Reps. Pettersen, Gottheimer Introduce “Feed Our Kids Act” to Fight Farm Bill Cuts to School Meals for Hungry Children

WASHINGTON – U.S. Representatives Brittany Pettersen (CO-07), Josh Gottheimer (NJ-05), and Darren Soto (FL-09) introduced the Feed Our Kids Act, which would provide free breakfast, lunch, and afterschool snacks to every student in K-12 public schools in Colorado and across the country.

This legislation comes as House Democrats sounded the alarm on the devastating nutrition cuts jammed through by House Republicans in the Farm Bill last week. This Republican-led bill would lock in cuts to critical funding for school meals, SNAP, and local food programs that threaten to push hundreds of thousands of students into hunger.

As a state legislator, Pettersen sponsored the referred measure that voters passed to create the Colorado Healthy School Meals for All (HSMA) program, which provides funding to schools to offer free breakfast and lunch to all students in public schools. Colorado’s HSMA program provides over 600,000 free meals daily and has improved meal quality while supporting local agriculture and farmers.

“Making sure every kid has access to a healthy meal at school reduces costs for families and ensures that every student has the ability to grow and thrive,” said Congresswoman Brittany Pettersen. “We’ve seen the impact free school meals have in Colorado, and we know this bill is a critical step toward supporting our families, both in and out of the classroom.”

“You can’t propel a rocket without fuel. The same goes for a growing student,” said Congressman Josh Gottheimer. “Too many children in New Jersey are still showing up to school every morning with the tank reading empty. In the greatest country in the world, it is simply unacceptable that one in seven children in our state faces food insecurity. The Feed Our Kids Act will change that — no stigma, no bureaucracy, no child left hungry.”

More than forty-seven million people in the United States face hunger. One in four Americans report skipping meals because they simply cannot afford their grocery bills. Research shows that students who eat breakfast and lunch perform better in the classroom, have stronger memory recall, are less likely to be absent or repeat a grade, and have fewer behavioral and attention problems. Students who are properly nourished also have healthier lifelong diets and are less susceptible to obesity-related health issues. Additionally, studies show that addressing hunger reduces violent crime, making communities safer and stronger.

Specifically, The Feed Our Kids Act would:

Provide free breakfast, lunch, and afterschool snacks to every student in K-12 public schools across America.

Eliminate unpaid meal debt from schools and remove burdensome application paperwork for qualifying families.

Ensure meals are nutritious and locally sourced when possible.

Extend meal access during summer break and sudden school closures so no child’s nutrition falls through the cracks.

Eliminate the stigma associated with means-tested meal programs by making access universal.

Provide Congress with a report on the impacts of free school meals and provide recommendations to ensure that schools are using nutritious meals that are locally sourced from farmers.

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For Immediate Release Contact: Tionee Scotland

May 11, 2026 202-808-6129

PRESS RELEASE

CONGRESSWOMAN PLASKETT EXPRESSES CONDOLENCES ON PASSING OF FORMER SENATOR PEDRO “PETE” ENCARNACION

U.S. Virgin Islands – Congresswoman Stacey E. Plaskett (D-VI) today released the following statement on the passing of former Senator Pedro "Pete" Encarnacion:

"I was saddened to hear of the passing of former Senator Pete Encarnacion. He was a man of deep faith and genuine kindness with a dedication to service in our community. Raised in a strong family with deep Virgin Islands roots, Pete was someone who showed up, served, and gave everything he had to the people of St. Croix.

"His life was one of dedication across every role he took on. He rose through the ranks of the Virgin Islands Fire Service from firefighter to director and brought a genuine love of community to every assignment. As a senator in the 26th Legislature, he chaired the Committee on Public Safety, Homeland Security and Justice at a time when gun violence was ravaging our communities. He answered that moment with the same calm, steady resolve that defined everything he did.

"Pete was a dedicated public servant, a devoted husband and father, and by every account, a man of quiet strength, deep faith, and an open heart. The Virgin Islands is better for his service.

"My prayers and deepest condolences go to his wife Janie, his children, Kimberly and Khyle, and the many lives he touched."

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Congresswoman Scanlon Announces Winner of 2026 Congressional Art Competition

Chester, PA — Congresswoman Scanlon (PA-05) today announced the winners of the 2026 Congressional Art Competition following a reception on Saturday, May 2 to honor PA-05 high school art students. This year’s national theme was “Celebrating America 250” to honor our nation’s upcoming semiquincentennial anniversary.

Photos from this event are available here for media use.

The Congressional Art Competition is an annual art competition open to students in grades 9 to 12 who reside in Pennsylvania’s 5th Congressional District. Participating students are offered the opportunity to showcase their talent by submitting original artwork for a district-wide competition. The winning artwork hangs in the U.S. Capitol complex for a full year.

“Every year, I look forward to the Congressional Art Competition to view our community through the eyes of our student constituents,” said Rep. Scanlon. “As we prepare to celebrate our country’s semiquincentennial, I was impressed with our student artists’ personal, cultural, and social expression in relation to the theme. I look forward to seeing this year’s winning piece by Erin Griffis displayed in the Cannon Tunnel later this summer.”

A panel of volunteer judges scored submissions for originality, craftsmanship, use of elements of art, and use of principles of design in 4 categories: painting, drawing, photography, and mixed media.

This year’s best in show was awarded to Erin Griffis from Sun Valley High School for her photograph, “Tears of the Flag.”

In addition to her artistic prowess, Erin Griffis also serves her community as a volunteer firefighter in Aston. Upon graduation, Erin will be apprenticing with Steamfitters Local 420 in Philadelphia.

Additional category winners are as follows:

Painting:

Paris Wing, Sun Valley High School

Drawing:

Melanie Zhu, Radnor High School

Photography:

Erin Griffis, Sun Valley High School

Mixed Media:

Zakiyah Sanyeneh, Sun Valley High School

Special Prize: Staff Selection:

Melissa Okine, Sun Valley High School

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Rep. Sewell Statement on Supreme Court Ruling Allowing Alabama to Proceed with Suppressing Black Representation

Washington D.C. — U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell (AL-07) released the following statement regarding the ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court allowing the State of Alabama to proceed with suppressing Black representation:

"Today’s decision by the Supreme Court to allow Alabama to move forward with its discriminatory congressional map is a stunning departure from legal precedent and another direct attack on Black voters in Alabama.

"Let’s be clear. Alabama lawmakers intentionally discriminated against Black voters in drawing the 2023 map. A federal district court said so. The Supreme Court said so. Yet now, in this stunning reversal, the Court’s right-wing majority has completely ignored its previous rulings in order to give state officials the green light to suppress Black representation in Alabama. Moreover, the Court has injected needless chaos and confusion into an election that has already begun while rewarding state officials who openly defied court orders in bad faith.

"This fight is not over. Black Alabamians have fought too hard and sacrificed too much to be dragged backward by extremist politicians and an activist Court. Black voters make up nearly one-third of Alabama's electorate and we deserve no less than two seats where we can select a candidate of our choice. We are not going back!"

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Congressman Van Drew Introduces Bill to Suspend Federal Gas Tax

Washington, DC -Today, Congressman Van Drew announced he is introducing legislation to suspend the federal gas tax for 18 months to lower costs for American families. The bill would eliminate the current federal fuel taxes, including 18.3 cents per gallon on gasoline, 24.3 cents per gallon on diesel fuel and kerosene, and 19.3 cents per gallon on aviation gasoline. After 18 months, the taxes would gradually phase back in slowly instead of returning all at once.

"Americans are paying too much for gas right now, and the federal government can help relieve some of that pressure," said Congressman Van Drew. "My bill would completely suspend the federal fuel taxes for 18 months, so people are no longer paying those extra taxes per gallon every time they fill up their tank. That money adds up fast for families commuting to work or anyone who depends on their car every single day. This would put money back into people's pockets immediately. After 18 months, the taxes would slowly phase back in over time instead of hitting people all at once again.

"While we can address the federal gas tax in Congress, New Jersey's gas tax is controlled by the governor and state leaders. New Jersey drivers are paying roughly 49 cents per gallon in state gas taxes on top of everything else. I am calling on Governor Sherrill to suspend the state gas tax in a similar structure. Working families need real relief, and they need it now."


Vindman Announces Winners of 2026 Congressional Art Competition

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Vindman Joins National Capital Region Democrats in Condemning Relocation of USDA’s Food Assistance Employees

Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Representatives Eugene Vindman (Va.-07), Suhas Subramanyam (Va.-10), Don Beyer (VA-08), Steny Hoyer (Md.-05), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.), Glenn Ivey (Md.-04), April McClain Delaney (Md.-06), Kweisi Mfume (Md.-07), Jamie Raskin (Md.-08), and James Walkinshaw (Va.-11) released the following statement after the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced a reorganization that would move most employees who work in food assistance and nutrition programs out of the National Capital Region (NCR):

“With only 30 days notice, the Trump Administration decided to attack federal employees, their families, and make it harder to administer Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and other food assistance programs. To be clear: this is a mass layoff and illegal reorganization under the guise of a relocation.

“This administration is also intentionally forcing hardworking and experienced USDA employees to choose between losing their careers in the midst of mass federal layoffs or moving their entire family across the country during the school year and uprooting their lives at a time of rising inflation.

“In one swift move, the Administration is undercutting food assistance, food safety, and farmers. This will make every single American less healthy and less safe. It will also increase food and healthcare costs on every single American.

“We saw this exact move before in 2019 with other USDA offices, and it was a disaster. It resulted in serious brain drain, reduced morale, and draconian cuts to programs that the American people rely on.

“It’s clear this is also another targeted and cynical Republican attack on SNAP from millions of Americans. Make no mistake – this is not about government efficiency, it is not about optimizing services for the American people, and it is not about maximizing the use of taxpayer dollars. It is the latest in a long series of attempts by this administration to break the spirits of federal public servants and disrupt the delivery of crucial services to the American people.

“In short, this move will be a disaster. We will do everything we can to fight it and eventually reverse it.”

BACKGROUND

On April 30, 2026, USDA announced the relocations of SNAP to Indianapolis, the Child Nutrition Programs to Dallas, the Supplemental Nutrition and Safety Programs to Kansas City, research programs to Raleigh, Emergency Management and Continuity of Operations to Denver, and retailer operations and compliance will spread across offices in Atlanta, Los Angeles, Dallas, and New York City.

These changes are part of a larger USDA reorganization plan announced in July 2025 that would move most of the Department’s NCR staff to five regional hubs. In the announcement, USDA stated that they expected to move 2,300 USDA jobs out of the NCR. Other affected agencies include the U.S. Forest Service and the U.S. Food Safety and Inspection Service.

During the first Trump administration, the USDA relocated both the Economic Research Service (ERS) and the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) from Washington, DC to Kansas City, MO. A Government Accountability Office (GAO) study of these relocations found that they had significant impacts on both agencies’ staffing and productivity, including:

The loss of over a third of each agency’s permanent full-time staff following the announcement of the relocation in 2018.

A significant loss of experience, with staff with more than two years of experience declining from 83% of both agencies’ combined workforces in 2018 to 27% in 2021.

Declines in productivity, with ERS issuing fewer key reports and NIFA taking over a month longer to process and fund competitive grants in 2019.

GAO also found that USDA did not follow many leading practices for agency relocations, including a failure to consult with its employees at any point during the process and the exclusion of several key variables, including employee attrition, in its economic analysis to support the relocations. Both agencies made positive improvements in these areas under the Biden administration, but the damage had already been done and many experienced, dedicated federal workers were essentially removed from their jobs.

In March 2025, the members introduced the Cost of Relocations Act, led by Congressman Suhas Subramanyam (Va.-10) and Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), to fight back against President Trump’s relentless effort to relocate federal agencies and decimate their workforces. The legislation would require a cost-benefit analysis to be submitted to Congress in order to ensure that any attempt to move federal agencies is appropriately analyzed to guarantee it is in the best interest of the taxpayer and the agency’s mission.

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Wasserman Schultz Convenes Floridians, Small Business Owners to Sound the Alarm on Affordability

Pembroke Pines, FL – Today, U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-25) convened residents and small business owners to share how high gas, grocery and housing costs continue to hurt South Florida families and small business owners, as Republicans plan to return to Washington this week to seek billions of taxpayer dollars to fund cruel mass deportations by ICE and a Trump ballroom.

Watch the livestream here. Backup video can be found here.

When she last highlighted this problem, a gallon of regular unleaded in Florida was $4.16. Just a month later, that price surged to nearly $4.50 per gallon, an eight percent increase.

During the press conference, Wasserman Schultz expressed support for the Gas Price Relief Act, which would suspend the 18.4-cent federal gas tax whenever the national average price of gas exceeds $4 per gallon and fully offset the lost revenue by redirecting roughly $30 billion in existing federal oil and gas subsidies into the fund.

She also expressed support for the Lowering Utility Bills Act, which would bar transmission providers and for-profit utilities from requiring consumers to pay for private jet rides, lobbying, and contributions to politicians, and it sets a national standard for a reasonable ‘Return on Equity,’ to clamp down on for-profit utilities charging consumers unreasonable rates.

“Americans struggle to afford food, gas, and healthcare, but Republicans ask taxpayers to pay $1 billion for a Trump ballroom,” said Wasserman Schultz. “With just the $210 billion that Republicans are gifting ICE and Border Patrol, we could extend the health care premium tax credits for at least 6 years, reverse the SNAP cuts from the Big Ugly Bill, fund a decade of free preschool for 4-year-olds, and fund the National School Lunch Program for a decade. We could fund Head Start for more than 15 years, we can restore the clean energy tax credits Republicans cut last year and expand rental and home buying assistance. That’s how you lower costs for South Florida families.”

Wasserman Schultz was joined by Vannuchi Brothers Pizza owner Michael Reiter, LifeNet4Families employee and single mother Renae Cameron, and retiree and mother of a son with autism Elaine Terner.

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Rep. Whitesides Introduces Legislation to Protect the Santa Clarita Valley from Mining Impacts

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. George Whitesides introduced the Containing Effects of Mining Extraction (CEMEx) Act, which would address the potential harms caused by large-scale mining operations near populated areas.

Cemex, a building materials company headquartered in Mexico, purchased mining rights in Santa Clarita in 1990, sparking outrage from the surrounding community. Their planned Santa Clarita mine could cause additional noise, water, and air pollution in the city, as construction and operation would use a significant amount of water and resources.

Rep. Whitesides’ legislation would create new federal standards for mining extraction projects, requiring a series of assessments, management, and conservation plans before construction could be approved. It would directly address the community’s concerns and ensure any potential mine is developed responsibly and with input from impacted residents.

“We expect a level of transparency when it comes to major developments and construction projects that will impact the surrounding community, and Santa Clarita residents deserve to know how their lives will be affected by Cemex’s proposed mining operation,” said Rep. Whitesides. “My bill will ensure that their plan – and any other future developments – will not disrupt local roads and pollute essential waterways that communities depend on. In Congress, I’ll keep pushing to make sure residents in our area are heard, for this and any future mining operations.”

“The City of Santa Clarita has advocated for over three decades to protect Soledad Canyon from a proposed large-scale mining project,” said Mayor Laurene Weste of Santa Clarita. “The ‘Containing Effects of Mineral Extraction Act of 2026,’ is a critical piece of legislation to that effort, establishing a set of new federal requirements for mining contractors that have projects within a close proximity to cities or areas of critical environmental concern. I commend Congressman Whitesides for his work on this legislation and prioritizing such an important issue for those living in the Santa Clarita Valley. I remain committed in our fight to protect our vast open space areas, natural resources, and wildlife corridors that have become synonymous with who we are as a City. I look forward to continuing to work with the Congressman and the rest of our federal delegation to ultimately secure enactment of this critically important legislation.”

“In the mid-1980’s, the State of California designated a corridor following the Santa Clara River Watershed as a Regionally Significant Construction Aggregate Resource Area setting the stage for what has become the biggest environmental and political challenge the Santa Clarita Valley has ever encountered,” said Andrew G. Fried President of Safe Action for the Environment (SAFE). “In 1991 Transit Mixed Concrete Company (TMC) now CEMEX, executed two ten-year contracts with the Bureau of Land Management to mine 56.1 million tons of sand and gravel over a 460 acre site and an additional forty acres for concrete processing facilities. U.S. Congressman George Whitesides, Agua Dulce (CA-27th District) understands the extensive problems with the project including significant air quality and major traffic issues, combined with water requirements created by mining in the middle of a drought affected growing community. Therefore, SAFE appreciates and fully supports the new legislation introduced by Congressman Whitesides designed to protect the health and well-being of the entire Santa Clarita Valley and surrounding communities.”

The Containing Effects of Mining Extraction (CEMEx) Act will:

Require companies to work with state and local agencies on a haul route impact assessment and trip management plan.

Mandate that companies measure ways in which hauling could negatively impact the environment through debris and emissions.

Order the creation of a water use and conservation plan which ensures a “net-zero” water impact on the local community.

Ensure that applicants demonstrate they will implement submitted plans, coordinate with local governments in good faith, and obtain the necessary water rights.

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Senators Baldwin, Kelly, Young, Scott Call on Trump to Stand Up to China and Prioritize U.S. Shipbuilding at Summit with President Xi

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Todd Young (R-IN) and Tim Scott (R-SC) are calling on President Donald Trump to prioritize the U.S. shipbuilding industry and to not offer concessions to China in his upcoming summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Over the last twenty years, China has become the dominant shipbuilding force globally through unfair trade practices, decimating the U.S. shipbuilding industry and hurting American workers, companies, and communities. The Senators are pushing the President to hold China accountable for their cheating in the upcoming negotiations, help reverse the losses felt, and level the playing field for American workers.

“The United States is at an inflection point and cannot cede additional ground to the People’s Republic of China (PRC). The PRC’s decades-long effort to decimate American shipbuilding as part of their effort to position themselves as the dominant global shipbuilding power affords them no grace or opportunity for compromise,” wrote the Senators in a letter to President Trump. “We urge you to stand strong during these negotiations as we work together to enact trade remedies and advance the SHIPS for America Act to level the playing field and create a strong commercial and military shipbuilding ecosystem in the United States. We urge you to prioritize America’s maritime industry and its workers during this summit, and we stand ready to support these goals through legislation.”

The Senators note that China has used unfair trade tactics, including subsidies and non-market practices, to dominate the global shipbuilding industry while weakening American shipyards over the past two decades. China now receives more than 60 percent of global commercial shipbuilding orders, while the United States lags behind several other countries in ship production. The Senators note that China’s unfair dominance threatens good paying jobs and local economies across the country, in addition to American national security.

“These U.S. shipyards and their suppliers are major employers that provide a pathway to the middle class through good-paying and often union jobs and keep the knowledge and skill to build vessels used for military purposes and to carry goods around the world made in America. We must hold China accountable and reverse the loss felt over the last two decades to stand up for the hardworking Americans employed in the shipbuilding industry, those who serve in the military branches that need these vessels, and who live in communities supported by these jobs,” the Senators continued.

Senator Baldwin continues to be a leading voice in revitalizing the shipbuilding industry and leveling the playing field for Wisconsin workers. Last December, Baldwin led a bipartisan group of her colleagues in calling on Donald Trump to strengthen and revitalize the Great Lakes shipbuilding industry. Baldwin also joined her colleagues in introducing the Shipbuilding and Harbor Infrastructure for Prosperity and Security (SHIPS) for America Act, bipartisan, comprehensive legislation to revitalize the United States shipbuilding and commercial maritime industries. Baldwin led her Senate colleagues in pushing both President Biden and President Trump to investigate and crack down on China’s unfair trade practices in the maritime, logistics, and shipbuilding sectors.

Full text of this letter is available here and below.

Dear Mr. President:

We write in advance of your planned meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping to underscore the importance of this moment in our shared goal of revitalizing domestic shipbuilding and the broader American maritime industry. The United States is at an inflection point and cannot cede additional ground to the People’s Republic of China (PRC). The PRC’s decades-long effort to decimate American shipbuilding as part of their effort to position themselves as the dominant global shipbuilding power affords them no grace or opportunity for compromise. We urge you to stand strong during these negotiations as we work together to enact trade remedies and advance the SHIPS for America Act to level the playing field and create a strong commercial and military shipbuilding ecosystem in the United States. We urge you to prioritize America’s maritime industry and its workers during this summit, and we stand ready to support these goals through legislation.

In your conversations with Chinese President Xi Jinping, we encourage you to keep in mind the significant lack of fairness at play and action needed to level the playing field and deliver for American workers and American shipyards. Over the last twenty years, the PRC has successfully executed a comprehensive strategy to significantly diminish the shipbuilding industry in the United States and become the dominant shipbuilding force globally. In 2025, China once again dominated the world’s commercial shipbuilding orders, with more than 60 percent of all orders going to China, 16 percent to South Korea, and 9 percent to Japan. In contrast, the United States produced fewer ships than China, South Korea, Japan, Vietnam, the Philippines, Taiwan, Italy, and Germany. This drastic difference in capacity is a result of the PRC’s anti-competitive practices to gain an advantage in shipbuilding through unfair and discriminatory tactics, such as government subsidies and favorable loans from PRC-operated banks. According to USTR's Section 301 Investigation’s findings, the non-market excess capacity in China’s steel sector significantly contributes to the price competitiveness of PRC-made vessels, and there are instances where Chinese steel intended for vessels in Chinese shipyards has been sold at a lower rate than Chinese steel intended for market economies. The PRC’s aggressive actions to target the United States’ shipbuilding, maritime and logistics sectors warrant the use of our trade laws to their fullest extent, including imposing trade remedies to counter these efforts and allow for fair competition on the global stage.

The actions that your Administration has taken to combat China’s cheating, including announced fees for Chinese ships that dock at U.S. ports and the extra charges for companies using ships built in China, were prudent and have the opportunity to be successful. From March to May 2025, following USTR’s February determination that China had employed non-market practices, Chinese shipyard orders fell by approximately 25%. Orders of Chinese ships rebounded later in the year due to market conditions and the fees being postponed. This demonstrated that these fees are structured to strategically shift future orders away from China and change the behaviors of the global maritime industry. The sudden decrease in Chinese shipping orders shows that when your Administration acts on this issue, the global maritime industry pays attention. The revenue generated from these fees will go towards rebuilding our own maritime industry, as stated in your Administration’s Maritime Action Plan. Ensuring these strong measures take effect will be a critical step towards promoting our domestic industrial base, growing America’s economy, creating good-paying jobs in these important sectors, and protecting our national security.

Many of our states are home to companies and a workforce that specializes in shipbuilding and repair for both military and commercial vessels, as well as suppliers of important inputs to build ships. Standing strong on shipbuilding trade remedies, passing the SHIPS Act, and continuing to revitalize the domestic industry through the FY27 Appropriations process will create economic benefit throughout our communities and beyond. These U.S. shipyards and their suppliers are major employers that provide a pathway to the middle class through good-paying and often union jobs and keep the knowledge and skill to build vessels used for military purposes and to carry goods around the world made in America. We must hold China accountable and reverse the loss felt over the last two decades to stand up for the hardworking Americans employed in the shipbuilding industry, those who serve in the military branches that need these vessels, and who live in communities supported by these jobs.

As we strive to grow the American economy, compete with the PRC, and ensure the American military has the resources necessary to succeed, we encourage your Administration to execute the targeted actions that began to reshape existing global shipbuilding trends and revitalize our domestic maritime industry. We stand ready to work together to support this goal.

Sincerely,

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Senator Banks Celebrates with IU National Champion Football Team at the White House

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Senator Jim Banks (R-Ind.) joined the Indiana University football team at the White House to celebrate the Hoosiers’ historic national championship season. IU secured the title on January 19, 2026, with a 27–21 victory over the University of Miami, capping off a perfect 16–0 season. With the win, Indiana University became the first program in the modern College Football Playoff era to finish a season undefeated at 16–0.

Senator Jim Banks (R-Ind.): “Indiana University’s championship season showed the whole country what Hoosier grit is all about. These student-athletes carried themselves with real class all season and made Indiana proud. I was honored to join them and President Trump at the White House to celebrate this historic accomplishment for IU and our state.”

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NEWS: Senator Blunt Rochester Introduces Suite of Mother’s Day Bills Supporting Maternal Health

Senator Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), a member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, today introduced three bills to support pregnant and postpartum moms in honor of Mother’s Day. The bipartisan Optimizing Postpartum Outcomes Act, which is co-led by Senator Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), would improve Medicaid coverage for pelvic physical therapy and raise awareness of this postpartum treatment. The bicameral Innovative Maternal Payment and Coverage (IMPACT) to Save Moms Act, which Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.-09) will introduce in the House, would give states the ability to test new payment approaches for maternity care under their Medicaid and CHIP programs. The bicameral Women Expansion for Learning and Labor Safety (WELLS) Act, which Congresswoman Robin Kelly (D-Ill.-02) introduced in March, would address safe discharge of laboring women and racial bias in the health care system.

“As a mother and grandmother, I know first-hand the joys and challenges that motherhood brings,” said Senator Blunt Rochester. “I’m proud to lead legislation that strengthens the healthcare services afforded to moms across the country. It’s time that we ensure moms receive the same caliber of care that they so often give to others.”

“I believe there is no greater gift than that of parenthood, and strong, healthy families start with making sure mothers and babies get the care they need,” Senator Sullivan said. “In Alaska, where our unique geography, distance, and weather can already create serious barriers to care, it can be especially challenging for new mothers and families. Our legislation will help improve outcomes across the country by strengthening access to health services and making sure women are not left to navigate this critical time alone.”

“Black women in the US are still far more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white women, and that is unacceptable,” said Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky. “In the richest country in the world, every person deserves access to high-quality, equitable maternal health care before, during, and after pregnancy. I’m proud to reintroduce the IMPACT to Save Moms Act alongside Senator Lisa Blunt Rochester to help create innovative maternity care payment models and expand continuous health insurance coverage for pregnant women, helping ensure timely diagnosis, monitoring, and treatment throughout pregnancy and postpartum care. No one should lose their life because our health care system failed to provide the care they needed at one of the most critical moments of their lives.”

“Black women’s pain is too often overlooked, dismissed, or minimized with devastating consequences,” said Congresswoman Kelly, Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus Health Braintrust. “The WELLS Act is named after my constituent, Mercedes Wells, who was discharged while in active labor and forced to give birth on the side of the road. My bill ensures that every mother is heard, respected, and safely treated so no other mother goes through a similar traumatic situation. I’m proud to work with Senator Blunt Rochester to advance maternal health equity and improve the care moms receive during pregnancy, delivery, and postpartum.”

The Optimizing Postpartum Outcomes Act would:

Require the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to issue guidance on coverage under Medicaid and CHIP for postpartum pelvic physical therapy.

Instruct the Government Accountability Office to conduct a study on pelvic health programs and gaps in coverage for postpartum women.

Require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to conduct a campaign to educate and train health professionals on the benefits of pelvic physical therapy, as well as educate postpartum women on the importance of pelvic physical therapy and how to receive these services.

The Optimizing Postpartum Outcomes Act is endorsed by American Physical Therapy Association (APTA), APTA Academy of Pelvic Health, and Bayhealth Medical Center. Click here for more information.

The IMPACT to Save Moms Act would:

Direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish a 5-year Perinatal Care Alternative Payment Model Demonstration Project, giving states the ability to test new payment approaches for maternity care under their Medicaid and CHIP programs.

Adjust payment levels based on pregnancy risk level, helping ensure high-risk patients are directed to the appropriate level of care.

Tie payments to measurable health outcomes rather than volume of services.

Explicitly incorporate non-clinical factors such as housing, nutrition, and access to transportation into the payment model.

Support interdisciplinary teams that include maternity care providers, mental and behavioral health professionals, registered dietitians, and perinatal health workers — with an emphasis on providers from racially and ethnically diverse backgrounds and those trained on implicit bias and racism.

Require models to consider maternal mental health conditions and substance use disorders.

Require HHS to evaluate the project’s impact on maternal health outcomes, state spending, and patient experience.

Click here for more information.

The WELLS Act would:

Require hospitals to develop, implement, and document a Safe Labor Discharge Plan prior to discharging patients who present with signs and symptoms of labor.

Require regular racial bias training and reporting of training for all recipients of funding from the Rural Maternity and Obstetrics Management Strategies (RMOMS) program under HHS.


NEWS: Senators Blunt Rochester, Booker, Representatives Barragán, DeSaulnier Lead Bicameral Opposition to New EPA Rule

Senator Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), a member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, Senator Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Congresswoman Nanette Barragán (D-Calif.-44), and Congressman Mark DeSaulnier (D-Calif.-10) led 34 members from both chambers in opposition of EPA Administrator Zeldin’s Risk Management Program (RMP) Rule. The Common Sense Approach to Chemical Accident Prevention rule would weaken 2024 protections enacted to keep workers, emergency responders, and communities safe from chemical disasters.

“[This] proposal would undo core preventive measures and unnecessarily threaten the lives and health of workers, emergency responders, and fenceline communities, including the one in three children who go to school in a chemical danger zone,” the Members wrote in a letter to Administrator Zeldin. “Recent chemical emergencies and disasters such as the deadly explosions at the Valero refinery in Ardmore, Oklahoma and at Koch foods in Fairfield, Ohio—along with the recent findings of the U.S. Chemical Safety Board—highlight the shortcomings of the proposed rule and demonstrate the risk these rollbacks pose to the workers at RMP facilities and to the communities near them.”

“All communities deserve to live their daily lives free from toxic exposure,” the Members continued. “We call on you to fully implement, not undo, the 2024 Safer Communities by Chemical Accident Prevention rule and we look forward to working with you to ensure that the communities we represent, and those across the country, are protected from the danger of chemical disasters by a truly preventative Risk Management Program.”

In addition to Senator Blunt Rochester, Senator Booker, and Congresswoman Barragán, the letter was signed by Senators Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), and Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), as well as Representatives Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.-08), John Garamendi (D-Calif.-08), Paul Tonko (D-N.Y.-20), Elanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.-Del.), Lateefah Simon (D-Calif.-12), Adam Smith (D-Wash.-09), Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.-12), Maxine Waters (D-Calif.-43), Betty McCollum (D-Minn-04), Kevin Mullin (D-Calif.-15), Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.-09), Adelita Grijalva (D-Ariz.-07), Madeline Dean (D-Penn.-04), Julia Brownley (D-Calif-26), Dwight Evans (D-Penn.-03), Mike Thompson (D-Calif.-04), Rob Menendez (D-N.J.-08), Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.-09), Jennifer McClellan (D-Va.-04), Deborah Ross (D-N.C.-02), Sara Jacobs (D-Calif.-51), Sean Casten (D-Ill.-06), Ro Khanna (D-Calif.-17), Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.-06), Don Beyer (D-Va.-08), Suzanne Bonamici (D-Ore.-01), and Nydia Velázquez (D-N.Y.-07).

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

Dear Administrator, Zeldin:

We write to express our strong opposition to the Risk Management Program (RMP) proposed rule: Common Sense Approach to Chemical Accident Prevention (EPA-HQ-OLEM-2025-0313) issued February 24, 2026. We write to urge the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to fully implement and not weaken any protections included in the 2024 Safer Communities by Chemical Accident Prevention rule. This rule included vital preventive measures to avoid chemical disasters and to keep workers, emergency responders, and fenceline communities safe.

As you know, the RMP, as enacted in Section 112 of the Clean Air Act, was intended as a tool to prevent chemical facility disasters following the deadly 1984 gas disaster in Bhopal, India—but to date the program has been largely reactive. During the first Trump administration, the EPA rolled back safety measures, ignoring the statute’s core prevention objectives and the demonstrated need for action to prevent chemical disasters. Under the Biden administration, significant data from tragic incidents, recommendations from the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) and other experts, and public input from workers, communities, states, industry and trade organizations supported a more robust final rule in 2024 that incorporated essential safety improvements. Despite this, we find ourselves with a proposed RMP rule that represents an industry wish list and takes us backwards on health and safety.

The proposal would undo core preventive measures and unnecessarily threaten the lives and health of workers, emergency responders, and fenceline communities, including the one in three children who go to school in a chemical danger zone. With 177 million Americans living in the worst-case scenario zones of RMP facilities, it is imperative that EPA fulfills its mission toprotect human health and the environment by restoring the 2024 Safer Communities RMP rule.

Recent chemical emergencies and disasters such as the deadly explosions at the Valero refinery in Ardmore, Oklahoma and at Koch foods in Fairfield, Ohio—along with the recent findings of the U.S. Chemical Safety Board—highlight the shortcomings of the proposed rule and demonstrate the risk these rollbacks pose to the workers at RMP facilities and to the communities near them. EPA has the responsibility to prevent chemical disasters “to the greatest extent practicable,” and “to minimize accidental releases” of hazardous chemicals and “minimize the consequences of such releases. However, at a time when strong regulations are needed more than ever to save lives and protect communities from preventable toxic chemical exposures and releases that are particularly dangerous for children’s health, EPA’s proposed rule fails to meet the Clean Air Act’s vital chemical release prevention requirements and to fulfill the Congressional mandate to protect health and safety.

From 2004 to 2025, facilities regulated by the RMP program have reported over 3,900 industrial chemical releases, including at least 2,814 that have reported harm to human life, injury, shelter in place or evacuation, or property or environmental damage. Chemical disasters have caused over $6.5 billion in damages (over the same time period), affecting families, businesses, and our nation’s economy— and have made homes and neighborhoods less affordable by decreasing neighbors’ property value. The average amount of monetized damages from industrial chemical emergencies was over $540.2 million per year, without even including many types of harm including health risks, property values, evacuation and shelter-in-place costs, and more.

The 2026 proposed RMP rule rolls back several preventative measures that were finalized in the 2024 Safer Communities rule. Some major changes are below:

Eliminates safer technologies assessment and implementation: The 2024 RMP rule called for some of the most hazardous facilities (oil refineries, chemical manufacturing plants) to conduct a Safer Technology and Alternatives Analysis (STAA). A STAA is important because it identifies opportunities for reducing risk by substituting a safer chemical, volume, or technology in place of a more hazardous one. Under the proposed rule, only a select few RMP facilities with new processes would be required to conduct a STAA. All currently covered facilities would not be required to conduct a STAA and no facilities would be required to assess the practicability of or implement safer alternatives found in their analysis.

Eliminates requirement to assess and plan for power loss as well as for natural hazards such as hurricanes, wildfires, flooding, and earthquakes: Extreme weather and other natural hazards can cause or worsen accidental releases. One third of all RMP facilities are in known high climate risk areas, and alarmingly, many RMP facilities are not adequately preparing for flooding, hurricanes, wildfires or loss of power in their current risk management plans. In the proposed rule, EPA removes explicit requirements for facilities to evaluate natural hazards and power loss.

Eliminates stop work authority and other worker safety protections: Workers are the first line of defense for community safety against a chemical disaster, and in the 2024 final rule, there were important employee participation requirements to involve workers in hazard identification. These 2024 provisions included 1) stop work authority for the most hazardous facilities, 2) anonymous reporting of hazards and non-compliance, 3) training on workers’ rights under the RMP rule, and 4) consulting with workers to identify and address safety hazards. The proposed rule would eliminate these provisions.

Eliminates requirement for community response notification systems: The 2024 final rule required RMP facilities to ensure there is a system in place to alert communities about emergencies and to partner with local responders to ensure notifications were available in the primary language of all nearby communities. The proposed rule removes this requirement and instead has facilities coordinate with local officials to provide necessary information through emergency response notification channels, if they exist.

Weakens information availability requirements: Communities have the right to know what chemical hazards they face from nearby industrial facilities. The proposed rule eliminates provisions that were finalized in the 2024 rule that require facilities to make public when they decline to implement safety recommendations related to natural hazards, power loss, siting, or decline to bring facilities up to current codes, standards, or practices. It also eliminates the requirement to share RMP information in locally-spoken languages. In spring 2025 before the proposed rule was published, EPA took down the RMP Public Data Tool. Instead of weakening information access provisions, EPA should immediately restore the RMP Public Data Tool with all the mapping and full search capability, and ensure the maintenance of this public dataset online.

All communities deserve to live their daily lives free from toxic exposure. No worker, no family, and no child should ever again experience a preventable chemical emergency. Instead of rolling back the 2024 rule, EPA should ensure that chemical facilities do all they can to protect our communities from industrial chemical disasters.

We call on you to fully implement, not undo, the 2024 Safer Communities by Chemical Accident Prevention rule and we look forward to working with you to ensure that the communities we four represent, and those across the country, are protected from the danger of chemical disasters by a truly preventative Risk Management Program.


Booker, Blunt Rochester, Barragán, DeSaulnier Lead Bicameral Opposition to New EPA Rule

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ), co-chair of the Senate Environmental Justice Caucus, and Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), along with U.S. Representatives Nanette Barragán (D-CA-44) and Mark DeSaulnier (D-CA-10), led 34 members from both chambers in opposition to EPA Administrator Zeldin’s Risk Management Program (RMP) Rule. The Common Sense Approach to Chemical Accident Prevention rule would weaken 2024 protections designed to keep workers, emergency responders, and communities safe from chemical disasters.

“[This] proposal would undo core preventive measures and unnecessarily threaten the lives and health of workers, emergency responders, and fenceline communities, including the one in three children who go to school in a chemical danger zone,” the Members wrote in a letter to Administrator Zeldin. “Recent chemical emergencies and disasters such as the deadly explosions at the Valero refinery in Ardmore, Oklahoma and at Koch foods in Fairfield, Ohio—along with the recent findings of the U.S. Chemical Safety Board—highlight the shortcomings of the proposed rule and demonstrate the risk these rollbacks pose to the workers at RMP facilities and to the communities near them.”

“All communities deserve to live their daily lives free from toxic exposure,” the Members continued. “We call on you to fully implement, not undo, the 2024 Safer Communities by Chemical Accident Prevention rule and we look forward to working with you to ensure that the communities we represent, and those across the country, are protected from the danger of chemical disasters by a truly preventative Risk Management Program.”

In addition to U.S. Senators Cory Booker and Lisa Blunt Rochester, and Representatives Nanette Barragán and Mark DeSaulnier, the letter was also signed by Senators Ed Markey (D-MA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), and Dick Durbin (D-IL), as well as U.S. Representatives Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL-08), John Garamendi (D-CA-08), Paul Tonko (D-NY-20), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), Lateefah Simon (D-CA-12), Adam Smith (D-WA-09), Rashida Tlaib (D-MI-12), Maxine Waters (D-CA-43), Betty McCollum (D-MN-04), Kevin Mullin (D-CA-15), Jan Schakowsky (D-IL-09), Adelita Grijalva (D-AZ-07), Madeleine Dean (D-PA-04), Julia Brownley (D-CA-26), Dwight Evans (D-PA-03), Mike Thompson (D-CA-04), Rob Menendez (D-NJ-08), Steve Cohen (D-TN-09), Jennifer McClellan (D-VA-04), Deborah Ross (D-NC-02), Sara Jacobs (D-CA-51), Sean Casten (D-IL-06), Ro Khanna (D-CA-17), Debbie Dingell (D-MI-06), Don Beyer (D-VA-08), Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR-01), and Nydia Velázquez (D-NY-07).


U.S. Senator Katie Britt Directly Secures $893,000 for the City of Jasper to Support Flood Prevention Infrastructure

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Katie Britt (R-Ala.), Chair of the Homeland Security Subcommittee on Appropriations, recently directly secured $893,000 for the City of Jasper in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 Homeland Security Appropriations Act. This funding will support flood prevention infrastructure. In total, Senator Britt directly secured more than $14.97 million for Alabama in FY26 Homeland Security appropriations funding.

Video footage of flooding in Jasper can be viewed here, courtesy of the City of Jasper.

The City of Jasper has faced persistent drainage issues for years, with repeated flooding impacting heavily populated residential areas as well as local businesses, including Jasper Feed & Seed, and new businesses currently under construction.

Because Jasper has already completed extensive engineering and design work, the city is now positioned to move from the planning phase to construction and implementation thanks to the funding secured by Senator Britt. This investment will include upgraded drainage infrastructure, water flow management, and the relocation and modification of existing structures.

“The funding I fight to bring home to Alabama is truly an investment in our communities and in the future of our great state. This $839,000 means Jasper will be better equipped to continue growing and supporting its residents and local businesses. I’m thrilled to see Alabamians’ taxpayer dollars strengthen infrastructure, improve public safety, and fuel economic growth—it’s exactly why I’m proud to sit on the Appropriations Committee and champion these important projects across our state,” said Senator Britt.

“We are grateful to Senator Britt for her support in securing this funding for the City of Jasper. Investments in flood mitigation are critical to protecting our infrastructure, improving public safety, and supporting continued growth in our community. This funding will allow us to take important next steps in addressing long-standing drainage and flooding concerns.” – Mayor Josh Gates, Jasper, AL

“This funding represents an important step forward for our community. Within my district, there are two areas that have experienced repeated flooding, impacting a significant number of residents. Through engineering consultation, we have identified meaningful flood mitigation strategies that this funding will help us address, alongside additional projects across the city.

“One of these areas also connects with a previous downtown drainage project, allowing us to build on that work and complete key components of the overall plan. This is exactly the type of proactive investment that helps us get ahead of potentially damaging situations before they become catastrophic.

“I appreciate Senator Britt’s efforts in securing this funding, which will allow the City to move forward with critical improvements to drainage infrastructure and water flow management that directly benefit our citizens.” – Jenny Brown Short, Jasper City Councilmember, District 1

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Cornyn Applauds Pres. Trump’s Nomination of Kasdin Mitchell as District Judge for the Northern District of Texas in Dallas

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) released the following statement after President Trump nominated Texan Kasdin Mitchell to be a U.S. District Judge for the Northern District of Texas – Dallas Division:

“I applaud President Trump for nominating Kasdin Mitchell to serve as a federal judge for the Northern District of Texas,” said Sen. Cornyn. “She will bring a wealth of experience in the legal field and public service to the federal bench, and I encourage my colleagues in the Senate to join Senator Cruz and me in supporting her nomination.”

Sens. Cornyn and Ted Cruz (R-TX) recommended Kasdin Mitchell to President Trump following an extensive review and interview process of the candidate pool by the bipartisan Federal Judicial Evaluation Committee (FJEC). The Senators established the FJEC, a bipartisan panel of leading attorneys in Texas, to help identify the most qualified candidates to fill judicial vacancies. The panel reviewed applications, interviewed candidates, and made recommendations to the Senators, who interviewed individuals before making their recommendations to the President.

Kasdin Mitchell is a litigation partner at Kirkland & Ellis LLP, where she focuses on complex litigation at the trial and appellate level. Previously, she clerked for Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas and the Honorable William H. Pryor Jr. and served as a litigation associate for Maynard Cooper & Gale PC, assistant solicitor general in Alabama, and assistant press secretary for First Lady Laura Bush. Mitchell received her Juris Doctor from Yale Law School and her bachelor’s degree from Yale University.


Cornyn, Colleagues Urge SCOTUS to Protect Women & Babies from Dangerous Chemical Abortion Drugs

AUSTIN – U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) joined more than 100 bicameral Republican lawmakers in filing an amicus brief in the U.S. Supreme Court in support of Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill’s lawsuit, Louisiana v. FDA, to protect women and unborn children from dangerous mail-order chemical abortion drugs. This builds on the amicus brief he signed onto earlier this year and comes after the Supreme Court issued a temporary pause of the Fifth Circuit’s order to reinstate the in-person dispensing requirement for mifepristone, which restored access to this dangerous chemical abortion drug nationwide until May 11, 2026. The amicus brief asks the Supreme Court to reconsider their decision and uphold the Fifth Circuit’s ruling to prevent women from obtaining abortion drugs sent through the mail.

Excerpts from the amicus brief are below, and the full text of the brief can be viewed here.

The lawmakers wrote: “By deregulating chemical abortion drugs and permitting them to be sent through the mail, the Biden FDA violated that longstanding federal law. Unelected, unaccountable bureaucrats in Biden’s FDA therefore overrode the will of the American people as expressed through their elected representatives in Congress and in state legislatures and subverted Congress’s critical public policy interests in upholding patient welfare.”

“Further, the Biden FDA’s lawless action also carries serious risks that were not properly analyzed. The Biden FDA did not have a sufficient evidentiary basis to conclude that eliminating the in-person dispensing requirement was safe. And because no in-person visit is required now, women cannot be meaningfully screened for serious contraindications for the use of this drug, such as ectopic pregnancy. It also increases the likelihood that some women are being coerced into taking these drugs against their will,” they continued.

“As delegated by Congress, the FDA’s job is to ensure drug safety, not to encourage the risky use of drugs just to further former President Biden’s pro-abortion agenda. Exceeding its mandate is illegal and also harmful, both to the separation of powers and to women taking mifepristone. The Fifth Circuit was correct to grant a stay and the Court should deny the applications to stay that judgment,”they concluded.


Cornyn Introduces Bill to Designate Major U.S. Highway as ‘Interstate 47’ in Honor of President Trump

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) today introduced the I-47 Future Interstate Act to designate US-287, which is the second-longest three-digit highway in the U.S. and runs from Port Arthur, Texas, to Choteau, Montana, as the future Interstate 47, otherwise known as Trump Interstate:

“Texas is Trump Country, and this bill cements that legacy by designating nearly 1,800 miles of open-road from Texas’ Gulf Coast to the edge of the U.S.-Canadian border as I-47 to forever be remembered as Trump Interstate,” said Sen. Cornyn. “By upgrading one of our nation’s longest highways to a future interstate, this legislation will increase economic growth and improve safety, all while honoring the most consequential president of our lifetime.”

Senator Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) is a cosponsor of this legislation.

Background:

The I-47 Future Interstate Act would designate US-287 as a future interstate. I-47, otherwise known as Trump Interstate, would advance freight movement, promote economic growth along the corridor, improve route safety in rural and urban areas, alleviate traffic congestion, and increase federal matching for Interstate System projects.

US-287 is a nationally significant transportation corridor that plays a vital role in supporting economic growth and demographic centers from Port Arthur, Texas, to Choteau, Montana. It is the second-longest three-digit highway in the U.S. and serves as a major trucking route. In 2022, more than 923 million tons of freight moved along US-287 within Texas alone. In addition to economic impact, sections of US-287 are part of the Strategic Highway Network, and the corridor supports defense deployment needs and strategic military ports and installations.

The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) did a feasibility study in July 2025 and found that upgrading US-287 to an interstate facility would result in an estimated $5.4 billion in travel cost savings, a 46,885 total increase in jobs, and $11.6 billion in total annual increase in GDP by 2050, resulting in a 161% return on investment. Currently, 8.8 million Texans reside within the study area, and this number is projected to rise to 12 million, representing 28% of the state’s population, by 2050. An interstate upgrade would also reduce average travel time and expand travel capacity, with a 43% increase in daily traffic. Notably, the study also found that in 2050, the upgrade would reduce crash rates by 28%.


Cornyn Praises Pres. Trump’s Nomination of Angela Colmenero as District Judge for the Southern District of Texas Houston Division

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator John Cornyn released the following statement after President Trump announced his intention to nominate Angela Colmenero to be a U.S. District Judge for the Southern District of Texas – Houston Division:

“I am proud to support President Trump’s nomination of Angela Colmenero to serve as a federal judge in Houston,” said Sen. Cornyn. “Angela has dedicated her career to serving Texas, and I trust she will carry that passion, paired with her astute understanding of the law, into her next role on the bench. I was honored to join Senator Cruz in recommending Angela for this position, and I urge my colleagues to join us in supporting her nomination.”

Senators Cornyn and Ted Cruz (R-TX) recommended Angela Colmenero to President Trump following an extensive review and interview process of the candidate pool by the bipartisan Federal Judicial Evaluation Committee (FJEC). Sen. Cornyn and Sen. Cruz established the FJEC, a bipartisan panel of leading attorneys in Texas, to help identify the most qualified candidates to fill judicial vacancies. The panel reviewed applications, interviewed candidates, and made recommendations to the Senators, who interviewed individuals before making their recommendations to the President.

Colmenero has served in Office of Texas Governor Greg Abbott since 2018, where she currently serves as Deputy Chief of Staff. Prior to that, she served as Principal Deputy General Counsel to the Governor and Deputy General Counsel to the Governor. Colmenero previously held various leadership positions for nearly a decade at the Texas Attorney General’s Office, including as Chief of the General Litigation Division and Deputy Chief of the Special Litigation Division. She is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame Law School and the University of Texas at Austin.


Daines, Fetterman, Newhouse Bill Increasing Made-In-America Hydropower Signed Into Law by President Trump

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Steve Daines (R-Mont.) and John Fetterman (D-Pa.) today announced that their “Build More Hydro” bill has been signed into law by President Trump. The bill, S.1020, allows the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to approve six-year extensions for hydropower projects licensed before 2020. Representative Dan Newhouse (WA-04) introduced the companion bill in the U.S. House of Representatives.

“Today is a great day for Montana and the nation. America must meet the rise in energy demand, and the Build More Hydro bill will revive critical hydro projects and increase our domestic energy production. Thank you Senator Fetterman and Representative Newhouse for fighting with me to get this bill to the President’s desk. I’m grateful that President Trump and his administration strongly support Made-In-America energy, and I look forward to seeing the impact this will have across the country,” said Daines.

“I’m proud to see our bipartisan Build More Hydro bill signed into law. This extension for our hydro projects keeps domestic energy production in our commonwealth—yet another reminder of the production powerhouse that Pennsylvania has always been. I’m grateful for the partnership with Senator Daines and his work to help get this across the finish line,” said Fetterman.

“Our Nation needs more energy, and I am pleased President Trump has signed into law S.1020, the Senate companion of my “Build More Hydro” bill in the House. This allows hydroelectric dams with their FERC license additional time to commence construction, eventually adding over 2.5 GW of reliable, clean, baseload power. We need to get every available megawatt of power on the grid to meet our growing energy demand, and this new law gets us one step closer to that goal. I thank Senator Daines for his hard work moving this bill unanimously through Senate and for being a champion of hydroelectric dams,” said Newhouse.

Background:

Daines introduced S.1020, the “Build More Hydro” bill, in March 2025- read the release HERE. It passed the Senate with unanimous consent in July 2025. Daines and Newhouse sent a letter to Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Mike Johnson urging swift House passage of the bill in November 2025- read it HERE. It passed the U.S. House of Representatives in April 2026- read the release HERE.

Read the bill text HERE.

Statements of Support:

“Today’s law is a breakthrough that delivers 2,600 MW of clean hydropower and $6.5 billion in private investment critical to powering American homes, businesses, and industries. We thank Sen. Daines, Sen. Fetterman, Rep. Newhouse, and the President for their leadership. NHA remains committed to expanding new development and preserving the existing hydropower fleet to meet America’s growing energy demand.” – Malcolm Woolf, President and CEO, National Hydropower Association

“I want to acknowledge Senator Daines leadership and persistence on this bill which provides extra time to get hydro projects and particularly energy storage under construction and in the ground.”— Carl Borgquist, CEO Absaroka Energy, Developer of the Gordon Butte Pumped Storage Hydro Project

“Our thanks to Senator Daines for his strong support and bipartisan leadership in tirelessly shepherding this bill. We also thank his team, the co-sponsors, our collective advocates, fellow developers and the National Hydropower Association staff. Hydropower is such an important contributor to providing reliable energy for our country.” – David Sinclair, President, Advanced Hydro Solutions LLC

“Hydropower delivers reliable, baseload energy that keeps the lights on throughout the county. Thanks to Senator Daines, projects delayed by the COVID pandemic will get a second chance to create thousands of jobs, spur economic development, and support a more resilient grid.”— Paul Jacob, CEO of Rye Development

“At a time of surging electricity demand, building new hydropower capacity is critical to ensuring the United States can support economic growth while maintaining a reliable, clean power supply. Hydroelectricity offers a carbon emissions-free, firm energy resource that currently provides about 30% of electricity in the West. With President Trump’s signature, the Build More Hydro law is a commonsense policy solution that will enable an additional 2.5 gigawatts of domestic power, spurring jobs and strengthening the grid. Thank you to Sen. Steve Daines and Rep. Dan Newhouse for your leadership in championing this bill in your respective chambers.” – Rich Powell, CEO of CEBA

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Durbin Files Amicus Brief To The Sixth Circuit In Linney’s Pizza, Inc. V. Board Of Governors Of The Federal Reserve System

The amicus brief states: “This Court should reverse the decision of the court below to give proper effect to the text and purpose of the Durbin Amendment by correcting the Board’s Final Rule, which will aid in the efficient operation of the debit system for the benefit of consumers and our nation.”

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee and author of the Durbin Amendment, filed an amicus brief before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit in Linney’s Pizza, LLC, v. Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System calling for the Court to reverse the District Court’s decision. In September 2025, the District Court ruled that the Federal Reserve’s Regulation II (Reg II) rule, which establishes whether a debit card interchange fee is “reasonable and proportional” under the Durbin Amendment, is permitted to establish a “third category” of costs, justifying a higher debit interchange fee cap.

The amicus brief, however, argues that the “third category” costs conflict with the Durbin Amendment’s plain text and legislative history since the Amendment prohibits any costs other than the incremental costs of authorization, clearance, and settlement of a debit transaction from being included in interchange fee rates. Permitting the “third category” costs allows debit interchange fees to be higher than intended under the Durbin Amendment.

The amicus brief states, “After the Durbin Amendment was enacted, the Board initially issued a proposed rule that was consistent with the law’s text and purpose, but the Board later altered its proposed rule significantly in response to heavy lobbying by the banking industry. The result was a Final Rule that perpetuated the interchange system’s inefficient and excessive subsidization of banks’ fixed costs and fraud losses through high debit fees that are centrally fixed by the Visa and Mastercard card network companies. The excessive fees and inefficiencies permitted by the Board’s Final Rule are ultimately borne by consumers in the form of higher retail prices… The Board’s decision to include so-called “third category” costs, such as fixed costs and fraud losses, in the Final Rule was in conflict with the Durbin Amendment’s plain text and legislative history.”

The amicus brief continued, “The deviations that the Board made from the Durbin Amendment’s text and purpose in Regulation II have caused the debit system to suffer greater inefficiency and unnecessarily excessive fees with American businesses and consumers paying the price. The district court failed to recognize how the Board’s Final Rule contravened the text and purpose of the Durbin Amendment, and this Court should reverse the district court’s judgment.”

Durbin’s amicus brief can be read in full here.

Durbin has made it a priority to protect consumers. In 2010, the Durbin Amendment to the Dodd-Frank Act reduced Visa and Mastercard’s excessively high debit card fees. In May 2024, Durbin submitted a letter to the Federal Reserve, urging it to further lower the base component for debit interchange fees following years of decreasing transaction-processing costs for debit card issuers. This February, Durbin filed an amicus brief before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit in support of the U.S. District Court for the District of North Dakota's ruling in Corner Post, Inc. v. Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. Durbin also has filed amicus briefs in the District Court for the Northern District of Illinois and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit in support of the state’s Interchange Fee Prohibition Act (IFPA). In his briefs, Durbin has argued that the Durbin Amendment established a rate ceiling for large card-issuing banks, not a uniform standard. Reg II, which is the regulation that implements the Durbin Amendment, is explicit that payment card networks may establish interchange rates that are lower than the ceiling, including by eliminating the five basis point component of the fee rate. It is consistent with the Durbin Amendment for a state law to regulate debit interchange fee amounts as long as it does not allow issuers to receive rates that exceed the maximum amount.

Durbin expanded his efforts to curb Visa and Mastercard’s duopoly by introducing the bipartisan Credit Card Competition Act, which would enhance competition and choice in the credit card network market. The bill would direct the Federal Reserve to ensure that the largest credit card-issuing banks offer a choice of at least two networks over which an electronic credit transaction may be processed. Today, Visa and Mastercard control about 85 percent of the credit card market and refuse to negotiate fair terms with Main Street merchants. In 2025, the average American family paid more than $1,200 per year in swipe fees, while Visa and Mastercard have profited $118.8 billion from swipe fees.

The legislation, co-led by U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-KS), was reintroduced earlier this year, and President Trump has endorsed the legislation.

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Ernst Celebrates National Small Business Week with Iowa Entrepreneurs

RED OAK, Iowa – In celebration of National Small Business Week, U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) traveled across Iowa to recognize deserving small business owners with her Small Business of the Week award. As Chair of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, Ernst plans to recognize a small business in every one of Iowa’s 99 counties.

Click here to download photos from Ernst’s visits.

Ida County: Holstein Manufacturing

“Holstein Manufacturing has grilled the competition with its craftsmanship and always meats the community where they are needed,” said Chair Ernst. “Today, under Darrin Schmidt’s leadership, the company continues to roast the standard for what local businesses can achieve, all while cooking up solutions for customers across the country and around the world.”

Buena Vista County: Cobblestone Ballroom & Event Center

“Cobblestone has succeeded in bringing people together with their delicious food, live events, and beautiful venues,” said Chair Ernst. “Through hard work and dedication, the Schumanns and Hustedts have restored a historic space for the Buena Vista County community to come together and create joyful memories.”

Pocahontas County: Heart ‘n Home

“One arrangement at a time, Heart ‘n Home brings warmth and creativity to Pocahontas County,” said Chair Ernst. “As she has created memorable moments for folks across the community, Julie’s passion for crafting and her ‘couture arrangements’ have helped business bloom.”

Humboldt County: Sister’s Home Style Entrees

“Sister’s Home Style Entrees has served up success with hard work, dedication, and a whole lot of elbow grease,” said Chair Ernst.“What began in Deb Davis’ kitchen has simmered into a powerhouse operation that continues to warm hearts and homes across Iowa.”

Franklin County: Latimer’s

“Latimer’s has stocked the shelves with dedication and delivered for its neighbors year after year,” said Chair Ernst. “Under strong leadership, the store continues to raise the standard for what hometown businesses can achieve, all while serving up fresh solutions that keep rural communities thriving.”

Hamilton County: Boone River Financial

“Boone River Financial has become a trusted partner for individuals and businesses in Webster City, delivering financial advice and services that pay dividends,” said Chair Ernst. “By prioritizing personal relationships, this small business continues to invest in their clients and empowers them to make confident financial decisions.”

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Ernst Names Small Business of the Week, Green Real Estate & Auction Co.

RED OAK, Iowa – U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Chair of the Senate Small Business Committee, today announced her Small Business of the Week: Green Real Estate & Auction Co. of Sac County. Throughout the 119th Congress, Chair Ernst plans to recognize a small business in each of Iowa’s 99 counties.

“Green Real Estate & Auction Co. proves that investing in Iowa land is truly evergreen,” said Chair Ernst. “For more than a century, the Greens have helped Iowa families navigate property sales, estate transitions, and agricultural transactions, while adapting to meet the evolving needs of local communities, farmers, and businesses.”

Founded in 1894 by Col. Festus J. Green, Green Real Estate & Auction Co. has served western Iowa for more than 130 years as a trusted provider of auctioneering and real estate services. Originally established as an auction and real estate business, the company has expanded over time to include farmland sales, farm machinery and consignment auctions, and residential real estate. Today, the business is led by Jim Green, representing the fifth generation of family ownership.

Stay tuned as Chair Ernst continues to recognize outstanding Iowa small businesses with her Small Business of the Week award.

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Fetterman, Daines, Newhouse Bill to Increase Made-In-America Hydropower Signed Into Law by President Trump

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senators John Fetterman (D-PA) and Steve Daines (R-MN) announced that their “Build More Hydro” bill has been signed into law by President Trump. The bill, S.1020, allows the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to approve six-year extensions for hydropower projects licensed before 2020. U.S. Representative Dan Newhouse (R-WA-04) introduced the companion bill in the U.S. House of Representatives.

“I’m proud to see our bipartisan Build More Hydro bill signed into law. This extension for our hydro projects keeps domestic energy production in our commonwealth—yet another reminder of the production powerhouse that Pennsylvania has always been. I’m grateful for the partnership with Senator Daines and his work to help get this across the finish line,” said Senator Fetterman.

“Today is a great day for Montana and the nation. America must meet the rise in energy demand, and the Build More Hydro bill will revive critical hydro projects and increase our domestic energy production. Thank you Senator Fetterman and Representative Newhouse for fighting with me to get this bill to the President’s desk. I’m grateful that President Trump and his administration strongly support Made-In-America energy, and I look forward to seeing the impact this will have across the country,” said Senator Daines.

“Our Nation needs more energy, and I am pleased President Trump has signed into law S.1020, the Senate companion of my ‘Build More Hydro’ bill in the House. This allows hydroelectric dams with their FERC license additional time to commence construction, eventually adding over 2.5 GW of reliable, clean, baseload power. We need to get every available megawatt of power on the grid to meet our growing energy demand, and this new law gets us one step closer to that goal. I thank Senator Daines for his hard work moving this bill unanimously through Senate and for being a champion of hydroelectric dams,” said Representative Newhouse.

In Pennsylvania, eight projects will benefit from the extension this law provides. Those projects include:

Allegheny Lock and Dam 2

Emsworth Back Channel Dam

Emsworth Locks and Dam

Grays Landing Lock and Dam

Maxwell (Point Marion)

Monongahela Locks and Dam 4 (Charleroi)

Montgomery Locks and Dam

Point Marion Lock and Dam

The “Build More Hydro” bill is also supported by the National Hydropower Association, Advanced Hydro Solutions, Pumped Storage Hydro Project, Rye Development, and CEBA.

“Today’s law is a breakthrough that delivers 2,600 MW of clean hydropower and $6.5 billion in private investment critical to powering American homes, businesses, and industries. We thank Sen. Daines, Sen. Fetterman, Rep. Newhouse, and the President for their leadership. NHA remains committed to expanding new development and preserving the existing hydropower fleet to meet America’s growing energy demand,” said Malcolm Woolf, President and CEO, National Hydropower Association.


Gillibrand Calls On Centers For Disease Control And Prevention To Provide Public Updates On Hantavirus Spread

Today, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) called on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to fulfill its obligation to provide timely and accurate information about the spread of hantavirus to both health professionals and the public. Since April, the world has tracked the hantavirus outbreak that began among individuals on the MV Hondius cruise ship and has so far led to three fatalities. While reporting indicates that the pandemic potential remains low, there remains a heightened sense of fear and unease that still persists due to the residual impacts of COVID-19.

In the letter to Acting CDC Director Jay Bhattacharya, Senator Gillibrand emphasized the importance of disseminating accurate information, writing, “It is disappointing that the CDC has not yet held a public press briefing for Americans to learn about this outbreak and that it took over a month for the CDC to release a clinician brief.” She continued that it is incumbent on the federal government to be “transparent on the status of response efforts and articulating the potential risks of a pathogen to the public.”

The senator demanded that for the sake of public health, the CDC must “provide daily updates to the public, clinicians, and to Congress on their response efforts to the hantavirus. Cooperation among the federal government and our international partners is key during an infectious disease outbreak, and it is important for the public to see this collaboration continue.”

The CDC has long been known for “demonstrated excellence in its ability to conduct health surveillance as well as provide excellent technical collaboration with our international partners,” and the senator urged international coordination and cooperation. The senator underscored the importance of the agency having adequate staff and funding, as well as permanent leadership, to maintain an effective response to this outbreak and future public health risks.

Gillibrand closed by seeking transparency on the federal response to the hantavirus outbreak, specifically targeting improvements in public diagnostic protocols and the acceleration of medical countermeasures. Her request called for the agency to offer guidance on exposure and testing, provide transparent projections on the outbreak’s duration, and detail current efforts to bridge critical knowledge gaps regarding the virus’s transmission. Furthermore, the senator pressed for an account of the CDC’s strategic collaboration with domestic partners like the National Institutes of Health and Food and Drug Administration, as well as international bodies including the World Health Organization, to fast-track the development of vaccines and monoclonal antibodies while ensuring robust global surveillance.

The full letter can be found HERE.

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Hawley Announces Legislation to Suspend the Gas Tax

Today, U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) announced he is introducing legislation to suspend the gas tax. The legislation comes after President Trump announced support for pausing the 18 cent federal gas tax for a period of time.

Senator Hawley has previously expressed support for making the gas tax holiday permanent.


Hawley Introduces Legislation to Suspend the Gas Tax

WASHINGTON — Today, U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) introduced legislation to suspend the gas tax. The legislation comes after President Trump announced support for pausing the 18 cent federal gas tax for a period of time.

“President Trump has proposed to suspend the federal gas tax and he’s exactly right,” said Senator Hawley. “American workers and families deserve immediate relief and this legislation will do just that.”

While some of the biggest corporations in the world are seeing record profits, the national average for regular gasoline now surpasses $4.50 per gallon. The national average for diesel fuel is nearly $5.70 per gallon. In the State of Missouri, the average price of regular gasoline today sits at over $4 per gallon—a 47% increase from one year ago—and the average price of diesel fuel sits at more than $5.20 per gallon—a 65% increase from one year ago. Senator Hawley’s new legislation would provide immediate relief from these prices by suspending taxes on gas and diesel for at least 90 days.

The Gas Tax Suspension Act will:

Temporarily suspend the 18.4 cents-per-gallon federal tax on gasoline for 90 days after enactment.

Temporarily suspend the 24.4 cents-per-gallon federal tax on diesel fuel for 90 days after enactment.

Allow the President to extend the suspension for an additional 90 days if he determines that economic conditions merit an extension.


Hoeven, Cramer: White House Nominates Dan Traynor for 8th Circuit Court of Appeals

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators John Hoeven and Kevin Cramer today issued the following statement after the White House nominated U.S. District Judge Daniel Traynor to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit. Hoeven and Cramer have been working with the White House to advance a qualified nominee to fulfill a vacancy resulting from U.S. Circuit Judge Ralph Erickson assuming senior status, with both senators recommending Traynor for the position. Traynor currently serves on the U.S. District Court for the District of North Dakota, a position he has held since 2020 after Hoeven and Cramer worked to secure his nomination and advance his confirmation by the U.S. Senate during President Trump’s first term.

“Dan Traynor is well-qualified with a proven track record and a commitment to the rule of law, facts which have been reaffirmed during his time as U.S. District Judge,” said Senators Hoeven and Cramer. “We appreciate President Trump and his team for heeding our recommendation that Dan be nominated for the 8th Circuit. We thank Judge Erickson for his longtime service in the judiciary, and we look forward to advancing Dan’s nomination through the Senate.”

Traynor previously worked in private practice covering areas such as tort law, insurance coverage and defense, business litigation, election law and Indian law. Traynor graduated with distinction from the University of North Dakota School of Law in 1997, after which he served as an extern for U.S. District Judge Patrick Conmy and as a law clerk for North Dakota Supreme Court Chief Justice Gerald VandeWalle.

Traynor also has a wide range of experience supporting the law profession and fulfilling public leadership positions, having served on the:

Judicial Conference of the United States.

Judicial Education Advisory Committee Board.

American Bar Association (ABA) House of Delegates.

ABA Commission on the American Jury.

North Dakota State Board of Higher Education.

State Bar Association of North Dakota.

Disciplinary Board of the North Dakota Supreme Court.

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Hoeven Working With VA to Advance Second North Dakota Veterans Home

WASHINGTON – At a Senate Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Committee hearing on the Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) Fiscal Year 2027 budget request, Senator John Hoeven secured support from VA Secretary Doug Collins to expand long-term care access for veterans, including planning for a second veterans home in northwestern North Dakota. Hoeven also recently spoke with Governor Kelly Armstrong, who expressed support for moving forward with a second veterans home to expand long-term care access for veterans in the region.

“We do have a veterans home in the southeast part of the state, but in the northwest part of the state, we don’t,” said Hoeven. “We are now working with the VA on an assessment and to look at another veterans’ home in that part of the state… we’ve embarked on the study that’s required, the needs assessment, but would want your help and support.”

“I agree…our aging population is going to need this,” said Secretary Collins. “One of the reasons your nursing homes don’t take VA patients is because we require a double inspection process ….We’ve got to get away from that.”

During the hearing, Hoeven also thanked Secretary Collins and VA leadership for their responsiveness and efforts to ensure veterans receive the care, benefits, and recognition they have earned, including progress on the Fargo National Veterans Cemetery Veterans Memorial Center and expansion of VA facilities nationwide. Secretary Collins noted that the VA has opened 34 new facilities over the past year and emphasized the department’s commitment to improving care and access for veterans.

Hoeven has consistently worked to improve access to long-term care services for veterans in rural areas, to include removing duplicative regulations for nursing homes seeking to partner with the VA. The senator is now working with the VA and state partners, including recent discussions with Governor Armstrong, to complete the required needs assessment for a potential second veterans home.

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Husted honors fallen Ohio police officers on Senate floor

“What you see in the lives of all of these officers who we lost was their love for their family, for their community, and for their country.”

View Husted’s remarks here.

WASHINGTON – Sen. Jon Husted (R-Ohio) delivered a speech on the Senate floor today during National Police Week honoring Ohio law enforcement officers Deputy Larry Henderson, Officer Phillip Wagner, Deputy D. Weston Sherrer and Trooper Nicholas Cayton, who were killed in the line of duty in 2025.

Key excerpts include:

“Mr. President, I come today to the floor for a moment of reflection and remembrance of four courageous law enforcement officers in Ohio who we lost in 2025.”

. . .

“As those in this chamber and across our nation may know, it’s National Police Week, a dedicated time to honor the service and sacrifice of these heroes who protect us every day.”

. . .

“The four officers I’m highlighting today lost their lives in the line of duty in 2025. Each of them will be added to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Wall to honor their lives and dedication to protecting and serving.”

. . .

“Deputy Henderson, of Hamilton County, was 57 years old.

“He and his wife have five grown children, and he was also a foster father of two infants.”

. . .

“Deputy Henderson died on May 2, 2025, after being run down by a motorist while working a special detail for the University of Cincinnati graduation.

“Deputy Henderson served his country and his community until his final day, and we remain forever grateful.”

. . .

“Officer Phillip Wagner.

“Officer Wagner had served with the Lorain Police Department for four years and previously with the Sheffield Village Police Department, also for four years.”

. . .

“He died on July 24, 2025, the day after he and another patrolman were ambushed.

“They were ambushed by a gunman as they ate their lunch in their cruisers.

“Truly tragic event for that community and for this family. His wife and three children, an entire family, remain in our prayers. We’re forever grateful for the service of Officer Wagner.”

. . .

“Deputy D. Weston Sherrer was 31 years old and had just marked his fourth year with the Morrow County Sheriff’s Office.”

. . .

“Deputy Sherrer was fatally shot on Memorial Day last year during a domestic violence call in Monroe County.”

. . .

“He will be remembered, and we thank him for his service and his sacrifice to his country now and forever.”

. . .

“Trooper Nicholas Cayton was 40 years old, married to his high school sweetheart, and a father of two children.”

. . .

“Trooper Cayton was killed on Oct. 16, 2025, when his cruiser was struck by a truck while he was helping the driver of a disabled tractor trailer.”

. . .

“We will continue to mourn his loss and pray for all of those who loved him.”

. . .

“What you see in the lives of all of these officers who we lost was their love for their family, for their community, and for their country.

“Mr. President, these heroes gave their lives for their communities and neighbors.”

. . .

“I thank you all for honoring their service and celebrating their lives.”


Kelly, Baldwin, Young, Scott Call on Trump to Stand Up to China and Prioritize U.S. Shipbuilding at Summit with President Xi

Senators call comes as China’s unfair practices have decimated U.S. shipbuilding industry, hurting American workers and national security

Read in Reuters: US senators urge Trump to ‘stand strong’ on shipbuilding in talks with Xi

Today, Senators Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Todd Young (R-IN), and Tim Scott (R-SC) are calling on President Donald Trump to prioritize the U.S. shipbuilding industry and to not offer concessions to China in his upcoming summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Over the last twenty years, China has become the dominant shipbuilding force globally through unfair trade practices, decimating the U.S. shipbuilding industry and hurting American workers, companies, and communities. The Senators are pushing the President to hold China accountable for their cheating in the upcoming negotiations, help reverse the losses felt, and level the playing field for American workers.

Last year, Kelly and Young, alongside Representatives John Garamendi (D-CA-08) and Trent Kelly (R-MS-01), introduced the SHIPS for America Act to revitalize the United States shipbuilding and commercial maritime industries.

“The United States is at an inflection point and cannot cede additional ground to the People’s Republic of China (PRC). The PRC’s decades-long effort to decimate American shipbuilding as part of their effort to position themselves as the dominant global shipbuilding power affords them no grace or opportunity for compromise,” wrote the Senators in a letter to President Trump. “We urge you to stand strong during these negotiations as we work together to enact trade remedies and advance the SHIPS for America Act to level the playing field and create a strong commercial and military shipbuilding ecosystem in the United States. We urge you to prioritize America’s maritime industry and its workers during this summit, and we stand ready to support these goals through legislation.”

The Senators note that China has used unfair trade tactics, to dominate the global shipbuilding industry while weakening American shipyards over the past two decades. China now receives more than 60 percent of global commercial shipbuilding orders, while the United States lags behind several other countries in ship production. China’s unfair dominance threatens good paying jobs and local economies across the country, in addition to American national security.

“These U.S. shipyards and their suppliers are major employers that provide a pathway to the middle class through good-paying and often union jobs and keep the knowledge and skill to build vessels used for military purposes and to carry goods around the world made in America. We must hold China accountable and reverse the loss felt over the last two decades to stand up for the hardworking Americans employed in the shipbuilding industry, those who serve in the military branches that need these vessels, and who live in communities supported by these jobs,” the Senators continued.


Ahead of Beijing Summit, Senator Kim Urges President Trump to Permit Taiwan Arms Sales

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Andy Kim (D-NJ) joined a bipartisan group of Senators in sending a letter urging President Trump to formally notify $14 billion in U.S. arms sales to Taiwan ahead of his summit with Chinese President Xi later this week.

The letter was signed by Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Chris Coons (D-DE), John Curtis (R-UT), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), and Elissa Slotkin (D-MI).

“We strongly encourage your administration to formally notify the $14 billion in U.S. arms sales to Taiwan that Congress pre-approved in January 2025,” wrote the Senators. “Following months of encouragement from bipartisan members of Congress and your administration, Taiwan’s Legislative Yuan today approved a robust special defense budget of $25 billion to enhance the island’s self-defense capabilities. The vast majority of this new budget will fund U.S.-provided defensive arms pending notification to Congress, including counter-drone assets, an integrated battle command system and medium-range munitions.”

The Senators insisted to the President that American support for Taiwan not be used as a bargaining chip in negotiations with Xi.

“Just as Taiwan’s leaders demonstrated unity in support of their people’s defense, so too must we move ahead with pending U.S. arms sales vital to our own national interests,”continued the Senators. “You should make clear to Beijing that as you seek to level the economic playing field, American support for Taiwan is not up for negotiation.”

The Senators outlined the negative consequences of PRC control of Taiwan would have on American families.

“In a world in which Beijing moves decisively to seek control of Taiwan, American families would suffer from severe and long-term inflation, supply chain disruptions that would destroy manufacturing jobs at home and steep hikes in the cost of living,” concluded the Senators. “We would lose a vital democratic and technology partner to autocracy and our allies would be forced to readjust to a regional order dominated by Beijing. This future is not theoretical. It can and must be prevented and we have partners in Taipei stepping up to meet the challenge. That is why we urge you to formally notify the $14 billion package of arms to Congress as required by law.”

Read the full letter to President Trump.

The letter builds on Senator Kim’s work to support Taiwan, a critical partner of the United States. Earlier this year, he helped lead the introduction of the bipartisan Taiwan Allies Fund Act to strengthen Taiwan’s global network as well as the Blue Skies for Taiwan Act that expands cooperation between the U.S. and Taiwan on the development of unmanned aerial systems.

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Senator Andy Kim Statement on Future of FEMA

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Andy Kim (D-NJ), Ranking Member of the Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs Committee’s Subcommittee that oversees FEMA, released the following statement after President Trump announced his nomination of Cameron Hamilton to head FEMA:

“Communities across the country need us to turn the page on this Administration’s failed attempt to abolish FEMA and build an agency fully prepared to deliver on its mission. Looking after Americans’ safety and well-being must be our top priority in Congress, just as it has to be for the next FEMA Administrator. Before the next disaster strikes, it is critically important we get to work on reform legislation that sets FEMA and our country up for success.”

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