Shaheen Celebrates $1.3 Trillion Economic Contribution by Outdoor Recreation in 2024, $4.2 Billion Added to New Hampshire’s Economy

**The economic impact report is a result of a bipartisan Shaheen-led bill that was signed into law in 2016**

(Washington, DC) – Today, U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) applauded the release of an annual report by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA), showing a $1.3 trillion total output by the outdoor recreation sector in 2024, including adding $4.2 billion to New Hampshire’s economy. In New Hampshire, outdoor recreation’s share of GDP grew to 3.5%, which is among the top ten states in the nation. More than 33,000 people in the Granite State work in outdoor recreation, reflecting a 2.2% increase in employment in the industry. The Outdoor Recreation Satellite Account estimate, provided by the BEA through the U.S. Department of Commerce, is a result of Shaheen’s bipartisan?Outdoor Recreation Jobs and Economic Impact Act that?was signed into law in 2016.

“New Hampshire’s diverse outdoor spaces are what make the Granite State so special. From the shores of the Seacoast to our Lakes Region and the White Mountains, outdoor recreation enriches local economies, small businesses and communities across our state,” said Senator Shaheen. “As today’s report makes clear, New Hampshire’s outdoor economy is thriving. I am proud to have led the legislation that requires this annual report, and I look forward to continuing to champion programs like the Land and Water Conservation Fund that protect and provide access to treasured places from the Appalachian Trail to local parks.”

Prior to 2017, the federal government did not measure the economic impact of outdoor recreation, despite independent estimates, including the Outdoor Industry Association’s (OIA) report. Shaheen’s?Outdoor Recreation Jobs and Economic Impact Act?required the federal government to measure the sector’s impact on the economy to help inform policy makers and business leaders about the number of jobs created and consumer spending driven by outdoor recreation industries. The law also requires that the Commerce Department submit a comprehensive analysis to Congress capturing the outdoor recreation sector’s contribution to the economy.

Shaheen has remained a committed advocate for New Hampshire’s outdoor economy during her career in Congress. In the Interior, Environment and Related Agencies Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2026, Shaheen helped secure funding from the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) for New Hampshire for parks, forests and other outdoor recreation development. Last year, Shaheen introduced the bipartisan Snow Survey Northeast Expansion Act to expand weather monitoring stations to support local communities and small businesses that rely on snowfall and supported the Ski Hill Resources for Economic Development (SHRED) Act to fuel investment in outdoor recreation in mountain communities. In 2020, Shaheen helped lead the Great American Outdoors Act into law to permanently, fully fund the Land Water Conservation Fund and provide mandatory funding for deferred maintenance on public lands. Shaheen also joined colleagues in introducing the bipartisan America the Beautiful Act to continue addressing deferred maintenance in national forests, national parks and other public lands.

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Shaheen, Wasserman Schultz, Malliotakis Introduce Bipartisan, Bicameral Bill to Provide Housing Rights to Domestic Violence Victims

(Washington, DC) – Today, U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) is introducing legislation alongside U.S. Congresswomen Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL-23) and Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY-11) to enhance safety measures for people who have experienced domestic violence and sexual assault by providing them with fair housing protections. U.S. Senator Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD) is also an original co-sponsor of the Fair Housing for Survivors Act.

“We know that people who have experienced sexual assault, domestic violence and sex-trafficking are more likely to face homelessness. At the federal level, we should be making every effort to help survivors heal – and access to safe, stable housing is a critical component,” said Senator Shaheen. “I’m proud to introduce this commonsense bicameral legislation with bipartisan support to enhance existing protections so that survivors have the legal support they deserve to land on their feet and build better lives.”

“We cannot continue to force survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking into an impossible choice between forced confinement with their abusers, or living on the streets,” said Wasserman Schultz. “Even as they face daily abuse and exploitation, people are evicted or denied housing based on the outlandish grounds that they’re involved in criminal activity. Discrimination like this, which overwhelmingly hurts women and children, must end now. So, I’m very proud to work across the aisle to break this cycle of injustice and help people find safe harbor from abuse.”

“Every survivor of domestic violence, sexual assault, or human trafficking deserves a safe place to call home,” said Congresswoman Malliotakis. “I’m proud to join my colleagues in introducing the Fair Housing for Survivors Act to ensure survivors have the necessary resources to rebuild their lives free from abuse, protect them from unfair discrimination in the private housing market and provide them with support to escape abusive environments.”

Access to safe, stable housing is a fundamental component to addressing domestic and sexual violence, and yet, survivors often face discrimination and eviction, with 38% of all domestic violence survivors becoming homeless at some point in their lifetimes. The Fair Housing for Survivors Act would address these challenges by building on protections in the Violence Against Women Act and Fair Housing Act to ensure survivors cannot be evicted or denied access to housing solely for having experienced those crimes.

A copy of the bill text can be found HERE.

The legislation is endorsed by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), Freedom Network USA, National Alliance to End Sexual Violence, National Homelessness Law Center, National Housing Law Project, National Low Income Housing Coalition, National Network to End Domestic Violence and the New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence.

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Sheehy, Slotkin Introduce Reducing Arbitrary Barriers to Apprenticeship Act

U.S. SENATE – Senators Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.) and Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) today introduced the pro-veteran, bipartisan Reducing Arbitrary Barriers to Apprenticeship Act to increase access to GI Bill benefits for veterans pursuing apprenticeships.

“Veterans deserve our support in successfully transitioning to civilian life, and I appreciate my colleagues joining this bipartisan, commonsense effort to increase access to apprenticeships. The Reducing Arbitrary Barriers to Apprenticeship Act will connect more veterans with in-demand jobs that pay six figures, feed their families, and jumpstart good-paying careers,” said Senator Sheehy.

“The GI Bill has been a successful engine toward bringing our veterans into the middle class after they serve our nation. And now, it’s time for an update. Our bipartisan bill will knock down barriers that penalize veterans who choose to use these benefits for apprenticeships in the skilled trades, letting veterans choose the career pathway that makes the most sense for them,” said Senator Slotkin.

This bill would allow Post-9/11 GI Bill beneficiaries pursuing On-the-Job Training (OJT) or Apprenticeship (APP) programs to have access to the full monthly housing allowance (MHA) amount without a semiannual reduction and without a monthly work hour requirement.

Senators Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) and Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) are cosponsoring the bill.

“It’s a perverse incentive to financially discourage veterans from choosing skilled trades, especially at a time when they are in such high demand. The Reducing Arbitrary Barriers to Apprenticeships Act corrects this distortion, ensuring veterans across North Dakota can pursue whichever education or job training path best fits their goals and sets them up for success,” said Senator Cramer.

“When our Veterans hang up their uniform, they deserve our full support as they transition back into civilian life, and that includes cutting unnecessary red tape that makes it harder for them to access the benefits they’ve earned. Our bipartisan legislation would support Veterans’ employment by making Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits more widely accessible to Veterans pursuing apprenticeship or on-the-job training, encouraging broader participation in these life-changing programs,” said Senator Duckworth.

Background:

In FY2022, more than 97,000 veterans began using their Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits. However, only two percent of beneficiaries use their benefits to pursue an OJT or APP program. While there may be several factors contributing to veterans opting to use their benefits for something else, extraneous requirements and lack of access to full GI Bill benefits for OJT and APP programs make these options cost-prohibitive for many veterans.

Unlike veterans pursuing a traditional four-year university, veterans pursuing an APP program have their MHA reduced by 20 percent every six months. With most APP programs taking about two years, veterans in these programs will finish their program, receiving just 20 percent of the MHA that other GI Bill beneficiaries receive, while also not receiving any kind of tuition payment.

Further, those pursuing APP programs must complete at least 120 hours of work per month, or their MHA will be further prorated. These 120 hours do not include any classroom training completed by the veteran, which can average 16-30 hours depending on the program. In some programs, 120 hours every month is not feasible, such as trade work that is seasonal in nature, or if construction work is slow in that geographical area. This is a grossly unfair system that makes APP/OJT programs cost prohibitive for many veterans.

A 2021 review by the Urban Institute found that the average cost of a veteran using GI Bill Benefits to attend a four-year college in DC was $189,320, while the cost of a veteran pursuing an APP/OJT program was just$54,804. There could be substantial cost savings if more veterans can pursue these programs.


Slotkin, Warren, Cotton Press Intel on its Reported Use of Chipmaking Tools Produced by Chinese State-Backed Company

WASHINGTON D.C. — Today, U.S. Senators Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), and Tom Cotton (R-AR), led a bipartisan group of their Senate colleagues in sending a letter to Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan raising serious national security concerns about reports that Intel tested semiconductor manufacturing tools produced by ACM Research, a Chinese state-backed company whose affiliates have been placed on the Department of Commerce Entity List.

The Senators requested detailed information about Intel’s reported testing of ACM equipment, including what due diligence was conducted, whether Intel sought guidance from the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), and what safeguards are in place to prevent the transfer of sensitive process knowledge. They also asked for written confirmation that Intel would commit to refraining from testing or using equipment from manufacturers with Entity-Listed affiliates without prior authorization from BIS by March 20, 2026.

In December 2024, the Commerce Department blacklisted ACM Research Shanghai and ACM Research Korea for their role in the development or production of integrated circuits for military end use. Despite these restrictions, recent reporting indicates Intel tested two ACM-produced “wet-etch” tools for potential use in its most advanced chipmaking processes.

Other signers of the letter include Senators Pete Ricketts (R-NE), Andy Kim (D-NJ), and Jim Banks (R-IN).

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Senators Mullin, Smith Introduce the PRIME Meat Processing in Indian Country Act

Washington, D.C. – Yesterday, U.S. Senator Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), a member of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee, and U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) introduced the Promoting Regulatory Independence, Mastery, and Expansion for Meat Processing in Indian Country Act, also known as the PRIME Meat Processing in Indian Country Act.

This bill will support tribal meat processing operations by establishing self-governance authority for the inspection of tribal meat processing facilities. This authority would keep processing local and available and facilities running smoothly and safely.

“Food sovereignty for our Tribal nations and businesses throughout Indian Country is critically important. The limitations of federal resources should not impact their growth,” said Senator Mullin. “Oklahoma is home to four of the twelve Tribal meat processing facilities in the United States. Given their operation in rural areas, these facilities are often booked for months, or even years in advance, leaving few processing options for Tribal producers. Common sense updates to current procedure will help Tribes expand production, capacity, and support a reliable food supply in their communities.”

“Making Indigenous foods more accessible improves the health and economic well-being of Tribal communities,” said Senator Smith. “Though Tribal Nations in Minnesota have significantly grown their buffalo herds in recent years, it’s very difficult to access meat processing near Tribal lands. This bipartisan bill would support Tribal meat processing by authorizing Tribal inspectors to take on the responsibilities of federal inspectors. This is an efficient use of federal funds that recognizes Tribal governments’ rights to self-governance and self-determination.”

“The InterTribal Buffalo Council, is a coalition of 89 tribes in 22 states all with the goal of reestablishing or enhancing herds of buffalo on their reservations. We are extremely pleased with the great work Senators Smith and Mullin have put into drafting and fine tuning their proposal to authorize trained meat inspectors in Indian county. Allowing our people to be trained and to then contract with the US Food Safety and Inspective Service to approve the processing of buffalo meat will greatly facilitate the work of our member tribes with sufficient herds to process meat. The delays in waiting on Federal meat inspectors to appear or having to ship buffalo long distances to have a federal employee oversee the processing of this important source of protein has been a problem that this legislation should help overcome. We hope this legislation will become law this year,” said Ervin Carlson (Blackfeet), President of the InterTribal Buffalo Council.

“The Promoting Regulatory Independence, Mastery, and Expansion (PRIME) for Meat Processing Act is a practical, commonsense extension of self-governance at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. By amending the Title IV of the Federal Meat Inspection Act to allow Tribes to enter into self-governance agreements with the Food Safety and Inspection Service for meat inspection, this bill promotes local processing, strengthens food sovereignty, and ensures facilities located or near Indian Country can continue operating safely and efficiently in our communities. I am grateful for Senators Tina Smith and Markwayne Mullin’s continued work on this important legislation,” said Cole Miller, Chairman of the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community and Co-Chair of the Native Farm Bill Coalition.

Background:

This bill directs the Department of Agriculture to enter into self-determination contracts with tribes, upon the request of an Indian tribe, to carry out the authority of the Food Safety and Inspection Service for meat processing inspection.

In the 2018 Farm Bill, Congress expanded 638 contracting authority to the USDA by creating a pilot program for tribes to administer the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDIPR).

Expanding “638” authority elsewhere within the USDA is a natural progression and builds upon the success Indian Country has seen since the 2018 Farm Bill.

Full text of the PRIME Act can be found here.

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Thune: Democrats Put Politics Ahead of Key DHS Priorities and Agency Employees

Clickhereto watch the video.

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

Thune’s remarks below (as delivered):

“Mr. President, it’s another Thursday here in the Senate.

“And it should be just another payday for employees at the Department of Homeland Security.

“But thanks to Democrats’ shutdown, a lot of DHS employees are only receiving a partial paycheck today.

“Democrats will have an opportunity to fix that this afternoon.

“Republicans will again try to pass legislation to fund DHS so employees can get paid and DHS can operate at full capacity.

“But I suspect Democrats will once again oppose this commonsense measure.

“And having kept DHS shut down now for three weeks and counting, Democrats will once again leave Washington today and head to the airport – where they will walk past some of the 50,000 TSA agents who are missing part of their pay because of Senate Democrats.

“One TSA agent told CNN recently, and I quote, ‘You’re going to see TSA officers in the food bank lines in a couple of days,’ and he noted that several of his colleagues have taken out payday loans.

“And it’s not just TSA.

“Civilian Coast Guard employees, FEMA employees, cybersecurity professionals, and others are missing pay because of Democrats’ shutdown.

“Mr. President, like Democrats’ first shutdown a few months ago, this shutdown is causing a lot of financial stress, uncertainty, and pain for hardworking Americans.

“It’s also making it harder for those working to keep America safe.

“Right now, less than half of the Americans who work for the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency are on the job.

“Think about that.

“The rest have been furloughed, and the agency has had to cancel vulnerability checks on certain infrastructure.

“Now, you’d think that that might raise some concern among Democrats, especially given the current threat environment.

“But apparently it doesn’t.

“The FEMA Go system – which is how state and local governments and other grantees access funding that they’ve been awarded – is offline.

“So grantees can’t access the funds that they need for critical programs in their communities.

“Officials report that the Disaster Relief Fund is being ‘rapidly depleted,’ which jeopardizes our ability to support disaster recovery efforts and respond to future emergencies.

“And a number of American cities that are hosting World Cup games in a few months are concerned about funding for security preparations being frozen due to Democrats’ shutdown.

“Mr. President, this is the second time in six months that Democrats have subjected thousands of workers to the pain and uncertainty of a government shutdown.

“And like their record-setting 43-day shutdown in the fall, this DHS shutdown is entirely unnecessary.

“Just to review, Mr. President, we had a bipartisan agreement in January that included deescalation training for Immigration and Customs Enforcement as well as $20 million for body cameras for ICE officers.

“When Democrats decided that wasn’t enough, Republicans and the White House agreed to reopen negotiations.

“We understood that negotiations take time, and we wanted to ensure that federal employees would not be impacted by this ongoing work.

“So we suggested a temporary funding extension for several weeks to allow the negotiations to continue.

“Democrats insisted on no more than two – two – weeks.

“And when those two weeks came and went without an agreement, we tried to get another temporary extension through.

“Again, Democrats blocked it.

“And here we are, three weeks later, and Democrats apparently don’t care that a whole lot of federal employees are working without pay.

“Federal employees, I might add, who have nothing to do – nothing to do – with immigration enforcement.

“FEMA.

“TSA.

“Cybersecurity offices.

“Mr. President, let’s be clear, this is not some principled stand by Democrats in the face of a refusal to negotiate.

“Not at all.

“Republicans are at the table – and have been for not for weeks.

“The White House sent a very serious offer to Democrats almost a week ago.

“It’s Democrats who don’t seem to be interested in reaching an agreement.

“In fact, from where I stand, it’s looking a lot like Democrats just want to keep this alive as a political issue.

“If Democrats were really interested in putting reforms in place, they’d be doing everything they can to get a bill.

“But they’re not.

“They’re interested in politics, not policy.

“And if public safety ends up suffering as a result of their decision to shut down the Department of Homeland Security? If hardworking Americans have to go without paychecks?

“Well, apparently that’s just fine with Senate Democrats.”


Thune Joins America’s Newsroom on Fox News

Clickhere to watch the interview.

WASHINGTON — U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) today joined America’s Newsroom on Fox News.

On Democrats’ DHS shutdown:

“The ball’s really in the Democrats’ court … these are agencies that defend the homeland. That’s the Department of Homeland Security. It is the Coast Guard, it is the TSA, it is FEMA, it is cybersecurity. The Democrats have made a conscious decision to shut that down … We’re 20 days into this right now. A lot of these people aren’t getting paid. We live in a dangerous world.

“The Democrats are … playing with fire here, and they need to come to their senses and come to the conclusion that we need to get beyond this and put people back to work, open up these agencies, and let them continue with the mission that they’re tasked with.”

On the War Powers Resolution:

“Most Democrats in the chamber decided to vote against our troops and against America’s interests. And even if you believe the War Powers is constitutional – and that’s a very debatable, valid question – it doesn’t require the president to notify Congress until 60 days … so the president is perfectly within his constitutional authority under Article II to take this action to defend and protect America’s national security interests. [The administration is] doing that with great success.

“We ought to be cheering our troops on [and] praying for their safety, rather than getting out there and demagoguing this and turning it into a political issue, which is what the Democrats in the Senate are doing.”

On energy costs:

“I think we’re always concerned about rising gas prices. And obviously what the president has done through his energy policies has made America more energy independent. If this had happened … 10, 20, 30 years ago, gas prices would be through the roof … It’s going to be a manageable thing and we’re going to continue to increase American production of energy so that we drive that gas price down and not make ourselves dependent upon sources of energy from outside of the United States, and particularly places like the Middle East that can be very unstable.”


Tuberville Honors Harold Stanford of Barfield as March “Veteran of the Month”

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) released a video honoring U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel Harold Stanford as the March “Veteran of the Month.”

Excerpts of Sen. Tuberville’s remarks can be found below, and complete remarks can be found here.

“Alabama is proud to be home to so many great veterans who have represented us well on the world stage. That is certainly true for Lieutenant Colonel Harold Stanford of Barfield, Alabama. The Clay County native joined the Alabama Army National Guard while he was still in high school before going to Jacksonville State University and joining the ROTC unit there.

Harold’s Alabama training took him across the country, but one stop in Rockville, Maryland would chart the course for his nearly three-decade military career. While here, Harold helped protect our nation’s Capital and surrounding area during the Vietnam War. This was also where Harold took his first helicopter flight, and he decided that aviation was how he would use his gifts to serve our country. He became an Army pilot and served two tours in Vietnam in the 60s. His company became known as the ‘Rattlers.’

[…]

As his wife Martha says, ‘[Harold] had a very strong feeling of service to [his] country.’ Alabama is grateful for veterans like Harold who continue to put country and community above themselves. It’s my honor to recognize Harold Stanford as the March ‘Veteran of the Month.’”

Constituents can nominate an Alabama veteran and submit their information to Sen. Tuberville’s office for consideration in the 2026 “Veteran of the Month” series by emailing press_office@tuberville.senate.gov.

Senator Tommy Tuberville represents Alabama in the United States Senate and is a member of the Senate Armed Services, Agriculture, Veterans’ Affairs, HELP and Aging Committees.

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Tuberville Supports Immediate Deportation of Anyone in the U.S. Supporting Radical Islam

WASHINGTON – This week, U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) took to the Senate floor in support of President Trump’s actions to destroy Iran’s nuclear capabilities and eliminate the terrorist Ayatollah. In his speech, Sen. Tuberville also called for anyone who practices Sharia Law to be deported immediately.

Read excerpts from Sen. Tuberville’s remarks below or watch on YouTube or Rumble.

“I’ve come to the floor several times over the past few months to sound the alarm about the serious threat that radical Islam poses to the United States of America. Unfortunately, we’re seeing that play out in real time. Now that what’s happening over in Iran. I’ve discussed many times radical Islam is not a religion. It’s a death cult. And it’s a political ideology that encourages Muslims to kill all infidels. In simple terms, that means Americans and Christians.

So, it shouldn’t be a surprise that Iran launched a 47-year war against the United States almost immediately after being taken over by radical Islam in February of 1979. Just 9 months after the Iranian revolution, which put the radical Islamists in charge, a group of Iranians stormed the US embassy in Tehran and took 66 American hostages. Sometimes we forget. A few years later, in 1983, Iran helped orchestrate the deadly Beirut bombing of the US Marine barracks, which killed 241 American service members, 241, How soon we forget. In October 2000, Iran’s proxies bombed the USS Cole off the coast of Yemen.

In 2012, Iran conducted a series of cyberattacks on critical American infrastructure, seeking to take us down digitally. In 2016, they seized two American ships and held ten US Navy sailors hostage for 16 hours. And since 2023, Iran and its proxies have attacked US forces 180 times across the world. Not to mention, they’ve done all this while chaining ‘death to America.’ How nice.

Clearly, these radical Islamic terrorists have one goal in mind, to wipe out the United States of America. Wipe us off the face of the earth. To accomplish this goal, they have been working feverishly to develop a nuclear weapon to gain more strength and more power. Thanks to Barack Obama entering that Iran nuclear deal in 2015, sending them pallets of cash. They were almost successful.

So, this so-called deal basically allowed Iran to build a nuclear stockpile which [the] United States, for years, turned a blind eye. The deal remained in place until 2018 when President Trump withdrew and imposed maximum pressure of sanctions on Iran. You know, the pressure worked as Iran’s economy was plunged into a deep recession during President Trump’s four years in his office. But luckily, for them, Joe Biden got into the White House in 2021 and what he do? He immediately reentered Obama’s broken nuclear deal with Iran, empowering Iran to once again build a nuclear arsenal.

And they were well on their way to achieving that goal of nuclear power. But Iran’s luck ran out when President Trump got back into office last year. He pulled the United States out of that nuclear deal, and a few months later, President Trump gave the order to operation midnight hammer, which was one of the most impressive missions in US military history. This flawlessly executed operation destroyed the nuclear capabilities Iran had been building under Joe Biden. But unfortunately, Iran’s nuclear ambition didn’t end there. Iran’s former leader, the deranged Ayatollah was doing everything he could to get their nuclear program back together. These terrorists cannot be trusted. They want to see every single freedom-loving American dead. Pretty plain and simple. […]

So, as Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, said we didn’t start this war, but we’re damn sure gonna finish it. And thank goodness somebody has stepped to the plate. Thanks to President Trump and Secretary Hegseth on Saturday morning, US military forces[conducted] Operation Epic Fury, a targeted mission to wipe out Iranian leadership and obliterate the country’s offensive ballistic missile and nuclear weapons capabilities. Unlike the forever wars of the past 50 years, Operation Epic Fury’s goals are clearly, by the President of the United States, Donald Trump, they’re clearly laid out: destroy the Iranian regime’s missiles and their launchers, annihilate their navy, prevent their terrorist proxies from destabilizing the world, and ensure Iran can never obtain a nuclear weapon. We tried diplomacy. But as the old saying goes, you can’t negotiate with terrorists. […]

These people are terrorists motivated by their radical Islamic beliefs. If you don’t believe me, let’s look directly into the Quran. Chapter 2 verse 98, the Quran says, ‘Allah is the enemy of all non-Muslims.’ Pretty simple. Chapter 8 verses 12, the Quran says, ‘Allah will instill fear in the heart of those who disbelieve. Therefore, strike them upon the neck.’ If you wondered where radical Muslims got the idea of beheading people, which we saw many times over the years, now you know. Take Quran 8:39, which says, ‘fight non-Muslims until the faith of Allah is fully established.’ Those are not my words, this is all clearly written in their book of Quran. Now, you see why I say that radical Islam is not a religion, it is a death cult.

There’s been a lot of talk over the past few days about what ‘America First’ means. And that’s okay. In this country, you have the right to debate and even to disagree with your government. That’s what this country is all about. But despite the fact that President Trump has been leader of the free world for the majority of the last decade, the mainstream media and leftist still don’t seem to understand him. So, let’s spell it out for you. MAGA isn’t about isolationism. It’s the big stick that punishes the people who chant ‘death to America.’ America first is about having a military so strong and so effective that your enemies go into hiding.

In case you haven’t noticed, you hadn’t heard a peep out of Russia or China since President Trump took out the Iranian terrorist this past Saturday. In fact, China, their oil imports have been crippled since President Trump took out [the] Venezuela dictator, and now, the radical Islamic Iranian regime. President Trump now has put our enemies on notice. Mess around and find out. To the left screaming endless wars, no, it isn’t.

We’ve been fighting this war since 1979. Now, it’s time to end it. Americans have been regularly killed by these radical terrorists since 1979. This operation isn’t about nation building. It’s about protecting the United States citizens by making sure these terrorists don’t get their hands on a nuclear weapon.

I’m proud of our military who has valiantly executed the mission so far. This has been the most lethal and successful air campaign in history. This is a highly complex mission. President Trump says he expects to potentially go a few more weeks, hopefully, minimizing any more American casualties along the way. I joined every American in mourning the losses of the six American service members who had been killed so far.

These men and women are patriots who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country and for our safety. We joined our families and friends in mourning their losses and pray for the safe turn of all of our brave warriors overseas. But for those of us who are in the homeland, we must stay vigilant because the truth is the threat of radical Islam isn’t confined to the Middle East any longer. Under Joe Biden, thousands of radical Islamic terrorists illegally entered our country. We have no idea how many terrorists are here.

We have no idea where they’re at. It’s scary, but it’s true. Just this past weekend, 53-year-old naturalized American citizen born in Africa, entered the bar in Austin, Texas senselessly murdering three innocent Americans that injured fourteen others. To no one’s surprise, the terrace was wearing a sweatshirt that said property of Allah, along with a t shirt underneath with an Iranian flag printed on it. Law enforcement also found a Quran in the terrorist’s vehicle.

If we don’t do something about terrorists or here, this may just be the first of a string of attacks carried out by Muslim terrorist cells in the next few months. You know, you don’t have to look far to see the rising influence that Islam is having in the United States. More than 5 million Muslims live here today and they’re influencing our culture and even our laws. We are blessed that the freedom of worship is a constitutionally guaranteed right in this country, and it should be. If you want to come here legally, peacefully, practice your religion, and blend into our society by adopting the treasured American values of life, liberty in the pursuit of happiness, you are welcome to do so. That’s what this country is all about.

But if you believe that Sharia law supersedes American law, our constitution, and that it is righteous to kill Americans, you should be deported pronto. Sharia law is anti-American and has no place in a free society. Yet, we’re seeing US towns and cities starting to enforce elements of Sharia law itself. Towns in Minnesota, Michigan, New Jersey, now allowed daily Islamic calls to prayer to be blasted on speakers in public places. […]

The iconic Times Square in New York has been taken over daily by Islamic calls to prayer. And don’t even get me started on this Islamic mayor in New York City. He gave his oath of office with one hand on what? The Quran. You know, I wonder if he agrees with the Quran’s statements I listed earlier. I just wonder if he believes that. He recently seen praying with Muslim police officers, which is fine. Before we realize it Mamdani will be enacting Sharia law in America’s premier city, and not the US Constitution.

It’s coming. Additionally, Mamdani recently visited a New York City mosque which has ties to the Iranian regime. To make matters worse, the mayor’s friend who runs the mosque openly prays for the killing of infidels. And who is that? That’s you.

But it isn’t just New York, a city in Michigan recently legalized the barbaric life slaughter of animals for Muslim holidays. This is not a third world country, folks. We do not sacrifice animals in the streets of the United States of America. But I guess our western values go out the window when it comes to appeasing the Islamic death cult. Over the weekend, not far from our nation’s capital, a mosque held a memorial service for the late October, who was taken out just this past week by President Trump.

The mosque’s social media post described the Iranian dictator as a martyr and ‘our leader.’ This is people right down the street. Yes, this is the very same terrorist who was responsible for murdering tens of thousands of its own people just last month. He was working every single day to form a worldwide caliphate where Sharia law is the constitution and global terrorism, or jihad, is its foreign policy.

And you have Islamists on American soil calling him a ‘hero.’ It’s absolutely sickening. And for some reason, our colleagues, the Democrats, in this body, are siding with these people. I don’t understand that. […] And we even have some of the elected officials in this body who worship Sharia Law, and they need to be stopped. If these people love these third world countries, […] please feel free to move. A mosque in Dearborn, Michigan, also held a vigil for the evil Iranian dictator calling him ‘the great leader of our time.’ But they didn’t stop there. These idiots also claimed that America was built by devil worshipers, referred to the Statue of Liberty as Lucifer, and said they want their children to grow up in a culture of jihad, killing all Christian Americans. These people seem to be completely ignorant about the founders of our country and so little about the history of America.

We weren’t built by devil worshipers. In fact, America was founded on Christian values, that believe in the One True God. That’s why our motto is in God We trust. It’s on our currency. Our God is full of forgiveness and mercy. His son Jesus taught us to turn the other cheek and love our neighbor as ourselves. Allah, on the other hand, shows no mercy. In fact, he encourages murder violence and torture of women. This is why I say that radical Islam is fundamentally incompatible with the American Christian values.

You know, American women are allowed to dress, go to school, work, and marry whoever they like. Iran used to be like this too before they were taken over by radical Islamist in 1979. […] Sadly, under the sick leadership of these terrorists, women are treated like dogs. Do you hear that? Women are treated like dogs. They are forced to cover every part of their body of their skin except for their eyes. They aren’t allowed to leave home unless they’re with a male escort. They aren’t allowed to get an education or work job, and they are forced, sometimes, to marry as young as six years old. Pedophilia and inbreeding are rampant, and women are lucky if they are allowed to drive.

Hell, we have a US congresswoman from one of these third world Muslim countries who is married to her brother. Where are all my Democrat colleagues who claim to be feminist? They should be outraged by Islam’s treatment of women. We cannot allow this poisonous ideology to fester under Joe Biden 10 to 20 million people came here illegally. Many of these people came from radical Islamic countries and brought their sick ideology with them. If you live in the United States and practice Sharia law you should be deported immediately. We have no choice, folks if we want to keep this country. Don’t let the door hit you on the ass on the way out, is what I say. If you chant ‘death to America,’ we do not want you here. […]

Thanks to our Democratic colleagues who dislike the things the way this country is going and love power, the Department of Homeland Security now is shut down.

That’s really smart. This is not the time to be planned politics. This is an urgent, national security crisis. Every single one of my Senate colleagues put their hands on the Bible in this room and swore a note when they join this body. We swore to defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, born, and domestic.

Well, I have news for you. The enemies are inside the gates. They’re here. It gets past time that we reopen the Department of Homeland Security, deporting every single terrorist who is living in this country and there are thousands. If we don’t take a stand now, our way of life, our Christian values, our freedoms and our national identity are gone. It’s gonna be over.

There’s only room for one law in this country and that’s the Constitution of the United States for America. For too long, people have tiptoed around this issue, afraid to hurt someone’s feelings or make people uncomfortable. But the time for being politically correct is over. So, the question is, will we continue to turn a blind eye to the radical Islamic cult? Or will we stand up […] and not see more Americans killed? Now is the time to act. If we don’t, we will lose our country as we all know it. We are already starting to see it happen. This isn’t a Republican or a Democrat issue. This is an American issue.

I wish more of my Republican and Democrat colleagues would join me in denouncing radical Islam before it’s too late. But it seems like we’re living in age of people who are too scared to stand up for what is right. Weak leaders have allowed the Islamic cult to destroy Europe. And folks we’re gonna be next. Thank God President Trump actually has the courage to take out these radical terrorists. Let’s get in, complete the mission, and get out.

God bless our president, God bless our troops, and God bless United States from America. I yield the floor.”

Senator Tommy Tuberville represents Alabama in the United States Senate and is a member of the Senate Armed Services, Agriculture, Veterans’ Affairs, HELP and Aging Committees.

###


Van Hollen, 30 Colleagues Press Administration for Accountability, Investigation into Deaths of American Citizens in West Bank

Today, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) led 30 of his colleagues in pressing the Trump Administration for accountability and an investigation into the death of Nasrallah Abu Siyam, an American citizen who was shot and killed in the West Bank by violent Israeli settlers. Nasrallah is the ninth American citizen who has been killed in the West Bank since January 2022 – to date, no one has been held responsible for the deaths of any of these Americans.

In addition to Senator Van Hollen, the letter was signed by Senators Murray (D-Wash.), Durbin (D-Ill.), Reed (D-R.I.), Cantwell (D-Wash.), Sanders (I-Vt.), Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Shaheen (D-N.H.), Warner (D-Va.), Merkley (D-Ore.), Bennet (D-Colo.), Coons (D-Del.), Schatz (D-Hawaii), Baldwin (D-Wis.), Murphy (D-Conn.), Hirono (D-Hawaii), Heinrich (D-N.M.), Kaine (D-Va.), Warren (D-Mass.), Markey (D-Mass.), Booker (D-N.J.), Duckworth (D-Ill.), Smith (D-Minn.), Luján (D-N.M.), Warnock (D-Ga.), Welch (D-Vt.), Kim (D-N.J.), Gallego (D-Ariz.), Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), and Alsobrooks (D-Md.).

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

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

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

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

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

The text of letter is available here here and below.

Dear Secretary Rubio, Attorney General Bondi, and Ambassador Huckabee:

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

Unfortunately, this is the second letter we’ve written to this administration in the last seven months about the killing of an American citizen in the West Bank. Our July 2025 letter was regarding the killing of Saifullah Kamal Musallet, a 20-year-old American citizen from Florida who was beaten to death by extremist Israeli settlers. Since that letter, two other Americans have been killed as a result of Israeli settler violence. In response to our letter, the State Department wrote “The United States calls for accountability in all cases where U.S. citizens are harmed abroad to help prevent future tragedies.” It’s clear that these “calls” and whatever efforts were made, if any, to secure accountability, failed. This has now become a consistent pattern in which Americans are being killed in the West Bank by settlers or the IDF without justice or accountability, despite promises from U.S. officials.

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

Six other Americans were killed in the West Bank since January 2022. This includes a 14-year-old boy from New Jersey, Amer Mohammad Saada Rabee, who was shot 11 times, and two 17-year-old boys, Tawfic Abdel Jabbar and Mohammad Ahmed Mohammad Khdour, both shot and killed in separate instances. Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, a 26-year-old American citizen raised in Seattle, was shot in the head by an Israeli soldier, and respected Palestinian American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, was also shot in the head and killed by the IDF while clearly marked as a journalist. Omar Assad, an elderly Palestinian-American, died of a stress-induced heart attack after being gagged, blindfolded, bound with his hands behind his back, and left on the ground in the cold.

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

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


Warner, Colleagues Press Administration for Accountability, Investigation into Deaths of American Citizens in West Bank

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) joined 30 of his colleagues in pressing the Trump administration for accountability and an investigation into the death of Nasrallah Abu Siyam, an American citizen who was shot and killed in the West Bank by violent Israeli settlers. Nasrallah is the ninth American citizen who has been killed in the West Bank since January 2022 – to date, no one has been held responsible for the deaths of any of these Americans.

In addition to Sen. Warner, the letter was signed by Sens. Van Hollen (D-MD), Murray (D-WA), Durbin (D-IL), Reed (D-RI), Cantwell (D-WA), Sanders (I-VT), Klobuchar (D-MN), Whitehouse (D-RI), Shaheen (D-NH), Merkley (D-OR), Bennet (D-CO), Coons (D-DE), Schatz (D-HI), Baldwin (D-WI), Murphy (D-CT), Hirono (D-HI), Heinrich (D-NM), Kaine (D-VA), Warren (D-MA), Markey (D-MA), Booker (D-NJ), Duckworth (D-IL), Smith (D-MN), Luján (D-NM), Warnock (D-GA), Welch (D-VT), Kim (D-NJ), Gallego (D-AZ), Blunt Rochester (D-DE), and Alsobrooks (D-MD).

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

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

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

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

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

The full letter is available here and below.

Dear Secretary Rubio, Attorney General Bondi, and Ambassador Huckabee:

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

Unfortunately, this is the second letter we’ve written to this administration in the last seven months about the killing of an American citizen in the West Bank. Our July 2025 letter was regarding the killing of Saifullah Kamal Musallet, a 20-year-old American citizen from Florida who was beaten to death by extremist Israeli settlers. Since that letter, two other Americans have been killed as a result of Israeli settler violence. In response to our letter, the State Department wrote “The United States calls for accountability in all cases where U.S. citizens are harmed abroad to help prevent future tragedies.” It’s clear that these “calls” and whatever efforts were made, if any, to secure accountability, failed. This has now become a consistent pattern in which Americans are being killed in the West Bank by settlers or the IDF without justice or accountability, despite promises from U.S. officials.

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

Six other Americans were killed in the West Bank since January 2022. This includes a 14-year-old boy from New Jersey, Amer Mohammad Saada Rabee, who was shot 11 times, and two 17-year-old boys, Tawfic Abdel Jabbar and Mohammad Ahmed Mohammad Khdour, both shot and killed in separate instances. Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, a 26-year-old American citizen raised in Seattle, was shot in the head by an Israeli soldier, and respected Palestinian American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, was also shot in the head and killed by the IDF while clearly marked as a journalist. Omar Assad, an elderly Palestinian-American, died of a stress-induced heart attack after being gagged, blindfolded, bound with his hands behind his back, and left on the ground in the cold.

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

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

###


Warner Statement on the Firing of DHS Secretary Kristi Noem

WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) issued the following statement after President Trump fired Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem:

“Kristi Noem should never have been put in that position in the first place. She was unprepared for the responsibility of the job, and the consequences of that have been clear for some time. Her firing is long overdue.”

###


VIDEO: Warnock Votes to Force an End to Iran War

Senate Republicans blocked the vote, continuing to give the President unchecked powers to wage war in Iran

WATCH: Senator Warnock Speaks on Illegal Iran War

Washington, D.C. – Yesterday, U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) voted to block President Trump’s use of U.S. forces in Iran. Minutes before, the Senator spoke on the Senate floor, criticizing the Trump Administration for entangling Americans in another endless war without any clear exit strategy.

“I have listened very carefully to the President of the United States, to the Secretary of State, to the Secretary of Defense, as he likes to call it…and what is clear to me is that they don’t seem to know why they’ve dragged the United States into war. Furthermore, they have no plan on how to get out, no clear rationale, no clear objectives, no plan for the day after decapitating the brutal leadership of an awful regime.”

“We must stop this madness because the American people have made it clear that they want us focused on their health care, their everyday costs, their children, and their families. Are they concerned about their safety? Yes, but while Khamenei was clearly a brutal dictator, and there are many of them around the world, whether we are actually safer today than we were last week, given the increased instability that we are witnessing in the region in real time, is an open question. And still getting this body to have a real debate on something so grave, so deeply consequential, is almost impossible, but we must demand that it happen.”

Find a full transcript of the speech HERE and below.

“Mr. President, I have listened very carefully to the President of the United States, to the Secretary of State, to the Secretary of Defense —of War, as he likes to call it. I’ve listened to other members of the administration over the last several days, both in their public statements and in our private briefing, and what is clear to me is that they don’t seem to know why they’ve dragged the United States into war.

“Furthermore, they have no plan on how to get out, no clear rationale, no clear objectives, no plan for the day after decapitating the brutal leadership of an awful regime. Make no mistake, we have the most powerful military force on the planet and in human history. There’s no question that we could go all around the globe and take out leaders we don’t like. The day after, that’s the hard part. That’s what we’re facing right now. We have no idea who will step into this power vacuum created over the last few days. No plan for getting Americans who are in the region to safety right now. They’re being told in so many ways, you’re on your own. No clear vision of what victory actually looks like, no exit plan.

“We pray for the families of the six brave Americans who have already paid the ultimate sacrifice, our service members, who are indeed the best among us, who go no matter who the president is. They follow orders, they are the embodiment of courage and patriotism, and that’s why they deserve better than this, and so do the American people. After nearly 25 years of misadventures, Americans have grown weary of endless wars in the Middle East, and we know from recent history, not ancient history, that it’s easy to get in, not so easy to get out.

Mission accomplished. Remember that?

“And yet, years after that declaration, American soldiers were sent on deployment, after deployment, after deployment, carrying in their bodies the visible and invisible wounds of war. Moreover, the body bags kept coming home.

“I promised the people of Georgia that I would walk with them, even as I worked for them. I have stood at Dover Air Force Base to receive the bodies of Georgia service members, I’ve looked into the grief- stricken eyes of their family members as they gazed at a flag-draped coffin, dealing with unbearable grief. There’s no worse pain, and there’s no more solemn duty for a commander-in-chief than to send our service members into battle. Yet I sat, and I watched, and I listened to the president the other day, and I was struck by the cavalier way in which he said, “People die. That happens in war.” No sense that he feels deep in his soul the awesome responsibility that he carries. He’s entered into this adventure without much thought about the human cost or the security of the United States or the stability of the region.

“The declaration of war is not a power that the President of the United States has. The Constitution makes it clear that the declaration of war is the authority and the responsibility of Congress. Presidents of both parties, yes, they have engaged in military operations, but the declaration of war belongs to this body. Well, to me, this looks like a war. It feels like a war. Those six families are dealing with the consequences of war, and Donald Trump has said there will be more. Moreover, Donald Trump has said, this is war. Well, I take him at his word. He’s called it a war, and yet he refuses to come before Congress, as the Constitution demands, and make his case for war.

“After yesterday’s briefing, I think I know why. Aside from his own ego and hubris, his authoritarian tendencies, Donald Trump has refused to come before the Congress and make his case, because he has none. It is exceedingly difficult to explain your rationale when it is not clear in your own head, when it changes every day. Is it a regime change? Well, they have no idea who will follow, and as my colleague from Connecticut laid out, history suggests that we may well end up with somebody worse. We’ve seen the perils of regime change, and then we heard another explanation. Is it to disarm Iran of its nuclear capabilities? I thought the President said he had obliterated that a few months ago. Now he says the regime was an imminent nuclear threat. Which is it? The American people deserve to know, and the families of those six service members who have already died deserve to know. Is it to destroy their ballistic missile capability? Well, what changed in their capabilities that demanded this action right now, as we are four days into this conflict and already this war is spreading, the American people deserve better than this. No rationale, no explanation, no strategy, no exit plan.

“We must stop this madness because the American people have made it clear that they want us focused on their health care, their everyday costs, their children, and their families. Are they concerned about their safety? Yes, but while Khamenei was clearly a brutal dictator, and there are many of them around the world, whether we are actually safer today than we were last week, given the increased instability that we are witnessing in the region in real time, is an open question. And still getting this body to have a real debate on something so grave, so deeply consequential, is almost impossible, but we must demand that it happen.

“Donald Trump has attacked seven countries in the first year of his presidency, more than any president in the modern era. He is out of control. We must put guard rails on this president; otherwise, who can and who will? My colleagues, our service members, are living up to their oath. Let’s live up to ours. Let’s put guardrails on this president. Stop this madness and get focused on the American people. Mr. President, I yield the floor.”

###


After Trump Starts War in Iran, Warren Leads Massachusetts Delegation in Pressing Rubio on “Complete Failure” to Help American Citizens Evacuate Middle East

Members urge State Department to take immediate action to evacuate U.S. citizens abroad

“The early failures of the Trump Administration to provide protection for American citizens abroad are inexcusable”

“[T]he failure to adequately protect [embassy staff] from this war shows blatant disregard for them and for the U.S. citizens they help to serve”

Text of Letter (PDF)

Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) led the entire Massachusetts delegation in pressing Secretary of State Marco Rubio to explain the Trump administration’s “complete failure” to evacuate U.S. citizens — including Massachusetts residents — from the Middle East following the administration’s starting a reckless war in Iran.

“The early failures of the Trump administration to provide protection for American citizens abroad are inexcusable,” wrote the lawmakers. “We urge the State Department to take immediate action to support the evacuations of American citizens and provide protection for personnel in U.S. embassies throughout the Middle East.”

Following the administration's joint strikes with Israel against Iran on February 28, the State Department put out an alert on March 2 for U.S. citizens to “DEPART NOW” from over a dozen countries in the Middle East “due to serious safety risks.” By the time the Department issued the evacuation order, much of the region’s airspace was already fully or partially closed, significantly limiting options for U.S. citizens to evacuate.

Despite the evacuation warnings, the Trump administration appears to be leaving Americans on their own to scramble to get to safety. It was not until several days into the war and after Iran had conducted multiple retaliatory strikes against nine countries in the region that the White House announced it was working to evacuate Americans. The administration went on to issue “confusing signals” about whether U.S. citizens can get help.

On March 3, the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem tweeted that it was “not in a position at this time to evacuate or directly assist Americans in departing Israel.” The State Department posted later that afternoon that the government was “actively securing military aircraft and charter flights for American citizens who wish to leave the Middle East.”

Yet, multiple reports indicate that when Americans called the number that the State Department directed them to for departure assistance for at least several hours after this announcement, they received a message stating: “Please do not rely on the U.S. government for assisted departure or evacuation at this time. There are currently no United States evacuation points.”

“Up to one million U.S. nationals are reportedly living in the Middle East, and the Trump administration’s failures to prepare to evacuate them after the administration and Israel launched a war against Iran puts these citizens’ lives at risk,” wrote the lawmakers. “Additionally, the Trump administration and State Department appear ill-prepared for attacks targeting U.S. embassy personnel, despite the administration having spent months planning Operation Epic Fury.”

On March 3, President Trump admitted the administration had no evacuation plans for Americans abroad because “it all happened very quickly.”

“[T]his debacle is a predictable consequence of the Trump administration’s dismantlement of the State Department,” noted the lawmakers.

In July 2025, the State Department fired over 1,300 employees, including over 1,100 civil servants and nearly 250 foreign service officers as part of its reorganization directed by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). The Department also recalled almost 30 career diplomats from ambassadorial and senior embassy posts across the world in December 2025. This included the ambassador to Egypt, who has not yet been replaced, and is one of the countries from which Americans have been urged to evacuate. The U.S. also has no confirmed ambassadors in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Egypt, Kuwait, Algeria, Libya, and Iraq.

The Trump administration also appears unprepared to protect and evacuate U.S. embassy staff. The U.S. Embassy in Saudi Arabia was reportedly hit by multiple drone strikes that “caus[ed] part of its roof to collapse,” and the U.S. consulate in the United Arab Emirates also reportedly was struck by a drone in its parking lot. Officials also reportedly “expect[] the U.S. death toll to rise, and that some of those deaths could be the result of Iran’s targeting of embassies.”

“[These challenges] raise serious concerns about the Trump administration and State Department’s failure to adequately plan to protect State Department employees…the failure to adequately protect them from this war shows blatant disregard for them and for the U.S. citizens they help to serve,” wrote the lawmakers.

“Americans abroad rely on the State Department when they need help overseas — particularly when the United States has started a war that could result in a diplomatic and national security quagmire,” concluded the lawmakers.

The coalition pressed Secretary Rubio and the State Department for real plans to help American citizens evacuate the Middle East, as well as to explain any involvement it had in the planning for Operation Epic Fury and what steps it took to prepare for evacuating American citizens from the region and to protect U.S. embassy personnel, within one week, by March 12, 2026.

###


ICYMI: At Hearing, Top Military Leaders From Every Branch Commit To Sharing More On How Contractor-Imposed Limits Hurt Readiness

Right to repair has strong bipartisan support within the Trump administration, Senate, and House

Video of Exchange (YouTube)

Washington, D.C. — At a hearing of the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Readiness and Management Support, U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) debunked large defense contractor claims that right to repair would infringe on trade secrets and secured commitments from military leaders from all services on providing Congress with data to identify programs lacking technical data needed for repairs by the end of the month. The military leaders also agreed to meet with the Senator to discuss overdue reforms.

In December, both the Senate and the House released versions of the FY26 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that included language allowing the Department of Defense the right to repair its own equipment. This was based on Senator Warren and Senator Tim Sheehy’s (R-Mont.) Warrior Right to Repair Act, legislation that would provide the Department of Defense (DoD) with access to technical data and materials the military needs to repair and maintain its own equipment, decreasing sustainment costs and increasing industrial base competition.

Despite bipartisan support for right to repair in both chambers, the final FY26 NDAA bill did not include any of the proposed language. Large defense contractors strongly oppose right to repair, claiming that the disclosure of their IP, which is used to inform service members on how to make repairs or make a replacement part, would deter companies from doing business with the Department. However, the Government Accountability Office found, in a 2018 review of reverse engineering efforts that require IP, no instances of companies expressing concern about their intellectual property being used inappropriately, and that the efforts brought new companies into the defense industrial base.

“Giant defense contractors want to keep our military reliant solely on them. So, their lobbyists are pretending to be worried that DOD is going to steal their trade secrets and hand them over to their competitors. We have heard this song before,” said Senator Warren.

Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps, General Bradford J. Gering, confirmed that the Government Accountability Office (GAO) found no instances of companies reporting concerns about Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) mishandling intellectual property (IP) during reverse engineering.

The FY26 NDAA bill requires the DoD to collect data on the issue and report to the Armed Services Committees. Specifically, it requires the Secretary of Defense to implement a digital system to track, manage, and enable assessment of technical data required to repair a major weapon system and to verify the compliance of contractors with contract requirements related to technical data. The provision also requires the Department to identify programs where there is insufficient data available.

Senator Warren asked each military branch leader to confirm they would identify programs where there is insufficient data available and provide the required data by the end of the month as mandated by last year's NDAA. All leaders agreed.

Senator Warren concluded the hearing by highlighting the broad bipartisan support for the right to repair, including from the Senate, House, and the Trump administration.

“We are in a place where the Senate, the House, and the Trump administration all support this effort. We cannot allow large defense contractors and their lobbyists to stand in the way,” said Senator Warren.

Transcript: Hearings to examine the current readiness of the Joint Force.

Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Readiness and Management Support

March 4, 2026

Senator Elizabeth Warren: Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you for holding this hearing. So, the military spends hundreds of billions of dollars on equipment, which makes it really galling when that equipment needs maintenance, and our service members are ready to make a quick fix, but they're not allowed to. Right to Repair will strengthen readiness by making sure that procurement contracts don't hold back our troops. Plus, it will help increase competition to grow our industrial base.

Giant defense contractors, however, want to keep our military reliant solely on them. So, their lobbyists are pretending to be worried that DOD is going to steal their trade secrets and hand them over to their competitors. We have heard this song before. The Defense Logistics Agency had a reverse engineering program for over a decade, and this was to help DOD save time and money on things like screws, door hinges, antennas, and batteries. But similar concerns were raised over IP protections. So, the Senate had the Government Accountability Office review this program back in 2018.

General Gering, how many instances did GAO find of companies being concerned about DLA mishandling their IP for reverse engineering? What was the number?

General Bradford J. Gering: Senator, my understanding is there were none.

Senator Warren: Zero. That was the number, right?

General Gehring: Yes, Senator.

Senator Warren: Zero. That's exactly right. None of the businesses that GAO talked to about reverse engineering programs reported any concerns about the handling of IP, and that's because DLA has processes in place to protect intellectual property, which meant that GAO found DLA quote, “Never released a part that had controlled data to a competitor.” Even the large defense associations lobbying against right to repair today told the GAO back then that they had heard, quote, “no complaints.” The other argument we hear from lobbyists is that companies won't want to do business with DOD if it so much as mentions buying contractors' IP. So again, we actually have an example of this. Let's look at what happened with DLA's reverse engineering program.

General Gering, did DOD's handling of IP scare businesses away from doing business with the military?

General Gering: Senator, not that I'm aware of.

Senator Warren: Okay, in fact, again, the whole point of the program was, quote, “to identify potential new sources for obsolete parts or those supplied by only one source, increasing competition and achieving savings.” Now that may be the problem that the defense industry lobbyists have, and that is, there's more competition and lower prices, but we like to think that is a good thing. Reverse engineering is helping DOD fill gaps in spare parts, and right to repair would build on that success in the larger maintenance space.

Don't take it from me. Just last year, 339 small businesses sent a letter stating that right to repair could bring cost-effective solutions, accelerated timelines, and a larger sustainment ecosystem with more small business participation.

Now, last year's NDAA required by law that DOD identify programs where there is insufficient technical data for service members to make repairs.

So, what I'd like to do is I’d just like to go down the line here and make sure that each of the services—I just want to ask you the question, will you provide this committee with the required data, required by law, by the end of this month, and then sit down with my team on this? I'm just looking for a yes or no. General?

General Christopher C. LaNeve: Ma'am, thank you for the question. I think our data goes to [Office of the Secretary of War], and they're required to provide that data, but we absolutely are going to make the timeline.

Senator Warren: You will have it in by the end of the month?

General Christopher C. LaNeve: Yes, ma'am.

Senator Warren: That's what I want to hear. Admiral?

Admiral James W. Kilby: We will, ma'am.

Senator Warren: Good. I like that. General?

General Gering: Senator, we will.

Senator Warren: Good. General?

General John D. Lamontagne: Senator, we will.

Senator Warren: Good. General?

General Shawn N. Bratton: Senator, yes, ma'am. We will.

Senator Warren: Good. Miss?

Ms. Diana C. Maurer: Well, Senator, I'm a GAO representative, and thank you for giving a call-out to our 2018 report.

Senator Warren: You bet. It's a terrific report.

Ms. Diana C. Maurer: Thank you very much. We had another report that came out just a few months ago that talked about the concerns with vendor lock because of this issue that you've highlighted. We found significant problems with that issue in the F-35 littoral combat ship striker, the Virginia-class submarine, among others, and we look forward to having the Department fully implement our recommendations from that review.

Senator Warren: Thank you. You know, right to repair is such a common-sense proposal, and it not only helps our military be able to get things fixed and back into service, it lowers cost, and it also increases competition and increases the opportunities for other businesses, for smaller businesses, to get in and have an opportunity to be part of our base. And ultimately, that strengthens the supply chain for all of us.

So right now, we are in a place where the Senate, the House, and the Trump administration all support this effort. We cannot allow large defense contractors and their lobbyists to stand in the way. I look forward to working with my colleagues and with all of you in getting this done. Thank you very much. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Senator Dan Sullivan: Thank you, Senator Warren. We don't agree on everything in this committee, but I commend her very much for her leadership on this issue that has a lot of broad bipartisan support. I think we need to do it. Thank you.

Senator Rick Scott: I also want to thank Senator Warren for this right to repair issue. It is the right thing to do, and it wouldn’t be happening but for her tenacity.

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Warren, Grijalva, Schakowsky, Moylan, 30+ Lawmakers Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Update, Expand Lifeline Benefits for Seniors, Americans with Disabilities

Nearly 8 million Americans rely on Supplemental Security Income benefits to meet their basic needs — but parts of program haven’t been updated in over five decades

Bill Text (PDF)

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Representatives Adelita Grijalva (D-Ariz.), Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.), and James Moylan (R-GU) led over 30 lawmakers in introducing the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Restoration Act, a bipartisan bill to strengthen critical SSI benefits that support nearly 8 million seniors and Americans with disabilities. The bill would make much-needed updates to the benefits program — much of which hasn’t been updated since it was first established over five decades ago — and will expand benefits eligibility, increase cash payments, and fix rules that currently penalize Americans for trying to save money.

“SSI is a critical lifeline for millions of Americans — but the program is five decades out-of-date, leaving people behind and even punishing them for trying to save up,” said Senator Warren. “At a time when Donald Trump’s policies are already driving up everyday costs, we need to make sure seniors and Americans with disabilities can afford their basic needs. My bill will expand and strengthen SSI benefits to deliver some real relief.”

“For millions of seniors, people with disabilities, and families raising children with high needs, Supplemental Security Income is the last line of defense against poverty,” said Representative Grijalva. “The program has not been meaningfully updated since the 1970s, forcing people to live far below the poverty line just to qualify for help. The SSI Restoration Act will finally modernize this lifeline by increasing benefit levels, updating outdated asset limits, and eliminating punitive rules that trap people in poverty. Our seniors, people with disabilities, and caregivers deserve the dignity and security that this program was always meant to provide.”

“Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is a vital lifeline for millions of low-income seniors, people with disabilities, and families struggling to make ends meet,” said Representative Schakowsky. “Today’s SSI system still relies on outdated, overly burdensome rules written decades ago, leaving far too many beneficiaries living in poverty. This legislation will modernize and strengthen SSI by raising asset and income limits, establishing a livable minimum benefit, ending punitive reductions, and extending benefits to eligible residents of Guam, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and American Samoa. Every person deserves to age and live with dignity, and Congress must act to ensure SSI fulfills its promise.”

Supplemental Security Income (SSI) was first signed into law in 1972, becoming the first fully federalized disability program to provide disabled Americans with benefits. Today, nearly eight million Americans rely on SSI to meet their basic needs.

While SSI is still a key source of federal income support for older and disabled Americans, the system has barely been updated since it was first established more than fifty years ago. Currently, many of the program’s original income and asset limits — which eligible recipients may not exceed — fall below the poverty line, often trapping beneficiaries in poverty and falling short of the program’s mission.

The SSI Restoration Act will expand and strengthen benefits by:

Increasing “income disregard” amounts, which have not changed since 1974

Updating the asset limit to $10,000 / $20,000 for an eligible couple

Increasing the benefit rate to 100% of the federal poverty level and repealing the marriage penalty

Repealing penalties for in-kind support, resource transfers, state taxes and tribal benefits

Streamlining lump-sum and back payments

Extending the program to the U.S. territories

The bill is cosponsored in the Senate by Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.).

The bill is cosponsored in the House by Representatives Becca Balint (D-Vt.), Andre Carson (D-Ind.), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.), Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), Summer Lee (D-Pa.), Ted Lieu (D-Calif.), Gwen Moore (D-Wis.), Chellie Pingree (D-Maine), Stacey Plaskett (D-Virgin Islands), Melanie Stansbury (D-N.M.), Dina Titus (D-Nev.), and Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.).

The bill is endorsed by AFL-CIO, AFSCME, Alliance for Retired Americans, American Academy of Pediatrics, American Association on Health and Disability, American Network of Community Options and Resources (ANCOR), American Society on Aging, ASSIST Program, Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN), Benefits Law Center, Bread for the City, California Alliance for Retired Americans, California Association of Food Banks. Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP), Center for Medicare Advocacy, Community Legal Services of Philadelphia, Cure SMA, Disability Belongs, Economic Policy Institute, Educate. Advocate., Empire Justice Center, Epilepsy Foundation of America, Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano, Homeless Action Center, Homeless Advocacy Project, Inner City Law Center, Justice in Aging, Lakeshore Foundation, Latinos for a Secure Retirement, League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), Legal Council for Health Justice, Maryland Latinos Unidos (MLU), National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA), National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), National Alliance to End Homelessness, National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities, National Association of Disability Representatives, National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare, National Council of Gray Panthers Networks, National Council on Aging, National Down Syndrome Congress (NDSC), National Hispanic Council on Aging (NHCOA), National Organization for Women, National Organization of Social Security Claimants' Representatives (NOSSCR), National Respite Coalition, National Women's Law Center Action Fund, New York Legal Assistance Group

Paralyzed Veterans of America, People With Disabilities Foundation, Public Justice Center, SAGE

Service Employees International Union, Social Security Works, Southeast Asia Resource Action Center (SEARAC), Strengthen Social Security Coalition, The Arc of the United States, Triage Cancer, USAging, and Women's Institute for a Secure Retirement (WISER).

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Warren, Kim, Garcia, Raskin Renew Fight to Keep Military-Grade Weapons Off American Streets, Out of Civilian Hands

New York Times investigation revealed that ammunition from a government-owned manufacturing plant was increasingly being trafficked to Mexican cartels, including Jalisco Cartel

Text of Bill (PDF) | One Pager (PDF)

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and Senator Andy Kim (D-N.J.), along with Representative Robert Garcia (D-Calif.), Ranking Member of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, and Representative Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Committee, reintroduced the Stop Militarizing Our Streets Act to prohibit defense contractors and U.S. military-owned manufacturing plants from selling military-grade assault weapons and ammunition to civilians. The bill holds firearm and ammunition dealers accountable by requiring that they comply with preventative measures to remain eligible to contract with the Department of Defense (DoD).

Senators Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), and Ed Markey (D-Mass.) joined in co-sponsoring the bill.

Representatives Gabe Amo (D-R.I.), Joyce Beatty (D-Ohio), Judy Chu (D-Calif.), Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas), Maxwell Frost (D-Fla.), Jesus G. "Chuy" Garcia (D-Ill.), Sylvia R. Garcia (D-Texas), Daniel S. Goldman (D-N.Y.), Jimmy Gomez (D-Calif.), Al Green (D-Texas), Henry C. "Hank" Johnson Jr. (D-Ga.), Summer L. Lee (D-Pa.), Ted Lieu (D-Calif.), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.), Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), Mary Gay Scanlon (D-Pa.), Janice D. Schakowsky (D-Ill.), Lateefah Simon (D-Calif.), and Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) joined in co-sponsoring in the House of Representatives.

“Americans’ tax dollars should not be used to fuel gun violence,” said Senator Warren. “Congress must step in to keep Americans safe, and that means stopping the U.S. military and giant defense contractors from selling weapons of war to cartels, criminal groups, and mass shooters that terrorize our communities.”

The Lake City Army Ammunition Plant has produced ammunition that has been used in at least 12 high-profile mass shootings since 2012 and is responsible for producing a third of ammunition used in AR-15 style rifles in the U.S. market. The plant is operated by the private manufacturer Olin Winchester, which markets its relationship to the military to entice civilian customers to “use the same product selected by the US Military.”

A recent New York Times investigation found Mexican cartels, like the Jalisco New Generation Cartel responsible for widespread violence in Mexico in February 2026, have also used Lake City ammunition in attacks against police and civilians, including a deadly 2019 attack in Villa Unión, Mexico.

The Stop Militarizing Our Streets Act prohibits DoD contractors from selling military-grade assault weapons and ammunition to civilians. It also requires that military contractors only sell all other firearms and ammunition to commercial dealers that follow minimum safety practices, such as maintaining a low number of crime gun traces and screening customers.

The Act also increases oversight by requiring government-owned plants to report to Congress the scale of their commercial sales and plans for avoiding the diversion of ammunition into the illegal market. The bill also requires DoD to report the types of firearms sold by military contractors and the amount of revenue those sellers receive from DoD annually.

“We should not live in a world where weapons and ammunition sold by the government end up in the hands of violent criminals and are used to devastate our own communities,” said Congressman Robert Garcia. “That’s why I’m proud to introduce this bill to keep weapons of war off our streets. It would require common-sense oversight, like background checks and record maintenance, and allow for congressional oversight of contractors to make sure the weapons they make don’t end up in the black market.”

“Weapons of war simply have no place in our communities, and it is our responsibility to keep military-grade weapons, manufactured by our own Department of Defense’s contractors, out of the wrong hands. This legislation is a critical tool in our fight to end the gun violence epidemic that is tearing families apart across our country,” said Senator Kim.

“As military-grade lethal weapons engineered for combat are funneled into our neighborhoods by government contractors and manufacturers, the Department of Defense must examine its role in exacerbating the gun violence epidemic,” said Representative Raskin. The current cycle of production saturates our communities with firearms and ultimately arms criminals. We need to adopt industry-wide enhancements to safety and transparency standards. The Stop Militarizing Our Streets Act is a necessary intervention to ensure no more innocent lives are lost on American soil to wartime munitions that bear a government label.”

This bill is endorsed by the following organizations: Everytown, Brady, Giffords, and March for Our Lives.

"The unchecked transfer of military-grade firearms and ammunition into the civilian marketplace poses serious risks to public safety. Updating purchasing and sales standards for the Department of Defense, its contractors, and downstream commercial buyers would help limit the proliferation of these weapons and reduce the likelihood of them falling into dangerous hands. We are grateful to Senator Elizabeth Warren, Representatives Jamie Raskin and Robert Garcia for advancing legislation that recognizes this risk and takes meaningful steps to protect lives,” said GIFFORDS Executive Director Emma Brown.

“For too long, gun manufacturers have benefited from lucrative federal contracts while simultaneously selling military-grade assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition into the civilian market. That is an indefensible contradiction,” said Jackie Corin, Executive Director and Co-Founder of March For Our Lives. “The Stop Militarizing Our Streets Act draws a clear line: companies that choose to sell military-grade weapons and covered ammunition into the commercial market should not be eligible for Department of Defense contracts. Our public dollars should never subsidize the proliferation of weapons that put our communities at risk. Public dollars must align with public safety.”

Senator Warren has led efforts to implement gun violence prevention reforms and hold agencies accountable for their handling of firearms sales:

On October 27, 2025, Senator Warren led 50+ members of Congress in pressing the Department of Commerce and the Department of State for answers about the elimination of a rule that was stemming the export of dangerous weapons to cartels and criminal organizations around the world.

On October 24, 2024, Senator Warren led members of Congress in pressing the Department of Justice and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) requesting that ATF ramp up its work to mitigate the influx of illegal firearms from other states to Massachusetts.

On September 27, 2024, Senator Warren led members of Congress in putting pressure on the Departments of State (State), Homeland Security (DHS), Commerce (Commerce), and Justice (DOJ), urging them to strengthen steps to prevent the flow of illegal firearms from the United States into Haiti.

On August 7, 2024, Senator Warren led the first introduction of the Stop Militarizing Our Streets Act to stop military-grade assault weapons and ammunition from finding their way onto our streets.

On July 15, 2024, Senators Warren, Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), and Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) and Representatives Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) and Robert Garcia (D-Calif.) sent a letter to the Department of Defense calling on them to stop subsidizing the sale of military-grade weapons to civilians.

On May 15, 2024, Senator Warren and Representatives Joaquin Castro (D-Texas.), Adriano Espaillat (D-N.Y.) and Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) sent a letter to United States Trade Representative (USTR) Ambassador Katherine Tai writing in support of USTR’s decision to remove the designation of import license requirements for explosives, firearms, and ammunition as trade barriers in the annual National Trade Estimate (NTE) report, while also criticizing the Department of Commerce’s inadequate steps to address assault weapons exports.

On January 24, 2024, Senator Warren and Senator Durbin (D-Ill.), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and U.S. Representatives Castro and Norma Torres (D-Calif.) sent a letter to Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo, calling on the Department of Commerce to incorporate a set of recommendations from the lawmakers to strengthen export controls and end-use checks for firearm exports to crack down on the unnecessary export of lethal weapons used in brutal killings abroad.

In December 2023, Senator Warren and Representative Dean led lawmakers in a letter to American Express, Visa, Mastercard, and Discover, requesting that they explain why their companies have paused the implementation of a new Merchant Category Code (MCC) for gun and ammunition retailers that could help flag suspicious firearm purchases and prevent gun violence, gun trafficking, and domestic terrorism.

In December 2023, Senator Warren and Representative Hank Johnson (D-Ga.) reintroduced the Gun Violence Prevention and Community Safety Act, a comprehensive bill that would implement bold and robust measures including creating a federal gun licensing system, strengthening background checks, banning military-style assault weapons and other lethal accessories, holding the gun industry accountable for wrongdoing, and investing in research and community-based gun violence prevention.

In November 2023, Senator Warren and Representative Maxwell Frost (D-Fla.) sent a letter to six major financial institutions calling on them to provide critical information on their efforts to end their financial investments in the gun industry.

In September 2023, Senator Elizabeth Warren, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), and Representative Maxwell Alejandro Frost (D-Fla.) led 68 lawmakers in a letter to President Joe Biden, urging him to take further executive action to combat gun violence and limit the sale of assault weapons, including to leverage the federal government’s purchasing power to improve public safety.

In March 2023, Senators Warren and Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) sent a letter to the U.S. Department of the Treasury and the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), urging the departments to issue guidance to financial institutions for the full implementation of the MCC that the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) approved in 2022 for gun and ammunition stores.

In September 2022, Senators Warren and Murphy (D-Conn.) and Representatives Castro and Torres sent a letter to Secretary Raimondo, calling out Commerce for its increased approvals of export licenses for assault weapons and high-capacity magazine exports, and for putting the gun industry profits before national security and human lives. The lawmakers called on Commerce to revise its approach to assault weapons exports and to answer questions about its export license approvals.

In September 2022, Senator Warren and Representative Dean sent letters to the CEOs of MasterCard, American Express, and Visa urging them to support the creation of a new MCC for gun and ammunition retailers and to request information about their reported opposition to Amalgamated Bank’s application for such a code.

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