Murphy on Trump’s Illegal War with Iran: the Senate Must Debate an Authorization for the Use of Military Force

WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) on Wednesday took to the floor of the U.S. Senate to support U.S. Senator Tim Kaine’s (D-Va) War Powers Resolution, while urging his colleagues to force President Trump to fulfill his constitutional obligations and seek an Authorization for the Use of Military Force (AUMF) in Iran.

Murphy slammed the Trump administration for the deadly chaos unleashed across the Middle East through a war Trump unilaterally provoked without the consent of Congress or the American people: “Six Americans have already died for an illegal war that no one in this country wants. Nine hundred to a thousand people in the region have died. U.S. embassies all over the region are under attack. Thousands of Shia Muslims in Pakistan right now are protesting – a Shia insurgency targeting the United States in the works. Iranian missile and drone attacks have hit targets as far away as Cyprus. Oil prices up by 9%. Gasoline prices at their largest one-day increase in 20 years. Natural gas prices up 45%. The region is in chaos. American consumers are paying the price – and for what? We still don't even know the reason for this war.”

He reminded his Republican colleagues of the lost lives and resources in the U.S. 's decades-long pursuit of regime change in the Middle East: “We watched as thousands of American soldiers died in Iraq, in Afghanistan. We listened to Donald Rumsfeld say that the Iraq war would be over in five days, five weeks, maybe five months. It created an insurgency inside the Middle East that we are still dealing with today. Twenty years in Afghanistan: a mismanaged war from the start. The Taliban is back in charge. We ran planes over Libya to release the people from captivity imposed upon them by Gaddafi, only to unleash a new civil war that killed thousands upon thousands. It is amazing to me that my Republican colleagues refuse to learn lessons. It is amazing to me that my Republican colleagues refuse to listen to the American people who do not want American soldiers and American lives and their taxpayer dollars wasted on endeavors in the Middle East that are going to make things worse, not better.”

Despite Trump’s promises of “freedom” to the Iranian people, Murphy made clear Trump has zero plans to support democracy in Iran: “I was in the briefing with my Republican colleagues. I don't think any of us left that briefing believing that the American military was going to ride to the rescue of the Iranian people when they arrived in the streets to protest for freedom. You can't support a people's revolution from the air, only ground forces could support and protect the Iranian people when they show up in the squares of that nation, protesting for democracy. But I'm telling you that it looks like the plan is to leave the Iranian people hanging out to dry. Because, if all we are doing is dropping bombs on targeted sites inside Iran, if we are not actually involved in regime change – and by the way, we have been told over and over again by this administration that we are not going to quibble over who runs Iran next, even if it ends up being a hardline government – then we are goading the Iranian people out onto the streets with the implicit promise that we will be there with them, but with the decision made behind closed doors that we will not.”

Murphy emphasized Americans do not support Trump’s war and Congress has a constitutional responsibility to represent their interests by debating the authorization of military force: “President Trump was elected in part because he promised he wasn't going to get the United States involved in another Middle Eastern war. People took him seriously, and now he's gotten us involved in the most significant new conflict in the region in decades… I'm supportive of Senator Kaine's resolution, but it is not an authorization of military force. Our most sacred obligation as a Congress is to authorize war, and a president is prohibited by the Constitution and by the statutes of the United States from entering war without that authorization.”

He continued, demanding the Senate stop business as usual to take up a debate on the Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF): “I frankly believe that we shouldn't proceed with other business until we get a commitment to have a debate on an authorization of military force. I don't think it would pass. I think it's easier for some of our colleagues to come up with some procedural justification to vote against a war powers resolution than it is to put their name on a proactive declaration of war. So I want that debate. I think the Senate has to demand that debate. I think our legacy will be soured as a body if we let this – the most significant military action in the Middle East since the Iraq War – persist without using whatever leverage we have to have a debate on this floor.”

Murphy concluded, emphasizing the costs of this war on the American people warrant a true debate through an AUMF: “This war is going to cost trillions of dollars. That means no money to lower your health care premiums, no money to fix your kid's school, because all the money is going to go to billion dollar defense companies who profit off of endless war. This is a disaster, and it's made more of a disaster because we're not going to actually debate an authorization of military force. This is not a substitute for that debate, and I think all of my Democratic colleagues agree we should not sugarcoat this. This is already a disaster of epic proportions, and I'm just going to tell you it is likely to get worse.”

A full transcript of Murphy’s remarks is available below.

MURPHY:

Mr. President, the difference between Democrats and Republicans is that Republicans have learned nothing from decades of American hubris in the Middle East, believing that US troops, US planes, US guns and US bombs could fundamentally change realities in a far off land.

Democrats have learned our lesson. We watched as thousands of American soldiers died in Iraq, in Afghanistan. We listened to Donald Rumsfeld say that the Iraq war would be over in five days, five weeks, maybe five months. It created an insurgency inside the Middle East that we are still dealing with today. Twenty years in Afghanistan: a mismanaged war from the start. The Taliban is back in charge. We ran planes over Libya to release the people from captivity imposed upon them by Gaddafi, only to unleash a new civil war that killed thousands upon thousands. It is amazing to me that my Republican colleagues refuse to learn lessons. It is amazing to me that my Republican colleagues refuse to listen to the American people who do not want American soldiers and American lives and their taxpayer dollars wasted on endeavors in the Middle East that are going to make things worse, not better.

I heard my friend Senator Graham in his analysis of the Ayatollah. I agree with him. But not everything is World War II. Not every effort at regime change works. In fact, regrettably, World War II, and our operations against Hitler are the exception, not the norm. Whether it be in Vietnam, or Iraq, or Afghanistan, or Syria, or Libya – over and over again – trillions of dollars in American taxpayer money has been spent to try to create regime change, and we have been frustrated and denied in those efforts, and we have lost lives in that process.

When are we going to learn? And, as to the message that we are sending the Iranian people? I was in the briefing with my Republican colleagues. I don't think any of us left that briefing believing that the American military was going to ride to the rescue of the Iranian people when they arrived in the streets to protest for freedom. You can't support a people's revolution from the air, only ground forces could support and protect the Iranian people when they show up in the squares of that nation, protesting for democracy. But I'm telling you that it looks like the plan is to leave the Iranian people hanging out to dry. Because, if all we are doing is dropping bombs on targeted sites inside Iran, if we are not actually involved in regime change – and by the way, we have been told over and over again by this administration that we are not going to quibble over who runs Iran next, even if it ends up being a hardline government – then we are goading the Iranian people out onto the streets with the implicit promise that we will be there with them, but the decision made behind closed doors that we will not.

Six Americans have already died for an illegal war that no one in this country wants. Nine hundred to a thousand people in the region have died. U.S. embassies all over the region are under attack. Thousands of Shia Muslims in Pakistan right now are protesting – a Shia insurgency targeting the United States in the works Iranian missile and drone attacks have hit targets as far away as Cyprus. Oil prices up by 9%. Gasoline prices at their largest one-day increase in 20 years. Natural gas prices up 45%. The region is in chaos. American consumers are paying the price – and for what? We still don't even know the reason for this war.

Half the administration is out there saying, ‘well, Israel pulled us in.’ I hear my friend, Senator Graham, saying that this was a war of choice. But half the administration is saying it wasn't, saying that Iran was going to attack, and the only reason that we got involved was because Israel was going to attack, and the only reason we got involved was because we feared the blowback from Iran. We were dragged into the world, into the war, by Bibi Netanyahu. Others like Senator Graham and sometimes President Trump, say no, America decided on our own to enter this war. But then, for what are we engaged? Engaged in regime change, or not? If you aren't engaged in regime change, why did you take out the Ayatollah and all of those who are surrounding him? That clearly is a signal you want regime change.

Are we going after their nuclear program or not? We all know that air power alone cannot eliminate their nuclear capacity. And if the goal is not regime change, and we accept that new hardline leadership is going to take over in Iran, then that is a recipe for perpetual war, because the only way that you will be able to destroy their capacity to make missiles and drones is to be permanently running jets overhead and constantly bombing the new sites that the hardline regime sets up. That's endless war. That's trillions of dollars. And for what if, at the end of this engagement, there is harder-line leadership in charge of Iran than at the beginning? And why do we do it if at the end of this process, because we won't go in with ground forces, the nuclear program still exists? Why did we do it if we're going to hang the Iranian people out to dry and we aren't going to get their back when they stand up against the regime? Why did we do it?

The first several days of this conflict have been criminally incompetent, shifting rationales for the war. No plan to get American assets protected, to get Americans out of the region, shifting explanations for what the purpose of the war is, and very mixed messages to the Iranian people.

History tells us that an air campaign alone will never be successful in toppling a despotic regime, in fact, without, let me caveat that, without the serious threat of a ground invasion, history in fact, tells us that what is most likely to happen is that it hardens the resolve of the existing regime, that it ends up in even worse, more provocative, more dangerous, leadership taking hold. President Trump seemed to think out loud in comments he made yesterday – he was asked what the worst case scenario was, and as if it had just occurred to him for the first time, he said, ‘Yeah, I guess the worst case scenario would be that, you know, we do all this bombing, we spend a trillion dollars, a whole bunch of lives get lost, and it ends up with the Iranians choosing even harder-line leadership that are more provocative and dangerous and deadly in the region.’

That's not the worst case scenario. That's the most likely scenario, and the idea that it's just occurring to him that this thing may go off the rails, as almost every other engagement in the region has over the last several decades should be stunning to all of you. The alternative, then, is a ground invasion, which no one in this country wants – no one in this country wants. That would kill tens of thousands of Americans. Yeah, it might end up with you being able to prop up a democratic regime. You might actually be able to get the nuclear program with a ground invasion, but that's tens of thousands of Americans dead in the process.

Air campaign: proven to be ineffective to carry out the goals that have been articulated by the administration. Ground invasion: deadly, impossible to rally the American people around. This is a no-win strategy. It's a no-win strategy, and the cost of the American people is substantial: Higher prices. Americans dead. And frankly, just a president distracted, a president who seems to care more about running Venezuela and dropping bombs on Iran than he does care about the American people.

So I know many of my Republican colleagues, including the last speaker, have been historically incredibly optimistic about the difference that the American military can make in the Middle East with zero evidence of that to be the case. President Trump was elected in part because he promised he wasn't going to get the United States involved in another Middle Eastern war. People took him seriously, and now he's gotten us involved in the most significant new conflict in the region in decades.

Let me say one final thing: I'm supportive of Senator Kaine's resolution, but it is not an Authorization of Military Force. Our most sacred obligation as a Congress is to authorize war, and a president is prohibited by the Constitution and by the statutes of the United States from entering war without that authorization. I am glad we are having this debate, but it is not a substitute for an authorization of military force, even if it fails – that does not give the president legal permission to carry out this endeavor.

Senator Graham held up a poster in which he showed that there were 130 different occasions in which various presidents of the United States have engaged in military actions overseas without the consent of Congress. That is true, but that doesn't mean that it's legal or constitutional if your neighbor breaks into your house 130 times in a row. That doesn't mean that it's suddenly permissible by law. In fact, the outrage gets more acute and more serious as the brazen lawlessness and unconstitutional actions of an administration get more regular. We need to authorize this war.

I frankly believe that we shouldn't proceed with other business until we get a commitment to have a debate on an Authorization of Military Force, I don't think it would pass. I think it's easier for some of our colleagues to come up with some procedural justification to vote against a war powers resolution than it is to put their name on a proactive declaration of war. So I want that debate. I think the Senate has to demand that debate. I think our legacy will be soured as a body if we let this, the most significant military action in the Middle East since the Iraq War, persist without using whatever leverage we have to have a debate on this floor.

It is really hard to – I'll wrap up. I know I have colleagues on the floor who want to speak. It's really hard to encapsulate in one speech, how dangerous, how inane, how illegal, how ill-planned this war with Iran is, especially just after the first few days, we are likely going to end up with a worse Iranian regime. At the end, we're telling the Iranian people to rise up on the streets, but we have no plan to support them. If they do, we cannot win an air campaign alone to take out their nuclear program. It's buried underground. We cannot, with an air campaign, take out their missile and drone program unless we're basically ready to bomb Iran permanently. That's a ‘Trillion Dollar War’ that lasts years. We aren't prepared to do the thing that would end the regime and take out their nuclear program – a ground invasion – because, of course, the cost of that would be thousands of American lives.

So worse people take over in the end than the Ayatollah. We don't end their nuclear program. We don't end their weapons program. We leave the Iranian people out to dry and at what cost? Oil and gas prices are spiking. Grocery and household item[s] won't be far behind. A half a dozen families are about to bury their dead children, and the military tells us that there's going to be a lot more casualties to come. This war is going to cost trillions of dollars. That means no money to lower your health care premiums, no money to fix your kid's school, because all the money is going to go to billion-dollar defense companies who profit off of endless war. This is a disaster, and it's made more of a disaster because we're not going to actually debate an authorization of military force. This is not a substitute for that debate, and I think all of my Democratic colleagues agree we should not sugarcoat this. This is already a disaster of epic proportions, and I'm just going to tell you, it is likely to get worse.


At Senate Veterans’ Affairs Hearing, Murray Slams Trump for Indifference to Cost of War

NYT: Despite Promises, Veterans Affairs Department Cut Thousands of Roles for Doctors and Nurses – READ HERE

***WATCH: Senator Murray’s opening remarks at the hearing***

Washington, D.C. — Today, at a joint Senate and House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs hearing for the legislative presentation of The American Legion and VSOs, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA)—a former chair and senior member of the Senate committee—spoke forcefully to her Republican colleagues on the true cost of Trump’s war of choice with Iran. Senator Murray reiterated her call to end the war with Iran and slammed Trump for sending our servicemembers to war while failing to keep his promise to care for them when they return home, as he cuts thousands of unfilled roles for nurses and doctors at VA.

In opening comments, Senator Murray said:

“Thank you to all of you who are here today and everyone in this country who has served our nation. We all owe you, and we all say this, a debt of gratitude for your service, but it is more than that. We owe you to keep the promise that when you come home, we will be there for you in any way, both to the current veterans and to the ones who we will see in the future.

“I think it’s really important today Mr. Chairman, and this has kind of been glossed over, this point of time we are in, where we have a President who is taking us to war in Iran. Who seems to have no problem sending other kids off to a war, but seems to have a problem in picking up the tab, when it comes right by doing our servicemembers when they come home. With a VA right now, that has waiting lines that veterans can’t get served, that we see doctors and nurses who are not being hired, and no thought has been given to that.

“What we hear from Trump, is that he is saying this bombing campaign in Iran could go on ‘indefinitely.’ He’s saying that the death of our servicemembers in a war of choice is, quote and he said this— ‘just the way it is.’ He’s saying he won’t rule out putting American boots on the ground in Iran.

“I think it is a very serious time for our country. I have served on this committee for more than thirty years, I know the consequences of war as each and every one of you does in front of me. And to go to war without preparing for the future and making sure that we are there for the men and women who serve us—and we thank them for that—but when they come home as well. And Mr. Chairman, we are not ready for that today, this has to be a consequence that we consider.

“For numerous reasons, I’m going to be using my voice today to vote no on the war in Iran. But it is the responsibility of this committee and every Member of Congress to think about all the consequences of war and take that into account and hold this administration accountable and make that clear when we make our choices moving forward. I thought it was really important to say that today with all of you who have served our country and know what those sacrifices mean.”

Senator Murray was the first woman to join the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee and the first woman to chair the Committee—as the daughter of a World War II veteran, supporting veterans and their families has always been an important priority for her. Senator Murray has been outspoken in standing up for veterans, VA employees, and VA researchers against Trump and Elon Musk’s indiscriminate mass layoffs last year—forcefully denouncing the administration’s plans, pressing administration witnesses at every opportunity, and holding multiple press conferences with VA employees and veterans in Washington state who were abruptly laid off for no reason. Last year, Senator Murray forcefully denounced the Trump administration’s initial plan to fire 80,000 employees at VA. Toward the end of last year, Senator Murray released a videoslamming the Trump administration’s new plan not to fill thousands of open positions at VA, and demanding answers.

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In Floor Speech, Senator Murray Blasts Trump for Breaking Promises of “No New Wars” and “Lower Prices,” Calls on Congress to Vote to End Trump’s War in Iran

Murray: “This President is ordering our kids to be shipped off into war from his beach club in Florida—that is obscene. And, tragically, American families are already paying the cost of Trump’s war as the lives of our brave American servicemembers—our sons and daughters—are lost.”

ICYMI: Senator Murray Calls for Congress to Return Immediately, Vote to End War with Iran

***WATCH: Senator Murray’s full floor speech***

Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, took to the Senate floor to denounce President Trump’s reckless war of choice in Iran. She slammed the Trump administration for its lack of a coherent strategy and for the President blatantly breaking his promises to lower prices and not start any new wars. Senator Murray urged her colleagues in Congress to assert their constitutional, coequal role and stop the President from risking American lives or spending taxpayer dollars for yet another regime change war in the Middle East.

Senator Murray’s remarks, as delivered on the Senate floor today, are below:

“President Trump promised to deliver Americans: ‘lower prices’ and ‘no new wars.’ When it comes to broken promises—it does not get more blatant than that.

“First: Prices are soaring. Republicans let health care premiums double. They slashed Medicaid and food stamps and Republicans allowed Trump to hit families with the largest tax increase in American history—his tariffs that are squeezing family budgets and shutting down businesses. But, not content to only break his promise of lower prices, President Trump is also breaking his promise of no new wars.

“Trump is charging ahead with new conflicts—without approval from Congress, without any long-term strategy, and without any concern about who will be paying for the consequences of his actions in Venezuela, and now in Iran.

“Trump—who is a billionaire—knows he is not going to pay for the war, he knows his family is not going to be on the front lines. Instead, everyday Americans are going to pay the cost of Trump’s war with higher prices and worse inflation—fueled by oil prices that are already rising.

“American families are going to pay for Trump’s war in lost opportunities as billions upon billions of dollars that could have gone to build affordable housing, or making child care accessible, or lowering your health care premium, are now squandered on more missiles set to be launched by a trigger-happy billionaire with no concept of the repercussions.

“I mean seriously, this President is ordering our kids to be shipped off into war from his beach club in Florida—that is obscene. And, tragically, American families are already paying the cost of Trump’s war as the lives of our brave American servicemembers—our sons and daughters—are lost.

“My heart goes out to the families who have already lost a loved one in Trump’s war. And my thoughts are with the rest of our servicemembers on the frontlines, and their family members back home, all of whom, are watching the news and anxiously waiting to hear what happens next.

“You deserve a clear strategy from any President before he puts you in harm’s way. Not a President who shrugs his shoulders about how long this will go. Not a President who doesn’t know, and doesn’t care, if he will put American boots on the ground. And, not a Congress led by Republicans that refuse to do their job, and hold the President accountable to the people, before our citizens are put in danger.

“You know how I can tell President Trump has no strategy?

“Well I have been listening to him! Because I have been scouring every statement from this Administration—in public remarks, in private briefings—for any inkling of a cohesive strategy, a real plan, even a spark of critical thinking about what happens next.

“No one here mourns the Supreme Leader, but no one in this administration has a clear answer about what happens next. I strongly support the millions of Iranians who have been protesting and speaking out for freedom and democracy.

“But you don’t bring democracy to the Middle East with bombs—haven’t we learned that by now? There is no guarantee that what comes next means a safer world for all of us or a democracy for the Iranian people.

“War should always be a last resort, but of course, the same people who came up with a name like ‘Operation Epic Fury,’ can’t seem to think of a plan more nuanced than: blow things up and pat themselves on the back—regardless of the fallout.

“Maybe that’s why Trump refused to make an address to the American people laying out his rationale before this strike. Maybe that’s why he refused to ask Congress to back his plan before he sent missiles flying because he doesn’t have a plan.

“That honestly becomes more clear every time a member of this Administration opens their mouth. After all, Trump and his officials are contradicting themselves one moment to the next—sometimes in the same breath.

“But the truth is obvious: Trump cannot pretend to have a strategy for this war when he can’t even say why he started it! First he says—we destroyed Iran’s nuclear capability.

“Then he says—just kidding!—we have to bomb again. One minute, the Administration claims Iran planned an imminent attack on Americans. Then they admit that was not true.

“Trump cannot pretend to have a strategy for this war when he can’t even decide on whether this is about regime change or not. His Secretary of Defense said—in the same breath ‘This is not a regime change war, but the regime did change.’ His Secretary of State says the Administration wasn’t targeting Iran’s Supreme Leader, but then Trump says ‘I got him before he got me.’

“And President Trump has also urged the Iranian people to ‘rise up’ on the one hand but suggested he’s ready to negotiate with the government on the other.

“And Trump cannot pretend to have a strategy when he doesn’t even care about the timeline. In one sentence, he said the conflict is ‘projected 4 to 5 weeks; but we have capability to go far longer than that; We’ll do whatever.’

“Excuse me? ‘We’ll do whatever’ that is not a plan. ‘We’ll do whatever’ is simply not good enough when American lives are at stake. And then, in a post yesterday—Trump said: ‘wars can be fought forever.’ Forever!?

“The American people do not want forever wars. Not again.

“And if you really want to understand just how callous and un-serious this President is about the war he is starting. If you really want to understand just how little he has thought about the American servicemembers, embassy personnel, and everyday Americans he is putting in harm’s way.

“Trump ended his train of thought the other day by saying, quote: ‘I don’t get bored. There’s nothing boring about this’ before he actually got bored of talking about the war he started—and moved right on to a topic he really does care about—his precious White House ballroom.

“You want to know where Trump’s true priorities lie? He has clearly put more thought, care, and planning into this new White House ballroom than he has his war with Iran. He’ll talk about it any chance he gets! He has a timeline for the ballroom. He has a budget for that ballroom. He has an actual long-term vision for the ballroom.

“But not for the war he started from Palm Beach, Florida. Not for a war with American lives on the line.

“And that’s because the problem is worse than Trump lacking any strategy for his war with Iran. President Trump also lacks any sort of concern for the weight of his decisions or any sort of appreciation of the sacrifice he is singlehandedly forcing on our military families.

“Again—that’s clear from his own words. What did he say to the tragic news that American servicemembers were killed by Iran’s response? Trump said—and I quote: ‘There will likely be more…That’s the way it is.’

“Or, asked about boots on the ground—about putting our sons and daughters in the line of fire. He shrugs it off! He says—and I quote: ‘I don’t have the yips with respect to boots on the ground.’

“That might be one of the most dismissive statements I have ever heard a President make about our servicemembers. It is reckless. It is insulting. And it is up to us here in Congress to say enough. But we need Republicans to join us.

“War is not some game. Our troops are not toy soldiers. Civilian casualties are not nothing.

“In Iran, hundreds have died, including more than one hundred schoolgirls. Children—they are blameless. Hospitals have been bombed. Shopping malls and homes have been hit.

“The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff told the President that this war could lead to significant American casualties. Already, as we know, six American servicemembers have died.

“I don’t care if the media grades Trump on a curve—it is not acceptable for a President to shrug his shoulders at this kind of death and destruction and then provide no real reason for launching a brutal war of choice.

“What a disgrace to the office. What a disgrace to the role of Commander in Chief. The American people deserve so much better.

“If Trump will not rule out boots on the ground, then this Congress needs to. We have a constitutional responsibility when it comes to war. And I will never let us forget that.

“As I said in 2002—before voting against the Iraq war, due to similar concerns: I understand the consequence of war, I don’t shrink from that. My father was among the first to land on Okinawa as a G.I. He was a purple heart recipient. Growing up, we always knew our country may need to project force to defend our freedoms. And I know we have high obligations to the men and women of our Armed Forces who undertake the hard work of securing our freedom.

“In college, I volunteered during the Vietnam war, at the Seattle Veterans’ Hospital. Most of the patients were young men, my age at the time, who had returned from Vietnam traumatized. I carry that experience with me every day. It weighs heavily on my mind whenever we are faced with questions of war and peace.

“Putting our men and women in uniform in harm’s way—that is an absolute last resort. We owe it to them to do our due diligence first. We must have good reasons, based on solid intelligence. We must have clear goals and a plan to achieve them. We must have a serious plan that puts them in no more danger than necessary, for no longer than necessary.

“We should not gamble American lives, on incomplete plans, unclear objectives, and completely uncertain futures.

“That was on my mind when I voted against the Iraq War in 2002 and it is my north star today as well. But there is a big difference between what is happening now and what happened back in 2002 before the Iraq War.

“Because you see, back in 2002 the Administration came to Congress to make its case for war. The President went to the American people to make that case and his Secretary of State spoke to the U.N. I did not agree with this case—I voted against the war.

“But Congress, all of us, we had briefings, and public hearings, and serious conversations with the President and his leaders. Back in 2002, Congress debated, we deliberated, we voted. And—this is critical—we did it before the Bush Administration charged into what was, predictably, a painful war with no end in sight.

“But Trump doesn’t want any of that. He doesn’t want to make his case to America, or our allies, or Congress. He doesn’t think he has to. Trumps wants to bomb what he wants, he wants to kill who he wants to, and start whatever war he wants—consequences be damned. We saw it in Iran. We saw it in Venezuela. This is not a pattern we can ignore.

“The Founders, of this country, put Congress in charge of declaring war for a reason. This cannot be left to one man—certainly not a trigger-happy billionaire who is out of touch with reality. We, all of us, have to reassert our power as a co-equal branch of government.

“And we have to do what’s best for our country, and for our servicemembers. America does not want any more wars. It does not want more Americans killed because of a reckless President that a Republican Congress refused to check.

“We know what America wants. All of us do know that. They want us to keep the promises that Trump broke: lower prices, no new wars.

“I will be voting against this war. I urge all of my colleagues to join me.”

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Padilla, Schiff Join Wyden, Espaillat, Colleagues to Call for Investigation of ICE, DHS’ Warrantless Purchases of Americans’ Location Data

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Alex Padilla, Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Immigration Subcommittee, and Adam Schiff (both D-Calif.) joined Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Representative Adriano Espaillat (D-N.Y.-13), and 66 other Democratic lawmakers to call for a new investigation of Department of Homeland Security (DHS) agencies, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), over warrantless purchases of Americans’ location data.

The lawmakers called on DHS Inspector General Joseph Cuffari to investigate ICE and other DHS agencies restarting warrantless purchases of Americans’ location data. The DHS Inspector General previously found that ICE’s data purchases were illegal, causing the program to shut down in 2023.

“Location data is extremely sensitive, and can reveal someone’s religion, their political views, medical conditions, addictions, and with whom they spend time. It is for that reason that ordinarily, the government must obtain a warrant from a judge in order to demand such data from phone or technology companies,” wrote the lawmakers.

“Given DHS’ failure to adopt a policy for the use of commercial data, coupled with ICE awarding a no-bid contract to a shady data broker that is likely violating federal law, we urge you to open another investigation into the purchase and use of location data by ICE and other DHS components,” continued the lawmakers.

ICE issued a no-bid contract to the surveillance company Penlink in 2025, which included licenses for its location tracking product, Webloc, according to a report by 404 Media. Webloc was developed by the controversial surveillance company Cobwebs Technologies, which combined with Penlink in 2023. Meta banned Cobwebs in 2021, as part of a crackdown on surveillance mercenaries after detecting the company’s customers targeting activists, opposition politicians, and government officials in Hong Kong and Mexico.

ICE has stonewalled Congressional oversight of its location data purchases. Senator Wyden’s office requested a briefing from ICE soon after this contract was reported in October 2025. In December 2025, a briefing was scheduled for February 10, 2026. One day before that briefing was to take place, ICE canceled it with no explanation and without any offer to reschedule.

The lawmakers requested the Inspector General investigate:

Whether ICE and other DHS components are purchasing illegally obtained location data about Americans and if yes, why DHS does not have policies in place to prevent taxpayer dollars from going to contractors that have invaded Americans’ privacy in violation of federal law.

How ICE and other DHS components have used location data and whether they have used it to investigate Americans for engaging in constitutionally protected activities, including those protesting ICE actions or monitoring ICE enforcement operations.

Whether ICE and other DHS components are auditing employee access to commercial location data to identify likely patterns of abuse, and if yes, whether such audits have discovered abuse.

Why has DHS still not adopted a policy for the use of commercial location data, as you recommended in 2023.

In addition to Padilla, Schiff, Wyden, and Espaillat, the letter is also signed by Senators Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), and Peter Welch (D-Vt.), as well as Representatives Becca Balint (D-Vt.-AL), Nanette Barragán (D-Calif.-44), Suzanne Bonamici (D-Ore.-01), Shontel Brown (D-Ohio-11), André Carson (D-Ind.-07), Greg Casar (D-Texas-35), Joaquin Castro (D-Texas-20), Yvette Clarke (D-N.Y.-09), Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas-30), Madeleine Dean (D-Pa.-04), Maxine Dexter (D-Ore.-03), Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas-37), Veronica Escobar (D-Texas-16), Jesús “Chuy” García (D-Ill.-04), Sylvia Garcia (D-Texas-29), John Garamendi (D-Calif.-08), Dan Goldman (D-N.Y.-10), Jimmy Gomez (D-Calif.-34), Adelita Grijalva (D-Ariz.-07), Sara Jacobs (D-Calif.-51), Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.-07), Robin Kelly (D-Ill.-02), Ro Khanna (D-Calif.-17), Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.-08), Mike Levin (D-Calif.-49), Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.-18), Stephen Lynch (D-Mass.-08), Doris Matsui (D-Calif.-07), Jim McGovern (D-Mass.-02), Grace Meng (D-N.Y.-06), Robert Menendez (D-N.J.-08), Kelly Morrison (D-Minn.-03), Seth Moulton (D-Mass.-06), Richard Neal (D-Mass.-01), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.-AL), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.-14), Mike Quigley (D-Ill.-05), Delia Ramirez (D-Ill.-03), Luz Rivas (D-Calif.-29), Andrea Salinas (D-Ore.-06), Linda Sánchez (D-Calif.-38), Mary Gay Scanlon (D-Pa.-05), Lateefah Simon (D-Calif.-12), Darren Soto (D-Fla.-09), Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.-14), Mark Takano (D-Calif.-39), Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.-12), Paul Tonko (D-N.Y.-20), Norma Torres (D-Calif.-35), Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.-15), Lori Trahan (D-Mass.-03), Juan Vargas (D-Calif.-52), and Nydia Velázquez (D-N.Y.-07).

Senator Padilla has strongly opposed President Trump’s cruel and indiscriminate mass deportation agenda. Padilla has led the charge against ICE obtaining Americans’ sensitive data, including data from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Refugee Resettlement. Last month, Padilla and Wyden demanded answers and accountability from the IRS after the agency admitted in a court filing that the flawed system it adopted to transfer people’s home addresses to ICE potentially led to thousands of records being shared improperly in violation of taxpayer privacy laws. Senators Padilla, Wyden, Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), and additional Senate Democrats warned early last year that the data-sharing agreement between the IRS and ICE would result in serious errors and violate taxpayer privacy. They demanded details about the status and potential misuse of the data-sharing program as recently as January 30 of this year. Last spring, Senators Padilla, Wyden, and Cortez Masto led a letter and statement condemning the IRS’ plan, raising the alarm on initial reports that the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Government Efficiency illegally requested sensitive taxpayer information from the IRS.

Full text of the letter is available here and below:

Dear Mr. Cuffari:

We write to request that you conduct a second investigation of the warrantless purchase of cell phone location data by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Public contracting documents indicate that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) recently resumed buying Americans’ location data from a shady data broker that itself may be violating federal law.

ICE ended a previous program to purchase Americans’ cell phone location data in 2023, following an investigation by your office and scrutiny from Congress. In October 2020, Senators Wyden, Warren, Markey and Schatz requested that you investigate Customs and Border Protection (CBP) purchase of Americans’ phone location data. Your subsequent report, published on September 28, 2023, found that CBP, ICE and the Secret Service all violated federal law through their warrantless purchase and use of location data. In addition, your review found serious problems regarding how these agencies were overseeing their employees’ use of this sensitive data, including employees sharing accounts and passwords to phone tracking databases, a complete failure by supervisors to request or review audit logs to detect patterns of abuse, and in one instance, the misuse of data by a DHS employee to track coworkers.

Location data is extremely sensitive, and can reveal someone’s religion, their political views, medical conditions, addictions, and with whom they spend time. It is for that reason that ordinarily, the government must obtain a warrant from a judge in order to demand such data from phone or technology companies.

DHS components’ attempts to defend their purchase of Americans’ location data did not stand up to scrutiny. Your report revealed how ICE officials sought to evade federal privacy requirements by claiming that the location data they were purchasing is “anonymized” and therefore does not constitute Personally Identifiable Information. However, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has debunked such arguments, stating that so-called anonymized data remains sensitive. Although a retroactive CBP privacy review issued on August 12, 2024, a year after the agency stopped buying location data, claimed that “CBP only contracted with platforms that received data from data providers that verified that the information they provided was gathered from individuals who consented to having their location information sold and used by third parties,” that assertion was false. In fact, on January 14, 2025, the FTC finalized an order against Venntel, one of the data brokers from which CBP and ICE bought location data, after the FTC determined the company was illegally selling location data that was collected without consumer consent.

Consumers must explicitly consent to how their data will be used. It is not enough for an app developer to include fine print that app data will be sold or to obtain general consent to access location data. Through its recent cases against Venntel, Mobilewalla, and X-Mode Social, the FTC has made it clear that it is an unfair business practice in violation of Section 5 of the FTC Act for data brokers to sell location data to the government that was obtained without consumer consent. Data brokers that continue to sell such data to the government are violating federal law.

Public reports indicate that ICE has resumed its location data purchases, even though DHS has yet to adopt all of the recommendations from your prior review. Your 2023 report noted that there was no DHS-wide policy governing component use of commercial location data. DHS created a commercial data working group in 2022, but as of April 2023, the DHS commercial data working group had yet to issue a policy. Your office recently confirmed that this recommendation remains open.

ICE issued a no-bid contract to the surveillance company Penlink in 2025, which included licenses for its location tracking product, Webloc, according to press reports. Webloc was developed by the controversial surveillance company Cobwebs Technologies, which was combined with Nebraska-based Penlink as part of a $200M private equity deal in 2023. Cobwebs gained notoriety when Meta banned the company in 2021, as part of a crackdown on surveillance mercenaries after detecting the company’s customers targeting activists, opposition politicians and government officials in Hong Kong and Mexico.

ICE is now stonewalling congressional oversight into its purchase of location data. Senator Wyden’s office requested a briefing from ICE soon after this contract was revealed in the press, in October, which was scheduled in December, for February 10, 2026. One day before that briefing was to take place, ICE cancelled it with no explanation and without any offer to reschedule.

Given DHS’ failure to adopt a policy for the use of commercial data, coupled with ICE awarding a no-bid contract to a shady data broker that is likely violating federal law, we urge you to open another investigation into the purchase and use of location data by ICE and other DHS components. In particular, we urge you to investigate:

1. Whether ICE and other DHS components are purchasing illegally obtained location data about Americans and if yes, why DHS does not have policies in place to prevent taxpayer dollars from going to contractors that have invaded Americans’ privacy in violation of federal law.

2. How ICE and other DHS components have used location data and whether they have used it to investigate Americans for engaging in constitutionally protected activities, including those protesting ICE actions or monitoring ICE enforcement operations.

3. Whether ICE and other DHS components are auditing employee access to commercial location data to identify likely patterns of abuse. If yes, have such audits discovered abuse?

4. Why DHS has still not adopted a policy for the use of commercial location data, as you recommended in 2023.

Thank you for your attention to this important matter.

Sincerely,

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Padilla Statement on Republicans Blocking Iran War Powers Resolution

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) issued the following statement after Senate Republicans blocked a war powers resolution that he cosponsored to end U.S. military involvement against Iran unless explicitly authorized by Congress:

“As Donald Trump pushes our country into a war that has already cost the lives of at least six brave service members, Republicans today refused to even debate the issue because they know that Americans did not ask for this. Americans want lower costs — not another forever war they will be forced to pay for at the gas pump and through rising energy bills.

“Donald Trump, who campaigned on ending ‘endless’ wars, has now illegally launched one without Congressional authorization. With each passing day, President Trump and his Administration change their justification for this war and have failed to provide credible evidence of any imminent threat against the United States. This is another haphazard, ‘act now, plan later’ mission carried out with no clear plan for what comes next, who comes next, or how this Administration will protect the American people from retaliation.

“This war powers resolution was a first attempt toward getting the answers that the American people deserve. Instead, Republicans once again chose to surrender Congressional authority to the president.”

Senator Padilla previously condemned President Trump’s preemptive strikes against Iran without Congressional authorization on Saturday.

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VIDEO: Peters Presses Top Defense Department Official for Clear Strategy on War with Iran

WASHINGTON, DC – Following President Trump’s decision to start a war with Iran, U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI) pressed a top Defense Department official for details on the United States’ strategy. During a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing with Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Elbridge Colby, Peters underscored the need for clarity on the Trump Administration's objectives and exit strategy for the war.

“The administration must immediately seek congressional approval to make clear to not just the Congress, but more importantly to the American people, that there’s an actual end goal and there’s an actual strategy to ensure that what he is doing there actually protects our homeland security as opposed to endangering it,” Peters said during the hearing.

To watch the full video of Senator Peters’ questioning, click here.

During his remarks, Peters underscored his long-held belief that Iran is a bad actor and should never produce a nuclear weapon. At the same time, he reiterated that the President’s decision to get involved in this war does not reflect the wants or needs of Michiganders and the American people.

“What I am hearing from my constituents is that they do not want to send their sons and daughters to war. That is not something the American people want,” said Peters. “In fact, what I hear from them is they want to see costs come down in America. They’re paying too much. Costs continue to go up. Trump policies have raised prices and now we may see spikes in energy prices. They don’t want a war.”

Click here to read Peters’ statement following the attack on Iran.

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U.S. Senate Poised to Pass First Major Housing Bill in Over a Decade

WASHINGTON, DC – Today the U.S. Senate voted 90-8 for a procedural motion to advance the 21st Century Renewing Opportunity in the American Dream (ROAD) to Housing Act. And now the U.S. Senate is on the cusp of approving a major housing affordability bill for the first time in over a decade.

This bipartisan bill, backed by U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) seeks to expand and preserve the supply of houses and apartments, reduce barriers to homeownership, and improve affordability and access. Notably, it includes measures to ban large investors from buying hundreds of homes and cuts red tape that makes housing costly and expensive to build. It will help create new federal grants to repair the nation’s aging supply of houses for new generations of home owners.

It would also help streamline regulations and enable more Americans living in federally-assisted housing to increase their savings and achieve greater economic independence. And it would also help lower the cost of housing programs and improve their oversight.

“This bipartisan housing bill would cut red tape, boost the production of new housing, and help more renters and homebuyers at different income levels afford a place to live, put down roots, and strengthen communities,” said Reed. “I will continue working to advance additional housing policies that build on the positive momentum work of this bill.”

Senator Reed, whose bipartisan bill provisions included the Property Improvement and Manufactured Housing Loan Modernization Act (S. 964), with Sen. Cynthia Lummis and the Helping More Families Save Act (S. 970), with Sen. Katie Britt.

The U.S. Senate could vote on final passage in the weeks ahead, depending on when Senate Republican leaders decide to bring it to the floor for a final vote.

Senator Reed helped secure over $500 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding that Rhode Island utilized for housing stability initiatives across the state.


Ricketts on the Senate Floor: Honor Noah Tietjens, American Service Members; End Iran’s Reign of Terror

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, on the Senate floor, U.S. Senator Pete Ricketts (R-NE) honored the life of Sgt. First Class Noah Tietjens. Senator Ricketts condemned the Islamic Republic of Iran for its violence against Americans and affirmed his support for Operation Epic Fury’s defensive mission.

“I rise today to honor and remember a great Nebraskan. Noah Tietjens, killed by the Islamic Republic of Iran in Operation Epic Fury,” said Ricketts. “As a young man, he joined the military to protect and serve our nation, and he gave his last full measure of devotion after serving nearly two decades protecting our country. I mourn with my fellow Nebraskans, and I ask my fellow Nebraskans and all here to pray for his wife, Shelly, his son, Dylan, and for the five other Americans who were killed in Operation Epic Fury. They are truly great Americans who died protecting our nation.”

“The Islamic Republic of Iran is a terrorist nation,” said Ricketts. “Nearly 50 years ago, they started this reign of terror by storming our embassy and kidnapping our diplomats, and they have been chanting ‘Death to America’ ever since. They have been responsible, as the leading sponsor of state terrorism, for terrorist attacks all around the world. It has led to the death of hundreds, if not thousands, of Americans.”

“A country that chants ‘Death to America’ and has a nuclear weapon and a missile that can reach us is a danger to our people,” said Ricketts. “This can never be allowed to happen, and that is why we have to destroy their ability to threaten us and their neighbors right now before it gets out of control. If we wait too long, we may not be able to stop it. Thank you to our brave women and men in uniform who are carrying out this operation, who are risking themselves to keep our country safe. I ask for the prayers of the nation for all of our members of the military and to remember their families who serve alongside them, and to continue to mourn our dead who have died defending our nation.”

Watch the video HERE.

TRANSCRIPT:

Senator Ricketts: “I rise today to honor and remember a great Nebraskan.

“Noah Tietjens, killed by the Islamic Republic of Iran in Operation Epic Fury.

“As a young man, he joined the military to protect and serve our nation, and he gave his last full measure of devotion after serving nearly two decades protecting our country.

“I mourn with my fellow Nebraskans, and I ask my fellow Nebraskans and all here to pray for his wife, Shelly, his son, Dylan, and for the five other Americans who were killed in Operation Epic Fury.

“They are truly great Americans who died protecting our nation.

“Mr. President, I ask for a moment of silence to remember them.

“Thank you, Mr. President.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran is a terrorist nation.

“Nearly 50 years ago, they started this reign of terror by storming our embassy and kidnapping our diplomats, and they have been chanting ‘Death to America’ ever since.

“They have been responsible, as the leading sponsor of state terrorism, for terrorist attacks all around the world.

“It has led to the death of hundreds, if not thousands, of Americans.

“When we had American troops deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan, 2,000 were killed by IEDs, and we know that Iran funded these weapons.

“We know that they have had plots to assassinate our president, other officials, and dissidents in our own country on American soil.

“We know that they have funded the Houthis, Hamas, and Hezbollah, that they bomb our friends, kill civilians, and when their own people protested their terrible policies, they killed the protesters—their own people—by the thousands.

“We cannot let a nation that embraces terror the way Iran does have a nuclear weapon, and this has again been the policy of presidents as administrations have changed, that Iran cannot be allowed to have a nuclear weapon.

“And thus, we come to the reason for Operation Epic Fury.

“Iran had been in negotiations with numerous administrations and had always refused to give up their nuclear ambitions, and this administration has decided enough is enough.

“And so, the goal is to make sure Iran cannot threaten us or their neighbors.

“And so, we are targeting the things that they could use to do that: their missiles, their missile launchers, their missile stockpiles, their ability to manufacture those missiles that they are using right now to attack their neighbors.

“We’re attacking their navy, so their navy cannot threaten the shipping that goes through the Persian Gulf and the Straits of Hormuz, to make sure they cannot mine it to shut this down.

“And ultimately, we will continue to go after their nuclear facilities that they stubbornly refuse to give up.

“We have learned the lessons from North Korea that once a nation has nuclear weapons and a missile system, they’re not going back.

“Iran can already reach allies of ours right now with their ballistic missiles.

“We know they want to continue to develop those to reach Europe and then ultimately the United States.

“A country that chants ‘Death to America’ and has a nuclear weapon and a missile that can reach us is a danger to our people.

“This can never be allowed to happen, and that is why we have to destroy their ability to threaten us and their neighbors right now before it gets out of control.

“If we wait too long, we may not be able to stop it.

“Thank you to our brave women and men in uniform who are carrying out this operation, who are risking themselves to keep our country safe.

“I ask for the prayers of the nation for all of our members of the military and to remember their families who serve alongside them, and to continue to mourn our dead who have died defending our nation.”


VIDEO: Ricketts Urges Regulatory Certainty, Sound Science for Chemicals Undergoing Review

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Pete Ricketts (R-NE) participated in a Senate Environment and Public Works hearing where he advocated for improved regulations and sound, risk-based science in the chemical review process. In discussing the Toxic Substances

Control Act (TSCA), Ricketts noted the importance of chemicals in the agriculture and semiconductor industries.

“We all know that chemicals are essential to modern life,” said Ricketts. ”In agriculture, this includes chemicals used in crop protection tools, livestock production, and irrigation systems. These sectors are the economic backbone of my home state of Nebraska.”

“Over 500 chemicals go into making a single chip,” continued Ricketts. “Even though these chemistries are known to be safe, the TSCA review process has created more bottlenecks than actual progress to compete across the world.”

“Streamlining the approval process for chemistries that have already been verified represents meaningful process improvement reflected in the discussion draft,” concluded Ricketts. “By creating a more efficient pathway for previous really reviewed substances, the EPA can prioritize resources toward evaluating truly new chemistries.”

Watch the video HERE.


Sen. Rick Scott Renews Bipartisan Effort to Lock the Clock and Keep the Sun Shining with His Sunshine Protection Act

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, as Americans approach another year of springing forward and enjoy more sunshine, Senator Rick Scott is renewing his push to make Daylight Saving Time the national year-round standard with his Sunshine Protection Act. In 2018, as Governor of Florida, Senator Scott signed legislation that, pending federal approval, would exempt Florida from the biannual time change and allow the state to remain on Daylight Saving Time year-round.

Last year, Senator Scott was joined by 17 of his bipartisan Senate colleagues in reintroducing this bill. Congressman Vern Buchanan leads the companion legislation in the House of Representatives.

Senator Rick Scott said, “Floridians and families across the country are counting down the days until they can spring forward and enjoy more sunshine. Even just an extra hour in the evening means more time to play with your kids, walk your dog, and, for those in the Sunshine State, enjoy all that our beautiful beaches, parks, and cities have to offer. With support from President Donald Trump and a bipartisan group of colleagues, it’s clear that now is the time for Congress to pass my Sunshine Protection Act. Together, we can finally LOCK THE CLOCK and make Daylight Saving Time permanent so that families can enjoy brighter evenings all year long.”

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ICYMI: Sen. Tim Scott pens Op-Ed in the New York Post about putting housing affordability at the forefront of the American Dream

WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Tim Scott (R-SC), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, published an op-ed in the New York Post highlighting the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act – the most comprehensive, bipartisan housing affordability legislation in decades. The legislation reflects bipartisan, bicameral work that passed the Senate Banking Committee unanimously, 24-0, and incorporates almost all of the House’s housing provisions into a unified package. Today, the Senate voted 90-8-1 on the motion to proceed on the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act.

How Congress can help solve the housing crisis — and boost American homeownership dreams

U.S. Senator Tim Scott

March 3, 2026

LINK

Like most Americans today, my mother saved and planned for years before she was able to own her first home.

At age 38, after working long hours for decades, she finally achieved that monumental milestone for our family.

I know what it’s like for families to stretch every dollar so that one day they can make that American dream of owning a home come true.

Housing affordability isn’t just a policy issue or talking point for me — it’s personal.

And addressing today’s affordability crisis requires leaders who understand the struggle of being one unexpected bill away from falling behind.

Those of us who’ve lived that struggle know how important it is to preserve the fundamental dream of homeownership in America, regardless of zip code and income level.

President Donald Trump, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, and Republicans across the country share my commitment to housing affordability and homeownership.

We are laser-focused on helping families, workers and small businesses stay afloat and achieve that dream.

That’s why in 2024, when I was ranking member of the Senate Banking Committee, I introduced the original ROAD to Housing Act.

Since then, I’ve worked with my colleagues on a broad bipartisan, bicameral package that helps make the dreams of homeownership a reality for all Americans.

This week, the U.S. Senate will be voting on the bill.

It tackles housing affordability by unlocking private investment, cutting red tape, embracing modern manufactured and modular housing, and trusting local leaders to drive solutions that work for their communities.

It also includes a provision to enact the president’s recent initiative to limit large institutional investors’ distortion of local housing markets.

After all, as President Trump said during his State of the Union address last week, “We want homes for people, not for corporations.”

To include as many good ideas as possible, we’ve added provisions from the House of Representatives’ Housing for the 21st Century Act, creating a comprehensive package that reflects the priorities of both chambers.

The bill aims to unlock private capital to expand housing supply.

Government cannot subsidize or build its way out of this problem, and it shouldn’t try.

But government can encourage private investment — and when that happens, communities grow in ways that make sense locally, without a one-size-fits-all approach from the federal government that wastes taxpayer dollars.

The ROAD to Housing Act also cuts the red tape that drives up housing costs.

Federal rules make building in America slower and more expensive than it should be; outdated and duplicative requirements add unnecessary costs that are passed down to families.

Streamlining and removing those archaic rules will speed up overall construction time, making homes more affordable.

My bill embraces modern manufactured and modular housing as an affordable path to homeownership, especially for first-time homebuyers and working families, removing onerous rules that no longer suit today’s methods and materials.

Finally, my legislation trusts local leaders.

I know that in my home state of South Carolina, what works in Charleston won’t necessarily work in Columbia or Rock Hill.

Washington shouldn’t pretend to have all the answers. Communities know their needs best, and they should have the flexibility to meet them.

TheROAD to Housing Act passed the Senate Banking Committee unanimously, 24-0, and has strong bipartisan support across the Senate, giving it a clear pathway forward.

After Senate approval, the combined package will return to the House for final consideration before heading to President Trump for his signature.

Recently, I met with local leaders in Beaufort, SC, for the ribbon-cutting of a workforce housing project that will bring hundreds of new homes to the market.

Standing by their side, it was clear what makes the difference: When the federal government gets out of the way, and communities are empowered to build, families win.

That project shouldn’t be the exception; it should be the rule.

Housing affordability is a national challenge hitting cities, rural towns and suburbs alike.

It’s one of the biggest drivers of higher costs for families who are already stretched thin.

Starting a family becomes so much more daunting.

New parents can’t save.

Dreams are put on hold, and Americans can’t build a future.

Passing the ROAD to Housing Act will help Americans buy homes in the communities they love, and will provide real opportunities for struggling parents like my mom who did everything for our family.

That’s why it must make it to the president’s desk without delay.

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Shaheen Statement on Senate’s Failure to Pass Iran War Powers Resolution

(Washington, DC) – U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, released the following statement on the Senate’s failure to pass the Iran war powers resolution:

“No one mourns the death of the Ayatollah, who is responsible for the deaths of Americans and thousands of his own people. But the American people have real and unanswered questions about what our objectives are, what the President’s strategy is to achieve them and whether this attack was driven by America’s national security interest or that of another country. After repeated briefings with the Administration, I continue to have these questions.

“This is why today I voted to reassert Congress’s constitutional authority to declare war. Our founders granted that authority to Congress because they understood that one person should not be able to send our men and women in uniform into combat without due consideration and the will of the American people. The President has ignored Congress and the American people as he put our servicemembers and diplomats in harm’s way. As the Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, I am particularly disturbed by the lack of planning by State Department leadership, leaving our diplomatic personnel and U.S. citizens without the options or time to leave countries that are now under direct attack. We need to do better.

“The American people are deeply worried about the cost and economic impact of this operation. More than anything else, I hear concerns from my constituents about the cost of living. But the President’s actions in Iran, and the resulting spike in gas prices will only make the affordability crisis worse. And Americans are wondering why the Administration says it can’t afford to help them keep their health insurance or put food on the table for their families when the President is spending billions of dollars halfway around the world.”

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Sheehy, Blunt Rochester Introduce AI Fraud Accountability Act

U.S. SENATE – Senator Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.) today introduced the bipartisan, bicameral AI Fraud Accountability Act with Senator Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.) to protect Americans from AI scams and hold fraudsters accountable.

“Artificial intelligence will help unleash innovation, opportunity, and prosperity in the 21st century economy, but we must ensure it is not a tool for fraud. The AI Fraud Accountability Act modernizes federal law to crack down on AI fraudsters targeting American families, seniors, and businesses while safeguarding technological innovation and First Amendment rights,” said Senator Sheehy.

“With more Americans using AI every day, we need to do all we can to cut down on AI-related fraud. Our AI Fraud Accountability Act would ensure our statutes are updated to meet this current moment. Thank you to Senator Sheehy for his partnership, and I look forward to working together on this urgent issue,” said Senator Blunt Rochester.

Americans are increasingly being targeted by AI-enabled voice and video scams, and the AI Fraud Accountability Act would modernize federal law to ensure consumers are protected from emerging digital impersonation fraud while safeguarding legitimate speech and innovation.

The House of Representatives version of the AI Fraud Accountability Act was introduced by Representatives Vern Buchanan (R-Fla.) and Darren Soto (D-Fla.).

“As artificial intelligence becomes more advanced, criminals are exploiting it to scam hardworking Americans. We are seeing a disturbing rise in AI-generated voice clones and deepfake videos that convincingly impersonate loved ones, business executives, government officials and trusted institutions to steal money. Congress must act to stay ahead of these threats by modernizing federal law to keep up with emerging technology. The AI Fraud Accountability Act makes clear that if you use AI to defraud Americans, you will be prosecuted,” said Congressman Vern Buchanan.

“As AI rapidly evolves, it is critical for us to ensure that the technology isn’t being misused to cause harm. We’ve unfortunately seen cases where it is used to create realistic impersonations of real people. I’m proud to join this bipartisan legislation to set guardrails and prevent these deceptive practices from taking place,” said Congressman Darren Soto.

Statements of Support:

“The threat of AI generated scams and deepfake fraud call for urgent, bipartisan action. The AI Fraud Accountability Act provides legal tools to protect consumers and hold bad actors accountable. Thank you, Senators Sheehy and Blunt Rochester and Representatives Buchanan and Soto for leading this effort to combat fraud. We strongly support this legislation and look forward to continuing to work across Congress to help build a safer digital ecosystem for everyone.” – Brad Smith, President, Microsoft

The AI Fraud Accountability Act is supported by Microsoft; National Consumers League; AARP; 60 Plus Association; Center for AI Safety; Bank Policy Institute; Business Software Alliance; Global Anti-Scam Alliance, North America Chapter; and the National Asian/Pacific Islander American Chamber of Commerce and Entrepreneurship.

Background:

This bill would create a new offense under the Communications Act to prohibit falsely posing as a real or imaginary individual through a highly realistic digital impersonation with intent to defraud a person of money or other things of value.

This prohibition would apply to AI-generated or technologically manipulated audio or visual depictions that are indistinguishable from an authentic audio or visual depiction to a reasonable person. Criminal penalties would include imprisonment, fines, and forfeiture of proceeds. For civil enforcement, violations would be treated as unfair or deceptive acts or practices under the Federal Trade Commission Act and enforced by the Federal Trade Commission. This bill would also:

Direct the FTC to identify foreign countries most associated with digital impersonation fraud and to pursue international cooperation agreements to bolster enforcement against overseas actors.

Establish a working group, led by the National Institute of Standards and Technology and including the Department of Justice, Federal Trade Commission, law enforcement, affected industry sectors, and technical experts, to develop best practices and recommendations for fighting digital impersonation fraud.

Clarify that nothing in the bill restricts parody, satire, journalism, or other rights protected by the First Amendment.


Statement from U.S. Senator Tina Smith on Voting to Halt Military Actions in Iran

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) released the following statement after voting on a War Powers Resolution that stipulates any further United States participation in hostilities against Iran must be stopped unless they are explicitly authorized by Congress:

“The Minnesota servicemembers stationed in the region and those stuck trying to find a way to evacuate are in my thoughts. Our prayers are with White Bear Lake’s Sgt. 1st Class Nicole Amor and her family, who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to our nation.

“We’ve been plunged into yet another dangerous, risky, and costly war in the Middle East with these strikes on Iran. The President has put tens of thousands of servicemembers and U.S. civilians in the region at risk. Every single American is less safe when we engage in open warfare with a terrorist regime like Iran. Nothing they told me in the classified briefing to Senators reassured me about their plan nor justified why this Administration decided to take such a serious risk. That is why I pushed the Senate to use our Constitutional power to put a halt on any further hostilities in Iran, and why I voted in favor of the War Powers Resolution.

“The Iranian government is an evil terrorist regime, and I am in full support of the Iranian people’s fight for democracy. But when I talk to Minnesotans, a lot of people tell me this isn’t what they voted for. The President campaigned on ending wars, but now he’s started a new one. So, we are all left wondering why we’re entering a costly war that nobody seems to be able to justify while most people here at home are barely able to afford their lives.”

Senator Smith cosponsors the resolution under the War Powers Act. If passed and signed into law, it would have prohibited the use of the U.S. military for hostilities in Iran. It would not prevent the U.S. from defending itself or Israel from an Iranian attack. The vote failed 47-53. At least six American servicemembers have been killed in the war.

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Thune: Republicans Prioritize Putting More Money in Americans’ Pockets

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, last week Leader Schumer came to the floor to announce, and I quote, ‘Lowering costs will be Senate Democrats’ North Star in 2026.’

“He continued, and I quote again, ‘Let me repeat that, so that America and our Republican colleagues hear it: lowering costs will be Senate Democrats’ North Star in 2026.’

“Well, Mr. President, you have to give the Democrats a lot of credit for their nerve.

“Or maybe their case of amnesia?

“Because to hear Democrats speak lately, you’d think that they have zero memory of the massive affordability crisis that they created.

“Let’s just review for a minute, Mr. President.

“Five years ago this week, Democrats were getting ready to pass a massive, $1.9 trillion spending bill [with] no offsets – their so-called American Rescue Plan – despite warnings that their bill’s excessive spending could cause a serious inflation crisis.

“They passed it anyway.

“And it helped unleash the worst inflation crisis in 40 years.

“An inflation crisis whose reverberations are still being felt today.

“And even as inflation rose, and rose again – and again, and again, and again – Democrats either failed to recognize, or tried to minimize, the problem.

“Worse, they tried to double down on the strategy – excessive government spending – that helped set off the crisis in the first place.

“So Democrats are going to have to forgive me if it’s just a little hard to swallow their sudden interest in lowering costs.

“Mr. President, Democrats, they may talk a good game.

“But it’s Republicans who are actually putting in the work to make life more affordable for the American people.

“There is no single silver-bullet solution to inflation, but since we took control of Washington just over a year ago, we’ve taken a number of actions to help alleviate the burdens on hardworking Americans.

“The first step was putting more money in Americans’ pockets, which is exactly what we did with the Working Families Tax Cuts.

“Thanks to Republicans’ landmark bill, the American people are benefiting from significant tax relief this year.

“We prevented a $2.6 trillion tax hike on working families – with no help, zero help from Democrats – and implemented a slew of new tax relief.

“As Americans file their taxes, they’re seeing lower tax bills and significantly bigger refunds.

“And because Republicans delivered permanent tax relief, working people can count on having more breathing room in their budgets in the years to come, enabling them to spend, invest, and save more of their money with confidence for the future.

“Mr. President, government regulations can actually have a huge impact on costs – whether they’re driving up the cost of new housing construction or driving up the cost of your kitchen appliances.

“That’s why Republicans have also put a lot of effort into untangling the web of costly regulations put in place during the Biden administration.

“Much of that has involved reversing Green New Deal-style rules on everything from appliances to the car you drive.

“Through the Congressional Review Act process here in Congress, we were able to rescind a number of Biden-era rules impacting households and small businesses.

“And together with actions taken by the Trump administration, we took aim at Biden-era mandates to force Americans into costly electric vehicles:

“Rules requiring most new passenger vehicles to be electric in less than a decade – and 35 percent by this year!

“Similar requirements for heavy-duty trucks.

“And the EPA waivers that would have allowed California to impose a de-facto electric vehicle mandate on the entire country.

“Mr. President, thanks to President Trump and Republicans, these EV mandates are a thing of the past.

“And the American people will have the freedom to choose the vehicle that works for their needs and – importantly – for their budget.

“Mr. President, the Biden years were also characterized by a clear hostility to conventional energy production – putting us on a dangerous path to a future with more expensive and less reliable energy.

“Republicans promised to unleash American energy.

“And we’ve made a concerted effort to ensure America’s abundant natural resources are used to the benefit of the American people.

“The Trump administration has reversed a number of Biden-era decisions preventing energy production in energy-rich regions of our country.

“Republicans also did away with the Biden natural gas tax – a tax that would have driven up energy prices even further and destroyed jobs in the energy sector.

“There’s more to do to bring down the cost of energy and to safeguard our energy security.

“And Republicans continue to work to ensure that the American people have access to an affordable and reliable energy supply for the long term.

“Mr. President, Republicans kicked off 2026 by passing a funding bill that included a number of provisions to improve health care access and affordability.

“Among its most important provisions were measures to bring down the cost of prescription drugs at the pharmacy counter, which will complement efforts by the Trump administration to lower the cost of prescriptions.

“And this week, we’ve begun consideration of the ROAD to Housing Act – the most significant housing reform bill in at least a decade.

“We know that a lot of Americans are being priced out of homeownership.

“And this bill will go a long way toward making buying a home more affordable and accessible for hardworking Americans.

“Mr. President, the massive, $1.9 trillion spending spree that Democrats passed five years ago helped set off a once-in-a-generation inflation crisis.

“And while Democrats may talk a good game about lowering costs, it’s already becoming clear that should they again regain the majority in the next election, their strategy will be more of the same.

“More spending and bigger government – the same things that helped plunge our nation into an affordability crisis in the first place.

“Don’t believe me?

“Well, just this week, the senior senator from Vermont released legislation that was hailed as a marker for Democrats.

“What’s in it?

“More spending and bigger government.

“We saw how that worked out the first time, Mr. President.

“In fact, the country is still cleaning up from how that worked out the first time.

“Democrats may have amnesia when it comes to their record on costs.

“But I’m pretty sure that the American people don’t.

“And I very much doubt that they’re going to trust the people who caused this affordability problem to solve it.

“But I guess the Democrats can always hope.

“Meanwhile, Mr. President, Republicans will continue to act.

“We’ll continue to work to put more money in Americans’ pockets and to make life more affordable for American families.”


Thune Joins Martha MacCallum on Fox News

Clickhere to watch the interview.

WASHINGTON — U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) today joined Martha MacCallum on Fox News.

On the War Powers Resolution:

“This is all about the Democrats’ … Trump Derangement Syndrome … and their blind hatred of the president, just being opposed to anything that he wants to do … Clearly there are Democrats, I believe, who understand that what we’re doing in Iran right now makes all the sense in the world from a national security standpoint. But this is an attempt … to try to derail or step on the president’s messaging around that and create a political issue where there really isn’t one … This is … nothing more than political messaging on behalf of the Democrats. This isn’t going anywhere. The president’s acting well within his authorities as the commander in chief.”

[…]

“What the president is doing in Iran is something that, frankly, should have been done … arguably a long time ago … Iran has been building not only its nuclear capability, but its conventional weapons capability to a point that it would have threatened the entire region … [Iran is] run by somebody who has said, ‘Death to Israel. Death to America.’ That’s what they believe. They’re the biggest exporter of … terrorism in the world today and they … have more American blood on their hands than any nation in the world, if you look at the last 47 years … The president is taking steps to make the world and our country and our people safer.”

On Operation Epic Fury:

“What [the administration is] doing [in Iran] is achieving the objectives that they set out to achieve, and that is to diminish the capability of Iran to threaten the entire region and the world with nuclear and conventional weapons; to diminish their naval capacity in that region; and ultimately, I would love to see a leadership change there, Martha. I think a regime change is a worthwhile objective. That’s not something I think that’s part of the president or our Defense Department or the State Department’s objectives here, but I think right now, it’s about achieving our military objectives, and it’s very clear.

“Those have been identified by the president and his team and I think the folks in the region are making significant headway in accomplishing that objective, and we want to make sure that we continue to support them, and continue to pray for our men and women in uniform and particularly … those families who have lost loved ones.”

On the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act:

“[T]he housing bill … will complement the things [that] the president said … in his State of the Union speech about restrictions on institutional investors’ ownership of … single-family houses, that sort of thing. And so there will be things like that included in there that are reforms. It will get rid and cut a lot of the red tape associated with some of these housing programs in this country and increase the supply of housing …

“We want to do it in a way that encourages private investment, not more government. And the nice thing about this is it doesn’t cost a thing. It doesn’t have a score associated with it. These are just changes that will increase supply, reduce red tape, and make … important reforms that should make it more affordable for people to own homes in this country. That’s what it’s all about.

“The president’s very focused on the issue of affordability, as are we, and we’re actually doing something about it – unlike the Democrats, who just ran up more government spending and … continued to pile up 40-year historic inflation when they had the majorities.”


Tuberville Applauds the Trump Administration for Moving the U.S. Coast Guard’s Land-based Training Facility to Birmingham-Southern

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) issued a statement applauding the Trump administration’s decision to move the U.S. Coast Guard’s land-based training facility to the former Birmingham-Southern College campus.

“I’m thrilled that President Trump and Secretary Noem have selected Birmingham-Southern as the new land-based training facility for the United States Coast Guard,” said Sen. Tuberville. “This move will save the American taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars. Alabama and the Coast Guard are a natural partnership. Alabama is already home to every branch of the military and we have the infrastructure, resources, and personnel ready to make sure our United States Coast Guard continues to be elite.”

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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Van Hollen Joins Whitehouse, Pappas, Colleagues in Reintroducing DISCLOSE Act to End Corrupting Influence of Dark Money in American Elections

U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) joined Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Congressman Chris Pappas (D-N.H.), House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), House Administration Committee Ranking Member Joe Morelle (D-N.Y.) and over 175 colleagues in both houses of Congress in reintroducing the DISCLOSE Act, legislation to end the scourge of dark money in our democracy, shine a bright light of transparency on politics, and make government more accountable to the will of voters.

“Since the Supreme Court’s disastrous Citizens United decision, huge corporations and deep-pocketed special interests have flooded our political system with massive amounts of dark money – corrupting our democracy and disrupting progress on the American people’s priorities. It’s past time we pass the DISCLOSE Act to unmask the secret donors spending untold billions to influence voters, an important step toward returning political power in this country to the American people – where it belongs,” said Senator Van Hollen.

“The Supreme Court’s disastrous Citizens United decision opened the floodgates to billions in dark money slime, fouling American politics ever since. The Court’s decision, which was based on egregiously false facts, corrupted our political process by allowing billionaires and the wealthiest corporations to spend unlimited money in elections while hiding from public view,” said Senator Whitehouse. “We need to pass the DISCLOSE Act to make government respond to ordinary Americans, not creepy billionaires. It’s time we shut the dark money floodgates.”

"Trust in our government is nearing historic lows, and we need to take action to bring greater transparency to our elections and restore Americans’ faith that their voices will be heard in our democracy,” said Congressman Pappas. “The DISCLOSE Act would stop billionaires and corporate special interests from secretly buying our elections by requiring dark money groups to disclose who their donors are and shining a light on payments made to social media influencers to promote or attack candidates. It is critical that we pass this legislation to put the power of our democracy back in the hands of the people.”

“The Supreme Court’s Citizens United ruling flooded our elections with dark money, allowing billionaires to spend unlimited sums without accountability, oversight or disclosure,” said Rep. Raskin. “The DISCLOSE Act would unmask the anonymous billionaire donors dominating our elections and expose foreign influence, at least putting more power and information back into the hands of the American people. I’m grateful to my colleagues Senator Whitehouse and Rep. Pappas for leading this important effort alongside me.”

“I’m grateful to Congressman Pappas for leading this important effort to root out dark money and corruption in our elections,” said Ranking Member Joe Morelle. “The American people deserve to know who is trying to influence their vote, and we cannot allow wealthy hidden interests to drown out their voices.”

Since the 2010 Citizens United decision, secret spending in U.S. elections by corporations, ultra-rich ideological extremists, and secretive front groups has exploded. These dark-money expenditures that corrupt our politics increased from less than $5 million in 2006 to more than $300 million in the 2012 election cycle, and topped $1.9 billion in 2024, shattering the previous record of $1 billion in 2020.

The DISCLOSE Act would restore transparency in American elections and restore fairness and accountability in our political system by:

Requiring super PACs, 501(c)(4) “dark money” groups, corporations, and other organizations spending more than $10,000 in elections and on judicial nominations to promptly disclose donors who contribute more than $10,000;

Shutting down the use of transfers between organizations to cloak the identity of the original contributor.

Strengthening prohibitions against foreign actors participating in election spending in the United States, including in state and local referenda;

Prohibiting the establishment of corporations to conceal election contributions and donations by foreign actors;

Expanding “stand by your ad” disclosure requirements to online ads and ads that may promote or attack a candidate but stop short of expressly advocating for a vote for or against a candidate; and

Requiring identification of top funders of outside groups paying for video, text, or audio political ads.

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) first introduced the DISCLOSE Act in the wake of Citizens United in 2010, and Whitehouse has led the introduction of the legislation in every subsequent Congress. The bill is sponsored by all 47 senators who caucus with Democrats, and 138 Democrats in the House.

“Americans deserve a government that works for the people—not special interests and dark money. We must shine a light on the groups that are currently thriving in the shadows, corrupting our elections with dark money and subverting the will of the American people,” said Leader Schumer. “The DISCLOSE Act is the best kind of disinfectant for our democracy – sunshine that will provide transparency and accountability. I urge our colleagues to not stand in the way of creating a more perfect union and pass this legislation.”

“Citizens United gave the green light for corporations and dark money to buy our elections,” said Senator Wyden. “Elections should be decided by the American people, not shady dark money groups pushing their own narrow agendas. Our legislation will restore much-needed transparency to America’s election systems and ensure the voice of every American is heard.”

“Citizens United opened the floodgates to dark money, drowning out the voices of working Americans while billionaires and mega corporations buy influence in the shadows. As President Trump works to seize control of our elections and dismantle independent watchdogs like the Federal Election Commission, we must restore transparency around big money in politics and make it easier for Americans to hold their political leaders accountable. The DISCLOSE Act would make critical reforms to expose dark money and ensure our government reflects the voice of the people — not the powerful groups bankrolling it,” said Senator Padilla.

“Billionaires should not be able to buy our elections—full stop,” said Senator Merkley. “Passing the DISCLOSE Act will bring transparency to the dark money poured into our elections and give the power back to the people. We need to get this done to restore the vision of our ‘We, The People’ republic.”

The DISCLOSE Act was last introduced by Senator Whitehouse in 2023. Whitehouse has updated the bill to adapt to the modern political ecosystem. The DISCLOSE Act of 2026 would:

Capture payments made to social media influencers to promote or oppose a candidate as political spending that must be disclosed and disclaimed;

Narrow and specify what constitutes threats and harassment to qualify for an exemption to disclosure, and put commonsense guardrails on the process to grant such exemptions; and

Allow more flexibility for disclaimers for short political ads instead of limiting it to hyperlinks.

Several prominent good-government organizations cheered the bill’s reintroduction today, including Campaign Legal Center, Democracy Defenders Action, Public Citizen, Democracy21, End Citizens United, Common Cause, Center for American Progress, and the Brennan Center.

“Our campaign finance system is failing voters, in no small part due to the torrents of anonymous spending aimed at influencing their decisions during election season,” said Trevor Potter, President of Campaign Legal Center and former Republican Chairman of the Federal Election Commission. “As the amount of secret spending increases, the need for Congress to pass the DISCLOSE Act becomes ever more urgent. Dark money denies voters critically important information about the sources of election spending, while also leaving our elections vulnerable to corruption and foreign influence. It is beyond time for Congress to come together on a bipartisan basis and pass this commonsense legislation.”

“All Americans deserve to know who is trying to influence their voices and their votes. However, when hundreds of millions of dollars in secret political money are spent on elections, Americans are too often left in the dark,” said Amb. Norman Eisen (ret.), co-founder and board chair of Democracy Defenders Action. “We commend the leadership of Senator Whitehouse and Representatives Pappas and Raskin for introducing the DISCLOSE Act, which will close loopholes that have been exploited by foreign governments and dark money groups. Democracy Defenders Action urges Congress to immediately pass this important legislation to shine a light on secret, special interest and foreign money so all Americans can get the transparency they deserve.”

“We applaud Senator Sheldon Whitehouse for the powerful national leadership he has provided to protect the American people from the flow of corrupting secret, or dark, money in the nation’s capital. Unlimited dark money contributions, spent to influence elections and officeholders, are among the most dangerous money in American politics. The absence of disclosure of this money means there is no way to hold accountable influence-buying billionaires and millionaires and influence-selling officeholders. The DISCLOSE act is the key to lifting this shroud of secrecy,” said Fred Wertheimer, President of Democracy 21.

“Full disclosure of money in politics is a principle that has overwhelming support among the American public. DISCLOSE 2026 would fulfill the public's demand for this transparency. Yet a significant portion of Congress continues to deny the public an open record of who is paying for what in American elections. This is particularly galling given the increasing wave of dark money flooding into our elections since the disastrous Citizens United decision. Public Citizen applauds all those who back the relentless efforts by Sen. Whitehouse and Reps. Pappas and Raskin and others to provide the transparency of money in politics so demanded by the American public,” said Craig Holman of Public Citizen.

“Americans deserve to know who is spending money to influence their elections. Every cycle, billions of dollars move through our political system with little to no transparency, allowing billionaires and powerful special interests to influence and shape election outcomes while working families are left in the dark about who’s behind the campaigns,” said End Citizens United Action Fund President Tiffany Muller. “The DISCLOSE Act is a commonsense step to bring sunlight back into our elections and restore accountability. We thank Senator Whitehouse and Representatives Pappas and Raskin for their continued leadership to increase transparency and integrity in our elections, and we look forward to working alongside them to build the momentum necessary to get this bill passed.”