conduit Act (H.R. 131) in the upcoming 2026 Water Resources Development Act (WRDA).

“H.R. 131 passed both the House and Senate in 2025 without objection, but has not been signed into law. The bill would adjust the non-federal cost share financing for the Arkansas Valley Conduit (AVC), which is the final, unfinished component of the Fryingpan–Arkansas Project authorized by Congress in 1962. More than six decades later, over 50,000 residents across 39 communities in southeastern Colorado continue to rely on groundwater sources contaminated with naturally occurring pollutants, including carcinogens. These predominantly rural and economically vulnerable communities have waited generations for the federal government to meet its commitment,” wrote the lawmakers.

In December 2025, President Trump recklessly vetoed the bill, despite it passing both chambers of Congress unanimously. Hickenlooper denounced the failed House vote to override President Trump’s veto.

While the AVC has overwhelming bipartisan support, rising material and labor costs have threatened the project’s completion. The Finish the Arkansas Valley Conduit Act provides measures that ensure the project can be completed without additional taxpayer burden by adjusting financing terms, reducing interest rates, and providing greater repayment flexibility.

WRDA regularly authorizes water infrastructure projects, and 1992 WRDA authorized the construction of a component of the Arkansas Valley Conduit. WRDA has long served as a popular solution for critical water infrastructure and has a history of supporting the AVC. Including the Finish the Arkansas Valley Conduit Act in the 2026 WRDA is not only backed by precedent,t also supports the tradition of using the WRDA to adapt and support authorized water resource projects.

Hickenlooper and Bennet have long advocated for increased federal funding for the AVC and will continue pushing to complete the project. Both senators helped deliver $500 million in funding for the Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for the AVC, including $250 million, $90 million, $100 million in 2023 and $60 million in 2022. Last year, they reintroduced the Finish the Arkansas Valley Conduit Act and passed the bill through the Senate before it was recklessly vetoed by President Trump.

Hickenlooper visited the AVC construction site earlier this year to highlight bipartisan support for this vital project to deliver clean drinking water to thousands of Coloradans.

The text of the letter is available HERE and below:

Dear Chairmen and Ranking Members:

We write to respectfully request that H.R. 131, the Finish the Arkansas Valley Conduit Act, be included in the forthcoming 2026 Water Resources Development Act (WRDA). Incorporating this legislation into WRDA would ensure Congress fulfills a long-standing federal commitment to deliver clean, affordable drinking water to tens of thousands of rural Coloradans, while advancing a project with strong bipartisan support without increasing federal spending.

H.R. 131 passed both the House and Senate in 2025 without objection, but has not been signed into law. The bill would adjust the non-federal cost share financing for the Arkansas Valley Conduit (AVC), which is the final, unfinished component of the Fryingpan–Arkansas Project authorized by Congress in 1962. More than six decades later, over 50,000 residents across 39 communities in southeastern Colorado continue to rely on groundwater sources contaminated with naturally occurring pollutants, including carcinogens. These predominantly rural and economically vulnerable communities have waited generations for the federal government to meet its commitment.

WRDA has long served as the primary vehicle for advancing critical water infrastructure and honoring federal project authorizations. In fact, the 1992 WRDA included a Section 219 authorization supporting the AVC, recognizing its importance as a regional water supply project. Including H.R. 131 in the 2026 WRDA is consistent with this precedent and with Congress’s bipartisan tradition of using WRDA to strengthen, modify, and complete authorized water resource projects.

Although administrations of both parties have supported the AVC, rising material and labor costs now threaten its completion. H.R. 131 provides a practical solution by adjusting financing terms to reduce interest rates and provide greater repayment flexibility—measures that enable completion of the project without imposing additional costs on taxpayers. These targeted updates are well suited for inclusion in WRDA, which routinely refines existing authorizations to reflect changing economic conditions and ensure project viability.

Given WRDA’s established role as Congress’s bipartisan water infrastructure package, we believe 2026 WRDA is the appropriate legislative vehicle to secure completion of the AVC. We respectfully urge the Committee to include H.R. 131 in the 2026 Water Resources Development Act and help ensure that southeastern Colorado communities finally receive the safe, reliable drinking water they were promised.

Thank you for your leadership and consideration.

Sincerely,

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Hickenlooper, Colleagues Demand DHS Reduce Delays for DACA Renewals

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator John Hickenlooper joined 40 of his Democratic colleagues to demand outgoing Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Director Joseph Edlow reduce the delays in processing renewal applications under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.

“DACA has allowed hundreds of thousands of Dreamers an opportunity to pursue higher education and meaningful careers while remaining in the only home they have ever known,” wrote the senators. “Delays in processing DACA renewals are increasing the instability and uncertainty that DACA recipients already face. These delays can have profound consequences.”

The senators also call attention to the increased risk of detention and deportation faced by DACA recipients when their renewal applications are not processed before their status expires. According to the Department of Homeland Security, as many as 270 DACA recipients have been detained and 174 have been deported.

“DACA recipients contribute billions of dollars annually to the national economy and serve vital roles in our communities. Administrative delays in DACA renewals undermine not only individual stability but also broader economic resilience,” concluded the senators. “To reduce these disruptions and risks for DACA recipients, we urge you to reduce processing times for DACA renewal applications and reduce the volume of pending cases through timely renewals.”

Hickenlooper has called for a legal pathway for citizenship for DREAMers, as well as TPS recipients, and essential workers, and is a strong supporter of DACA. After the Trump administration announced they would stop processing DACA applications, Hickenlooper pressed for processing to resume.

Read the full letterHERE and below:

Dear Secretary Noem and Director Edlow:

We write to express serious concerns regarding delays in the processing of renewal applications under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. Across the country, DACA recipients are reporting significant processing delays for their renewal applications. Many applicants who filed their renewals on time and in accordance with agency guidance are experiencing prolonged adjudication periods that extend beyond their current period of deferred action and employment authorization. We urge you to take all steps within your power to process renewal applications in a timely manner and protect the DACA recipients who rely on this program and who contribute so much to this country.

DACA has allowed hundreds of thousands of Dreamers an opportunity to pursue higher education and meaningful careers while remaining in the only home they have ever known. Delays in processing DACA renewals are increasing the instability and uncertainty that DACA recipients already face. These delays can have profound consequences. When renewals are not processed before expiration, recipients lose employment authorization and, in many cases, their jobs. Employers experience workforce disruptions, including in sectors such as health care and education and in small businesses. Hundreds of thousands of U.S. citizen children have a parent with DACA, and when their work authorization lapses due to slow renewals, families endure heightened financial instability.

Most concerningly, a lapse in DACA can result in an increased risk of being detained and even deported by federal immigration officials. Our offices have heard examples of constituents whose DACA has lapsed due to renewal delays being picked up by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). A DACA recipient whose only change of circumstance is a pending renewal application should not be at risk of their entire life being thrown into chaos due to indiscriminate immigration enforcement.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has also failed to provide clear notice as to policies or procedures that may be worsening this issue. For example, in helping our constituents address DACA renewal delays, some casework staff have been told that requests to expedite renewals will only be considered for recipients who work in the health care industry. While DACA health care workers are essential to the functioning of our local communities, they are by no means the only DACA recipients whose cases meet the agency’s criteria to expedite a renewal.

Many casework staff have also been informed that USCIS has frozen DACA renewal processing for individuals from 39 countries subject to President Trump’s national security proclamations. This decision, which has not been publicly announced, could indefinitely delay the DACA renewal of thousands of beneficiaries, subjecting them to potential detention and removal to countries where they did not grow up.

To better understand and address these concerns, we request detailed responses to the following questions:What is the current average processing time for DACA renewal applications?

What steps is USCIS taking to ensure that timely filed renewal applicants do not experience lapses in employment authorization? What is the timeline for executing those steps?

What changes have been made to USCIS’s policies, procedures, and guidance regarding DACA renewals since January 20, 2025?

What are USCIS’s policies, procedures, and guidance regarding requests to expedite DACA renewals?

What steps does USCIS plan to take to ensure that renewals filed earlier than 150 days in advance of expiration are processed in a timely manner?

Does USCIS provide information to ICE regarding individuals’ DACA expiration dates?

7. Does USCIS provide information to ICE regarding individuals’ pending DACA renewals?

Does USCIS otherwise share information with ICE regarding DACA holders or facilitate the arrest, detention, or removal of DACA holders or individuals with renewals for DACA pending? If so, please describe this information sharing and/or facilitation in detail.

How many individuals with DACA renewal pending have been detained?

How many remain in immigration custody?

How many have been removed?

How many pending DACA renewals have been filed as of March 1, 2026 that are subject to the adjudicative hold for countries listed in Presidential Proclamations 10949 and 10998?

How many pending DACA renewals have been filed as of March 1, 2026, that are subject to any other adjudicative holds? Please provide the number per type of adjudicative hold.

DACA recipients contribute billions of dollars annually to the national economy and serve vital roles in our communities. Administrative delays in DACA renewals undermine not only individual stability but also broader economic resilience.

To reduce these disruptions and risks for DACA recipients, we urge you to reduce processing times for DACA renewal applications and reduce the volume of pending cases through timely renewals. We request a written response by April 17, 2026. Thank you for your attention to this urgent matter.

Sincerely,

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Hickenlooper, Daines Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Improve Water Access, Protect Clean Water

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senators John Hickenlooper and Steve Daines introduced the bipartisan Cooperative Watershed Management Program Reauthorization Act to reauthorize the Cooperative Watershed Management Program (CWMP) for five years and help improve water management for Colorado’s local communities and tribal lands.

“We need to empower local communities to solve our evolving water issues. The federal government is not the solution,” said Hickenlooper. “When Coloradans work together to manage our water challenges, we protect watershed health and strengthen resilience against drought and floods”

“Reliable access to clean water is a basic necessity for Montanans. This bipartisan bill provides a common sense solution to water management needs by funding CWMP and will help ensure our communities are equipped to face drought, wildfires, or other natural disasters,” said Daines.

The CWMP, which is part of the Bureau of Reclamation’s WaterSMART program, expires at the end of 2026. The Cooperative Watershed Management Program Reauthorization Act would reauthorize CWMP until 2031 and increase funding to $40 million per year. The program provides funding for local, non-regulatory watershed groups to address water management needs, develop strategies, and implement projects.

“The National Audubon Society supports the Cooperative Watershed Management Program Reauthorization Act, which will extend this critical program and provide for improved funding accessibility and maximized watershed impacts. The Cooperative Watershed Management Program invests in building local capacity to identify and implement projects that address local water needs. We thank the sponsors for introducing this bipartisan bill to provide resources to help communities build drought resilience and improve wildlife habitat in a hotter and drier West,” said Marnie Froimson, Senior Policy Manager for Western Water, National Audubon Society.

“The Cooperative Watershed Management Program has had a huge impact in improving the overall health of Colorado’s watersheds and provides tremendous benefits to fish and wildlife,” said Alex Funk, Director of Water Resources, Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership. “We applaud Senators Daines’ and Hickenlooper’s leadership in working to together to introduce the Cooperative Watershed Management Program Reauthorization Act of 2026 ensuring that federal resources remain available for local watershed planning efforts that are critical in the development of projects designed to improve watershed function and resilience to wildfire and drought.”

“We need to empower locally-driven solutions to Western water management. That’s why The Nature Conservancy supports the bipartisan Cooperative Watershed Management Program Reauthorization Act. It’s essential that the Bureau of Reclamation continues to receive robust resources to support collaborative projects that will better manage Western waters. TNC works with the agency and our state partners to address the harmful effects of long-term drought and aridification on the West’s agricultural producers, communities and Tribes, rural economies and nature. The Cooperative Watershed Management Program has a long track record of success, and we applaud Senators Daines and Hickenlooper for their leadership,” said Stephanie Bailenson, US Federal Water Policy Team Lead

Hickenlooper strongly supports watershed health initiatives and leads legislation to help communities better respond to extreme drought. He introduced and helped pass the Colorado River Basin System Conservation Extension Act out of the Senate to extend a conservation pilot program supporting water drought management conservation projects along the Colorado River. Hickenlooper also introduced the bipartisan Water Project Navigators Act to equip rural communities with grant navigators to secure more resources for water projects that improve water efficiency, reduce water consumption, and enhance ecosystem resilience.

Full text of the bill available HERE.

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Hickenlooper, Daines Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Unlock Geothermal Power, Lower Energy Costs

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senators John Hickenlooper and Steve Daines introduced the bipartisan Geo POWER Act to help accelerate geothermal technologies and deliver clean, affordable electricity across the country.

“We’re on the verge of harnessing a new wave of geothermal energy to meet surging electricity demand, lower prices, and address the climate crisis,” said Hickenlooper. “The key will be in scaling up new, next-generation geothermal projects across the country.”

“Montana has an all-of-the-above energy portfolio, from hydropower and solar to coal and other natural resources,” said Daines. “Geothermal power is an important source of renewable energy for Montana communities, and I’m thrilled to work with Senator Hickenlooper on the Geo POWER Act to increase made-in-America energy and support our nation’s energy independence.”

New geothermal technologies have the potential to provide clean electricity across much of the U.S., but to realize that power, we need to bridge the gap between where we are and where we want to go. The bipartisan Geo POWER Act paves that path.

The bill enables the Department of Energy to move beyond limited-scale pilots and unlock the large-scale geothermal electricity generation needed to meet surging demand and drive down costs. It authorizes DOE to offer innovative financing approaches to help scale next-generation geothermal power generation and develop markets in states with limited existing geothermal facilities.

Specifically, the Geo Power Act would:

Require the Department of Energy to provide innovative financing to projects that are planning or enabling new aggregate electricity generation of at least 30 megawatts in multiple states with limited to no existing geothermal electricity generation

Generate public data to de-risk future geothermal projects in new geologies and regions

Ensure fiscal accountability by requiring projects to achieve milestones to access additional financial support

Accelerate the commercialization of next-generation geothermal technologies in new regions across the United States

Key industry supporters include: Geothermal Rising Action, The Enhanced Geothermal Systems Deployment Coalition, Eavor, Fervo, XGS Energy, and Quaise Energy.

Additional supporters also include: Bipartisan Policy Center Action, Center for Climate and Energy Solutions, Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions, Clean Air Task Force, Clean Energy Buyers Association, ClearPath Action, Climate Innovation Action, National Wildlife Federation, Third Way, and the World Resources Institute

“When I chaired the Western Governors’ Association, I focused on investing in Geothermal energy because we know the immense potential the ‘Heat Beneath Our Feet’ has to support our climate goals, reduce pollution, and save people money on energy. Colorado is a leader in advancing geothermal energy, and Senator Hickenlooper’s bipartisan Geo POWER Act will build on our work to expand opportunities to deploy more geothermal energy across the United States. I thank Senator Hickenlooper for his leadership with this important bill and urge Congress to pass this law,” said Colorado Governor Jared Polis.

“Colorado sits atop a vast, low-cost geothermal frontier that remains one of the most significant untapped opportunities in our diverse energy portfolio. Our State is uniquely prepared to lead this expansion because we have already established the regulatory and financial infrastructure required for immediate commercial liftoff. While we have the resources, the Geo POWER Act serves as the precise tactical lever needed to move these projects from potential to production.” said Dan Gibbs, Executive Director of the Colorado Department of Natural Resources. “We applaud Senator Hickenlooper’s leadership working across the aisle in identifying innovative opportunities to advance geothermal electricity production and we look forward to working together to ensure Colorado remains at the forefront of geothermal deployment.”

Check out what they’re saying HERE.

A full text of the bill available HERE. A one-pager is available HERE.

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Hoeven, King Call on ITC to Initiate a Section 332 Investigation into Unfair Trade Practices by Canada Impacting U.S. Potato Producers

WASHINGTON – Senators John Hoeven (R-N.D.) and Angus King (I-Maine) led a bipartisan effort calling on the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) to investigate unfair trade practices by Canada impacting U.S. potato producers through a Section 332 investigation. The senators outline how Canadian federal and provincial policies impose competitive disadvantages on U.S. producers and raise concerns regarding recent antidumping duties imposed by the Province of British Columbia on U.S. fresh potatoes, noting the antidumping policies do not reflect any realistic market conditions.

“Canada is one of the most important export markets for U.S. fresh and processed potatoes, with annual trade valued in the hundreds of millions of dollars. A stable, transparent, and rules-based trading relationship with Canada is therefore essential to the continued viability of potato producers in our states. Unfortunately, recent developments have raised concerns among U.S. growers regarding whether current trade conditions are fair, and consistent with international law and trade agreements,” wrote the senators.

“Producers in the Upper Midwest and Northeast in particular, have emphasized the importance of understanding whether these policies are materially affecting competition, investment decisions, and long-term market balance in regions where U.S. and Canadian potato industries have historically been closely integrated… We believe that Congress, the administration, and U.S. potato producers would benefit from a clear, objective, and comprehensive assessment of the facts provided by a Section 332 investigation, particularly ahead of the upcoming USMCA joint review.”

In addition to Hoeven and King, the letter was co-signed by Senators Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisc.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.) and Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.). The full text of the letter can be found here.

“The Northland Potato Growers sincerely appreciate the leadership of Senator Hoeven and all the senators who called for this investigation into Canadian potato trade practices. Once completed, this important 322 investigation will provide the facts necessary to ensure our U.S. – Canadian trading relationship is fair and balanced. Thank you again to Senator Hoeven in prioritizing the competitiveness of growers in North Dakota,” said Gary Shields, Executive Director of the Northland Potato Growers Association.

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Hoeven Secures $108 Million Award Supporting ENDAWS, Worked with Interior Department & OMB to Advance Funding

Senator Crafted and Passed Language to Make ENDAWS Eligible for OB3 Water Project Funding

WASHINGTON – Senator John Hoeven, a member of the Senate Energy and Water Appropriations Committee, today announced he has secured a $108 million award to support the Eastern North Dakota Alternate Water Supply (ENDAWS) project from the One Big Beautiful Bill (OB3). This includes $100 million for construction of ENDAWS and $8 million for repairs at the McClusky Canal and Snake Creek Pumping Plant, which will be utilized for the project.

The OB3 included $1 billion in funding for Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) water conveyance and storage projects.

Hoeven crafted and secured language in the bill to make ENDAWS eligible for this funding.

Since the OB3 passed, Hoeven has been working with the Trump administration for additional funding for ENDAWS.

This includes the senator’s efforts with the Interior Department and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to advance and finalize today’s award.

This funding builds upon the $50 million and authorization that Hoeven secured for the project in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 appropriations legislation.

The authorization was needed to allow the project to use existing federal infrastructure.

ENDAWS will save the Red River Valley Water Supply Project (RRVWSP) $200 million in construction costs and $4 million in annual operating costs, resulting from less elevation lift and a shorter pumping distance. In addition, the project will bring a more reliable, drought-resistant water supply to central and eastern North Dakota, serving over 30 communities and rural water systems.

“This $108 million award is a major step forward for ENDAWS and comes on the heels of the $50 million and project authorization that we passed as part of the FY2026 funding legislation,” said Hoeven. “We specifically passed language in the OB3 to make ENDAWS eligible for this pool of funding, and I appreciate all of the officials at the Interior Department and OMB who worked with us to get today’s award across the finish line. This water project is critical to the future growth and prosperity of eastern North Dakota, and represents a real savings to our state’s taxpayers. By utilizing the McClusky Canal we are able to reduce the construction costs of the Red River Valley Water Supply Project by $200 million, while also reducing ongoing operating costs by $4 million per year.”

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