Lee, Colleagues Demand Answers from Brown University on Failure to Prevent On-Campus Killings

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Mike Lee (R-UT), along with a coalition of his colleagues in the House and Senate, demanded answers from Brown University regarding the school's shocking negligence resulting in a recent on-campus killing. The university sacrificed safety equipment to pacify woke ideologues and adopted a blatantly anti-police posture, leaving students hopelessly vulnerable to an on-campus attack that killed two students and injured nine – all while Brown’s alert system lagged for a stunning and deadly seventeen minutes.

“Brown University abandoned its students, choosing to virtue signal rather than protect them from being killed on their own campus,” said Senator Mike Lee. “In the last five years alone, Brown University has ignored attack threats, undermined their own campus police force, and apologized for using security cameras when woke activists called them a ‘tool of oppression’ – all while dorms were broken into and robbed year after year. This is shockingly ridiculous and abhorrently negligent. The tragic on-campus killings in December may have been averted had Brown not chosen optics over their students’ safety. I demand answers and accountability for these victims and their families.”

Senators Katie Britt (R-AL), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Ted Cruz (R-TX), Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) and Representatives Elise Stefanik (R-NY), Robert Aderholt (R-AL), Mike Lawler (R-NY), Barry Moore (R-AL), Mike Rogers (R-AL), Dale Strong (R-AL), and Gary Palmer (R-AL) are the letter’s additional signees.

“We write as concerned Members of the United States Congress to express profound outrage and demand accountability for the tragic and preventable murders that occurred on the Brown University campus on December 13, 2025. The deaths of Ella Cook, Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov, and the wounding of nine others were not unforeseeable tragedies. Public reporting, sworn testimony, police union statements, Brown’s public records, and the assailant’s own words clearly establish that these deaths were made possible by more than a decade of deliberate policy decisions that prioritized activists’ radical demands over student safety,” wrote the members of Congress.

The members of Congress go on to recount Brown University’s consistent caving to far-left, anti-law enforcement activists, putting the safety and security of their students at risk, noting the following:

“After more than a decade of poor choices, Brown leadership’s decisions left its campus and students vulnerable on December 13, 2025. The University had only five officers on duty, a system of non-functional or unstaffed security cameras, and ignored multiple warnings from campus employees about the assailant. These alarming failures, compounded by an incomprehensible 17-minute delay in activating the BrownAlert system, allowed the assailant to fire off 44 unchallenged shots – killing two innocent students and injuring nine others. Brown’s mistakes were not isolated lapses; they were the predictable outcome of an institutional culture so corroded that it treated legitimate law enforcement and physical security as ideological threats rather than essential protections.”

Read exclusive coverage by The Free Press here.

Read the full text of the letter here.

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Graham Introduces Legislation That Supports South Carolina Textile Industry and Continues His Push to Buy American

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) today introduced the Coast Guard Personnel Equipment Act, which would require all U.S. Coast Guard uniforms to be produced in the United States. Graham has long championed legislation that supports a secure and reliable domestic supply chain for the textile industry, and cracks down on foreign actors that try to exploit U.S. trade laws.

“For too long, America-last policies have led to an over-reliance on other nations for essentials, including military clothing, putting our national security in jeopardy. My legislation would end this practice by ensuring uniforms for all branches of the armed forces are made in the USA,” said Senator Graham. “I’m proud to stand with President Trump in support of American workers and consumers. A secure and reliable domestic supply chain for the textile industry not only impacts readiness but also our economy. The Coast Guard Personnel Equipment Act would greatly benefit South Carolina’s textile producers and workers, who have been gravely undercut by unfair trade practices for decades.”

“We sincerely thank Senator Graham for his leadership in extending the Berry Amendment’s domestic sourcing requirements to the U.S. Coast Guard. Under this important bill, the men and women of our United States Coast Guard will be guaranteed access to the same high quality, American-made uniforms and personal gear that are provided to all other members of our armed forces,” said National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO) President and CEO Kim Glas. “This is also an important step in strengthening our nation’s warm industrial base for the production of mission critical U.S.-made textiles, uniforms, and gear to meet our national security needs.”

In February, Graham encouraged President Trump to take executive action to ensure that all federal law enforcement uniforms are made in the United States, following reports that U.S. federal law enforcement uniforms are made in foreign countries. In March, President Trump signed an executive order to increase scrutiny on fake “Made in USA” claims, and this week echoed calls for federal agencies to buy American.

Background on Graham’s Coast Guard Personnel Equipment Act:

Under current law, all branches of the U.S. Armed Forces – except the U.S. Coast Guard – are barred from purchasing clothes, fabrics, fibers, yarns, and other materials that are produced overseas. Graham’s bill would extend this prohibition to include the Coast Guard, ensuring no branch of the U.S. Armed Forces relies on a foreign country for personal equipment.

This legislation also seeks to support America’s domestic textile industry. As a major contributor to the South Carolina economy, Graham has fought to protect the textile industry and its workers from unfair foreign competition.

The full text of the bill is available HERE.

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Graham Reaffirms Strong Support For Law Enforcement During National Police Week

WASHINGTON – During National Police Week, U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) reaffirmed his strong support for law enforcement and the work they do to protect our communities and the United States. This week, several Graham-supported measures advanced through the legislative process and during his current Senate term, Graham has secured millions in federal funding for South Carolina law enforcement entities.

“Throughout my time in the Senate, I have been unequivocal in my support for our nation’s law enforcement officers. These heroic men and women risk their lives each day to keep our communities safe. As elected officials, we have an obligation to have their backs, not just in our words but by our actions,” said Senator Graham. “I am proud to have played a part in moving forward several pieces of pro-cop legislation during National Police Week and providing South Carolina’s law enforcement with the resources they need to keep us safe. These bills represent the commitment we owe our law enforcement officers by expanding resources available to police departments, ensuring officers receive the benefits and care that they have earned and honoring those who made the ultimate sacrifice.”

Graham-Sponsored Medal of Sacrifice Act Heads to President’s Desk

Earlier this week, Graham’s Medal of Sacrifice Act passed the Senate unanimously. This legislation, which now heads to President Trump’s desk, establishes a presidential award to posthumously honor police officers and other first responders killed in the line of duty.

Graham Cosponsors Police Week Resolution Remembering South Carolina Officers Killed in the Line of Duty

Graham co-sponsored the Senate’s resolution designating the week of May 10 through May 16, 2026, as “National Police Week”. The resolution recognizes three South Carolina police officers killed in the line of duty last year: Darlington County Sheriff Deputy Devin Mason, Florence County Sheriff Deputy Nate Ansay and South Carolina Highway Patrol Trooper First Class Dennis Ricks. Earlier this week, Graham also shared his condolences after Greenwood Police Officer Don “DJ” Keller was killed in the line of duty.

South Carolina Law Enforcement Receives Millions in Graham-Secured Funding

Throughout his term, Graham has demonstrated his consistent commitment to law enforcement by securing over $13 million for public safety agencies across South Carolina. As part of the most recent funding cycle, Graham delivered over $4 million in funding for police departments across the state, providing law enforcement officers with the means to more effectively and safely carry out their duties.

Six pro-law enforcement bills reported out of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Graham, a senior member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, co-sponsored the following pieces of pro-law enforcement legislation, all of which were voted out of committee today.

Lieutenant Osvaldo Albarati Stopping Prison Contraband Act (S. 736): Enhances safety and accountability measures in federal prisons by upgrading the penalty for smuggling or possessing a contraband cellphone in federal prison from a misdemeanor to a felony

Fighting Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Act of 2025 (S. 825): Directs the Justice Department to develop treatment programs for police, fire, emergency medical and 911 personnel who suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) or acute stress disorders

Promoting Police Leadership Act (S. 4394): Tasks the Justice Department with developing a broad training framework for commander-level personnel in consultation with state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies, academic institutions, and other relevant partners. It also establishes a voluntary certification process for the U.S. Attorney General to identify high-quality training programs that align with the broader DOJ framework and provide instruction to police departments

Officer John Barnes and Chief Michael Ansbro Public Safety Officers' Benefit Program Expansion Act of 2026 (S. 3897): Amends the Justice Department’s existing Public Safety Officers’ Benefits Program to speed up benefit determinations and reduce the current claims backlog

Carla Walker Act (S. 1890): Funds a pilot program for the Justice Department to use forensic genetic genealogy to investigate, solve, and prosecute cold cases and other hard-to-solve crimes

Tribal Warrant Fairness Act (S. 3041): Grants the United States Marshals Service (USMS) the authority to execute arrest warrants on behalf of Tribal law enforcement and allow the USMS to assist Tribal law enforcement in searching for missing children

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Heinrich, Luján Join Entire Senate Democratic Caucus in Backing Resolution Affirming Abortion Pill as Safe, Effective

FDA approved mifepristone for use over two decades ago

“Law and policy governing access to lifesaving, time-sensitive medication abortion care in the United States should be equitable, transparent, and based on the best available peer- reviewed evidence-based science.”

Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) joined U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisc.), Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), and the entire Senate Democratic caucus in reintroducing a resolution affirming that the abortion medication mifepristone is safe and effective, and underscoring that law and policy related to the medication must be equitable, transparent, and based on the best available peer-reviewed evidence-based science.

The resolution came hours before the Supreme Court’s administrative stay in Louisiana v. FDA — which, without action, would uphold the Fifth Circuit’s ruling threatening millions of women’s access to mifepristone, even in states where abortion is legal.

Alongside Heinrich and Luján, the resolution is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), John Fetterman (D-Pa.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Angus King (I-Maine), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.).

The resolution is endorsed by the following organizations: All* Above All, American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists, American Civil Liberties Union, Center for Reproductive Rights, EMAA Project, In Our Own Voice: National Black Women’s Reproductive Justice Agenda, National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum, National Council of Jewish Women, National Latina Institute for Reproductive Justice, National Network of Abortion Funds, National Partnership for Women and Families, National Women’s Law Center Action Fund, Physicians for Reproductive Health, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Power to Decide, and Reproductive Freedom for All (formerly NARAL Pro-Choice America).

“Mifepristone continues to be crucial to our ability to access abortion care— and that is precisely why abortion opponents have been relentless in their efforts to restrict it nationwide, including in states where abortion is legally protected,” said Jessica Arons, director of the Liberty Division for Policy and Government Affairs at the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). “As this resolution affirms, millions of people have used mifepristone to safely end pregnancies and treat miscarriages for more than 25 years, including by telemedicine. We thank Senator Warren for introducing legislation to set the record straight and push back on anti-abortion propaganda, and we call on Congress to protect the right to abortion and end this political interference with our personal healthcare decisions once and for all.”

The lawmakers first introduced this resolution in 2023, following the Supreme Court’s decision overturningRoe v. Wade, which sparked attacks on reproductive rights across the country. Since then, 20 states have banned or restricted access to abortion care.

Full text of the resolution is available here.

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Luján Introduces Legislation to Refund Customers for Network Outages

Introduction Follows Widespread Cell Phone Outage That Impacted Users Nationwide

Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Ranking Member of the Senate Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Telecommunications and Media, introduced the Outage Refund Guarantee Act, legislation to ensure consumers are fairly compensated for the time they are without the service they rely on. The Outage Refund Guarantee Act would require cable, DBS, internet, and telephone providers to issue credit for any service outage lasting more than four hours to ensure consumers are properly compensated for the service they pay for.

“In today’s world, reliable internet, cable, and phone service are no longer a convenience, but rather a necessity for everyday life,” said Senator Luján. “When an outage hits, it leaves thousands without the service they rely on for work, safety, and daily life. That’s why I’m introducing the Outage Refund Guarantee Act to ensure consumers are properly compensated for service outages. If you pay for a service, that’s what you should be getting.”

Specifically, the Outage Refund Guarantee Act:

Requires providers (cable, DBS, Internet, and telephone) to issue credit for any service outage lasting more than four hours. The credit is equal to 1/30 of the monthly bill for every period of four hours or more. Credits will be applied automatically to the consumer’s account, without the need for the consumer to take any action.

Requires the FCC to issue rules extending customer service requirements to DBS, voice, and broadband service provider, including requirements that customer service is accessible for those with disabilities.

Requires the FCC to issue rules requiring providers to maintain recordings of customer service calls for not less than one year and to release those recordings to a customer upon that customer’s request.

Bans “skip waiting” service fees.

Requires the FTC to issue rules with respect to telephone providers, cable providers, DBS providers, and internet providers to implement standards for missed service appointments.

Requires the FTC to issue rules with respect to telephone providers, cable providers, DBS providers, and internet providers to assess the burden of returning equipment for those with disabilities and/or non-drivers.

“In a time when junk fees are ubiquitous, the Outage Refund Act turns the tide by requiring providers to automatically credit consumers receive cable, phone, and internet outages,” said Susan Weinstock, CEO of the Consumer Federation of America. “The bill places the responsibility in the right place — the consumer should not be expected to beg for refunds on services they didn’t get. The Consumer Federation of America wholeheartedly supports passage of this legislation.”

“People rely on cable, internet, and telephone services to work, see healthcare providers, and stay in touch with family and friends, so long-term outages can be devastating,” said Olivia Wein, senior attorney at the National Consumer Law Center. “This bill eases the pain by ensuring that telecommunications providers issue refunds when they fail to deliver the services people rely on and pay for.”

“When a business doesn’t deliver the services people pay for, customers are owed a refund. This bill ensures that telecommunications providers are no exception to this common sense rule,” said Patrick Crotty, senior attorney at the National Consumer Law Center.

The Outage Refund Guarantee Act is supported by Public Knowledge and the National Consumer Law Center, on behalf of its low-income clients.

Full text of the legislation can be found here.

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Lummis Hails Historic Committee Passage of Her Digital Asset Legislation

Washington, D.C. — Senate Banking Subcommittee on Digital Assets Chair Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), released the following statement celebrating the bipartisan passage of her bill, the Digital Asset Market Structure Clarity Act of 2025, out of the Banking Committee by a 15 to 9 vote.

“After nearly a year of around-the-clock negotiations, I am incredibly proud of the product we have passed out of Committee today,” said Lummis. “This is a historic step forward for digital asset innovation, and I am grateful to Chairman Scott for his tireless efforts to move this legislation through Committee and my colleagues on both sides of the aisle who chose to put American leadership ahead of politics. Today’s passage out of Committee sends an unmistakable signal that the United States is not ceding the future of digital finance to anyone. I want to thank the industry, stakeholders, and every colleague who spent countless hours working to ensure we produced a bill worthy of this moment, and I believe we accomplished that goal. The United States has long been a beacon of innovation, and with final passage on the Senate floor, we are going to make sure it stays that way. Let’s finish what we started and cement America’s digital asset space for generations to come.”

In 2022, Senator Lummis joined Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) in introducing the Responsible Financial Innovation Act, a comprehensive bipartisan bill to establish the first regulatory framework for digital assets in the United States, dividing oversight jurisdiction between the SEC and CFTC.

In 2023, Senators Lummis and Gillibrand reintroduced the legislation.


Senators Markey, Merkley, Colleagues Sound the Alarm on Homeland Security Proposal to Develop Biometric Smart Glasses

Letter Text (PDF)

Washington (May 14, 2026) – Senators Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), member of the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) today led their colleagues in writing to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Markwayne Mullin demanding the agency abandon its dangerous proposal, included in DHS’s proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2027, to develop “smart glasses” for its immigration officers. These smart glasses would allow DHS officers to quickly identify individuals in public by covertly taking their photo and running it through biometric identification systems — such as facial recognition software — threatening the privacy and civil liberties of every person in the United States. Smart glasses are the latest example of the Trump administration’s growing surveillance state, which is intended to silence dissent and intimidate Trump’s political opponents.

Senators Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) also signed the letter.

In their letter, the Senators wrote, “Given DHS’s record during the Trump administration of exploiting surveillance technologies, we are deeply concerned that smart glasses will be abused by this administration. Over the past year, DHS has deployed biometric identification tools — including facial recognition technologies — to identify individuals engaged in protest activity, intimidate them, and deter lawful dissent. The Trump administration seems to relish these practices, which endanger the core democratic right to challenge the government without fear of punishment. Smart glasses would provide yet another opportunity for DHS to extend its surveillance capabilities and intimidate individuals across the country.”

Senator Markey has been leading efforts to hold ICE and DHS accountable for their gross violations of Americans’ First Amendment rights and their weaponization of surveillance technologies against peaceful protestors, immigrants, and American citizens.

On February 5, 2026, Senator Markey, along with Senator Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), and Representative Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), introduced the ICE Out of Our Faces Act, bicameral legislation that would ban ICE and CBP from acquiring and using facial recognition technology (FRT) and other biometric identification systems.

Also in February, Senator Markey wrote to ICE’s Acting Director Todd Lyons demanding that Lyons immediately confirm or deny reports that the agency is maintaining a so-called “domestic terrorists” database to track individuals protesting ICE activities.

In November 2025, Senator Markey wrote to CBP Commissioner Rodney S. Scott, urging the agency to immediately cease using a system of license plate readers (LPRs) and predictive algorithms to monitor the movements of individual Americans. CBP is reportedly using the system to “identify and detain people whose travel patterns it deems suspicious.”

Also in November, Senator Markey led his colleagues in requesting that ICE cease the use of their biometric phone application known as Mobile Fortify following a previous unanswered request.

In September, Senators Markey and Merkley wrote to ICE’s Acting Director Todd Lyons, demanding that ICE cease use of Mobile Fortify and requesting detailed information about its policies and practices surrounding the use of biometric technology.

In July, Senator Markey, along with Senators Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) and Schiff (D-Calif.), sent a letter to then-Secretary of DHS Kristi Noem on the DHS’s usage of Predator drones and aerial surveillance against peaceful protesters in Los Angeles. In the letter, the senators raised concerns about the threat to the protesters’ privacy and their constitutional rights that are guaranteed by the First Amendment.

In June, Senators Markey and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) wrote two letters to Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary Noem about the government’s use of artificial intelligence (AI) and other technologies to determine whether an individual poses a national security risk.

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Senator Marshall: Lowering the Cost of Living is My Biggest Priority

Senator Marshall Joins KQAM, The Voice of Reason with Andy Hooser

Washington – U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-Kansas), joined Andy Hooser on KQAM to discuss the Farm Bill, year-round E15, lowering the cost of fertilizers, regenerative agriculture, President Trump’s negotiations with China, and helping young Kansans achieve the American dream.

Click here to download the full video.

On passing the Farm Bill in the Senate:

“Well, as you can imagine, the Senate moves a little bit slower than the House does. Remind your listeners that we took care of crop insurance and reference prices in the Working Family Tax Cuts bill. We put another $65 billion into those programs, we doubled the death tax exemption, and we gave some farmers some great tax business benefits as well. So there’s not much of a Farm Bill left to do, but we’re very willing to do it. But here’s the holdup. The hold up is over food stamps and work requirements — that’s what the hold up is. In our Working Family Tax Cuts bill, we said that if you’re a working-age, healthy adult — you don’t have children at home — we would like for you to get a job. 20 hours a week, and if you can’t get a job, volunteer for 20 hours a week or do work training. So the Democrats over here are refusing to do a farm bill until we remove those work requirements. And personally, I just think most Kansans think that a job is a good thing to have. So we’ll see if the Democrats will come off to that end of it and let us get this passed. Because remember, we will need 60 votes over here, we can’t do it just with the simple majority.”

On year-round E15:

“Yeah, no, it’s a 90/10 issue. I think that 90% of Americans think having a job brings purpose and meaning to life. If you know, if you have an addiction or mental health problem, all those things, a job brings purpose to your life. Again, I think it’s a good thing. But more important than a farm bill is E15, Andy, that’s what I’m watching today. E15 would be like doubling our export market. If we export, let’s say, 2 billion bushels of corn a year—if we go to year-round E15, it’d be like increasing that by 50 or 100%. It gives us a constant market, so we’re not sitting there worrying about ‘Is China in? Is China out this year?’ as well. So we are keeping tabs to see if they pass the year-round E15 bill over in the House today — that’s what I got my eye on for the agriculture.”

On President Trump’s relationship with China:

“Well, of course, everyone needs to realize, and we do, that China is our strategic adversary, whether it’s economic or military or ideological — they’re an adversary. Their goal is to become a world power, and the President is going there with eyes wide open. You know the old saying, ‘Keep your friends close and keep your enemies closer.’ So I hate to call them an enemy—I’m not that guy—but certainly I’m disgusted with them. They steal from us, they steal intellectual property, they hoard certain rare earth minerals, this, that, and the other. And we brought this upon ourselves, right? So hopefully the President will bring, you know, keep moving forward, and he’ll use this tariff leverage as he has in the past. Once he left office — after Trump 45 — China stopped buying stuff because they didn’t have a hammer over their head. So he’s going to remind them that if they want to sell us stuff, they need to buy stuff from us as well. That’s what we call good business.”

On lowering the costs of ag inputs and fertilizers:

“Yeah, let’s talk about nitrogen fertilizers — nitrogen fertilizers are made from natural gas. Guess what we have an abundance of in America? Natural gas. But instead, we’re letting people over in the Middle East process the natural gas and then ship over the nitrogen fertilizer. So, you know, basically there’s a theme here in America right now — because of over-regulation, two or three companies will dominate 90% of an industry. So that’s true of fertilizers, of the seed industry, chemicals that my farmers buy as well, it’s true in the credit card business, it’s true in the pharmacy benefit manager business, and hospitals — you know, one or two hospitals dominate an entire market. So your listeners get that theme. So number one is we need to try to break up the monopolies, and number two, we need to try to bring in some smaller producers of fertilizers, which is what our bill does. And the other thing I’m really excited about, our bio-fertilizers. Rather than using these harsh chemicals, we got a company in Pratt, Kansas — Andy, I know you know where Pratt, Kansas is — they’re taking manure from the feed lots and processing that, heating it up, adding this and that. And it’s a healthy fertilizer that brings more microorganisms back into the soil, which leads to healthier food, more nutrient-rich food as well.”

On the cost savings of regenerative agriculture:

“It’s a great move. So regenerative agriculture is growing more with less, and more my farmers are doing this. So rather than plowing a field, they’re planting seeds right back into that field. So the soil is one of the three big carbon anchors in the world. You know, the other carbon anchors are, of course, the ocean and trees. So when you don’t turn that soil over, you leave more carbon in it, and then when you use less fertilizer and use these other, more modern techniques, then the food is healthier, and there’s less leakage — fertilizers and chemicals — from that field. And of course, well, that’s also a cost factor. If you can use less fertilizer, of course, that’s going to save the American farmer money as well. So proud of my American farmers practicing regenerative agriculture, and all this leads to healthier food that. There are nutrients in the soil that we don’t even know exist yet, and when some of these fertilizers and chemicals kill those natural nutrients, that’s why our food tastes so bland these days. Andy, I remember growing up, you know, when the strawberries were ripe, my brother and I and my sister would run out to the strawberry field on our family farm and just gorge ourselves on these strawberries. They tasted like candy, and the same with cantaloupe. So the foods have lost their taste because of the lack of nutrients in the soil.”

On passing another reconciliation bill to lower the cost of living:

“Yeah, so the first reconciliation bill we’re going to pass next week is to fund the Border Patrol and ICE officers. Only Republicans are willing to support funding ICE and Border Patrol. So we got to get that one done next week, and that leaves us an opportunity for Reconciliation 3.0. In my mind, we should be addressing the cost of living, Andy, and we should have five buckets. One of them is the cost of healthcare, and that would be my specialty — happy to dive into that one — then the cost of housing, the cost of childcare, the cost of property insurance, and then just the cost of gas and groceries, that type of thing as well. So, I think the whole focus here should be on bringing down the cost of living, and we know ways to do that. Our Price Tag bill in the healthcare sector would force every healthcare provider to show you the price up front. Look, if your doctor orders an MRI, you could do it in his office for 600 bucks, or go over to the hospital and do it for $6,000. Customers need to know that there’s a huge difference in the price. And I think once we make them shoppers again with today’s technology, we will bring down the cost of healthcare — I’m not kidding you — $1,000 to $2,000 a month per family.”

On cost of living in Kansas:

“Well, it’s the cost of living, that’s what folks want to talk about. It’s interesting, though, every business I visit is exploding, and they can’t keep up with the sales, they need more workforce, and this and that. And I think a lot of it is because of the tariffs on foreign stuff; people want to buy American-made goods. A window company out in Fort Scott, you know, comes to mind, and all the different people that make farm implements. So, everywhere I go, they tell me business is really good. The tax structures that we changed in the working family tax cuts to help small businesses out — you know, letting them do bonus depreciation and interest deductibility — it’s all coming to fruition. But there’s a group of people out there that are struggling, they’re typically under the age of 40. They’re folks that hadn’t bought their first home yet, their credit cards are maxed out, they have a big college loan, and they’re paying a lot for childcare. Those are the people who are struggling right now. And that’s my priority: how do we help these people, these working families, that are out there? We gave them some good tax breaks. People are getting, you know, the largest tax refund in American history right now as we speak. Those tax refund checks are coming back home, and that’s the help, but we got to give them relief on the home front, and it starts right there, at the kitchen table and at the gas pump.”

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Senator Marshall: President Trump is Always Working to Secure Deals for the American Farmer

Senator Marshall Joins Wake Up America on Newsmax

Washington – U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-Kansas), joined Newsmax’s Wake Up America to discuss the importance of President Trump’s trip to China and the impact of his ongoing trade negotiations for American Agriculture. He also highlighted his bill to bring down the cost of fertilizer, which could reduce prices by 20-25%.

Lastly, drawing on his experience as an OB-GYN, Senator Marshall praised the Trump administration for the launch of Moms.gov, a comprehensive resource for new and expecting moms across America.

Click here to download the full video.

On the importance of President Trump’s meeting with Chinese officials:

“Well, here’s President Trump, the dealmaker. This morning, they announced that they reopened some beef markets to China. China seems to only buy American agricultural products when President Trump is waving this hammer over their head, whether it’s tariffs or something else. And I just want to remind everybody that China needs the Strait of Hormuz open way more than the United States does. They are totally dependent upon the oil and natural gas coming out of there. So I think President Trump has the aces in his hands. He is doing what’s right for America. He’ll try to rebalance this trade relationship, and just like taking on Iran after presidents ignored it for 47 years, President Trump has taken on China as well. But he’s going into this with his eyes wide open, right? His eyes are wide open. He realizes that they are a strategic adversary, whether militarily, economically, or ideologically speaking. So, I trust President Trump. This is his sweet spot out there — making a deal for America.”

On the Trump administration’s support for American farmers:

“Yeah, look, a couple things. The way the American farmer makes money is when we have a value-added product — when we turn corn into beef, or when we turn sorghum into ethanol and export those products. So that’s what I’m really excited about. Corn exports under President Trump were actually up about 20% last year. Corn and ethanol exports are both projected to be up some 20% this year as well. President Trump is insisting, ‘Look, if we’re buying all these products from China, why are you buying Brazilian soybeans over American soybeans?’ And we know China understands that he means business as well, so we’re trusting it. We trust President Trump to go over there and make a great deal for us. No one has done more for American agriculture and rural America than President Trump, Secretary Rollins, and a Republican-led Congress.”

On his bill to bring down the costs of fertilizer:

“Yeah, so input costs are the number one challenge right now for the American farmer, and fertilizer is the biggest component of that. When Russia invaded Ukraine, we saw fertilizer prices spike and stay elevated for 18 months at levels even higher than they are right now. It’s amazing the national media never mentions that — for 18 months under Joe Biden, fertilizer prices were higher than they are today. Prices eventually came back down, and now they’ve spiked again because of concerns surrounding the Strait of Hormuz being closed down. So, way back during the Biden administration, we came up with some solutions, including allowing smaller fertilizer companies to enter the market. As you can imagine, a lot of these markets are dominated by just one or two companies, so we want to make it easier for other businesses to come into the market and compete. There are also countervailing duties on Moroccan phosphate imports. We’d like to eliminate those countervailing duties because that could bring phosphate prices down maybe 20 to 25 percent as well. So, there are solutions out there. Again, no one has done more for the American farmer and rural America than President Trump has.”

On the Trump administration’s new website for moms:

“Yeah, well, you know that I delivered a baby almost every day for 25 years. So, this is a welcome one-stop shop — a one-stop shop for new moms, and really for moms and dads both. I remember, even though I was in medical school and we were about to have our first baby, I knew nothing about being a dad and what I should do to help my wife as a future mom. And for folks who may be struggling to get pregnant as well, there’s some great infertility information available. One of the great things that Trump Rx has done is help bring down infertility medication costs. We had a very busy infertility clinic, and the biggest barrier to treatment was the cost of those drugs. So Trump Rx is addressing that, and this website helps connect people to those resources as well. If you’re just thinking about becoming pregnant, I was always interested in making sure moms were addressing their nutritional needs before becoming pregnant — that they were already taking folic acid, prenatal vitamins, and doing some of those important early steps. So this is a one-stop resource for moms: Moms.gov — M-O-M-S.gov. Thanks to President Trump for helping moms out.”

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Senator Marshall: Your Family is Safer Under President Trump

Senator Marshall Joins Fox Business, The Evening Edit

Washington – U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-Kansas), joined Liz MacDonald on Fox Business’ The Evening Edit to discuss President Trump’s work to make America safer, FBI Director Kash Patel’s success, and the lowest crime rates in decades.

Click here to download the full video.

On FBI Director Patel’s exchange with Senator Van Hollen:

“Well, two things come to mind. Number one, my colleague across the aisle there, he’s obviously running for president, so he’s trying to say the most outlandish things he can. And number two is that the Democrat Party is the biggest threat to the safety and security of your family that exists. That they’re a bigger threat to your safety and security than the cartels are. And all you have to do is look at Director Patel’s record here — the lowest murder rate since 1900, a 10-20% drop in violent crimes, they went out and found 6000 of these lost children that the Biden Administration lost. So, I think that the Director’s record speaks for itself, that he’s restoring the integrity the reputation of the FBI. I think he’s doing a heck of a job, based upon the results that I’m seeing.”

On crime rates under President Trump:

“Yeah, Americans, they have such a short memory that just a couple years ago, President Trump ran on this safety and security banner. And guess what, our borders are safe, your families are safer today, fentanyl poisonings are down, the FBI has literally arrested thousands of terrorists and thousands of cartel members as well — our families are safer today. And we got more work to do. Unfortunately, Joe Biden left us maybe 10s of thousands of these violent criminal illegal aliens in our country. But when I wake up the morning every day, Liz, I’m thinking about, ‘Is my family safe? Is your family safe?’ This is still the most important priority that I have as a U.S. Senator, as a father, and as a grandfather, for that matter.”

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Letter Text (PDF)

Washington, D.C. – Senators Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), member of the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) today led their colleagues in writing to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Markwayne Mullin demanding the agency abandon its dangerous proposal, included in DHS’s proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2027, to develop “smart glasses” for its immigration officers. These smart glasses would allow DHS officers to quickly identify individuals in public by covertly taking their photo and running it through biometric identification systems — such as facial recognition software — threatening the privacy and civil liberties of every person in the United States. Smart glasses are the latest example of the Trump administration’s growing surveillance state, which is intended to silence dissent and intimidate Trump’s political opponents.

Senators Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) also signed the letter.

In their letter, the Senators wrote, “Given DHS’s record during the Trump administration of exploiting surveillance technologies, we are deeply concerned that smart glasses will be abused by this administration. Over the past year, DHS has deployed biometric identification tools — including facial recognition technologies — to identify individuals engaged in protest activity, intimidate them, and deter lawful dissent. The Trump administration seems to relish these practices, which endanger the core democratic right to challenge the government without fear of punishment. Smart glasses would provide yet another opportunity for DHS to extend its surveillance capabilities and intimidate individuals across the country.”

Senator Markey has been leading efforts to hold ICE and DHS accountable for their gross violations of Americans’ First Amendment rights and their weaponization of surveillance technologies against peaceful protestors, immigrants, and American citizens.

On February 5, 2026, Senator Markey, along with Senator Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), and Representative Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), introduced the ICE Out of Our Faces Act, bicameral legislation that would ban ICE and CBP from acquiring and using facial recognition technology (FRT) and other biometric identification systems.

Also in February, Senator Markey wrote to ICE’s Acting Director Todd Lyons demanding that Lyons immediately confirm or deny reports that the agency is maintaining a so-called “domestic terrorists” database to track individuals protesting ICE activities.

In November 2025, Senator Markey wrote to CBP Commissioner Rodney S. Scott, urging the agency to immediately cease using a system of license plate readers (LPRs) and predictive algorithms to monitor the movements of individual Americans. CBP is reportedly using the system to “identify and detain people whose travel patterns it deems suspicious.”

Also in November, Senator Markey led his colleagues in requesting that ICE cease the use of their biometric phone application known as Mobile Fortify following a previous unanswered request.

In September, Senators Markey and Merkley wrote to ICE’s Acting Director Todd Lyons, demanding that ICE cease use of Mobile Fortify and requesting detailed information about its policies and practices surrounding the use of biometric technology.

In July, Senator Markey, along with Senators Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) and Schiff (D-Calif.), sent a letter to then-Secretary of DHS Kristi Noem on the DHS’s usage of Predator drones and aerial surveillance against peaceful protesters in Los Angeles. In the letter, the senators raised concerns about the threat to the protesters’ privacy and their constitutional rights that are guaranteed by the First Amendment.

In June, Senators Markey and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) wrote two letters to Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary Noem about the government’s use of artificial intelligence (AI) and other technologies to determine whether an individual poses a national security risk.

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NEWS RELEASE: Sen. Moody Leads with Sen. Kennedy to Suspend Senator Pay During a Government Shutdown

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Senator Ashley Moody is co-leading an effort with Senator John Kennedy (R-LA) to suspend Senator pay during a government shutdown. The resolution has now passed in the chamber and is in effect for Senators.

“It’s astounding that Democrats can hold our government hostage – forcing thousands to go without pay – while still receiving their own paycheck. That ends today. I’m proud to join Sen. Kennedy and have called for this common-sense measure since day one, because I am a firm believer that this place is in desperate need of reform. Withholding Senator pay during a shutdown is a strong first step in fixing a painfully stubborn system that is often used for political games,” said Senator Ashley Moody.

BACKGROUND:

In addition to co-leading with Sen. Kennedy on this resolution to suspend Senator pay during a government shutdown, Senator Moody has also:

Introduced a resolution to end taxpayer funded travel for Senators during government shutdowns;

Cosponsored the Eliminate Shutdowns Act, which would trigger an automatic 14-day continuing resolution in the event of a lapse in appropriations;

Donated her salary during a previous Democrat government shutdown to the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay.

Senator Moody is working hard to bring sanity back to D.C., and ensure the government can remain open and working for the American people.

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VIDEO RELEASE: Senator Moody Fires Off on Lawmakers Who Refuse to Protect Children Online: “Get out of the Way”

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Ashley Moody wasted no time yesterday getting right to the heart of the problem with stalled legislation that would increase protections for children online at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing. The witnesses at the hearing included two parents of children who lost their lives due to the persistent dangers that lurk online and on social media platforms:

“To any lawmaker that stands to shield these profit-over-protection companies from accountability for the harm they’ve brought to our children: get out of the way. As a mom, I understand the challenges parents face every single day when it comes to protecting their kids online. These online platforms should not be using our kids as a piggy bank for their next quarterly earnings call, which is why as Attorney General I fought to end these abusive practices and shut down intentionally designed features that addict our kids. I held social media companies’ feet to the fire as Attorney General, and I won’t stop as Florida’s newest U.S. Senator,” said Senator Ashley Moody.

BACKGROUND:

Sen. Moody is dedicated to protecting children from harm online.

Earlier this year, Senator Moody’s James T. Woods Act protecting kids by targeting perpetrators of sextortion passed out of the Senate Judiciary Committee. The Act explicitly criminalizes intentional threats to distribute child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Under current law, sextortion has fallen outside existing CSAM statutes, forcing prosecutors to rely on patchwork charging theories that fail to reflect the gravity of these crimes.

Senator Moody cosponsors the Kids Online Safety Act. The Kids Online Safety Act is crucial legislation that protects children from online harm. Senator Moody first called for Congress to pass the legislation as former Florida Attorney General. As Florida’s newest U.S. Senator, Moody is a cosponsor of the legislation. Key provisions of the bill include:

Mandatory default safety settings: Requiring platforms to automatically enable their strongest safety protections for minors rather than burying these features behind opt-in screens;

Addiction prevention: Allowing young users and their parents to disable manipulative design features and algorithmic recommendations that keep children endlessly scrolling; and

Parental empowerment: Providing parents with new tools to identify harmful behaviors and improved capabilities to report dangerous content.

Senator Moody has long been committed to protecting children online. As the former Florida Attorney General, Senator Moody launched investigations into Meta and Instagram, as well as took legal action, over the platform’s algorithms and practices that sought to addict children to using the service and then profit off the children’s data.

As Attorney General, Senator Moody also called Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg to testify to the Statewide Council on Human Trafficking about Meta applications allowing traffickers to prey on victims using the platform. Moody also released the Online Safety Toolkit to help parents talk to children about safe internet use and to avoid online predators and traffickers.

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Senate 340B Bipartisan Working Group Announces Sen. Boozman as the Newest Member

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.) and Tim Kaine (D-Va.) – members of the Senate 340B Bipartisan Working Group – today released the following statement welcoming Sen. John Boozman (R-Ark.) as the Working Group’s newest member, replacing former Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.):

“We are pleased to welcome Sen. Boozman to the Senate 340B Bipartisan Working Group, which exists to further the shared goal of strengthening the 340B program to maintain its long-term viability. The 340B program fulfills a critical purpose of keeping costs low for eligible health care providers and the patients they serve. The Working Group has made significant progress throughout the years, and now, joined by Sen. Boozman, we look forward to continuing our work together on solutions to support this important program.”

“The 340B program is a lifeline for hospitals and clinics across Arkansas, helping vulnerable patients access prescriptions while empowering providers to put savings toward additional services and care in their communities,” said Sen. Boozman. “I am proud to join the bipartisan coalition in the Senate leading the effort to protect and strengthen it. We look forward to advancing solutions that support this essential resource and provide confidence and certainty to participants.”

The Working Group has existed for more than a decade and is comprised of members who support the 340B program and are committed to sustaining it.

In the 118th Congress, the Working Group requested feedback from stakeholders on how to improve the 340B program through bipartisan policy solutions and released a legislative discussion draft and supplemental request for information. The legislative discussion draft reflected the Working Group’s belief that the program provides a critical benefit to eligible health care providers that enables them to stretch federal resources to provide health care services for the patients they serve. The draft also acknowledged concerns from stakeholders about ambiguity in the program and how transparency is needed to ensure the program is serving eligible patients as originally intended.

Moving forward, the Working Group will continue its efforts to incorporate the information shared by stakeholders into legislation that provides clarity, transparency and accountability in the 340B program to ensure the program remains strong long into the future.

Background:

The 340B program requires that drug manufacturers who participate in Medicaid and Medicare provide certain non-profit health care providers, hospitals and clinics (covered entities) a discount on outpatient drugs. The 340B program enables covered entities to use these savings to provide more comprehensive services to eligible patients and their communities.

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Sen. Moran Applauds Judiciary Committee’s Advancement of Three Kansas Federal Judge Nominees

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (Kan.) today applauded the Senate Judiciary Committee’s advancement of three Kansas federal judicial nominees Jeffrey Kuhlman, The Honorable Anthony Powell and Tony Mattivi. The nominations now move to the full Senate for confirmation to fill positions on the U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas.

“I am pleased that the Senate Judiciary Committee has advanced the nominations of Jeffrey Kuhlman, Anthony Powell and Tony Mattivi,” said Sen. Moran. “Their personal expertise, commitment to serving Kansans and our country and upholding the rule of law make these nominees highly qualified to serve as federal judges. I look forward to supporting their confirmations by the full Senate and urging my colleagues to vote in favor of their nominations.”

Items to note:

In April, Sen. Moran introduced Mr. Kuhlman, Judge Powell and Mr. Mattivi during their nomination hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee.

In February, Sen. Moran released a statement applauding the selection of the nominees after a lengthy process of considering many qualified candidates to fill the positions.

Jeffrey Kuhlman served in private practice as a partner at Watkins Calcara, Chtd. in Great Bend. He was a judicial law clerk for U.S. District Court Judge Eric F. Melgren in Wichita and worked as an attorney at Hinkle Law Firm. He graduated from Kansas State University and Antonin Scalia Law School at George Mason University.

The Honorable Anthony Powell served as the Kansas Solicitor General prior to his nomination to the federal bench. He was previously a judge for the Eighteenth Judicial District, where he served Sedgwick County from 2002 until he was appointed to the Kansas Court of Appeals in 2013. His previous experience also includes time as a member of the Kansas House of Representatives, at Martin & Churchill in Wichita and as a staffer for Congressman William Broomfield and Senator Bob Dole. He graduated from George Washington University and Washburn University School of Law.

Tony Mattivi previously served as the Director of the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI). Prior to that, he was an assistant U.S. Attorney for Kansas, where he prosecuted a number of high-profile cases and led the U.S. Department of Justice team that convicted three Kansas militia members who plotted an attack on Somali Muslim refugees in Garden City. He is a graduate of Metropolitan State University and Washburn University School of Law.


Sens. Moran, Van Hollen Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Strengthen & Improve ABLE Program

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) and Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) this week introduced three pieces of bipartisan legislation to strengthen and improve access to the Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) program: the ABLE Tomorrow Act, the ABLE Match Act and the ABLE Direct Deposit Act. The legislation is cosponsored by Sens. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.).

Created in 2014, the ABLE program allows individuals with disabilities to utilize savings accounts without losing eligibility for federal programs. Sen. Moran was an original sponsor of the legislation establishing the ABLE program in the Senate. Sen. Van Hollen, then serving as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, sponsored the legislation in the House. In January 2026, an update to the ABLE program from Sen. Moran’s ABLE Age Adjustment Act, which was cosponsored by Sen. Van Hollen, went into effect and is predicted to double the number of individuals with disabilities eligible for ABLE accounts.

“The ABLE program has expanded opportunities for Americans with disabilities by improving their options to prepare for the future and removing barriers that have hindered their path to financial security and independence,” said Sen. Moran. “As an original sponsor of the legislation to create ABLE accounts and co-chair of the Congressional Task Force on Down Syndrome, I have worked to strengthen and improve the ABLE Program by expanding access so more individuals with disabilities can save, plan for the future and gain greater financial independence.” “Over a decade ago, we passed the bipartisan ABLE Act – empowering people with disabilities to take charge of their economic futures without jeopardizing eligibility for critical federal programs like Medicaid and Supplemental Security Income,” said Sen. Van Hollen. “Now, we are fighting to strengthen and modernize the ABLE program to expand access to and awareness of ABLE accounts so people with disabilities and their families can continue taking advantage of these opportunities to plan and save. The ABLE Tomorrow, ABLE Match, and ABLE Direct Deposit Acts will build on the successes of the ABLE Act to strengthen these Americans’ financial security, independence, and quality of life for years to come.”

“ABLE accounts give people with disabilities a vital pathway to build savings and greater financial independence without jeopardizing essential benefits," said Jill Jacobs, Executive Director, National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities (NACDD). "This legislative package strengthens and modernizes the ABLE program so more individuals and families can take advantage of this important tool for economic security.”

The ABLE Tomorrow Act would:

Strengthen and modernize the ABLE program by eliminating the Medicaid clawback; creating exceptions to annual contribution limits for certain 529 rollovers and one-time contributions; establishing a two-month grace period and a notification requirement before Social Security benefits are suspended when an account exceeds the $100,000 threshold; and allowing employers to contribute to an employee’s ABLE account in lieu of a defined contribution plan without jeopardizing benefit eligibility.

Expand awareness of the ABLE program by directing federal and state agencies to inform eligible individuals about ABLE accounts across programs such as Social Security, VA benefits, Medicaid, TANF, SNAP, vocational rehabilitation, Medicare, Head Start and special education; and authorizing $50 million annually through FY2031 for state and tribal grants to increase ABLE awareness and enrollment.

The ABLE Match Act would:

Create a new federal program that matches contributions made to an ABLE account of up to $2,000 per year and authorizes $5 million annually through 2030, subject to congressional appropriations, for promoting ABLE accounts and the new matching benefit.

The ABLE Direct Deposit Act would:

Reaffirm that direct deposits from employer and government program contributions can be made to ABLE accounts.

The legislative package is also supported by: Able Americans; 2Gether-International; Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD); American Network of Community Options and Resources (ANCOR); Autism Society of America; Autism Speaks; Cure SMA; Easter Seals; Global Connections to Employment; Melwood; Muscular Dystrophy Association; National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors (NAIFA); National Disability Institute; National Down Syndrome Society (NDSS); National Federal of Blind (NFB); Partners in Promise; CEO Commission for Disability Employment; National Organization on Disability (NOD); Disability Rights Center of Kansas; Kansas Council on Developmental Disabilities; SEEC; New Disabled South; Association of People Supporting Employment First; Maryland Down Syndrome Advocacy Coalition; and National Down Syndrome Congress.

In addition, the ABLE Tomorrow Act is endorsed by the National Association of State Treasurers (NAST) and ABLE Savings Plans Network (ASPN).

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Murkowski Discusses FY27 Budget with EPA Administrator Zeldin

Washington, DC—Yesterday, U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Chair of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies, welcomed Lee Zeldin, Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), to discuss the agency’s budget request for Fiscal Year 2027.

Senator Murkowski impressed upon Administrator Zeldin the importance of Tribal resilience as rural communities face increasingly devastating natural disasters. She also raised the bulk fuel crisis affecting rural Alaska and requested collaboration with the agency to provide administrative relief and flexibility to help ensure fuel deliveries reach communities and remain affordable for Alaskans.

Watch the Senator’s opening statement here.

Read Senator Murkowski’s full opening statement below.

FULL TRANSCRIPT

So, Administrator, thank you for joining us here this morning. Appreciate you being here. Also, a personal thank you for traveling to Alaska. Not everybody wants to come in winter. Maybe you didn't want to come in February, but I think you get a little taste of what some of the locals get to enjoy.

For colleagues, we had 152 consecutive days in Fairbanks where the temperatures did not get above zero. So, it was a cold winter, and I think you were able to enjoy a little bit of that. But again, thank you for making the trip, not only to my state, but to other colleagues as well, to know and understand and to really gather the facts on the ground. It's appreciated.

I want to acknowledge several of the steps that you've taken over the past year to help Alaska, specifically the transfer of $100 million to the Denali Commission to start addressing the serious bulk fuel storage issues that face so many Alaskan communities. We’ve got more work to do on that, but we're starting that off.

You drafted a new Waters of the United States rule to provide regulatory clarity and certainty. You're tackling some technical issues, like the diesel exhaust fluid sensor requirements to help reduce system failures in cold climate states. These things matter, and so I appreciate that.

But as with government, as with bureaucracy, the world's not entirely perfect. We still have more work, as you know, to do when it comes to the draft WOTUS rule as it relates to Alaska. It's not right yet. We wrote you as a delegation to outline its shortcomings, particularly the inclusion of permafrost within the definition of WOTUS. Again, when you're up there in Fairbanks, you have an opportunity—maybe not in the heart of winter, when everything is dramatically frozen—but we see the impact of thawing permafrost. So, I would urge you and your team to fix that and all the concerns that regulated Alaskans raised during the comment period before that rule is finalized.

I mentioned bulk fuel storage. Alaska has gratefully received a significant down payment on this more than $1 billion problem. This is something that, again, I think is pretty unique to Alaska, where you have all of these communities that are off-road, and so their fuel needs are met when they're able to fill up their bulk fuel storage. But we've got a tired history, I guess, with regards to the status of those above-ground storage tanks. So, we started funding that program in our FY26 bill. I'm going to be looking to build on that this year and beyond.

In the immediate term, I will tell you, Administrator Zeldin, people in Alaska, particularly in our off-road communities, are very anxious about the impacts that we're seeing rising from the conflict in Iran, and the impact not only on prices for fuel, but also being able to source fuel in so many of these communities. Eighty-two percent of our communities are not connected by road, but for the coastal and many of the river communities, they get their fuel basically twice a year. So, you're locked into fuel prices in the spring, which we consider to be June, and then in September.

So right now, people have ordered their fuel for their village, and they had to order it probably within the past 30 days or so, right when the prices were exorbitantly high. This is going to a region where we already experience fuel prices in the range of $7 to $10 a gallon. So, they're anticipating fuel costs in the range of 15 to $17 a gallon.

And when you put it into context, it's not just filling up your pickup truck. For most of these communities, it's not like there are a lot of roads, but the community is powered by diesel generation. So to keep your lights on, it's costing you to power that diesel generator, to fill up your skiff to go fishing for subsistence, or to fill up your four-wheeler to go hunting for subsistence, to be able to go out and collect firewood so that you can keep your home, your cabin, warm. It all requires fuel.

So, the impact on people's ability to either provide food, provide for some level of economy, or stay warm is already challenged before we've even had the delivery. And what we're hearing is a concern that so much of this supply—the refined product—is coming from South Korea. South Korea, of course, gets much of their oil from the Gulf, and so they're limiting quantities that they are sending out.

So, I've shared this with Secretary Burgum. I shared it with Secretary Kennedy—basically anybody who's listening—because I'm going to be making asks and encouraging those in the administration to do what you can to help us provide some relief and flexibility to ensure that the fuel not only arrives, but also that people are going to be able to afford it. So, there's a lot of stress there.

You've heard me talk about our issue with cleanup of contaminated lands in Alaska. We've appropriated funding for this for the last few years. My goal is to keep expanding on that. Again, this is one where, when we think about a raw deal, the federal government comes in for a host of different reasons, leaves an area, and leaves contaminated waste after the war, in some of the building projects, and then just walk away from it.

Then, when we settled up with Alaska Natives through the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, so many of these contaminated lands were transferred as part of that settlement. But now you've got a huge problem on your hands. So, we've worked beyond the liability issues. Now it's just about the cleanup, and it's an area that is a considerable source of frustration. So, working with you and your folks on this continues to be a priority of mine.

Another area of frustration has been EPA’s decision to freeze or cancel grant funding that Congress approved and Alaska communities had secured on a fair and competitive basis. We talked about the situation with Kipnuk. They were a small village in southwest Alaska. They were awarded a grant to address coastal erosion. EPA canceled that grant just months before the community was literally wiped out by ex-Typhoon Halong.

And I grant you that particular grant would not have saved Kipnuk, but we have a lot of other coastal communities that need federal help and don't have it. So, it's hard when you have this kind of view from Washington that says this is a waste of money to help a community of 800 or 900 people.

It was really stunning to hear an EPA spokeswoman who went on the record to claim that the grant cancellation kept taxpayer dollars from being, quote, “swept into the Kuskokwim River.” That was really hard for people in that region to hear. It was pretty offensive, and it made me question what EPA political staff here in Washington, D.C., think of these threatened Alaska Native communities.

So, I'm going to be putting a lot of my muscle into this effort, because it's not just Kipnuk. It is small Alaska Native communities up and down the coast who are threatened right now with everything from coastal erosion to these devastating fall storms that we're seeing.

I’m very appreciative of what you and your team within the agency have done to end what we would call regulatory overreach that we saw throughout the Biden administration. It was daily. But I also recognize that while overreach is not good, underreach sometimes doesn't help us either.

Every American counts on EPA to ensure cleaner air, cleaner water, and a livable environment around them. And the baseline that determines what happens on those fronts—and all the other things that I mentioned—is in your annual budget. So that brings me back to the President's request. Like I said last year, there's good and bad within it.

We continue to target inefficiencies, overlap, and waste at the agency. We must do that. But I will share with you again: I do not support the elimination of virtually all funding for Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds or the categorical grants. I think they're good. I think they're reasonable investments, and I figure they're probably going to be some big topics today.

Cutting them would hurt public health and safety, especially with many states, including a state like Alaska, that are not able to take over and cover the cost, particularly on short notice. So, it kind of feels like we're in the same place that we were last year.

So, my approach is going to be the same. We take the President's budget request as a suggestion. We work together to produce a good bill that allows EPA to fulfill its core missions and meet the needs of our communities. I think we did that last year in working with your team. We want to be able to do that again this year.

So, Administrator Zeldin, I will invite you to give your opening comments to the committee.

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Murkowski: NOAA Decision on Chinook ESA Listing Provides Much-Needed Clarity

Washington, DC—U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) today released the following statement after the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) completed its review process and declined to list Chinook salmon as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). NOAA found that Gulf of Alaska Chinook salmon do not meet the necessary criteria to be classified as threatened or endangered under the ESA.

“NOAA made the right decision here, relying on sound science to determine that it is not appropriate to list Alaska’s Chinook salmon as threatened or endangered,” said Senator Murkowski. “Alaska’s Kings do need help, but the ESA is not the right tool and would not have saved our salmon. This decision lifts the cloud of uncertainty cast by a deeply flawed petition and will hopefully allow everyone—from federal agencies, to the State of Alaska, to coastal communities who depend on fisheries—to focus on more practical solutions to ensure stronger runs.”

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Murray, Duckworth, Pressley Introduce Bicameral Bill to Help Women with Disabilities Access Reproductive Health Care

Senator Murray: “This bill will help make a big difference in making sure people with disabilities can get the informed and accessible reproductive health care they deserve.”

Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Patty Murray (D-WA), a senior member and former chair of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) reintroduced their Reproductive Health Care Accessibility Act, legislation to help women with disabilities—who face discrimination and extra barriers when seeking care—get better access to the timely, informed, and culturally competent reproductive health care they deserve. Representative Ayanna Pressley (D, MA-07) is introducing companion legislation in the House.

“Every single American woman deserves reproductive health care from a provider that understands her unique needs and treats her with dignity and respect as she makes her personal health care decisions—this is especially true for women with disabilities who often face discrimination and additional barriers to receiving basic health care,” said Senator Murray. “While Republicans do all they can to rip away health care, attack our reproductive rights, and try to ban abortion nationwide, I am continuing to fight back and ensure that all women can access high-quality care from providers who understand their unique needs. This bill will help make a big difference in making sure people with disabilities can get the informed and accessible reproductive health care they deserve.”

“Americans with disabilities have long faced barriers to health care services, equipment and providers—and those barriers have only multiplied under the Trump Administration when it comes to reproductive care,” said Senator Duckworth. “Between the fall of Roe and Republicans passing $1 trillion in Medicaid cuts, it’s shameful how Donald Trump has made sure it’s even harder for people with disabilities to access reproductive health care. I’m proud to introduce this bill with Senator Murray to help ensure that Americans with disabilities are not left behind in getting the care we need, when we need it.”

“Everyone should have equitable access to healthcare. Disability justice and reproductive justice are connected,” said Congresswoman Pressley, Co-Chair of the Reproductive Freedom Caucus. “With a nationwide assault on reproductive healthcare deeply impacting our siblings with disabilities, this bill is timely, urgent and responsive. I’m grateful to Senator Murray, Senator Duckworth, and our advocates for their ongoing partnership on this legislation.”

“The barriers disabled people face when trying to access reproductive health care are real, longstanding, and too often ignored. This bill recognizes that accessibility is not optional when it comes to bodily autonomy and reproductive freedom,” said Mia Ives-Rublee, Senior Director of the Disability Justice Initiative at the Center for American Progress. “Everyone deserves the ability to make informed decisions about their own health and future, and that means ensuring care is accessible, inclusive, and responsive to the needs of disabled people.”

“For too long, our health care system has subjected people with disabilities, and especially disabled Black, Indigenous, and People of Color, to discrimination in sexual and reproductive health (SRH) care. And while this discrimination often violates federal civil rights laws, it persists,” said Madeline Morcelle, Senior Attorney at the National Health Law Program. “We are proud to endorse the Reproductive Health Care Accessibility Act because it invests in solutions that will help prevent discrimination before it happens, such as comprehensive provider training and grants to increase disabled representation in the SRH care workforce. Together, these measures will help foster a future in which people with disabilities’ sexual and reproductive autonomy is honored, pain and other symptoms are not dismissed, and SRH care is accessible, trauma-informed, culturally and linguistically appropriate, non-coercive, and delivered with dignity.”

All Americans deserve to decide if, when, and how to start and raise a family—including the roughly one in four adults with disabilities, who report wanting children as much as those without disabilities do. But people with disabilities have long experienced discrimination and barriers when accessing sexual and reproductive health care. They are also less likely to receive contraception counseling and timely prenatal care, experience a higher rate of sterilization, and are at a greater risk for adverse pregnancy outcomes. And they face other barriers to accessing reproductive care, such as a lack of accessibility at health care facilities, accessible medical diagnostic equipment, accessible travel, and health care providers trained on how to treat and address the unique, diverse needs of people with disabilities receiving reproductive health care.

The legislation would provide grant funding for training and education programs for health care professionals focused on the reproductive health needs of people with disabilities, help to increase the representation of people with disabilities in the health care provider workforce, and establish a new technical assistance center to provide recommendations and best practices regarding sexual and reproductive health care for people with disabilities, among other things. The lawmakers first introduced the bill in 2022, and reintroduced it in 2023 as well.

The Reproductive Health Care Accessibility Act would lower barriers to sexual and reproductive care and help ensure disabled people get timely access to culturally competent health care. Specifically, the bill would:

Provide grant funding to carry out training programs for health care professionals providing reproductive health care for individuals with disabilities;

Establish grants to expand the health care provider workforce by increasing the number of people with disabilities in those professions;

Provide grant funding to carry out education programs for entities with a demonstrated expertise in serving individuals with disabilities, focused on the sexual and reproductive health care needs of this population;

Create a new technical assistance center to provide recommendations and best practices regarding sexual and reproductive health care for people with disabilities; and

Direct the Department of Health and Human Services to carry out a study to analyze reproductive health care for people with disabilities.

The legislation is also cosponsored by Senators Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Cory Booker (D-NJ), John Fetterman (D-PA), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Edward Markey (D-MA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Tina Smith (D-MN), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Peter Welch (D-VT), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), and Ron Wyden (D-OR).

The legislation is endorsed by American Civil Liberties Union, All* Above All, Catholics for Choice, Center for American Progress, In Our Own Voice: National Black Women’s Reproductive Justice Agenda, National Abortion Federation, National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum, National Council of Jewish Women, National Disability Rights Network, National Family Planning and Reproductive Health Association, National Health Law Program, National Latina Institute for Reproductive Justice, National Network of Abortion Funds, National Partnership for Women and Families, National Women’s Law Center Action Fund, Physicians for Reproductive Health, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Power to Decide, and Reproductive Freedom for All.

A one-pager on the bill is available here.

The full text of the Reproductive Health Care Accessibility Act is here.

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Senator Murray Celebrates $8.8M Nuclear Energy Award for Richland

This funding was secured in the FY24 appropriations bill which Murray helped author and negotiate; currently, Murray is the ranking member of the Senate Appropriations subcommittee that funds the Department of Energy

Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee and ranking member of the Energy and Water Development Subcommittee, released the following statement in response to the announcement that the nuclear energy company Framatome was chosen to receive federal funding to support supply chain development for small modular reactors (SMRs). Framatome will receive $8.8 million to expand a fuel fabrication facility in Richland, Washington, by increasing the number of ceramic pellet production lines, adding approximately 200 metric tons of uranium of annual capacity. The award is funded through the FY24 annual appropriations bill, which Senator Murray helped author and negotiate.

“This funding is great news for Richland—it will help create jobs and grow the local economy across the Tri-Cities. During my visit last week, I met with the labor leaders that will make this project a reality and saw firsthand exactly where the materials we need for our clean energy future will be manufactured,” said Senator Murray. “The Tri-Cities has long been a leader in nuclear energy supply chains, and I am proud to make sure that continues into the future, including by supporting funding just like this. It is simple: this project will advance our efforts to reduce emissions, protect the environment, and ensure the U.S. remains a global leader in energy technologies. The Trump administration keeps doing all they can to hurt domestic energy production, cutting billions in funding for energy projects and research, and forcing energy prices to skyrocket. While Trump lines the pockets of big oil companies, I will keep fighting to protect the kinds of investments—like this one—that we need to power a clean energy future for America and bring down utility bills.”

For FY26, Senator Murray secured over $4.8 billion for the Office of Nuclear Energy at the Department of Energy, including $3.1 billion in repurposed supplemental funding to support the deployment of advanced reactor technologies. Senator Murray also rejected Trump’s proposal in FY26 to slash funding for the Department of Energy by $4.7 billion, cut funding for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) programs by $2.572 billion, and rescind $15.25 billion from Bipartisan Infrastructure Law energy programs. Senator Murray has also fought hard against Trump’s effort to cancel $8 billion in energy projects in blue states. In President Trump’s FY27 budget request, he proposed gutting funding for EERE programs by $1.9 billion, or 63%.

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Senator Murray Slams HUD Secretary for Backing Budget to Fund War Instead of Helping Americans Afford Housing

ICYMI: Senator Murray on President Trump’s FY27 Budget Request

***WATCH: Senator Murray’s full questioning***

Washington, D.C. — Today—at a Senate Appropriations Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Subcommittee hearing on the FY27 budget request for the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)—U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, pressed Secretary Scott Turner on his efforts to dismantle key homelessness programs and the president’s request to gut funding to increase housing supply and keep Americans housed while seeking a half trillion dollar increase in defense funding.

[CONTINUUM OF CARE]

Senator Murray began by pressing Secretary Turner on when HUD will renew Continuum of Care grants that expire this year, as required by the FY26 funding bill. Thousands of organizations across the country rely on the grants to help reduce homelessness.

MURRAY: Mr. Secretary, you know, addressing the homeless crisis is a top priority for my state and for many states across the country. And I am really concerned because your department has ignored the law and done the opposite. HUD is required to prioritize proven strategies to reduce homelessness, including permanent supportive housing and rapid rehousing.

But last year, you limited our local governments’ use of federal grants for those exact proven solutions—at least until a federal judge and Congress stopped you. And, in my state, you could have cut the federal funding to house people who are homeless by more than half! Nationwide, your changes could have put more than 170,000 households on the streets. So, we required you to renew grants and get this money out the door, and I have to tell you communities are still waiting far too long.

Can you commit to us that you will move quickly to renew every Continuum of Care grant that expires this year as required by the language in our [FY]26 appropriations bill?

TURNER: Well, thank you, Senator Murray, Vice Chair Murray, it’s good to see you again. And as you know we have got quarter one and quarter two funds out, and quarter three and quarter four funds also will go out. But I will say–

MURRAY: From last year?

TURNER: Yes ma’am. I will say that we do have a different approach to this, and I believe that the housing first model is a failed model. I believe that the housing first model, part of it—to house people—is important but we can’t stop there. We have to get the root of housing and homelessness, and that is mental addiction, drug addiction, domestic violence, and things of this nature. So, I believe we have to treat people, get them transformed and back out to a life of self-sustainability.

MURRAY: Well, Mr. Secretary, our bill requires you to get this money out, and I’ll just tell you—all of the data, all of the research shows that economic factors are driving homelessness. It’s not because of housing first. If every American is feeling the strain on housing, it’s really hard to believe that those with the least, struggle the most, which is what’s happening.

And housing first isn’t housing only. There’s case management, there is substance use, there is mental health, there’s employment services. That’s all part of the housing first model too, which you’re ignoring. So, I think it’s really important that we don’t demonize the people who are struggling today in this country for very real reason and work on building more housing.

[ILLEGAL FUNDING DELAYS]

Senator Murray continued by questioning Secretary Turner about HUD’s compliance with court orders to stop requiring local governments and non-profits to comply with unacceptable grant conditions.

MURRAY: So let me move on, because I want to ask you about another thing. Under your leadership, local governments, and non-profits in my state and actually in the country have been left to navigate illegal, and in many cases, really bizarre new grant conditions, like requiring a housing provider to say they don’t believe trans people exist. Last year, as you know, a federal court prohibited you from requiring or enforcing the grant conditions. But you are continuing to insert illegal conditions into every grant agreement and entities cannot access these grant funds until agreeing to illegal terms.

So, how exactly is that complying with the court’s order?

TURNER: At HUD ma’am we will be in accordance with every order from the court, we will enforce and uphold the law, we will work with Congress, but we also will enforce the Fair Housing Act in the way we’ve been called to enforce it, as the laws are written on the book. And that’s my job as secretary to ensure we are enforcing the Fair Housing Act.

MURRAY: Well, I just have to tell you, I don’t see how these conditions are complying with the court order, so I have a big disagreement with that. But I also want you to know that our nonprofits who are trying to serve these communities, it is their goal, are wasting a lot of time trying to understand the shifting legal landscape and the bizarre requirements out there.

And, you have refused to sign agreements or release notices of funding opportunities for funds that expire five months from now, running down the clock is what it feels like to everybody out there. And all of this comes after you pushed out over a third of the HUD employees last year so there’s less people to be able to get these grants out. It appears to a lot of people who are talking to me that you’re breaking the department, not making sure that people get housing.

TURNER: Well, if I may ma’am, and I have to correct you. We did not push out anyone, we had volunteers–

MURRAY: Okay we’re going into semantics. Okay, a lot of people left your department, we’ll disagree about why.

TURNER: It was voluntarily, the DRP program, and people took it. The people that want to be at HUD, are at HUD and I’m happy to have them–

MURRAY: Would you agree that you have a loss quite a few people at HUD to do the work?

TURNER: But also, the government shutdown has kept us from getting these NOFOs out. Our team is working tirelessly every day to get these NOFOs out and we will get them out. And we have an adequate, sufficient well-working team at HUD across our agency–

MURRAY: We have a lot fewer people at your department for whatever reason you want to talk about, Mr. Secretary and that is causing a lot of people to not get their grants along with all this confusing language.

TURNER: No ma’am, it’s not because our people. We have the right people in the right place doing the right thing.

MURRAY: Okay, we have a disagreement.

TURNER: Okay.

[COST OF WAR]

Senator Murray then addressed President Trump’s proposal to blow $1.5 trillion on his war budget instead of helping families afford housing.

MURRAY: You said in your opening statement that: “taxpayer dollars are finite.” But President Trump’s budget, his whole budget, actually sends war funding through the roof as we all know.

So instead of blowing a half a trillion dollars more on war funding, I want to ask you, if we weren’t doing that how many more units of housing could we build?

TURNER: Vice Chair Murray, the president is very intentional and very precise on what his national security directors are – my job is to run HUD–

MURRAY: No, yes, I know I just–

TURNER: That’s what I’m focused on is housing affordability. With all due respect, the president is clear on what he wants to do, my job is to run HUD and to take down the regulatory environment, which I hear from the industry experts as I travel, the regulatory environment are crippling building in our country.

MURRAY: You have a different view than I do, and I just want you to know that if we use that money for housing, we could build 1.1 million affordable housing units. That is a huge dent in the seven million units of housing that you yourself say that our country needs. But your budget actually cuts housing. So, let me ask it a different way, can you help more families with housing with $84 billion or with $73.5 billion?

TURNER: Here’s what I’ll say—here’s what I say—in the previous years before we got here, housing affordability was not at an all-time high. Mortgage rates–

MURRAY: This is the go-to answer for every secretary, is go back to Biden – and I’m asking you about your administration, sir.

TURNER: It’s not the go-to answer, as the secretary, I’m just giving you the facts. Mortgage rates were up, interest rates were up, inflation was up, the regulatory environment was crippling. It doesn’t matter the administration, these are the facts, ma’am. And I’ve been dealing with these facts, ma’am, to bring mortgage rates down, interest rates down, to build affordable housing.

MURRAY: You can go back to the Biden administration—it’s the go to answer for every secretary—I’m asking you about your administration. I’m asking you about what you could do with this housing and how we address the number one issue facing many of my constituents and many people in the country. And the answer is you could do a lot more work and help families with funding that went to housing and not $1.5 trillion for a war.

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Senator Murray Statement on Supreme Court Preserving Access to Medication Abortion Nationwide

ICYMI: Following Emergency Stay, Murray, Schumer, Jeffries Lead 250+ Democrats in Supreme Court Fight to Protect Mifepristone Access, Women’s Health Care, and FDA Authority

Washington, D.C. — Today U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee and a senior member and former chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, issued the following statement in response to the Supreme Court pausing a nationwide ban on mail-order and telehealth access to the abortion medication mifepristone, staying a Fifth Circuit order that required patients to set up in-person doctor visits:

“I’m relieved that, for now, women across this country can still get the medication they need—and that doctors can keep prescribing it the way medical evidence says they should. For now, the Supreme Court has continued to preserve access to mifepristone and paused an absurd ruling that attempted to throw decades of scientific safety data out the window.

“But the reality is that a panel of extremist judges with no medical training came within an inch of overriding the FDA on a drug that more than seven million American women have safely used—and access to reproductive health care remains under serious threat as this case is argued in the Fifth Circuit.

“And let’s be honest, this is the world the Dobbs decision has forced American women to live in. Extremist judges tried to take a medication used in the majority of abortions in this country, and used every day for miscarriage care, and make it harder to get in every single state.

“We need to be eyes wide open: Anti-abortion politicians and lawyers are going to keep filing cases until they find a courtroom willing to either restrict or ban abortion nationwide. Reproductive rights are under attack: Mifepristone today, IVF tomorrow, and contraception after that. None of this is hypothetical. We are seeing the anti-abortion playbook unfold in real time. I’m ready to keep fighting for reproductive freedom—America’s pro-choice majority has to dig in and get ready to fight back against every single attack and keep fighting so that we finally restore abortion rights for every woman in every state.”

Two-thirds of U.S. adults oppose banning medication abortion. The overwhelming majority of Americans don’t want abortion legislated at all.

Senator Murray leads the Democratic caucus on reproductive health care issues, and she has led the fight in Congress to protect and expand access to mifepristone. Senator Murray led the Congressional response to FDA v. Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine, a lawsuit brought by Republican anti-abortion extremists trying to rip away access to mifepristone—Murray led multiple amicus briefs, organized her colleagues, and raised the alarm at every turn. In June 2024, the Supreme Court dismissed the case on standing, but Murray made clear that “the nationwide threat to medication abortion has not gone away—far from it. If Donald Trump and his anti-abortion allies return to power, they will do everything they can to rip away access to mifepristone and ban abortion nationwide.”

Senator Murray has grilled Trump’s former FDA Commissioner, Marty Makary, on access to mifepristone at every opportunity she’s had—including at a HELP Committee hearing on his nomination in March 2025, and an Appropriations Agriculture-FDA subcommittee hearing in May of last year. In 2023, Senator Murray pressed national pharmacies including Costco to ensure access to mifepristone, and in August, when Costco announced it would no longer sell mifepristone at its stores, Murray spoke out to demand they reverse course.

In November of 2025, Senator Murray led the entire Senate Democratic caucus in a letter to HHS Secretary Kennedy and FDA Commissioner Makary expressing alarm over the Trump administration’s plans to conduct “its own review of the evidence” on the safety and effectiveness of mifepristone. Murray’s letter laid into the recent junk science “report” on mifepristone put out by the Ethics and Public Policy Center (EPPC)—an avowedly anti-abortion think tank—that appears to be the basis for the Trump administration’s announced review of mifepristone. “By elevating the sham EPPC report as rationale for restricting access to mifepristone, HHS is blatantly undermining well-established science and weaponizing disinformation to fit the Trump administration’s clear agenda to cut off abortion access in any way possible,” Murray and the senators wrote.

At the start of this year, Murray blasted her Republican counterparts on the Senate HELP Committee for holding a sham hearing to discredit medication abortion. Earlier this month, Murray led Congressional Democrats in submitting an amicus brief to the Supreme Court to protect access to mifepristone.

Throughout her career, Murray has beat back countless Republican attacks on reproductive care and other family planning services—and she is widely credited with successfully pushing the Bush administration’s FDA to follow the science and make Plan B available over the counter.

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Reed Votes to Suspend Pay of All U.S. Senators During a Federal Shutdown & Urges House to Follow Suit

WASHINGTON, DC -- Today, the full U.S. Senate voted to adopt a resolution to suspend the pay of U.S. Senators during future government shutdowns.

U.S. Senator Jack Reed supported the resolution (S.Res. 526), which would delay paying U.S. Senators if there is a future funding lapse for any federal agency, starting after November’s midterm elections.

“The federal government should work for the people it serves and avoid costly shutdowns. If federal workers are required to be on the job without a paycheck, then members of Congress should lead by example and share in that sacrifice. The Senate is taking a positive step and I hope Speaker Johnson will follow suit and pass a similar resolution that applies to the House,” said Senator Reed, who has already routinely utilized this system of forgoing his paycheck and having it held during prolonged shutdowns.

Under the Constitution, members of Congress and the president continue to be paid during federal government shutdowns.

The Senate resolution only applies to members of the U.S. Senate and does not need to be approved by the House or signed by President Trump.

The resolution cannot take effect until after November mid-term election because of the 27th Amendment, which prohibits any law that alters the salaries of members of Congress until after the next election of the U.S. House of Representatives.


Ricketts Votes to Advance Landmark, Bipartisan Digital Asset Market Structure Legislation

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Pete Ricketts (R-NE), a member of the SenateBanking Committee, issued the following statement after the committee voted 15-9 to advance theCLARITY Act:

“As Governor, I signed legislation into law that put Nebraska at the forefront of financial innovation. As Senator, I am proud to vote for the CLARITY Act. It establishes clear and enforceable guardrails for digital asset markets. It will counter illicit financial activity and national security threats and foster innovation. I also fought for provisions that will preserve Nebraska’s recently passed law that has helped curb crypto ATM scams.”

Background

The CLARITY Act establishes clear, enforceable guardrails for digital asset markets that protect consumers and investors, counters illicit finance and national security threats, and supports responsible innovation in the United States. This bill is the product of extensive, bipartisan negotiations and engagement with regulators, law enforcement, academics, and industry stakeholders. During the negotiations, Senator Ricketts worked to include a provision to Section 205, preserving the authority of states to enforce consumer protection laws combatting cryptocurrency kiosk ATM scams and fraud.

As Governor of Nebraska, Senator Ricketts signed Nebraska’s Financial Innovation Act into law, making Nebraska the second state in the country to establish a state-level regulatory system for digital assets.