Van Hollen, Alsobrooks Secure $24 Million for Maryland Health Care, Education, and Workforce Training Projects

U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen, a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, and Senator Angela Alsobrooks, a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee (both D-Md) secured $24,176,000 in direct federal funding for 46 projects throughout Maryland within the fiscal year 2026 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (LHHS) appropriations bill – which was enacted into law as part of a 5-bill government funding package passed by Congress and signed into law in February. These investments in local projects – submitted and secured by the Senators – support access to health care, education, and workforce training opportunities across Maryland.

“Federal dollars can make a big impact when we invest them directly in projects that support our communities’ needs. These funds will equip our partners across the state to expand opportunities for Marylanders – supporting a wide range of priorities from early childhood and special education to job training for careers in high-demand fields. Within this bill we also fought back against the Trump Administration’s attacks on critical Maryland-based federal agencies like the Social Security Administration and National Institutes of Health – protecting our patriotic civil servants who work there and these agencies’ vital missions of ensuring Americans’ retirement security and safeguarding public health. We worked hard to secure the investments in this legislation to better reflect the needs of Marylanders and communities across the country,” said Senator Chris Van Hollen, a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee.

“From STEM labs to youth theatre programs, when we invest in our people – our economy grows, our communities become safer, and we all benefit. Senator Van Hollen and I secured over $24 million to invest in education, youth programs, health care access, affordable child care, technology training, mental health care, and more,” said Senator Alsobrooks.

The Senators worked to secure these funds and provisions prior to their passage, but ultimately voted against the larger package they were included within – stemming from concerns over insufficient safeguards to protect federal workers against the Trump’s attacks and to prevent the Administration from misusing Congressionally approved taxpayer dollars, among other factors.

Highlights for Maryland in the Fiscal Year 2026 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Funding Bill

Congressionally Directed Spending

Project Name: Advancing the Quantum Workforce

Applicant: Prince George's Community College

Project Description: Funds will be used to develop the Maryland Regional Technology Hub with a quantum-based certification-to-degree program that aligns with industry standards and prepares residents for careers in a growing field.

Project Location: Prince George's County

Amount Included: $1,826,000

Project Name: Anne Arundel County Food Bank Refrigerated Vehicle

Applicant: Anne Arundel County Food Bank, Inc.

Project Description: Funds will be used to purchase a refrigerated vehicle to support the Food Bank’s weekly food donation pickups, ensuring the safe delivery of fresh items to the warehouse for distribution to low-income residents.

Project Location: Anne Arundel County

Amount Included: $133,000

Project Name: Aviation Maintenance Technology – A Career Pathway to Economic Mobility

Applicant: College of Southern Maryland

Project Description: Funds will used to outfit a new Aviation Maintenance Technology laboratory and support regional workforce development in aviation, preparing students to secure employment in this in-demand and understaffed industry.

Project Location: Charles County

Amount Included: $997,000

Project Name: BACH Adult Apprenticeship Program

Applicant: Baltimore Alliance for Careers in Healthcare

Project Description: Funds will support adult “earn while you learn” apprenticeships in health care fields and provide supportive services and professional development as participants begin their careers. The program will help Marylanders obtain new skills while addressing staffing needs in health care.

Project Location: Baltimore City

Amount Included: $579,000

Project Name: Ballet After Dark Comprehensive Fellowship for Girls & Youth

Applicant: Ballet After Dark Inc

Project Description: Funds will be used to support a health and peer education curriculum for girls and young women impacted by violence and trauma, including through curriculum training, mentorship, leadership development, and community outreach.

Project Location: Baltimore City

Amount Included: $1,071,000

Project Name: Baltimore College Persistence Program

Applicant: Jeremiah Program

Project Description: Funds will provide support and mentorship for single mothers pursuing a college degree while raising young children—including coaching, afterschool and summer programming for children, and access to technology.

Project Location: Baltimore City

Amount Included: $139,000

Project Name: Bellevue Passage STEAM Labs

Applicant: Mid -Shore Community Foundation - Bellevue Passage Museum

Project Description: Funds will be used to develop labs to increase access to high-quality, year-round STEAM education with hands-on learning opportunities and exposure to diverse careers.

Project Location: Talbot County

Amount Included: $129,000

Project Name: BMORE Theatre Youth Program: Summer 2026

Applicant: BMORE Community Theatre

Project Description: Funds will be used to establish a summer theater program for students aged 8-15, providing full-day classes from certified educators and student interns to boost literacy, creativity, and teamwork.

Project Location: Baltimore County

Amount Included: $250,000

Project Name: Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation STEM Center Statewide Initiative

Applicant: Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation

Project Description: Funds will be used to set up STEM Centers to provide year-round, hands-on STEM education to youth and trainings to teachers throughout Maryland.

Project Location: Baltimore City

Amount Included: $1,000,000

Project Name: Cecil College CDL Simulator

Applicant: Cecil College

Project Description: Funds will be used to purchase a commercial truck driving simulator for the truck driver training program, which will provide a realistic, risk-free environment to hone commercial driving skills and navigate weather and traffic conditions while training for an in-demand career.

Project Location: Cecil County

Amount Included: $109,000

Project Name: Commissioning More Military Officers through Building Bridges

Applicant: 2nd LT RICHARD W COLLINS III FOUNDATION

Project Description: Funds will support the commissioning of more military officers by establishing teambuilding, networking, and educational programming for ROTC cadets.

Project Location: Anne Arundel County

Amount Included: $50,000

Project Name: DC Regional Early Learning Center

Applicant: DC Regional Early Learning Center

Project Description: Funds will be used to integrate state-of-the-art technology resources into classrooms to equip teachers with specialized training to maximize learning opportunities for students.

Project Location: Prince George's County

Amount Included: $305,000

Project Name: Hon’s Honey Workforce Development

Applicant: Drink at the Well, Inc.

Project Description: Funds will be used to employ and train women at-risk of poverty, trauma, addiction and PTSD and will provide wraparound services, including childcare, case management, and counseling to ensure their successful recovery.

Project Location: Baltimore City

Amount Included: $175,000

Project Name: Early Childhood Pre-K Enrollment System

Applicant: Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE)

Project Description: Funds will be used for a centralized Pre-K enrollment system for families with three and four-year-old children, reducing the administrative burden for LEAs and early care and education providers.

Project Location: Baltimore City

Amount Included: $500,000

Project Name: Eastern Shore Maryland Mobile STEM Workforce Development Program

Applicant: Learning Undefeated, Inc.

Project Description: Funds will support deployment of Learning Undefeated’s Mobile STEM Workforce Development program to high schools and community colleges on the Eastern Shore and in Harford and Carroll Counties, preparing students for STEM careers.

Project Location: Caroline County (all shore)

Amount Included: $675,000

Project Name: Empowering Abilities: Training People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities as Direct Support Professionals

Applicant: The Arc Montgomery County, Inc.

Project Description: Funds will be used to support a workforce training initiative for people with disabilities. The Empowering Abilities Program creates employment opportunities for people with disabilities to be trained in the role of a Direct Support Professional.

Project Location: Montgomery County

Amount Included: $150,000

Project Name: Empowering Partners: Building Advocacy Capacity for Advocates with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Across Maryland

Applicant: The Arc of Maryland

Project Description: Funds will be used for peer to peer support, training, and information to people with IDD, to empower them to effectively advocate for their rights, independence and safe access to their communities.

Project Location: Howard County

Amount Included: $200,000

Project Name: Engaging Baltimore City Students in Conservation

Applicant: The National Aquarium

Project Description: Funds will be used to connect students to learning and stewardship opportunities that promote conservation and expand students’ understanding of the Chesapeake Bay watershed.

Project Location: Baltimore City

Amount Included: $172,000

Project Name: Exeter Street Baltimore East Side Expansion

Applicant: Tuerk House, Inc.

Project Description: Funds will be used to renovate a 44,000 sq. ft. warehouse into a behavioral healthcare site. The project expands treatment capacity adds a 30-bed crisis stabilization center, and offers substance use, mental health, dental care, and workforce development services.

Project Location: Baltimore City

Amount Included: $500,000

Project Name: Expanded Economic Empowerment for Newcomers

Applicant: Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service DBA Global Refuge

Project Description: Funds will be used to expand this economic empowerment program in Maryland offering career counseling, support services, and workforce integration for refugees and immigrants. The funds will help them obtain skills and credentials that will benefit the local workforce.

Project Location: Baltimore City

Amount Included: $300,000

Project Name: Expanding Access to Mental Health and Victim Support Services

Applicant: For All Seasons, Inc.

Project Description: Funds will be used to expand access to comprehensive behavioral and mental health care and victim support services, particularly for low-income, rural, and underserved Maryland communities.

Project Location: Talbot County

Amount Included: $1,000,000

Project Name: Expanding Community Anchored STEM Hub Programming

Applicant: Launching Educational Assistance Program Forward Inc. LEAP Forward Inc.

Project Description: Funds will be used to expand hands-on STEM learning experiences to prepare students in Southern Maryland for high-demand STEM careers.

Project Location: Calvert County

Amount Included: $241,000

Project Name: Expanding Equitable Arts Access for Youth and Seniors in Prince George’s County

Applicant: The Coalition for African Americans in the Performing Arts

Project Description: Funds will be used to support the expansion of youth and senior arts education and enrichment programs across Prince George’s County.

Project Location: Prince George's County

Amount Included: $150,000

Project Name: Expanding Hunger Relief Program throughout Maryland

Applicant: So What Else, Inc.

Project Description: Funds will be used to expand So What Else’s Hunger Relief Program to address food insecurity and meet the growing needs of families in Montgomery, Prince George’s, and Frederick Counties, as well as Baltimore City.

Project Location: Montgomery County

Amount Included: $750,000

Project Name: Family Connects Maryland

Applicant: The Family Tree

Project Description: Funds will be used to provide post-delivery home visits and wraparound services to new mothers and their babies in order to support their health, minimize complications, and reduce hospital readmissions.

Project Location: Baltimore City

Amount Included: $373,000

Project Name: Goodwill Excel Center in Prince George’s County

Applicant: Goodwill of Greater Washington

Project Description: Funds will be used to open an adult high school in Prince George’s County for low-income adult learners to earn a high school diploma.

Project Location: Prince George's County

Amount Included: $1,000,000

Project Name: Increasing Community Health, Food Access, and Nutrition Education

Applicant: Brighter Bites DC

Project Description: Funds will be used to combat food and nutrition insecurity for elementary school-aged students in Prince George’s County by providing food distribution and nutrition education classes for students and families.

Project Location: Prince George's County

Amount Included: $266,000

Project Name: Job Readiness Training for Adults with Autism and Wellness Program Expansion

Applicant: Madison House Autism Foundation

Project Description: Funds will be used to scale job training for adults with autism and intellectual/developmental disabilities and expand wellness programs for this under-resourced community by partnering with other organizations to serve these vulnerable populations.

Project Location: Montgomery County

Amount Included: $650,000

Project Name: Lifeline-LETS Program Mental Health and Wellness Support Services

Applicant: Lifeline Horse Rescue and Rehabilitation

Project Description: Funds will be uses to support equine-assisted services to help prevent suicide and treat substance abuse in veterans experience PTSD.

Project Location: Montgomery County

Amount Included: $95,000

Project Name: Living Classrooms Mobile Ascend Through Music Program

Applicant: Living Classrooms Foundation

Project Description: Funds will be used to expand the successful Ascend Through Music program with a new mobile music lab bus and equipment, student laptops, instruments, and instructors that will make it more accessible for Baltimore City students.

Project Location: Baltimore City

Amount Included: $810,000

Project Name: Maryland Water and Wastewater Training Program Partnership

Applicant: College of Southern Maryland

Project Description: Funds will be used to create an employment pipeline into the drinking water and wastewater utility sector through training, outreach, recruitment, and hands-on experience inside treatment plants across Maryland, addressing the projected future workforce needs in the industry.

Project Location: Charles County

Amount Included: $732,000

Project Name: Melwood Youth Enrichment Services (YES) Program

Applicant: Melwood Community Services, Inc.

Project Description: Funds will expand Melwood’s Youth Enrichment Services (YES)—an after-school enrichment program that uses hands-on learning to inspire kids from low-income households to envision their future—to an additional elementary school in Prince George’s County, MD.

Project Location: Prince George's CountyAmoun

t Included: $235,000

Project Name: New Ambulance for Smithsburg EMS Station 79

Applicant: Smithsburg Emergency Medical Services, Inc

Project Description: Funds will be used to purchase a new ambulance for Smithsburg EMS to ensure efficient emergency response across 70 square miles of rural Western Maryland, including the Appalachian Trail.

Project Location: Washington County

Amount Included: $250,000

Project Name: NPower Maryland Statewide Expansion

Applicant: NPower Inc.

Project Description: Funds will be used for workforce development initiatives focused on IT training and community help desk expansion.

Project Location: Baltimore City

Amount Included: $750,000

Project Name: Out of School Time to Support Student Learning

Applicant: Joe's Movement Emporium

Project Description: Funds will be used for an after-school and in-school program to enhance academic success emphasizing literacy, communication, and attendance through arts-based learning at William Beanes Elementary School.

Project Location: Prince George's County

Amount Included: $610,000

Project Name: Outdoor Learning to Improve Secondary Education

Applicant: Chesapeake Bay Outward Bound School

Project Description: Funds will increase access to outdoor education programs, aligned with classroom instruction, that improve teamwork skills and mental health for Baltimore City students.

Project Location: Baltimore City

Amount Included: $250,000

Project Name: Piscataway Environmental Education Program

Applicant: Accokeek Foundation, Inc

Project Description: Funds will support development and implementation of a environmental education curriculum that integrates Piscataway Indigenous knowledge, providing teacher training, classroom support, and field trips for Prince George’s and Charles County students.

Project Location: Prince George's County

Amount Included: $425,000

Project Name: Prince George’s County Pediatric Mobile Medical Unit

Applicant: Children's National Medical Center

Project Description: Funds will be used to expand the Children's National Mobile Medical Program to provide comprehensive primary care services for children and adolescents in Prince George’s County.

Project Location: Prince George's County

Amount Included: $600,000

Project Name: Rural Healthcare Technology for Workforce Development

Applicant: Chesapeake College

Project Description: Funds will be used to upgrade equipment for Chesapeake College's Health Professions program so students can receive practical, hands-on training that will make them competitive for in-demand jobs that address regional rural health needs.

Project Location: Queen Anne's County

Amount Included: $721,000

Project Name: Seismic Quake Lab

Applicant: SciTech2U Inc

Project Description: Funds will provide Maryland’s first-ever quake lab offering activities in seismology and geology to kindergarten through 12th grade students. The funds are needed to purchase material, hire program support staff, provide student activities, and increase program capacity.

Project Location: Montgomery County

Amount Included: $214,000

Project Name: SquashWise Center: A Youth and Community Center

Applicant: Baltimore SquashWise

Project Description: The SquashWise Center will provide high-quality and safe recreation and youth development programs for Baltimore City residents.

Project Location: Baltimore City

Amount Included: $200,000

Project Name: The Children’s Inn Community Kitchen

Applicant: Children's Inn at NIH, Inc.

Project Description: Funds will support the construction of a community kitchen, pantry, and dining area in a new residential wing for young patients with rare diseases participating in clinical research studies.

Project Location: Montgomery County

Amount Included: $620,000

Project Name: The Training Source Youth/Start Workforce Development Training Program

Applicant: The Training Source, Inc.

Project Description: Funds will support professional training for low- and moderate-income youth ages 18–24 leading to customer service certification, job placement, and retention support. The funding will be used in part for stipends for participants.

Project Location: Prince George's County

Amount Included: $289,000

Project Name: UPMC Western Maryland Health Access

Applicant: UPMC Western Maryland Corporation

Project Description: Funds will support UPMC Western Maryland Schwab Family Cancer Center's comprehensive radiation therapy services, and expand treatment services to include intra-cranial radiation for patients.

Project Location: Allegany County

Amount Included: $2,750,000

Project Name: Wor-Wic Community College Culinary Laboratory Upgrade

Applicant: Wor-Wic Community College

Project Description: Wor-Wic Community College offers an American Culinary Federation-accredited culinary program to prepare individuals for careers in the food services sector. Funds will be used to upgrade Wor-Wic’s culinary arts laboratory to ensure that graduates are adequately prepared for the workforce.

Project Location: Wicomico County

Amount Included: $223,000

Project Name: Youth Media Creative Pre-Apprenticeship Pilot

Applicant: Wide Angle Youth Media

Project Description: Wide Angle Youth Media will expand its training opportunities for older youth, with the pilot of a pre-apprenticeship program. The program will fill a current gap in its workforce pathway programs and increase youth employability as they gain hands-on work experience and technical skills.

Project Location: Baltimore City

Amount Included: $712,000

Additional priorities secured by the Senators in the FY26 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies funding bill include:

Social Security Administration (SSA), headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland

The bill includes $15 billion for SSA’s administrative expenses—an increase of $554 million over fiscal year 2025. This is $50 million more than President Trump’s budget request and will help address staffing challenges and improve service to the public. The Trump administration has singlehandedly and unnecessarily created chaos at SSA that has weakened Americans’ ability to get the benefits they are owed. The American public and the beneficiaries SSA serves—seniors, people with disabilities, and those who have recently lost a loved one— have paid the price, with unacceptable wait times to access the benefits and services they deserve, and that they have literally earned through a lifetime of work. SSA should focus on improving service after the harmful cuts and chaotic policies the Trump administration has put in place, and the resources in this bill will help them do that.

Department of Health and Human Services

The bill provides $116.8 billion, an increase of $210 million in discretionary funding for the Department of Health and Human Services over fiscal year 2025 and $33 billion more than President Trump’s budget request.

The bill rejects the Trump administration’s harmful efforts to defund and dismantle critical work that HHS oversees—protecting critical funding and providing targeted increases for key programs across HHS. From child care and Head Start, to substance use and mental health, to lifesaving research into cures and treatments for devastating diseases—the bill delivers essential funding to help Americans thrive. It also reasserts Congress’ power over key spending decisions, preventing Secretary Kennedy from unilaterally cutting and defunding programs, and it includes new measures to help ensure funding is spent as intended to protect programs that touch the lives of every American. This includes specifying funding levels in law for hundreds of programs the Trump administration has eliminated or repeatedly threatened and new measures to help ensure adequate staffing to carry out programs in a timely and effective manner and to ensure funds go out the door in a timely way.

The bill includes none of House Republicans’ extreme policy riders, which would have restricted access to reproductive health care, banned gun violence research, and promoted discrimination, among much else.

Biomedical Research: The bill provides $48.7 billion in discretionary funding for the Bethesda, Maryland-based National Institutes of Health (NIH)—an increase of $415 million over fiscal year 2025 to propel life-saving and life-changing cures and treatments across NIH’s 27 institutes and centers and the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H).

The bill rejects the catastrophic 40% cut to NIH proposed by President Trump, and instead of slashing funding for biomedical research, includes funding increases over fiscal year 2025 for research into cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, and Parkinson’s disease, among other conditions that touch the lives of millions of Americans. The bill also includes $30 million for continued implementation of the Childhood Cancer Survivorship, Treatment, Access, and Research (STAR) Act, supporting biorepositories for childhood cancer patients and increasing opportunities for childhood cancer research.

The bill rejects the Trump administration’s proposal—and illegal efforts—to cap indirect cost rates at 15%, which would devastate biomedical research, and it continues a longstanding provision that prohibits NIH from implementing such a cap. The bill also rejects the Trump administration’s misguided elimination of programs across NIH by maintaining level funding for HIV vaccine research, training programs that support the next generation of researchers, and the Safe to Sleep campaign, among others.

The bill includes a new provision that prevents implementation of the Office of Management and Budget’s misguided policy for NIH to fund significantly more multiyear research grants in one lump sum. This poorly thought-out policy would significantly cut the number of research grants NIH awards — just as it did in fiscal year 2025 when it resulted in 2,000 fewer research grants being funded. More needs to be done to protect NIH research, but the provision included in this bill is an important step in preventing the Trump administration from decimating the biomedical research enterprise Congress has built in a bipartisan manner over decades, which has long been the envy of the world and drives medical innovation that has saved millions of lives. The bill also includes a new authority for NIH to address loopholes in sexual harassment reporting and strengthen accountability by requiring institutions to complete investigations into concerns about harassment, bullying, retaliation, or hostile working conditions, even if the alleged perpetrator leaves their current position and is no longer employed by the institution.

Helping Families Afford Energy Bills: The bill includes $4.045 billion for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), a $20 million increase over fiscal year 2025, to help low-income households with home heating and cooling costs.

For Child Care and Early Learning Programs, the bill includes:

$8.8 billion for the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG), an $85 million increase over fiscal year 2025

$12.4 billion for Head Start, an $85 million increase.

Much more needs to be done to address our broken child care system and ensure every working family can find and afford child care, which is critical for businesses and our economy too. But sustained annual increases in these programs are critical in the meantime. The bill also sustains funding for Preschool Development Grants, which President Trump pushed to defund and House Republicans’ bill eliminated.

Addressing Substance Use Disorders and Mental Health: The bill provides $7.4 billion for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), an increase of $65 million over fiscal year 2025—delivering increased funding to address the rising toll of opioid overdoses fueled by fentanyl, maintain access to substance use disorder prevention and treatment, and improve access to mental health services.

In addition to rejecting President Trump’s proposed $1 billion cut (-15%) to SAMHSA programs, the bill maintains SAMHSA as its own, independent agency to help ensure substance use and mental health remain a priority at HHS. The bill also includes new guardrails to ensure SAMHSA funds are allocated as intended. The bill includes:

$991 million, a $5 million increase over fiscal year 2025, for the Mental Health Block Grant

$2.0 billion, a $5 million increase, for the Substance Use Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery Services Block Grant

$1.6 billion for State Opioid Response grants, a $20 million increase

$145 million for the Rural Communities Opioid Response Program.

It protects and strengthens key investments in mental health programs by increasing funding for Project AWARE, the Garrett Lee Smith Suicide Prevention Program, the National Strategy for Suicide Prevention, and the National Childhood Traumatic Stress Network. The bill also provides $535 million, a $15 million increase over fiscal year 2025, for the 988 Suicide Prevention Lifeline, to provide additional support for the program as reliance on 988 increases since it was launched.

Additionally, the bill delivers a floor of $164 million in investments within the Department of Education to address the shortage of school-based mental health professionals and services in our nation’s K-12 schools.

Essential Health Care Programs: The bill protects investments in health care access and affordability, and the health care workforce—maintaining investments in core programs, including $1.86 billion for Community Health Centers and $130 million for the National Health Service Corps. The United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) is fully funded—rejecting President Trump’s 36% proposed cut—and the bill affirms support for the mission and scientific integrity of the task force, rejecting President Trump and Secretary Kennedy’s efforts to sideline its work to ensure that Americans have affordable access to critical services. The bill also includes a $53.3 million increase in rural health programs to boost recruitment of health care providers to practice in rural areas and support rural hospitals.

Public Health: The bill includes $9.1 billion for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), rejecting the roughly $4 billion—or 50%—cut to CDC programs proposed by the Trump administration, as well as the $1.7 billion overall cut included in House Republicans’ bill. The bill also requires HHS to support staffing levels to carry out the CDC’s programs.

The bill helps support state and local health departments by sustaining critical programs across the CDC, including funding for chronic diseases, the Office of Smoking and Health, injury prevention programs (including firearm injury and mortality research), global health programs, and immunization and infectious disease prevention programs. It provides increases in critical programs including for emerging infectious diseases, food safety, chronic diseases, data modernization, and bolsters state health departments through an increase in Public Health Infrastructure and Capacity grants.

HIV/AIDS: The bill includes level funding of $613 million for the Ending the HIV Epidemic Initiative, which provides high-need jurisdictions with prevention and treatment services for people at high risk for HIV transmission. This includes $220 million within three CDC Domestic HIV/AIDS Prevention and Research programs to develop and deploy innovative data management solutions, increase access to PrEP, and better detect and respond to HIV clusters, and it includes $128.9 million for the CDC’s global HIV/AIDS program. The bill also provides level funding for the Ryan White HIV/AIDS program, including dental services and training for health care practitioners, two initiatives that President Trump sought to eliminate in his budget proposal. The bill rejects House Republicans’ proposal to cut HIV/AIDS programs by over $1.5 billion and President Trump’s proposal for cuts of over $900 million.

Women’s Health: The bill protects funding for reproductive health programs, including Title X and the Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program, which President Trump and House Republicans proposed eliminating. The bill also increases investments in maternal health across HRSA, CDC, and NIH with a nearly $60 million increase for programs that aim to address maternal mental health, prevent pregnancy-related deaths, support best practices to improve maternal health outcomes, and invest in women’s health research.

For the first time, the bill provides funding for a new menopause initiative, the Menopause Research to Action Network, to translate research into clinical practice for women. The bill also provides funding to states to collect data and report on access to medical forensic exams for survivors of sexual assault. Importantly, the bill increases funding for the Maternal Mental Health Hotline and maternal health safety initiatives, and it protects funding for Healthy Start, which works with moms and babies to improve health outcomes before, during, and after pregnancy. President Trump proposed cuts of over $600 million in maternal and child health funding in his budget request and proposed defunding the Healthy Start program altogether.

Pandemic Preparedness and Biodefense: The bill includes $3.69 billion for the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR). It includes a $35 million increase over fiscal year 2025 for the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA); a $25 million increase for Project Bioshield; and a $20 million increase for the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS). It sustains funding for Industrial Base Management and Supply Chain (IBMSC) activities to help ensure that critical resources in the public health supply chain—including raw materials, medical countermeasures, and ancillary supplies—are manufactured in the United States. It also includes $2 million to support a new program to improve emergency medical services and trauma care during a public health emergency.

Administration for Community Living (ACL): The bill includes $2.5 billion, an increase of $17 million over fiscal year 2025, for ACL, and it rebuffs President Trump’s proposal to collapse ACL into other agencies within HHS. ACL plays an instrumental role in supporting older adults and Americans with disabilities so they can live and participate fully in their communities. The bill includes $1.1 billion for ACL’s senior nutrition programs, and it provides targeted increases for family caregiver programs and home and community-based supportive services.

Department of Education

Department of Education: The bill provides $79.0 billion in discretionary funding for the Department of Education, an increase of $217 million over fiscal year 2025 and $12 billion more than President Trump’s budget request.

The bill rejects the Trump administration’s proposals to drastically reduce Department of Education funding and instead continues support for states, school districts, and institutions of higher education. It continues to appropriate funding to the Department of Education for the range of programs it is specifically authorized to carry out by a variety of longstanding, bipartisan authorization statutes that unambiguously place these responsibilities with the Department of Education. This includes funding for K-12 formula and competitive grant programs, career and technical education (CTE) and adult education programs, federal student aid, postsecondary competitive grants, civil rights enforcement and program administration, and oversight necessary to help states implement federal laws intended to improve educational outcomes for students and protect all students from discrimination. As the Trump administration continues to illegally offload the Department of Education’s responsibilities—creating new inefficiencies, costs, and risks to funding for states and schools and threatening educational outcomes—the agreement states that no authority exists for the Department of Education to transfer its fundamental responsibilities to other agencies. The bill also includes a new requirement for the Department to maintain the staff necessary to fulfill its statutory responsibilities, including carrying out programs and activities funded in this bill in a timely manner.

It also includes new measures to ensure the Department of Education makes formula grants available to states and districts on time, preventing funding from being withheld and creating chaos for students, teachers, and families.

Elementary and Secondary Education: The bill strengthens investments in foundational formula grant programs for elementary and secondary education and in public schools, teachers, and students—rejecting the $4.5 billion cut and proposed consolidations in President Trump’s budget request for a new $2 billion block grant program.

The bill boosts funding for Title I-A grants by $20 million above the fiscal year 2025 level to $18.4 billion. It rejects House Republicans’ proposal to rescind and cut a combined $4.7 billion from Title I-A. More than 80% of the nation’s school districts receive these funds, and nearly 25 million students go to schools receiving Title I funding.

The bill also provides $15.19 billion, an increase of $20 million over fiscal year 2025, for all three IDEA Special Education State grant programs and retains each as a separate program. IDEA state grant programs support more than seven million students and children with disabilities and their families who receive IDEA services through these programs. The bill also continues all IDEA national programs, rejecting the proposal to consolidate those funds within IDEA state grant programs.

Senator Van Hollen continues to champion full funding for these programs through the Keep Our Promise to America’s Children and Teachers (PACT) Act and the IDEA Full Funding Act.

The bill maintains level funding of $150 million for the Full-Service Community Schools program and preserves it and other essential K-12 grants as separate programs.

The bill also continues current investments across a range of other important formula and competitive grant programs authorized to improve teaching and learning in elementary and secondary schools, rejecting President Trump’s proposed elimination of $1.5 billion in total funding for nine important programs.

Career and Technical Education (CTE): The bill provides $1.45 billion for CTE grants and $729 million for adult education grants and appropriates such funding to the Department of Education to carry out these programs, rejecting President Trump’s call to eliminate federal support for adult education. The bill also includes new measures requiring both CTE and adult education formula grants to be awarded in a timely way to prevent any administration from withholding these critical funds, which occurred this past summer.

Higher Education: The agreement provides a total maximum Pell Grant award of $7,395 for the 2026-2027 award year, protecting the existing Pell Grant and rejecting President Trump’s proposal to slash the Pell Grant by over $1000. This coming school year, Pell Grants are expected to help over 7 million students at all stages of life pursue postsecondary education and further their careers.

The bill also sustains funding for the administration of student aid programs. This funding supports a wide range of activities, including: implementing the FAFSA; disbursing student aid; ensuring services are available to student loan borrowers; implementing more affordable repayment plans; and fixing longstanding issues in student loan forgiveness programs. Finally, the bill maintains provisions from the Senate bill to help Congress conduct oversight over the new higher education provisions contained in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.

The bill includes additional investments for Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Minority-Serving Institutions:

Strengthening HBCUs: $406 million, a $5 million increase

Strengthening HBCU Masters Program: $20 million

Strengthening Historically Black Graduate Institutions: $103 million, a $2 million increase

Strengthening Predominantly Black Institutions: $23 million, a $1 million increase

Developing Hispanic-Serving Institutions: $231 million

Promoting Postbaccalaureate Opportunities for Hispanic Americans: $28 million

The bill also reasserts Congress’ power over key higher education spending decisions, preventing Secretary McMahon from having the authority to unilaterally cut and defund programs as she did in fiscal year 2025 under Republicans’ yearlong continuing resolution.

To recruit, develop, and retain an effective teacher and school leader workforce, the bill also includes $70 million for the Teacher Quality Partnership program, $15 million for the Hawkins Centers of Excellence to help educator preparation programs address educator shortages, and $90 million required to be used for the Supporting Effective Educator Development program. President Trump proposed defunding each of these programs.

The bill includes $1.191 billion for TRIO, level with fiscal year 2025; $388 million for GEAR UP, level with fiscal year 2025; $75 million for the Child Care Access Means Parents in School Program (CCAMPIS), level with fiscal year 2025; and $80 million for International Education programs. President Trump proposed defunding each of these programs.

Protecting Students from Discrimination: The bill rejects President Trump’s proposed cut of $49 million, or one-third of the total budget, for the Office for Civil Rights, and instead maintains its current budget of $140 million and requires the Department to support the staffing levels necessary for OCR to fulfill its statutory responsibilities. The Department of Education recently recalled more than 200 staff after reducing half the staff at OCR early last year and allowing its backlog of work to grow, denying students and families timely remediation of illegal discrimination.

Advancing Education Research, Statistics, and Assessments: The bill rejects the massive reduction of $532 million or 67% proposed in President Trump’s budget request for the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) and instead provides $790 million, a reduction of $3 million, for IES. The Trump administration’s significant workforce reductions and program delays at IES this year have caused it to fail to meet statutory requirements. The bill requires the Department to support staffing levels necessary for IES and the National Center for Education Statistics to fulfill their statutory responsibilities.

Department of Labor

Department of Labor: The bill provides $13.7 billion in discretionary funding for the Department of Labor, an increase of $65 million over fiscal year 2025 and $4 billion more than the budget request.

The bill rejects the harmful cuts proposed by President Trump, including his proposal to block grant our nation’s workforce training programs. The bill also includes a new requirement for the Department to maintain the staff necessary to carry out its statutory responsibilities, including carrying out programs and activities funded in this bill in a timely manner.

Workforce Development: The bill includes $2.9 billion for Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) formula grants, protecting essential investments made in recent years. It provides $285 million for Registered Apprenticeships and $105 million for YouthBuild. The agreement also rejects President Trump’s call to eliminate Job Corps and instead provides $1.76 billion and blocks the elimination of Job Corps Centers unless such closures meet statutory and regulatory requirements. Rejecting President Trump’s proposed cuts and continuing funding for these key workforce development programs will help grow the economy, provide workers with the skills they need to secure good-paying jobs of the future, and help American businesses compete globally.

Worker Protection: The bill rejects drastic reductions proposed in President Trump’s request and adopted in House Republicans’ bill and sustains key investments in DOL’s worker protection agencies charged with enforcing requirements for employers to pay workers what they earn and provide safe and healthy workplaces.

The bill also provides current funding of $116 million for the Bureau of International Labor Affairs, $46 million more than President Trump’s budget request and a rejection of House Republicans’ proposal to outright defund the Bureau. These funds are used to support and enforce labor provisions of free trade agreements and trade preference programs and combat international child labor and forced labor. Finally, the bill rejects the proposed elimination of the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs and Women’s Bureau. Instead, the bill provides $100 million for OFCCP and current funding of $23 million for the bureau.

Other Related Agencies

AmeriCorps: The agreement rejects President Trump push to eliminate AmeriCorps and instead sustains funding for all of AmeriCorps’ grant programs by providing a total of $1.25 billion to the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) to administer these programs. The bill also includes new provisions requiring any administration to award AmeriCorps state formula funding in a timely way and to ensure CNCS will award competitive grants in a timely fashion, as well. The bill also rejects attempts to rename AmeriCorps. This investment will continue support for AmeriCorps members serving in communities across the country and working to address pressing challenges, including responding to natural disasters, assisting in schools, supporting our veterans, promoting economic opportunity, and conserving and protecting the environment.

Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS): The bill rejects President Trump’s budget proposal to eliminate and defund IMLS and instead provides $292 million, a small reduction of $3 million relative to fiscal year 2025, to maintain critical investments in America’s libraries and museums. The bill also includes new measures to help ensure IMLS allocates funding as required by the bill.


Van Hollen Joins Markey, Schumer, Cantwell, Luján in Demanding FCC Stop First Amendment Attacks on Disney, ABC

Today, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) joined Senators Edward Markey (D-Mass.), member of the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, along with Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Commerce Committee Ranking Member Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), and Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) in writing to Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Brendan Carr urging it to rescind last week’s order requiring Disney to file early license renewals for its eight ABC broadcast stations. The FCC order, at Chairman Carr’s directive, came just one day after President Donald Trump publicly demanded ABC fire late-night host Jimmy Kimmel and is the latest effort by Trump and Carr to weaponize the FCC’s authorities to target broadcasters. Senators John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) also signed the letter.

In the letter, the Senators wrote, “The campaign against Disney and its editorial decision-making, culminating in last week’s early-renewal order, is an egregious abuse of power and a clear violation of the First Amendment. Although the FCC has the authority to ensure broadcasters operate in the public interest, it cannot serve as President Trump’s roving censor, threatening to revoke licenses against broadcasters whose editorial content — including a comedian’s jokes — displeases the President. In fact, before serving as chairman, you frequently recognized the importance of the First Amendment and the freedom of speech, including for comedians. As you previously explained: ‘From Internet memes to late-night comedians, from cartoons to the plays and poems as old as organized government itself - Political Satire circumvents traditional gatekeepers & helps hold those in power accountable. Not surprising that it’s long been targeted for censorship.’ Now, you are doing exactly that — targeting political satire for censorship.”

The Senators request answers by May 21, 2026, to questions including:

What internal legal review, including by the Office of General Counsel, was conducted before the order was issued?

Did you consider, but reject, any less aggressive enforcement steps prior to issuing the order?

The Commission issued a procedurally similar early-renewal order against Bridge News, LLC on April 27, 2026 — one day before the Disney order. Did you intentionally time the orders so that the Bridge News order would precede the Disney order in the public record?

What is the status update on each open FCC investigation into Disney or its ABC stations?

What is the FCC’s justification for issuing the early-renewal order amidst these ongoing investigations?

Between April 22, 2026, and April 28, 2026, did you, your staff, or any other FCC personnel communicate with the White House, any other component of the Executive Office of the President, or any individual acting on their behalf regarding Disney, ABC, Jimmy Kimmel, or the early-renewal order?

What are the prior instances in which the Commission has invoked 47 CFR § 73.3539(c) to call in the licenses of a broadcaster for early renewal, including a summary of the grounds for each instance?

Full text of the letter is available here and below:

Dear Chairman Carr,

The Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) order, sent at your directive, to The Walt Disney Company to file early license renewals for its eight ABC broadcast stations — coming just one day after President Donald Trump publicly demanded ABC fire late-night host Jimmy Kimmel — is an extraordinary abuse of power. This order is the latest and most extreme step in your use of the FCC’s licensing authority as a cudgel against broadcasters whose editorial choices displease the President. You have effectively converted the FCC’s authority over the public airwaves into an instrument of presidential retribution against constitutionally protected speech. The FCC must immediately rescind this order and explain its conduct.

The FCC order, sent under your leadership, appears to be a blatant effort to punish Disney for its editorial decision-making, notably its refusal to fire Kimmel over a recent joke. On Monday last week, both President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump demanded that Disney fire Kimmel over his joke — speech clearly protected under the First Amendment. One day later, you directed the FCC to send the early-renewal order to Disney — reportedly surprising FCC career staff. Although the three-paragraph order did not mention Kimmel’s joke or Trump’s comments, the timing speaks volumes. This action appears to penalize Disney for refusing to capitulate to Trump’s demands to fire Kimmel and to send a message to other broadcasters: Modify your speech to favor Trump or face the FCC’s wrath. Moreover, with the exception of a different order on Monday of last week — possibly timed to give you cover for the Disney order that would come the next day — the FCC appears not to have used its authority to call in licenses for early renewal in over half a century, and it has never invoked that authority to target constitutionally protected speech or satisfy a president’s personal vendetta against a company. The Disney early-renewal order is thus an unprecedented and unconstitutional abuse of the Commission’s powers.

The Trump administration’s sustained, public campaign against Disney also lays bare the pretextual and politically motivated nature of this order. Over the past 18 months, President Trump and you have repeatedly threatened Disney, ABC, and its stations for engaging in constitutionally protected speech. In January 2025, just a few days after you became FCC chairman, the FCC reinstated a frivolous complaint against ABC based on its moderation of a 2024 presidential debate. Over the following months, President Trump repeatedly called on the FCC to revoke licenses from broadcasters because of their news coverage, including licenses of ABC stations. And then in September 2025, you told a podcast host — following a different joke from Kimmel that angered Trump and his allies — that Disney and ABC could “do this the easy way or the hard way,” and said that “there’s going to be additional work for the FCC ahead” unless ABC affiliates “find ways to change conduct and take action, frankly, on Kimmel[.]” This mafia boss threat provoked a bipartisan backlash but your message was clear: the FCC, with you as chairman, was ready to serve as Trump’s speech police.

The campaign against Disney and its editorial decision-making, culminating in last week’s early-renewal order, is an egregious abuse of power and a clear violation of the First Amendment. Although the FCC has the authority to ensure broadcasters operate in the public interest, it cannot serve as President Trump’s roving censor, threatening to revoke licenses against broadcasters whose editorial content — including a comedian’s jokes — displeases the President. In fact, before serving as chairman, you frequently recognized the importance of the First Amendment and the freedom of speech, including for comedians. As you previously explained: “From Internet memes to late-night comedians, from cartoons to the plays and poems as old as organized government itself - Political Satire circumvents traditional gatekeepers & helps hold those in power accountable. Not surprising that it’s long been targeted for censorship.” Now, you are doing exactly that — targeting political satire for censorship.

You should direct the FCC to immediately rescind the order calling in Disney’s ABC station licenses for early renewal. To help the public understand your basis for this action, please respond in writing to the following questions by May 21, 2026:

1. Please describe the timing and process by which you determined that the Commission should issue the early-renewal order.

a. When did you first direct Commission staff to begin drafting the Disney order, and on what date was the final text approved for release?

b. What internal legal review, including by the Office of General Counsel, was conducted before the order was issued?

c. Did you consider, but reject, any less aggressive enforcement steps prior to issuing the order? If so, please identify them.

d. The Commission issued a procedurally similar early-renewal order against Bridge News, LLC on April 27, 2026 — one day before the Disney order. Did you intentionally time the orders so that the Bridge News order would precede the Disney order in the public record?

2. Please provide a status update on each open FCC investigation into Disney or its ABC stations.

a. When was Disney’s last response to each of these inquiries, and how many pages of documents has Disney produced as part of these investigations?

b. Has Disney been unresponsive to these investigations?

c. Please describe the justification for issuing the early-renewal order amidst these ongoing investigations.

3. Between April 22, 2026, and April 28, 2026, did you, your staff, or any other FCC personnel communicate with the White House, any other component of the Executive Office of the President, or any individual acting on their behalf regarding Disney, ABC, Jimmy Kimmel, or the early-renewal order? If so, please describe each communication, including the participants and substance.

4. Please identify each prior instance in which the Commission has invoked 47 CFR § 73.3539(c) to call in the licenses of a broadcaster for early renewal, including a summary of the grounds for each instance.

Thank you for your attention to this important issue.

Sincerely,


ICYMI: Warnock Votes “NO” on Trump’s Fed Chair Nominee in Banking Committee

Senator Reverend Warnock cited his deep concerns about the future of the Federal Reserve’s independence under Trump nominee Kevin Warsh

Watch the video of the Senator’s remarks HERE

Washington, D.C. – Last week, U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) voted “NO” on the nomination for Federal Reserve Chair nominee Kevin Warsh in the Banking Committee, citing his grave concerns about the independence of the Federal Reserve, which directly impacts inflation and the health of the U.S. economy.

“I oppose Mr. Walsh’s nomination today, and it comes at a critical time in our nation… We are not dealing with business as usual. These are not normal times… In fact, the president attempted to fire Governor Cook in the past year, and the President has repeatedly mused about firing Chair Powell because he won’t bend to his interest rate demands, doing so as recently as two weeks ago, and Mr. Warsh says he won’t answer hypothetical questions. These are the sorts of answers that matter when looking at the future of the Fed and whether the body remains an independent steward of the American economy, which matters to millions of families all across this country, even as they’re trying to make their lives work in this tough Trump economy,” said Senator Reverend Warnock.

“America’s markets are the envy of the world. Investors flock to the United States in large part because they trust that the Federal Reserve Board is free from political influence and political pressure. And working families in Georgia and across the country struggling in this Trump economy deserve to know that the Fed is on their side, maximizing their chances to keep a good-paying job and keeping their lives affordable, not on the side of the President’s poll numbers or his political concerns as we approach the midterms. Fed Independence is not theoretical. It matters to the everyday lives of working families, and for that reason, I vote no,” continued Senator Reverend Warnock.

Kevin Warsh’s response to Senator Warnock’s Questions for the Record (QFRs) referenced in the statement below can be found here.

Find the full transcript of the Senator’s remarks below and video HERE.

“I oppose Mr. Walsh’s nomination today, and it comes at a critical time in our nation. I respectfully disagree with the chair that the economy is improving. This is Trump’s economy, and I don’t think the folks back at home in Georgia, a year and a half into Mr. Trump’s administration, believe that this is somebody else’s economy other than Donald Trump. Which is why today’s nomination is critically important. It is a nomination that has been tainted by the real and persistent threats that President Trump has made to members of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors. The independence of the Fed is foundational to our system.

Mr. Walsh is correct that presidents and political leaders have previously called on the Federal Reserve to lower interest rates. But this is not just about interest rates. President Trump’s actions, including vicious attacks on current Chair Jerome Powell, as well as his illegal attempt to fire Governor Lisa Cook should give all of us pause and deep concern. And yes, the President continues to threaten to illegally fire Chair Powell. This is not normal, and any effort to characterize it as such is blatantly false.

We are not dealing with business as usual. These are not normal times. During last week’s hearing, we were limited to just five minutes of questioning, and the Chair encouraged me and others to submit additional written questions for the record, which I did with an open mind to this nomination and with the hope that Mr. Warsh would use this opportunity to provide us and the American people with more clarity into how he views the Fed’s dual mandate, Fed Independence and the state of the American economy, particularly when it comes to maximizing employment and making sure folks can afford to provide for their families.

The written answers I and others on this committee got back were so woefully insufficient that I was left wondering if Mr. Walsh even read our questions. Did he take this process seriously?

I want to read just one example. I asked. “if President Trump, or any future president, attempts to unlawfully fire you without cause, would you leave? Would you leave the Federal Reserve?” His response. “I will not answer hypothetical questions of this nature.”

That was his answer. Well, this isn’t a hypothetical question. In fact, the president attempted to fire Governor Cook in the past year, and the President has repeatedly mused about firing Chair Powell because he won’t bend to his interest rate demands, doing so as recently as two weeks ago, and Mr. Warsh says he won’t answer hypothetical questions.

These are the sorts of answers that matter when looking at the future of the Fed and whether the body remains an independent steward of the American economy, which matters to millions of families all across this country, even as they’re trying to make their lives work in this tough Trump economy.

America’s markets are the envy of the world. Investors flock to the United States in large part because they trust that the Federal Reserve Board is free from political influence and political pressure. And working families in Georgia and across the country struggling in this Trump economy deserve to know that the Fed is on their side, maximizing their chances to keep a good-paying job and keeping their lives affordable, not on the side of the President’s poll numbers or his political concerns as we approach the midterms.

Fed Independence is not theoretical. It matters to the everyday lives of working families, and for that reason, I vote no.”

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Welch, Balint Host Roundtable on Election Integrity with Vermont Secretary of State Copeland Hanzas and Vermont Town Clerks

SHELBURNE, VT – U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.), a member of the Senate Judiciary and Rules Committees, alongside U.S. Representative Becca Balint (D-VT-AL), Vice Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Committee, today hosted a roundtable discussion at the Shelburne Town Offices with Vermont Secretary of State Sarah Copeland Hanzas and Town Clerks to defend the integrity of free and fair elections in Vermont.

“The SAVE America Act is a scam—it’s a bill in search of a problem. Representative Balint and I know it, and so do Vermont’s leaders, town clerks, and voters. In Vermont, our town clerks are on the front lines of protecting our democracy, and their hard work is essential to continuing our state’s proud history of high voter participation and secure elections. This bill would jeopardize that legacy by endangering the rights of thousands of eligible Vermonters to exercise their right to vote,” said Senator Welch. “President Trump and Republicans’ push for this bill—which would disenfranchise millions of voters right before the 2026 midterm elections—is no accident. We’re doing everything in our power to kill this bill, keep the integrity of Vermont’s elections strong, and ensure that every eligible voter can exercise their fundamental right to have a say in our democracy.”

“Our town clerks are the backbone of our democracy,” said Rep. Balint. “At a time when there’s widespread misinformation about elections, it’s especially important for Vermonters to hear directly from the people who administer our elections. They are dedicated public servants who do their work with care, transparency, and integrity. I appreciated the opportunity to hear from our state and local officials today about the safeguards already in place and the challenges they’re addressing. I know Vermonters want us all to keep working together to keep our elections free, fair, and secure.”

Town Clerks from Burlington, St. Johnsbury, Winooski, Brattleboro, Morrisville, and Shelburne attended to discuss the voting process and share the many steps taken to ensure fair, secure elections in Vermont. Diana Vachon, Shelburne Town Clerk, is the President of the Vermont Municipal Clerks’ and Treasurers’ Association (VMCTA).

View photos from the event below:

The Vermont Congressional Delegation opposes to President Trump’s executive orders on voting and Republicans’ Save America Act, which threaten to block millions of U.S. citizens from voting—disproportionately impacting women, people of color, seniors, and rural voters—and make it harder to register and vote by disrupting online registration and eliminating universal mail-in voting.

Senator Welch has denounced President Trump and Republicans’ efforts to disenfranchise voters with the SAVE America Act from the floor of the U.S. Senate. In February, Senator Welch joined Senate Rules Committee Democrats for a public forum underscoring how President Trump’s unconstitutional threats to “take over” federal elections and Republicans’ SAVE America Act endanger the voting rights of millions of Americans and jeopardize the integrity of U.S. elections.

Senator Welch is a long-time supporter of the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, legislation that would update and restore critical safeguards of the original Voting Rights Act of 1965 that have been eroded in recent years by federal court rulings.

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Welch, Kim Urge DHS Secretary Mullin to Improve FEMA, Protect Agency from Staffing Cuts, and Deliver Meaningful Reform

Senators: “As the agency turns a new page, under your leadership, we write to outline several priorities that we hope to advance together.”

WASHINGTON, D.C. — In a letter sent this week, U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, alongside U.S. Senator Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Ranking Member of the Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs Committee’s Subcommittee, which oversees FEMA, urged Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Markwayne Mullin to pursue meaningful Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) reform, including improving the agency’s disaster response and recovery timeline.

Senators Welch and Kim also encouraged Secretary Mullin to support the nomination of an experienced FEMA Administrator, ensure FEMA is adequately staffed, and cooperate with congressional oversight and Office of the Inspector General (OIG) investigations. The Senators also requested a meeting with their former Senate colleague to discuss these priorities.

The Senators highlighted how delays in approving disaster aid requests were a persistent issue under former DHS Secretary Kristi Noem: “Delays in approving disaster aid requests were a persistent issue under your predecessor. Former Secretary Noem instituted a policy requiring her approval of all expenses exceeding $100,000. Rather than improving fiscal efficiency, this policy all but paralyzed FEMA’s ability to serve the American people in a timely manner. As of September 2025, former Secretary Noem’s policy had delayed approval of or left approval pending for 1,034 contract, grant, or disaster assistance awards. In Vermont alone, there are 108 pending home buyouts attributable to catastrophic flooding in 2023 and 2024 that represent over $35 million in aid. Delays in aid stall communities’ progress toward recovery after disasters… We support your decision to eliminate former Secretary Noem’s approval threshold policy. We also look forward to working with you to find more ways to streamline FEMA’s funding approval process and ensure disaster aid reaches people in need in a timely manner.”

The Senators continued to urge Secretary Mullin to swiftly support an experienced FEMA Administrator and improve staffing and culture at the agency: “A lack of consistent, qualified leadership at FEMA has compromised the Agency’s mission. FEMA is currently operating under its third temporary head in fifteen months, fueling widespread uncertainty among employees and policy whiplash that hampers the Agency’s ability to fulfill its mission. . . . We urge you to swiftly fulfill your commitment to ensure an experienced emergency manager is nominated to run FEMA. FEMA also requires consistent staffing to carry out its emergency management and disaster response duties. We have already seen the consequences of ill-considered staffing cuts carried out by former Secretary Noem. In January 2026, in the face of a major winter storm, the Agency scrambled to pause the termination of roughly 200 disaster workers. While we are thankful these employees are being offered the opportunity to return, FEMA is still facing a dire workforce shortage.”

The Senators underscored how, under former Secretary Noem’s leadership, DHS routinely ignored or delayed responding to legislative oversight inquiries: “We also hope that you will promote a culture of transparency and accountability at DHS and within FEMA. . . . Under former Secretary Noem’s leadership, DHS routinely ignored or delayed responding to legislative oversight requests—including requests related to the FEMA Review Council. Senators also have not received responses to questions for the record (QFR) from former Secretary Noem’s March 3rd hearing in the Senate Committee on the Judiciary. We ask that your Department promptly respond to these outstanding requests, which we have enclosed for your review. Finally, according to the DHS Office of Inspector General (OIG), your predecessor obstructed multiple OIG investigations. We urge you to reverse course and allow the OIG to complete its work.”

The Senators concluded: “We also hope to work with you to reaffirm FEMA’s independence within DHS. Secretaries have always had some level of leadership and control over the actions at FEMA. However, after the failed response to Hurricane Katrina, Congress passed the Post-Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act (PKEMRA), which established FEMA as an independent entity within DHS. PKEMRA limits the DHS Secretary’s authority over FEMA’s mission and responsibilities. Former Secretary Noem repeatedly violated PKEMRA by directing actions at FEMA that weakened our emergency management capabilities. We urge you to work with Congress and comply with PKEMRA, allowing FEMA to make its own necessary decisions to help our nation before, during, and after disasters. We are thankful for the actions you have taken so far to comply with this law.”

Read and download Senators Welch and Kim’s full letter to DHS Secretary Mullin.

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Welch Leads Eleven Colleagues in Demanding Answers about U.S. and Israeli Military’s Adherence to International Law in the Middle East

1. Do U.S. forces under your command coordinate military targets with Israeli forces as part

of Operation Epic Fury?

2. Have forces under your command provided refueling services, intelligence, or other

assistance for Israeli imposition of evacuation zones in Lebanon and/or Iran?

3. Have you received any intelligence assessments or analyses on the military utility of

Israel’s mass evacuation zones in Lebanon and/or Iran?

4. Have you signed off on U.S. military support to the establishment, enforcement, or

targeting of any persons or infrastructure in evacuation zones?

5. Have any personnel under your command raised any concerns or provided any legal

analysis on Israeli unilateral designation of evacuation zones or targeting decisions in

such zones to you, anyone in your chain of command, the Office of the Staff Judge

Advocate, CENTCOM or DOD’s Office of Inspector General, or DOD’s Office of the

General Counsel? If so, provide a copy of any such reports or communications to the

Judiciary, Intelligence, Armed Services, and Foreign Relations/Affairs committees.

6. Have any personnel under your command shared intelligence with the Israeli government

that could be used to support the creation, enforcement, or targeting of evacuation zones

in Lebanon and/or Iran? Has anyone under your command analyzed whether such sharing

would violate the terms of any intelligence sharing agreements with regards to the use of

any U.S.-provided intelligence in operations that might violate international law, U.S.

law, and the laws of armed conflict?


Welch, Min Launch Bicameral Oversight Investigation into Trump Pardons Amid Corruption Concerns

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on The Constitution, alongside U.S. Representative Dave Min (D-CA-47), Member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform and Chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus’ Anti-Corruption Task Force, announced a bicameral, sweeping oversight effort into a series of pardons and commutations issued by President Trump that raise serious concerns about corruption, transparency, and abuse of executive power.

The lawmakers sent letters to 17 individuals who received pardons or commutations under circumstances that warrant further congressional scrutiny, including several individuals connected to major fraud schemes, financial crimes, and high-profile political or financial relationships tied to President Trump and his associates. The letters seek information regarding the clemency process, including whether financial contributions, lobbyists, intermediaries, or personal connections played a role in securing presidential clemency.

“Executive clemency has historically been understood as an act of grace exercised in the interest of justice and the public welfare, but it cannot become a tool for political favoritism, corruption, or pay-to-play dealings,” said the lawmakers. “At a moment when Americans are already losing faith in our institutions, Congress has a responsibility to conduct oversight and ensure that no one, including a sitting President, is above accountability.”

The lawmakers’ letters seek information regarding:

The process by which clemency requests were initiated and considered;

Whether intermediaries, lobbyists, or advocates were involved;

Any contacts with Trump administration officials or associates;

Whether financial contributions or payments were made in connection with clemency efforts; and

The extent of third-party advocacy supporting the requests.

Among the individuals receiving letters are convicted fraudsters, political fundraisers, corporate executives, and wealthy donors, such as Changpeng Zhao, whose cases have generated public reporting suggesting unusual access to Trump’s network of political allies and associates, direct lobbying efforts, large political donations, or other concerning connections surrounding their clemency requests. This measure is also supported by Rep. Raul Ruiz (D-CA-25).

A full list of letter recipients can be found here.

A full list of the letters can be found here.

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Welch Statement on FEMA Review Council’s Report

BURLINGTON, VT—U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.) released the following statement on the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Review Council’s recently-released recommendations to slash the agency in half:

“FEMA is essential in the aftermath of a disaster, but there’s no question the long-term recovery processes within the agency are too slow, too bureaucratic, and too difficult to navigate. Vermont knows this frustrating reality firsthand. The FEMA Review Council’s recommendations to the White House include many commonsense proposals to cut red tape, but the Council ultimately fails to address the reality that extreme weather, a consequence of climate change, will only get worse in the coming years. This is not the time to limit our response capacity,” said Senator Welch. “Our communities need to know that the federal government will be there to help when disaster hits. We can fix the problems that exist within FEMA without starving the agency of the resources it needs to help communities recovering from disaster. My bill, the Disaster AID Act, protects and reforms FEMA, and I urge my colleagues to lend their support.”

Senator Welch called on the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to release the FEMA Review Council’s full, unaltered report following reports former-Secretary Kristi Noem heavily edited the report and recommendations. This week, he joined Sen. Andy Kim (D-N.J.) in writing to Secretary Mullin, urging the Secretary to pursue meaningful FEMA reform, including improving the agency’s disaster response and recovery timeline. The Senators also encouraged Sec. Mullin to support the nomination of an experienced FEMA Administrator, ensure FEMA is adequately staffed, and cooperate with congressional oversight and Office of the Inspector General (OIG) investigations.

Senator Welch has been outspoken in opposing attempts by the Trump Administration to dismantle FEMA. The Senator published a guest essay in The New York Times entitled: “Don’t Kill FEMA. Fix It.” In his piece, Senator Welch outlined why President Trump’s actions to undermine and potentially dissolve FEMA are misguided—but also committed to working on good faith efforts to reform the agency’s long-term recovery process.

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Whitehouse Statement on RI General Assembly Leadership Changes

Providence, RI – U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse today released the following statement regarding leadership changes at the Rhode Island General Assembly:

“I commend Joe Shekarchi on a highly productive and successful speakership. He has been a wonderful partner for our federal delegation, particularly on the issues of increasing the state’s housing supply and creating more opportunities for Rhode Islanders, and he has been a long-time personal friend. I wish him all the best as he pursues a seat on the state Supreme Court, as I have long argued that political experience can be a valuable asset on the bench.

“I want to congratulate the incoming leadership team, Representatives Blazejewski and Kazarian. I have confidence that they will be great stewards of the General Assembly as they head into the height of the legislative session to deliver for Rhode Islanders.”


Merkley, Bonamici, Oregon Delegation: FEMA Must Approve Waivers for Two Critical Disaster Mitigation Projects in Oregon

Washington, D.C. – Today, Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley and Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01) led a letter with their Democratic colleagues in the Oregon congressional delegation—Senator Ron Wyden, Representatives Val Hoyle (OR-04), Andrea Salinas (OR-06), Maxine Dexter (OR-03), and Janelle Bynum (OR-05)—urging the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to approve waivers for and to fully fund two projects in Oregon that were funded under the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program.

“Amidst the suspension of the BRIC program, these projects were forced to proceed to construction because recipients could not afford further delays without severely increasing project costs or jeopardizing the overall success of the project. The delay in funding has created substantial stress on these rural communities,” wrote the Oregon delegation to DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin.

The BRIC program—which the Trump Administration attempted to end last year—provides grants for hazard mitigation planning and projects that reduce risks posed by natural hazards to communities.

The two projects in Oregon were forced to break ground pre-award and now require a waiver to access their funding. More details about these projects can be found below:

Clatsop County Columbia Memorial Hospital: FEMA selected Clatsop County and Columbia Memorial Hospital to receive $14 million in BRIC funding to build a tsunami-resilient hospital expansion in Astoria, featuring a vertical evacuation structure for 1,900 people. The recipients had begun spending down the funds when the BRIC program was suspended. The construction portion of the project was forced to begin in early 2026 due to the short construction window available.

Grants Pass Water Treatment Plant Relocation: The City of Grants Pass was selected to receive $50 million in BRIC funding to relocate their Water Treatment Plant outside their Special Flood Hazard Area to prevent system failure during a flooding event in Grants Pass. The project broke ground in July 2025 and is about 20 percent complete.

The lawmakers directed, “Communities across Oregon have relied on BRIC funding to ensure their resiliency in the face of future natural disasters. These, mostly rural, communities that FEMA selected for BRIC funding in prior years all have significant need for the assistance. We urge you to ensure the swift completion of applicable waivers, reviews, and release of funds, in accordance with previous commitments.”

The lawmakers also urged FEMA to promptly award funding for 19 additional projects in Oregon that were selected for funding in Fiscal Year 2022 and Fiscal Year 2023.

Previously, Merkley, Wyden, and Bonamici led the charge to save the BRIC Program. They joined over 80 of their Senate and House colleagues in a bipartisan effort to demand that former DHS Secretary Kristi Noem reinstate BRIC program funding. Merkley also led his Democratic colleagues in the Oregon delegation to denounce the cancellation of awards under the BRIC program to communities across the state.

Full text of the letter can be found by clicking here.

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Wyden, Colleagues Press FTC on Anti-Competitive Business Practices That Raise Grocery Prices and Worsen Food Insecurity

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Ron Wyden said today he has joined Senate colleagues to demand the Trump administration crack down on anti-competitive restrictive covenants that raise grocery prices and worsen food insecurity in Oregon and nationwide.

“When grocers leave a community, anti-competitive restrictive covenants further cement the harm caused by the initial loss of the store, leaving consumers without ready access to food or more exposed to high food prices with fewer choices to seek better deals,” Wyden and the other senators wrote to Federal Trade Commission Chair Andrew Ferguson. “Additionally, when a grocery store closes, communities often lose a neighborhood pharmacy, and anti-competitive restrictive covenants can prolong pharmacy deserts.”

Restrictive covenants are legally binding conditions written into property sale, purchase, and lease agreements that can be used to block a competitor’s access to a local market. They are particularly prevalent in the grocery industry, allowing grocers to prevent their competitors from opening in their storefronts after they have closed down. This can increase food prices, perpetuate food insecurity, and create food deserts.

“Americans are struggling with rising prices, and anti-competitive corporate lawfare should not be a reason costs stay high,” the lawmakers concluded.

The senators requested answers to the following questions no later than May 15, 2026:

Does the FTC consider covenants restricting the use of land by competitors an unfair method of competition?

Is the FTC able to regulate anti-competitive restrictive covenants through existing authorities?

Has the FTC collected data on the use of anti-competitive restrictive covenants? a. If so:

Has the FTC collected data on the impact of anti-competitive restrictive covenants on consumer prices, including food prices?

Has the FTC collected data on the impact of anti-competitive restrictive covenants on consumers’ access to food and medicine?

Has the FTC collected data regarding the impact of anti-competitive restrictive covenants by large grocery chains on market share?

Has the FTC collected data on the impacts of anti-restrictive covenants on small businesses?

Wyden has been a champion in the fight against food insecurity. In January 2026, Wyden reintroduced legislation that would ensure Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients in Oregon and nationwide who also depend on Social Security income are not cut off due to incremental changes to their income. During the 2025 government shutdown, Wyden introduced legislation that would allow grocery stores nationwide to voluntarily offer discounts to SNAP recipients whenever a government shutdown prevents them from getting their full benefits, if they choose to.

The letter was led by U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y. In addition to Wyden, the letter was signed by U.S. Senators Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., and Cory Booker, D-N.J.


Wyden leads Oregon Democrats to Fight To Protect Mifepristone Access, Women’s Health Care, And FDA Authority

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Ron Wyden said today he is leading Senate and House colleagues, including U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley and U.S. Representatives Suzanne Bonamici, Andrea Salinas, Val Hoyle, Janelle Bynum and Maxine Dexter, in filing an amicus brief to the Supreme Court urging them to overturn a Fifth Circuit decision that would upend the FDA approval process and restrict access to mifepristone.

The lawmakers argued that mifepristone already undergoes a rigorous FDA approval process, and the medication has repeatedly been found to be safe and effective. A court overturning this decision would limit who could receive this vital and life-saving medication. This decision also undermines the longstanding, congressionally mandated, and evidence-based decision-making process at the FDA.

“For more than a quarter century, FDA has repeatedly and consistently affirmed that mifepristone is safe. Over seven million patients in the U.S. have safely used mifepristone. And as with other drugs, FDA continues to monitor the post-marketing safety data on mifepristone—data confirming that mifepristone is safe without regard to how it is dispensed,” the lawmakers wrote.

The lawmakers also argued that the Fifth Circuit ruling was clearly not based on the merits of the distribution method of mifepristone, or the scientific backing of the medication, but rather a desire to limit the ability of individuals to receive abortion medication. The emergency stay is necessary to ensure that Louisiana cannot deny medically appropriate care to patients far beyond the state’s borders.

“Decades after FDA’s initial approval of mifepristone and years after the in-person dispensing requirement was eliminated, the Fifth Circuit on an ‘emergency’ basis ordered FDA to re-impose this onerous nationwide restriction on all Americans. Allowing that decision to remain in place undermines the science-based statutory framework Congress commands and threatens patient access to reproductive health care,” the lawmakers continued. “As has been well publicized, many U.S. residents in states where abortion is legal live far from any reproductive health care provider. Reinstating an in-person dispensing requirement for mifepristone exacerbates an already significant reproductive health crisis by limiting access to the most common method of early abortion.”

“Preserving evidence-based access to mifepristone, including when dispensed by mail or retail pharmacy, is necessary to mitigate the imminent harm facing members of the public. Women deserve access to mifepristone for reproductive health care, and all Americans deserve integrity in the congressionally mandated, evidence-based process for FDA’s drug regulatory decisions,” the lawmakers concluded.

This brief follows emergency appeals from the manufacturers of mifepristone, the Supreme Court issuing a temporary stay of the decision Monday morning until next Monday, May 11, and the announcement that the Court has ordered briefing on the stay by this Thursday, May 7.

Oregon Democrats have long been champions for expanding access to women’s essential health care. In 1990, Wyden chaired the first ever congressional hearing on mifepristone. In 2023, Wyden introduced the My Body, My Data Act, which would have created a new national standard to protect reproductive and sexual health data. In 2025, Wyden and Merkley condemned the Trump administration’s politicization of the scientific review process at the FDA and the unnecessary call for review of mifepristone.

The amicus brief was led by Wyden and U.S. Senators Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., Patty Murray, D-Wash., Dick Durbin, D-Ill., and U.S. Representatives Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., Katherine Clark, D-Mass., Frank Pallone Jr., D-N.J., Diane DeGette, D-Colo., Jamie Raskin, D-Md., and Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass. In addition to Merkley, Bonamici, Salinas, Hoyle, Bynum and Dexter, the amicus brief was signed by 43 Democratic U.S. Senators and 201 Democratic U.S. Representatives.


Yakym: “No Tax on RV Loans”

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Rudy Yakym (R-IN-02) and Congresswoman Dina Titus (D-NV-01) introduced legislation (H.R. 8672) that would eliminate taxes on RV loans. The bill would extend the Working Families Tax Cut’s no tax on auto loans provision to trailers, campers, and RVs.

“For millions of American families, an RV is how they take a summer road trip with the kids, see the country, or enjoy retirement on the open road,” Rep. Yakym said. “It’s a big investment, and it should be treated like one. As the congressman representing the RV capital of America, I hear from manufacturers and dealers all the time about what this relief would mean for working families. This bill is simple: if you’re paying interest on an RV loan, you should be able to deduct it.”

“For many families and tourists across the country, there is no better way to experience our national parks and beautiful natural landscapes than from an RV,” Rep. Titus said. “This bipartisan legislation will help make that more affordable, allowing even more people to explore Nevada and boosting our outdoor recreation in these challenging economic times.”

This legislation has gained the support of several members of the RV industry including the RV Industry Association.

“We applaud Representatives Yakym and Titus for their leadership in introducing this bill to include all RVs in the No Tax on Vehicle Loan Interest provision,” Craig Kirby, RV Industry Association President & CEO said. “By restoring travel trailers to the classification of ‘applicable passenger vehicles,’ this essential legislation ensures the tax benefits are applied fairly across the industry. Correcting this discrepancy is a vital step in keeping RVing affordable for consumers and supporting the continued success of our $140 billion American industry. We strongly urge Congress to act quickly and pass this important legislation.”

Read full bill text HERE.

Background:

Indiana’s Second District is home to Elkhart County, which manufactures roughly 80 percent of all recreational vehicles sold in the United States. The RV industry supports tens of thousands of Indiana jobs and drives billions in economic activity each year.

The legislation applies to RV loan interest on indebtedness incurred after December 31, 2025, and covers a broad range of vehicles including trailers, campers, and motor vehicles designed for recreational or seasonal living quarters.

More than 11 million American households own an RV, and millions more hit the road each summer for family vacations, camping trips, and travel. Restoring the interest deduction would lower the cost of ownership for families across the country.

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Rep. Young Kim Leads Bill to Deter CCP Aggression Against Taiwan

WASHINGTON D.C. — Today, Congresswoman Young Kim (CA-40), Chairwoman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on East Asia and the Pacific, introduced the Deter PRC Aggression Against Taiwan Act to put Beijing on notice and ensure the United States has a coordinated sanctions strategy ready should the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) move to take physical or political control of Taiwan.

The legislation establishes an interagency task force, or “Tiger Team,” to evaluate existing and new sanctions authorities and other economic measures, identify PRC targets of such sanctions, and improve allied economic coordination to deter aggression against Taiwan.

“Xi Jinping has directed the People’s Liberation Army to be ready to invade Taiwan by 2027. China has a plan. America should have one too,” said Rep. Young Kim. “Deterrence only works if our adversaries know we are prepared to act decisively. This bill sends a clear message to Beijing: any move against Taiwan will come with swift, coordinated, and devastating economic consequences.”

“China’s aggression threatens not just Taiwan, but the broader stability of the Indo-Pacific,” said Rep. Olszewski. I’m proud to co-lead this bill to ensure the United States is ready with a coordinated and effective response if Beijing uses force against Taiwan. The best way to prevent conflict is to be fully prepared before it starts.”

This legislation will establish a China Sanctions Task Force led by the State Department and Treasury Department to:

Identify PRC-linked entities, industries, and individuals to target with sanctions in the event of a Chinese invasion of Taiwan;

Prepare coordinated sanctions and economic response strategies before a crisis occurs;

Align sanctions planning and economic countermeasures with U.S. allies and partners;

Assess gaps in U.S. sanctions authorities, enforcement capabilities, and interagency coordination;

Develop mitigation tools, exemptions, and carve-outs to reduce unintended harm to American businesses and consumers;

Provide recommendations to Congress on improving sanctions readiness and coordination against China.


Carbajal Recognized by International Propeller Club

This week, U.S. Representative Salud Carbajal (D-CA-24) was recognized by the International Propeller Club and received the Frank Courtenay “Salute to Congress” Award for championing legislation to support the American maritime industry. The Salute to Congress Award recognizes members of the U.S. Congress for their leadership and support of the American maritime industry.

“I am honored to receive this recognition from the International Propeller Club, an organization that understands the importance of investing in our maritime industry,” said Rep. Carbajal. “Throughout my time in Congress, I have been committed to protecting the Jones Act, revitalizing the U.S.-flagged fleet, and ensuring that our ports remain competitive. Moving forward, I am committed to bolstering the Jones Act, the Maritime Security Program, and cargo preference laws to revitalize the American maritime industry.”

Carbajal served as Chairman of the House Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Subcommittee in the 117th Congress and has served as Ranking Member of the Subcommittee in the 118th and 119th Congresses.

In 2020, Carbajal’s Small Passenger Vessel Safety Act was signed into law at the end of the 116th Congress as part of the Elijah E. Cummings Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2020. This bill closes loopholes to improve safety in small passenger vessels.

As Chairman of the Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Subcommittee, Carbajal’s Small Passenger Vessel Liability Fairness Act was signed into law in 2022. The bill updates antiquated liability laws so that victims and their families receive fair compensation in the wake of maritime accidents onboard small vessels.

In addition, as Chairman of the House Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Subcommittee, Rep. Salud Carbajal helped lead congressional efforts to address supply chain disruptions and strengthen oversight of the shipping industry to reduce everyday costs for all Americans. In 2022, Carbajal joined President Joe Biden at the White House for the signing of the bipartisan Ocean Shipping Reform Act into law.