Murray, Warren, Wyden, Schumer Publish Report Revealing Trump, Republicans Stripped Health Care Access, Raised Costs for Americans With “Defund” Planned Parenthood Provision

In six months since Trump and Republicans “defunded” Planned Parenthood, breast exam visits fell by 25% compared to the same period in a previous year, delaying detection and life-saving preventive care

Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, joined Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Ranking Member of the Senate Finance Committee, Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), and 22 colleagues in publishing a new report revealing the harm Donald Trump and Republicans in Congress have caused to Americans in the six months since their dangerous provision to “defund” Planned Parenthood buried in their Big, Beautiful Bill went into effect. The report reveals that, in addition to acting as a backdoor abortion ban, the “defund” provision has ripped away Americans’ access to essential services — including primary care, birth control, cancer screenings, and wellness exams — and raised health care costs.

“I warned of the dangers of Republicans’ Big Ugly Bill last year—and I’ll keep a shining spotlight on the effects as we see Trump and Republicans’ bill threaten women’s health care across the country,” said Senator Murray. “By defunding Planned Parenthood, Republicans are cutting millions of women off from birth control, cancer screenings, essential preventive health care—care that they will not be able to afford anywhere else. No one should doubt for a minute that Republicans’ ultimate goal is to ban abortion nationwide. I will always fight for access to affordable health care and the millions of patients who rely on Planned Parenthood health centers.”

“Six months later, we’re seeing exactly how Donald Trump and Republicans’ political stunt is hurting Americans and driving up health care costs. This is more than a backdoor abortion ban — it’s also ripping away Americans’ access to essential services like primary care and cancer screenings,” said Senator Warren. “Nobody benefits when people are getting fewer critical exams, paying more for care, or fully forgoing the health care they need. We need to fight back against Republican attacks on Americans’ health care and make sure they can’t make this dangerous provision permanent.”

“Republicans used their Big Ugly Bill to fulfill their fantasies of defunding Planned Parenthood all so they could secure their Fox News talking points. This report lays bare exactly how the GOP’s war on reproductive health care is denying women the life-saving health care they depend on and demonstrates the urgent need to prevent the further erosion of the rights of women to make their own health care decisions,” said Senator Wyden.

“Last year — Republicans forced their unpopular and radical policies on the country with a backdoor nationwide abortion ban. Despite claiming to believe that states should dictate abortion policy, Republicans are pushing their anti-choice agenda on communities across the U.S.,” said Democratic Leader Schumer. “In the months since the ‘Big, Ugly Betrayal’ became law, American families have already started feeling the pain of Republicans’ efforts to defund Planned Parenthood: care is worse, costs are higher, and barriers for patients are more significant. Although these cuts last for only a year, our report has found that the impact of this lack of funding could be permanent and far-reaching. Democrats won’t let this stand. Senate Democrats are fighting tooth and nail for women’s right to choice and access to safe, affordable, and available health care.”

The report found that the “Defund” Planned Parenthood provision has:

Interrupted care, raised health care costs, and worsened provider shortages, creating immediate and significant barriers for patients in need of health care;

Hit low-income patients and patients in rural and medically underserved areas the hardest;

Functioned as a backdoor abortion ban — even in states where abortion is legal; and

Shifted costs onto patients, providers, and states, forcing them to absorb the financial and operational burden of lost federal funding without sustainable alternatives.

The report also found that Republican attempts to permanently defund Planned Parenthood will leave patients with nowhere else to turn.

New data in the report shows the number of people accessing care at Planned Parenthood health centers dropped sharply in November and December of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024:

The number of breast exam visits fell by 25% in December, increasing the risk of delayed breast cancer detection and avoidable, more serious illness.

The number of visits for birth control pills fell by 20% in November.

Visits for IUDs and other long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) dropped by 41% in November and 36% in December — the steepest decline across all services measured.

On July 4, 2025, President Trump signed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act into law with a one-year provision to bar federal Medicaid funding from reimbursing non-profit family planning and reproductive health providers that provide abortions, outside of long-standing narrow exceptions. Established federal law already bans the use of federal funds to provide abortions, but the “defund” provision blocked federal Medicaid reimbursement for all non-abortion services furnished by the health care providers singled out by the law. In addition to Planned Parenthood, two independent organizations – Maine Family Planning and Health Imperatives – have been barred from receiving Medicaid funds.

Prior to the “defund” provision, nearly half of all visits to Planned Parenthood health centers were by patients who relied on Medicaid to cover the cost of care. Now, tens of thousands of Americans have been forced to forgo essential health care, including birth control, cancer screenings, STI testing and treatment, and more at Planned Parenthood health centers. Twenty-three Planned Parenthood health centers have closed since the provision went into effect. The provision is set to expire on July 4, 2026.

“President Trump and his backers in Congress ‘defunded’ Planned Parenthood to make it harder for everyone, everywhere to get an abortion. They did so knowing their actions would make birth control, wellness exams, cancer screenings and other essential health care more expensive and harder to get for millions of people,” said Alexis McGill Johnson, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Federation of America and Planned Parenthood Action Fund. “In the six months since the law took effect, the real cost of their actions has become clear: Over twenty Planned Parenthood health centers have been forced to close, and tens of thousands of people now have few, if any, options to get the lifesaving care they need. We are grateful to Senate Minority Leader Schumer and Senators Warren and Wyden for leading on this report and amplifying the real-life harms of ‘defunding’ Planned Parenthood health centers. This work, and this fight, have never been more urgent, as Republicans in Congress call to make the ‘defund’ law permanent.”

The following Senators also joined the report: Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT.), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Chris Coons (D-DE), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NE), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), John Fetterman (D-PA), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Ed Markey (D-MA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Tina Smith (D-MN), and Chris Van Hollen (D-MD).

“Everyone deserves to see the health care provider of their choice, whether you’re getting an annual exam or having an abortion,” said Rachana Desai Martin, Chief U.S. Program Officer at the Center for Reproductive Rights. “Because of the defund provision, our client Maine Family Planning can no longer accept Medicaid, which half of their patients rely on. People across the country, especially in rural areas, are having a harder time accessing affordable care from a provider they trust. We deserve better.”

“The defunding provision is part of a broader, orchestrated attack on people with low incomes, and organizations like Health Imperatives, which provide sexual and reproductive health care and comprehensive supports—including housing and emergency shelter—to survivors of human trafficking, sexual assault, and domestic violence,” said Julia Kehoe, President and CEO of Health Imperatives. “If the defunding provision becomes permanent, it will put basic human rights, and our ability to meet them, at risk.”

###


Senator Murray on Latest Trump Admin Effort to Create New Red Tape, Dismantle the Department of Education

Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, issued the following statement on the Department of Education’s announcement that it is inking yet another Inter-Agency Agreement (IAA) to illegally spin off core departmental responsibilities—this time with the Department of the Treasury as it relates to federal student aid programs.

“Instead of helping student borrowers get the support they need, Secretary McMahon is focused on illegally hollowing out the department she leads and creating new, harmful bureaucracy while she’s at it.

“Despite all this administration’s talk about creating efficiency, the fact is these agreements simply create pointless new red tape—while threatening basic services and support that students depend on every day. Are student borrowers eventually going to have to talk to two agencies to get the help they need? Will basic oversight and communication simply fall through the cracks? Is Secretary Bessent going to eventually administer the FAFSA? What is already falling through the cracks because this administration is more focused on dismantling the Department of Education than helping students? That’s what’s at stake and what this administration and Republicans must answer for.

“Republicans in Congress could have joined us to put an end to these illegal agreements in our most recent funding bill. Unfortunately, they chose not to. But we’ve got to all keep speaking up and pushing back so students get the help and support they are entitled to by law.”

Senator Murray has aggressively pushed back against Secretary McMahon’s efforts to dismantle the Department, including through the illegal use of IAAs, and she fought to insert ironclad language in the fiscal year 2026 funding bill for the Department that would bar Secretary McMahon’s use of IAAs to dismantle the Department—but Republicans refused to include new, binding language. The final agreement did, however, make clear there is no legal authority for the Department of Education to slough off core responsibilities through these agreements.

###


Padilla, Schiff Join Cortez Masto, Durbin, Colleagues to Demand DHS Reduce Delays for DACA Renewals

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Alex Padilla, Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Immigration Subcommittee, and Adam Schiff (both D-Calif.) joined Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), and 37 other Democratic Senators in demanding outgoing Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Director Joseph Edlow reduce the severe delays in processing renewal applications under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. Created in 2012, DACA protects individuals who were brought to the United States as children from deportation and provides them with work authorization. Recipients across the country have recently experienced increasing delays under the Trump Administration in renewing their status.

The Senators also called attention to the increased risk of detention and deportation faced by DACA recipients when their renewal applications are not processed before their status expires. DHS Secretary Kristi Noem recently gave conflicting data to Congress — without any additional details — telling Padilla, Durbin, and Senator Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested 261 DACA recipients and removed 86 individuals from the country between January 1, 2025 and November 19, 2025. A separate DHS response to an inquiry from Representative Delia C. Ramirez (D-Ill.-03) stated that 270 DACA recipients had been arrested and 174 DACA applicants were removed from the United States in an even shorter timeframe, from January 1, 2025 to September 28, 2025. DACA recipients have legal protections against detention and deportation, and any attempt to remove these protections is unlawful.

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

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

In addition to Padilla, Schiff, Cortez Masto, and Durbin, the letter was also signed by Senators Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), John Fetterman (D-Pa.), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Kelly, Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Angus King (I-Maine), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.).

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

Senator Padilla is a leading voice in Congress for providing long-term undocumented immigrants with pathways to citizenship or permanent legal residence. Earlier this month, Padilla, Durbin, and Ramirez joined immigration advocates and experts from the Home is Here Campaign and a recently deported DACA recipient from Sacramento to renew their urgent call for the passage of the Dream Act to provide a permanent pathway to citizenship. Last month, Senators Padilla, Durbin, and Kelly blasted DHS for wrongfully targeting and removing DACA recipients in a joint statement. Padilla previously took to the Senate floor to defend DACA recipients from DHS’ baseless claims and slam the Trump Administration’s push for DACA recipients to “self-deport.” He emphasized that these long-term residents — who were brought to the country as children — have been working, studying, and living legally in the United States since 2012 and are vital members of American communities.

Full text of the letter is available here and below:

Dear Secretary Noem and Director Edlow:

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

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

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

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

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

To better understand and address these concerns, we request detailed responses to the following questions:

1. What is the current average processing time for DACA renewal applications?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

9. How many individuals with DACA renewal pending have been detained?

a. How many remain in immigration custody?

b. How many have been removed?

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

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

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

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

Sincerely,

###


WATCH: Padilla: “So-Called SAVE America Act Would Be a Huge Step Backwards for Our Country”

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration and California’s former Secretary of State, continued leading Democrats’ charge against the anti-voter SAVE America Act. In a speech on the Senate floor, Padilla warned about the devastating consequences of the legislation, which threatens to disenfranchise millions of eligible Americans in an election year, bans mail-in voting, undermines widely-used voter registration methods, and requires all states to hand over their unredacted voter rolls to the Department of Homeland Security, potentially leading to voter purges.

Padilla underscored examples of thousands of eligible citizens across the country who lost their fundamental right to vote because of flawed state election policies mirrored by the SAVE America Act. He emphasized that Senate Democrats “will continue opposing this bill … today, tonight, tomorrow, for as long as it takes,” to protect Americans’ fundamental right to vote.

A transcript of Padilla’s full remarks, as delivered, is available below. Video of his remarks can be watched online here and downloaded here.

Remarks as Delivered:

Thank you, Mr. President.

I’ve been saying all week, colleagues, that Democrats would be here on the floor fighting this Republican voter suppression bill, this so-called SAVE America Act, tooth and nail for as long as it takes. And we’re keeping that promise because Republicans are trying to pull off this bait and switch for the American people.

Let me be clear: this bill is anything but a voter ID bill. If you’re a married woman who chose to change her name when she got married, you could be kept from registering to vote under this bill. If this bill were to pass, vote-by-mail, that option would be gone. No-excuse absentee voting — that too would be gone. Your driver’s license, which most people think would be sufficient under a voter ID law to access the ballot box — not good enough anymore.

Why? It’s because the American people are tired and angry about the Donald Trump disastrous agenda, the failures of the Republican majority to improve their lives. And instead of facing the consequences of their actions and owning their record, they want to change the rules of our elections to avoid consequences from the voters.

And I can’t help but note the timing of this debate. 61 years ago, this week, President Lyndon Johnson came to the Capitol and addressed a joint session of Congress, delivering a powerfully important message to his fellow Americans, a message that is still resonating to this very day. He said, “rarely are we met with a challenge not to our growth or abundance, our welfare or our security, but rather to the values and the purposes and the meaning of our beloved nation.” A challenge to the values and the purposes and the meaning of our nation. That’s a pretty good summary of what’s happening this week.

President Johnson went on to say, and again, I quote, “every American citizen must have an equal right to vote. There is no reason which can excuse the denial of that right. There is no duty which weighs more heavily on us than the duty we have to ensure that right.”

President Johnson was speaking not just to Congress, but to America, in the days after Bloody Sunday when civil rights activists, including former Congressmember John Lewis, when they were violently attacked and beaten crossing the Edmund Pettus Bridge as they marched for the right to vote.

Now, many of us have treasured memories with John Lewis, and Mr. President, I keep this photo in my office, where it inspires me every single day. In the weeks that followed Bloody Sunday, our country and Congress rose to meet the moment, and coming together, Congress passed one of the most significant pieces in our nation’s history, the Voting Rights Act of 1965, yet here we are today debating a bill that would turn back the clock, that would do so much to deny so many their most fundamental right as Americans: our right to vote. That’s shameful.

In this country, the right to vote is a sacred thing. After casting our ballots, so many people are so proud to share with their friends, share with the public, that they have participated in our democracy, they’ve done their civic duty, they wear buttons, they wear stickers, which is why we cannot allow these efforts to restrict voter access that are at the heart of this bill. Now doing so would be an enormous and dangerous step backwards.

Under again, the so-called SAVE America Act, all 50 states would be required to send their voter rolls, including a lot of private information of voters, to the Department of Homeland Security. I spoke a couple of days ago as to why the Department of Homeland Security is the last entity we would want handling this vital information. Now, once there, known election deniers who have been appointed by the Administration would certainly run these lists through the Department of Homeland Security’s SAVE Program — a different kind of save than the name of this bill — the SAVE Program, and they would then give back to states lists of names of voters that should be removed from their lists.

And colleagues, as you know, a substitute amendment has been filed for the SAVE America Act that’s before us that now forces further reliance on unreliable data from the Social Security Administration. It wasn’t that long ago that we discovered that data was being misused by DOGE with a secret agreement to share the data that they got their hands on with outside political groups seeking to overturn election results.

To my colleagues on the other side of the aisle, let me be abundantly clear with this point: this is not an accusation. Trump’s Department of Justice has admitted to this in court. And here’s another admission that the Administration has made: “Due to misspellings of names, transposed numbers, or incomplete information, the SAVE Program may produce inaccurate results.”

Again, this is not theoretical. This is not an accusation. It is happening right now. Twelve states have chosen, or have been politically pressured to cooperate by providing the Trump Administration with their voter rolls. And there’s been analysis and review of how this demonstration is going.

NPR reports that as of December, the information of more than 47 million voters have been run through the SAVE Program at DHS, and that means the Administration is already flagging American citizens, eligible American voters to be purged from the rolls. And colleagues, you know what happens when a voter has been purged from the rolls. The burden falls on the voter to undo it, to navigate bureaucracy in order to prove their citizenship once again and to register to vote once again. But many won’t even know there’s a problem until they show up on election day, and they’re turned away because even though they’ve been voting there for years and years and years, all of a sudden, they’re not on the list.

Texas is one of those 12 states, and again, the review of the activity that’s already happening by DHS and this so-called SAVE Program. In Travis County, 25% of the flagged names had already proven their citizenship — one in four voters. And in Boone County, Missouri, another state that’s participating, more than half of the voters that DHS told those states to remove were citizens.

So let that sink in for a moment. 25 to 50% of the names were flagged in error. One in four voters, half of voters. Can you see how this would be a huge problem? Eligible voters being removed from the rolls and even referred to DHS for possible criminal investigation.

That’s the broken system that Donald Trump wants to use to maintain voter rolls nationwide. And that’s the question being posed to the Senate and to Congress. I know how Democrats are responding.

So the question is, really, is this what Republicans want too? As you look through the rest of the bill, you know that this SAVE Program utilization is not the only problem.

And we don’t have to guess as to what the strict documentation requirements would cause if imposed on the voters. Look no further than the state of Kansas. When they tried something very similar to this just a few years ago, 31,000 eligible citizens [were] blocked from registering to vote. 31,000 eligible citizens blocked in Kansas. If I was the Senator from Kansas, I’d be up in arms.

Or look to New Hampshire. Hundreds of voters were turned away last year under a recently enacted state law because they didn’t have a passport or a birth certificate on hand when they went to the polls — the very types of requirements in the language of the bill before us.

Joshua Bogden was one of those voters. In the late afternoon on election day, he turned up at his polling site to vote, only to be turned away because all he had on him was his driver’s license that day. He had to race home and frantically search for his passport, then race back to the polls before they closed. Thankfully, he was able to vote that day, but he admitted later that if there was anything that might have delayed him — having to take longer to find the passport, maybe getting caught up in traffic — he would not have been able to cast his vote. He would have been denied his fundamental right to vote.

Now, I’ve also heard some of the sponsors of this bill say, oh, don’t worry if you don’t have the proper paperwork at hand, there’s going to be a separate process. And they replied to me, oh, just read the bill. Well, guess what? I have read the bill, and I’ll tell you about this last-minute provision, this last-minute affidavit process that’s been inserted into the bill to try to provide cover for those hiding behind the true intent. The fact of the matter is that there’s no clear standards for this alternate process that they’re pointing to. There’s no clear explanation to how it would work.

All we do know is that if this bill were to pass and be signed by the President, it would go into effect immediately. So let’s be clear about what’s fundamentally happening here. Maintaining accurate voter rolls is vital for our elections. It requires precision. It requires transparency. Trust me, I served as California’s Secretary of State prior to coming to the Senate. Nobody understands this in this body better than I do.

But I also understand that that transparency, that precision, is not in this bill. Instead, this bill creates a system where mistakes are inevitable. And if mistakes are inevitable, then it is inevitable that people will be denied their fundamental right to vote.

There’s a reason, colleagues, that President Johnson and civil rights leaders came to push so hard for the passage of the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act. It was to move our country forward, not backward.

But this bill, this so-called SAVE America Act, would be a huge step backwards for our country.

Democrats are prepared to meet this challenge. We’ll continue opposing this bill. I’ll say it again today, tonight, tomorrow, for as long as it takes.

Nothing is more fundamental in our democracy than the right to vote, and we will do everything in our power to protect it.

Thank you, Mr. President. I yield the floor.

Padilla has led the charge opposing President Trump and Republicans’ reckless attempts to restrict the right to vote. Yesterday, Padilla joined leading voting rights advocates and impacted voters from across the country at the Capitol to push back against the anti-voter SAVE America Act. Earlier this week, Padilla took to the Senate floor to lead the opposition to the bill. Padilla, Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Representative Joe Morelle (N.Y.-25), and voting rights advocates also held a press conference rejecting Trump and Congressional Republicans’ attempted election takeover, including through the SAVE America Act. Last month, Padilla spoke on the Senate floor to condemn Republicans’ attempts to pass the bill. Last May, he stopped Senator Mike Lee’s (R-Utah) attempt to pass the anti-voter SAVE Act through the Senate by unanimous consent. He also convened a Rules Committee Democrats spotlight forum focused on Congressional Republicans’ SAVE Act and Trump’s illegal anti-voter executive order. As President Trump marked 100 disastrous days in office, Padilla led his Democratic colleagues on the Senate floor to speak out against the SAVE Act and the Trump Administration’s attacks on election integrity. Last April, he warned Secretaries of State, Lieutenant Governors, and Chief Election Officials across the country of the devastating potential impacts of the SAVE Act, concerns that have been echoed by top election officials across the country.

In January, Senator Padilla and Senator Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) led 26 Senate colleagues in pressing DOJ to stop its unlawful pressure campaign to coerce dozens of states into providing the Trump Administration their voter rolls, which include voters’ personally identifiable information. Last October, Padilla and Senator Gary Peters (D-Mich.) filed an amicus brief supporting a lawsuit opposing the Trump Administration’s illegal ongoing attempts to purge state voter rolls across the country by developing a massive interagency database of Americans’ sensitive personal data. Additionally, Padilla and Representative Joyce Beatty (D-Ohio-03) announced the Voter Purge Protection Act last year to prevent the Trump Administration’s ongoing voter purge efforts, including by prohibiting the removal of individuals from the voter rolls due to changes in residence or not voting in previous elections.

###


Reed Blasts Senate GOP for Denying Paychecks for TSA Agents & Backs Bills to Immediately Fund TSA

WASHINGTON, DC – Senate Republicans have repeatedly blocked legislation offered by Senate Democrats to pay Transportation Security Administration (TSA) workers while Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding negotiations continue in order to enforce needed, common-sense guardrails and reforms to rein in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP).

U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI), a leading member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, has joined fellow Senate Democrats five times to call for unanimous consent to immediately and fully fund TSA and is now backing proposals introduced by U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV), to issue paychecks for TSA workers and fully fund TSA through the end of the current fiscal year.

“Republicans hold the White House, House, and Senate and orchestrated the current lapse in funding for DHS. Their political dysfunction is negatively impacting air travel, forcing long lines at airport security, and hurting our hardworking TSA agents. Democrats have tried time and time again to immediately give TSA workers their paychecks and will continue to do so until Republicans drop their political games,” said Reed.

In addition to Senators Rosen and Reed, the Transportation Security Administration Pay Act of 2026 (S.4073) and an identical TSA funding bill (S.4127) are supported by Senators Maria Cantwell (D-WA); Raphael Warnock (D-GA); Ben Ray Luján (D-NM); and Alex Padilla (D-CA).

Since March 5, Republicans in the Senate have blocked funding bills for TSA, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), the Coast Guard, and other important DHS functions on eight separate occasions. As recently as today, Senate Republicans blocked Democrats’ call for unanimous consent that would have given paychecks to TSA workers immediately.

“TSA agents would be paid today if Republicans stopped blocking our proposals. Further, we could immediately fund the rest of DHS if Senate Republicans and the White House would agree to basic reforms to prevent ICE and CBP from trampling the rights of Americans,” Reed concluded.


Reed Recognized by Edison Electric Institute & International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers for Bipartisan Efforts to Help Vulnerable Families Afford Their Energy Bills

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI), a leading member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, this week received the John D. Dingell Award from the Edison Electric Institute (EEI) and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) in recognition of his dedicated support for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP).

LIHEAP is a crucial lifeline that keeps vulnerable citizens safe and warm during winter by helping low-income households and seniors on fixed incomes pay their energy bills. The program also helps reduce energy costs through improved energy efficiency initiatives. Nationwide, an estimated 6 million households received assistance with heating and cooling costs through LIHEAP over the last year.

Senator Reed was presented the award alongside U.S. Senator Susan Collins (R-ME), the Chair of the Appropriations Committee. Reed and Collins recently teamed up to lead a bipartisan group of 38 colleagues in urging the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to swiftly release the approximately $400 million in remaining Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) funding that Congress delivered in fiscal year (FY) 2026.

“I am honored to receive the John D. Dingell Award, named for a legendary public servant, and grateful to be recognized for championing LIHEAP, which is a critical program that helps tens of thousands of Rhode Islanders afford their energy bills,” said Senator Reed. “LIHEAP assistance makes a huge difference for around 6 million households across the nation. As energy costs continue to skyrocket, I will continue to champion LIHEAP funding and other common-sense policies that lower utility bills and help working families get ahead.”

Overriding the Trump Administration’s attempt to eliminate LIHEAP, Reed, Collins, and U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) successfully led bipartisan efforts to provide a total of $4.045 billion for the program in fiscal year 2026 – a $20 million increase over the previous year. Much of that LIHEAP funding has already been distributed to help struggling families and seniors on fixed-incomes bridge the financial gap and pay their skyrocketing utility bills, including $24 million in LIHEAP aid delivered in November to help Rhode Island households.

The John D. Dingell Award is named for one of the longest-serving members of Congress and is presented to leaders who exemplify and promote labor-management cooperation and whose efforts have helped to advance common objectives of the electric power industry and IBEW members.


Ricketts Celebrates Historic Investment in Gering-Fort Laramie Canal

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today,U.S.Senator Pete Ricketts (R-NE) celebrated the Department of Interior’s announcement of an $889 million investment to repair critical water infrastructure projects. The funding includes $100 million to repair the Gering-Fort Laramie Canal, which is critical for farms and ranches in Western Nebraska.

“The Working Families Tax Cut is providing a major investment in Nebraska ag infrastructure. This is a historic investment for Nebraska producers,” said Ricketts. “When the Gering-Fort Laramie Canal collapsed in 2019 when I was governor, I helped deliver on these emergency funds. This news is a big next step. I’m looking forward to working with the Trump administration to make sure these funds guarantee infrastructure improvements for our farmers and ranchers.”


VIDEO: Ricketts Highlights His “Stop Insider Trading Act”

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday, during his weekly press call with Nebraska media, U.S. Senator Pete Ricketts (R-NE) discussed the Senate introduction of his Stop Insider Trading Act. This legislation would prohibit Members of Congress, their spouses, and dependent children from purchasing publicly traded stocks. It also mandates a seven-day public notice period before any stock sales can be executed on stock they owned when entering Congress. During the press call, Ricketts also addressed the ongoing wildfires causing historic damage to Nebraska.

“Nebraskans deserve elected officials who will put their communities’ interests ahead of their own personal interest. Every American deserves this. Insider trading is illegal, period,” said Ricketts. “Members of Congress aren’t above the law. But we need to do more to restore Americans’ trust in Congress. Too many Americans think that their legislators come to Washington to make their wallets fat.”

“Legislators or their families trading stocks can shift markets. So, investors imitate politicians’ trades because they expect it signals inside information. That’s why today I introduced the Stop Insider Trading Act,” Ricketts continued. “Representative Bryan Steil of Wisconsin introduced it in the House. Our bill eliminates even the appearance of impropriety by prohibiting Members of Congress, their spouses, and dependent children from buying new stock. If a lawmaker or their family already owns stock as they come into Congress, they can keep it. However, if Members of Congress or their family wish to sell stock, they must publicly disclose those plans seven to fourteen days in advance.”

Watch the video here.

TRANSCRIPT:

Senator Ricketts: “First, I would like to take a moment to extend my prayers to all Nebraskans who have been affected by the historic wildfires.

“Especially the family of Rose Mary White, a loving great-grandmother of 12 who died at her family ranch near Arthur.

“I extend my gratitude and the appreciation of the entire state for our brave first responders.

“Firefighters from across Nebraska, our National Guard, federal firefighters, and neighbors from Iowa are all answering the call to help.

“The fires across Nebraska have burned over 750,000 acres and caused unprecedented damage.

“On Saturday, I joined Governor Pillen and Congressman Adrian Smith on a flyover of the fire lines.

“Crews are tirelessly working to contain and extinguish the flames.

“I encourage Nebraskans to follow the guidance of local authorities. When asked to evacuate, please leave. Staying in harm’s way puts your life and firefighters’ lives at risk.

“Plan early and be ready to leave when evacuations are ordered.

“If your farm, ranch, or property suffers damage, make sure to document it when it’s safe.

“For Nebraskans impacted by the wildfires, the USDA Farm Service Agency Disaster Assistance Program may also be able to help.

“These programs include assistance for livestock, farmland damages, and crop losses.

“It’s important to document any damages and report them to your local USDA FSA office to ensure assistance.

“My office and I stand ready to answer questions and help Nebraskans impacted by the fire navigate the process.

“Nebraskans deserve elected officials who will put their communities’ interests ahead of their own personal interests.

“Every American deserves this.

“Insider trading is illegal, period. Members of Congress aren’t above the law, but we need to do more to restore Americans’ trust in Congress.

“Too many Americans think that their legislators come to Washington to make their wallets fat.

“Because of the public trust granted to elected officials, it can be necessary for Congress to know privileged information.

“Members occasionally are informed about public companies’ actions early.

“Members are given a heads-up on regulatory changes.

“Many members sit on committees that regularly handle classified information.

“And, of course, we shape the laws and policies that affect every industry in America.

“For example, one lawmaker knew early from briefings that the COVID-19 pandemic would hurt financial markets.

“He sold his stocks early to avoid a loss from a market downturn caused by the pandemic.

“The perception is the same for a legislator’s spouse or child.

“Legislators or their families trading stocks can shift markets, so investors imitate politicians’ trades because they expect it signals inside information.

“That’s why I introduced the Stop Insider Trading Act.

“Representative Bryan Steil of Wisconsin introduced it in the House.

“Our bill eliminates even the appearance of impropriety by prohibiting Members of Congress, their spouses, and dependent children from buying new stock.

“If a lawmaker or their family already owns stock as they come into Congress, they can keep it.

“However, if Members of Congress or their family wish to sell stock, they must publicly disclose those plans seven to fourteen days in advance.

“Doing so allows the public, the market, and anybody else to get the news of the upcoming sales.

“Our bill also carries significant penalties. Any violation would incur a $2,000 fine or 10% of the covered transaction, whichever is greater. Additionally, any profit realized by a sale would also be forfeited.

“Under our bill, if a lawmaker sold $1 million in stock without filing advanced public notice, they would be fined $100,000, plus forfeit any profits.

“Nearly 90% of Americans believe that we should not allow insider trading. It’s time for Congress to make this the standard.

“Nebraskans deserve to know their elected officials aren’t profiting from insider information.

“So do all Americans.“The Stop Insider Trading Act ensures no lawmaker can profit from insider information.”


Sen. Rick Scott Calls for Review of CCP Involvement in U.S. Clinical Trials and Drug Approvals

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Senator Rick Scott sent a letter to the heads of the Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health, and Food and Drug Administration calling for a review of the Chinese Communist Party’s involvement in the United States’ clinical trials and drug approvals. In his letter, Senator Scott called on agency heads to consider the risks this poses to America’s national security, American jobs, and patient safety.

This letter follows Senator Scott’s bipartisan work as Chairman of the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging with his CLEAR LABELS Act to ensure greater transparency in America’s pharmaceutical supply chain, helping patients, pharmacists, and other purchasers make more informed decisions about the medications they rely on while supporting American jobs, strengthening domestic pharmaceutical manufacturing, and rebuilding a secure and reliable U.S. supply chain so families can have confidence that their medicines are safe, properly regulated, and clearly labeled.

Read the full letter HERE or below:

Dear Secretary Kennedy, Director Bhattacharya, and Commissioner Makary:

I write to express serious concerns regarding the participation of Chinese Communist Party (CCP)-linked entities in the United States clinical trial and drug approval process, and to request immediate action to ensure that national security considerations are fully integrated into the review of such applications.

For years, the CCP has engaged in systematic efforts to acquire American intellectual property, including through economic espionage and the exploitation of research collaborations. These actions have imposed high economic costs and created substantial national security risks. The biotechnology sector – particularly advanced therapeutics such as cell and gene therapies – represents a strategic domain in which protecting American innovation and sensitive health data is paramount. The stakes could not be higher: the U.S. bioscience industry employed nearly 2.3 million Americans and generated more than $3.2 trillion in economic output in 2023, while indirectly supporting nearly 8 million additional jobs. Communist China’s IP theft and espionage directly threaten this powerful engine of national prosperity.

I have been made aware that Bioheng, also known as Imviva, a China-based company reportedly financed by CCP-linked sources1, has received authorization to proceed under an Investigational New Drug (IND) application and has been granted Regenerative Medicine Advanced Therapy (RMAT) designation and priority review. The decision to extend expedited regulatory benefits to a CCP-linked entity warrants careful scrutiny.

According to publicly available information, the company proposes to collect donor cells in China, engineer CAR-T cancer therapies in China, and administer those therapies to American patients through U.S.-based clinical trials, and transmit related clinical and patient data abroad. In the context of cell and gene therapies, this model raises not only data security concerns, but also patient safety risks related to chain-of-identity, chain-of-custody, manufacturing quality control, and the ability of U.S. regulators to conduct effective oversight and enforcement when critical processing occurs outside U.S. jurisdiction. Given the CCP's legal authority to access data held by Chinese companies and longstanding concerns about intellectual property protection and state-sponsored economic espionage, this model presents significant risks that must be addressed.

This case appears to reflect broader vulnerabilities in the current oversight framework. Federal law enforcement agencies have repeatedly documented Chinese state-sponsored trade secret theft and economic espionage, including in the biomedical sector. National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded researchers have faced prosecution for failing to disclose foreign affiliations, and federal agencies have taken steps in recent years to strengthen disclosure and transparency requirements. Despite these efforts, it remains unclear whether national security risks are being consistently and rigorously evaluated in connection with IND approvals, expedited designations, and clinical trial authorizations involving entities linked to foreign adversaries.

As the world’s largest public funder of biomedical research, the NIH has a responsibility to safeguard taxpayer-funded innovation. As the federal regulator responsible for approving and overseeing clinical trials and therapeutics, the Food and Drug Administration must ensure that safety, efficacy, and national security considerations are fully integrated into its decision-making. The Department of Health and Human Services plays a central role in coordinating these responsibilities.

Accordingly, I request that your agencies take the following actions:

Immediately review all pending and recently approved clinical trial applications involving entities with financial backing from, ownership by, or significant operational ties to Chinese state-controlled entities, the CCP, or the People’s Liberation Army, and pause approvals where appropriate pending a comprehensive national security review.

Reevaluate expedited designations, including RMAT and priority review status, granted to entities with such ties, including Bioheng/Imviva.

Establish and implement mandatory national security screening protocols for IND applications and clinical trial proposals that involve:

Foreign manufacturing or processing of therapeutic products;

Collection, storage, or transmission of patient data outside the United States;

Sponsorship by entities based in, or substantially controlled by, countries designated as foreign adversaries; or

Use of technologies or methodologies that may have been derived from misappropriated intellectual property.

Require comprehensive disclosure and independent verification of all foreign funding sources, partnerships, data-sharing agreements, and manufacturing arrangements for any clinical trial conducted on U.S. soil or involving U.S. patients.

Prohibit the transmission of identifiable U.S. patient data to entities based in or controlled by countries designated as foreign adversaries, absent explicit statutory authorization and robust safeguards.

Coordinate with the Department of Justice, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the intelligence community to identify researchers, institutions, and companies with undisclosed ties to Chinese state entities and take appropriate enforcement action where warranted.

Conduct a comprehensive audit of all active clinical trials involving Chinese entities or researchers with potential CCP ties to assess national security and patient safety risks.

This matter extends beyond routine regulatory review. It involves protecting American patients receiving advanced therapies, safeguarding sensitive health data, and preserving U.S. leadership in biotechnology. The CCP has publicly articulated a strategy of “military-civil fusion,” which seeks to integrate civilian research advances into military capabilities. That context must inform our evaluation of foreign participation in strategically sensitive sectors.

The United States must remain open to legitimate scientific collaboration, but openness cannot come at the expense of national security or patient protection. A failure to account for these risks undermines both.

I request a detailed written response within 60 days outlining:

The steps being taken with respect to the Bioheng/Imviva approval;

Any broader policy changes being implemented to address similar risks;

A timeline for the requested audit of existing trials; and

The specific national security screening protocols currently in place or under development for foreign-linked entities.

Thank you for your prompt attention to this important matter. I look forward to your response.

See below to read more about Senator Scott’s bipartisan work as Chairman of the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging:

03/13/26: ICYMI: Chairman Scott, Ranking Member Gillibrand Highlight CLEAR LABELS Act in ABC News Interview on Securing U.S. Drug Supply Chain

03/11/26: Chairman Scott Exposes Communist China’s Dangerous Grip on America’s Medicine Supply; Highlights CLEAR LABELS Act to Increase Transparency

03/05/26: Chairman Scott’s CLEAR LABELS Act Garners Bicameral Support with Rep. McCormick in the U.S. House

03/04/26: Chairman Scott, Ranking Member Gillibrand Press America’s Pharmacies on U.S. Drug Supply Chain and Country-of-Origin Labeling for Foreign-Made Drugs

02/19/26: Chairman Scott Sends Letter to Secretary Hegseth on Securing Generic Drug Supply for Service Members and Veterans

02/05/26: Chairman Scott, Ranking Member Gillibrand Introduce CLEAR LABELS Act to Protect American Patients Through Drug Origin Transparency and Stronger Supply Chain Oversight

01/29/26: Chairman Scott Calls for Transparency of Foreign-Made Generic Drugs, Announces CLEAR LABELS Act to Require Country-of-Origin Labeling

11/20/25: Chairman Scott, Ranking Member Gillibrand Send Letter to VA Secretary on Protecting Veterans’ Pharmaceutical Supply Chains

11/19/25: Chairman Scott Leads Aging Hearing on Navigating Path to Restoring U.S. Leadership in Essential Drug Manufacturing

11/11/25: Chairman Scott, Ranking Member Gillibrand Send Letter to Major U.S. Pharmacies on Foreign Drug Supply Chain Vulnerabilities

10/30/25: Chairman Scott, Ranking Member Gillibrand Send Letter to Pharmaceutical Distributor Executives on Regulatory Oversight of Foreign-Manufactured Generic Drugs

10/29/25: Chairman Scott, Ranking Member Gillibrand Send Letter to Group Purchasing Organization Executives on Regulatory Oversight of Foreign-Manufactured Generic Drugs

10/24/25: Chairman Scott, Ranking Member Gillibrand Pen Letter to HHS on Dangers of Overreliance on Foreign-Manufactured Generic Drugs and Request Information on HHS’s Efforts to Combat Vulnerabilities

10/20/25: Chairman Scott, Ranking Member Gillibrand Release Investigative Report Exposing America’s Dangerous Overreliance on Foreign-Made Generic Drugs, Proposing Bipartisan Policy Recommendations

10/08/25: Chairman Scott Leads Aging Committee Hearing on Closing Deadly Generic Drug Loopholes and Rebuilding America’s Essential Medicine Supply

09/18/25: Chairman Scott, Ranking Member Gillibrand Pen Bipartisan Letter to FDA Commissioner on Oversight and Safety of Foreign-Manufactured Generic Drugs, Requests Answers on Ties to Forced Labor in China

09/17/25: Chairman Scott: U.S. Overdependence on Foreign-Manufactured Generic Drugs Threatens Lives of America’s Seniors & National Security

04/01/25: Chairman Scott, Sens. Moody and Justice Ask FDA to Prioritize Foreign & Domestic Drug Quality and Protect Seniors

###


After Commerce Secretary Misled Public About Relationship with Epstein, Rosen Calls on Lutnick to Release His Flight Logs

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen, a member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, sent a letter calling on Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick to release his private flight logs from 2005 to 2019, in light of him misleading the American public about the extent of his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein. In February 2026, it was revealed that Secretary Lutnick had visited Epstein at his private island in 2012 – long after the convicted sex trafficker’s 2008 guilty plea for soliciting a minor – and had an hour-long engagement at Epstein’s home in 2011. This report contradicts Lutnick’s previous claims that he and his wife had cut ties with Epstein in 2005.

“I write to request you release your flight logbook covering the period between 2005 and 2019 ahead of your hearing before Congress. This timeframe reflects your first initial in-person meeting in 2005 with convicted child sex trafficker, Jeffrey Epstein, through your alleged last in-person meeting with him in 2012, and concluding with his death in 2019,” wrote Senator Rosen. “It was deeply concerning and appalling to hear, in your official testimony to the U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations last month, your acknowledgement of a direct connection with Mr. Epstein as late as 2012, which contradicted your previous denial of any recent ties to him in other public interviews and reporting. Such a revelation requires accountability and further investigation, including sharing information on all of your flights during the period of your relationship with Jeffrey Epstein.”

“Your contradictory statements over the past year demonstrate a clear attempt to mislead the American people about your ties Mr. Epstein,” Senator Rosen continued. “Congress has the responsibility to seek justice for the victims preyed upon by Mr. Epstein and his co-conspirators. It is also our responsibility to ensure that public trust and transparency is maintained and that the public can have full confidence in the President’s most trusted advisors.”

The full letter can be found HERE.

Senator Rosen has been fighting for transparency and accountability when it comes to government officials who had contact with Jeffrey Epstein. She has called for everyone mentioned in the Epstein files to be held accountable, regardless of political affiliation. Senator Rosen was the first member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation to call for Lutnick’s resignation. Senator Rosen also introduced a resolution opposing any clemency from Donald Trump for convicted sex trafficker Ghislane Maxwell.

###


VIDEO: Rosen: I Urge My Colleagues to Reject SAVE America Act, Focus on Lowering Everyday Costs

Watch the full speech HERE

Washington DC – Today, U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV) took to the Senate Floor to speak out against the SAVE America Act and call out Senate Republicans for prioritizing voter suppression over lowering costs for Americans. This is at a time when gas prices are rising dramatically across the country and millions of Americans are struggling to put food on the table due to rising grocery prices. The SAVE America Act would impose strict restrictions on voting and voter registration, which could end up barring millions of women whose names do not match their birth certificate and hard-working Americans who cannot afford to obtain a passport, among many others.

Senator Rosen has been determined to lower prices and make daily life more affordable for Nevadans and people across the U.S. She recently pushed Trump to release oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, attempting to lower gas prices affected by Trump’s war in Iran. Senator Rosen introduced legislation that would protect groceries from Trump’s tariffs, requiring Congressional approval on any tariffs levied on food. Senator Rosen also strongly condemned the Trump Administration’s proposed funding cuts to critical programs Americans rely on to pay for health care and essentials, such as Medicare and Social Security.

Below is a transcript of Senator Rosen’s Remarks

Mr. President,

I rise today to express my strong opposition to the SAVE America Act.

Let me be clear right off the bat, I believe in protecting the integrity of our elections. I believe our elections should be, and are, safe and secure. And I believe we must always make sure there’s no meddling in our elections.

Every eligible American deserves to have their voice heard at the ballot box, and they deserve to have confidence in our democratic system.

This is not a Democratic or Republican value – free and fair elections are the foundation of the United States of America.

And protecting these free and fair elections should be something every elected official should support.

But that’s not what this bill is really about.

The hyper-partisan, so-called SAVE America Act isn’t about making our elections safer. It’s not even about keeping our elections free and fair.

It’s quite the opposite! This bill is about making it harder for eligible Americans to vote and shrinking the size of our electorate to benefit Republicans.

This bill would impose strict restrictions on Americans’ ability to vote. Restrictions so severe that a woman who gets married and changes her last name could be barred from voting because her last name doesn’t match her birth certificate. Think about that. You take your husband’s name, now you can’t vote because your current last name doesn’t match your birth certificate.

You see, Donald Trump and Washington Republicans, they are so afraid of being held accountable for their actions, and their jobs and what they’re doing, that they’re trying anything that they can possibly do to prevent people from voting in order to increase their odds in this year’s midterm elections.

They know their actions to raise gas prices, cut your health care, and increase costs through illegal tariffs as groceries go up, rent is up, utilities are up – they are not popular with the American people.

That’s why Trump first tried to rig Congressional maps in red states like Texas and Missouri, to give Republicans an advantage.

And when that didn’t work, Washington Republicans decided to push a hyper-partisan bill.

That’s right. Instead of working to improve your lives, the lives of Americans, by lowering costs at the kitchen table, by expanding access to health care, and face the voters on the merits of their work, they would rather restrict the electorate. In other words, they just want to stop people from voting.

At a time when families are struggling to make ends meet…when people are being squeezed by rising prices at the grocery store, now at the gas pump going higher and higher every day, and ,well, at the doctor’s office, if you still have insurance. Washington Republicans have chosen to focus all of their efforts on preventing citizens from voting.

Washington Republicans are not lowering your costs…they are not helping working families get ahead…instead, they are making it harder for Americans to exercise their constitutional right to vote.

So, let’s not kid ourselves here. Washington Republicans are using this totally unnecessary, and harmful bill as a distraction.

A distraction from the fact that families are struggling to keep up with rising costs.

A distraction from the fact that gas prices are going up every single day.

A distraction that groceries are more expensive – and they’re going up every single day.

A distraction from the fact that too many Americans are worried about how they’re going to afford their health care and their medication, and the tough choices they may have to make in order to make ends meet.

Those are the things that keep people up at night and what the Senate should be focused on.

Trump and Washington Republicans have done nothing to lower the price of groceries or gas, and nothing to make health care more affordable. Washington Republicans simply do not care about your monthly bills going up and up.

Instead, we’re here debating a bill that does absolutely nothing to make life more affordable for anyone.

So what should we be doing? We should be working together to protect against real threats to our elections – like foreign interference, voter intimidation, and making sure every legal vote is counted. Not creating new obstacles for Americans who are simply trying to exercise their constitutional right to vote.

We should be working together to address the real threats, and the real challenges that American families are facing today. Taking care of your family, kids going to school, rent, groceries, utilities, opportunity.

We should be working together to address the financial pressure families are under. To come up with good solutions, good policies that will actually make a difference in people’s lives and at the kitchen table. That’s what we’ve been elected to do.

And so we owe it to the voters to do that, and we also owe it to the voters to protect their right to vote in future elections.

To be clear, I will not support policies that make it harder for eligible Americans to vote.

I urge my colleagues to reject the SAVE America Act and get back to focusing on what actually matters to the American people, lowering everyday costs and making life more affordable, and a good future more attainable.

Thank you, M. President.

###


Rounds Introduces Legislation to Expand Access to Capital for Small Businesses

WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) introduced legislation to increase access to capital for small businesses and entrepreneurs by modernizing outdated securities regulations.

The Small Business Investor Capital Access Act would update federal securities law to allow more small private funds to invest in emerging businesses by adjusting the threshold that determines when private fund advisers must register with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Under current law established in the 2010 Dodd-Frank Act, private fund advisers with up to $150 million in assets under management are exempt from SEC registration.

“Small businesses are the backbone of our economy, but too often they struggle to access the capital needed to expand and create jobs,” said Rounds. “This legislation removes unnecessary regulatory barriers that prevent small investment funds from directing capital to innovative startups and entrepreneurs, particularly in rural communities like many across South Dakota.”

Senator Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) joined Rounds in introducing this legislation.

“For too many small business owners, securing financing is still the hardest part of getting a business off the ground — and the problem runs deepest in communities that traditional lenders have long overlooked. Small investment funds can fill that gap, but right now they are forced to spend time and money following the same expensive compliance rules as massive Wall Street firms. That mismatch means these small funds have less capital to put towards startups and small businesses,” said Gallego. “This bill modernizes an outdated $150 million threshold and ties it to inflation so smaller funds can direct resources toward supporting local job-creating investments.”

"The Small Business Investor Alliance (SBIA) applauds the introduction of the Small Business Investor Capital Access Act by Senator Mike Rounds and Senator Gallego. This is a smart and necessary modernization of outdated regulation,” said Brett Palmer, President of SBIA. “Their strong support underscores the importance of aligning regulatory thresholds with economic reality. This bill will reduce compliance costs for smaller funds and allow more capital to flow to America’s small businesses.”

BACKGROUND:

Under Dodd Frank, the current exemption for private fund advisors registering with the SEC is for firms up to $150M – this legislation increases the exemption to $175M for advisers to small private funds to reflect changes from inflation and requires the SEC to adjust the threshold for inflation every 5 years. Representatives Barr and Velázquez lead companion legislation in the House. This legislation passed the House Financial Services Committee 51-2 on July 22, 2025 and was included in the INVEST Act, which passed the House 302-123 on December 11, 2025.

Click HERE for full bill text.

###


NEWS: Sanders Files Joint Resolutions of Disapproval to Block Nearly $660 Million in Bomb Sales to Israel

WASHINGTON, March 19 — Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) today filed three Joint Resolutions of Disapproval (JRDs) that would block the sale of nearly $658.8 million in offensive U.S. weaponry to Israel amid President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s illegal, premeditated and unconstitutional war with Iran. Joining Sanders as cosponsors of these resolutions are Sens. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) and Peter Welch (D-Vt.).

Earlier this month, the Trump administration notified lawmakers of its intention to declare an “emergency” and bypass Congress to sell more than 20,000 bombs to the Israeli government. These bombs are directly implicated in tens of thousands of civilian deaths in Iran, Lebanon and Gaza.

The sales include:

$298 million for 5,000 “defense articles” relating to 250-pound small-diameter bombs

$209 million for 10,000 500-pound bombs

$151.8 million for 12,000 1,000-pound bombs

“Given the horrific destruction that Israel’s extremist government has wrought on Gaza, Iran and Lebanon, the last thing in the world that American taxpayers need to do right now is to provide 22,000 new bombs to the Netanyahu government,” Sanders said. “No more weapons to support an illegal war.”

“Donald Trump launched an illegal, unjustified war of choice against Iran that is making our nation less, not more, safe and has set the region on fire. It has resulted in 13 Americans killed and hundreds more injured, as well as the deaths of thousands of civilians. It’s also costing American taxpayers a billion dollars a day and driving up prices here at home. Trump not only disregarded Congressional authority to declare this war, he’s now bypassing Congress by invoking an emergency authority to supply additional bombs to this war, a crisis of his own making. Congress must use all the tools at our disposal to end Trump’s war, including stopping the transfer of over $658 million of taxpayer-funded bombs to the Netanyahu government. It is clear that prolonging this war by sending additional bombs to the Netanyahu government is not in America’s interests,” Van Hollen said.

“Donald Trump, working in lockstep with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, launched a reckless and unconstitutional war,” Merkley said. “I do not support sending more offensive weapons to the Netanyahu government.”

“President Trump’s war of choice in Iran has been a catastrophe–jeopardizing our national security and the lives of our troops, killing and wounding thousands of innocent civilians, and causing havoc in the global economy. The war needs to end today,” Welch said. “With the bombs already provided to Israel by American taxpayers, Israeli forces are unleashing a campaign of total war in Iran with the clear and deliberate intention to eviscerate Iran’s economy and society. I support these joint resolutions to make sure that we do not send another 20,000 bombs to Israel that will result in further destruction in Iran and Lebanon. We must end this war, and we must not send these bombs.”


Senator Schmitt Debunks Democrat Lies on the SAVE Act on Fox News

Exposes Senate Democrats’ Hypocrisy on Voter ID

WASHINGTON, DC — Today, U.S. Senator Eric Schmitt (R-MO) joined Fox News’ Ingraham Angle to debunk the Democrats’ lies about the SAVE America Act and highlight the common sense provisions included in his substitute amendment.

Watch the full interview HERE.

Senator Schmitt Debunking Democrat Lies:

“In fact, I was on the Senate floor dispelling these lies. Look, I’m from the Show-Me state, we believe in common sense. We believe in the truth. And the fact is, the American people support the idea that American elections are for Americans. You know, news flash, this is something that’s very obvious to most people. I can’t believe we actually have to debate it. We think that we should have to show who you are when you go vote with a photo ID. People aren’t going to have to re-register to vote. We just want to make sure that illegal immigrants who have come here illegally don’t get to vote in our elections. And this is the truth. This is the mask that’s being sort of unveiled here, the Democrats. That’s their coalition now. So Chuck Schumer has talked about disenfranchising their coalition. Well, go on the floor and defend who that is. It’s illegal immigrants you want to vote now because you’ve lost the case of the American people. They want to cheat Laura, and we should just say it out loud, that’s what they want to do. And we want to protect the franchise. We want to protect the right to vote. This is a precious thing we fought for. People have died in this country for the right to vote. You know, the right to vote isn’t some like global passport you get, or some, you know, participation trophy because you’re here illegally. We should stand firm on this. I think it’s really important for us”.

Senator Schmitt on His SAVE America Act Amendment:

“I think it’s a common sense agenda. President Trump’s been very clear. He wants these five pillars in here, and they’re all 80/20, or 90/10, issues. Think about it, we’re protecting the right to vote. It would get rid of these mass mail in balloting scams we’ve seen after Covid. It would also protect women and girls from men competing in their sports, and also the transgender mutilation that we’ve seen. These are all very popular issues. I think it’d be telling for the Democrats to actually get on the Senate floor and argue against these things. I think the common bond here is a return to commonsense. That’s what we heard from President Trump in his second inaugural address. That’s what the 2024 election was. Look, the Senate isn’t some museum. It’s not some like, you know, retirement home for proceduralism. The American people expect us to act on their defense and on their behalf, and I think that’s what this package represents”.

Senator Schmitt on Democrat Hypocrisy on Voter ID:

“By the way, I wish I served with that guy. Where’s that guy at? Instead, I served with this radical leftist who hears footsteps from AOC every day and tries to appease this base that wants to open up our border and have illegal immigrants vote, and you don’t have to prove your identity. Like, I don’t know what happened. This is no longer the party of Harry Truman or even Bill Clinton, for that matter. They’ve completely lost their way. Again, I think it’s important for Republicans to stand up as the party for common sense, and the Democrats have caved to this sort of radical agenda that the American people don’t support”.

###


Key Committee Unanimously Advances New Shaheen, Crapo Bipartisan Bill to Help Curb Veterans Overdoses

**Bipartisan bill to help veterans access overdose reversal treatments clears Veterans’ Affairs Committee with bipartisan support**

(Washington, DC) – U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), a senior member of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee, and Mike Crapo (R-ID) celebrated the U.S. Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee’s unanimous vote to advance their legislation, the End Veterans Overdose Act, to help battle the ongoing substance use disorder crisis among veterans by removing barriers to life-saving overdose reversal agents.

“Anything we can do to save more lives from being lost to the substance use disorder crisis, we should be doing – and increasing access to overdose reversal agents at VA facilities is a commonsense step we can take to make these highly-effective treatments more accessible to veterans,” said Senator Shaheen. “I’m glad that my colleagues on the Veterans’ Affairs Committee agreed and unanimously voted to advance our legislation to the Senate floor. I look forward to earning the bipartisan support to pass our bill and help fight the substance use epidemic facing our nation’s veterans.”

“Removing barriers to accessing opioid overdose reversal medications for veterans and their caregivers will help reduce the stigma around seeking treatment and save lives,” said Crapo. “This bill builds upon existing efforts by the VA to address the opioid crisis, and the Committee’s action today to move this critical bill forward recognizes the urgency of this issue.”

Currently, Veterans Affairs (VA) pharmacies provide naloxone to veterans at no-cost, but they must first ask a provider for a prescription. The End Veterans Overdose Act, as amended, would create a one-year pilot program that would make naloxone and other relevant overdose reversal agents available to all veterans without a prescription at VA pharmacies. The legislation is endorsed by the American Legion.

A copy of the bill text can be found HERE.

Senator Shaheen has led efforts to fight the substance use disorder epidemic and increase access to life-saving treatments. Shaheen annually leads a bipartisan resolution with Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) to recognize National Fentanyl Prevention and Awareness Day. In the Fiscal Year 2026 Military Construction, Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies Appropriations bill that was signed into law, Shaheen secured provisions that will ensure veterans can better access health care, including substance use disorder treatment. Shaheen also leads the bipartisan Cooper Davis and Devin Norring Act to require social media companies to work with federal agencies to combat the sale and distribution of illicit drugs on their platforms and the bipartisan Keeping Drugs Out of Schools Act with Senator Grassley that would establish a new grant program that allows current or former Drug-Free Communities (DFC) coalitions to partner with schools to provide resources educating students about the dangers of synthetic opioids.

###


Republicans Block Slotkin Effort to Pass TSA Funding

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) took to the floor of the Senate to pass by unanimous consent a bill to fund TSA and ensure hardworking airport security workers get paid. The measure was blocked by Senate Republicans.

This marks the eighth occasion that Senate Republicans have refused to reopen agencies within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Slotkin has called for funding other agencies within DHS except for ICE, citing the need for serious ICE reforms after two Americans were killed.

In her remarks on the floor Slotkin stated Republicans are: “holding all of those [other] agencies hostage because of ICE.”

Slotkin continued: “… the American public, Democrat, Independent and Republican does not like American citizens being killed in our streets They do not like going into a home without a judicial warrant. They don’t like people, children being taken and tear gassed and caught in the crossfire… pulling people out of cars and getting into dangerous situations, people being targeted.”

“Set ICE aside. Fund everything else today.”

DOWNLOAD AND WATCH A VIDEO OF SLOTKIN’S REMARKS HERE

###


Slotkin Statement on Iran War Powers Vote to Rein in President Trump’s War of Choice

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Last night, U.S. Senator Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, voted in favor of the bipartisan War Powers Resolution led by Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) that would halt the war without further action from Congress. The resolution requires any U.S. participation in hostilities against Iran to be explicitly authorized by Congress.

“I voted again to support a war powers resolution that would stop President Trump’s war of choice in Iran.

“The President and his Administration started this war by failing to communicate any clear objective to the American people. And now, three weeks later, the consequences are coming home: 13 U.S. servicemembers dead and hundreds more injured, huge cost hikes on things like gas and fertilizer, and a cycle of military escalation that has no end in sight.

“The American people have seen this movie before in places like Iraq and Afghanistan — and they do not support it. And it’s why these issues of war of peace must be debated publicly in front of the American people.”

###


Thune Introduces Legislation to Bring Transparency to Fertilizer Prices for Producers

WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) today introduced the Fertilizer Transparency Act of 2026, bipartisan legislation that would provide American producers with more accurate information on prices for fertilizer and fertilizer products in response to longstanding concerns over rising input costs. The bill would require the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to collect and publish data on fertilizer prices from manufacturers on a weekly basis. Currently, USDA conducts an annual voluntary survey on the prices that producers pay for inputs.

“South Dakota’s producers have been facing some pretty fierce economic headwinds over the past few years,” said Thune. “Higher prices for fertilizer – and the uncertainty surrounding costs – have only strained their budgets even further. This legislation would empower producers with better information about fertilizer pricing so they can make cost-effective choices when it comes to purchasing key inputs for their crops.”

“We greatly appreciate Senator Thune’s introduction of the Fertilizer Transparency Act of 2026,” said Trent Kubik, president of the South Dakota Corn Growers Association. “Since 2022, corn farmers have paid record-setting prices for fertilizer. This bill will help to improve market signals by providing public access to meaningful pricing data and giving farmers a tool to help us plan for these costs. Ultimately, this legislation will make the market for key farm inputs more transparent and is a step toward making the market more competitive.”

Thune’s legislation is cosponsored by U.S. Sens. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), and Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.).


Thune: Voter ID Is a Commonsense Standard Americans Expect

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, Americans are pretty used to presenting their photo IDs.

“These days, you need one for just about everything you do.

“Driving a car?

“You better have your license on you.

“Starting a new job?

“You’ll need to show a photo ID.

“Want to be an emergency snow shoveler in New York City?

“You need to bring two forms of ID for that.

“Mr. President, you need a photo ID to open a bank account or visit your doctor.

“You get asked for a photo ID before you get on a plane or check in to a hotel.

“You need to have your ID ready to buy an alcoholic drink or to go into an R-rated movie.

“So it’s safe to say Americans are taking their IDs out on a regular basis and having a pretty easy go of it.

“Yet when it comes to voting, Democrats talk like requiring a photo ID is some kind of an insurmountable burden.

“And that doesn’t really make sense.

“As I said, most Americans are taking out their IDs out on a regular basis – and for things that are a lot less important than voting.

“In the city of Washington, D.C., for example, you need to show a photo ID any time you go to use a city rec center.

“Yes.

“If you’re in a basketball league or trying to swim a few laps in the pool, you need to show an ID here in Washington, D.C.

“But you can vote in this city – perhaps in that very rec center – without showing a photo ID.

“Mr. President, how does that make any sense?

“There’s a very clear difference between using a city facility and casting a vote to determine how your city or federal government is run.

“And logically speaking, doesn’t it make sense that our elections should at least be as secure as the local rec center?

“I think so.

“And the American people seem to think so too.

“Poll after poll shows that the American people support voter ID.

“Yet despite years of Democrat fearmongering about the implications of requiring a photo ID to vote, the American people view voter ID as just common sense.

“North of 80 percent of Americans in a poll last year said they support requiring all voters to show a photo ID at the polls.

“An NBC News headline this week reads, and I quote, ‘Most Americans support requiring photo ID to vote. Democrats in Congress reject it.’

“Well, that’s pretty much it, Mr. President.

“Requiring a photo ID to vote is something that’s so commonsense, only congressional Democrats could oppose it.

“And I would really like to know their reasoning.

“Of course, Democrats are now hedging, suggesting that they do – kind of – support voter ID.

“Well, if they do, it would certainly be news to me.

“As I said, for years Democrats have acted like asking for a photo ID would be an intolerable burden to place on voters.

“When he was a senator, Barack Obama opposed a national voter ID amendment, saying that it was an attempt, and I quote, ‘to restrict the approach for people voting throughout the country.’

“As vice president and later as president, Joe Biden decried state laws that required voter ID.

“And a few years ago – and this one really baffles me – then-Vice President Kamala Harris said, and I quote, ‘I don’t think we should underestimate what [voter ID laws] could mean. Because in some people’s mind, that means you’re going to have to Xerox or photocopy your ID to send it in to prove who you are. Well there are a whole lot of people, especially people who live in rural communities who don’t – there’s no Kinkos, there’s no OfficeMax near them.’

“That was from then-Vice President Kamala Harris.

“Well, Mr. President, I spend a good amount of time in rural South Dakota, and I’m happy to share that people in rural areas do in fact have photo IDs – and regularly use them.

“And they’d be more than happy to show them at the polls – in fact, under South Dakota law, voters already – already – have to show a photo ID to cast a ballot.

“And the former vice president will be happy to know that copy machines have also made it to rural America.

“Mr. President, despite Democrats’ fearmongering, requiring a photo ID is not some sort of an impossible thing to ask of voters.

“And I think Democrats actually know this.

“A photo ID was required to get into the Democrat National Convention in 2024.

“Vice President Harris required an ID to get into her campaign events.

“The senior Democrat senator from Georgia required photo ID to get into his recent rally.

“Mr. President, the other day the junior senator from Oregon said that the SAVE America Act is ‘about stopping groups from voting who tend to vote for Democrats.’

“Well, if that were true, why would Democrats be requiring a photo ID for their voters to get into their campaign events?

“Needless to say, it’s not true, Mr. President.

“Requiring a photo ID to vote is just common sense.

“And it’s not that hard.

“You need a photo ID to see a doctor, stay at a hotel, start a job.

“It’s not too much to ask to require it when you go in to vote.”


Tillis Statement on the SAVE America Act

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC), issued the following statement on the SAVE America Act:

“I am one of the few members of Congress who has actually passed a voter ID law (on a bipartisan basis), which I did as Speaker of the House in North Carolina, and that’s why I proudly co-sponsored the SAVE Act. While I support strengthening mail-in ballot integrity, many states like Utah, Florida, Alaska, and Montana rely on the use of mail-in ballots to conduct their elections, and we should not be completely upending how states already securely conduct their elections. Even if this issue is fixed, the SAVE America Act still will not have the 60 votes required to pass it.

“While the so-called ‘talking filibuster’ has been floated as an option, there is a reason why previous attempts to utilize it in recent history have failed. A ‘talking filibuster’ would effectively make Chuck Schumer the new Senate Majority Leader, allowing Democrats to block every single Trump judge and executive branch nominee, and allow them to force endless votes on anything they want. Democrats would control the floor of the U.S. Senate until the end of the year.

“There are only two ways out of a ‘talking filibuster.’ The first is for Democrats to miraculously give up and allow Republicans to pass the bill with a simple majority. That is never going to happen, and anyone who claims it’s even a remote possibility is either completely misinformed or intentionally misleading the American people.

“The second way is for Republicans to substantially weaken or eliminate the filibuster altogether. I have made it crystal clear that I will never vote to do this. Eliminating the filibuster is a foolish and lazy idea pushed by politicians seeking short-term gain at the expense of causing irreparable long-term harm to our nation. Succeeding in eliminating the filibuster would significantly weaken the minority party, end the need for bipartisan compromise, and allow erratic swings in policy that would transform America for the worse. Those are just the consequences of a best-case outcome.

“During the last Congress, all of my Democratic colleagues currently serving supported nuking the filibuster to try to pass their own partisan election reform bill. Democrats were dead wrong to try to change the filibuster when they controlled the Senate, and Republicans would be dead wrong to try to change the filibuster now that we control the Senate. The only real path to address the American people’s declining confidence in our elections is for both parties to find common ground on legislation that supports universal adoption of voter ID, proof of citizenship, and other vital election integrity measures.”

###


Van Hollen Joins Schiff, Senate Democrats in Raising Alarm on Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Agency Conspiring Through Personal Emails to Undo Endangerment Finding

Today, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) joined Senator Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works (EPW), in demanding answers on records revealing U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) officials engaged in repeated potential violations of the Federal Records Act, the Federal Advisory Committee Act, and the Freedom of Information Act by using personal email accounts to communicate and collaborate with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on work to support EPA’s rescission of the greenhouse gas endangerment finding.

“These emails illustrate that CWG members were intent from the start on manufacturing a false narrative that sought to inaccurately downplay the harms of climate change. In these emails, members of the working group repeatedly demonstrated their intent to evade transparency laws,” the Senators wrote.

The letter includes, for example, one of these exchanges: “CWG member Steven Koonin wrote from his Gmail account: “We should be mindful that our email communications that go to DOE addresses are subject to FOIA.” Mr. Koonin even asked fellow CWG member Roy Spencer: “Roy- is there are [sic] gmail address we can use for you, rather than the [University of Alabama Huntsman] address (which may itself be subject to FOIA)?”

“These emails from personal accounts also indicate coordination with EPA and clearly show that EPA requested the production of the report, purportedly to justify the agency’s rescission of the endangerment finding and associated termination of vehicle emissions rules,” the Senators continued.

The coordinator of the CWG, Travis Fisher, wrote, “the EPA team asked that the document be DOE-branded,” and “I've been told this summary of the science will be published as a technical support document relevant to a new proposed rule on tailpipe emissions standards for motor vehicles.”

The Senators are also asking whether Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) also engaged in similar practices regarding the use of personal emails, and coordination between DOE, EPA, and the White House.

In addition to Van Hollen and Schiff, the letter was signed by Ranking Member of EPW Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.). and Senator Edward Markey (D-Mass.).

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

Dear Secretary Wright and Administrator Zeldin:

We write to request answers from your agencies concerning the blatant use of personal email accounts by administration officials to evade public scrutiny laws and conduct sensitive official business related to your agencies’ efforts to unlawfully dismantle federal climate regulations. Records uncovered through litigation reveal that U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) appointees engaged in repeated potential violations of the Federal Records Act, the Federal Advisory Committee Act, and the Freedom of Information Act through the routine use of private email accounts to collaborate on the drafting of an error-riddled climate report requested by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to help justify the rescission of the greenhouse gas endangerment finding. These records call into question to what extent DOE and EPA officials may have improperly used personal email accounts and resisted public records requests throughout your agencies’ work to produce the February 12, 2026, rescission of the greenhouse gas endangerment finding.

During litigation over the legality of DOE’s “Climate Working Group” (CWG)—a group of fossil fuel industry loyalists that was established to provide cover for EPA’s rescission of the endangerment finding—the court ordered DOE to turn over records related to the working group. These records revealed an extensive paper trail of working group members using their personal email accounts to develop the scientifically unsound report entitled, A Critical Review of Impacts of Greenhouse Gas Emissions on the U.S. Climate. These emails illustrate that CWG members were intent from the start on manufacturing a false narrative that sought to inaccurately downplay the harms of climate change.

In these emails, members of the working group repeatedly demonstrated their intent to evade transparency laws. For example, CWG member Steven Koonin wrote from his Gmail account: “We should be mindful that our email communications that go to DOE addresses are subject to FOIA.” Mr. Koonin even asked fellow CWG member Roy Spencer: “Roy- is there are [sic] gmail address we can use for you, rather than the [University of Alabama Huntsman] address (which may itself be subject to FOIA)?”

These emails from personal accounts also indicate coordination with EPA and clearly show that EPA requested the production of the report, purportedly to justify the agency’s rescission of the endangerment finding and associated termination of vehicle emissions rules. The coordinator of the CWG, Travis Fisher, wrote, “the EPA team asked that the document be DOE-branded,” and “I've been told this summary of the science will be published as a technical support document relevant to a new proposed rule on tailpipe emissions standards for motor vehicles.”

Further, a judge appointed by President Ronald Reagan held that the CWG violated the Federal Advisory Committee Act by working in secret to develop the report. It is clear that the administration recognizes that the DOE report is fundamentally tainted, as evidenced by EPA’s insistence in the final rescission of the endangerment finding that the agency “is not relying on” the report “for any aspect of this final action,” despite having cited the CWG group’s work numerous times in the proposed rule.

However, what is not clear and what deserves public scrutiny is to what extent DOE and EPA officials routinely use their personal email accounts to conduct official business and whether this practice was employed by EPA officials—as it was by DOE officials and CWG members— during work on the climate report or throughout the preparation of EPA’s rescission of the endangerment finding.

DOE’s failure to comply with the Freedom of Information Act also deserves public scrutiny. Several organizations have expressed that DOE has failed to produce any records in response to numerous Freedom of Information Act requests submitted to the Department throughout 2025. The fulfillment of public records requests under the Freedom of Information Act is not optional; it is required under the law.

Given the numerous apparent legal violations associated with DOE’s climate work and EPA’s rescission of the endangerment finding, we request responses to the following by March 31, 2026: